Darkin feels that someone is behind him and when he turns around, he faces Zralky's face, who doesn't hesitate to attack him immediately. Ashlem, seeing the scene, throws a punch that sends the monster flying, crashing into the glass near the door, breaking it and falling outside the bakery.
The creature stands up, roaring with red eyes, and gradually begins to grow in size in a way that both Darkin and Ashlem can clearly see. The Hunter takes off his hat and places it on the counter with a face full of seriousness. Darkin stands up and looks at Ashlem. He stops his brother with a gesture.
Darkin raises his cigar and shows it to the other, then says:
"It's time for the test."
"It's dangerous."
The man in the white suit moves forward, slightly leaving the Hunter behind, arranging his hair with one hand, tucking it behind his ears.
Zralky stares at the two brothers as if understanding their plan — both of them alert, ready to test their theory, to see if the cigar works to kill these cursed things.
Outside, still not far away, the open portal keeps sucking in everything nearby — lifeless bodies and wreckage of ships that don't belong to Earth.
"I'd rather take this risk. No one needs me…" he says, but the other shakes his head and replies:
"Your family will never abandon you."
Darkin, silent, searches for a lighter — which he actually doesn't have. Zralky lets out a roar, sounding like his last, and prepares to destroy everything, aiming to end both their lives, though his focus is more on Darkin.
Something inside the bakery falls noisily, triggering the creature's sprint toward Darkin. Ashlem runs and pushes his brother aside, taking his place. With a massive punch straight to Zralky's chin, the Hunter stops the monster from attacking Darkin, who then remembers he has no lighter to ignite his cigar.
The creature falls again in the same spot it did seconds ago. But this time, it grows three times its size, reaching nearly three meters tall.
"What the hell is this?" says Darkin, getting up with his now unlit cigar.
Ashlem quickly draws his two pistols and points them at the cursed thing, which begins to roar and show off while growing, becoming a giant.
"It's time to dance."
"This is…" says Darkin, but before finishing his sentence, he's interrupted by a strange headache that makes him stagger.
Again, Zralky runs to attack, and this time, with his pistols aimed at the target, Ashlem calmly says:
"Dankoy-boom."
Huge memories from 970 years ago flood the Hunter's mind — when he faced a massive horde of Unimpires in Zone B, an act that earned him the title of Zvrody.
Now the situation is different, as he's only facing one enemy, unlike the past when he fought an impossible number.
He leaps, spinning supernaturally, and starts firing repeatedly at the beast, which seems to feel no pain and doesn't slow its charge.
"This is useless!" shouts Darkin, watching his brother's efforts.
"Here, your turn!" yells Ashlem, throwing a lighter towards Darkin, who manages to catch it just in time and quickly lights his cigar.
Ashlem is struck by the creature, sent flying, crashing violently into the wall — so hard that even the wall complains, vibrating and leaving dust hanging in the air.
Zralky pauses when Darkin blows smoke in his direction. The man in the white suit repeats the action, and the monster begins to retreat, each step thundering.
Darkin remembers the moment when they were fleeing from the portal in the capital, when something with heavy steps seemed to be chasing them, and instantly concludes logically:
"It can't be, this isn't a Zralky's final form," says Darkin in a very low, disappointed voice.
The creature in front of Darkin continues to squirm, its flesh starting to burn. Zralky screams in agony as the smoke invades its system, slowly melting, releasing a mixture of green and red liquid that falls to the floor, writhing frenetically.
Ashlem opens his eyes as if waking from a nightmare, still sitting, feeling the pain of the impact the monster gave him.
Darkin watches the creature twitch on the bakery floor, taking puffs of his cigar, feeling like the hero of the day in that now unrecognizable place.
Outside, the portal continues to move at absurd speed, sucking everything in its path until it reaches the area where the two brothers stand. Lorfy's headlights flash on and its internal alarm goes off.
"Alert, danger approaching, danger approaching!!"
The portal is already at a short distance.
Inside the bakery, the creature has completely turned to ashes. Darkin still stares at it, bitterness in his chest, more agonized for not knowing what else awaits and where to find his wife and daughter.
"Very good, brother! You saved us, you're a hero today after all the crap you did."
"Thanks, brother. But we need to leave now, Lorfy's warning us of danger."
Suddenly, Ashlem begins to squirm with a severe headache until everything stops, and he says:
"Find your family. I felt it, they can still hold on."
Suddenly the car crashes into the bakery.
"Get in, heroes," says Lorfy.
The portal has already arrived, sucking part of the bakery. Darkin tries to run to the Hunter to save him, but Lorfy pulls him inside with a device that looks like a cloth. The car takes off and flies away.
Ashlem, along with the bakery, is swallowed.