In Zeke's eyes, Vesper was a goal-oriented being made for war. He had a solid objective, powerful abilities, and a clear killing intent.
But he realized Vesper had two fatal flaws: absolute pride, and unbridled ego.
Zeke used that to his advantage by taunting him so that he could buy time for Jihyo to recover her strength--- by taking a jab at how Vesper is a "coward" for choosing not to kill him, mocking his abilities for "sounding lame", and even challenging him to try and kill him first if he's really strong.
And the Koul'in general fell for the taunt.
Vesper felt the need to respond to it by killing him, just to prove a point that he isn't a "coward" as Zeke claims him to be.
"It's funny how outrageously stupid you are to be able to stand before me with such insults, even if you're injured," Vesper remarked. "And for what? Just to save someone else?"
"Maybe I am stupid. But at least I'm not stupid for nothing. I'm doing this to protect Jihyo." Zeke replied.
Vesper began laughing loud and obnoxiously as if he's mocking Zeke's statement.
"How can YOU protect a wielder when you aren't a wielder yourself? Don't make me laugh, weak human. You're clearly out of my league. I can even sense you trembling out of fear." Vesper replied.
"It's because of the cold. You're taking too long to kill me. I've started shivering already." Zeke replied.
"Who am I kidding?! He's right though..." Zeke thought. "I'm trembling out of fear, but I have to buy Jihyo time...! Can't I just talk my way out of this.. y'know, like how games have a pacifist ending route..?"
"Cutting Breeze." Vesper unleashes a strong blast of razor-sharp wind from his palm that narrowly misses Zeke. Zeke looks unfazed, but deep inside, he was absolutely afraid.
"O-okay... Maybe not.." Zeke said to himself. "Focus, Zeke. Don't freak out... Keep him distracted!"
"That was just a taste of what's to come for you," Vesper said.
"I have something too. You think you're the only one who has signature moves?" Zeke replied as he readied his pipe wrench.
"Oh? Then show me." Vesper crossed his arms.
Zeke immediately throws his pipe wrench towards Vesper. He immediately deflects the pipe wrench.
"Is that the best you can d--"
Vesper was soon met by a flurry of snowballs to the face, blinding him for a short while. As he wipes it off, he sees no sign of Zeke around.
Zeke suddenly looms from behind and strikes him with all his might, hitting the area where Jihyo wounded him earlier. Vesper winces in pain and attempts a counterattack, to which Zeke immediately dodges.
"This human.. How did he get here so fast?" Vesper thought.
"You little vermin!" Vesper manages to grab ahold of Zeke's arm and flings him far out to another area of the park.
Zeke crash lands on a tree as he grunts in pain. He immediately stands up, wobbling as he held onto its trunk. He sees Vesper charge at him with his Typhon Barrier: Tackle technique, and he forcefully pushes himself away from the tree as Vesper decimates it.
"Give it up, weakling. You're all talk, no fight. It's over." Vesper remarked.
"You haven't killed me yet, so it isn't over. Idiot. Come and get me." Zeke said as he immediately makes a run for it.
"You..." Vesper follows suit, seemingly pissed at his empty insults.
Meanwhile, Jihyo watches the whole thing unfold from where she was sitting.
"Zeke...! You didn't have to--- Ggh!" Jihyo winced as she focused on healing her wounds.
She watches as Vesper chased Zeke with his activated wind-barrier. She's impressed at how Zeke dodged his attacks by using the terrain to his advantage--- using the trees to shield himself from Vesper's charging attacks, vaulting over benches, and jumping on other structures. They were like playing a deadly game of cat and mouse.
For a non-wielder, Zeke's agility was kind of an impressive feat.
However, Jihyo knew that soon, he would eventually tire out. She has to recover quickly, or else they wouldn't make it out alive.
She looks at one of the huge, open wounds on her right arm. She was surprised to see that crystals were forming on and around the wound to seal it completely, instead of a regular scab. She touches the crystal-like scab, and it feels smooth, yet sturdy.
She looks at her other wounds on her body exhibiting the same method of healing as well, and she's finally regaining her strength slowly.
Jihyo suddenly had an idea on her mind.
"...If this is how I heal, then maybe.."
Meanwhile, Zeke was now having difficulty dodging Vesper's charging attacks. The Koul'in general was far quicker than him, after all, and the only reason why he's not dead yet is because the trees and benches around him were slowing down Vesper's direct attacks. The chase reminded him of "maiba, taya"--- the Philippine version of tag that he loved playing with his friends when he was a kid.
Only that this time, it was deadly.
Vesper finally catches up to Zeke and grabs him by the leg, slamming him on the ground.
Zeke was immobilized with the pain coursing around his body. He couldn't stand nor swing his pipe wrench to defend himself. As he looked at Vesper, he was already raising his wind-infused fist, ready to end him.
"You cause was a futile one. Although I have to be honest, you faired better than the other weak humans I've dealt with. Take solace in that thought as your life finally comes to an end." Vesper said.
"Heaven's Descent...!"
A bright light suddenly appears behind Vesper. The Koul'in general notices this and as he turns around, he sees Jihyo about to slash him down. He immediately blocks it with one arm, but the force of Jihyo's assault slightly sinks the ground beneath Vesper.
"Jihyo..!" Zeke remarked. "You're okay now..?!"
"Yep!" Jihyo replied as she smiled at Zeke. "Can't miss the fun, you know!"
"You never give up, don't you?" Vesper remarked. "Don't you realize you're still outcl--"
"Oh my god, shut the hell up already, you idiot!" Jihyo said. "and let me show you... how strong humanity is!"
Jihyo swings viciously upward as Vesper tries to block. He then counters by slamming his wind-infused fist towards Jihyo. She responds by blocking it with one arm and attempts to retaliate with a swing, but Vesper disarms her quickly, sending the Manifest far out on the snowy ground as it returns to its cane form.
The two combatants quickly exchange blows in a fierce display of hand-to-hand combat. Jihyo was able to last long this time, despite her sustaining more injuries than before.
And she was winning.
Even Vesper's wind-infused fists couldn't stop Jihyo's punches. Vesper's eyes widen as he sees Jihyo's wounds on her arms and fists crystallize into some sort of solid diamond, and her attacks slowly get stronger and stronger.
Vesper manages to push Jihyo back by delivering a fierce roundhouse kick to her torso. Jihyo backs a few feet due to the force of his attack, spewing out blood from her mouth.
Vesper looks at her. She was panting, but it's obvious in her eyes that she's now prepared to fight him.
"What? Had enough...?" Jihyo taunted Vesper as she wiped the blood off her mouth.
"You seriously think you could beat me just because you became slightly stronger? I'll remind you of my strength. These winds WILL carry me to victory!" Vesper replied as Zeke and Jihyo witnessed him about to fold his arms into X-position to activate his Typhon Barrier.
With a lot of struggle, Zeke stands, grabs the Seraphim, and runs toward Vesper.
With the use of the mystical cane's hilt, he hooks Vesper's left arm and yanks it away, preventing him from activating his barrier.
"What the--" Vesper gets caught off guard.
"Zeke..!" Jihyo exclaimed.
"Without your winds, you will fall!" Zeke shouted as he yanked Vesper's left arm further. "Jihyo, come on, let's crush this bastard!"
Jihyo immediately races towards Vesper and delivers a solid blow to his face, breaking his masquerade mask.
Vesper was forced into a defensive position as Jihyo kept on attacking him with fast punches and kicks, while Zeke desperately restrained his left arm with the Seraphim.
He couldn't believe how quickly the two were able to turn the tide in their favor. Vesper saw it in Jihyo's eyes--- she was broken and ready to meet her fate. Zeke, on the other hand, was already wounded so badly and could no longer fight a good fight.
Yet somehow, here they are, working together to take him out.
Vesper soon realizes that they were no longer a nuisance anymore.
They were a threat. And they could kill him.
"This can't be..! Mere humans... overwhelming me, a Koul'in general?!" Vesper thought to himself. "No. I won't allow it! I am strong, I will overcome this!"
Vesper, now visibly angry at Zeke and Jihyo, releases a powerful burst of wind that catches the two off guard. He then breaks loose of Zeke's restraint and throws him and the Manifest far out.
He activates his Typhon Barrier immediately, preventing Jihyo from dealing him any further damage.
"You... You're not going to get in the way of our plans of taking the Manifests for ourselves." Vesper remarked. "I will make sure you will die a horrible death."
"I'll be ready when you are." Jihyo readies her crystallized fist, shining brightly as she took a fighting stance.
Zeke, from afar, sees the final stand-off between Jihyo and Vesper as the two combatants both glared at each other.
"Typhon Barrier: Tackle!" Vesper lunges full force towards Jihyo.
"Flashlight Meteor!" Jihyo swings her left fist into the barrier with all her might. The ensuing clash causes sparks and crystal fragments to fly everywhere.
They were both exerting all their strength into their full attacks. Vesper was confident in his barrier, pushing all-out while Jihyo resisted his tackle with her crystallized fist.
Jihyo focuses all her powers on her fist and the sclera on her eyes started glowing. Shards of crystal energy fly around as Jihyo's fist sustains even more injuries due to Vesper's razor-sharp wind barrier. But these wounds crystallize almost immediately, helping Jihyo withstand the violent winds that Vesper produces from his bracers.
"Come.. on... Jihyo..! You can.. do this..! Break... THROUGH!" Jihyo said to herself as her fist slowly began sinking into Vesper's barrier.
"What..?! H-how?! My barrier is impenetrable..!" Vesper thought as he desperately strengthened his barrier.
"AAAAH!" With one final push, Jihyo manages to break through the barrier as her fist slowly inches closer and closer to Vesper's face.
The barrier was still active, with the razor-like winds trying to damage Jihyo, but she stood her ground. She opens her fist directly in front of the horrified Vesper, generating light energy to fire off a short-burst crystal laser directly at his face.
"Prismatic---"
"No way..! I have to.." Vesper immediately removes his barrier and tightly grabs Jihyo's arm, catching her off guard.
"Tsk... Your actions... Are still worthless in the end! Fortress-Shattering Wind!" Vesper remarked as he readied to punch her with his free hand.
"JIHYO!" Zeke screamed as he throws the Seraphim towards Jihyo. She catches the mystical cane as it radiates into a katana once more.
"I finally..." Jihyo tightens the grip on her Manifest, and with all her might, fiercely swings it downward towards Vesper's arm.
"...got you!" The blade slices through the Koul'in general's armor, and through his pale flesh, slicing his arm clean off. Jihyo then spins her whole body and delivers another forceful slash that slices Vesper's torso and abdomen, injuring him heavily.
Vesper screams as he kneels in agony. His blood flowed heavily through the cracks in his armor, tainting the snowy ground red.
Jihyo loses her strength immediately and sits on the ground with a thud. Zeke rushes to her aid.
"Jihyo.." Zeke's voice trailed off.
"You... bastards.." Vesper said as he struggled with his breath.
Zeke and Jihyo look at him.
"You do not understand that we... will find a better use of the Manifests than you... Your goals are mundane. You will only waste its power. We... we are the true wielders of those weapons..." Vesper painfully exhaled.
"My goal... of finding... and rescuing my friends isn't... mundane. They're important to me. They're valuable to me. And I'll do whatever it takes to bring them all together again..!" Jihyo exclaimed with passion in her eyes as her Seraphim brightly shines once more.
Vesper pauses at her statement, now realizing Jihyo's passionate goal--- she was determined to achieve it whatever it takes.
Vesper soon closes his eyes and chuckles at her remark.
"You're... passionate, I have to hand you that... But... you don't have the strength. If you did, your friends should already be... here... with you." Vesper remarked as he lay on the ground. "If you truly want to save your friends... you could've done it by now. But you couldn't... Because you... you're not strong... enough."
"...." Jihyo looks begrudgingly at Vesper.
Vesper coughs up blood as he continued.
"Not that it matters, anyway... Soon, the other Koul'in generals will know of my demise... and they will find you, take your Manifest... and put an end to your pointless crusade. Because... the Koul'in... Always gets what rightfully belongs...to... them..." Vesper said as exhaled his last breath.
Zeke and Jihyo just went silent for a few minutes, trying to regain their strength as they took deep, pained breaths. The crystal scabs on Jihyo's body faded, with the wounds now almost healed.
"Oh my god..." Jihyo began speaking as she held her head, looking at Vesper's lifeless body. "It just dawned to me that I just killed someone. Oh goodness, this is very hard to swallow..."
"But... You've been killing snowmen and Scrapers for quite a while now," Zeke replied.
"Well, I can't consider them living, I guess. They're made of snow and ice, after all. But Vesper... He was truly a living, thinking being. I almost feel bad about it. I wish I could've reasoned with him, but... his actions were unjustifiable. H-he... He killed people, Zeke. Innocent lives. I couldn't... bear that." Jihyo replied as she looks down.
"Even I feel strange right now about this... But...at this point... It was him or us, sadly." Zeke replied as he took a deep breath. "We can't... expect him to understand. He's not human, and he only cared about power and strength. There was no other way."
"Yeah..." Jihyo replied with a sad tone.
"Hey.. let's just look at it this way. If we didn't beat him here and now, more lives could've been lost. We gave the survivors another chance at living." Zeke said.
Jihyo nodded. "I guess you're right, Zeke. I just hoped there was a better way, you know?"
"I agree..." Zeke replied.
"Hold on... we have to help Hangyeol... I remembered he was injured!" Jihyo said as she slowly stood up, ignoring the pain in her body. Zeke assists her, and they both limp to where Hangyeol is. They see him on the same spot where he lost consciousness.
"Hey. Hangyeol. Are you alive?" Zeke said as he knelt on the floor, checking on his pulse.
Hangyeol moves a bit, and groans as his eyes slowly open.
"Huh..? Oh hey, Jihyo-ssi, Zeke.. how is it here in Heaven..? Do they have ramyeon...?" He muttered.
"We aren't in Heaven." Jihyo chuckled. "We are still alive. We defeated him!"
"Really..? Wow... That's amazing-- wait, we beat him?!" Hangyeol immediately sits up, groaning as his wounds stung.
"Oh, careful!" Zeke replied. "Yes, we did."
"Oh, geez... I'm glad.." Hangyeol said as he lies down once more. "For a moment there, I thought I'd be blended to bits..."
"Jihyo-ssi! Zeke-nim!" A female voice echoed from the shadows. As Zeke and Jihyo looked, they see Minji waving at them. Beside her were Hyung-won, Minhyuk, and a couple of his men holding flashlights. Seojun was there as well, seemingly free of any injury.
"You guys..!" Jihyo faintly smiled as she waved.
Seojun looks at Zeke and Jihyo, giving them a faint smile. "I'm glad you two are okay."
"Me too, Mr. Seojun!" Zeke smiled.
"You've healed so fast, Seojun-nim!" Jihyo replied.
"It took a while, honestly," Seojun replied. "My powers suddenly worked again, so I gave it my best shot. I'm assuming you did the same, considering you have little injuries all over. You now seem to know how to use your Manifest proficiently." He said as he smiled.
"Tee-hee. All thanks to you, Seojun-nim." Jihyo smiled.
"Hello, Ms. Jihyo. Mr. Zeke." Minhyuk said as he looks around the destroyed park. His eyes soon move toward Vesper's lifeless body. "My goodness.. what happened here?"
"Well... we encountered an alien general," Zeke replied.
"An alien general..?" Minhyuk gasps in shock.
"Yes... But don't worry. We took care of him. How are the survivors Zeke rescued...?"
"All taken care of, thanks to you two," Minhyuk replied. "I guess you had a tough fight. I'm sorry we haven't responded to your call quickly."
"Ah, no. It's okay, Minhyuk-nim. We didn't know there was someone powerful like him here. I'm just... glad it's over..." Jihyo replied.
"Yeah. Now, you two should head back. We'll take care of things here. I think there are still survivors around. We have to make sure."
"But... would you need help..? It's already dark..." Zeke replied.
"It's fine. You have done more than enough today." Hyungwon said as he looked at the Koul'in general's body. "I still need to handle this Koul'in general's tech, and it may take us a while. Let us handle it this time, okay? Just go back and take some rest." Hyungwon smiled.
Zeke and Jihyo nodded as they carried Hangyeol on their shoulders. Jihyo looks at the lifeless body of Vesper one last time, as she is reminded of what he said.
"If you truly want to save your friends... you could've done it by now. But you couldn't... Because you... you're not strong... enough."
"Tsk..." Jihyo winced as she turns away, heading with the others back to the settlement.