Ruthless Resolve

The moon hung high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the abandoned alley where Samuel stood, his body poised for action. His chest heaved as he took in the surrounding darkness, feeling the weight of the night creatures that lurked just beyond the edge of the shadows.

He had grown stronger—his body honed by the brutal training he had endured. But it wasn't just physical strength that propelled him now; it was a bitter rage, a fire that burned through his veins. He was no longer the broken man Abigail had tormented, nor was he the confused soul caught in the web of lies and deceit. He had shed that version of himself, embracing the cold, merciless identity he had forged.

"Those below you or above you," Samuel muttered under his breath, his voice laced with disdain.

His hand tightened around the hilt of the blade at his side, the steel reflecting the moonlight as if it too hungered for the blood of his enemies. "All of you, come at me!"

The night creatures—twisted, monstrous beings that crawled from the darkest corners of the world—emerged from the shadows, their grotesque forms shifting and hissing. They moved with an eerie, fluid grace, their red eyes burning with malice. But unlike before, when Samuel hesitated or fought with a lingering shred of humanity, there was no hesitation now.

He lunged at the first of them, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. His movements were a blur, each strike swift and merciless, cutting through the night creatures like they were nothing more than mere paper. The creatures howled in pain, but Samuel paid them no mind. He was lost in the fight, consumed by the urge to obliterate anything that dared to challenge him.

With every slash, every strike, his anger only fueled his power. He was no longer Samuel—the broken man who once feared his own reflection. He was Red now, a force of destruction. The creatures before him were nothing but obstacles in his path, obstacles that would be torn apart with no mercy.

One of the night creatures lunged at him from behind, its claws outstretched, but Samuel was quicker. He spun around, dodging its attack, and with a single fluid motion, he drove his blade into its chest. The creature let out a guttural scream, its body crumbling to the ground, lifeless.

Samuel stood over the fallen creature, his chest rising and falling with each breath, but there was no sense of satisfaction in his eyes. Only cold, ruthless determination.

"Is this all you have?" he growled, his voice barely more than a growl. "You think you can stop me?"

The remaining night creatures hesitated, their instincts telling them that this human—this man—was not the same as others they had encountered. But they were driven by hunger, by the need to tear him apart. And so they attacked all at once.

Samuel grinned, a savage glint in his eyes.

"Then come," he challenged, "let's see how much you can endure."

The battle raged on, each moment more violent than the last.

Samuel fought with the fury of a man who had nothing left to lose. He was no longer the victim, no longer bound by the past. He was a predator now, and the night creatures were nothing more than prey.

Samuel stood amidst the carnage, the ground littered with the lifeless bodies of the night creatures he had mercilessly slaughtered.

The eerie silence of the battlefield was broken only by the hum of his mechanical limbs, the faint glow of their circuits pulsing like a heartbeat. But Samuel knew better—there was no heart behind this machine anymore, only raw determination and cold, calculated efficiency.

He smirked as he looked down at his own arms, the metallic sheen reflecting the dim light of the moon. "Look what my kind did to me," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

He flexed his hands, watching as the blades extended seamlessly from his forearms, sharp and deadly. "Too bad... I'm more heartless machine now."

The remaining night creatures, hesitant and visibly shaken, took a step back. They had never encountered a human like him before—one who wielded his pain and transformation like a weapon, one who seemed to revel in the destruction he caused.

Samuel's grin widened as he lunged forward, the blades on his arms slicing through the air with terrifying speed. His movements were fluid, almost inhuman, as if the machine in him had become an extension of his very soul. The creatures screamed, their guttural cries echoing through the empty streets, but none could stand against him.

"You call this a threat?" Samuel taunted as he cut down another creature, his voice laced with mockery. He turned to the last of them, his eyes cold and unyielding. "You guys are nothing but fodder to me. Too bad..."

He paused, wiping the blood off his blades with a flick of his arm, "the real fun is in Himalayas. My True Rival is There."

The last creature snarled, desperate and defiant, but Samuel ended it with a single, calculated strike. Its body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. He stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of his wrath, and took a deep breath, the metallic smell of blood and oil filling the air.

He looked around at the silent carnage, the corners of his lips curling into a satisfied smirk. "I've never felt this good,"

he murmured to himself, his voice low and dark. "Giving you all a greater sleep for eternity... feels almost like poetry."

The mechanical limbs on his body retracted their blades, the hum of their energy fading into silence. Samuel stepped over the bodies, his boots crunching against the broken pavement.

As he walked away, his shadow stretched long under the pale moonlight, a haunting reminder of the man he had become.

His journey was far from over. Each battle only fueled his resolve, each victory carving away at the remnants of the man he used to be.

Samuel was no longer bound by the chains of his past—he was Red now, a relentless force, a heartless machine on a mission.