And just as the monster got serious,
it landed a powerful punch on Zack,
sending him flying far through the air.
Zack crashed to the ground, rolling violently—
blood sprayed from his mouth.
He was now seriously injured.
The monster slowly approached him, step by step.
"You humans... you've become a nuisance.
You've ruined my plan—
so now, I'll ruin you."
Zack struggled to stay conscious,
his body shaking, vision blurry.
"What plan...?"
"You were going to form a contract with my friend Albus, right?
You were going to control him!"
The monster smirked.
"You know quite a bit for a human.
I have to give you credit for your courage...
but you're only half right.
I wasn't going to control him—
I was going to kill him and take his form,
so I could enter the human world disguised as him."
"And now… you're about to die.
Even knowing all this, there's nothing you can do."
Zack was stunned.
Everything he had believed until now,
everything Kalthok had told him—
was starting to contradict this new truth.
He was confused, overwhelmed, and broken—
but still alive.
"You're lying!" Zack shouted, barely able to stay upright.
The monster burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha!
Looks like you're losing your mind now.
No matter—I'll take your form instead,
go to the human world as you,
and the first thing I'll do…
is kill those nine humans who came here with you."
Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"No… this can't be true…"
Until now, he had always believed Albus was the traitor—
the one who betrayed him and tried to kill him.
But now he realized the truth:
Albus had never betrayed him.
In fact, Albus was never even alive long enough to betray him.
In his previous life,
Albus had died on this very same day…
The one who shot him…
the one he thought was Albus…
was actually this Original Monster,
who had taken Albus's form.
"So all this time… I was wrong.
The real enemy… is was you right in front of me."
"Real enemy? What are you muttering about? You're about to die anyway."
But a storm was raging in Zack's mind.
"Why didn't Kalthok tell me this?
He never mentioned Albus' death...
Did he lie to me?"
"No... there must be a reason behind it.
But still... why Albus?
Zack, his voice shaking with rage, asks:
"Why did you choose Albus?"
The monster smirked.
"Oh, that human?
I had my eyes on him for a while.
He seemed... easy."
Zack's rage was now beyond control.
The truth had shattered everything he believed—
and now all he wanted was revenge
for his friend Albus, who was murdered in his previous life.
Zack slowly stood up.
"Oh? You still have the strength to stand?"
"I won't let you live."
"Oh really?"
Zack launched an attack again—
but the monster was still too strong.
Suddenly, the monster grabbed Zack's sword,
trying to break it—
but it didn't shatter.
"Hmm... quite a sturdy sword."
"Fine. Then I'll just tear off your arm instead."
With a sudden movement,
the monster grabbed Zack's arm—
and ripped it from his body.
Zack screamed in agony,
the pain was beyond anything imaginable.
The monster grinned:
"I've changed my mind.
I won't kill you—
I'll leave you here to die.
Your internal organs are damaged.
You've lost an arm.
What can you even do now?"
Zack, through clenched teeth, growled:
"Kill me!
Because if I survive…
I'll turn this entire Abyss into a graveyard."
"Well then, survive first."
And with that—
the monster vanished into the shadows.
Zack's eyes slowly closed…
his body lifeless and broken…
To be continue...