Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! This unusual sound rapidly flew out from the abandoned subway. None of the daemons knew how to respond to the strange sight in front of them. Instead of trying to punch them, Zoey was punching herself?

“Did she go crazy because she knows she’s about to die?” Vio asked.

“Tch, like I'd let this strong human kill herself before giving me a satisfying fight! My blood was craving this fight for a while now.” Warrior grinned as he rushed forward without Vio and Poison.

“Should we do anything?” Vio asked Poison.

“Why would we? We’re just fulfilling our side of the Heart-Bound Contract. If he lives or dies is not any of our business. What you should be asking is who are we going to find for him to fight next if he does win.” Poison lectured her partner.

“If he wins? You really think she stands a chance against that freak?” Vio was confused.

“That human is not normal. No normal human would attempt to kill themselves by punching themselves in the face with boxing gloves. That had to be some sort of condition for her to use her magji or a magji tool. Maybe being brought to near-death? Severely injured for a boost in strength? Speed? I don’t know...” Poison closely watched as Warrior neared the boxing human who continued to beat herself up with increased speed.

Not even an intoxicated human would be able to pull off something like that. Poison would know, she’s been working in Vio’s bar and has seen a lot of drunk humans try to impress her for the chance to bed her. Zoey’s eyes were too clear. She hasn’t succumbed to despair or madness. Just what exactly was she planning?

“Aren’t you just overthinking it?” Vio scoffed. Humans always did crazy things when they were about to die.

“Just watch, idiot.” Poison no longer wasted her breath, keeping a close watch on Zoey.

Zoey’s eyes clearly caught the movements of the white daemon even as she was beating the shit out of herself. He came flying toward her with a kick just like before. As Zoey was about to uppercut herself, her fist suddenly stopped midway as she twisted her body and caught the white daemon by his lower body. Using his own momentum, Zoey turned her body toward the ground and slammed the daemon into the concrete below.

Her body moved quickly and smoothly as she released her hold over his hips and went for his leg. Zoey tightly gripped his ankle in between her armpits with her biceps crushing down on his leg like a steel grip before reaping her leg over his captured leg. With a decisive twist of his foot, a vicious pop came from the daemon’s leg and along with that joyous laughter.

Zoey instinctively released her hold and rolled backward to gain some distance. She eyed the daemon with suspicion. A painful illegal submission like that would send someone to the hospital and screaming for their momma. Maybe this daemon didn’t feel pain or he felt pleasure from pain? Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. Zoey wasn’t planning to subdue these daemons through pain anyway. They knew her family and involved them in something dangerous. They needed to die for the safety of her lifestyle and family.

“Amazing... I’ve watched all of your fights but taking you on in person is completely different. This is the fight I've been craving for... You will satisfy me for sure.” He looked at her with admiration in his eyes. “My name is Warrior. My only purpose in life is to fight the strong. I was created with violence as the source of my magji shard from you humans. Even if I die in this battle with you, I will have no regrets.”

“...” Zoey didn’t respond as she punched herself in the middle of his babbling.

She had to keep her combo going or else she’d have to start from the beginning.

“Let’s have a good fight Zoey Winters!” Warrior released a roar as he stood up on his two legs as if she didn’t just severely injure one.

Zoey rushed in this time with only one thought on her mind. Winning. Her fist came flying toward Warrior’s face like a missile. Warrior grinned as he barely dodged the fist with a long cut going across his cheek, bright red blood similar to a human’s dripped down it. With a powerful hook coming from her right, Zoey ducked underneath it while her left fist homed in on Warrior’s waist.

“Good! Good!” Warrior rose his knee in response and sent Zoey sliding backward.

It didn’t take more than a second before the two ran toward each other once more to continue their fight. One grinning with ultimate satisfaction and the other silent and utterly focused.

“Just so you know, involving those weak humans wasn’t my idea but the weak green daemon's behind me. I’m not so pathetic to involve weaklings in my fight unless they’re the only way I can get a good fight.” Warrior explained as he exchanged blows with Zoey.

Zoey said nothing as she let her fists do her talking for her. Her fist landed on the left side of Warrior’s face and sent him flying across the subway station. Zoey soon followed after him after he crashed into the wall. She was about to start wailing on him when her fist was met with a foot that sent her sliding to the edge of the platform, near the train tracks. She momentarily looked back as she caught her balance, only to be tackled across the subway station into the wall by Warrior.

Zoey gritted her teeth as blood dripped down her face. She locked her arms around his neck and began to clamp down and twist.

“Hahahahahaha! It’s too early for me to die! I haven’t seen enough yet! I know you’re still holding out on me!” With an explosive wave of magji, Zoey’s grip released and she was sent further into the wall. If only she was able to twist a little bit more, she could’ve snapped his neck...

‘Fuck!’

Using the limited amount of magji she could control, she wrenched her limbs out of the wall before knocking her chest to continue her combo. Blood spat out from her mouth at the blow but Zoey didn’t seem bothered by it at all. She ran toward the daemon standing there smiling at her, just waiting for her to attack. Her entire forearm slightly twisted as she landed a gut-blasting blow on his stomach.

“Guhak!” Blood shot out from Warrior’s mouth as his innards twisted up and he was sent spiraling across the subway station.

It took him more than a couple of seconds to recover from this blow but the grin never left his face. Warrior was in complete disbelief and awe. That punch... He’s never seen something like that from a magjistar. It wasn’t magji but it was inspired by magji control? But that didn’t make any sense and Warrior was completely amazed by it!

“Is this how you do it?” Warrior copied the exact punch thrown by Zoey after getting up.

“..!” Zoey could recognize her own technique. Was this fucker learning from her in the middle of their battle?!

She had to finish this quickly or else it’ll end like her training with Alexander and Lindsay ended. Zoey hopped over the train tracks while pounding her body before turning her fists toward Warrior. Warrior tried using her own punch against her but she easily avoided it due to the noticeable starting movements of the technique. She grabbed his outstretched arm and brought her elbow down to break it. The snap of the broken arm flowed into her ears as it dropped limp to his side but Zoey wasn’t done yet.

Zoey pushed his chest with one glove as she tripped him by putting her leg behind his should-be injured leg. He seemed to be unable to stop himself from falling. Zoey didn’t hesitate to take advantage of him falling to the ground. She mounted on top of him as she used all the strength in her upper torso to pound his face into paste. His laughter and the pure look of joy and gratification unnerved her but did not reduce the power of her blows.

“Is this what it feels like to be on the brink of death!?” Warrior suddenly rose up and tried to headbutt Zoey away.

But Zoey refused to be sent away, she smashed her own forehead against his and kept her position on top of him. Their blood intertwined as they looked into each other’s eyes. A shiver went down Warrior’s soul and he couldn’t be happier to feel afraid for the first time in his life. Zoey’s forehead came rising back before she slammed it against Warrior’s forehead. Then again. And again. And one more time.

It wasn’t until his laughter died down completely that Zoey stopped and slowly rose from the corpse’s body. A massive headache plagued her from the headbutting, along with the skills rising in levels after killing the daemon. But it wasn’t over yet! There were still three more daemons she had to take care of. She couldn’t drop just yet...

“The more I see you, the further I cannot understand you. Magjistars call us monsters but I'd say you’re the biggest monster of us all.” Poison couldn’t comprehend where her strength came from.

“Shouldn’t we kill her instead of talking?” Vio asked.

“I’ve been slowly spreading all types of poisons ever since we came down here but not a single one has seemed to have affected her.” Poison revealed.

“You have!?” Vio quickly held his breath as his eyes turned venomous toward Poison.

“Don’t be an idiot. If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.” Poison rolled her eyes at the fool.

“So, I'm not poisoned too?” Vio asked carefully.

“No, stupid. Now let’s quickly put her out of her misery while she’s still a mess.” Poison’s hands started to lengthen and sharpen. “I need to get revenge for what she did to me.”

“You don’t mind if I eat her heart, do you? I was the one to kill the magjistars that were protecting her family. I also don’t have a specific ability like you and Warrior. I’m sure if I eat her heart, I'll be able to become a monster as well.” Vio tried to reason with Poison.

“Whatever. I’ll be the one to kill her! Just help me weaken her some more until I can have my payback for how she treated me.” Poison audibly sighed.

Zoey could barely raise her fists. Her arms shook as she felt as if there was a giant weight weighing down on her entire body. She couldn’t see more than a foot away because of all the blood and the sloshing of her brain from the headbutting. Wait, was she supposed to be able to feel her brain? No, she had to focus...

“I... knew I wasn’t invincible yet...” Zoey dropped face-first into the ground unconscious. ‘But man... losing really fucking sucks...’