The battlefield was a cacophony of chaos and despair.

Around Cain, hunters clashed with golems and chimera ants, their cries mixing with the roars and screeches of their monstrous foes.

Smoke and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air.

Yet, for Cain, the world had narrowed down to two figures: the monstrous chimera ant, Magal, standing before him, and the figure of Cyrus behind it, watching with cold amusement.

Cyrus was the key.

Cain knew it.

If he could just slip past Magal, he could end this nightmare in a single, decisive strike.

His blades were ready, his instincts honed to perfection.

But the hulking, mutated creature in front of him wouldn’t let that happen.

Magal radiated a suffocating demonic energy, his eyes gleaming with primal rage.

“Damn it,” Cain muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting.

He hadn’t come here out of heroism.

Maybe it was to keep Scarlet alive because her death would doom the operation and bring retaliation from Lionheart.

Maybe it was just the stubborn pride of a Black Serpent operative refusing to let things spiral out of control.

Either way, he was here now, standing in the eye of the storm, and already regretting it.

---

The battle begins.

Magal let out a deafening screech, his claws tearing into the earth as he crouched, muscles coiling like a spring ready to explode.

Cain’s grip tightened on his daggers, the green aura around him flaring brighter as he prepared for the clash.

Magal moved first, a blur of black and crimson as he charged.

His claws, massive and gleaming like razors, swung toward Cain with murderous intent.

The sheer force of the attack shattered the ground where Cain had been standing a moment ago, sending shards of rock flying.

But Cain was already in motion.

His years of training and countless battles had honed his reflexes to an almost supernatural level.

He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and darted in close, his daggers flashing like fangs.

The blades found their mark, slicing into a gap in Magal’s thick carapace.

A spray of dark, viscous ichor erupted from the wound, the liquid sizzling as it hit the ground.

Magal screeched, not in pain but in fury.

His glowing red eyes locked onto Cain, and with a swift, predatory motion, he swung his massive tail.

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The air whistled as the tail cut through it, aiming to crush Cain like a hammer.

Cain ducked, the tail missing his head by inches.

The impact behind him sent a shockwave rippling through the ground, cracking the earth and toppling nearby rubble.

Cain didn’t wait.

He used the moment to strike again, his daggers darting toward Magal’s underbelly, the most vulnerable part of the chimera’s body.

But Magal wasn’t an ordinary opponent.

His modifications weren’t just for show.

As Cain’s blades came close, Magal twisted his body with inhuman agility, slamming one of his claws into Cain’s path.

Sparks flew as dagger met claw, the force of the collision sending Cain skidding backward.

Magal’s eyes burned with fury, his monstrous form radiating demonic energy.

His claws gleamed in the dim light, sharp enough to cleave stone and swift as a striking serpent.

He roared and surged forward, his claws slashing in a blur.

Cain barely had time to react, twisting his body to avoid the brunt of the attack.

But one swipe caught him—claws raking across his shoulder with brutal force.

"Argh!"

Blood sprayed into the air, staining the ground as Cain staggered back, gritting his teeth against the searing pain.

The wound was deep, the flesh torn, but the assassin refused to falter.

His mind was sharp, his focus unyielding.

If that strike had been just a fraction higher, his neck would’ve been split open.

But before he could recover, Magal unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.

His claws moved with terrifying speed, creating a whirlwind of deadly slashes that carved deep trenches into the ground.

Cain’s body moved on instinct, years of training taking over as he ducked, sidestepped, and twisted to avoid the onslaught.

Each near-miss sent shivers down his spine, the wind from Magal’s strikes brushing against his skin.

But even as he dodged, Magal's claw struck again, grazing Cain’s side and tearing through his jacket.

Blood seeped from the fresh wound, but Cain didn’t stop.

His green aura flared as he retaliated, his daggers flashing like fangs in the night.

He darted in close, slashing at Magal’s legs and underbelly, searching for any weak point.

Each strike left sizzling, corrosive wounds as his poison did its work.

"Kieeek!!"

Magal roared, his screeches echoing across the battlefield as dark ichor oozed from his injuries.

Yet, the monstrous chimera didn’t slow. Instead, he adapted, his movements growing sharper, his attacks more precise.

“Just fall down! Damn it!,” Cain said, his voice edged with tension.

"Kieeek!!!"

Magal responded with another ear-piercing screech, his demonic energy surging.

His carapace glowed faintly, the red veins running through it pulsating with life.

He lunged again, this time feinting with his claws before snapping his jaws at Cain, aiming to bite down on him.

Cain barely evaded the deadly maw, rolling to the side and slashing at Magal’s leg.

The blade cut deep, but Magal didn’t slow. Instead, he swung his tail again, forcing Cain to retreat.

Magal’s relentless attacks kept Cain on the defensive.

Each swipe of his claws was like a thunderclap, each tail strike a miniature earthquake.

The ground beneath them was quickly becoming a shattered wasteland.

---

The battle between them continued.

Magal’s claws swung again, faster this time, catching Cain’s dagger mid-strike.

Sparks flew as claw met blade, the impact jarring Cain’s arm and forcing him to backpedal.

"You’re learning," Cain muttered, his voice low but laced with grudging respect.

Magal didn’t respond with words, only another feral roar as he lunged forward.

This time, his movements were more calculated.

He swiped with one claw, forcing Cain to dodge, and then followed up with a sweeping strike of his tail.

Cain barely had time to leap into the air, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.

The tail slammed into the ground where he’d been standing, sending a shockwave rippling outward.

Cain landed a few feet away, crouching low as he assessed his opponent.

The chimera’s glowing black carapace was cracked in several places, his body covered in sizzling wounds.

Yet, the faint glow of his modifications began to intensify, and the flesh around his injuries started to knit itself back together.

"Damn it," Cain cursed under his breath. Magal wasn’t just relentless; he was regenerating.

Cain’s mind raced as he analyzed Magal’s movements.

The chimera was powerful and fast, but there was a pattern to his attacks—a rhythm Cain could exploit.

The next time Magal lunged, Cain didn’t retreat.

Instead, he stepped into the attack, ducking under the claws and plunging one of his daggers into the joint of Magal’s arm.

The chimera roared, the poison-coated blade burning through his flesh.

Cain twisted the weapon before yanking it free, leaving a smoking wound behind.

Magal retaliated with a furious backhand, his claw grazing Cain’s side and drawing blood.

Cain winced but didn’t falter.

He used the momentum to leap onto Magal’s back, his daggers stabbing into the chimera’s carapace for leverage.

Magal thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off.

His tail whipped around and threw Cain away.

Cain somehow managed to make balance.

He took a deep breath, his green aura surging as he forced himself to ignore the pain in his shoulder and side.

He couldn’t afford to slow down, not when Scarlet and the others were depending on him.

He dashed forward, his movements a blur as he closed the distance.

Magal met him head-on, claws swinging with unrelenting ferocity.

Their clash was a dance of death.

Cain ducked under a claw swipe, his daggers slashing upward to carve deep into Magal’s arm.

The chimera screeched and retaliated with a powerful backhand, but Cain spun out of its path, his blades flashing again to cut into Magal’s exposed side.

Magal twisted with surprising agility, slamming a claw into the ground where Cain had just landed.

The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the area, forcing Cain to leap back to regain his footing.

"You’re a tough one," Cain muttered, his lips curling into a grim smile.

Magal roared in response, his glowing body pulsing with demonic energy.

The chimera lunged again, faster and more ferocious than before.

Cain gritted his teeth as the battle raged on.

Each clash of his daggers against Magal’s claws sent tremors through his arms.

Each dodge became harder as his injuries slowed him down.

But Cain refused to yield.

His mind was a storm of calculation, every movement precise and deliberate.

He struck at Magal’s legs, his underbelly, his joints—anywhere the carapace was thinnest.

For every wound he inflicted, Magal retaliated with twice the fury.

Claws raked across Cain’s side again, tearing through flesh.

The assassin hissed in pain but didn’t stop.

Blood dripped from his wounds, pooling on the cracked ground beneath him.

His breathing was labored, his vision tinged with red.

But his resolve burned brighter than ever.

"Kieeeek!!!"

Magal’s monstrous screeches filled the air as Cain prepared for the next strike.

The battle wasn’t over—not yet.