BOUFF!!!

Cain moved forward with renewed aggression, his regenerated body surging with enhanced power. His transformation had entered a second phase, his muscles coiling tighter, his movements becoming sharper and more destructive.

King responded immediately, channeling mana through the Magic Staff. He needed distance. Space to cast properly.

"Freezing Cascade!"

A torrent of ice erupted from the staff’s tip, spiraling toward Cain in a concentrated beam. The temperature plummeted instantly, frost forming on the grass between them.

Cain didn’t dodge. He charged straight through the cascade, his enhanced strength and constitution were off the charts, he simply absorbed the freezing damage.

Ice formed on his arms and chest, but his body heat shattered it almost immediately. He broke through the spell like it was nothing more than cold water.

King transitioned without pause.

The ground beneath Cain erupted, a massive pillar of compacted stone shooting upward. Cain sidestepped at the last second, the spire grazing his shoulder as it rocketed past. He used the momentum to spin, closing the remaining distance between them.

King activated another spell. "Cyclone Spiral!"

Wind converged around Cain, forming a violent vortex. The force almost lifted the berserker off his feet.

But Cain immediately grounded himself, fighting against the wind’s pull. His claws dug into the ground itself. Then he pushed, using raw strength to tear through the spell’s structure.

The cyclone dispersed.

Cain landed heavily, his boots cracking the earth. He grinned through the effort, clearly enjoying the challenge.

King attacked again.

Three construct spears manifested, flying toward Cain in at high speed.

Kpa- BUOOFFFFFFF!

Cain forcefully clapped both hands, generating a mini shockwave that dispersed the spears.

And as they scattered around, Cain kept advancing.

King poured more mana into his staff, preparing a more powerful construct. But Cain was too close now, too fast. He’d crossed the final meters in a single explosive burst of speed.

King switched to the defensive.

Cain’s clawed hand shot forward, gripping the staff’s midsection. His fingers crushed down with overwhelming force. The reinforced wood groaned under the pressure.

CRACK!

The Magic Staff splintered. Fragments of enchanted wood exploded outward as Cain shattered the weapon with his bare hands.

King stumbled backward, thrown off balance by the sudden loss of his casting tool.

Cain didn’t give him time to recover. The berserker pivoted and drove his knee upward, catching King in the chest. The impact launched King backward through the air, his body tumbling across the grass before sliding to a stop several meters away.

King pushed himself up slowly, tasting blood. His MP was still above 50%, losing the staff didn’t eliminate his ability to cast, but it removed the passive regeneration boost and his slightly increased spell output.

He needed a new approach.

Cain walked forward, spreading his fingers to show his claws. "Running out of tricks, mage? What happened to all that tactical brilliance?"

King shifted his stance, moving laterally instead of retreating directly. He was dodging now, prioritizing evasion over engagement. He needed time to think, to form a proper strategy.

Cain lunged. King sidestepped, letting the man’s momentum carry him past. Cain recovered instantly, spinning to face King again.

He lunged, and king dodged again.

King’s mind raced through possibilities. Cain’s regeneration made sustained damage ineffective. His enhanced speed made distance meaningless. His raw power negated the constructs.

But Cain had one weakness: overconfidence.

He fought like someone who believed himself invincible. He tanked spells instead of dodging them. He pursued aggressively instead of waiting for openings. He was powerful, but predictable in his own way.

King could use that.

He just needed...

Cain’s boot connected with King’s side before he could finish the thought.

The kick sent King flying sideways, his body crashing through a patch of tall grass before hitting the ground hard.

His left hand pressed against the ground, pushing himself back up.

He channeled mana directly into the gauntlet. The armament responded immediately, its segmented plates vibrating with concentrated energy. Mana bled through the cracks in the metal, intensifying with each passing second.

King straightened and pointed the gauntlet directly at Cain.

Cain saw the gesture, paused a bit, then laughed, the sound echoing across the battlefield. "Really? You’re going to try magic casting again.?"

King didn’t respond. Instead, he disguised a different spell.

"Cyclone Spiral!"

Wind erupted from the gauntlet’s palm, forming a concentrated vortex that shot toward Cain. The spell was weaker without the staff’s amplification, but it still carried enough force to be threatening.

Cain planted his feet and raised one arm, letting the wind strike him directly. The vortex battered against his enhanced body.

But he held firm.

The wind dissipated after a few seconds. Cain lowered his arm, grinning wider than ever.

"Is that it? No wonder you started with the staff, this is even weaker."

King allowed himself an inward small smile.

He’s taken the bait.

Cain thought the gauntlet was a magic casting tool. A replacement for the broken staff. He didn’t understand its true nature.

King raised the gauntlet again, channeling energy visibly through its surface. The crimson glow intensified, the segmented plates shifting and realigning as power concentrated in the palm.

Cain watched with mocking interest. "Seems you are yet to accept your situation, boyyy. Your spells are useless against me."

He gestured toward the gauntlet dismissively. "And honestly? I expected more."

King kept up the gauntlet, unwavering, and it slightly disgusted Cain.

In an instant,

Cain’s form blurred.

He reappeared directly in front of King, moving so fast the displacement of air created a small shockwave. His clawed hand shot forward and clamped down on the gauntlet, gripping it tightly.

"It’s use..."

Cain paused mid-word.

The gauntlet didn’t budge. Didn’t crack. Didn’t even shift under his crushing grip.

Cain applied more pressure. The gauntlet remained perfectly intact.

King looked up, meeting Cain’s red eyes directly.

"Ruin’s Touch."

The effect was immediate and lethal.

Black cracks appeared at the point of contact, spreading across Cain’s skin like shattered glass. The cracks spread rapidly, extending up his arm, across his chest, down his legs. Dark energy pulsed through the fractures, consuming flesh and muscle and bone with ruthlessness.

Cain’s eyes widened in shock, as his body grew limp.

The cracks covered Cain’s entire body within seconds. His regeneration tried desperately to counteract the destruction, new tissue forming only to immediately crack and decay.

Cain’s body didn’t shatter completely. King’s combatant class was still ranked F, limiting it’s full destructive potential.

But the damage was overwhelming, far exceeding what Cain’s regeneration could handle.

He collapsed, his legs giving out beneath him, and hit the ground hard, sprawling on his back. The cracks remained visible across his body.

King stepped back, and looked down at Cain’s prone form.

"Your arrogance was your doom," King said quietly, flexing the gauntlet’s fingers.

Cain lay there, immobile. His eyes stared upward at the sky, wide with confusion and disbelief.

"How..." Cain’s distorted voice came out barely above a whisper. "How did I lose?"

King didn’t answer. There was nothing more to say.

Movement at the edge of King’s vision drew his attention.

The fallen angel finally moved.

King immediately shifted into a defensive stance, raising the gauntlet despite his exhaustion.

But the fallen angel didn’t attack.

Instead, the massive NPC walked calmly, its blackened wings folded against its back. It approached Cain’s fallen body and crouched down, effortlessly lifting the man with one armored hand.

Cain’s body hung limply in the angel’s grip, the cracks still visible across his skin.

The fallen angel turned and began walking away, carrying Cain like a parent carrying a sleeping child. It didn’t acknowledge King, didn’t threaten Vi or Eli, didn’t even look back.

It simply left.

King watched until the fallen angel disappeared over the rise in the terrain, taking Cain with it.

Then King’s legs gave out.

He dropped to the ground, completely exhausted. His MP was greatly depleted. His HP had taken significant damage from Cain’s physical strikes. Every muscle in his body screamed with fatigue.

"King!" Vi rushed forward, closing the distance in seconds. She dropped to her knees beside him, checking him for injuries.

Eli approached more slowly, still armed. Maya emerged from the shack and ran to King’s side, her small face creased with worry.

"I’m fine," King managed to say, though his voice was hoarse. "Just... exhausted."

Vi helped him sit up properly, supporting his weight.

King closed his eyes, leaning against Vi’s shoulder. The Second Woe was far from over, but this was a victory he so needed.

And somewhere in the distance, Pantheon watched with approval.