The monster roared.
A wet, distorted sound, as if several throats were trying to speak at the same time.
I smiled beneath the mask.
—That's what I was expecting.
I vanished.
The air exploded as I appeared above its head.
Kick.
The impact crushed the pavement beneath its feet with a dry crack.
But it…
Didn't move.
—…
I quickly took some distance.
My shoes scraped against the wet alley floor as I observed the monster.
Still.
Too still.
The purple flesh continued moving slowly across its body, as if it were breathing on its own.
The veins no longer even looked like veins.
Now they were pulsating lines beneath its deformed skin.
I clicked my tongue.
—Disgusting.
I pulled two new balloons from my pocket.
One took the shape of a bow.
The other, an arrow.
The plastic creaked softly between my fingers as I pulled back the improvised string.
—Let's see…
I released it.
The arrow shot forward.
It whistled through the air.
And pierced directly into the monster's head.
Silence.
Nothing.
The deformed creature remained still.
Then…
It smiled.
An impossible smile.
Too many teeth.
Too much exposed flesh.
—Oh…
My smile widened.
—Now that's actually scary.
The monster disappeared from its spot.
The pavement exploded beneath its feet.
Absurd speed.
But even so—
I dodged it easily.
Its enormous deformed arm tore through the place where my head had been a moment earlier.
The impact destroyed part of the alley wall.
Broken concrete.
Dust.
Debris.
I spun through the air and landed on top of a streetlight.
—Looks like you're discovering your new body…
I tilted my head.
—Do you like it?
The monster roared again.
Louder.
More desperate.
But also…
More unstable.
I could see it clearly.
It didn't control that power.
It was like an animal trapped inside its own body.
I sighed.
—What a disappointment.
I jumped from the pole.
Shot straight toward it.
My fist slammed directly into its deformed face.
Crack.
Its head snapped violently to the side.
And at the same time—
Dark flames exploded from my hand.
The monster's eyes began to burn.
The deformed creature screamed.
A monstrous, uncontrolled scream.
Without stopping, I raised my other hand.
More fire.
Straight into its mouth.
The flesh began to burn.
Its throat glowed from the inside.
—That's better…
I stepped back as I watched it writhe.
—Stop screaming.
The monster began smashing its head against the walls.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The flames continued consuming its eyes and throat.
But…
The purple flesh slowly began regenerating.
—Too slow.
I pulled out another balloon arrow.
Drew the bow.
Fired.
The arrow spun through the air.
But missed.
It pierced through its cheek instead.
I sighed.
—How embarrassing.
I grabbed another.
—Let's try again.
I pulled back.
Released.
This time—
Impact.
Its left eye exploded as the arrow pierced through the eye socket.
The monster roared in pain.
—Perfect.
I vanished.
The air distorted violently.
I appeared in front of it with the balloon sword raised.
Straight for the head.
But—
The monster dodged.
My sword sliced through empty air.
—Hm.
I landed behind it.
Interesting.
It was adapting.
I slowly turned my head.
And then I saw it.
Above.
Watching.
A purple eye.
Floating in the darkness.
Still.
Unblinking.
—…
I smiled faintly.
—So you're still there.
The eye didn't react.
But the monster did.
Its body suddenly tensed.
Like a puppet.
My eyes narrowed.
—I see…
—You're not fighting alone.
The monster lunged at me again.
Faster this time.
More precise.
Its movements were no longer wild.
Now they had intention.
The eye was guiding it.
I disappeared before its claws could reach my face.
I reappeared atop a nearby building.
The night wind struck my clothes as I observed the scene from above.
The monster slowly raised its head toward me.
But its eyes…
No longer seemed like its own.
—How interesting…
The purple eye descended slightly.
Closer to the monster.
And then—
Another tear fell.
The deformed body twisted violently.
Bones began protruding outward.
Its arms grew larger.
Its jaw split open until it cracked apart.
Purple flesh spread like a disease.
I whistled.
—Your lord really wants me dead.
The monster roared.
But this time…
Inside the roar…
I heard another voice.
Distorted.
Distant.
—He… already… saw you…
Silence.
My smile disappeared for a second.
The monster lunged.
The building beneath me exploded.
I vanished before the impact.
I appeared behind the purple eye.
I observed it closely.
Its surface moved slowly.
Like a living ocean.
And for a moment…
I saw something reflected inside it.
It wasn't my face.
It was…
A smile.
A massive smile.
Impossible.
My body froze for a second.
—…
Then I laughed.
Low.
Slow.
—Ah…
I spun the balloon sword between my fingers.
—Now you're finally interesting me.
The monster roared below once more.
The purple eye continued watching me.
And the city…
Seemed quieter than before.
I slowly raised my gaze toward the purple eye.
The smile beneath my mask widened.
—Well then…
I pointed the balloon sword at the deformed monster.
—Let's eliminate your follower.
Silence.
The eye kept watching me.
Still.
Cold.
But something about it had changed.
As if it were waiting for something.
As if it wanted to see what I would do.
I laughed softly.
—Let me make one thing clear…
My voice became deeper.
More unstable.
More insane.
—I'm not going to let you erase this follower before I finish playing with him.
My eyes glowed beneath the mask.
One green.
The other yellow.
The air around me slowly began to distort.
The pressure increased.
The monster trembled.
Even the purple eye seemed to freeze for a second.
I tilted my head.
—Tonight…
I slowly spun the sword.
The plastic creaked.
—Your eye will witness the kind of fear a clown like me can create.
The monster roared and shot toward me again.
But this time—
I was faster.
I vanished.
The sound of something being sliced apart cut through the alley.
Then another.
And another.
The monster's body froze mid-motion.
Silence.
Its arms fell first.
Then one leg.
Then part of its torso.
Clean cuts.
Perfect cuts.
Purple blood splattered across the ground and walls.
I slowly appeared behind it.
Resting the balloon sword over my shoulder.
—Too slow.
The monster began regenerating once again.
Flesh growing.
Bones twisting.
But this time…
It was slower.
Much slower.
The purple eye descended a little further.
Watching desperately as the body attempted to rebuild itself.
I smiled.
—Ah…
—So you can feel despair too.
Then I raised my hand.
Snap.
Dark flames exploded around the monster.
The purple flesh began burning violently.
The deformed creature screamed.
Twisted.
Tried to regenerate.
But the flames consumed it faster than it could heal.
And even then…
The eye kept watching.
Without fleeing.
Without looking away.
—What a wonderful master you are…
My tone filled with mockery.
—You watch him suffer…
—Yet you do nothing to save him.
The monster began crawling desperately toward the eye.
Like an animal seeking help.
Like a dying dog dragging itself toward its owner.
But before it could reach it—
I vanished in front of it.
And drove the balloon sword directly into its head.
Silence.
Its entire body froze.
The sword slowly pierced through the deformed skull.
My eyes glowed beneath the mask.
—Game over.
Then—
The monster stopped moving.
And the purple eye…
Blinke d for the first time.