Noah's voice rang out as he activated his trump card. With a swift motion, he activated his "Killing Instinct," tapping into a primal surge of power, his sanity succumbing to its primal urges.
Attributes
Defense: 10
Strength:18(23)
Agility:14(18)
Constitution:28->34(40)+5
Stamina:25(32)
Magic: 21(22)
Spirit:48(64)
Any planning that he originally had went out the window. The only thought he had now was to kill. He couldn't afford to keep some of his sanity in exchange for a lower gain in stats. His sole priority was to assure he could survive the hit approaching, besides, he wasn't the main character in this fight, it'll all come down to his spider. He was 70 percent sure that no matter how enraged Derrick may be, any man should be taken out of commission after losing their manhood.
Booom!*
The collision of the axe meeting the shield was so loud that it even caused the groups fighting off the encroaching zombies to grow distracted. One poor soul even managed to lose his life, the action of being distracted caused him to let down his guard, turning around to catch a glimpse of what caused the noise. This allowed the zombie, who was pushing back to clumsily force him to the ground, his miserable screams of being eaten alive overlapped with the heavy sounds of fighting around him.
Even though the others were curious concerning Derricks and Noah's confrontation, they still had to worry about their own lives. The only two people who didn't bother about their surroundings were the two who were most affiliated with the two fighting. One being Isabelle, who at this moment wasn't sure what to do anymore. Derrick was her mental pillar at the start of everything that's happened. She could still vividly remember when she reawakened after the voice fell and her roommate was one of the unfortunate ones to become a zombie.
In her half-daze, Isabelle was about to be eaten alive without realizing she was in danger. It was Derrick, who had spent the night with her, who realized something was wrong and saved her from her unfortunate fate. Not only could she rely on him during peaceful times, but even now, when their lives were at risk, she could still depend on him.
Now, looking towards the overly muscular guy in front of her, she could only think back to a few moments ago when he easily discarded her. This left her confused. Should she attempt to help him? She still had enough mana to at least heal him one last time.
Or… she looked towards her arm, which was bruising red to purple. A small burst of anger sparked in her eyes. She also thought it would be nice to see Derrick have a setback. She didn't consider the fact that either one could die. Despite witnessing people getting eaten alive and seeing former humans die, it never involved people killing people. It hadn't hit home yet that morals and the law didn't matter anymore.
The last person who was intently watching the fight, but also more distraught, was Matt's friend, Chris. He saw it all when Matt was first killed by the spider that Noah was now in control of, and then proceeded to be tossed as if his life was worthless.
He was brought to his knees at the sight of Matt being impaled. He then rushed to Matt's side out of desperation after he was tossed aside, hoping that he could still be saved.
'We were given powers so he could still be alive…' He thought as he made it to Matt's side only to find his body no longer breathing, his eyes left open in shock. Matt's hand was still holding onto his dagger that he was so proud of receiving for killing his first zombie.
Chris, still in shock after seeing that his close friend of three years was gone from this world, was startled out of his depression when he heard the loud impact of the fight transpiring.
After being startled by the sound of their fighting, he continued to look down while deep in thought.
'Thi-this isn't right, THIS ISN'T RIGHT! Matt's dead…they killed him…in cold blood and no one is saying anything?? Does Matt's life mean anything? And they…' Chris finally looked away from Matt's body to view Derrick and Noah with a heated glare.
"This isn't over…."
Meanwhile, both Derrick and Noah, now with targets painted on their backs, were unaware that even after their current life-and-death battle, they were destined to face danger again in the future. And looking onto the battlefield now, it wasn't looking good.
Currently, the dust was clearing from the impact. Noah had just barely prevented himself from being demolished by the heavy-handed attack, but at the cost of his left arm, which now dangled at his side. Just before the axe made contact with Noah's shield, he had moved just enough so that the axe struck the angled shield before being directed towards the ground. This not only popped his shoulder out of its socket from the overwhelming force but also chipped the axe before it proceeded to slam into the ground, shattering completely.
Derrick, on the other hand, no matter how enraged he was, wasn't able to shrug off the rebound of impacting the shield with such momentum and then hitting the ground as well. This brought a bit of clarity to his hatred-filled glare. If Noah could have known this would happen, he would have taken fewer precautions in going into this fight.
Before, Noah believed he had a 70 percent chance of winning if the spider achieved its goal, but now? If Derrick was even a little bit aware, then Noah was guaranteed to come out of this, as it would be almost impossible for Derrick to shrug off the pain.
Too bad Noah couldn't realize this subtle observation and plan accordingly since his skill prevented him from doing so, but the skill still had its pros.
Noah attempted to lift the broken shield to use as a weapon against Derrick, only to notice that his arm wasn't following his commands.
"Arrgggh!" An unintellectual growl escaped his lips in his frustration. The skill prevented him from having more intellectual thoughts, but his body, concerned only with killing, knew what it needed to do to obtain its goal.
Crack! Crack!*
Multiple sounds of bones readjusting took place from the direction of his arm as he repositioned the bones that were out of place and popped them back one by one. The only sign of pain being the slight wincing of his eyes occasionally.
At first, Derrick felt immense satisfaction at the outcome of breaking Noah's arm. After regaining a bit of clarity, he took a few moments to enjoy the scene of his battered enemy before him. His hatred for him couldn't disappear, nor could the need to show that he was the more superior one. The thought of squashing Noah in his arms made a disturbing smile cross his face, which quickly dissipated after witnessing him readjust his arm as if he wasn't fazed.
Derrick then made contact with Noah's jet-black eyes that appeared lifeless, slowly stirring a feeling of fear within himself. His eyes made him feel as if his very life essence was threatened to be drained.
That brief realization that he could still be inferior reignited his rage. He locked his eyes onto his axe and was about to charge again when he realized that it was shattered. So instead, he flung the handle in Noah's direction as hard as he could while simultaneously lunging towards him. Derrick was now a solid meter taller than Noah, and Noah only had a shield. Derrick didn't believe he would need a weapon to finish him, not to mention that using his bare hands would bring him more satisfaction.
The overpowered throw lacked any control as it flew past Noah's side. The speed at which the object traveled was faster than what Noah's body could react to, yet his body still braced itself after a delay in the attack.
Peering back towards the direction the handle flew, Noah felt fortunate that Derrick didn't decide to aim for his spider. Its large size would've made for an easier target.
It had to be said that not only did Derrick not target it, but his entire focus was completely on Noah. Maybe since the spider hadn't moved all this time, he subconsciously viewed it as something he could easily finish off after he was done with Noah. With the current power he wielded, his arrogance grew as much as his muscles. He fully believed that the spider wouldn't last a second against him.
Even Noah had forgotten about his own tamed creature due to the use of his skill. It should be considered a blessing he was using his skill; otherwise, he would be distracted wondering why the spider hadn't used that moment he sacrificed his arm to attack!
What he did not consider was that he didn't specify to the spider when to attack. His wording was such that it should take the opportunity to retrieve and eat Derrick's sausage when it got the chance, and spiders, considered natural hunters, were very good at waiting for their chance.
Instinctively, it realized that Derrick was more aware of his surroundings after the heavy impact and didn't feel as if it could pull off the attack successfully, so it decided to continue to wait for its chance.
The bond with its owner wasn't strong enough to make it feel as if it had to throw its life away for Noah. Because of that reason, it also wasn't completely worried after witnessing its owner come to harm. What made it anxious was Derrick's meat stick that seemed to entice the spider to eat it.
After evolving, its sense of taste was enhanced. It craved the two-legged mammals after finally getting a taste of one previously. And its master told it that this part in particular is the best part that could make it stronger, which made it even more impatient to try it for itself.
Boom!*
The spider's vigilance was now at an all-time high after seeing the two make what perhaps would be their final confrontation.
The scene played out differently than what others would expect. Noah was prepared to engage Derrick, avoid his attacks, and find a way to overturn the situation, yet he continued to find himself on the defensive.
His body wasn't fast enough to avoid Derrick's advances. Instead of literally attacking him, Derrick would constantly attempt grabbing motions towards Noah's figure. This action alone was just as threatening when considering that his hands were larger than Noah's head.
And because Derrick didn't have to overcommit while trying to grasp him, it created less leeway for Noah to be outmaneuvered. Noah had many chances to retaliate, but without a weapon, any response he chose to take would be useless.
Whoosh!*
Moments later, time indeed proved that any action Noah made was useless. He was now being held in the air by his arms while Derrick stared at him triumphantly.
"Arrgh DAMNIT!"
At first, Noah's skill was still in effect. He kicked and struggled frantically while being held in the air. However, when Derrick slowly applied pressure that threatened to completely crush Noah's body, the ever-growing pain managed to overcome the pain factor of his skill, bringing him to the awkward, painful moment he's in now.
'Urgh…ho-how do I…how do I keep getting into these situations!'
He bitterly struggled in Derrick's arms while the pressure increased. He tried his hardest to alleviate the pressure and preserve. His first instinct was to try to bite Derrick's hands, but because of the position he was being held in, such an action was impossible. So he tried to kick at his elbows, realizing that it actually had a small effect. He desperately placed both feet on the inside of Derrick's elbows and pushed out as hard as he could.
It didn't cause Derrick to release him, but it relieved him of the unbearable pain he was being put through. The small lapse of not having to endure such agony gave him the chance to glimpse towards his spider for aid, only to find it slowly creeping towards its target instead. The cautiousness the spider was exhibiting almost made Noah ruin the surprise factor. He was angry!
'If you don't hurry your ass up! I swear! If this is how it's going to be- shit! I get distracted for a moment and this bear tries to squeeze me to death!' During his lapse of focus, he let up his resistance, allowing Derrick to apply pressure again.
"Whether because the spider sensed an uncomfortable pressure emanating from Noah or it detected his negative feelings directed towards it, it ceased its slow stalking of its prey.
Since the mental confrontation with Noah, it instinctively feared and yet respected him. Reflecting on Noah's disappointment in it reminded the spider of the time when Noah spurred it on when it wanted to give up.
The spider no longer wished to adhere to its previous mindset. It aimed to prove to Noah that it was not a disappointment. Halting before rooting itself in place, an overwhelming pressure pressed on all of its back legs before it summoned the rest of its reserved strength to pounce towards its target."
During this time, Derrick was still unaware of its presence; he seemingly was enjoying watching the thorn in his heart squirm under his grasp.