To no surprise, Gene shook his head in disdain.
“Yes,” he said calmly. “She was my partner, but she was also ruthless… I mean, poisoning me and watching as my health deteriorated by the day until the bugs inside me burst out of my belly? Talk about heinous!”
“I…”
Zorn tried to argue but did not have anything at all.
He hung his head in silence but soon looked up again, determined. “The plan was mine all along. I’m at fault-now let Rory go. You can do anything you want with me as long as you spare her.”
“Too late,” Gene said quietly. “Like I said, I’m done with her.”
“What… Are you serious?!” Zorn gaped, the light of hope in his eyes fading.
Then, he started laughing maniacally and was getting louder by the moment until it became deafening.
“You really are cold, Gene!” he bellowed.
“I’m not the cold one here. It’s you and Rory.” Gene remained impassive as he retorted.
“Hahaha…” Zorn kept laughing. “Yes, I was cold… Hahaha! But I didn’t think that you’d actually kill Rory!”
“Zorn, I’ve long since grown past my naive childhood.” Gene mustered himself as he bellowed, “Seeing that we were friends for so long, I’ll give you a chance if you just confess and accept your punishment!”
“Hahaha… A chance?!” Zorn suddenly looked up, his eyes red. “If you can give me a chance, why can’t you do the same for Rory?!”
Gene’s eyes narrowed as his tone turned icy. “Does that mean you’re not taking it?”
“What do you think?” Zorn growled, stepping one foot forward, anima and animus combining as he unleashed his full power.
“Oh, pathetic. Utterly pathetic…”
Gene sighed, turning away after
giving
last look of
disappointment at Zorn. “Going th
farf
for some woman… Kill
With that quiet order to his men, the martial artists all bellowed, “Yes, sir!”
Even as they charged their vigors and leapt toward Zorn, Zorn bellowed, “Gene Pearce! You will die for murdering Rory!”
And with
oncomia, he leapt towards the
oncoming group of martial artists, and explosion thundered as he blew
6 a hole into the wall.
One of the martial artists screamed even as he was sent flying off the building-he could not dodge in time, and Zorn’s palm struck him in the abdomen, splitting him in half.
The remaining martial artists were stunned by Zorn’s brute power, but they had no reason to back down now.
“Together!”
“Skyarch Jab!”
“Savage Blade!”
“Hedgehog Poke!”
They were not holding back, using their respective strongest techniques.
Naturally, even Zorn had a hard time when attacked by so many martial elites at once.
He was going to escape through the hole he blasted into the wall, but they quickly moved to encircle him.
Even as the martial arts kept pressing their attack and Zorn was about to crumble, he bellowed, “Well, you forced me!” Charging his Dyadese technique, animus and anima fuse as his cultivation skyrocketed to Ascendant rank!
