"Decode it." X repeated.
"I don't know how to decode it." There was a faint tremor in Olivia's voice. She glanced at the other occupants of the room.
X's response was swift and cold, red light shining through the dark patches on the eye holes of his mask with an intensity that sent shivers down Ezra's spine. "You wouldn't have stolen it if you didn't know how to decode it," he stated, his tone laced with a thinly veiled threat. "I know you can. So, decode it."
A tense silence stretched between Olivia and X, the air thick with unspoken accusations and simmering tension. Ezra and Gen watched from the sidelines, their bodies coiled like a spring, ready to intervene.
Ezra could feel the weight of their stares bearing down upon him even though they weren't even looking at him. It was as if the very atmosphere had turned hostile. He startled as he realized it was X's Aura.
"I see." X remarked as Olivia said nothing. "You're much willing to find out what my chains do, aren't you?"
X's threat hung in the air like a dark cloud, casting a pall of fear over the room. His Aura leaked a deliberate hint of bloodlust.
Olivia remained defiantly silent, staring straight at X.
"So be it." With a flick of his wrist, X activated the chains wrapped around Olivia's body.
The chains materialized out of her skin into solid chains made of red light and their glow intensified as they began to tighten around her throat. Olivia's eyes widened in terror as she gasped in pain, her body convulsing where she stood.
Ezra's heart thundered in his chest as he watched Olivia's torment, a familiar surge of rage fueled adrenaline flooding through his veins.
Crack!
Without a second thought, he vaulted over the table, launching himself at X, his fists flying in a desperate bid to save Olivia. Gen was not far behind.
With a grace that belied his weak exterior, X effortlessly sidestepped Ezra's attack, his movements fluid and precise. In a swift motion, X materialized a gleaming knife and drove it into Ezra's back, the blade sinking deep into his flesh with a sickening squelch.
Agony lanced through Ezra's body as the knife began drained his vitality, sapping his strength with each passing moment.
"Arrrggghhhh!" With a guttural cry, he twisted, tearing himself away from X's grasp, staggering backward until he collided with a nearby chair.
"Weak." X spat before turning to meet the coming warrior.
Gen was much less impulsive than Ezra, her fighting style drawing a sharp contrast to her behavior. In a boxer's stance, she threw jabs at X who bobbed and weaved between her strikes.
"Passable." He sniffed. "Where's the famous bloodthirsty bitch I hear so much about?"
"Don't worry." Gen grinned, displaying her fangs. "You can meet her. All you need to do is remove your chains around my neck."
X laughed as he batted away her punches before elbowing her in the face, breaking her nose with a sharp crack. As Gen stumbled back, X raised his leg high and dropped it in a swift kick at Gen's neck.
Crack!
Gen's neck broke and she fell twitching to the floor.
Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Ezra yanked the knife from his back, his hands slick with blood. With a grunt, he turned to face X, the fire of righteous fury burning in his eyes. "How dare you?" he growled.
"Well, I-"
X was cut off as Ezra bursts into a blur of motion. Using his knife, he attacked X. His first slash almost nicked X's throat before the vampire hopped away almost casually. He moved like a pit fighting veteran, each slash determined to cause lasting damage to X.
Ezra maximized his newfound speed and resilience. The wound in his back devoured essence as it slowly knitted together closed.
"What's this?" X taunted. "The newborn found a knife? Careful with that, kid. You'll just hurt yourself."
Ezra gritted his teeth as X dodged his slashes with the barest of margins.
"Don't be so hard on yourself kid. Never give up. You can do this." X laughed as he twirled behind Ezra, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
With a burst of speed, Ezra twisted around and slashed downward, catching X's thigh. Blood splattered on the floor as X stumbled back in pain.
A sudden unexpected kick from behind him sent X to a knee and Gen's grinning face appeared behind him before she plunged her hand through his chest. "Gotcha!"
Silence.
X coughed and blood dribbled down his chin into his red hoodie. "Heh." He chuckled. "Nice try." X clutched at Gen's hand weakly before dissolving into powder. Gen jumped back in shock.
Clapping filled the room and the duo turned to the wall where X was stepping out like he just watched some premium entertainment. "That was a great warm up. Did you guys think I'd die that easily?"
What's this? What were we fighting? A clone? An illusion? Ezra lifted the knife in his hand.
X waved his hand and Gen's chain activated. She stiffened with a muffled cry, before dropping to the floor.
"What are you doing? Stop it!" Ezra snarled, taking a step forward.
"So demanding. Okay. Kids shouldn't be made to watch this kind of stuff." X waved his hand, making the chains inert once again. The two ladies groaned on the floor, their body shuddering in pain.
"Don't worry. They'll be alright." X chuckled as Ezra eyed him menacingly. Ezra had only a single knife while X who had been weakened by the sun still had more vitality, a more powerful Aura and his monster tattoos.
"How about this?" X asked. "If you can draw my blood with that knife in your hand, I'll remove the chains."
Ezra eyed him skeptically.
"What? You don't trust me? Okay. I'll fight without using any vitality. That means no Aura or tattoo. What do you say."
"Deal." Ezra agreed. There's no saying if X would honor the deal but he had to try. All he needed to do was to get X to remove the chains and with Gen and Olivia by his side, they could surely kill X.
X spread his hands out in invitation. "Excellent. Bring it on."