Realization!

It wasn't long until Sanbe started heading in another direction. He was probably tired and was going to transform back soon. Without waiting I followed behind him.

As he walked pass some trees I lost him.

'I have a bad feeling about this…'

As I thought that I felt movement from my right side and immediately threw myself backwards. The spot I was standing in got split in 2 and I was almost too.

'Seems it won't be as easy as I thought. Let's test the water first…'

Almost immediately I pulled out my gun and fired it. As expected it only scratched Sanbe. Discarding the gun I pulled out the katana and got into a stance. I already knew that I didn't stand a chance in actual technique, but I didn't need it against this opponent. I had an idea on how to end this battle, but it would take some time. Firstly I needed to bait him.

As I thought that I patted my chest with the hand holding my sword and the launched full sprint towards Sanbe. He was slightly stronger and I was slightly faster, so we were stuck in a loop for a while. Multiple times I patted my chest where my heart would have been slowly baiting Sanbe to look towards it. After 30 minutes had passed it was about time to end this fight. I had a 50% chance of succeeding but ultimately that was up to Sanbe.

Charging towards Sanbe in a straight line he also did the same. As we both aimed at each other, Sanbe sacrificed one of his arms to change the direction of his hit and plunged his blade-arm into my stomach.

Sanbe: "You are indeed strong, but you have no experience. Just like I could tell you where following me I could also tell you where baiting me to attack your chest."

Zero: "What you say is true, I have almost no experience… but my bait wasn't for you to attack my chest. It was for you to simply stab and not slash at me… and you fell for it, you even sacrificed an arm, greatly overestimating me. People are influenced easily, what I was baiting you into, was a single point of attack. You fell right into it."

As I finished talking I grabbed Sanbe's remaining blade-arm and held it tight.

Zero: "I do not have a heart… but tell me Sanbe do you have a neck?"

And I plunged my sword right into Sanbe's neck making him stumble backwards with me still in his arm. As I felt the resistance weakening I let go my katana still embedded inside his neck and let go of his arm. Raising both of my arms I put them around Sanbe's neck squeezing hard.

'I know that one day I will die, probably in a worse fashion than this. "I never meant for this" or "I didn't want this" are words I can never say as I was the one that chose this route. The only small thing I can take comfort in is that they are probably in a better place but I don't know if even that's true. How many more will I have to kill?'

Slowly my hold over Sanbe got tighter and tighter until I finally consumed him.

Using my shapeshift I formed an armored form over my body and turned both of my arms into blades. Currently I had a myriad of fighting styles in my head, I knew how to effectively make use of my blade-arms and my newfound strength. I knew I didn't only get his strength, memory and thought process, I also got his talent for combat.

Something didn't feel right though… it's as if I got all this in exchange for nothing. This amazing body with unlimited potential. I had to make sure that something wasn't waiting for me under the table so I had to meet the Alien again.

This time it only took a few minutes for me to arrive at the ruined castle. The Alien was lying on the bed… again. Pretty lazy for an Alien that want to find his friends.

Slowly I made my way towards him.

Alien: "It seems you have put your wish to good use, but you don't have a coin so why did you come here?"

Zero: "A few questions about my body that's all I got for now."

Alien: "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do and you can be counted as a partner of mine, so sure ask away."

Zero: "Isn't the price I paid for this body a little to low?"

Alien: "Oh so that's what got you worried, you don't need to worry. After all while the body has it's perks it also has it's con. A very big one at that."

Zero: "And what is that?"

Alien: "Really simple actually, what do you think happens to a person when you consume them?"

Zero: "I gain everything including their strength, memories and leave behind their weakness."

Alien: "Indeed that is true but what do you think happens to their souls?"

Zero: "I'm not really well versed in religions but I guess they enter reincarnation or go to heaven or hell."

Alien: "Normally that would be true, each soul will get judged by what they believe in… but in your case it's wrong. You really do gain everything from those you consume including their souls. This is what makes you a real monster. Your victims will never gain peace, you doom them to an eternity of suffering as your fuel and when you die they will disappear with you. But this is only the mental downside… when you imprison souls who were supposed to go to their gods after death inside your own body you also will attract the wrath of different gods. Most will see you as a direct threat and try to kill you. While others like gods of reincarnation, death or life might hunt you down for disturbing their domain."

Alien: "So yes, your wish is heaven defying… but heaven doesn't take kindly to those who defy it either. If gods where to learn about your ability… well you get the gist of it."

Zero: "….hahahahahaha, I guess I can't complain, I was the one willing to become a monster in order to gain power." – I just didn't know the price would be so steep.

Even the small saving grace of mine was gone, I was much worse than a monster. A monster kills indiscriminately… but I keep torturing them even after death, a monster among monsters huh. I really did give up my humanity…

'Even so, I can't let this stop me.'

As I was thinking the Alien had a surprised expression on his face.

…

Alien: 'His eyes are turning red. He seems to be deciding and his body seems to be affecting his personality a little… A predator can't be a vegetarian after all.'

…

'I've already set out on this road. I need to steel myself, for this was my decision. I was never one to decide with my emotions. Do I like having to kill people to gain power? The answer is no. Will I kill people in order to gain more power? The answer is yes. As long as I can improve myself and gain more power I will kill, kill and kill again. Be it one thousand, one million, one billion or even the entire universe, I will kill them all if I can get stronger through it.'

As I spoke didn't notice my eyes turning red and my armored body pulsing with blackish-red tendrils.

Zero: "I'll be going now, thanks for explaining."

Alien: "Hah… what are partners for, plus this seems to have helped me as well. You seem more determined now."

Zero: "I just accepted the facts… it would be naïve of me not to at this point."

As I finished talking I made my way towards the forest.

'It's time to go hunting.'