"Worthy of being my 'replacement.'
The 'Jason' in mid-air nodded, appearing very approving, but then his expression darkened as he slowly said, "That should be my line, not yours!"
"You are just a 'replacement'!"
"I am the real Jason!"
"I possess the 'Undying Body' of Jason!"
The figure spoke, hands behind his back, as layers of a special protective field began to coalesce before him, and a semblance of [Protection Against Evil] started to form.
But soon, this resemblance turned into an ever more apparent similarity!
And the change continued.
The power increasingly resembled the special field of [Protection Against Evil].
The 'Jason' in mid-air looked down at the Jason on the ground with pride.
Jason, however, remained unaffected.
Even though he was sure that the aura was akin to the special field of [Protection Against Evil].
"Your strength is mine," he declared.
"Your unique traits are mine."
"Your personality... also mine."
"Therefore, you have become my 'replacement.'
The other insisted again.
"Jason is not a replacement!" he countered.
"You are the one coveting his 'Undying Body', you... "
Evie was scolding the 'Jason' in mid-air, but before she could finish, a tremendous pressure suddenly descended, crushing down on her and cutting off her words.
"Silence, you nothing!"
The 'Jason' in mid-air sneered, and then suddenly, a fragrance filled his nostrils, making him swallow involuntarily.
His gaze followed the scent.
He saw Jason holding a lollipop.
The mix of cream and chocolate.
Though the cream side was cloyingly sweet, the richness of the chocolate should perfectly offset it, and to best do that, I'd have to put the lollipop into my mouth along the midline, and then draw hard on it...
Why am I thinking this?
These shouldn't be my thoughts!
The 'Jason' in mid-air's face changed as he acutely sensed something was off.
Yet his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the lollipop in Jason's hand.
"Five years without eating or drinking..."
"According to my nature, by now, hunger would likely have devoured my reason, wouldn't it?"
Jason spoke deliberately as he unwrapped the lollipop.
He had taken it from the counter of the 'Watchdog Pastry House', worried that he would get hungry.
Made by the hand of the lady pastry chef herself, the flavor was needless to say, impeccable.
As the wrapper was torn off, an even richer fragrance emerged.
The 'Jason' hovering in the air couldn't help but draw closer to Jason.
He told himself not to, yet his body moved on its own.
Jason lifted his head and looked at the 'Jason' approaching him, then suddenly smiled.
He held the lollipop above his head, and as he shifted it to the right, the 'Jason' in the air looked right; when he shifted it to the left, the 'Jason' in the air looked left.
Once he was sure he had the other's attention firmly captured, the next moment—
With a loud shout, Jason forcefully threw the lollipop to the ground in front of him.
The 'Jason' in the air immediately rushed down, biting the lollipop in his mouth, followed by a tearing whirlwind that ravaged the ground.
Stones flew about, and clothing fluttered noisily.
But 'Jason' paid no heed to these things.
Just as he had guessed, the neutralized flavor was even more delicious!
How could one lollipop be enough?
Without having touched food, 'Jason' could retain a fraction of his reason, but once his tongue tasted the food, the last remnants of his reason were devoured by hunger.
While savoring the sweet taste of the lollipop in his mouth, thinking about where to eat next, he was completely oblivious to the approaching Jason, unaware of the shotgun in Jason's hands, unaware of the gun barrel pointed at him.
The shotgun pellets directly blew apart 'Jason's' head.
However, the next moment, 'Jason's' head regenerated.
The pain of death didn't alleviate the hunger; 'Jason' picked up the lollipop that had fallen to the ground, blew the dust off, popped it back in his mouth, and looked at Jason.
"Do you know why I chose you?"
"It's for your 'Undying Body'!"
"I've perfectly copied your body!"
"Although I still can't figure out what your 'Undying Body' is all about, how could you possibly kill me?"
"Likewise, I can't kill you either!"
"But I will lock you in a cage and study you thoroughly!"
"Jason, be thankful for my mercy!"
'Jason' looked at Jason with scorn.
As if he was looking at a fool.
"I prefer a more direct approach!"
Jason calmly replied, pulling the trigger once more.
'Jason' was shattered again.
This time, there was no regeneration!
He simply fell straight to the ground!
And that body quickly softened, turning into a puddle of sludge.
"A 'substitute' should look like a 'substitute'!"
Jason said, raising his hand.
A conical flame directly enveloped the pile of sludge.