The air inside the ruined bunker was thick with dust and the stench of burning flesh. Kruger stood tall, unshaken, his red beret casting a shadow over his smirking face. His gloved hand flexed, black veins pulsing beneath the surface.
Across from him, Reaper-77 held his sniper rifle steady, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. The assassin's lone eye gleamed in the dim light, locked onto the monstrosity Kruger had become.
Eva Morales coughed, struggling to stand, her fractured wrist throbbing in pain. Sergeant Rook groaned nearby, pushing himself off the rubble, blood dripping from his temple.
Kruger chuckled. "I was hoping you'd crawl out of whatever hole you were hiding in, Reaper." He rolled his shoulders, the sound of cracking bones and stretching sinew echoing through the room. "Are you here to kill me?"
Reaper-77 chambered another round. "If I have to."
The sniper round pierced the air, hitting Kruger square in the forehead. His head jerked back from the impact—but he didn't fall.
Instead, he reached up, pulled the bullet out of his skull, and examined it between his fingers. His wound sealed instantly.
Kruger's grin widened.
"You're gonna need a bigger gun."
A blur of black and red, faster than anyone could react. Reaper-77 barely dodged as Kruger's fist shattered the concrete wall where he had been standing.
Eva sprang into action, drawing her pistol and firing three rounds at Kruger's back. The bullets hit their mark—then flattened against his skin, useless.
Kruger whipped around, his hand lashing out.
Eva barely had time to scream before Kruger's strike sent her flying into a metal pillar, denting it on impact.
Rook rushed forward, wielding his combat knife. He slashed at Kruger's neck—only for the blade to snap in half.
Kruger grabbed Rook by the throat, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"You still don't get it," Kruger sneered, tightening his grip. "I've transcended. I'm not some warlord anymore."
His eyes pulsed with crimson light.
Suddenly—a grenade rolled between them.
The flashbang detonated, white light blinding the room. Kruger stumbled back, momentarily dazed.
Through the smoke, a shadow moved.
Reaper-77 reappeared behind Kruger, wielding a serrated blade coated in a strange, glowing serum.
He plunged the knife into Kruger's spine.
The Overlord roared in agony.
His body convulsed, black veins writhing as the serum burned inside him.
Reaper-77 leaned close, whispering in Kruger's ear.
"Even monsters can bleed."
Kruger fell to one knee, his fingers clawing at the wound. For the first time, his confidence wavered.
Reaper stepped back, gripping his blade tightly.
"This fight isn't over yet."