"EHMPH?!"
Olivia freezes in shock.
The oppressive atmosphere spreading across the battlefield is coming from Zeco.
"... no no—no no no."
Olivia stares in disbelief, now fully conscious.
Her vision is no longer blurred, yet her head continues spinning.
KRRK!
Her hands clench tightly.
She struggles to move, beginning to crawl forward.
"Zeco," she calls weakly.
She continues crawling, her head spinning and her throat heavy with nausea.
"EHMPH?!"
Zeco freezes.
Olivia glares at him.
"Get out of the way!" she cries, forcing the words out.
Her body suddenly grows cold, trembling more intensely as she watches the battle unfold.
CRKAK—WRAAAAAKK!
"EKH!!"
She abruptly stops as cracks spread through the ground beneath her.
For an instant, the wide grin vanishes from Zeco's face.
Predator's blade is already descending, only inches above his shoulder—
SKCWLHAAAAASSHHH!
Zeco instantly evades and immediately delivers another full-bodied slash across Predator.
However—
Zeco furrows his brow.
He did not move of his own will.
His body moved by itself.
His consciousness continues fading, while his pupils are steadily rolling upward beneath his eyelids.
Olivia's jaw trembles.
"Ze—co," she cries again, forcing her voice out.
Tears begin streaming down her cheeks, falling onto the ground below.
Predator grimaces in fury, drawing a sharp breath as he glares at Zeco.
Olivia crawls forward again.
Her dizziness gradually fades.
She bites her lip until it splits and bleeds.
CKHAAAAAMNH!
Predator steps forward.
"DAMN—IT!"
Zeco freezes in place.
There is no longer any room for him to retreat.
Predator draws his massive blade behind his body and assumes a stance.
"Zeco—" Olivia shouts, continuing to force herself closer.
Predator begins swinging.
Again and again.
The blade tears rapidly through the air—
Olivia's body, hands, and eyes continue trembling.
"—Zeco."
Before him, Zeco can no longer force his body to move. His consciousness is slipping away, and Predator has completely trapped him.
"Yourself—AWARE!" Olivia shouts at the top of her lungs once more.
Predator prepares his finishing strike.
The sword is drawn fully behind his body.
One final slash.
One final attack that will end Zeco's life.
Olivia grits her teeth.
"ZECOOOOO!"
Her voice erupts across the battlefield, powerful enough to shake the air itself.
The faint breeze ceases.
The atmosphere falls silent.
The world itself seems to hold its breath.
Zeco suddenly turns and looks behind him.
"OLIVIA?!"
He sees Olivia crawling toward him through sheer determination.
CKHAMNH—CKHUMNH—PTHAAHMNH!
Zeco rapidly leaps backward several times, widening the distance between them.
BRAAK—SHWAAHMNH!
His feet drag across the ground before coming to a stop right beside Olivia, who stops crawling near him. Her face is filled with worry and lingering fear as she continues staring deeply at him.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Zeco asks, breathing heavily, his expression completely consumed by concern.
"Listen to me," Olivia says.
She lowers her head and reflects for a brief moment.
"What is it?" Zeco asks.
Olivia furrows her brow.
Order Tames Wild.
"You will never defeat him if you keep fighting recklessly, Zeco..." she says.
Zeco furrows his brows.
"Hmm?" he murmurs in confusion.
"He is wilder than you are, and all you need to do is wear him down. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
She lifts her head again.
"Fight with discipline—"
She fixes him with a sharp stare.
"—that is his weakness!"
"Ehmph?!" Zeco gasps in surprise.
He turns back toward Predator.
For a moment, he remains silent, contemplating her words.
"Damn me," Zeco mutters quietly.
"Hm?" Olivia hums.
A faint smile appears on Zeco's face.
"I never even thought of that," he says.
PKTHAAHMNH—KRTHUMNH—CPKTHAAAHMNH!
Predator begins moving forward at high speed.
"And yet that is exactly what I should have been doing!" he adds.
KHAAAMHN—KHUUUMHHHNN—KHAAAMHHNN!
Predator accelerates into a run, each step shaking the ground as he closes the distance.
Zeco glances back at Olivia once more.
"Thank you for that, Olivia..." he says, smiling sincerely at her.
Olivia lets out a soft laugh.
"Hmhmm..."
She nods gently.
"I believe in you."
SLSHH—SHH—SWASH!
Zeco settles into a fighting stance.
His brows rise as his gaze fills with cynicism and envy.
"Very well, then."
From the deepest part of his heart, he accepts that he has once again reached his lowest point, awakening—
"Watch carefully, Olivia."
CKHAAM—CTHUUUMNNNH—PKHAAAHMNH—CKHUUMNHH!
Predator continues running without pause. The distance between them is now dangerously small.
—His Inferior Mode.
"This is it—"
He lowers his head slightly, staring at Predator with even greater disdain.
"—the real battle—"
SWHAAAHMH—SLAHMH!
"—has only just begun!"
KRAK—CTHAAAHMNH!
He charges forward at tremendous speed, instantly closing the remaining distance.
"Do you realize that?"
CLAAAAAANGGGHNNN!
"YOU INSANE—SAVAGE MONSTER!!!"
The two blades collide violently, their clash ringing loudly enough to pierce the heavens. A powerful gust of wind bursts outward from the impact of their weapons.
Zeco raises his brows and stares at Predator with open disgust.
He intends to provoke Predator's anger even further—
He draws his sword back once again. Both of them are already preparing to launch another attack.
—hoping to drive Predator into a deeper fury, causing his strength to be unleashed recklessly and exhaust itself more quickly.
However—