Alex deflected the signal bullet coming form the flintlock pistol.

Felix created another gun and shot six bullets at him.

Alex deflected five of them but one managed to cut into his right shoulder.

"ALEX!" Thal exclaimed.

Alex breathed a sigh as steam flew into the air.

Felix pulled a rifle into his hand and fired at Alex once more, the bullet was deflected by Thal as expected, but Alex didn't notice the small needle-like projectile thrown by Felix.

Alex pulled the three needles out of his leg causing blood to spill out.

"They're called 'senbons' I believe, throwing needles!" Felix explained.

Alex charged at Felix once more, Felix fired his gun at Alex who didn't bother blocking it, instead, he let the bullet penetrate his forearm and slashed at Felix, creating a deep cut that ran through his upper torso.

"Nice!" Felix laughed as he downed a red healing potion.

Alex looked at him drink the potion of full recovery before he tossed it to the ground and smashed it.

"Sorry, Alex - but I came prepared!" he laughed as he fired another shot at Alex.

Alex blocked this bullet but as he looked back to Felix he saw that he already threw more of those needles at Alex.

Two were deflected, one hit Alex in the gut, two on the arms and one in the leg.

"Alex! You should retreat!" Thal exclaimed.

Alex took a deep breath.

"Thal..." Alex began.

"What is it?" he asked.

"...do you think you could lend me some of your power again... like you did in Ajuan?" Alex asked.

"What!? Don't you remember what happened last time?!" Thal demanded.

Felix fired another shot at Alex.

"I... think those needles were poisoned..." Alex began, he looked at the wounds and saw the skin turning grey and large veins becoming visible on the skin's surface.

"If he created the poison... and it deals the final bit of damage to me... it's game over."

"Poisoned?!" Thal asked.

"We're about ten minutes away from Bromy... even if he can cure posion... there's no telling if we'll catch Felix again... I don't think I have much time..." Alex explained.

"You bastard! You used poison?!" Thal demanded.

Felix grinned.

"Of course! It'd be an insult to Alex if I half-assed this fight!" Felix replied.

Alex looked at Thal as a stream of blood began to leave his nose.

It dripped onto the floor tiles below.

"Please... buddy... I want to take that bastard down! And go back home..." Alex pleaded.

"I'll brag to Revenberry about what happened..."

"And I'll tease you about wanting to sleep with swords..." he laughed.

"..." Thal hesitated as a small, round object flew at their feet.

"A bomb?!" Alex exclaimed as the roof exploded sending roof tiles flying everywhere.

A huge fireball expanded from the bomb, charring the building and setting several ablaze.

Felix held a gun ready as he watched the roof, he didn't want to underestimate his opponent.

The smoke cleared and revealed that there was no trace of Alex's corpse.

"What the!?"

Felix felt the air around him turn cold as a voice came from behind him.

"I'm right here..." Alex said smugly.

Alex grabbed hold of his arm, snapping it by a hundred degrees in the wrong direction.

Felix reached for his health potion only to see that they were already smashed.

"Alex?!" Felix demanded as the poison slowly ate away at him.

"How!? The poison should be breaking down your muscle fibres already!" Felix exclaimed.

Alex smiled.

His body launched forward as his body bent in unusual ways, his skin was paler than normal and his eyes seemed bigger than they should be.

His muscles grew a little bit as his entire body was engulfed in blue fire that singed the very roof he stood on.

Felix tried to block with a sword but Thal smashed straight through the blade and down onto Felix's arm, severing it completely.

Chunks of metal flew everywhere as Felix let out a pained scream.

He turned to run but found that Alex moved so fast it was as if he teleported.

He grabbed Felix by the throat and squeezed it as flames crept from Alex's entire body towards Felix.

"WAIT! ALEX!" Felix kicked and screamed as the flames seared his skin and hair.

Felix slashed off Alex's hand causing it to fall off, he looked over and saw that the hand regrew in seconds.

Felix jumped down but suddenly found himself having to dodge projectiles of blue flames mid-air.

Seeing no other escape he dived into the filthy river once more.

He swam away quietly as he heard the footsteps behind him, he looked back not wanting to believe his ears as he saw Alex sprinting over the water like Jesus on coke.

Alex plunged Thal into the water as he created a massive ball of blue fire that vapourised a massive chunk of the water, creating a steam explosion and reducing Felix to a pulp.

He respawned five minutes later.

Panicked, he began to run but was already grabbed from behind by Alex.

"WHAT THE F-" he cried.

Felix was tossed against the stone walls of the city, he flew like a blue comet, leaving a trail of charred body parts and ash as he flew, the impact shattering him into an explosion of charred flesh.

Five minutes later he respawned again.

"YOU SHOULD BE DEAD BY NOW! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?" Felix demanded.

Alex smiled.

"You should ask my co-pilot!" Alex grinned as a steady stream of blood left his mouth.

His clothes were torn to shreds, his entire body was engulfed in flames.

Felix fired at Alex who effortlessly grabbed all six bullets, five in his hand and one in his teeth before throwing them back, the bullets were sent ablaze and melted, stabbing Felix with white-hot projectiles that splattered him against the wall of the city.

Five minutes later he didn't respawn.

"Is he dead yet?" asked Alex, his speech slurred.

"Probably..." Thal replied.

"Good..." Alex smiled as he closed his eyes, his breathing still steady.

They stumbled their way back to Felix's home.

That was the only lie Thal told Alex for as long as he knew him.

A few minutes later Alex opened the door as he entered to Felix's room.

"Alex!" Bromy exclaimed in shock, he was standing next to the door ready to go out and help fight.

Bromy smiled as he saw the happy-looking Alex.

Bromy looked at Alex and saw his eyes seemed blank, his mouth was formed into a smile as blood no longer trickled from his orifices.

Bromy's smile faded as Thal spoke up.

"Heal him..." Thal said.

In an instant, Alex's limp body fell to the ground.

Bromy didn't question anything, he began healing Alex but none of his wounds were closing.

He placed a hand to his chest and felt no pulse.

"..."

"I don't think-" Bromy began but was cut off.

"Whatever!" Thal exclaimed.

"He's-" Bromy began but was once more cut off.

"Pfft!" Thal scoffed.

"Like I care!" Thal laughed.

The room went quiet.

"I'm cashing in that get-out-of-sword card," Thal said as the sword suddenly cracked.

"I warned him, don't think for a second I'll feel bad! Finally, I'm free to go on holidays!"

The blade shattered leaving pieces of what looked like a completely different sword all over the room.

In the room now stood a man looking like he was in his forties, thin yet well built and muscular.

He had white hair and a beard-moustache combo and wore a black striped suit with a red shirt and black tie underneath.

On his head, he wore a black fedora with similar stripes.

Before anyone could say anything, Thal disappeared from the room without a trace.

In the sewers below the city, Felix was on his way out.

"What the fuck was that?!" Felix demanded.

He had one last health potion which he used to regain his arm.

Suddenly he was met with a voice he heard before.

"Felix, was it?" Thal asked.

Thal scratched his bearded chin.

"I'm about to introduce you to a whole new meaning of the word hell, and I'm a demon y' know," Thal said as he came into Felix's view.

Felix felt a vibrating sensation on his ring finger, he looked down and saw that his ring was literally shivering.

With a single snap of the finger, Thal moved Felix and himself from the sewers to Felix's own torture chamber.

With another snap, Felix was bound to the torture table and gagged.

Thal placed a hand on his forehead, covering his hand in sweat.

"How does burning in an incinerator for a million years sound for a start?" Thal asked with a devilish smile.

By the time two-minutes passed in real life, Felix has gone through more years of torture than the universe will exist.

By the time Bromy walked down to the basement, Felix was more of a limp ragdoll than a human.

The first non-living, biological robot performing all its life functions.