The Degree
The karma?

Leo and Ray continued to exchange punches and kicks. At first Leo looked domineering as he managed to deliver many incisions in Ray's body.

Ray now has many scratches around his body. Both his body and face had scratches due to Leo's fierce attack.

He is a lion but Ray is sure it is not a sleeping lion. Well, it doesn't matter what the Degree is because Ray has grasped Leo's abilities.

Therefore the situation slowly turned around. Ray nimbly increased the speed and accuracy of his attacks.

Leo slowly began to push back, some of Ray's kicks successfully hit his knees and waist.

‘Ugh! This bastard is aiming for a painful place!’

Each attack was painful, Leo lost his footing several times and nearly fell. No, actually he's been pushed down now.

Ray tried to step on Leo, but the bastard rolled around and kept his distance. Ray swiftly threw the knife into the air, he picked up his gun and shot several times.

Two bullets missed but one hit his shoulder. Leo screamed in pain and tried to get up. The shock from the hot lead that pierced through his shoulder clearly gave a strong shock to his body.

Leo began to gasp for breath, as he was intending to turn his head towards Ray. Right in front of his eyes the leather shoes were, hitting his face firmly.

Blood flowed through the slightly bent nose, it might have been broken by the kick.

Ray immediately grabbed Leo by the collar and made his face level with the bastard.

“Urgh—” Leo groans painfully and stares at Ray full of hatred.

Ray took a deep breath and smashed his head with Leo. A violent clash shook the vision of the two but Ray was still fine.

Instead Leo looked chaotic and limp. Ray released his grip and immediately caught his neck before slamming it to the ground.

“Khak!”

“You are quite draining and this is very annoying, Leo.”

Ray may look fine on the outside but in fact Leo deals more damage than expected. Thanks to a deep incision in his body and a strong Leo kick, Ray felt weak.

His head started to turn dizzy due to the lack of blood. Although Serum D was able to speed up his recovery ability, it still took some time to recover.

“You .. bastard. I will ... destroy you .. redeem all your sins, Ray Morgan!” Until the end Leo showed a hateful look towards Ray.

“When we used to be colleagues,” said Ray made a sad face.

Leo looked at Ray hatefully and said, “You never really considered me— us as friends-!”

Although Ray says nothing, Leo has a strong belief that what he says is the truth. Ray had only used him from the beginning, Terumi and even Erina.

“What did you say?” Ray said in a quiet voice that only Leo could hear. “... I always assume you guys.”

Ray was not that cruel to declare that man is a tool. Such a character is not suitable for him, even if there is a high possibility of fiction.

No matter how harsh and cold the environment in which humans are born and raised, they will still have something that cannot be changed. That is what makes him considered human.

“Very fun while with you. I never get bored. Every day feels like a breath of fresh air that I never want to escape. Something that feels delicious and imprint like a first kiss.”

Ray said honestly from the bottom of his heart. He had never felt boredom since joining this facility. Boredom has never come to see him in a long time since Ray built his group.

He never hated being around them. Ray really appreciates their existence be it Leo, Eric, Erina, Indri, Ben, even Terumi.

“It always feels nice because every time I see you guys —”

Even so, Leo looked at him in a rather horrible manner.

Ray continued without losing a smile.

“—I'm happy to collect slaves who pulled cars for me.”

Ray greatly appreciated the existence of people who pulled his train like an iron horse without knowing tired. If one of them cannot be used then he can throw it away and get a new one.

The longer the horse survives the more Ray appreciates its existence.

“But darling you defected. With feelings of sadness and hurt, as an owner I have to get rid of the disobedient.”

Ray will get rid of Leo before this little bastard goes any further. He also did not have time because this chaos did not subside. Instead, this place slowly became a bloody hell.

“You can't beat my Degree anyway. It's great because thanks to you I understand my abilities.”

Ray doesn't believe in anything unreasonable until he finally meets Degree. Even at this moment he understood the absurd right that lay within him.

At first Ray wonders why his Degree doesn't seem to suit him. How not? Ray didn't feel himself doing anything very bad. He always does everything for himself.

Then why would his Degree be something like that?

Through this incident Ray understood it. In fact, his Degree was more than just a match.

“... you ... do not know, how .... use Degree so far?” Leo seemed shaken by the information.

Ray then steps on Leo's arm trying to move and he throttles his neck firmly.

“I wouldn't have trouble like this if I understood it. Well, time goes on. What if we end this conversation forever?”

Ray's grip is getting stronger, Leo has difficulty breathing. He knew his life would not survive but Leo insisted on continuing to speak.

“You are sure ... will receive karma-!”

Karma, something illogical that states a god will repay a bad person with bad luck. That's called karma.

Ray has no belief in things without scientific explanations such as gods or karma. He doesn't care if they really exist or not.

If a god-like existence is really present? Why not show yourself to show her majesty while throwing karma at the bad guy?

“If karma is the recompense for bad deeds and something that causes my life to suffer with bad luck. Then maybe I've already received it—”

His almost insane self-remembrance in the facility floated in Ray's mind like a movie playing.

“—I have received karma long before sin was made.”

Until the end Leo looked at Ray's cold gaze which did not slack at all. When he saw her, for the first time he felt really scared.

Leo may over-define it. But he felt Ray's gaze was just like a war veteran who had faced many death roads in his life.

The grip on his neck grew tighter and tighter until a crisp sound rang out.

Crews!

Ray's grip is so strong that it can break Leo's neck.