Deepest Darkness

"Click."

The gun settled into Xia Lun's hand, cold and heavy. He thumbed back the hammer, snapped up his wrist, and locked onto the Manhunter as he burst from the flames.

The Manhunter held a bloody eyeball aloft with the reverence of a fanatic raising a holy relic. The eye was red and clouded, and thick blood welled from the bundle of optic nerves still attached to its back like a crimson spring.

At the sight of something so unnatural, Xia Lun's heart tightened. Whatever the Manhunter had intended, he seemed to have succeeded.

The wind howled, sweeping up sheets of sparks. Hot embers and debris stung Xia Lun's cheeks, but under his tense gaze, nothing happened.

Several more seconds passed. Still nothing happened.

"..." Everyone fell silent.

The Manhunter's tall, gaunt frame trembled. A moment later, he seemed to understand. His back slowly hunched, like an old dog whose spine had been pulled out.

"Why? Why didn't it work?" His fervent, exalted voice was gone. In its place came a mutter like a computer frozen mid-task. "Why didn't it work? Why didn't it work?"

"Huh?" Xuan Yan stood there gripping her sword. She looked from the Manhunter to Xia Lun, unable for a moment to decide whether she should attack.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." The five surviving Fungus Zombies broke into a muffled chorus of gloating laughter. "Manhunter, you've been sold out! The Man in the Flesh betrayed you. It's making a fool of you! Stop lying to yourself. You know it too."

"Bullshit! You won't shake my loyalty!"

The Manhunter's voice shot up. As though refusing to believe it, he waved the red eye hysterically and demanded of the others, "Why are you all fine? What gives you the right to be fine?!"

The Fungus Zombies' laughter