Anastasia didn't stand a chance. Even though she knew she was weaker than the Rank 5 Apocrypha, she still tried to overpower it. Sadly, she was knocked unconscious and almost lost an arm in the process.
Lamar, Serenity, Brandon, and Deandre also seemed to be unconscious. Layla's speculation was sadly correct. The food they were given was drugged. 'Jeffrey' just wasn't affected, because his body had a strong immunity since he was an Apocrypha. Nick was also out of commission, as the force that had smashed him through the window, had knocked him out cold.
The only ones left were Layla and Zane. Cold sweat washed Layla's face as she stared at the Rank 5. It was an unexpected occurrence. A Rank 4 they could handle, but a Rank 5 which they knew nothing about was a different story.
"Well, at least this was a little fun. I should put you two to sleep so I can prepare you as proper meals." stated the Rank 5.
Layla shivered as the Apocrypha turned towards her. The worry that flowed through her body was enough to send an elephant into a panic attack. Due to this, Layla had forgotten to keep her gaze from its eyes. Immediately, she fell into deep hypnosis, falling to the floor with a thud.
Next, the Rank 5 turned towards Zane. All it had to do now was hypnotize Zane and everything would be over. However, to the Rank 5s astonishment, Zane wasn't affected by its hypnosis. Instead, Zane remained calm— his feet still placed upon the edge of the fallen table nonchalantly.
"W-What..? That's impossible... How can a mere human withstand my hypnosis?" It asked in shock.
Zane didn't respond. Instead, he remained in the same position, observing the Rank 5. The Rank 5 found this very strange. Maybe it was because it hadn't taken a demonic form. Even so, a Rank 5 Apocrypha's hypnosis in base form, was as powerful as a transformed Rank 4. It was truly a miracle that Zane withstood its gaze so easily.
"To think I'd need to transform just to capture you in my hypnosis..." it cursed.
Slowly, the Rank 5 began its transformation. Its skin turned pale-white, being webbed with purple veins underneath and its body grew extremely muscular. Its eyes became a dull-black and the skin grew without hair— absent from even its head. Its back arched to a 60° angle— erupting with black spikes along its spine. Its ears grew as spiky as a bat's and its teeth became jagged, lining its mouth. Finally, its hands erupted with long, thick-sharp yellow nails that looked as if they could cut a tree in half. The Rank 5 had transformed into a hideous 6ft ghoul.
Aggressively, it turned to Zane with a deadly stare. Its figure was scary enough to send a full-grown man to the bathroom, right where he stood. The Rank 5 roared ferociously— its voice shattering glass.
However, once again, the Apocrypha was left in disbelief. Zane hadn't moved an inch, nor did his facial expression even waver. The hypnosis was somehow not affecting him.
The Rank 5 slowly backed up in confusion. It couldn't comprehend how a mere human could withstand its hypnosis so effortlessly.
Calmly, Zane released a sigh as he got himself up. His eyes were fixated on the Rank 5 before him. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest by the dangerous creature standing before him.
Ironically, it was the opposite. The Rank 5 was intimidated by Zane's cold stare. It knew that it could easily overpower Zane. It could slaughter him on the spot without giving him a chance to react, but it still felt intimidated.
"Fear... That's what you Apocrypha control your victims by. Am I right?" asked Zane casually.
The Rank 5 tripped over its word, still feeling mesmerized. "Y-Yes... Are you implying you don't fear me?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but nope."
"What?? That's simply not possible! Humans are weak and inferior creatures! They should lose all confidence before a mighty Apocrypha! They should—"
"What's your name?" interrupted Zane, not caring for its rambling.
"M-My name..?"
"Did I stutter?"
"Sorry, i-it's Hades..."
"Like the God of the underworld?"
"Yes"
"Oh, that's cool."
"Thanks... Wait, no! Are you taking me for a fool!?"
Zane ignored Hades' question once more. Slowly, he paced himself over to Layla and somehow picked her up from the floor. Zane scowled at his injured arm. Being disabled wasn't a fun experience.
"Look, Hades," started Zane, "I'm not dumb. I know you could kill me where I stand if you desired it. You have a superior body to me and that's a fact I can't deny. Humans are second to the Apocrypha."
"Hmm..? What are you implying, Zane?"
"Simply, you could have slaughtered all of us already. Yet, you haven't. Why is that so?"
Feeling that there was no more need to stay transformed, the Rank 5 reverted to its original form before answering. "What if I told you that I was searching for taste?"
Zane raised his eyebrow in confusion, "Searching for taste?"
"That's right! As much as we are here to hunt for food and intelligence, I want to savor delectable tastes. I had eaten this family's son raw, but they introduced me to spices and seasonings. Something that Apocrypha haven't taken interest in, since we normally thirst for intelligence over flavor."
"Oh? So you're inferring that you want to cook human meat instead of eating it raw? That's something I never expected from the Apocrypha."
"You're correct, Zane. These humans that I have been with have been teaching me how to cook proper human meat. The taste is far better when humans are cooked. I plan to cook each of you, in different days. From deep-fried to pot roast, barbeque, curry, and much more!"
"Interesting analogy. I however take it that there must be some special process before you can start cooking us? Probably the reason you tried hypnotizing us instead of killing us on the spot. Am I right?"
Hades laughed, taking a liking to Zane. He was different from any human he had ever encountered. He seemed fearless and cold even in the face of danger. It was almost a shame that he had to eat him. "You're smart for a human. But yes, there is a special process. First, we have to place you, humans, alive in the freezer. This freezes the flesh, keeping it stable without damage. Once that is done, we may defrost you over a small fire to soften the flesh. Shortly after, the cooking shall begin."
Zane released a short sigh as he turned himself around. He had no plan to fight the Rank 5. It was much too risky, especially since he only had one arm. He would rather be captured first, then find a way to escape.
"So you don't care for the game then?" Inquired Zane.
"It's as I said before; I am searching for taste. Apollo's game means very little to me. The only game I shall play is a game of tasting."
"I see. I'll just direct myself to the freezer then. I'm sure you can carry the others by yourself."
"Wait, Zane!" called Hades.
Hades inspected Zane closely. As much as he wanted him for food, he also wanted to know more about him. Zane had grabbed his interest with his fearlessness.
"Why do you not fear me? Do you not fear death?"
Zane smirked at the question— almost as if enjoying it. "What's there to fear? Why should I fear death? There is nothing left to live for in this world."
"But humanity's faith rests on your shoulders. Isn't that a reason to live?"
"I never asked to be the one to carry their lives. I never asked to be their hero either. If I end up dying, then it's just their bad luck. I honestly couldn't care less."
"Then, what about these other humans around you? Aren't they friends or family of yours? You have them to live for, don't you?"
Zane gave an annoyed sigh. He was growing tired of Hades' barrage of questions. "Look, don't get me wrong. They are all precious to me. I consider their lives important, and I'll do everything I can to protect them. However, if the day comes where my life is taken, then they are no longer my concern. Simply, they're not my reason for living, and they could never be."
"Hmm..? Then tell me— why do you live, Zane?"
Zane looked directly into the eyes of Hades. A cold aura began emitting from him, almost as sinister as Apollo's. "The world is ending and I wouldn't mind seeing it end with my own two eyes. This world is filled with too much hate, suffering, and pain. No matter what one does, they can never get rid of these problems. However, there is one solution." Zane paused as he adjusted the sling around his injured arm. "If there is no world, then there is no pain. Nothing will result in nothing. A world void of living organisms to bring about catastrophe is a world of true peace."
Hades didn't know whether to be scared or amazed by Zane's words. His thoughts were in a dark place. He wished for peace, but it was a dark method. In a world of living, true peace could never exist. To rid all pain, all one had to do was to destroy that which bringeth pain. In his ideology, the source of all pain was the living. It was not a fun thought, but Zane, unfortunately, had a point.
"So do you plan to destroy everything then?"
Zane shrugged and gave a playful smile, "What are you saying? I'm a simple human being. My right arm is even destroyed and I'm not even ambidextrous. I couldn't hope to do such things in this body, even if I wanted to."
"I see then. Well, I can tell you're getting annoyed by my questions. Since I've taken a liking to you, I'll spare you the annoyance."
"Appreciate it."
Nothing more was said between the two. Calmly, Zane walked off to find the freezer. Hades then released the Simpsons from their hypnosis and began moving the others towards the freezer.
Zane had no choice but to accept being captured for the time being. He had to protect the others like he had vowed and he intended to keep his promise. Things seemed dim, however, Zane had a dangerous plan that no one would see coming.