Endzone: Simulated Apocalypse

"…" Cyanide was silent, contemplating whether or not to respond to the man's challenge. Luna and Kirika, however, both had more to say.

"Well… you're dedicated, I'll give you that," Kirika said with a sigh and a shrug. "But… you're still quite outnumbered, you know? If anything, fighting us now is even worse of a decision than fighting us last night. What makes you think Cyanide will fight you one-on-one? He's never been one to fight fair."

"Some people just don't know when to give up…" Luna muttered, then turned to her creator. "Allow me to teach him a lesson, Cyanide."

But to both of their utter surprises, Cyanide brushed past them and stepped forward, having changed his mind.

"… Very well. I accept your challenge."

"E-Eh…?"

"C-Cyanide…?"

"Oho…" Lust commentated from one side, intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. Ragnar, on the other hand, merely snorted, as if he had predicted this would happen.

"So… you remember me too, huh?" He chuckled, hauling his greatsword off his back and slamming it into the concrete ground to send splinters and fractures across the pavement. "A rather unexpected outcome! I never thought someone like you would bother remembering each of your enemies individually."

"I don't," Cyanide replied. "But you… are not just any enemy."

"What…" Luna and Kirika were both stunned speechless at the dialogue unfolding before them, utterly confused and bewildered at what the hell exactly was going on.

Slowly walking towards the man until the two were merely several feet apart, Cyanide narrowed his eyes.

"They call you the Hunter of the underground. A dark vigilante, working for no one but yourself. Unsatisfied with how the police settle things, you took it upon yourself to exorcise the law, and handle criminals your own way: death. Ragnar Creed, the Titan of Shadows."

At this, the man—Ragnar—frowned, almost as if cringing at the nickname.

"… I see my reputation precedes me… but you also know my real name, somehow. Guess I should not underestimate a top assassin's information network, huh?"

"I did a little digging around ever since our encounter, as I was bored," Cyanide said. "Came across a few rumors here and there. But to think we really would meet again… what an interesting twist of fate."

"I, Ragnar Creed, will always do what I say," Ragnar said, pulling his greatsword back out from the ground and pointing it towards Cyanide. "That is why I chose this last name in the first place."

'Chose?' Cyanide furrowed his brows a bit at this choice of words, but decided it didn't matter anyway.

"You want a fight with me? Fine," Cyanide said a wry smirk tugging at his lips. "It's been a while since I've faced an opponent as capable as you. But I wonder… are you capable enough to survive?"

"Hmph… you talk big, but you'll be calling me big brother in a second," Ragnar snorted arrogantly, deep brown eyes shining with indignation. "Bring it on, Cyanide."

"Wait," Luna interjected, unable to just watch this any longer. "What's going on, Cyanide…? Why are you taking this one-on-one fight? You've never done something like this in the past, even with all the so-called 'capable' opponents you've faced before on your missions."

"You're right. Back on Earth, I never would've taken a fight like this," Cyanide said, twirling his gun around his finger. "But the reason I even came to this place… was to break boredom. If I don't even try a little something new in this new world… where's the fun in that?"

Of course, that was not the real reason. But since Ragnar was present, Cyanide couldn't afford to speak his thoughts out loud. While it was true, the two had met before, back on Earth, Cyanide couldn't care less about that. The true reason he was humoring this man was simple—he could be made into a valuable pawn. Nothing more, nothing less.

Well… that, and the thrill of trying out all his newfound powers in this world on a real, living experiment subject.

"I see…" Luna murmured to herself, setting her chin on her fingers. "Understood, Cyanide. If that is what you wish, then I have no reason to complain."

Kirika, on the other hand, merely gave a sigh. "Really… I can't understand you sometimes. On one hand, you are always so calculating and don't take any unnecessary risks, but now, on the other, you're doing something like this…"

"Hm… I think I understand," Lust said as Cyanide and Ragnar headed off to their arena a few meters away to get some open space. "From what I have gathered, he was a professional assassin in his old world, correct?"

Luna gave a nod. "The best of the best, in fact."

"Exactly it. Can you imagine how taxing on the mind that occupation is?" Lust said with a chuckle. "Always living on the edge… always calculating… always being cautious of every little thing you encounter. When you live a life like that for so many years, always having your guard up, it slowly becomes a habit. Routine. And when a routine is repeated many, many times, it becomes boring, does it not? That is why he came here, no?"

"Ah… so, basically, he wants to get rid of those habits, those routines, by coming here and now this fight?" Kirika asked, scratching her head.

"That might be a too extreme way of putting it," Lust replied. "Some habits can never be 'gotten rid of', as you say. Even now, I'd assume he is calculating his opponent's moves, planning ahead, and spotting the tiniest of weaknesses and openings that anyone else would easily miss. But this one-on-one fight… it is something new. Something fresh. Something he has never truly experienced before. So if I had to coin a term for what he is doing right now with this fight… it would be to simply 'explore'."

"That… does make sense," Luna admitted. "In the past, contrary to what you may think, Cyanide did not actually get into too many fights. Nearly all of his assassinations were pulled off perfectly smoothly, and actual combat was rarely if ever involved—showing just how good his assassination skills truly are. There were certain times when things did not go as expected, and he was forced to fight his way out of a predicament, but none have ever involved a one-on-one duel like this."

"Huh…" Kirika murmured, as if trying to contemplate that very fact. "Where I came from, duels were an everyday occasion. But if what you say is true, then… that means… he utterly crushed me in a one-on-one… without any prior experience?"

Her eyes widened in fear at Cyanide's capabilities for a second, and Luna merely smiled.

"Yes. He has a tendency to… pull things off successfully, even without any former experience. If I had to say, though, even if he did not show it, he enjoyed the environment and feeling of his duel with you, and thus wants to try it again here. Besides… it seems he and this Titan of Shadows person have a history—one that even I have no idea about. But now that I think about it… that name is familiar…"

That's right—this was not the first time Cyanide and Ragnar had met. Their last meeting had been brief, but it was enough to make Cyanide intrigued enough in the person to research him.

Indeed—it was the first, and only time, Cyanide had failed to deliver a killing blow.