Death is Not Alone

Seven consecutive strikes, each the fastest speed Li Changan could manage, yet each was off by a hair's breadth, seemingly just barely dodged by Number Eleven, though Li Changan knew this was toying with him.

It was as if a cat playing with a mouse. He was now the mouse being toyed with.

Number Eleven stood not far from Li Changan, precisely one step outside of Li Changan's attack range, sneering and saying, "You must be running a fever right? Still bleeding from all those wounds, don't die on me before I make my move."

"Heh." Li Changan, hefting his blade, slowly turned, his face full of confusion, "Your beast form is feline, looks like a male, I have a question for you."

"Since you're stalling for time yourself, go ahead, I don't mind wasting a bit more time on you." Number Eleven had his arms crossed, completely unguarded.

Li Changan smiled faintly, "I'm just very curious, do you get aroused when you see a female cat now? Or have those who created you already neutered you?"

The smile slowly faded from Number Eleven's face, replaced by bone-chilling cold laughter, "I was originally planning to tire you to death, and lure some prey over at the same time, but since you're so eager to move on, I'll send you off!"

In a flash, Li Changan felt his body go airborne, the piercing pain in his chest only now starting to spread.

"Blargh!" Blood sprayed from his mouth, the pain telling Li Changan he had broken several ribs, luckily his lungs and heart were still intact.

Before Li Changan could hit the ground, immense force assaulted him again. He was already prepared, but could only barely get his elbow up to block under his ribs in the face of his opponent's speed.

Boom! His back heavily smashed into the broken wall behind, Li Changan had no time to care about the pain wracking his body. Coughing blood, he crawled towards the side with hands and feet, just as lethal claws pierced through the rubble in the spot he was at a second ago.

Just a moment slower, and those claws would have gone through his heart.

"Such a strong will to fight, the battles you've experienced are likely more than mine." Number Eleven withdrew his claws from the wall, looking at Li Changan struggling to his feet, couldn't help but click his tongue in praise, "Feeble as you are, such a will is truly rare."

"But I wonder, what is your superpower? Why haven't you used it until now? Could it be too taxing that your gravely wounded body can no longer muster it?"

Li Changan spat and mocked, "You're not worthy to behold my superpower yet. When you do, it will be your time of death."

"I see, so your superpower needs your mouth to activate right?" Number Eleven's form vanished before Li Changan once more, "I just need to tear apart your mouth and you won't be able to use your superpower."

Left? No, right! Lowering his body and twisting his waist, Li Changan slashed horizontally with both hands on his blade. Number Eleven's figure appeared in the empty space, but his slash passed right through his body.

"Sorry, that was an afterimage left in your vision." The voice came from beside his ear, then the piercing pain of claws through his body.

Number Eleven stood behind Li Changan, sensing with his claws that he had pierced Li Changan's lungs. Even if he didn't act, Li Changan would die a slow death in agony.

"I knew it was an afterimage."

Number Eleven was shocked seeing Li Changan turn his head, only then noticing his claws were already gripped by Li Changan. This man on his last legs actually disregarded his injuries, forcefully twisting his waist, letting the claws tear through the flesh of his waist.

The half-meter long cleaver slashed down overhead, Number Eleven wanted to withdraw his claws but they were trapped by Li Changan's vice-like fingers. He also had no time to expend more effort.

His other set of claws stabbed towards Li Changan's temple, he gambled Li Changan wouldn't dare mutual destruction, the cleaver would split his head open, but in the less than a second before death he could still split open Li Changan's temple.

The cleaver drew nearer and nearer, Number Eleven stared fixedly at Li Changan's eyes. His feline genes gave him reflexes several times faster than a normal human, he could discern no fear in those eyes, only madness in the face of death.

Damn! Number Eleven silently cursed, his claws ultimately just grazing Li Changan's scalp before passing by, changing to grab hold of Li Changan's wielding wrist instead.

His claws were like knives, slicing through Li Changan's flesh to touch the wrist bones.

Just then, Li Changan let go of the cleaver. The huge cleaver fell from on high, aimed at Number Eleven's shoulder.

This bastard couldn't have planned this from the start right? But a falling cleaver like this can't injure me! Number Eleven's mouth corner rose in cold laughter, just a slight tilt of his head was enough to dodge it.

Everything happened within two seconds, neither would know just how many thoughts flashed through the other's mind in those two seconds.

But in the next moment, Li Changan suddenly spread both arms wide, in an embracing posture as he got near Number Eleven's bosom.

Number Eleven hadn't considered Li Changan would make such a move at all, even less what meaning it held, thus he didn't resist in time before Li Changan got close.

Only now did Number Eleven notice Li Changan's speed and reflexes were not far inferior to his own.

Pain erupted from his neck, his powerful nerves let Number Eleven clearly feel the source of the agony, it was squeezing, then tearing, then gnawing!

"Ugh!" Number Eleven let out a shrill cry, forcefully shaking his body to fling Li Changan away, but as his wrist was pulled along, he realized Li Changan still hadn't let go.

Gulping down a chunk of flesh and blood, Li Changan tugged Number Eleven over with a pull, stabilizing himself before pouncing at Number Eleven once more.

Madman! Beast! Brute!

Unprecedented fear welled up in Number Eleven's heart. His free left claw swiped at Li Changan's wrist again. As long as he severed Li Changan's wrist, he could get away. As long as he pulled away, the one to die first definitely wouldn't be him!

This guy is as good as dead already, I've no need to trade injuries with him. Just shake him off and it'll be fine - when this notion arose in Number Eleven's mind, it lingered and couldn't fade away. The desire to flee from Li Changan inundated his psyche.

"You're afraid of me." Li Changan's voice sounded by Number Eleven's ear, his voice feeble yet...ravenous!

Before letting go of Number Eleven's wrist, Li Changan used his pull to get near Number Eleven once more, then released his wrist but reached upwards, hugging Number Eleven by his shoulders, and wrapping around to his neck again.

The two seemed locked in a lover's embrace, yet it brimmed with endless malice.

Number Eleven felt his claws pierce Li Changan's chest, but the pain at his neck intensified again.

Li Changan hugged Number Eleven tightly, not giving his claws any room to withdraw. The blood spraying from Number Eleven's neck had already splattered him all over. He seemed tireless as he tore at Number Eleven's flesh.

"I didn't expect to perish together with you before even seeing your superpower." Number Eleven gave up struggling, his vitality was slipping away. He knew he couldn't make it, the heavy blood loss was already unstoppable. At most two minutes and he would die from excessive blood loss too.

"Actually, I don't have any superpowers at all." Li Changan's voice was like the final straw to crush the camel's back, thoroughly shattering Number Eleven's psyche.

I'm not resigned to this!

"Why must I...perish together...with trash like you..."