A crown of thorns manifested on Zeth's skull. The flesh of his forehead melded with the grotesque barbed and metallic needles, as if forcefully burrowed. The spikes pierce through the skin, and blood trickles down his brow.
Zeth's eyes glow green, and it is pulsating. This form, his ultimate form—the Patchwork King.
In his hands, fingers made of sharp, long needles. It gleamed in every twitch. His palms are hollowed, and at their center is a floating ball of thread. It slithers through the gaps and coils in his pointy fingers.
Zeth curls his lips, smirking menacingly. He is not in control.
Meanwhile, Frank stood dumbfoundedly. It seems Zeth absorbed his attack. It is the first time someone has absorbed Lifespark head-on.
"What are–"
Before Frank could even finish his question, Zeth instantly pierced Frank's hulking chest. The pointy needles dug deep, puncturing from the front, and the pointy ends could be seen peeking from the back.
Fortunately, Frank couldn't feel the pain, but it rendered him unable to escape Zeth's penetrating fingers. His chest bleeds, blood flowing down towards his stomach. He grabbed Zeth by the shoulder to push him away.
But Zeth didn't budge, didn't even move an inch. He is just still, breathing heavily, and enjoying the thrill.
Then Zeth widely opens his jaws, mouth stretching, and his teeth bulge until the skin of his cheeks is torn apart. He let out a groan before he clamped down and took a bite of Frank's chest muscles like sweet buns.
However, it is not so sweet for Frank, as he senses that he might be in real danger.
This brat might eat me alive! He thought.
Frank tried to escape the molestation. But when he tried to move away, Zeth locked his legs on Frank's ample buttocks and used his hands for extra grip, imprisoning him in the cannibalistic assault.
The experienced underling won't let himself be eaten by a crazed lunatic, he growled in frustration as he prepared to retaliate with his own biting prowess. Frank's head leaned backwards to give himself an extra boost. With his mouth open, he sank his teeth and gnawed at Zeth's ears.
The web-like threads they're standing on were painted red. Blood squirts and spurts from the two of them as they continue thrashing and tormenting each other maniacally.
The pit below got a fair share of flesh scraps and spilled blood as its appetizer. Soon, whoever wins the battle will give it its main entrée.
But enough is enough. With their bodies mangled, skin hanging, and flesh exposed, Frank released himself from Zeth's tender meat.
"Lightspark!"
Shockingly, Zeth uttered Frank's power. To his disbelief, Frank found himself shocked by the electricity being generated from Zeth's mouth.
BOOM!
Lightning struck, bursting from Zeth. The power snaps a thread that holds them.
Electrified, Frank wheezes desperately, slowly losing his balance as Zeth continues to enjoy Frank's innards.
How?! Frank thought.
But Zeth still stands and is still having the time of his life with Frank's juicy chest.
How is this possible? What are you!? Frank thought. Slowly losing not only his consciousness but his sanity. Desperate to get rid of Zeth as soon as possible. Frank screams in horror. For the first time in years, he felt a sense of fear.
They resume biting, chomping, and clawing. They have resolved to do this until one of them remains.
Meanwhile, a thin and frail Hannibal Max breathes, awakened by the commotion. He coughed out some golden colored dust, puffing from his nose and mouth. His body glitters in silver, shining calmly like a summer pond. He is finally regenerating.
Although slowly recovering, his body still suffers from the effects of his Maximalgamation. All he has for now is his senses.
For senses is all he needs to watch the horror before him. In front of him is the pit that Frank created and the spider web-like thread that Zeth made to use as its cover and platform for their duel. But it is unraveling, and soon it will send Frank and Zeth down deep.
Looking around, Hannibal realizes that the area surrounding them is a massive waste—debris from fallen structures and buildings all over the place. The Grand Court and the nearby administrative buildings were burning and ravaged by the horde that Zypno commanded.
He doesn't have the exact numbers, but he assumed there are casualties.
To his left are the three unconscious Zoldiers he rescued. The battered Zephyr and Zoey are all bruised and wounded. Zion, however, is releasing an aggressive amount of red steam, signaling his quick desire to recover and fight again.
Hannibal's legs shook as he stood on his feet. His eyes focused on the two monsters still going at it. It's like watching two grizzly bears fight, he thought.
The bloody affair lasted until Frank and Zeth were nothing but messy, exposed chunks of fat and muscle tissue. Bones are visible, and still-functioning organs are on full display. It was a biological theatre study.
"Who the hell is that?"
Hannibal coarsely asked himself. His eyes squinted at the person overpowering Frank.
With Frank's vocal cords about to get ripped out, he inhaled for some air as he retreated his face from Zeth's horrid body.
"Deathspark!"
Zeth howled before grabbing Frank's airpipes, pulling from the throat. The tongue was also caught in the melee.
Just like earlier, an electrifying circle forms beneath Zeth's feet. It burned the web-like threads, causing them to fall. Then, a series of lightning strikes struck them both, pushing them further down. The shocks send shockwaves after shockwaves until the last.
Hannibal leaned forward to watch their fall, but as the two faded from the pit's darkness, he was left alone with the destruction around him.
…
The pit that was created from Frank's Lifespark seems to be bottomless as they continue to fall for more than a minute.
It was dark, but the green glow from Zeth's eyes illuminated and created a trail of light as they plunged into the depths.
Frank's eyes have the same effect as well, but it is not as bright as Zeth's. The blue hue of his glow is completely overpowered—a sign of a fate that's to come.
But Frank refuses to lose. At this point, he thought, it's not about pride or duty for the Creator, but for survival. His sheer will to live and to prevail against the berserker Zeth is the only motivation he needs.
That is why they continue to gnaw and claw at each other, even when their dive towards death is inevitable.
On one hand, Zeth is still out of control. He roars and growls like a beast on the hunt. His current state is no longer human, but full-blown Zeno-like.
They went faster as they plummeted. Frank thought he heard whistling sounds, eerily announcing the bloody outcome of their fight.
Soon, the metal coils behind Frank disassemble and detach from him, one by one, until only two remain, barely sticking to his loose and wet skin.
This is it, Frank thought. Suddenly recalling his past with the Creator and his team of imperfect underlings. Tears pooled from his eyes before Zeth ripped them from his sockets.
Frank let go of his hold on Zeth and conceded in the fight.
"You cry? You die!"
Zeth, in his horrific grumbling voice, mocked Frank, who had stopped retaliating.
Frank couldn't find himself to defend anymore since Zeth's regeneration is twice as fast as his.
Every time Frank wounds or tears Zeth apart, the frenzied underling seems to be healing fast, unaffected and unbothered.
Compared to Frank, who had used his powers so many times since his first bout with Zephr, his regeneration is slow. Frank is running out of fuel. From a different perspective, this fight is unfair.
But to Zeth's credit, his level of strength is inhuman. His undoing of Frank is a testament to the fact that he is stronger than the more experienced underling. Frank wished he had used his ultimate move against Zeth after all.
But it wouldn't matter. An ultimate move is different from an ultimate form. Frank could only deliver his attacks, whereas Zeth can personify his Zystem. Frank reached his limit. He wonders how long Zeth can use his ultimate. In the end, it is a battle between their strength, skill, and willpower.
Frank is now just a collection of fatty tissues, skin, and muscles as Zeth continues to rip him to shreds. Tragically, his vision regenerates quickly, revealing a blur of the pit's bottom surface.
What!?
Frank's regenerating eyeballs instantly popped in shock, surprised at what he saw at the end of the pit.
Fifteen years of possessing his Creator's gift, not one alive could testify to the raw destruction his Unholy Intentions can commit. Lightspark, Deathspark, and Lifespark. Not one could survive when used efficiently and effectively.
Except for this moment. To Frank, it is almost embarrassing that Zeth can absorb his power.
"Yo!"
Standing tall and refreshed at the bottom, Zach salutes as he looks up towards Frank and Zeth, who are now a few feet away from crashing down.
Zach gestures his hand, index and pinky finger up, while the rest are folded and pressed by the thumb. He aims at the free-falling underlings.
Then Frank and Zeth imploded.