Zero stormed back to Tanaki's hideout — the secret shrine under Neo-Tokyo's warehouse district. His strides were wild and forceful, his brows were furrowed, and his mouth was twisted. His features were distorted into something which could only have been described with the word "ugly."

That said, his true nature was probably more grotesque than that face. Ken muttered to himself as he guided a cultist to put a box of tnt over to the Tnt storage area.

"Another box of tnt? That's ten megatons now. How many more do you want."

The number of tnt that could be brought by one person was limited by all sorts of laws, that was obvious. The more bombs one got, the bigger the explosion would be. Still, tnt's were among the lowest grade of explosives. Someone like ken, who was specialized in this should've known it but he choose to go with tnt's anyways.

"It's all because you've been fooling around so much."

"i apologize."

There was not even the slightest hint of remorse on zero's face as he apologized.

"Still. It's their fault for dying so soon. They're not even worth my time."

"…When you bash them like that, it's no wonder they'd die…"

"mercenaries wouldn't die so easily."

"They weren't adventurers, just ordinary civilians… zero, do you like spouting obvious things to waste time?"

"I can say the same for you."

Ken clicked his tongue.

"As if I could believe that. In any case, stop going after people."

"hmm."

His response made ken furrow his brows. Still, there was no point going on about it, so he decided not to continue lecturing him. He tried to express his displeasure with the wrinkles of his frown, but as expected, he ignored it.

"speaking of which, where is she, anyway?"

"Has she not returned yet?"

"Not yet. I missed her — since it's hard to get a hold of her, what about grabbing the company leader instead?"

"Stop that. That old woman was a diamond star mercenary back in the day and is famous in this city, so don't look down on her. If you move carelessly against her, you might find yourself in too deep to dig yourself out."

"I won't."

Ken reached into his robes, and withdrew a jet-black book.

"…zero, I've spent several years preparing to turn this place into a city of death. I don't want your pointless antics to set my plans back. If you continue making trouble… I'll kill you."

"You want to try?"

Zero said in a threating tone, his artificial eyes glinting red in the darkness.

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"I will if you force me to."

He did not even blink as he said back, meeting Zero's gaze unflinchingly.

"You're no longer the invincible god you once were. If you had been… you wouldn't have lost that fight, and your face wouldn't have been disfigured and you would've still be working for the conglomer—"

"Don't speak of that. This is your last warning."

Zero's voice was low and dangerous and the warning was not to be taken lightly. Ken held back his retort, and instead, his gaze lowered to the black book in his hand.

"The book of revelation, all I have to do is to make a sacrifice of this city and then I'll be eternally young."

"you're still obsessed with that nonsense?"

Zero had a distasteful expression upon hearing his words, and the look he gave Ken was almost hateful.

"Nonsense? It's a holy book that was created by the gods — why would it be nonsense."

Ken was puzzled that zero would say this when these facts were known to everyone. After all, the "book of revelations" was made by the gods, and they sent it down from the Heavens itself.

This wicked ritual had been conducted in the past, and it had turned a metropolis into a city of the dead where all that remained was dust and debris.

Ken's aim was to turn Neo-Tokyo into another such dead city. He would turn himself into an immortal demi-gods by harnessing the necromantic energies from such a place.

Or so, he believed.

He had made extensive preparations to achieve his aim. He would not let this man who had showed up just a few days ago ruin his plans.

"Got it?"

Ken saw through zero's smile. His expression was one of cruel malice. In that moment, zero surged forward like a killing storm.

He closed the distance between them in an instant, and struck like lightning. The sharp blade came out of his hand and gleamed lethally as it flashed toward ken's throat—

The small blade zero thrust forth was a piercing weapon, a blade.

There was little variation in the ways one could attack with a piercing weapon, so they were not easy to use. However, zero had experience with all sorts of weapons and had trained his body ceaselessly, selected the best cyber implants, and learned the right martial arts, all in order to kill in a single blow. This technique of his, honed and refined through countless battles with humans and mutants, was on a level where no normal person could defend against it.

Zero was naturally gifted with physical abilities which exceeded those of normal human beings. On top of that, he had spent his life training and practicing his combat skills, so it was only natural that he should be able to fight at such a level.

However, his target was not a normal person.

Ken — one of the only cult leader who was the pride of Azarif — Could not be killed so easily.

—And a white wall-like object which erupted from the ground and intercepted

The unavoidable, razor-sharp blade. It was a gigantic hand made of countless nano—machines, covered in hooks which called to mind the image of maggots.

"You never change, do you?"

Ken smiled as the blade was stopped within less than an inch of his throat by the repulsive nanomachines.

"I wasn't the former leader of the Black Snakes for nothing."

"You're as strong as ever." Zero had to admit that. The giant hand was still not easily broken, and still remained firmly between them.

"And still just as annoying."

"Heh."

Ken smirked, pleased that zero had finally acknowledged him.

"Still, can't you learn a lesson or two? I'm surprised you didn't try to get past my nanomachine defenses."

The white nanomachines which were currently blocking him continued to but then, ken turned his head to look at his side — another blade was almost about to scrap against his bald head.

"You.."

Zero had a smile on his face.

Zero glanced toward the entrance. He seemed to have noticed the people controlled by ken, who were waiting there for his orders.

"I think I could win… but if I draw out the fight I'll probably lose."

Zero returned his blades inside his arm and the rumbling from the earth ceased.

With that, Zero turned and left.

"Also, i won't kill anyone until you tell me to. Good now?"

"Mhmm."

Ken did not release the power he was holding until zero left. He continued holding on to it even after his shadow was gone from his underground shrine.

"What a bad personality," ken spat.

He had his own flaws, but he was not nearly as bad as zero.

"Even though he's so skilled… no, it's because he's so skilled that he's so twisted."

Zero was strong, and even among all the diamond star mercenaries in Asia. Only three of them could beat him. Sadly, ken was not one of them. Even with his Nano-machines and his cultist's. He only had around a thirty percent chance of success.

"The former captain of the Kusonoki conglomerate's security division… deranged individuals with the power of god's are hard to deal with."

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