## I. Ambush at The Leaky Mug
The atmosphere at The Leaky Mug bar was one of rare relaxation for K. Between sips of a crimson drink, she exchanged information with Vex. The bartender, with his hypnotic agility, prepared the bottles Zack loved so much, while telling jokes and stories about the bar's old regulars. K felt, for the first time in a long time, at peace.
*Clack!*
The sound of splintering wood cut through the bar's cacophony like thunder. Before K could process the noise, an explosion of speed hit her. A red leg, moving like a blur, struck the side of her head. The impact was devastating. K's body tore through the bar's concrete wall, being violently thrown into the street.
K struggled to stand. Her hunter's outfit—the brown skirt over black pants and the dark cloak—was in tatters, revealing skin bruised by the impact. She dug her hands into the ground, her fingers scraping the soil as her body still dragged backward from the inertia of the blow.
Her red pupils moved frantically, trying to track the aggressor. From above, a bodily whirlwind descended towards her, aiming to crush her skull. K reacted by instinct, crossing her arms over her head to mitigate the impact. The red foot hit her forearms with the force of a hydraulic hammer. Her feet sank into the ground, creating a crater beneath her, but she resisted.
However, the attack was coordinated. Before her, a silver sword flashed, lunging towards her abdomen. K forced her feet down, summoning an earth barrier that rose instantly. The silver blade collided with the solid rock, stopping mere millimeters from her body.
The two aggressors retreated, maintaining a cautious distance. Both wore red cloaks adorned with a giant eye pendant—Ygon's symbol.
— I'm a hunter! — K shouted, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. — Why the hell are you attacking me?
— Where is Zack? — The voice that answered was cold and devoid of emotion.
The crowd in the street quickly dispersed. The citizens of the Red City knew how to recognize the scent of imminent death. The energy emanating from the three combatants was dense enough to make breathing difficult.
— Now I get it — K hissed. — You're hunters too. You're after the billion.
Vex appeared in the middle of the battlefield, his eyes wide.
— Do you realize what you're doing? Attacking inside the city? If Ygon finds out, you'll be dead in less than a day!
The two aggressors removed their cloaks. Vex took a step back, his face paling.
— What the hell is going on here?! — the bartender shouted.
— We were waiting for Zack's next visit — one of them said. — But it seems his scent is on you. Funny... we've been analyzing that same scent for months. Before it was women and a man. Now it's you.
K felt a chill. They were not amateurs; they had been preparing this hunt for months.
— Get out of there, Vex! — K shouted. — Or they'll kill you!
Vex was trembling. He recognized those faces.
— They are generals of Ygon's army... But what the hell is this? Zack is a hero of this city!
One of the figures stepped forward. She was a woman of stunning and lethal beauty. Skin black as night, short black hair adorned with piercings and ritual tattoos that trailed down her neck and arms. Her clothes were torn, covered by a red cloak that dragged on the ground. When she spoke, her voice had a vibrant, almost musical tone that caused a disturbing pleasure in those who heard it.
— Cover your ears! — Vex shouted at K, desperate.
Without understanding, K obeyed. But, in seconds, Vex himself, with glazed eyes, drew a dagger and lunged at K's neck. She dodged with a perfect acrobatic move, feeling the wind of the blade pass by her throat.
— Damn it, Vex! She's controlling you! — K realized the trap. The woman, **Nati**, was moving her lips in a continuous whisper, words of power that K couldn't hear, but which bent the will of anyone within range.
## II. The Reflection of Blood
Far away, Zack waited on the edge of a small lake. K's delay was eating at him. He knew she was capable, but the time that had passed since she crossed the barrier was excessive. The red moon reflected in the water, giving the lake the appearance of a pool of fresh blood.
Zack threw stones into the water, watching the ripples expand, when he felt a presence. K was by his side.
— You scared me, K! — Zack jumped forward, falling into the water and soaking his clothes. He let out a sincere laugh, trying to ease the tension. — Are you crazy? I almost peed my pants!
But the laugh died in his throat when he looked at her. K's clothes were torn, her body covered in bruises, and her mouth was bleeding. Zack's expression changed instantly. His body became rigid, the aura of amusement replaced by a cold fury.
— I was delayed — K said, but her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. They were dull, empty.
— Who attacked you? Where are they? — Zack was already reaching for the hilt of the Black Moon.
K looked fixedly into Zack's eyes and said, in a voice that didn't sound like hers:
— Behind you...
At the same instant, a silver sword emerged from the lake's waters, aiming for Zack's heart. He dodged by pure instinct, pulling K with him to protect her. But the moment he held her, he felt a hand crushing his throat. K threw him to the ground with brutal, killing force.
— Damn it! — Zack shouted, the impact opening a crater in the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth. — You're being controlled, K!
Nati appeared in the sky, descending like a meteor. Her red leg struck Zack's chest, sinking him further into the hole. She and K retreated, positioning themselves side by side.
— Use your strongest ability now! — Nati ordered.
An overwhelming purple energy emanated from K, exploding into a column of light that touched the sky. The man with the silver sword, **Zuko**, looked at Nati with admiration and fear.
— My God, she's a fucking strong one. That bitch must have a Dragon-level ability!
— Keep her under control, Nati! — Zuko shouted.
K activated her ability: **"Fraco"** (Weakness).
Zack felt the world spin. His attributes were instantly drained. All his energy, strength, and agility were transferred to K, while he received her weakness.
— Shit! — Zack roared, forcing his body out of the hole in an explosion of rocks and dirt.
Nati smiled, a cruel glint in her eyes.
— Now Zack can be killed. His power is ours. Let's kill him now! Attack with everything, Zuko!
## III. The Silence and the Sentence
Zuko advanced, his silver sword gleaming with a sinister light.
— **Technique Level 3: Silence!**
A deafening sound of weeping and wailing filled the air. The sound distorted space and the environment, directly attacking the minds of those who heard it, evoking the worst traumas and pains.
Zuko wielded the weapon with both hands, preparing the final blow. Zack, retreating, felt the weight of K's weakness in his limbs. He knew that if he didn't resolve this in seconds, he would be dead.
He drew the **Black Moon**.
The black blade collided with the silver sword, blocking Zuko's attack. To the general's surprise, the wailing sound of the "Silence" technique did not seem to affect Zack.
— You think that crying scares me? — Zack's voice was a whisper from the abyss. — My life is much worse than a crying sword.
Zuko felt his pride shattered. Being humiliated by a man who should be weakened was too much for him. In a fit of rage, he changed strategy, attacking with all his brute force.
Nati screamed for him to stop, realizing the mistake, but it was too late.
In a movement that human eyes could not follow, the Black Moon described a perfect arc. In seconds, Zuko's head was severed from his neck. Nati watched, paralyzed, as her ally's head rolled onto the blood-stained ground. Ygon's general had been killed like any animal.
Zack wiped the blood from the blade, his black eyes fixed on Nati.
— Nati... — Her name came out like a death sentence. — I'm going to kill you, you wretch.
**END OF CHAPTER**