The battle erupted in chaos.

The ruins of the town echoed with the clash of weapons, the roars of chimera ants, and the heavy, thunderous stomps of golems.

Smoke and dust filled the air, mingling with the acrid scent of burning flesh and molten stone.

The hunters fought with everything they had, their fatigue evident in their sluggish movements and labored breaths.

Yet, their determination burned fiercely—they couldn’t afford to lose.

Each of them utilized their skills and abilities to the best of their limits.

Shields clashed against massive stone fists as tanks tried to hold the golems at bay.

Spears, swords, and axes carved through chimera ants, but for every foe defeated, two more seemed to appear.

One hunter, an archer, perched on the crumbling remains of a building, fired arrow after arrow at the approaching chimeras.

His aim was deadly, striking the joints of their segmented legs to cripple them.

But the ants adapted quickly.

One of them leaped toward him, its pincers gleaming, forcing him to jump from his perch.

He landed hard but rolled to his feet, narrowly avoiding the creature's snapping jaws.

A tank rushed in, slamming his shield into the chimera and sending it skidding across the ground.

Nearby, a swordsman faced off against a towering golem.

He struck its legs with rapid, precise slashes, trying to bring the giant down.

But the golem retaliated with a crushing punch, forcing him to leap away.

The ground where he had stood shattered, sending debris flying.

As the swordsman stumbled back, another hunter, a mage, cast a spell that sent a spike of ice shooting into the golem's side, cracking its stone exterior.

Together, they pressed their attack, but the golem refused to fall easily.

The chimera ants were no less fearsome.

Their speed and cunning made them terrifying foes.

One hunter, a dual-wielding fighter, found herself surrounded by three of them.

She spun and weaved, her blades flashing as she cut at their legs and necks.

The first ant fell with a screech, black ichor spilling from its severed head.

But the second lunged, its pincers catching her shoulder.

She cried out in pain but managed to stab her dagger into its eye, killing it.

The third chimera hissed and circled her, but before it could attack, Scarlet's fireball obliterated it, the flames leaving nothing but ash.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The enemy was relentless.

The golems, towering and impervious, moved methodically, their stone fists crushing anything in their path.

Chimera ants swarmed with terrifying speed, their sharp pincers snapping at hunters and tearing through armor.

The hunters struggled to hold the line, but they were being pushed back step by step.

Scarlet’s fire magic was the linchpin holding the hunters together.

She stood at the heart of the battlefield, her presence a radiant beacon of destruction.

Fireballs erupted from her hands, arcing through the air and slamming into clusters of enemies.

Chimera ants caught in the blasts were incinerated instantly, their charred remains scattering in the wind.

When a golem advanced on a group of hunters, she intervened, summoning a pillar of fire beneath its feet.

The flames melted its stone legs, and it toppled over, shattering into pieces upon impact.

But Scarlet wasn’t just attacking.

She kept a keen eye on her allies, casting fire shields to protect them when they were overwhelmed.

One hunter, cornered by a chimera, found himself saved as a fiery barrier sprang up between him and the creature.

The ant hesitated, and in that moment, the hunter drove his spear through its thorax, killing it.

Despite her efforts, Scarlet was painfully aware of her limits.

Her mana reserves were depleting rapidly, and each spell took a toll on her.

Sweat poured down her face, and her vision blurred, but she refused to stop.

The lives of the hunters and the people they sought to protect depended on her.

Yet, even she had weaknesses.

Mages were not meant to endure direct attacks, and Scarlet’s defenses were fragile.

Cyrus, watching from the distance with a cold, calculating gaze, saw the perfect opportunity.

“Magal, it’s time,” Cyrus said softly.

The massive chimera ant, Magal, stirred from its position and began its advance.

Its carapace shimmered with a sinister black hue, pulsating with demonic energy.

Its sharp claws gleamed, ready to tear through anything in its path.

Its speed was astonishing for something of its size, a dark blur slicing through the battlefield.

Hunters who tried to intercept it were swatted aside like flies, their screams silenced in an instant.

Blood splattered the ground in its wake.

Scarlet turned, sensing the approaching threat.

Her heart raced as she saw Magal closing in, its claws raised high, ready to strike.

There was no time to retreat.

“Not now, not yet!” Scarlet growled, summoning the last reserves of her strength.

She began chanting a spell, flames coalescing around her hands.

Magal’s claws descended, the demonic energy radiating from them sending shivers down her spine.

She braced herself, ready to release her spell in a desperate counterattack.

But before the claws could reach her, they stopped, mere inches away from her.

The clash rang out like a thunderclap.

Scarlet blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing before her was Cain, his figure outlined in a swirling green aura.

His twin daggers crossed, holding Magal’s claws at bay.

Sparks flew as the deadly appendages scraped against his weapons.

“You!” Scarlet gasped, her voice laced with equal parts relief and shock.

Cain didn’t look at her, his focus entirely on the chimera.

“I told you it was a trap,” he said, his tone cold and sharp.

His muscles tensed as Magal pushed harder, trying to break through his defense.

Magal let out a guttural roar, its strength overwhelming.

Cain gritted his teeth and sidestepped, twisting his daggers to redirect the chimera’s momentum.

Magal stumbled slightly, but it recovered almost instantly, swinging its claws at him in a flurry of attacks.

Cain moved like a shadow, his green aura leaving faint trails in the air.

He ducked, rolled, and leaped, each movement precise and deliberate.

His daggers flashed, leaving shallow cuts across Magal’s carapace.

He wasn’t aiming to kill—not yet.

He was studying its movements, searching for weaknesses.

Magal, frustrated by its inability to land a hit, slammed its claws into the ground, causing tremors that shook the battlefield.

The impact threw Cain off balance for a split second, enough for the chimera to lunge at him.

Cain twisted mid-air, his daggers glowing with green energy as he slashed at Magal’s face.

The attack hit true, leaving a deep gash that oozed black, viscous blood.

Magal screeched in pain, rearing back.

Scarlet, regaining her composure, stepped forward.

"Cain, hold it steady!” she called out, her hands glowing with fiery energy.

Cain smirked.

“Just don’t miss,” he said, darting around Magal to keep its attention on him.

Scarlet’s flames intensified, forming a massive sphere of fire above her head.

She chanted the spell with determination, her voice steady despite her fatigue.

As Cain dodged another swipe, he yelled, “Now!”

Scarlet released the spell.

The massive fireball hurtled through the air, engulfing Magal in an explosion of heat and light.

The blast shook the battlefield, and for a moment, everything went silent.

As the smoke began to settle, a low, guttural screech cut through the battlefield, sending shivers down the spines of hunters nearby.

Magal emerged from the wreckage, his massive form outlined against the dying embers of Scarlet’s spell.

His once pristine black carapace was now cracked and scorched, parts of it flaking off to reveal a glowing, pulsating core underneath—a clear sign of Cyrus’s twisted modifications.

“Kieeek!!” Magal screeched, his cry reverberating across the ruined town.

The hunters froze for a moment, their hearts gripped by fear.

Magal was supposed to be dead.

Scarlet, still catching her breath, stared in disbelief.

“That thing should’ve been incinerated!” she whispered, her voice trembling.

But Magal wasn’t just alive—he was enraged.

His eyes glowed with an ominous red light, and the demonic energy coursing through him seemed to intensify.

Around him, the remaining chimera ants reacted to their leader’s cry.

They became more aggressive, their movements erratic as they attacked the hunters with renewed fury.

“Damn it!” Cain spat, his grip on his daggers tightening.

He stepped forward, his green aura flaring to life.

Scarlet glanced at him, worry etched on her face.

“Cain, be careful. This thing is...different now.”

Cain didn’t respond immediately.

His eyes were locked on Magal, assessing every movement, every weakness.

“Stay back and focus on the others,” he finally said, his tone cold and commanding.

Magal hissed, his claws digging into the ground as he prepared to charge.

Cain also gripped his daggers tightly, ready to go.

The black and green aura emerging from them was both suffocating and menacing.