And on the narrow street between the Gothic palaces, both Lankaten and Clentin stood before a hunter… the Hunter of Hunters.
His hair was yellow, long down to the ears, and his eyes were crimson red. He wore a white shirt with faint black stripes. Black trousers with a slight tear on the right leg.
"If I may say so, you're from the cursed 'Dekronma' family. Am I right?" Clentin spoke sharply, placing his card on the four black holes and drawing his flaming axe.
"Oh, what a stupid observation. Because, obviously, it's clear already, you killer," spoke the Hunter of Hunters with a mocking tone.
Clentin looked at Lankaten. Lankaten gave that indifferent glance and said:
"He's yours. I know we have a pact."
"I know you well, Lankaten. You never break promises." Clentin smiled calmly, then looked towards the Hunter—the Hunter of Hunters.
Lankaten broke part of the Victorian palace wall and sat on it. He took out a cigarette box and started watching the battle about to begin.
"Well… well… this isn't in your best interest, facing me alone, you fool," said Jackson mockingly about Clentin.
Clentin rested his axe on his shoulder and smiled with a snarl:
"Excuse me, I can't hear you well. Seems like there's a piece of filth in my ear."
The Hunter of Hunters laughed as he pulled out a rod with wolf fangs from its head and spoke arrogantly:
"Jackson from the Dekronma family—I'll show you torment before your eternal dream."
Clentin swiftly attacked, swinging his axe at Jackson's neck. Jackson bent back and struck Clentin's stomach, lifting him into the air. Jackson appeared behind him, intending to cut off his head, but Clentin caught the iron rod, spun it, and threw it to the ground.
Before Jackson hit the ground, he placed the rod beneath him for balance.
"That's great, but I hope you keep up those fancy moves," Jackson smiled and darted toward Clentin mid-air. Clentin was caught off guard by a blow to the liver from the iron rod, causing blood to gush from his mouth and eyes.
Clentin grabbed Jackson's hair in fury, but Jackson broke his hand so the bone protruded from the flesh, then aimed to pierce his stomach with the rod—but Lankaten struck Jackson's head with his own.
Jackson felt like his head exploded from the force. Lankaten then struck Jackson's chest with the axe, slamming him into one of the Gothic palaces, causing a terrifying explosion.
Explosion… shattered rocks… destruction.
'The liver blow was terrifying. I thought I was going to die from it,' Clentin muttered to himself as he hovered in the air holding his liver.
"Hey, I know that won't kill you… come out from under the rubble." Clentin growled, a smile on his face.
The rocks exploded and flew in every direction, and then Jackson appeared, floating in the air in front of Clentin.
Jackson spat blood on Clentin's clothes. Clentin looked at his clothes and laughed mockingly:
"Hahaha, little one. Did I hurt you a bit?"
In a speed Clentin didn't notice, Jackson struck his abdomen with the iron rod and slashed it open.
'What is this speed… are my guts out?' he muttered as he spat blood from his mouth.
Furiously, he charged like lightning toward Jackson, aiming to strike his head with the axe. But Jackson grabbed the axe, spun it, and hurled it to the ground.
Clentin flew like a missile to the earth, crashing near Lankaten. Lankaten smiled, looking at Clentin under a pile of rubble, and said:
"Seems like you're having a tough time, my friend."
Jackson mocked Clentin, saying:
"I know that won't kill you. Get up, you insect."
Clentin pushed the rocks away and rose like a beast, wiping blood from his face with a strange laugh.
Clentin attacked with unexpected speed, even the rocks didn't catch up, flying due to the strong vibration. Clentin grabbed Jackson's neck tightly, eyes tearing up, and shouted in anger:
"Knowing you won't save you. I'll turn your head into a wine cup."
Still gripping his neck, he launched downward to strike him. Jackson collided with the ground several times, getting punched repeatedly in the face until Clentin burned his chest.
But Jackson's heart rate rose from fury. He bit his lip as he endured the beating. He reached up, grabbed Clentin's hair, reversed the position, and slammed him to the ground.
Jackson sat atop Clentin's body, punching his face until his teeth broke. With anger targeting every part of Jackson, he broke Clentin's arm until the entire bone emerged.
Clentin's eyes widened in extreme rage. He struck with his broken arm and tried to fire a bullet at Jackson's head, but Jackson smacked the gun away.
"I want to help… but that would hurt Clentin's pride… But that guy, Jackson, is no less mad than Clentin… Rage and pride—what terrifying things," Lankaten said, smoking and watching the bloody, horrifying fight.
Clentin grabbed Jackson's chest bones, smiling manically through the blood, saying:
"What do you think of this move?"
He lifted him high in the air and slammed him down. The surrounding Gothic palaces were destroyed from the continuous tremors and strikes. They clashed with weapons and fists.
Even the sky seemed to rain blood… from their bleeding.
They exchanged strikes to each other's face… both stood on one of the Gothic palaces. Clentin wiped the blood from his face. Jackson's rage was boiling hot.
"A shame you'll die. Killing monsters… they were once humans. Seems the elder hunter filled your head with nonsense and illogical thoughts," Jackson extended his hand forward, speaking arrogantly.
Clentin smiled, a soft laugh escaping his lips as he said:
"You know something? I find more pleasure in killing monsters than hunters or even humans… When I was an orphan on the streets of Hrayamed, I found humans impersonating monsters… and their betrayal of Gideon showed their true selves."
Jackson laughed and spoke mockingly and arrogantly:
"That pathetic fool? He was just a grain of rice among the scientists of the great kingdom of England… His dream-cure nonsense was laughable—his treatment was idiotic…"
Clentin looked around at the destruction—the collapsed Gothic palaces and shattered bridges—and said:
"I'm not a lord of justice, but life taught me a few things… one of which is: never belittle the great."
Jackson prepared his iron rod well and glared at Clentin angrily, saying:
"Too bad you'll die. You could've been a good Hunter of Hunters."
They both charged, leading to an intense clash of fists and weapons atop the Gothic palaces. On the other side… Lankaten was thinking of a certain scenario that, if it happened, would take the fight to another level.
'The Dekronma family… they possess the form of the "Mysterious Horn." Most likely this hunter has it, but hopefully it's of the lowest rank… let's hope it is, so we don't move to a whole new level,' Lankaten muttered to himself, analyzing what might unfold in the future.
On the other hand, their fight grew ever more intense, so much that the sound of bones breaking could be heard. Clentin grabbed Jackson's neck and burned his stomach, causing some intestines to spill out.
Jackson quickly struck Clentin's neck. Clentin held his neck with ten fingers, in pain and struggling to breathe. Jackson lifted his leg horizontally and smashed Clentin's head.
Clentin was hurled quickly toward the ground, but stretched his arm wide to balance himself.
"This bastard. There's only one move I must do," thought Clentein as he planned his strategy in his mind.
He rushed forward with speed and fired a bullet toward Jackson's head. Jackson dodged the bullet and attempted to strike with the iron rod, but Clentein grabbed the rod despite his hand being torn by the wolf fangs on it. Clentein moved three fingers across Jackson's chest and unleashed a wave of fire, then landed a final blow with his axe, cutting off an entire part of Jackson's arm and chest.
Clentein smiled as he looked at what he had accomplished, but Lenkaten screamed at him:
"Clenteiiiiin! Never lower your defenses! That bastard has a form that could kill you!"
"What do you mea——"
Clentein was stunned to see Jackson standing again. A new arm had appeared for him… Clentein charged at him, but Jackson struck him with his leg, sending him crashing into the ground.
Jackson grabbed his own eyes and began ripping them like a madman, screaming loudly, and then repeating one word:
"Dojaa… Dojaaaa… Dojaaaaaa!"
From the place where his eyes were, white horns covered in blood emerged, slightly curved backward.
Clentein stood up and looked at what Jackson was doing to himself. He spoke in shock:
"What the hell is this…"
"Hey, Clentein! Try to aim for his horns… at least if you manage to cut off one, his balance will be reduced, and then you can cut the second one," Lenkaten shouted, explaining a method to defeat him.
Clentein looked confused while holding his liver and said:
"How the hell do you know such things? You're a strange genius."
Clentein leapt quickly through the air, but Jackson appeared in front of him and struck his chest, shattering his bones.
"Ughhh…" Clentein spat from the pain, but grabbed Jackson's horn to try to cut it. But Jackson placed his five fingers on Clentein's stomach and said in a terrifying voice:
"DojAAAAAA!"
Clentein was slammed into the ground. His vision became slightly blurry. Jackson fell toward him like a meteor, causing the earth and sky to shake.
But Clentein blocked the strike with his axe, although his right hand was on the verge of being severed due to the pressure. He placed his gun on Jackson's stomach and fired a heavy bullet… it made Jackson's belly bleed like a waterfall…
Furious and deeply enraged, Jackson grabbed Clentein's right hand, ripped it off, and hit Clentein's face with it.
Clentein punched Jackson's stomach to push him away, but it didn't affect him. Jackson pierced Clentein's stomach and began cutting everything inside him… so much that blood started gushing from Clentein's mouth.
Lenkaten appeared behind Jackson and struck the veins in his legs to paralyze his movement. Jackson was damaged by this, and most parts of his body suffered temporary paralysis. Lenkaten shouted loudly at Clentein:
"Cut his horns now!"
Clentein raised his fiery axe and swung it with great difficulty. The axe swung and sliced off both of Jackson's horns… The horns fell onto Clentein's body. Jackson stopped moving for a moment and uttered one word:
"My lord…"
Then his head exploded. Blood began to rain down on Clentein's body. The signs of exhaustion and fatigue were clear on him. Lenkaten looked at him with a soft smile.
Clentein spoke with difficulty, spitting blood:
"I didn't want to touc— (spits blood)——"
Lenkaten bent down toward Clentein and said quietly:
"You were going to die, you idiot… Now rest a little… there's not much left until we reach the Clown's Grave."
Meanwhile, on the other side by the bloody fountain… Emilia lay among the rubble from the strike that came from the unknown girl.
"If you're hunters, then prepare yourselves… because now you're the hunted, you bitch," said the mysterious girl.
Her face was unclear… she wore a white veil over her face. She had a short red dress reaching her knees. She held a sword with a slight curve.
"Looks like this bitch needs someone to teach her a lesson in respect… Seems like the Denrokma family knows nothing about manners," said Elianora angrily as she held her shark-tooth sword.
(Sound of rocks collapsing)… Emilia appeared lying on the rocks, breathing somewhat steadily.
"Hey, Emilia, are you okay?" Elianora asked with concern.
Emilia replied with difficulty, wiping blood from her face, saying:
"Yes, I'm fine. And also… I'm going to join the fight against that slut."
Elianora spoke calmly with a light smile:
"Stay there… I'll hunt her down myself."
Emilia raised her head… then lay back down and said:
"Whatever. Do what you want, I'll just rest here a little."
"Unfortunate choice to leave your partner out of the fight," said the white-veiled woman.
Elianora glared at her, licking her sword as she spoke:
"Focus on me… your death won't be merciful."