บท 65: Chapter : 63 Clash against the Slasher

The ruined chapel remained silent, as shattered windows let in only the faint moonlight, revealing the bodies strewn across the bloodstained floor.

The scent of death and decay hung heavily in the air, suffocating in its stillness. In the centre of the carnage stood two figures.

"I'll enjoy ripping your head, Night Raider." Zanku spat with glee, his voice dripping with malice.

Bane remained silent, his eyes on Zanku as he sized up his opponent.

Swish!

"Here I come."

Zanku lunged forward, his Katar gleaming like a viper's fang in the pale light. The chapel's stillness shattered as he struck with deadly precision, aiming for Bane's throat.

Clang!

Bane's gauntlets intercepted the blade, sparks flying as the metal screeched together. The force of the blow reverberated through the air, and Bane barely managed to step aside before Zanku's blade slashed the air where his neck had been.

Zanku grinned like a madman, twisting his body unnaturally fast as Bane launched a retaliatory punch toward his midsection. He dodged effortlessly, the wind from Bane's fist brushing his skin.

Bane didn't hesitate, following up with a savage kick aimed directly at Zanku's groin, but the assassin sidestepped again, his laugh echoing in the chapel.

"My my, you really don't hold back, do you?" Zanku taunted, "Attacking in such a merciless location."

"I don't need lectures from a psychopath who collects heads," Bane replied coldly, his voice steady as he stepped back.

Zanku chuckled darkly, "Fair enough."

In a flash, Zanku lunged once more, his blade a blur as it aimed for Bane's heart. But Bane's reflexes kicked in, and he dodged just in time, feeling the sting of the blade cutting through the fabric of his clothes.

Ignoring the searing pain, Bane countered with a swift punch, aiming for Zanku's ribs, but the killer saw it coming.

Using his Spectator, Zanku predicted Bane's movement and twisted his body just enough for the punch to land on his side, an impact less area. Bane's gauntlet struck solid muscle, but it didn't have the intended effect.

Zanku's grin never faltered. "Not bad… but not good enough."

Before Bane could react, Zanku slashed at his side with the Katar, the blade slicing through fabric and skin. Blood spilled from the wound, but Bane ignored the pain, stepping back to regain his distance.

Zanku chuckled, wiping some blood from his blade with a mocking look in his eyes. "You can't keep up, can you? I see every move before you make it. You're slow, predictable."

Bane's jaw tightened as he watched Zanku carefully. The killer was maintaining just enough distance to avoid Bane's more powerful strikes, only allowing himself to get hit in areas where it wouldn't make much of an impact. Meanwhile, Zanku's attacks were sharp, precise, and relentless.

Again, Zanku lashed out, and again, Bane narrowly dodged, deflecting the blade with his gauntlets. He countered with a punch, but Zanku's foresight, granted by Spectator, allowed him to twist his body just in time. Bane's blow hit Zanku's shoulder. A glancing strike that barely phased the killer.

"You're predictable, Night Raider," Zanku taunted, his voice full of malice. "Is this all you have to offer? Pathetic."

Bane narrowed his eyes, his body moving in sync with his instincts, but Zanku's ability to anticipate his every move made it feel like he was always one step behind.

Even when Bane landed a hit, Zanku's foresight ensured it wasn't a blow that could slow him down.

Zanku slashed again, his Katar cutting across Bane's leg this time, drawing more blood. Bane grunted, trying to ignore the pain, but the blood loss was beginning to slow him down. Zanku smirked, circling Bane like a predator toying with its prey.

"You're bleeding all over the place, Night Raider," Zanku mocked, his voice laced with cruel amusement.

"Let me show you how real slaughterers fight!" Zanku continue to press his advantage, keeping Bane on the defensive with sharp, precise strikes. He moved swiftly, always staying just outside Bane's reach, never letting the Night Raider land a hit that would do real damage.

"You're slowing down, Night Raider," Zanku growled, his eyes glowing malevolently behind the eerie eye of Spectator. "Your regeneration can only do so much before you collapse under your own weight."

Bane gritted his teeth. He had to keep his focus on Zanku's foresight, granted by Spectator, allowed him to predict Bane's movements before they even happened.

Every strike, every dodge Bane attempted had been preempted, and now he stood bleeding and tired while Zanku barely seemed fazed.

The two men eyed each other, the tension thick in the air.

"You think you're so different, don't you?" Zanku hissed, his twisted grin widening. "You've killed people just like I have. You wear that mask to hide it, but deep down, you're just like me."

"You talk too much." Bane retorted, His hands tightened around the gauntlets of Jormungandr.

Zanku grinned as he listened to this. He lunged first, his Katar slicing through the air toward Bane's throat.

Swish!

Bane ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. Spectator's foresight allowed Zanku to predict every move Bane made, so even as Bane dodged, the next strike was already coming.

Zanku slashed horizontally, the blade catching Bane's arm, tearing through muscle and drawing more blood.

Bane grunted in pain, but kept moving. He countered with a punch, his gauntlet landing hard against Zanku's ribs.

The force of the blow knocked Zanku back a step, but he quickly recovered, that grin never leaving his face.

"You're getting tired, aren't you?" Zanku taunted, his voice filled with cruel delight. "I can see it in your movements. Your body is desperate for rest after hours of constant fighting. As a teigu user, you should be aware that teigu manifestation mentally drains our bodies, and even your regeneration can't restore it."

Bane wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes never leaving Zanku. He knew Zanku was right—he couldn't keep this up much longer. His regenerative powers had limits, and every healing came at the cost of more stamina plus it also can't recover his mental burden that is starting to get heavy on him.

He needed to find an opening, something to turn the tide of the fight in his favour.

But Zanku wasn't giving him any. The killer moved in again, faster this time, his Katar a blur as it aimed for Bane's chest.

Cling!

Bane barely managed to deflect the blow with his gauntlets, the impact sending a shockwave up his arm. He stepped back, trying to gain some distance, but Zanku was relentless.

Cling! Cling! Cling!

The killer struck again, and again, each swing of the atar calculated to break through Bane's defences. Bane dodged and blocked where he could, but he could feel his body slowing, the fatigue setting in deeper with each passing second.

Zanku chuckled darkly, his movements still precise despite the blood dripping from the wound in his arm.

"You can't win, Night Raider," he sneered. "No one escapes me. Not you, not those pesky insects who howl at me for killing them. You'll die here, like all the others."

"Hah," Bane's breath came in heavy gasps. He could feel the sting of every wound on his body, every cut and gash that had reopened under the strain of the fight.

Ignoring the strain, he rushed forward, aiming a powerful punch at Zanku's face. Zanku saw it coming, and he sidestepped easily, countering with a slash across Bane's side.

Blood sprayed across the floor as Bane stumbled, pain searing through his body.

Bane exhaled slowly, wiping some blood from his mouth. His muscles gradually succumbed to exhaustion. "I have moderate fighting skills and tend to compensate with my arsenal," he admitted.

Zanku's grin widened. "At least you're honest. But honesty won't save you. We should put an end to our battle Night raider, before the rats arrive."

With a sudden burst of speed, Zanku lunged again, aiming for Bane's chest in order to end the battle.

Ching!

Sparks flew as Bane deflected the income Katar with his gauntlet, but Zanku's follow-up strike was faster than expected. The Katar sliced across Bane's arm, sending a sharp pain shooting through his body.

Bane gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay focused. He knew Zanku was trying to wear him down, testing his limits, exploiting every weakness.

The killer's ability to predict his movements made it feel like Bane was fighting a ghost, always there but never within reach.

He attempted to grasp the slasher, but he consistently eluded his grip, anticipating his every move.

The fight continued in this brutal rhythm—Zanku darting in and out, landing on small cuts and wounds, while Bane struggled to find an opening.

'I need to persevere a little longer,' Bane contemplated, delivering a punch and then a flurry of others.

But every punch Bane threw was either dodged or absorbed by Zanku's least vulnerable areas, leaving the Night Raider with no room to land a decisive blow.

"Come on, Night Raider," Zanku taunted, his grin never faltering. "You're supposed to be one of the best. Or is this all you've got?"

Zanku rushed in again, his Katar flashing toward Bane's throat. Bane ducked at the last second, twisting his body to avoid the lethal blow, but Zanku was quick. The killer pivoted, slashing at Bane's back, drawing another line of blood across his flesh.

"Muphf!!" Bane winced in pain as blood flowed from his back.

He staggered, his vision blurring slightly from the pain and exhaustion.