In the pitch-black shadows of the 12th Alley, Rio stared down with intense focus, his breathing growing heavy. "Did you find him?"
"Nah... not yet. Focus a bit harder," the man said calmly, his eyes scanning the darkness.
Rio closed his eyes, letting his senses drift until he caught a sudden, chilling scent of iron and decay. "Wait... what is that? I think I found him! That guy in the black shirt down there... his scent is overwhelming!"
"Oh, I see..."
In an instant, he descended from the sky like a falling star, appearing directly in front of the black-shirted stranger. He glanced back at Rio with a faint, dangerous smirk. "You were right... weren't you?"
The figure in the black cloak recoiled, startled by the sudden appearance. "Who... who the hell are you?"
"Ome wa tashi... Death-ta."
In a fit of pure rage, the man in black swung a powerful fist aimed straight at his head. But Death didn't even flinch. He stopped the devastating strike with a single finger.
"ZAP...!!!"
Red and black lightning arced violently from his fingertip, shattering the pavement beneath them. Yet, Death's expression remained unmoved. "Hmph... a weakling." The moment the fist met his finger, all its momentum and force vanished into nothingness.
Raising his finger slightly, a crimson orb of energy gathered at the tip before being blasted point-blank at the attacker.
"BOOM...!!!"
The man was blown back, tumbling across the concrete, but he scrambled to his feet immediately. "The name is Nezk!"
Nezk charged again, raining down a barrage of frenzied punches. However, to his horror, his fists seemed to hit an invisible barrier, losing all power before they could even graze Death's clothes.
"What?! This... this is impossible!" Nezk screamed in terror.
A brilliant blue aura suddenly enveloped Death, illuminating the dark alley. "I'll give you back exactly what you gave me."
Death retaliated with a flurry of strikes so fast they were nearly invisible, ending the combo by grabbing Nezk's head and hurling him high into the air. Suddenly, a primal, monstrous roar echoed from within Nezk. "Let me take control! I'll crush this man myself!"
Immediately, black markings spread across Nezk's skin, pulsating with dark energy—markings identical to the ones Rio possessed.
"Haaa...!" With a deep, guttural breath, Nezk lunged with god-like speed, tearing through the air. Yet, Death stood his ground, unscathed and terrifyingly calm. With a casual, effortless wave of his hand...
"KABOOM...!!!"
A massive explosion erupted upon contact, and Nezk's body was sent flying like a broken doll, disappearing into the distant darkness.