Randy's broken body lay half-swallowed, his head caught in the Eater's snapping jaws.
Mars muttered, "Level 2 High Eater… Runner class. Shit. I didn't think we'd run into him tonight. I was hoping to move on to the next zone without ever facing this damn nemesis."
He tightened his grip on his hammer.
"In just one move, it snatched Randy and went straight for the kill. Our suits help our bodies heal fast, so killing us means beheading us. And this bastard… it knew that. Didn't even hesitate."
Mars took a step forward, eyes locked on the creature.
"So you're the one that's been killing all the rookies, huh? Look at you, reeking like death. That stench... you've been feeding on too many Eater Blades, haven't you?"
The Runner crouched low, unbothered, licking the last remnants of Randy's skull off its claws. Then slowly, almost with satisfaction, it swallowed.
Mars's chest tightened. His breath trembled. Rage flared behind his eyes as his grip on the hammer shook.
"You piece of shit... He was like a brother to me. My squad. My blood."
He stepped forward, jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
"You've eaten too many of us. That killing streak ends tonight. By my hammer."
His voice cracked, just enough to betray the pain.
"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
With a feral scream, he charged. His hammer crashed down on the nearest car's roof, denting steel and sending shards of glass flying.
The Runner moved, fast.
Its body twisted midair. It launched off the hood of a nearby taxi and turned, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick with its clawed footripping across Mars's arm with a spray of blood.
"FUCK!"
Mars staggered, barely keeping his footing. He roared and swung wild. His hammer smashed a truck's side, crushing the metal.
[Skill: Titan's Grip - Blood Cost: 5%]
"TITAN'S GRIP!"
His veins pulsed with red light. Power surged through his arms, tightening his hold on the hammer.
The Runner flipped off the crushed car, spinning through the air, landing silently behind a rusted bus. Its clawed feet tapped the surfacelike it was enjoying this.
Mars gave chase. He slammed his hammer against a sedan, using the bounce to launch himself. The Runner appeared mid-jump twisting its body into a vertical scissor kick, its heels spinning like blades.
Mars threw his forearm up to block but the impact was like being hit by a sledgehammer. His body flew back, crashing through a windshield.
Glass sliced his neck and chest.
He got up, coughing blood. Eyes blazing.
[Skill: Groundbreaker - Blood Cost: 7%]
"GROUNDBREAKER!"
Mars slammed his hammer down, splitting the cracked street open. Chunks of pavement shot up. A parked SUV flipped over from the shockwave.
The Runner stumbled back but only for a moment.
Then it ran sideways across the side of a bus, twisted its body again, and dove foot-first, slamming both clawed legs into Mars's chest
The breath flew out of him.
His back slammed into a pile of wrecked cars. Metal bent beneath him.
His vision blurred. Blood ran down his chin.
He rose, barely limping.
"You want my blood? Come take it."
[Skill: Hammer of the Titan – Blood Cost: 10%]
"HAMMER OF THE TITAN!"
The weapon exploded with red light, energy crackling down the handle like lightning.
With a cry, he swung sideways, carving a deep crater into the side of a bus. Debris flew.
But the Runner blurred vaulting off a broken mirror, it landed a spinning heel-kick across Mars's jaw, claws raking across his face.
Mars flew.
His body tumbled over a taxi. He rolled and crashed into a crumpled van.
Still, he stood. Staggering.
"I'm not letting you win. Randy... I swear it..."
He stumbled forward and slammed his hammer down onto a car's windshield. The glass burst, spraying like needles. He used the bounce to vault upward—landing squarely on the Runner's back.
Hammer raised.
But the Runner let out a shriek and kicked off a wall, flipping violently. It threw Mars high into the air and then launched up after him.
In midair, the creature spun and delivered a rising bicycle kick, both clawed feet slamming into Mars's gut, tearing through his chestplate.
Mars coughed blood.
The Runner flipped again andraked its claws clean across his throat.
Mars's eyes widened.
"No... not like this... Lex… Love… S-survive—"
The Runner landed softly. Mars hit the ground.
The creature walked forward, it grabbed his head, claws locking in.
With one violent twist.
CRACK.
It tore his head clean off.
Lex froze, eyes wide, breath catching in his throat. His body shook as he stared at the broken, lifeless form of Mars.
"No... Mars..."
Her voice cracked, barely a whisper.
"Love, please... wake up!"
Johnquis didn't speak. His face hardened, jaw locked tight. He stared at the Runner. Its dark violet eyes glowed, still hungry. It wanted more.
He grabbed Lex's arm, pulling her down behind the flipped bus.
He snapped, voice urgent.
"Move! Now!"
Lex scrambled, blood still dripping from her wound, her face pale. They crouched low inside the dark wreck, breathing hard, trying not to make a sound.
Johnquis whispered,
"Mars... our captain. Nearly steel rank. Three skills. He was the strongest of us and that thing killed him like he was nothing."
Lex swallowed hard, voice trembling.
"I... I've never seen anything move like that. It wasn't just fast. It was perfect. Like it predicted every attack before it even happened. That wasn't a normal Runner. A freaking nemesis. It was something else. What the hell is it...?"
The street outside was dead silent. Then came a low, deep snarl a sound thick with hunger, and full of terror.
Crunching noises came next, the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing. Mars and Randy. Every bite the runner took made their bodies shake.
Lex's whole body shook violently, her breath coming in quick gasps. She muttered under her breath, voice broken,
"I... I thought I left this behind... this nightmare…"
Her eyes watered.
"Why did it have to come back? Why now? Brother… please help me. I don't want to die. I don't want to die, please."
Johnquis swallowed hard, trying to stay strong for both of them.
"We'll find a way. We will survive this."
Lex bit her lip, a tear slipping down her cheek. Then, suddenly, her body tensed as a cold, wet patch soaked through her clothes.
She whispered, broken,
"I... I pissed myself."