Cain's heart sank as James's voice cut through the chaos. The cybernetic eye fixed on him, its cold, unblinking gaze sending a chill through his spine. Somehow, James could see him.
The realization hit hard—while Cain's invisibility might confuse others, it was useless against this man.
Still, Cain wasn't out of options. If he had any chance of survival, he needed to eliminate Baiden first.
Baiden was already struggling. The paralyzing toxin coursing through his veins dulled his reflexes and clouded his senses. Despite unleashing all the power he could muster, his overall combat effectiveness continued to plummet.
Unlike Billy, Baiden lacked the brute physical resilience to resist the effects of the poison. His body weakened with every passing second.
Cain moved swiftly toward him, blade ready.
James remained motionless, watching the scene unfold with detached indifference. To him, Baiden was already a dead man. He didn't care who delivered the killing blow—Cain or his own men.
In James's eyes, Cain was merely a trapped animal, flailing in a cage. The area-locking device was more than enough to contain an E-Tier Level 5 evolver, especially one as untrained as Cain.
Baiden, desperate to treat his wounds, pulled out a healing serum from his pouch. Just as he prepared to inject it, Cain struck.
The blade plunged deep, narrowly missing Baiden's heart as he twisted away at the last second.
"ARGH!" Baiden roared in pain, wildly unleashing a burst of energy.
Cain, prepared for the counterattack, dodged effortlessly.
His invisibility proved its worth again. Though not perfect, it was enough to outmaneuver Baiden and strike from the shadows.
Baiden's Desperation
Baiden's rage boiled over. "You bastards! Are you just going to stand there? Help me kill this damn kid!"
James's henchmen exchanged glances but remained still, waiting for orders. Their eyes were on James, who showed no intention of intervening.
Seeing this, Baiden's fury erupted. "You assholes! If I die here, you'll suffer too! I've made sure of it—if you want to avoid a scandal, you'd better protect me!"
James responded with a cold, mocking smile. "You think I don't know about your little schemes? That female cop you were working with? Alice? She's been dealt with—her body's already at the bottom of the sea."
Baiden froze, his expression shifting from rage to horror.
"What… Alice? My Alice!" he cried, his voice breaking with despair.
Cain hesitated at the mention of Alice. He recalled the officer who had taken him to the precinct. James's words confirmed what Cain feared—the woman had been ruthlessly silenced.
For a moment, Cain's resolve wavered as he watched Baiden crumble emotionally.
But then,Dante's voice echoed in Cain's mind, sharp and unrelenting.
"Cain, mercy for your enemies is cruelty to yourself. Remember, given the chance, he'd kill you without hesitation. That's the truth."
Cain clenched his fists. He didn't fully agree with Dante, but deep down, he knew the Dante was right. Baiden wasn't going to spare him.
Cain steeled himself to strike again, but what happened next left him stunned.
Consumed by grief and rage, Baiden turned his fury on James.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared, surging forward with reckless abandon. His body glowed with an unstable energy, building toward what could only be a catastrophic release.
Baiden was preparing to take James with him in a final act of vengeance.
James's expression didn't change. He didn't flinch or show the slightest concern.
His henchmen sprang into action. One transformed their arms into a massive green energy shield, positioning it in front of James.
Another unleashed a wave of energy restraints, binding Baiden's legs.
Baiden collapsed to the ground but tore free from the bindings with sheer willpower, only to be struck by a concussive light blast that sent him flying.
Still, Baiden crawled forward, dragging his broken body across the ground, his eyes blazing with hatred.
Even Cain couldn't help but feel a pang of respect for Baiden's unrelenting determination. His love for Alice, twisted as it might have been, was undeniable.
But it wasn't enough.
Baiden's body finally reached its limit. With a deafening roar, he detonated in a massive explosion of energy. The blast shook the entire area, momentarily destabilizing the zone-locking field.
Cain was flung backward by the shockwave, landing hard against the pavement. Had he been closer, the explosion would've killed him.
As the smoke cleared, James emerged unscathed, brushing dust off his expensive coat. His face remained impassive as he surveyed the destruction.
"The noise will attract attention. Retrieve the box before we're interrupted," James ordered.
"Yes, sir," his henchmen responded in unison.
They donned white masks, their designs sleek and angular. Cain recognized the masks immediately—they were designed to reveal cloaked or invisible targets.
"It's time," Cain murmured to himself, making a decision.
His invisibility faded as he stepped into the open. Baiden was dead—there was no need to hide any longer.
James smirked. "Giving up already? A wise choice. But too late. I promise, your death will be excruciating."
"Painful death?" Cain replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
To him, death wasn't an unfamiliar stranger—it was an old, unwelcome friend.
Without a word, Cain gripped his dagger and charged directly at James.
James's henchmen wasted no time. They coordinated their attacks seamlessly, striking with precision and overwhelming force.
Cain fought fiercely, but it was hopeless. Outnumbered and outmatched, his body was battered and broken.
Minutes later, Cain lay broken under the relentless assault, his body battered and bleeding from countless wounds. Not a single part of him remained unscathed.
his empty eyes staring into the dark, featureless sky above. Then slowly, his lids drifted shut.
As James had promised, it was a painful death.
One of James's men retrieved the box from Cain's body, handing it to their leader.
James held it up, finally allowing himself a moment of relief.
"Let's go. The young master is waiting," he said coolly.
As his team deactivated the zone-locking field, one of the henchmen prepared to destroy Cain's body.
But as he approached, something horrifying happened.
Cain's eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.
Before the henchman could react, his body twisted violently and exploded from within, blood and viscera scattering across the ground.
James turned sharply, his face finally showing a flicker of alarm.
"What?!"