Frederick punched the creature in the pit of its stomach. The beast took a step back, but quickly regained its composure. It raised its fists and began to circle around him. Frederick aimed another punch at the Ringleader's gut. He wasn't going to give his opponent time to think. That monster was way too dangerous, and he couldn't shake that feeling off. The creature blocked Frederick's punch and countered, ramming its fist toward his chest. The Commander was slightly faster than his opponent. He dodged at the last second and kicked the creature's. Naturally, the beast didn't seem to mind. That layer scales was definitely a problem. His knuckledusters didn't make much of a difference, as long as he couldn't get closer to the Aberration. Frederick was well trained, and he was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. But those things didn't matter when fighting that kind of foe. Frederick studied the beast for a brief moment, looking for an opportunity to strike. That thing was quite adept, too. Its attacks were swift, but they didn't lack strength. Frederick scrunched his face in concentration. Its fighting style, however, was odd. That thing wasn't human. So why was it... The creature swung at him, interrupting the Commander's train of thought. He somehow managed to grab its massive arm, successfully stopping the attack. Gathering his strength, Frederick tried to break it. The Commander grimaced as every muscle in his body tensed. He wasn't strong enough. Frederick braced himself, realizing that his bold move had left him wide open. Using its other arm, the Ringleader hit him straight in the chest. The man fell back, coughing in pain. Frederick pressed a hand to his throat, gasping for air. He wasn't dead. Was that creature weaker than he'd originally thought? No, that wasn't possible. The creature's ominous aura hadn't vanished. So why wasn't it attacking? It was the perfect opportunity. He hadn't managed to catch his breath yet, that thing had the advantage.
"So, are you enjoying it?" Fredrick gave an irritated shrug. "I can't sense any murderous intent coming from you. You're holding back, aren't you? If that your idea of having fun? I've no clue what's going on inside that head of yours, beast. Nor do I care to find out. But then again, I didn't come here to have fun. Isn't it time to finish this already?" he continued. Frederick's face betrayed no emotion.
He was talking too much. Was he nervous? He himself didn't now. It didn't matter. Frederick took a deep breath, steadying himself. His devilish grin returned. The creature's stance was slightly different. The fact that it had unfurled its fists told Frederick that, for better or worse, that thing was finally going to make use of those huge claws. The look in its eyes was different as well. Was it getting angry?
The Aberration closed the distance between them in a flash. It rammed its shoulder into its opponent and sent him flying. Frederick landed smoothly a few steps away, uninjured. He broke out in a straight dash for the beast before unleashing an assault of punches upon it. He knew for a fact that he was faster than the Ringleader. Frederick felt his fist connect with the Aberration's lower chest. The creature immediately leapt back, shock glinting in its eyes. The Commander clicked his tongue. He had managed to hit it, but could he really kill that thing? He wasn't strong enough to break its arms or legs, and he didn't have a piercing weapon. It looked like his attacks weren't doing much damage, either. Frederick raised his fists once again. Losing his composure wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was just another filthy Aberration. And he was going to slay it.
Out of a sudden, a deafening screech ripped through the air. Gull fell to its knees and let out a second cry, louder than the first one. The Superior put its head in its hands as it slowly slumped to the ground. The creature started wailing, and its whole body shook. Gull seemed to be in pain. Alice shot Kar a concerned look. He was just as confused. He extended a hand and touched Gull's shoulder. The Aberration didn't react. It let its head rest on the floor, weeping.
"How is this possible?" Gull murmured in a voice devoid of life. "No, this has to be a mistake. It has to be. But it isn't. How could this happen?" the creature cried, clenching its fists. "They can't do this. No, they have already lost. They didn't win. There was no way they could've won. And it was I who failed to realize that. What was I thinking?" Gull's voice grew colder and colder. "This is hell. Pik, everyone..."
Karabell retracted his hand as a look of horror crossed his face. He bit his lip, desperately telling himself to calm down. It was safe to assume that one or more of Gull's Aberrations had lost their lives. It wasn't hard to figure that out. Perhaps everyone had died. He'd let them die on his command. No, that wasn't quite right. He'd sent them all to their deaths. Karabell had always hated Frederick. He'd always hated the Commander's disregard for human life, but how was he any different than him? All those people, all those Aberrations...
"Captain, please don't space out at a time like this," he heard Een's voice say.
"Change of plans," Karabell replied absently. "I'm going to help Frederick kill that creature. We're just wasting time. At this rate, we'll lose too. Een, protect Alice at all costs. That thing still hasn't displayed its true power, I can't help but think that. I want you to be ready to fight, should the need arise."
"Are you trying to do everything by yourself again, Kar?" Alice asked, angry at his words.
"That's not it. Like I said, we might need your help. I'm not sure if Frederick and I can take it out by ourselves. That thing is the Ringleader. I won't underestimate it," Karabell said, meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry to have dragged the both of you into this. I know it's selfish, but I don't want to lose you. I know you're worried, Alice. I know you want to stop me, Een. But cheer up. I won't go down so easily. We don't know what's happening outside, either. It might not be too late. It might still be possible to save everyone. Even if it's not the right choice, I'll fight." Karabell paused for a moment. "That sounded way too sad," he said as a warm smile appeared on his face. "Gull said something about this being hell. Well, I'll walk into that hell and tear it apart from the inside out. I won't let everything go to waste. We'll win and get out of this place alive. After all, I still haven't heard your answer, have I?"
As soon as he finished talking, Karabell dashed towards the creature, brandishing his spear in his hand. Alice couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Kar wanted to protect the ones he cherished. The only way to do that was to keep fighting. He wanted to save them, no matter the cost.
"If we lose our lives, it'll all be meaningless," Alice whispered softly, recalling Kar's words.
"Captain's tough. He won't lose to the likes of that creature. This guy's a lost cause," Een said, pointing at Gull. "But we'll jump in to help if things start going south. I've never doubted him, and I won't start now," he added, not even trying to hide his nervousness.