I Became A Zompirewolf

648  As Easy As It Gets (1)

"You? Someone as weak as you is working with the cult?" Ashton rolled his eyes. "Even that changes nothing. I was going to kill before, and I will do it still. Besides, if those fuckers knew about me, they would be rushing to earth with everything at their disposal."

"You should not threaten someone lightly, boy," the leader barked, but Ashton cut him off.

"Oh, believe me, I don't give out threats recklessly like yourself. When I say I'll kill someone, I commit to it."

The tension reached its breaking point in the heart of the Conundrum's hidden forest base. The leader of the Conundrum was fed up with Ashton's intrusion and decided to confront him head-on.

The leader charged at Ashton with a roar, his fists clenched and muscles bulging. He swung a powerful punch, aiming to catch Ashton off guard.

But Ashton, his senses honed through countless training sessions with Flintmace and Vulcan, effortlessly sidestepped the attack.

The leader's fist whistled through the air, striking nothing but empty space. He stumbled forward, off balance, and tried to regain his composure. But Ashton was already on the move, dancing around him like a wisp of smoke.

With each attempt to strike Ashton, the leader found himself grasping at thin air. It was as if he were wrestling with a phantom. No matter how hard he tried, Ashton was always a step ahead.

His movements were elastic like water, his evasion effortless. Every time he dodged an attack, he made a mockery of the Conundrum leader's attempts to land a blow.

Frustration etched itself onto the leader's face. He growled in anger and launched a series of rapid punches and kicks, but Ashton deftly ducked and weaved, slipping through the onslaught unscathed.

It was a humiliating display for the Conundrum leader, who had expected to make quick work of his intruder.

After all, he had heard about Ashton's strengths and weaknesses, but it seemed like he had long since overcome the barriers. The Ashton before them wasn't anything like the leader was informed.

As the leader continued to flail, the Conundrum members, their zodiac masks concealing their identities, watched with shock and uncertainty. Their leader, the one they had looked up to for guidance and strength, was being made to look like a fool.

"What are we waiting for? We have to help him out!" the lady in the rabbit mask urged the rest, but they shook their head.

"Leader doesn't want our help," the man in an ox mask mumbled. "If he did, he would have for us to intervene. But we can do something..."

But their shock soon turned to action. Seeing that Ashton was occupied with their leader, they lunged at Irina, Verina, Ricochet, and Ashton's summons, Sven, Celeste, and Atlas. It was chaos as they clashed with the invaders.

***

Ricochet had his cybernetic enhancements whirring with power as three members slowly surrounded him. They were Conundrum members wearing the rat, ox, and tiger masks.

Watching them approach him, Ricochet cracked his knuckles and flashed a confident grin.

"Alright, boys, let's dance!" Ricochet quipped, his voice dripping with a playful swagger.

The Rat-Masked Member lunged forward with incredible speed, a flurry of punches aimed at Ricochet's head and torso. Ricochet's enhanced reflexes allowed him to anticipate each strike.

With a series of well-timed blocks and parries, he deflected the blows easily, his cybernetic limbs moving in perfect synchronisation.

"Is that all you've got?" Ricochet taunted, his grin widening. "I've seen more impressive moves from my grandma!"

Frustration flashed across the rat-masked member's face as he continued his futile assault. Ricochet effortlessly blocked and parried each blow, his movements so fluid that he seemed to be dancing rather than fighting.

Soon, Ricochet had had enough and retaliated with a powerful kick to the Rat-Masked Member's midsection, sending him staggering backwards. It was a precise strike, exploiting a momentary vulnerability, and it left the Rat-Masked Member momentarily winded.

Meanwhile, the Ox-Masked Member attempted to charge at Ricochet with brute force, relying on their strength to overpower him.

But Ricochet was already in motion, darting around the charging opponent gracefully and precisely. He moved like a shadow, his enhanced agility allowing him to avoid the Ox-Masked Member's attempts to grab hold of him.

With a swift spin, Ricochet executed a series of rapid strikes to the Ox-Masked Member's pressure points, causing them to momentarily lose control of their limbs. They stumbled and fell to the ground, disoriented and struggling to regain footing.

"Whoa there, big guy! You might want to cut back on the hay," Ricochet teased as he gracefully evaded the ox-masked member's attempts to retaliate.

Next was the Tiger-Masked Member, known for her ferocity and leapt into the fray with acrobatic kicks and lunges. She aimed to overwhelm Ricochet with sheer aggression.

However, Ricochet's cybernetic eye that Tarik built him, calculated every move, allowing him to anticipate the Tiger-Masked Member's attacks.

Ricochet evaded a high kick with a graceful backflip, narrowly missing his head. He countered with a swift roundhouse kick that struck the Tiger-Masked Member's torso, sending her tumbling backwards.

The Tiger-Masked Member landed with a thud, momentarily winded and struggling to regain breath.

Ricochet dusted off his hands with an exaggerated flourish. "Well, that was fun! Who's next? I've got all day!"

The Conundrum members, hidden behind their animal masks, were increasingly frustrated. Their combined efforts to take down Ricochet had proven ineffective. Ricochet's calculated movements and precise strikes had left them disoriented and vulnerable.

"We need to charge at him simultaneously," Tiger-mask urged the rest.

"You think that'll work?" Rat-mask rolled his eyes. "He is stronger than just three of us to handle!"

"There he comes!" Ox-mask yelled before pushing the other two out of harm's way.

Despite his efforts, it was already too late. Ricochet was on them and delivered heavy attacks on the back of their heads, knocking them out.

They lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious and defeated, their masks turned to the side of their faces.

"Three down, plenty more to go," he said, dusting off his hands as he went looking for new targets.