Dave felt his heart pounding wildly. The mother of Alagana and Galiana. He had just fought an elite parasite, and now he was standing before a being that was clearly stronger than him.

  — “Shit…” he muttered under his breath.

  Val stood before him—tall, thin, with a piercing gaze devoid of malice—only cold interest.

  — “At first, I thought you’d be taller,” she said. “And… scarier.”

  —“What, did I disappoint you?” Dave crossed his arms.

  —“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to kill you either way.”

  Her voice was light, as if she were discussing something ordinary.

  Dave tensed.

  —“Do you even have a reason to kill me?”

  —“You crippled my daughters,” Val answered calmly. “And I don’t like it when someone touches my family.”

  Dave was about to say something, but she vanished.

  The next moment, something heavy smashed into his face. He was sent flying, crashing through several walls before slamming into the debris.

  Shit…

  He struggled to his feet, spitting blood. Val was standing in the exact same spot, as if she hadn’t moved at all.

  —“You’re weaker than I thought,” she said.

  Dave took a deep breath.

  —“And you’re too damn overconfident.”

  He lunged forward. A punch—Val dodged. Another strike—another miss. She slipped between his attacks effortlessly before delivering her own. Her fist slammed into his stomach, piercing through.

  Dave doubled over.

  —“To be honest,” Val continued, “I’m surprised. You look… human.”

  —“W-what…?” Dave choked on his own blood.

  —“I’m right, aren’t I? You don’t look like the other parasites.”

  —“Since when… does that matter to you…?”

  —“Well, it’s just that I used to be huma—”

  She didn’t finish.

  Dave regenerated in an instant, straightened up, and swung at her. Val dodged, but his fist grazed her shoulder.

  —“You planning to have a heart-to-heart or what, in the middle of a fight?”

  Val tilted her head slightly.

  —“Didn’t your parents teach you not to interrupt when someone’s talking?”

  Dave tensed.

  —“Shut up.”

  —“Oh? Did mentioning your parents hit a nerve?” Val took a step forward.

  —“I said, shut up.”

  —“Are you trying to protect their memory or something?”

  Dave clenched his fists.

  —“Maybe I should go talk to them myself when I’m done with you.”

  Something inside Dave snapped.

  Val had already turned toward the survivors.

  But Dave exploded with rage.

  One second, Val was standing before him. The next, her face met his fist.

  The air compressed around them from the sheer force of the blow. Val was sent flying, crashing into a ruined building.

  —“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!” he roared, charging forward.

  The fight turned brutal.

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  His blow struck. The entire structure collapsed, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. Dave landed on the rubble, breathing heavily.

  But Val was still alive.

  Her voice came from within the dust.

  —“Whoa… You do know how to get angry.”

  The next moment, something grabbed his leg.

  Dave barely had time to react before Val hurled him into the sky with monstrous strength.

  —“Fly a little, will ya?”

  He shot through the air, only to crash into solid concrete below.

  Shit… She’s not just strong. She’s too fast.

  Dave got to his feet, but Val was already there.

  Her elbow slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs.

  Then—his stomach.

  Then—a spinning kick to his temple.

  Each strike was perfect.

  Dave crashed through a wall, tumbling onto the ground outside. He rolled but managed to stand.

  —“Son of a bitch…”

  Val stepped out of the dust, brushing off her hands.

  —“Tired?”

  —“Oh, fuck off…” Dave wiped the blood from his lips. “Do you always talk this much in a fight?”

  —“Only when my opponent is interesting.”

  She vanished.

  The next moment, her fist was inches from his face.

  But Dave reacted in time!

  He tilted his head aside, feeling the wind from her fist brush past his cheek.

  He counterattacked! His fist slammed into her ribs—then he grabbed her throat and drove her into the ground.

  —“Here’s your change!”

  He raised his fist for another strike, but Val twisted his wrist, sending a jolt of pain through him.

  She broke free and kicked him in the chest. Dave flew back but flipped in midair, landing on both feet.

  They froze.

  The battle had turned into a deadly dance.

  —“You learn fast,” Val smirked.

  Dave exhaled.

  —“And you’re not as strong as I thought.”

  —“Maybe… But I have one advantage.”

  She disappeared.

  Dave braced himself.

  But the hit never came.

  Instead, soft laughter echoed.

  —“You really are a good opponent.”

  She turned—Dave was no longer in front of her.

  He had vanished and appeared behind her in a blink.

  —“Just shut the hell up.”

  His fist smashed into her skull.

  Val was launched across the battlefield, crashing through multiple buildings before hitting the street, leaving a trail of destruction.

  Dave didn’t stop.

  He rushed after her.

  He stood over Val’s fallen form, breathing heavily.

  His eyes glowed red, his body trembling with fury.

  Val slowly rose from the rubble, rubbing her jaw.

  —“Heh… Not bad,” she spat onto the ground, standing at full height. “But you know what I’m curious about?”

  Dave didn’t respond.

  She smirked.

  —“What would your parents say if they saw what you’ve become?”

  Dave’s jaw tensed.

  —“Why do you care?” he shot back.

  —“Oh? Did that piss you off? Are they here?”

  Silence.

  Dave’s lips twitched.

  —“They’d be horrified, wouldn’t they?” Val took a step forward. “Their son, the one they loved… now a monster.”

  A dark aura flickered around Dave.

  —“…Stop…”

  “What? Can’t handle the truth?”

  —“I said—”

  —“They would’ve turned away from you, wouldn’t they? They’d say that you—”

  —“SHUT UP!”

  Dave vanished, appearing before her in an instant.

  His hand plunged into her stomach, piercing through.

  Her eyes widened in shock.

  —“…You…”

  He grabbed her throat with his other hand.

  —“SHUT UP FOREVER!”

  With monstrous strength, he pulled.

  A sickening crack echoed.

  Blood sprayed everywhere.

  Val didn’t even have time to scream before her head was torn from her body.

  Dave tossed her corpse aside like trash.

  —“Hah… hah…”

  He stood there, blood dripping from his hands.

  —“It’s over…”

  He turned toward the survivors.

  But then—his body stiffened.

  A sharp pain tore through his chest.

  He coughed up blood.

  —“W-what…?”

  He looked down.

  A hand—rough, clawed—was sticking out of his chest.

  —“You really thought… ripping my head off was enough?”

  Dave froze.

  Cold fear gripped his spine.

  Val’s voice.

  But… how?

  Before he could even turn around, he was hurled forward with monstrous force.

  He flew several meters, crashing onto the asphalt and rolling across the ground.

  Dust filled the air.

  Dave tried to rise, but the next moment—

  A BLOW.

  His vision blurred.

  Another blow.

  Pain tore through his body.

  And another.

  His jaw cracked.

  “Come on, come on, you can do better than that,” Val grinned, pressing him into the ground with her foot.

  Dave wheezed.

  His regeneration was working, but too slowly.

  He had lost too much strength.

  Val leaned closer.

  —“Though honestly, I’m a little disappointed. I expected something more… impressive.”

  She slowly ran a finger along his battered cheek.

  “But you know what’s even more disappointing?”

  She suddenly turned, looking toward where the surviving humans were hiding.

  —“They.”

  Her smile widened.

  —“I think I’ll look for your parents in that crowd.”

  Dave tensed.

  —“N-no…”

  He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t listen.

  —“Oh yes… Maybe I’ll crush them right in front of you,” she smirked.

  —“They’re… they’re… ” blood dripped from his lips. “They’re gone…”

  Val froze.

  She slowly leaned down.

  —“What did you say?”

  —“They… are no longer alive…”

  He coughed up blood, his breathing ragged.

  Val stared at him, her expression growing serious.

  —“You know what it means to lose loved ones?” he whispered.

  She didn’t answer immediately.

  Then, after a long pause, she said:

  —“That’s exactly what I, as a mother, am trying to prevent.”

  Dave barely managed a weak smile.

  —“And if… one of your daughters… was gone?”

  Val’s face twitched.

  Her eyes burned.

  She was silent.

  —“What would you do?” Dave whispered.

  She clenched her fists.

  —“I would kill anyone involved. Why do you care?”

  Dave nodded slightly.

  —“Now you understand… why I’m trying… to kill all of you…”

  Val remained silent.

  —“It’s already written… all over your face.”

  — “And know this… if by some miracle I survive…”

  He coughed, blood spilling from his lips.

  — “…I swear to you… I’ll kill every last one of you. Even if I have to burn the entire world to the ground…”

  He looked up, his gaze filled with hate and sorrow.

  — “Losing your parents… it’s painful for a child, you know…”

  A bitter pause.

  — “But what comes after… is even worse.”

  Val simply stared at him.

  Unblinking.

  Then, without a single word, she raised her hand—

  And with inhuman force, drove it through Dave’s chest,

  ripping his heart apart.

  This is not the end…