Chương 87: 84: Corruption

Zeo A large army gathered in the massive arena. The heavy stomp of combat boots vibrated through the metal plates beneath them, extending out to the edge of the mountain where the Hunters' headquarters loomed. A massive staging platform sloped toward a sheer drop of over eight kilometers. Zeo watched Unit 67 mobilize for that dreadful mission; the sheer scale of it all reminded him that Karx wouldn't submit without a brutal fight.

Virgil had been planning this for months, personally training his soldiers for this day. Chained by fate, Zeo could only hope. If Ozura had trusted her daughter to Manzur, perhaps his heart could keep pumping for a little longer. Yet, cold sweat drenched his back when the image of his little friend popped into his mind. He focused on the task at hand, stopped thinking, and carried the heavy boxes full of weapons toward the planes.

The best prisoners served as disposable pawns in the army, while the rest did menial tasks. Neither Zeo nor Mara fit said categories; their profiles made them valuable in a different way. But only Zeo was there, providing not only physical labor but also a scythe for those who stepped out of line. In their eyes, he wasn't an executioner but a mere carnifex.

"Azavyax!" shouted Dovah Azai, scaring gigantic crows away. The soldiers stood at attention, their armors gleaming with military insignias: the snake. Dozens of men and women, mostly hybrids, prepared for what they claimed to be a quick retrieval mission. The pure Nephilim held the most important positions, while the rest served as great cannon fodder. Dovah Azai, Virgil's right hand, would lead this time. Meanwhile, their leader's role was still unknown.

Zeo retired to a corner of the arena, waiting for different commands. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Even if it earned him a beating, lowering his head was the last thing he'd do. It didn't matter because more important things kept those bastards at bay. It was the first real mission for many, and half of them wouldn't return. Zeo hoped their corpses would become a perfect carpet for the crimson-eyed girl's feet. The temperature dropped, and silence sliced the air. Nobody moved or breathed.

Their lord had arrived. Virgil Alzer marched onto the arena, his long black cape swaying behind him. His steps were soundless, but the metal plates on his uniform clinked with every move. His soulless eyes scanned the whole arena in a second; a glance was all he needed. His tail whipped the ground, denting it and causing a few to flinch.

"Ah..." He opened his mouth, not quite forming any word, just an eerie sound. A yellow energy lasso appeared around Dovah's arm, and with a quick jerk, it caught around a young man's neck. The soldier gasped as he was dragged toward Zeo. The body fell to his feet, and blue eyes stared at him, full of terror. A vector pierced his forehead, and in an instant, the coward stopped moving. Zeo's arms remained crossed, his gaze locked on the man he hated. Not another soldier moved.

Virgil Alzer smirked, his fangs crooked, then gestured at someone behind the gates leading inside. A young girl around Amy's age came running and stopped next to the monster. She had dark skin and two puffs of tightly coiled black hair on either side, bouncing with every step. But her eyes were what made Zeo swallow: teal-green eyes. Virgil placed a hand on the girl's head and smiled. The girl smiled back and looked at the army with naive curiosity.

She pointed at Zeo and spoke with a high-pitched voice, "Is that one, daddy?"

"Precisely." Virgil gave a downward flick of his chin, gesturing for him to come. It took Zeo a few seconds to react, the realization slowly settling in him. He couldn't stop looking at her. When Zeo stopped before them, Virgil spoke, "This is Novali." Silence.

"Since I'll be busy overseeing this operation, I want you to take care of her." His words lingered in the air. Zeo stared at Novali, refusing to believe what he witnessed. Those eyes. They were his; they were Amy's. The same deep teal-greenish pupils that had made him dream but also given him nightmares.

"Why me?" he asked. Virgil shrugged.

"She chose you herself." Zeo went rigid, the breath catching in his throat.

"Hey, hey!" Novali approached and tugged his arm.

"You're the carnifex, right? I always watch you in the arena. You're good!"

"The arena..." He stared at the child, scanning her face. The happiness seemed almost genuine. Virgil turned his back to them and walked toward the center.

"I'm sure you'll get along well." Dovah and the rest moved forward to meet their leader. Novali remained still, looking up at Zeo as if he were an exotic animal. She poked his leg, her smile never fading.

"Today, my dear corpses, is the day you show me your loyalty. This mission is not for honor or glory. It's merely a caprice," Virgil declared. The warriors remained still, their eyes fixed on their leader.

"Know it from my own mouth. Many of you will die today to please me. Your leader wants a girl, nothing more, and for that, you will give your all." Silence. Zeo wondered how long those fools had endured this tyrant's whimsy to remain so obedient. How broken did one's spirit have to be for such degradation? They looked at the man not as a savior or leader, but as the god who gave them purpose.

"Hey!" Novali grabbed Zeo's hand.

"This is boring. Come with me!" She pulled, but Zeo didn't budge, his mind barely acknowledging the child. Amy... Zeo's mind went blurry, and a ringing pierced his eardrums. A brutal blow whipped his back, resounding throughout the area. Zeo stumbled forward, and his senses returned. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Move!" Edo stood behind him, holding his energy chain. Another blow, this time on the shoulders, made the boy clench his jaw and narrow his eye at the tall brute.

"Yeah..." Zeo muttered and turned to Novali, who was laughing at his new toy.

"Sorry. I got distracted."

"I don't like it when people don't listen." The girl's expression darkened.

"I don't like it at all." She snatched his hand, this time with inhuman strength, and dragged him toward the gates. Zeo allowed it, trying not to think too much. They left Edo behind, who walked toward his owner like the loyal dog he was. Novali took Zeo through a maze of corridors, and then up a spiral staircase. The walls were lined with screens and monitors connected to different parts of the facility. They stopped before a large closed gate, and the child placed her hand on the scanner.

A beep sounded, and the gate slid open, revealing endless white marble stairs leading up. Novali started climbing, and Zeo followed. She glanced back and grinned, increasing her pace with each step. Zeo glided right behind her, matching her frantic, blurred ascent with a casual stride, his legs a blur of motion. Novali noticed, and her eyes sparkled with wonder. She increased her speed. After a minute, their race ended, not because she wanted to stop but because there were no more steps.

They were at the grandstands, the perfect spot from which to observe the daily massacres. Hundreds of leather seats rose around the arena, empty. Zeo's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at the killing field down below.

"I didn't even know this place existed." He approached the thick crystal that shielded the observers from the events outside. It was a thick layer created to withstand the most powerful attacks. Novali climbed onto one of the seats and shouted with joy. She rolled around and laughed, then jumped to another, sliding down like it was a playground.

"Daddy brings me here all the time." She jumped again and landed next to Zeo. She knocked on the glass.

"Sometimes, people fly so high they hit the window and splat!" The little girl giggled.

"It's very clean, though." Zeo's fingers traveled along the crystal. He remembered those huge black mirrors around the arena. From this spot, the combatants were visible, but the opposite wasn't true. Spectators could enjoy their entertainment without being seen by the pathetic carnifex slaughtering for them.

"I watched your last fight from here." Novali sat and propped her chin with both hands.

"You're very strong."

"Not strong enough." He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"So, you enjoy this?" She nodded.

"I like it when the meat dolls explode." His fist clenched, and he closed his eye for a second. If Amy had grown in this environment, the gentle girl he knew would've ended up like this thing.

"Why did you bring me here, Novali?"

"To accompany me to watch the next fight!" She moved from seat to seat all over again. It was like she couldn't stay in one place.

"It'll be fun."

"Don't you want to say goodbye to your father?"

"What for?" Novali kicked the window, staring down at the great distance.

"Well..." Zeo's muscles tensed.

"What if he never comes back?" Novali shrugged.

"Then I'll be the new boss. The boss of Unit 67!" Zeo let out a half-laugh, shaking his head.

"I see." He would push boundaries later. Now, a new battle was about to begin in the pit.

"Carnifex." Her head slowly turned to him, her eyes glowing.

"Do you know who is my second favorite meat doll?"

"I might know." Novali's index finger pointed directly down. A massive door opened at the side, and a tall, dark-skinned woman walked out, leaving embers and smoke in her wake. Zeo let out a silent sigh and lowered his head, understanding what Virgil Alzer wanted. Taking care of his daughter was one thing, but watching The Hunters corrupt Marakudra's niece was another. Novali's laughter echoed in the empty stands.

"I like her because she looks like me." She pressed her face against the glass.

"She's almost as good as you!"

"No." Zeo leaned on the crystal.

"She's better... Much better." The battle was a mere slaughter. Marakudra rampaged through the field, effortlessly destroying dozens of opponents. Prisoners deemed unworthy. She sliced, melted, and obliterated any human or hybrid who dared cross her path. Novali watched like a child witnessing a circus act. Her feline irises followed every move and gasped at each death—a great show put on by her second favorite meat doll. Zeo focused on the child more than the carnage.

There was no malice in her laughter, just pure enjoyment of the spectacle. Amy could've been in her place had things gone differently. The thought alone was enough to bring back the ache in his head. He pressed the heels of his hands into his sockets, trying to push the memory away. With each passing second, Virgil moved closer to Amy. He couldn't let that happen. Zeo's mind went blank, his ears ringing. Lights flashed before his eyes, and his body moved on its own. The stairs blurred as he descended.

He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to go. The puppet's strings seemed to snap one by one.

"Carnifex!" Novali's shrill voice echoed from behind, but he kept walking. He didn't stop until he reached the bottom, where the metallic doors awaited him. Zeo didn't wait. His fist shot out, and the gate dented, caving inwards. He struck again, the metal groaning under the force. A third strike, and the gate tore from its hinges, crashing to the ground, making it tremble under the immense weight. The alarms blared, but he didn't care. Even when surrounded, he didn't care. Amy couldn't become another Novali.

Hell no. Vectors shot from his back, grabbing the guards by their necks and slamming them into the walls. One of them tried to fire, but his hand detached from his wrist. The gun clattered to the floor, followed by a scream. Zeo kept moving, his vectors forming a protective barrier around him. Bullets bounced off the invisible hands, ricocheting back at the shooters. In an instant, the sky loomed overhead, the sun's harsh light stinging his eye. He stood in the middle of the landing platform, at the very precipice.

The army was already gone, the massive planes dark shapes against the horizon.

"So, the pet has finally snapped." The hair on his neck stood up. He didn't need to turn. He knew that voice. It was Arkor, the traitor turned master. Two large Nephilim soldiers stood by the coward's side. Arkor chuckled.

"Let me guess. Is it about the little girl?" He laughed louder this time.

"Oh, my dear Zeo. You disappoint me so much. I truly thought you had already accepted your place in the world. A Carnifex, nothing else. A tool to be used until it breaks."

"Fuck Virgil and fuck you." He turned to face him, not even bothering to summon more vectors.

"When this is over, I will hang your guts from the highest floodlights of the arena." Arkor's smirk widened.

"Ah, the classic bravado. So predictable." He crossed his arms.

"You know. To show you how much you mean to me, I will ignore this little outburst. I will not report it to our great lord. However, you must promise to behave like a good boy from now on. Simple, right?" Zeo looked up at the sky, the sun blinding him. He could no longer feel the beating of his own heart. He was just a meat doll, as the child called him.

"Amy..." he muttered, his body going limp, and the fire dying down. His arms were twisted behind him, and the click of cold steel sent a jolt through him. Reality returned, and the shame of it all burned his skin. The heavy boot of a Nephilim slammed into his back, shoving him to the ground. The hot metal scraped against his face, the taste of dust filling his mouth. Once again, the memory of his little friend's face was fading, replaced by the concrete reality of his failure.

They dragged him to Arkor and lifted his body to face him. The traitor sneered, hands on his hips.

"Before you return to the little lady, Lord Virgil asked that I pass along a message to you." He took a step closer, the heat of his body radiating onto Zeo's cheek.

"You're absolutely forbidden to tell Marakudra about her niece. Do you understand?" Zeo narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" The question was a whisper.

"We do not question the lord's will, do we? We simply obey." Arkor shrugged.

"But to make things clearer for you..." He winked.

"If any word of this reaches Marakudra's ears, Novali's head will be separated from her shoulders and fed to her aunt." Zeo's eye widened, his pupil dilating. Arkor leaned forward.

"And we both know you can't let that happen, right?" He slapped his cheek mockingly.

"Now go. The princess is waiting." The Nephilim shoved him back toward the building, and Zeo allowed himself to be pushed, his mind racing. The absurdity of the situation seemed more like a dark joke, a joke at his expense. He returned to the grandstands, and as expected, Novali was still there. She hadn't moved, still staring down at the now-empty, bloody arena, her reflection a ghost on the crystal. She turned her head, and their eyes met. A smile spread across her face while a frown appeared between her brows.

"You left me alone."

"I'm sorry." Zeo's voice was flat.

"And you broke the door." She pointed at the entrance.

"Why did you do that?"

"I... got lost."

"Lost?" She walked up to him, tilting her head.

"What? Are you stupid?"

"I can be." He took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"What else do you wanna do?" Novali shook her head as if she were a disappointed sister, then chuckled.

"I want to train."

"Well, sure." Zeo extended his hand.

"Let's go find a place for that. I promise I won't leave you again." She grabbed his hand with surprising force and nodded. Her small fingers locked around his, and Zeo led her away from the view of the slaughterhouse, away from the memory of Marakudra's fury, away from the shattered gate he had created in a moment of pure, unthinking desperation.