"Cannery factory?"

Splitter's eyes narrowed in fury. "Who dares to call me that?"

He spun around to find the source of the insult, his temper flaring. Emerging from the shadows, a man with a cigarette dangled from his lips, stepping through the wall like it was air. His attire was sharp—black suit, tie perfectly in place—and his skin gleamed like polished metal under the dim light.

"005. The Metallomorph."

Splitter sneered at the sight of him. Without a word, he twisted his wrist, launching the infamous black arrow with a flick.

Suu!

The arrow streaked through the air, too fast to follow, piercing through 005's chest in an instant. The sharp, deadly projectile should have ended him, but instead, there was no blood. Not a drop.

005 calmly looked down at the arrow lodged in his chest. His hand, steady as stone, reached up, gripped the arrow, and yanked it out. He casually tossed it to the ground. A gaping hole marred his chest, yet inside, there was no flesh—only intertwined metal fibers that twisted and reformed, sealing the wound in seconds.

"Cannery factory, huh?" 005 smirked, brushing the dust from his suit. "You prance around claiming to be the pinnacle of creation, but look at you. Ridiculous."

Splitter's smile faltered, and with a wave of his hand, the black arrow flew back into his grip.

'Lam, Metallomorph, can extract and manipulate any metal. Those ten rings on his hand… he can instantly turn his entire body to anything if needed.' Splitter's eyes flicked to the man's other hand, where an additional ring gleamed. 'Carbon fiber, likely. Stronger than steel, nearly as tough as diamond. But none of it mattered.'

The black arrow would always hit its target. It didn't matter how fortified Lam's body was, whether it was encased in steel or diamond. The arrow would pierce through it, because the arrow wasn't stopped by mere physical resistance.

But hitting wasn't the same as killing.

Lam, in his metalized state, possessed his own kind of immortality. Even if Splitter were to sever his head, it wouldn't stop him. He could patch and repair his metal body with a thought, making him almost as impossible to kill as Splitter himself.

Too difficult.

Splitter clenched his teeth. He could strike, but for now, he didn't have the means to finish the job.

"I originally planned to leave you for last," Splitter said, his voice cold, "but I didn't expect you to come second."

Lam, still standing with one hand gripping the wall, gave a wry smile. "No choice. The Lord's orders."

"The Lord wants the traitor dead—who dares to delay?"

As his words echoed through the air, the concrete wall behind Lam surged, sharp thorns of stone lunging toward Splitter with lethal intent.

Splitter didn't flinch. The spikes rammed through his body, but there was no sign of pain, not even a wince. He simply stood there, unbothered.

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"The Lord wants me dead?" Splitter scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I have an immortal body. Why would she send you weaklings to kill me?"

Lam's expression turned grim. "You still don't get it, do you?"

With a swift motion, Lam twisted his wrist, and more tendrils of stone surged, snaking into Splitter's skull with a sickening crunch.

Blood seeped out of the cracks, and Lam carelessly dropped his cigarette butt. "If I can't kill you," he muttered, "I'll do what the Kitsune did—contain you."

But even before the words settled, an arm burst through the stone. With a surge of strength, Splitter lifted the slab, shattering the concrete in a single motion. He stood up, shaking off debris like it was nothing, then pulled something from his ear.

"A sugar cube?" Splitter raised an eyebrow. "And yet it came out a sugar cube."

Lam laughed darkly. "Maybe it's offering you a sweet death."

'This won't work,' Lam thought, glancing around. 'There's only concrete here. No harder metals. That damn white worm in his body keeps him regenerating...'

His eyes darted to the side, where another figure stood watching. "Hey, 002!" Lam called out, frustration in his voice. "Are you just going to stand there?!"

Suddenly, with a thundering boom, a figure dropped from the upper floor, smashing the ground with force. Broken bricks and debris scattered as a young man in a black raincoat appeared before them.

But he wasn't alone. A horde of Fish-Men, more than a thousand strong, cascaded down with him.

It was Chino, and though he had been observing the battle from the shadows, it was clear why he hadn't acted sooner. He wasn't waiting for an advantage—he knew his participation wouldn't make a difference.

Lam and Splitter had the immortality trait, a hallmark of the new generation of monsters. But Chino, an old monster, didn't. To him, fighting these undying creatures would mean risking his very life, while they would only lose their skins.

The cost wasn't worth it.

But now, with Lam calling him out, Chino had no choice but to engage.

As if on cue, a crowd surged down the main road, led by a blonde-haired woman with an air of authority.

"Seems like everyone's come to play," Vex remarked, amusement in her voice. She signaled with a flick of her hand, and ten Guard Bees raised their stingers, instantly surrounding Splitter.

Raven, in her dark, ethereal form, descended gracefully from the sky. She shifted into her human guise, a young girl in a flowing black dress, walking calmly toward Han. With a casual motion, she lifted him from the ground, then stepped aside without a word.

Splitter, glancing around at the growing crowd, gave a weary smile.

"This is truly... a great honor."

Excluding Mei, the exiled Siren 007, and 008 known as Three Corpses, all the remaining monsters gathered for the confrontation. Splitter clutched the sugar cube tightly in his hand, hesitating before popping it into his mouth.

"I eat sugar. Is that a problem for any of you?" he quipped.

Vex sniffed the air, laughing lightly. "On the contrary, it fell from your body. If you enjoy it, go ahead. Once you're done, you'll be on your way."

Splitter forced a smile. "It's clear I won't die, alright?"

As he savored the candy, a surprising flavor reminiscent of durian danced on his tongue. Not bad at all.

But as the sugar dissolved, something strange began to happen. His figure started to blur.

"Huh?"

"The sugar has a characteristic!" someone shouted.

"Quick, stop him!" the others yelled, springing into action.

Characteristics were unique attributes associated with 009 Splitter. Each item he separated carried peculiar traits, making them highly sought after among the monsters. Normally, whenever he split something, they clamored to steal it and present it to Mei.

But this situation was different.

With his eyes slowly closing and arms outstretched, Splitter murmured, "Well, I'm beginning to understand everything. This is... random teleportation."

"Everyone," he continued, "it's a pity we couldn't enjoy ourselves this time. Next time, we'll kill each other until the Lord is satisfied!"

With that, Splitter's body erupted like a hot air balloon, white dust spraying in all directions, leaving not a trace behind.

The crowd exchanged wary glances.

"It seems things have taken a turn for the worse."

"You don't seem very impatient, Queen Bee," another remarked.

"Hurry! I might not seem impatient, but before I deal with 009, I still have a score to settle with you, Dead Fish!"

Chino frowned at her words. "I have something to settle with you, too."

Lam shook his head, watching the internal strife unfold. "I'll take my leave first."

Meanwhile, far above in the atmosphere, Splitter found himself descending through the clouds. "Ah, this is truly random teleportation. Let's enjoy the panoramic view of the Earth," he mused, embracing the chaos of his unexpected journey.