Behind his back he held up three fingers.
Two.
One.
Then he lunged.
Talia sprinted in the opposite direction.
In an instant Chrono closed the distance, charging a punch straight at March.
And for a moment…
It felt like time itself was slowing down.
March reacted smoothly. He pushed Chrono's arm aside with both hands, throwing him off balance, then drove a fist straight into Chrono's stomach. The blow forced Chrono back a step. He clutched his abdomen, coughing.
What the hell just happened…?
"Such half-assed punches won't hit me, Zeph. Is that all you've got?" March mocked, his unsettling smile widening. He didn't even move to attack, simply watching Chrono like a spectator.
"So all you're gonna do is counter, huh? Alright then."
Chrono lunged again. In an instant he was in front of March. His fist shot forward—
—but at the last second Chrono vanished to the side and dashed behind him, throwing the punch from an unexpected angle.
March still dodged.
He turned around with widened eyes and a delighted expression. "Impressive, Zeph! I didn't expect that one at all."
Chrono immediately hopped back, creating distance before March could counter. He shoved his hands into his pockets and studied him carefully.
That definitely should've hit him.
Something isn't right…
Chrono scanned the surroundings. His gaze landed on the table Iris and March had been sitting at earlier. Without hesitation he dashed toward it. Even he was surprised at how fast he moved. He grabbed the table and hurled it at March.
At the same moment, Chrono circled behind him and charged another punch toward his face.
If March dodged Chrono, the table would hit him. If he dodged the table, Chrono's punch would land.
No escape.
Yet somehow—
March slipped past both attacks effortlessly.
He stepped forward, drove his knee into Chrono's face, and followed with a brutal kick that slammed Chrono into the ground. The table flew past them and crashed into a nearby tree.
March stretched his arms wide and laughed. "You're still yet to hit me, Zeph. Hell, you haven't even made me move an inch. I really expected better from you."
Chrono pushed himself up slowly, wiping blood from his lip. His eyes burned with restrained anger.
This is really annoying.
None of my attacks are hitting him.
It feels like I'm slowing down every time I get close… like extra weight gets added to my body.
And he's only countering. He's taunting me.
Chrono glanced toward the direction Talia had run. She was gone. A small smile formed.
Looks like she got away…
He turned back to March, eyes sharpening.
Something is off, about the way he's dodging.
It's sloppy, there's no real technique behind it.
It doesn't seem like he's actually reacting to my attacks either.
He isn't agile either, his movements are extremely stiff.
He could just be toying with me, but he doesn't seem to be superhuman like May. His attacks hurt, but it's nothing compared to hers.
I need to test something out, his reaction time.
Chrono exhaled deeply, then exploded forward again, kicking up dust behind him. He threw a feint toward March's face, then another to his stomach, then his chin. He dashed behind him and faked another punch.
Then he reappeared in front of him, unleashing a rapid flurry of blows.
His attack speed wasn't quite as fast as May's, but it was close.
Yet every punch missed.
March dodged them all, weaving lazily through the barrage before launching a kick toward Chrono's chest. Chrono barely managed to dodge and reached out to grab his leg.
He was certain he had it.
But at the last second March slipped away again.
Chrono straightened and smirked. "Ha. Looks like I managed to make you move."
March began clapping enthusiastically. "Yes! Good job Zeph, I'm proud of you! But you're still yet to hit me. What's up with that?"
Chrono said nothing.
He simply watched. Then he turned, walked into the grass, and picked up a rock.
"Oh?" March said, intrigued.
Chrono threw the rock.
March dodged it effortlessly.
Chrono's eyes widened.
That's… that's it!
"We're throwing rocks now? Come on Zeph, you can do better. I believe in you!" March said mockingly.
When I threw the rock at him. I noticed something.
Before it hit him it lost momentum, as if something was slowing down.
It happened at a specific point too, about like about an inch in front of him.
After it flew past him it picked up momentum again..
There's a barrier around him that slows things down when close.
That's why my attacks feel so slow and that's how he's been able to dodge so easily.
A barrier that slows time around him…
How the hell do I even get past that?
Chrono put his thumb on his lip, biting at it slightly.
I can't keep attacking the same way, it's not working.
It doesn't look like he'll attack me either, he'll just focus on countering.
Damn it… what do I even do?
I'll… I'll test something.
Chrono looked around his surroundings again, and then he noticed the injured Iris on the ground. His eyes widened.
That's it!
He rushed over and lifted her onto his back. March watched, but made no effort to stop him.
"Zeph…?" Iris said weakly. Her face was severely injured after March had brutally stepped on it. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth, her face was swollen.
Chrono turned his head slightly, enough for her to see his warm smile. "It's alright, I'll get you out somewhere safe, hang tight."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Why…? Why is this happening…?"
Chrono gently brushed her hair back. "Everything will be alright. How far is your house?"
"It's… about five minutes away… You'll turn left of the park… walk straight down the road and then you take a right…"
Chrono turned left, his eyes focused. "Alright, we'll be there in no time." His voice was lower, but still reassuring.
I want to see if he'll follow me.
It's hard to say, neither Iris or I are on his priority list so he might not chase.
It's annoying honestly there's not much to work with in this area. If I can manage to make him move to an area where there's more objectsfor me to use then that's good.
But there's absolutely no reason for him to chase me.
Either way
I have to get Iris somewhere safe.
She should be my priority right now.
"Five minutes…" Chrono mumbled to himself as he repeated Iris' words.
Being worthy gives me physical buffs.
What I did against May and what I'm doing against March is something no regular human can do.
Like May, I'm superhuman.
It's ironic, hypocritical even, when I say she's a monster.
I'm not much better.
I'm also a monster.
A freak of nature.
But how fast can I go?
How far can I push my superhuman body?
What are my limits?
Chrono readied himself to run. "Hang on real tight."
Chrono set off, leaving a huge trail of dust behind him. He turned his head to look if March would follow, but he stayed put. March still had that smile, he was even waving goodbye.
Chrono clicked his tongue.
He isn't following.
He isn't chasing after Talia either.
No, it's too early to say that. Now that I'm gone he might go after her.
But so far, it doesn't look like he's giving chase to me or her.
Why…?
Chrono turned his head toward, running at superhuman speeds. Iris chuckled, then started coughing.
"Hey Iris! Are you alright!?" He looked back at her, panicked.
"Such an odd dream… no… rather, it is a nightmare. My brother attacked me, and now Zeph Chrono is carrying me on his back moving at unthinkable speeds… ridiculous…"
He sighed. "Try not to talk too much…"
In about thirty seconds from the park, Chrono arrived at Iris' house gate. Behind the gate was a luxurious mansion. It almost didn't look real. It was hard to believe someone he called an acquaintance lived here.
Chrono's eyes widened, he smiled nervously letting out a chuckle. "You really live here? Insane."
Iris didn't respond. Chrono sighed.
"Mind if I jump over the gate?"
"Absolutely… not…" She said sternly, but it was obviously weaker.
"Oh so you don't mind? Alright."
"That's not what I—" She sighed then stayed silent.
"Yeah I know."
Chrono leaped over the gate making sure to land softly on the ground.
Woah that's insane.
That gate is at least ten feet tall.
This is insane…
After Chrono had landed he heard something fall onto the grass beside the pavement he was standing on. He looked on the grass to see a garden sheer then looked up to see a dumbfounded house maid. Her mouth agape and rightfully so.
"D-Did you just…?" She stammered before shaking her head. "Is that miss Aurora? Oh dear, what on Earth happened to her. Where's March? Who are you? She asked Chrono questions in quick succession, running over to him holding the injured Iris on his back.
Chrono stayed silent for a while, sighing before answering. "March… March attacked Iris. He's gone mad." Chrono said, taking Iris off his back and helping her stand. Her entire body was trembling. She wrapped her arm around Chrono's waist for stability.
"That's ridiculous! Why… Why would the young master attack Iris? Have you come to deceive me!?"
"It's understandable that you're confused right now. I won't try to convince you. But this is the truth. You rejecting it won't change that."
The maid grit her teeth, wrapping her arm around Iris' waist. Iris let go of Chrono as he took a step back. "Fine…" The maid said, her voice lowered. "I have no choice but to believe you."
Chrono smiled. "I appreciate that." Chrono turned his back to them stretching slightly. "Everything will be alright, I'll go deal with him."
"What are you planning to do to him, Zeph…" Iris asked weakly.
"No miss, you mustn't—"
"What I'm planning to do to him?" Chrono repeated, looking up at the night sky.
His tone lowered. It was calm yet dangerous. "I'm going to kill him."
Both the maid and Iris' eyes widened before Chrono vanished in an instant. He hopped over the walls and started running back to the park.
Or at least that's what I want to do.
Killing him is pointless honestly. The day will reset and he'll just be alive again.
Since I'm unlikely to beat the challenge tonight, I won't progress to the next day.
But there's a chance that if I kill him that maybe he actually doesn't come back.
I'm unsure.
Could I really do it though?
Chrono arrived back at the park, the total time it took for him to reach the park and back came up to approximately 1 minute and 37 seconds. March was still there of course, his smile next left.
"There you are! I thought you'd never come back."
"Shut up."
Chrono began walking toward him slowly. "Why didn't you go chase after Talia? She's probably pretty far now."
"That's because I wanted to deal with you first! Besides, I can guarantee that she cannot escape me no matter how far she goes."
Chrono raised a brow. "...What?"
March fanned his hand. "It's nothing pal! Don't you worry about it. Besides! How do you know I didn't already go after her, killed her and returned here in the time it took you to drop off Iris and come back."
Chrono's eyes narrowed, a bead of sweat ran down his cheek. "That's impossible…"
March laughed. "No need to get so tense. I'm just messing with ya! She's fine for now."
"You're sick."
March looked offended, and actually hurt. "H-Hey! That's mean… T-take that ba—"
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP ALRIGHT!" Chrono said angrily, rolling his fists in a ball, drawing blood.
"You're getting on my nerves. Everything about you is just so annoying. But never mind that. I've figured you out. How you've been able to dodge all my attacks."
March's eyes immediately sparkled with excitement. He looked genuinely thrilled. "What? Really!? You have!?"
Chrono pointed at him. "There's a barrier around you, about an inch wide. Anything coming from outside that barrier slows down the moment it enters that one-inch radius. That slowdown gives you enough time to dodge."
March raised both hands in surrender, grinning. "Yep! That's it. You got me. Chrono Stasis Veil is what I dubbed it."
He casually pointed around the park. "I can create a barrier around anything I want—like that tree over there," he said, pointing to one, "or that building in the distance." He gestured toward the skyline. "But it has to be within a one-mile radius of me. I usually keep it around myself though, and make it really thin. The bigger the radius, the more stamina it drains."
March continued enthusiastically, almost like a teacher explaining a lesson. "Whenever something outside the barrier approaches it, its speed gets slowed down by a factor of thirty. So one second outside the barrier becomes about thirty seconds when it's trying to pass through it."
He tapped the side of his head. "And if something does manage to get through, there's a one-to-three second after-stutter where it still moves sluggishly before returning to normal speed."
He spread his arms proudly. "The veil doesn't actually stop things—it just retards their temporal progression. Meaning a strong enough force can push through it… it just takes exponentially longer!"
Chrono raised an eyebrow. "Why would you tell me how your ability works? Are you an idiot?"
March chuckled. "An idiot? Perhaps." He shrugged. "But I'm pretty confident that telling you won't change the outcome. What counter could you possibly have to my veil?"
Chrono didn't answer.
He stood there silently, brows tightening as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Sweat ran slowly down the side of his face. Even after hearing the full explanation, the situation hadn't changed.
He still had no way to get past it.
He's right.
No matter what I throw at him or how I attack him I still can't get past his barrier.
Being faster than he can react doesn't help either, since you get slowed down regardless. Doesn't matter how much faster you are.
A strong enough force will eventually pass…?
But one second equals a factor of thirty.
No matter the force it'll still take at most thirty seconds to pass.
Chrono put his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
So far from what I've observed and what he's said about his ability, the veil has three layers.
The outer, the inner and the outer again.
If you shot a bullet at him, the first layer would slow it down by a factor of thirty.
After it gets past that layer, it will get to the inner layer where it'd be slowed down for one-to-three seconds before moving at regular speed again.
Then, it'd slow down again, and after thirty seconds it'd fly out again.
If only I could force something in the second layer, like an explosive…
Would that even work?
No… it'd only work if he allowed it to since he could just dodge it.
He could just make the veil smaller too in the one-to-three seconds, so instead of it being in the second layer it'd be in the first again.
This is annoying….
Chrono tapped his chin, then his eyes lit up with an idea.
What if I stop him from breathing?
Like surrounding him with fire?
Breathing would be difficult due to asphyxiation.
Then again he could just step out of the fire.
But… what if he couldn't.
Chrono checked his surroundings for something to use to start a fire.
Trees, leaves…sticks…
I can use two sticks to start a fire, and then light the leaves.
In order for him to not escape, I need to get rid of his footing…
He can only slow down things coming toward him, not gravity.
So if you got rid of his footing, he'd fall.
But how am I going to make a hole he can fall into?
Chrono's eyes widened.
I could dig a hole with my feet and I could distract him while I do so.
Even if he does recognize, he isn't going to move from where he is, so there's no risk.
Then I lure him into the hole.
Nine feet deep seems reasonable.
Chrono slowly walked backward onto the grass until he reached a tree. Without rushing, he began pacing in a loose circle, dragging his heel through the dirt with every step, quietly kicking soil away.
"Y'know, March," Chrono said suddenly.
March tilted his head. "Yes? What is it, Zeph?"
Chrono let out a slow breath. "I don't think I can beat you. It's impossible."
"H-huh!?" March blinked in shock. "Don't give up, Zeph! I believe in you!"
Chrono shook his head while continuing to circle the tree, his feet gradually scraping deeper into the ground. The dirt shifted and loosened beneath him. "There's just no way I can get past your veil. Nothing I try works."
His legs were slowly sinking as the soil collapsed inward. "Everything gets slowed down… eventually I'd run out of stamina and lose. It's really fruitless…"
For the first time since the fight began, March's smile disappeared. His expression fell into a troubled frown. "Oh… I'd never think you'd be the type to give up, Zeph."
Chrono gave a quiet chuckle. By now the ground around him had collapsed enough that only his upper body remained visible. "I'm disappointed in myself too. I resign." His voice grew hollow. "In the end I'm destined to lose… and Talia's life would be in danger."
He lowered his gaze. "I'm a failure."
"N-no! Don't say that!" March said desperately. "You're not a failure… Please don't give up!"
For the first time in the fight, March began to move forward on his own. Slowly. Hesitantly. He walked toward Chrono, arm stretched out as if trying to stop him, his posture almost zombie-like.
Perfect…
Chrono lowered his head slightly. "I am… a failure, March. Why the hell do you even care? Aren't I your enemy?"
"Yes but…" March hesitated, his voice wavering. "I've always wanted to fight you. And now you're just giving up. It's not fair."
Chrono laughed quietly."It's ironic you say that…"
By now his entire body had disappeared below ground as he continued digging deeper beneath the loose dirt. "So… I'm going to bury myself alive," Chrono said from within the pit. "A failure like me… should never see the light of day again."
"No! Please stop!"
March rushed forward and dropped to his knees at the edge of the hole, leaning over it to look inside.
His eyes widened.
Chrono wasn't there.
Before he could react—
A blur moved behind him.
Chrono emerged from the side of the pit, launching forward and swinging his leg with everything he had.
His kick slammed straight into March's face, sending him tumbling forward into the hole.
Chrono froze for half a second.
I… I hit him?
He didn't waste time thinking about it.
Chrono immediately leapt across the pit and drove his fist into the tree behind it. Pain shot through his hand the moment his knuckles struck the trunk, but the impact shook the branches violently. A shower of dry leaves rained down, spilling directly into the hole below.
Chrono winced, shaking his throbbing hand.
Then he jumped up, snapping two dry branches off the tree. Landing lightly, he dropped to one knee and began rubbing the sticks together with frantic speed. Smoke appeared first, then a faint ember.
A small flame sparked to life. Without hesitation, Chrono tossed the burning sticks into the pit. The dry leaves caught instantly.
Flames erupted upward as the pile ignited, fire roaring inside the hole.
Chrono staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto the grass, chest heaving as he stared at the burning pit.
He lay there breathing heavily, exhausted.
It worked.
It actually worked.
That worked.
That actually worked.
No way….
Chrono smiled to himself, as he began to tiredly laugh.
When the fire goes out I should probably cover the hole with the dirt.
I won't take any chances.
Chrono stood up slowly, brushing his back off.
Now… What should I do?
Chrono leaned back on the tree, folding his arms. He placed a hand on his chin.
Just now I was able to hit him.
Meaning he turned off his ability.
I'm surprised he bought that act. Maybe he is just a dumbass.
But what does that mean?
I could only hit him when he turned it off. So there was no real way I could actually hit him otherwise?
So what I'm getting from this is, if he already has it active, it doesn't matter how fast you are, you just can't hit him, but if he deactivates it and tries to reactivate it, you can hit him before he can react.
That's interesting.
But there's something bugging me.
He said after he beats me he would go after Talia. How can one be so confident despite his only method of attacking being counter attacks?
He isn't superhuman, I easily outspeed him and overpower him, so what?
Is he that confident in his ability?
Or is he confident Talia won't escape?
No, it's both.
Recall what he said, about his ability.
Chrono Stasis Veil can stretch over a one mile radius…
Holy crap…
Chrono's eyes widened.
He has a barrier around this area. Since I'm moving freely I assume it isn't everywhere in this area, but exactly one mile away. If he has a barrier around the area then Talia can't escape. So he wears me down and then chases after her since he knows where she'll be.
Holy crap how didn't I realize that.
Okay but… why isn't he moving.
Alright… Alright… Recall what he said.
The larger the veil, the more stamina it takes up. If a veil is indeed a mile away then that should be draining his stamina. I'm not sure how much or how fast his stamina is being drained.
So that's why his veil was so thin. And that's why he was barely moving.
But that's such a risky strategy. He's under the assumption that I'll burn out faster than him, he has no way to guarantee that.
He doesn't have a weapon either.
So killing me or injuring me would be really difficult.
It's such a high risk strategy that doesn't guarantee success.
Unless there's a variable I'm not accounting for.
Suddenly the fire began to die down.
Chrono uncrossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
Already?
Before he could think further—
A hand suddenly burst out from the pit, grabbing the edge of the ground through the smoldering leaves.
Chrono's eyes narrowed.
Damn it… I should've covered the hole.
March slowly pulled himself out, panting heavily. Burn marks covered parts of his clothes and skin, yet a wide smile still stretched across his face despite the obvious exhaustion. "That got me, I'll admit," March said between breaths. "You're amazing, Zeph!"
Chrono stared at him carefully. "How did you manage to escape?"
"Time reversal."
Chrono frowned. "Time reversal?"
March nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I can slow down and reverse the temporal flow of anything." He wiped soot from his cheek. "Though reversing time burns through my stamina a lot faster, so I don't use it often."
He pointed toward the pit behind him. "After covering a specific area with the veil, I can reverse time in that area by thirty seconds. Or I can reverse the temporal flow of one specific thing inside that area. In this case… myself."
March held up a finger. "I can't reverse the full thirty seconds though. That would drain way too much stamina. So I have to do it in short bursts—about one to five seconds at a time. And I can only reset to a point after the veil has already been active. So I can't just rewind to a moment where I was outside the hole."
He gestured animatedly as he explained. "So while I was falling, I expanded my veil to cover the entire hole. Then I created another veil under me to slow my fall so I wouldn't drop deeper."
March laughed breathlessly. "After that, I kept reversing my own time over and over—pushing myself higher little by little—while keeping my Chrono Stasis Veil active around my body so I wouldn't burn to death."
He inhaled deeply. "And all of that while barely having any oxygen." He wiped sweat from his forehead. "It's honestly a miracle I even survived."
March straightened up slowly, rolling his shoulders as if testing his strength. "I'm pretty burnt out on stamina right now. Never thought something like that would happen to me."
His grin slowly widened again, almost disturbingly so. "But it's exciting. These new feelings… being so close to death…"
He clenched his fists. "It makes me thrilled."
March looked directly at Chrono. "Thank you, Zeph Chrono. Thank you for letting me experience this."
Then his stance changed.
For the first time since the fight began, March lowered his center of gravity and raised his guard, his posture tightening with intent.
He was finally going on the offensive.
Chrono immediately shifted as well, planting his feet firmly into the grass and raising his arms into a defensive stance, his sharp gaze locked onto March.
The real fight was about to begin.
"Here I come!" March suddenly rushed forward and threw a punch straight at Chrono's face.
Chrono reacted instantly, twisting his body aside and dodging the strike before springing upward onto the tree beside him.
"Hey! That's not fair!" March complained, looking up.
Chrono didn't answer. He simply pushed off the branch and hopped back down to the ground. When he landed, the pit still burned faintly between them, acting like a barrier.
March glanced at the hole, then back at Chrono. "Oh… so that's what you're going to do. Alright then."
He sprinted forward again and leapt across the hole.
Chrono immediately jumped backward to the other side as well—
—but halfway through the air, his body slowed.
His movements suddenly felt heavy, almost frozen.
"No way…" Chrono muttered, glancing behind him.
A shadow flew over the pit.
March had already crossed it.
Before Chrono could react, March grabbed his leg while he was still suspended midair by the slowed motion and violently slammed him into the ground.
Chrono spat in pain as the impact knocked the air out of him.
So that's what he's doing now…
March didn't give him a moment to breathe. While Chrono was still on the ground, March threw a punch straight at his face.
Chrono rolled away at the last second, the fist slamming into the grass beside his head.
"Impressive!" March said excitedly.
Chrono pushed himself back to his feet—but March was already charging again.
He dashed forward and unleashed a rapid flurry of punches.
Chrono dodged left, right, and back, narrowly avoiding each strike—
—but suddenly his body jerked backward.
He reversed my time!
Before Chrono could recover a sharp punch slammed into his face. Another hit followed immediately after, driving into his stomach and forcing the air from his lungs.
March swung again at Chrono's head, but Chrono managed to slip to the side and avoid it—
—and then his body slowed again.
A split second later, pain exploded across his face.
Another hit.
March suddenly grabbed Chrono by the hair and slammed his head into the ground.
The world spun.
March lifted his foot, ready to stomp directly onto Chrono's face—
Chrono twisted away just in time—
—but his body was suddenly dragged backward again.
He'd been reversed.
A barrage of sharp impacts struck his face and jaw as March forced the previous hits to land again. Finally, March kicked him away. The force sent Chrono skidding across the grass before tumbling to a stop several meters away.
Chrono slowly pushed himself up, breathing heavily. Blood ran down his face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His vision blurred slightly, but he forced his eyes to focus.
Across from him, March stood ready, smiling again.
Chrono's face was now badly bloodied.
There's no end to it!
If I dodge he either slows down time or reverses it.
Not to mention I can't hit him.
But he has to expand his veil in order to do either.
It's burning through his stamina.
He wants to end this quickly, that means he's running low.
I simply have to outlast him!
March rushed him again, closing the distance in an instant. He threw another rapid flurry of punches toward Chrono.
Chrono tried to react—
—but his body suddenly slowed.
Seriously!?
Before Chrono could move, March's fists crashed into his face again and again.
One.
Two.
Three.
The blows kept coming.
March landed twenty-eight punches in quick succession, each one snapping Chrono's head violently to the side. Before Chrono could even fall, March drove a knee straight into his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. Then he swept Chrono's legs out from under him.
Chrono hit the ground hard.
March lifted his foot to stomp on his face—but Chrono managed to roll aside at the last second.
For a brief moment, it looked like he had escaped.
Then his body jerked backward.
Time reversed.
Chrono was pulled back into the exact position he had just escaped from. A crushing stomp landed on his stomach.
"AAAGH—!" Chrono screamed in pain as March laughed manically above him, continuing to stomp down again and again.
"Once I go on the offensive, there's no one who can beat me!" March shouted gleefully. "Not even Mistress May!"
Another stomp.
"This is where you lose, Zeph!"
Another.
"There's absolutely nothing you can do!"
March lifted his foot one more time and slammed it down hard on Chrono's stomach.
Chrono coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth.
March then grabbed Chrono by the hair and yanked his head upward until their faces were level.
For a moment, his expression softened. "I really don't like hurting people, if I'm being honest," March said quietly. "Especially you, Zeph."
"…Shut up…" Chrono barely managed to whisper the words.
March jabbed him in the face to silence him. "There, there, Zeph." March smiled faintly. "It'll all be over soon."
His grip tightened. "I have to prove my loyalty to Mistress May… by killing Talia."
His smile widened slightly. "And you're getting in the way."
"So," he continued calmly, "I'll just put you to sleep."
He slowly released Chrono's hair. "This is the end, Zeph. I had fun."
That's it…
I found the soul—
Before Chrono could finish the thought, a sharp impact slammed into his face again. March had punched him once more.
Chrono's body went limp as March let go of him, his unconscious form collapsing onto the grass.
March shook his blood-stained hand and grimaced. "Punching him is like punching metal!"
He looked down at his knuckles. The skin across them had partially peeled back, exposing raw flesh.
He laughed. "Now then!"
March turned his head toward the direction Talia had run earlier, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's time for me to hunt my prey…"