My Second Action

"Like there've been ten demons here having sex," I said, pinching my nose. The stench of sex was overpowering.

"..." He remained silent as the previous guide entered with a servant (clad in a bunny outfit) carrying a tray. On it sat a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Sir, your refreshment," the guide announced as the servant bowed to Meinko. He gestured for the guy to fetch a wooden table from his right. The guy complied, placing it between us. The servant set down the wine and glasses, bowed again to Meinko, and left with the guide standing behind Meinko.

Meinko leaned forward, uncorked the wine bottle, and began pouring the ruby liquid into the glasses. After finishing, he picked one up. "Take it, it's not poisoned." Yeah, right. Now I was incredibly suspicious of this damn wine.

Leaning closer, I eyed the glass, searching for any sign of tampering. "If I die, run," I whispered to Jek. He gave a curt nod. Finally, I grasped the glass and waited for him to take a sip.

He raised an eyebrow at my caution but took a drink nonetheless. I hesitated for a moment before mimicking him, taking a small sip.

This stuff was amazing. "Ahhh," I sighed. Of course, with my death immunity, I wouldn't truly die, but the pain of poison? No thanks.

"So, what exactly do you want?" Meinko inquired, swirling the wine in his glass and raising an eyebrow as he crossed his legs.

"I want to form an alliance," I declared, setting down my glass and leaning forward, a serious expression replacing my smile. (Maybe it was a bit too sharp; the guy behind Meinko seemed startled.) Meinko remained silent for a moment, taking another sip of his wine.

"And how exactly would that benefit me?" he countered, leaning forward so our eyes locked.

"Well, you wouldn't be dead," I replied, my statement making the guard behind Meinko flinch and instinctively step forward. Meinko, however, held up a hand, halting his movement.

"And what makes you think you could kill me?" Meinko questioned, leaning back on the sofa.

"Because I wouldn't be dead," I stated confidently, my death immunity giving me a sense of near invincibility. It was just a matter of time before I reached Saitama-level power, of course, assuming I wasn't captured by Chaos Gods, orcs, Tyranids, Eldar, Tau, Necrons... the list went on, but I couldn't waste brainpower on that now (admittedly a dumb thought).

"Is that so?" Meinko smirked. Then, with unexpected speed, he lunged at me, his hand piercing straight through my heart. The pain was excruciating, and I screamed in agony. Jek reacted instinctively, aiming his lasgun at Meinko. Before Meinko could react to Jek, I grabbed his arm. He looked back at me, amusement flickering across his face. He probably thought I was putting up a final, futile fight. The surprise on his face would be epic.

With a bone-cracking crunch, I crushed his arm. Guard 1 (the guide from earlier, I was getting tired so I mentally dubbed him that) reacted instantly to his boss's injury. He lunged over the sofa and attempted to punch me in the head. I dodged the blow with a quick turn of my head and countered with a right hook to his gut, sending him flying.

Meinko's scream echoed through the room as he ripped his arm free. The hole in my chest gaped like a bloody maw, easily big enough for two hands. I stifled my own scream, warm blood trickling down my body like a crimson tide. Jek frantically tried to stem the flow, but it was like plugging a leak in a dam.

'System, purchase regeneration power!' I commanded mentally.

[Insufficient Credit]

[Credit:50]

Damn it. I cursed myself for splurging on the Cheetah Speed Enchantment. 'Is there anything in the Market to stop the bleeding?' I pleaded with the system.

[...]

[ Healing Potion (Tier -1): 10 credit]

'Buy it!'

[Purchase confirmed]

A tiny vial materialized in my hand. Relief washed over me as Jek battled to contain the deluge of blood. Meinko lay crumpled on the floor, his arm dangling uselessly.

My vision swam as I fumbled with the vial, unable to open it with my shaking hands. "Jek!" I croaked, but he didn't react, his gaze fixed on the gaping wound. "Jek!" I repeated, my voice rising to a desperate scream. Finally, he turned, his eyes glazed with shock.

"Sir?" he rasped, his hand instinctively pressing the hole in my chest with his blue jacket (the one I took from the big guy I pummeled). "Listen," I gasped, forcing the words out. "Open the potion and pour it in my mouth." I managed to hold the vial up weakly. He nodded, numbly taking it, his face pale. With trembling hands, he pried it open as I strained my mouth open as wide as possible. He tipped the vial, and the potion trickled down my throat.

The bitter liquid tasted like something from a battlefield medic's kit, as expected for a healing potion. I swallowed it all in one go, the final drop clinging to the rim before disappearing down my throat. Jek clutched the empty vial, his eyes glued to my chest, searching for any sign of change.

At first, there was nothing. Then, with a sensation akin to magic, the gaping wound began to knit itself shut. The flesh rippled and reformed, the warmth returning as the hole sealed completely. My fingers brushed the smooth skin, no trace of injury remaining.

"Sir, who are you… truly?" Jek rasped, his grip tightening on the vial.

"Later, Jek," I promised, pushing myself out of the chair. I approached Meinko, who still sprawled pathetically on the floor, cradling his mangled hand.

"Peace seems out of the question, then," I declared, delivering a swift kick to his shin. The force sent him flying into the wall, a strangled cry escaping his lips.

"How?! You monster!" he roared, scrambling back until the wall stopped his retreat. I loomed over him, his fear a palpable thing. His pathetic state disgusted me.

Planting my foot on his toes, I zeroed in on his pinkie. A sickening crunch echoed through the room as I applied pressure. Meinko shrieked, a sound that would have curdled milk. Just then, the previously stunned guards finally reacted.

Weapons drawn, they surged forward, only to be cut down by a hail of lasgun fire from Jek. Five crumpled bodies littered the floor.

Turning my attention back to Meinko, I watched as his pleas turned into whimpers. "Please… don't kill me," he begged, his mangled hand reaching out in a pathetic attempt at surrender.

Ignoring him, I focused on his remaining big toe, adding more pressure until it joined its brethren. His screams had faded, replaced by ragged gasps. It seemed the mental death I predicted had indeed come to pass – he lay unconscious, his spirit broken.

Disappointed, I withdrew my foot from his mangled toes. With a grunt, I hoisted Meinko's unconscious form and tossed him onto the sofa. Dusting myself off, I met Jek's gaze. He held the lasgun expectantly, awaiting my next move. I jerked my chin towards the exit, a silent command for elimination. Jek gave a curt nod and disappeared through the doorway.

Alone with the groaning silence, I settled back into the wooden chair. Tipping the wine bottle, I refilled my glass and swirled the ruby liquid thoughtfully. Would it be Jek's return that shattered the silence, or would this buffoon on the sofa stir first? The anticipation was a strange blend of tension and...dare I say...boredom.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Meinko's eyelids fluttered open, revealing a blurry image of his familiar private room. The first thing he registered was the absence of feeling – or rather, the lack of feeling – in his arm.

"Wh...at..." he stammered, attempting to raise his arm. It only wobbled pathetically. Panic surged through him as his eyes darted around the room. Then, they landed on the figure sprawled across his red sofa.

Directly in his line of sight sat a man in bizarre attire (a T-shirt and shorts) casually sipping wine from a glass in a wooden chair. Meinko's memories flooded back – the indulgence with his four Susa companions, the interruption by his Commander about a powerful figure seeking an alliance.

Initially, he'd dismissed it as another ruse, another attempt to infiltrate his criminal empire under the guise of partnership. But then came the surprise attack – the guard, the overturned table, and the excruciating pain of his own arm piercing the man's chest. The smug face and infuriating words of the intruder had fueled his rage.

Yet, the tables had turned with brutal swiftness. His arm, crushed in an inhuman display of power. Now, fear gnawed at him, leaving him feeling utterly defeated.

"So, you finally graced us with your awakening," James drawled, downing the last of the wine in a single gulp. He tossed the empty glass onto the table with a dull thud. His gaze, cold and calculating, pinned Meinko to the spot.

"And here I was, getting bored," he sighed, leaning back in his chair with a theatrical flourish. "Now, let's discuss the terms of your surrender."

Fear and fury warred within Meinko. He glared at James, his voice laced with venom. "Surrender? Screw you!" A glob of spit flew from his mouth, missing James by a hair's breadth and landing with a splat on the floor.

James' amusement evaporated. He rose to his full height, a predator stalking its wounded prey. Meinko flinched, a primal instinct urging him to scramble away. He lunged in a desperate attempt to kick out, but James anticipated the move with ease. With a flick of his wrist, he seized Meinko's leg and hurled him towards the ground.

Meinko's body slammed into the floor with a sickening crack. He wheezed for breath, struggling to gather his bearings. James stalked towards him with a predatory grace, his shadow looming large. Reaching Meinko, James didn't waste words. He raised his fist and brought it down on Meinko's face with a sickening thud.

Minutes bled into a gruesome eternity. Meinko offered no resistance, his body a broken puppet under the relentless assault. Each blow chipped away at his will, leaving behind a quivering mass of pain and humiliation. Finally, James stopped, his knuckles bloody and raw. Meinko lay on the floor, his face a grotesque mask of bruises and swelling, blood caking his lips.

"You, a lowly scum of humanity," James spat, his voice dripping with disdain, "dare to refuse my offer?" He straightened, his gaze cold and indifferent. The blood on his hands glistened under the dim light.

Meinko's voice emerged as a broken croak. "W-wh...at d-do...you w-wa...nt?"

James' answer was cold and unwavering. "I want this planet to be a beacon of humanity," he declared, his grip tightening on Meinko's face. With a brutal heave, he slammed Meinko headfirst into the right wall. A sickening thud echoed in the room.

Meinko wheezed, gasping for breath. "In this destructive universe, against the enemies of the Imperium," James continued, his voice low and menacing.

"And you," James snarled, looming over Meinko, "are making this difficult for me." He grabbed Meinko's bloodied shirtfront, hauling him closer. "Today, you make a choice. Death… or subordination to me." He shoved his face close, his eyes burning with predatory intensity.

Meinko, broken both physically and mentally, could only manage a weak nod of surrender.

A satisfied smirk spread across James' face. "Excellent," he said, releasing Meinko. "Tomorrow, I want the Fox Gang prepared." He turned towards the doorway, his voice hardening. "Double-cross me, and you're a dead man." With that chilling warning, James strode out of the room, leaving Meinko slumped against the wall, a defeated king in his own ruined castle.