"The resurrected Victor is going to kill us all?" Claire asked in disbelief. "But why? Isn't he the same person fighting against Monolith to protect us?"
However, staring at the screen, she soon realized how pointless her question was. Powerful energy waves kept radiating from Victor as if he stood in the eye of a cyclone. He was transitioning into something else. There was no way he would have anything human left within him.
"No, that is not the Caesar we know anymore," Maverick replied grimly. "I was afraid this would happen."
On the battlefield, Lance, Valeria, Drew, and Michael ran for their lives along with the army.
"Caesar has four limiters placed in his body by the NWO's Tribunal," Drew explained. "Removing the first is harmless; he can do it alone without outside help. The second limiter gives him access to his higher gifts, including physical invulnerability and manifestation."
"Manifestation? What is that?" Lance asked curiously.
"Simply, it means he can make his wishes come true. For example, he can make our heads explode with a snap of his fingers."
"Gosh! That is unbelievable." The girls exchanged nervous glances. Would Victor actually try to kill them? Even the idea of him doing it was ridiculous.
"At that point, Caesar's mind is overloaded with bloodlust," Drew continued over the radio. "The boundless energy needs to be burned off in battle. However, if the third limiter breaks, he transforms into something inhuman, a monster that knows nothing but killing. The last time we faced this form was during the Pacific World War when the enemy poisoned him. Caesar wiped out thousands of lives single-handedly. He tortured, maimed, and cannibalized. He gloated at their agony and suffering. This continued until the poison burned out."
"That is why Caesar quit the NWO last time and let Atticus Mars install limiters in him," Maverick concluded. "He couldn't forgive himself for the atrocities he had committed."
"But how did he break his third limiter?" Lance asked. "Doesn't he need to consume a red pill?"
Drew looked back at the battlefield and shook his head. They were almost out of the beach area, and soldiers were packing up and getting into the Greyhound armored cars.
"I suspect when Angela axed Caesar's body with Thanatos, she accidentally broke the third limiter. She unleashed something ungodly on us. The situation might be even worse than last time."
“I see. But why would ‘The Peerless Man’ regress into such a beast?”
Drew snorted. “Regression? Do you think humans are the most superior species? No! What’s happening to Caesar is evolution. Evolution into a perfect, immortal being.”
On the battlefield, Angela eyed Victor's ghastly figure in revulsion. "I used to think I had turned myself into a monster through this suit. But compared to him, I appear quite human."
"That's well and good, Angela…" Sebastian whimpered. "But can you please kill Caesar again before he makes a move? His power levels are through the roof! Such a creature cannot be allowed to survive, or he'll become a mortal danger to our master!"
Angela nodded. "I agree. Don't worry. I studied Caesar for years, poring through research literature. I've figured out the science of causing his death."
"Which is? Because you were convinced Thanatos would end him. But he resurrected as if it was nothing!"
The female assassin shook her head. "No matter how powerful Caesar becomes, Thanatos will remain his bane. Perhaps we were overconfident last time, leaving his corpse unattended. This time, let's hack him into pieces and dispose of them all over the ocean."
"That sounds like a good idea," Sebastian said nervously. "But can we overcome him this time?"
Angela brandished her pitch-black dual axes. "Pure Thanatos does the trick. Arm yourself with your dagger and pierce him at least once, like last time. That would incapacitate him long enough so that I can start dismembering him."
Sebastian nodded and stepped into a fighting stance.
With a hiss, Victor's body finished its transformation. The charred and blistered skin had reverted, and there was no hint of previous injuries on his body. However, the result was something quite different from his original appearance.
Victor's eyes were mere red slits, glowing eerily. His skin was dark brown all over, with fire-gold veins spreading like creepers. Victor's face was more protracted and tapered, his ears were more prominent and swept back, and his hair had lengthened to the waist.
The man had turned into a creature. Victor's body was monstrously muscular, and his huge arms dangled down to his knees as he stooped like a beast of prey.
Wooooooo! Wooooooon! His ear-splitting cries echoed throughout the battlefield. And then suddenly, he noticed Angela.
Whoosh! Within a split second, Victor covered six hundred feet and reached the female assassin. The latter gasped and barely had any time to react. His speed was unnatural!
Sebastian's clone, also taken aback, found this a golden opportunity. While Angela distracted the creature, he could sneak in an attack. One stab was all that was needed.
The super soldier lunged at Victor, putting all his enhanced skills into a superhuman leap. Ordinary people couldn't even register his movements. He grabbed the Thanatos dagger with both hands, about to land on his target with a downward stab.
Victor didn't even turn its head towards the airborne Sebastian. The clone was like a mosquito that needed to be swatted. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Splurge! Sebastian's head exploded, and his headless corpse fell on the sand with a dull thump.
Angela's eyes widened, and she followed it up with disgust. "You're a beast from hell, Victor! Take a look in the mirror and see what you've become!"