Dante, who was realizing that Kate had killed a significant number of his members, instantly started to panic. He quickly contacts his headquarters to request assistance from his other subordinates to come and help them. Despite not meeting for a long time, it seems that she is as formidable as before. If it continues like this, my chances of winning are slim. However, this time, I won't run away. I won't let her off because she left a scar on my ass! I must retaliate for what she has done.
Dante drew a knife from beneath his clothing, gripping it tightly before rushing towards Kate to join the attack.
Meanwhile, Theo was still trying to digest Kate's recent words.
"With your current abilities, you won't be able to achieve your revenge. If you want revenge, then you must change. Your attitude and mindset need to change, Theo."
Kate's words from last night echoed in his mind, as if trying to remind him that there were things about himself that needed to change in order to achieve what he desired.
"Retaliating against them by doing the same to their members?"
"That's what revenge is, Theo."
At the same time, Theo recalled his conversation with Morgan. As he remembered their talk, everything started to make sense to Theo. His attention shifted as the system panel reappeared in front of him, displaying the quest he had received yesterday. A quest that demanded him to change and discard all the negative traits within himself.
Theo clenched his fists tightly, redirecting his focus to Kate, who was in the midst of a battle with Dante and some of his remaining subordinates. Some of the Bloodhound Cartel members seemed to be struggling against Kate, and a few who managed to hold on eventually met their demise at Kate's hands. Theo, realizing this, felt he couldn't stay silent any longer. What Kate said is true. There's no turning back! I'm trapped on the path I chose, and that means I must be ready for any obstacle, no matter the risk! As long as that path leads me to all my desires, then I must face it!
Theo gritted his teeth and ran towards Kate to assist her.
Kate dodged as one of the men tried to attack her. Just as she successfully evaded, Kate immediately threw the dagger in her hand, piercing it into one of the man's eyes. The man screamed in pain while attempting to pull the dagger out of his eye.
Kate switched to another dagger strapped to her waist and faced several men who kept running towards her. While dodging their attacks, Kate tried to kill the injured man. She moved towards him, pulling his shoulder and using him as a shield. Just as some of his friends tried to attack Kate, she quickly utilized the man's body as a shield.
Their attacks hit the man's body directly. The knives plunged into various parts of his body, causing the man to scream in pain and struggle to retaliate against the attacks from his own allies. Taking advantage of the situation, Kate grabbed the dagger embedded in the man's eye and pulled it out while simultaneously pushing his body away.
The man was pushed, and due to what Kate did, his eye popped out and rolled onto the ground.
The faces of those witnessing the event immediately turned pale. Sweat poured down their foreheads. "Looks like I won't be needing this one," Kate muttered while staring at the dagger she had just pulled from the man's eye. The dagger was smeared with so much blood that it dripped, wetting the gloves Kate was wearing.
Kate then threw the dagger directly at the same man. In one swift motion, the dagger embedded itself in his head, with the entire blade piercing through until it reached his brain.
Thud!
The man with the popped-out eye instantly fell to the ground with blood splattered everywhere, and then he died on the spot.
Theo seized the opportunity as they were shocked by what they witnessed Kate do. He quickly pulled one trembling man standing there, and in one swift motion, Theo slammed the man to the ground.
A loud thud resonated, and simultaneously, Theo could hear that what he did had shattered the man's spine. It seemed like he had slammed him too hard. The man he slammed even widened his eyes, and he was unable to move freely.
Without waiting long, Theo lifted the man's body and threw it towards other Bloodhound Cartel members holding knives. They immediately collapsed to the ground under the weight of their comrade Theo had just tossed.
Dante attacked Kate, attempting to stab her with the knife in his hand. However, Kate easily evaded every one of Dante's attacks.
Grip!
Kate gripped Dante's wrist and slammed his body. He immediately sprawled with the knife released from his grasp. Several remaining members of the Bloodhound Cartel rushed towards him.
"Hold on!" Kate exclaimed, pulling Dante's hand and spinning him like a comedic carousel. Dante's body collided with the remaining members of the Bloodhound Cartel before collapsing, bringing them down with him.
Meanwhile, Theo seized the knife from one of his opponents and swiftly ended the fight by kicking the man's body, causing him to be flung and fall lifeless from the intense impact to his head. Blood gushed out along with the injuries sustained.
Theo surveyed the surroundings. Now, there were no remaining members of the Bloodhound Cartel. All of their members were dead, most of them exterminated by Kate as if they were insects. Now, only Kate, himself, and Dante, who was currently sprawled among the corpses of his deceased comrades, remained. Kate had truly left no chance for them.
Kate once again pulled Dante's body and threw him until he collided with a streetlamp, which was currently off. Due to her actions, Dante winced in pain as his forehead harshly hit the pole. They could even hear the thudding sound resulting from the impact.
With a dagger tightly gripped in her hand, Kate threw it towards Dante. The dagger whizzed swiftly and lodged itself right into another part of Dante's buttocks as he fell in a bent-over position.
Stab!
Dante screamed in pain as another part of his buttocks was once again pierced by the sharp dagger. As the blade penetrated the surface of his skin, Dante could feel the coldness of the dagger accompanied by the blood smears.
With the little strength he had left, Dante attempted to pull the object from his buttocks. Enduring the pain, Dante shifted his body to face Kate, who stood there with Theo amidst the corpses of his bloodied comrades.
Dante was in a visibly terrible condition as well. Blood streamed from his forehead, and various parts of his body bore the marks of Kate's relentless attacks that he couldn't avoid. With a dazed look, Dante stared at the two of them. D-damn..., she really did what she said. My ass feels so painful...
"I apologize for leaving another mark on another part of your buttocks. Perhaps after this, you'll have difficulty sitting," Kate said as she approached Dante. She intended to conclude her fight with Dante tonight. "Oh! But wait, it seems you won't have to experience all of that because after this, I'll help you relieve your pain by sending you to hell!"
Dante remained silent, enduring the pain he felt. His body had truly lost the strength to launch a counterattack; he could only try to survive while gathering his strength.
Meanwhile, he watched as Kate drew closer. In his heart, Dante cursed. His subordinates, whom he had called for assistance, still hadn't arrived. He felt frustrated because they were late even though his life was on the brink of death.
"Seems like my decision years ago to let you go was a big mistake. Because by letting you escape back then, you've only become more audacious to disturbing those closest to me. You even dared to kill members of the Infero Ravens. Now, consider this payback for what you've done. I'm going to kill you right here!" Kate gripped another dagger tightly in her hand.
Seeing Kate approaching, Theo hurriedly moved towards her, stopping her. "Wait!"
Theo tapped his shoulder. Kate nearly attacked him, thinking Theo was an enemy. Fortunately, Theo managed to evade her strike. "What are you doing? Why are you trying to stop me?"
Kate stared at Theo, not understanding his thought process. "You've already killed most of their members."
"So what? Do you think I should just let their leader escape?" Kate questioned.
Dante, who was there, remained silent with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand why Theo was trying to stop Kate from killing him. For a moment, he felt relieved, thinking Theo might be trying to protect him. But he forgot that Theo was an adversary.
"Let me do it. I'm the one with a grudge against him and as you said, there's no turning back, right? Therefore, I'll show you that I can change. I'll prove that I'm no longer the Theo you consider foolish!" Theo gripped a knife that he had taken from one of the Bloodhound Cartel members earlier. Meanwhile, Dante's face turned pale as he witnessed Theo's transformation. Dante sensed a dark aura enveloping Theo. For some reason, Dante suddenly saw a change in Theo's gaze, resembling that of a killer.
Theo ran towards Dante, grabbing his collar and throwing him to the ground. Before stabbing him, Theo struck Dante with all his might, replicating what Dante had once done to him. Theo relentlessly beat Dante until the man had no chance to evade. Just as Dante weakened from the loss of energy, Theo thrust the knife in his hand into Dante's abdomen.
Dante widened his eyes as the object pierced his stomach, exactly in the same spot where he had once stabbed Theo. Theo brought his face close, whispering directly into Dante's ear. "This is just the beginning. After this, I'll make sure that everything you took from me returns to my hands!"
***