## Chapter 36: The Butcher's Game

  ### I. The King's Message and the Butcher's Game

  The impact was a thunderclap. Blackmouth's fist, enveloped in massive black energy, struck Zack with the force of a meteor, sending him hurtling across the battlefield like a rag doll. Dozens of soldiers were trampled, their bodies twisting and breaking in the wake of the King of Horror. The dome of black thunder that protected K, Lyra, Mira, and the Boy trembled but held firm, a shimmering shield against the chaos that was unfolding.

  — **SOLDIERS!! KILL THEM ALL!!** — Blackmouth's roar echoed, laden with a morbid excitement. The army, previously hesitant, advanced like a black tide, their war cries mixing with the clang of weapons and the smell of ozone that still hung in the air. Blackmouth's presence was a physical weight that crushed hope, and his dark green aura spread, contaminating the air.

  Inside the dome, panic was palpable. Lyra and Mira positioned themselves, their weapons ready, eyes fixed on the mass of enemies approaching. K, hand on the hilt of her sword, felt her heart pound in her chest. She had never witnessed such an overwhelming force. Nati, for her part, was paralyzed. Her red eyes, once dull with despair, now gleamed with icy horror. She knew Blackmouth. She knew his methods. And she knew Zack was in a special kind of hell.

  Zack slowly rose, his body aching, but his mind sharp. Blackmouth's blow had been brutal, but not enough to fell him. He tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, but his black eyes, now open, burned with a cold intensity. The Black Moon, on his back, vibrated, thirsty for blood, but Zack kept it sheathed. He knew Blackmouth's game wasn't about brute force, but about cruelty and manipulation. His **Essence Perception** was on high alert, mapping every soldier, every movement, every murderous intent.

  Blackmouth smiled, his black, tattooed tongue flicking in the air. He threw a die on the ground, and a giant, red, translucent die materialized above their heads, spinning slowly. The number **5** gleamed on one of its faces. The **Take Away** ability had been activated.

  — Let's play, King of Horror — Blackmouth taunted, his eyes fixed on Zack. — Every blow you land on me, I can transfer to someone nearby. And if you land a *hitkill*... well, you know. I become invincible for five minutes. How about it? Do you want to kill some of your former subjects to get to me?

  The dilemma was cruel. Zack was the Messiah to many of those soldiers, the man who had saved them from the abominations of the Void. Now, Blackmouth used them as human shields, forcing Zack to choose between his own survival and the lives of those he once protected. It was a dirty fight, exactly how Blackmouth liked it.

  — Bastard! — K snarled, clenching her fist. — He's using his own men!

  Nati closed her eyes, a solitary tear tracing a path down her face. She had seen Blackmouth do this before. He had no morals, no ethics. To him, human life was merely a tool, a disposable resource in his sadistic game. She smelled the putrid stench of Blackmouth's aura, which mingled with the scent of ozone and blood, a macabre symphony that reminded her of her own past.

  ### II. Unarmed Combat and Silent Fury

  Zack advanced, the Black Moon still sheathed. He couldn't use his sword to decimate the soldiers. He needed a different approach. His mastery of **Hand-to-Hand Combat** was his only weapon now. Blackmouth laughed, unleashing a series of **Black Punches** with surprising speed. Zack dodged the first few, feeling the cutting wind of each blow. The air around them crackled with energy, and the nearest soldiers recoiled, terrified.

  — What is he doing? Why isn't he using his sword? — Lyra asked, her voice tense. She watched the fight with a mixture of concern and tactical analysis. — He's holding back!

  Mira, her eyes fixed on Zack, replied: — He can't. If he uses the Black Moon, Blackmouth will transfer the damage to the soldiers. He's caught in a moral dilemma. He's using his **Black Aura** to protect himself, but not to attack.

  The Boy, inside the dome, watched the fight with wide eyes. He felt Zack's pain, his frustration, his dilemma. He reached out his small hand towards Zack, as if to protect him. His connection to Zack was deep, and he felt every blow, every hesitation.

  Zack, realizing Blackmouth's strategy, decided to engage in hand-to-hand combat. He was a master of unarmed combat, capable of intercepting blows, delivering precise kicks, and swift counter-attacks. But Blackmouth was an expert in dirty fighting. The General of the Golden Age was a butcher, and the battlefield was his slaughterhouse.

  Blackmouth delivered a **Black Punch** directly to Zack's chest. Zack blocked it with his forearm, feeling the bone crack. The pain was intense, but he ignored it. Instead of retaliating with full force, Zack used Blackmouth's own strength against him, spinning and throwing the general into a group of soldiers. Blackmouth laughed, transferring the impact to three of his men, who fell dead instantly, their bodies writhing in agony. Blood spurted, staining the red earth.

  — What a waste! — Blackmouth taunted. — You're too kind, King of Horror. You should have hit me harder. Then I would have had to kill more of them!

  Nati gritted her teeth. Blackmouth's cruelty was unbearable. She wanted to scream, to warn Zack, but her voice was caught in her throat. She felt guilty, responsible for the situation. If she hadn't fled, if she hadn't sought Zack's help, none of this would be happening. The sight of the soldiers dying from a blow that should have hit Blackmouth made her tremble. It was the same logic as Ygon, the same manipulation of other people's lives.

  K, observing the fight, noticed Blackmouth's aura. It was a dark green, dense, and oppressive energy that mingled with Zack's black aura. She realized that Blackmouth wasn't just fighting; he was feeding on the fear and despair around him. With each fallen soldier, Blackmouth's aura seemed to grow, making him stronger. Blackmouth's **Crow** technique, though not directly activated, seemed to be in a passive state, sucking the spiritual energy from the battlefield.

  — He's using the energy of the dead! — K exclaimed, her voice filled with horror. — He's strengthening himself with the sacrifice of his own men!

  Lyra and Mira exchanged glances, their faces pale. The situation was far worse than they had imagined. Zack was fighting a monster that fed on death. The dome of black thunder, though safe, felt like a cage, preventing them from helping.

  ### III. The Roulette of Infinity and the King's Sacrifice

  Blackmouth, realizing Zack was at a disadvantage, decided to raise the stakes. He threw the die again, and the number **1** gleamed. The **Progressive Die** ability was activated. A new, smaller, golden die appeared above their heads, with a roulette spinning from 1 to 10.

  — Now the fun begins! — Blackmouth cackled, his black tongue flicking. — With every blow you land on me, the damage doubles. And if I hit two numbers on the roulette, that ability becomes yours, and you lose! How about it? Want to take the risk?

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  Zack felt a chill run down his spine. The Progressive Die was an all-or-nothing ability, a Russian roulette where with each shot, the bullet became more potent. He had five minutes before Blackmouth could re-roll the die and perhaps change the ability. He needed to act fast. His **Essence Perception** was screaming, alerting him to the imminent danger.

  — Zack! — Lyra shouted. — Don't hit him! The damage will double!

  But Zack had already made his decision. He couldn't afford to wait. He needed to deactivate Blackmouth's ability, and the only way was to force him to re-roll the die. He needed to hit him hard enough to make him feel the pain, to make him hesitate.

  Zack unsheathed the Black Moon. The black blade pulsed with a sinister light, and Zack's aura exploded, engulfing Blackmouth's dark green energy. The soldiers recoiled even further, terrified by the presence of the King of Horror. His **Black Eyes** gleamed with contained fury, channeling the Void in its purest form.

  — Finally! — Blackmouth exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. — Now the fight begins!

  Zack delivered the first blow with the Black Moon. The black blade cut through the air with a deadly hiss, aiming for Blackmouth's neck. The general narrowly dodged, feeling the cold wind of the blade. He retaliated with a **Black Punch** directly to Zack's face. The impact was brutal, and Zack felt the pain double. The golden die above their heads spun, and the number **2** gleamed.

  — One! — Blackmouth shouted, laughing. — The damage doubled! And now, what are you going to do, King of Horror? Are you going to keep hitting me and killing yourself?

  Zack ignored the pain. He knew that every blow he received was a risk, but he needed to force Blackmouth to re-roll the die. He needed to break the cycle of pain. He advanced again, the Black Moon cutting through the air in a deadly arc. Blackmouth dodged, but the blade grazed his arm, leaving a superficial cut. The golden die spun again, and the number **4** gleamed. Zack's pain doubled again.

  — Two! — Blackmouth cackled. — You're killing yourself, King of Horror! And I didn't even have to lift a finger!

  Inside the dome, K, Lyra, and Mira watched the scene with horror. Zack was being massacred, and they couldn't do anything. The Boy cried, feeling Zack's pain, the agony that consumed him. He squeezed Lyra and Mira's hands, his small black eyes filled with tears.

  Nati, for her part, was in shock. She had never seen Zack fight like this. He was sacrificing himself, allowing himself to be wounded to protect others. She realized that Zack was not just a hunter; he was a guardian, a protector. And she, Ygon's general, had been saved by him. Guilt gnawed at her, but a new determination began to emerge in her gaze.

  ### IV. The King's Fury and the General's Awakening

  Blackmouth, realizing Zack was at a disadvantage, decided to use his cruelest technique. He activated the **Satan** ability. He touched one of his wounded soldiers, and the man's body began to swell, transforming into a human bomb. Blackmouth launched the soldier against the thunder dome protecting Zack's group.

  — Zack! — Lyra shouted. — He's using the soldiers as bombs!

  Zack, with the pain doubling with each blow, saw the soldier approach the dome. He couldn't allow the bomb to hit his allies. He needed to act. With a guttural cry, he invoked: — **THUNDER!**

  In a blink of an eye, Zack teleported, intercepting the soldier-bomb in mid-air. The impact was devastating. The explosion hit him full on, and Zack felt the pain triple. The golden die spun again, and the number **8** gleamed.

  — Three! — Blackmouth shouted, his eyes gleaming with sadistic madness. — You're a fool, King of Horror! You sacrifice yourself for pawns that are worth nothing!

  Zack fell to the ground, his body burned and aching. The Black Moon fell from his hands, and he felt consciousness slipping away. He was at his limit. The pain was unbearable, and with each second, it doubled, tripled, quadrupled. He was trapped in a cycle of agony, and Blackmouth was enjoying it.

  — Zack! — K cried, her voice full of despair. She tried to leave the dome, but Lyra held her back. — I need to help him! He's going to die!

  Mira, with her eyes watering, activated her **Essence Perception**, trying to find a loophole, a weakness in Blackmouth, but the general's aura was an impenetrable wall of cruelty and power. The Boy, seeing Zack on the ground, let out a sharp cry, and for an instant, his black eyes seemed to glow with a golden hue, but K's illusion held firm.

  Nati, seeing Zack on the ground, felt a growing fury. She had been saved by him, and now he was dying to protect her. She couldn't allow it. She stood up, her red eyes gleaming with renewed determination. She lunged towards Blackmouth, her aura exploding in a wave of energy.

  — You won't kill him! — Nati shouted, her voice full of hatred. — I won't allow it!

  Blackmouth laughed, easily dodging Nati's attack. He hit her with a **Black Punch**, sending her flying. Nati fell to the ground, her body aching, but she stood up again, her eyes fixed on Blackmouth.

  — How pathetic! — Blackmouth taunted. — You're weak, general. You can't do anything against me.

  But Nati didn't give up. She knew she couldn't defeat Blackmouth in direct combat, but she could distract him. She could buy time for Zack. She lunged again, her attacks desperate, but full of fury. She was a general, a warrior, and she would not bow down. Her **Aura of Horror** manifested, a red shadow that tried to envelop Blackmouth, but he ignored it, focused on Zack.

  Zack, on the ground, felt Nati's presence. He felt her fury, her determination. He opened his eyes, and his black eyes met Nati's red eyes. He saw gratitude, loyalty, sacrifice. And he realized he wasn't alone. His **Essence Perception** caught Nati's wave of fury, and he knew she was fighting for him.

  With superhuman effort, Zack stood up. The Black Moon flew to his hand, and the black blade pulsed with an even more intense light. The pain was still there, doubling with each second, but Zack ignored it. He was focused on Blackmouth. He was focused on protecting his allies. He was focused on winning. He activated his **Thunder Emperor State**, and the sky above them, already tinged with crimson, seemed to respond, dark clouds forming rapidly.

  — Your game is over, butcher — Zack said, his voice cold and deadly. — Now, the game is mine.

  The golden die above their heads spun again, and the number **10** gleamed. Zack's damage had reached its limit. He had five minutes before Blackmouth could re-roll the die. He needed to end this now. He invoked: — **TECHNIQUE LEVEL 1 – EL THOR!**

  A gigantic black lightning bolt tore through the skies, striking the Black Moon and channeling overwhelming energy into Zack. He advanced, the Black Moon cutting through the air in a deadly arc. Blackmouth laughed, delivering a **Black Punch** with full force. The two clashed in an explosion of energy, and the battlefield trembled. The fight was far from over, but Zack had found his determination. He was not just a hunter; he was a king, and he would not allow anyone to harm his family.

  ***

  *End of Chapter 36*