The effects of the pill Dr. Aris had swallowed were now undeniably manifesting. With each passing second, his body took on a more inhuman appearance. He grew taller, bat-like leathery wings sprouted from his back, and two curved, demonic horns emerged from his forehead. He had completely separated from the Chimera's body, now transformed into a terrifying entity in his own right.
"Shut your mouth, you brat!" Dr. Aris roared in a hoarse voice, which sounded less like a man's and more like it came from the throat of a monster. "You've ruined years of my experiments, destroyed my laboratory, and wrecked all my plans! You were supposed to become my new vessel, and yet you defy me! But don't worry, I can still use your body after I kill you."
Dr. Aris wasn't weak; his true strength simply lay in mental attacks. But now, thanks to that black pill, he had surpassed his limits both physically and mentally. The aura enveloping his body carried the overwhelming pressure of a demigod who had reached the tenth ascension. Behind him stood the Chimera, its wounds from the previous battle completely healed, awaiting its master's command.
The real battle was about to begin.
Dr. Aris was the first to attack. With a single flap of his newfound wings, he lunged at Cassian with unimaginable speed, a jagged sword formed of pure energy materializing in his hand. Cassian shot forward at the same instant, his sword of black flames illuminating the night.
CRACK!
The two swords clashed under the moonlight with a horrifying sound. It wasn't just the clang of metal; it was the collision of two absolute powers. The shockwave that radiated from the center of their impact created a sharp ripple in the air. The ground, unable to withstand the pressure, fractured, forming a deep, rapidly expanding crater beneath them.
When the cloud of dust and earth settled, neither had taken a single step back.
"You see, brat!" Dr. Aris bellowed, drunk on his own power. "This is my true might!"
Simultaneously with his physical attack, he directed the full force of his mind at Cassian. He launched a brutal psychic assault, aiming to shatter Cassian's mind, bring his deepest fears to the surface, and drive him mad with agony. A normal being would have instantly lost their sanity, their consciousness obliterated by such an attack.
But only a momentary flicker disturbed Cassian's pitch-black eye. The moment Dr. Aris's mental attack tried to breach his consciousness, it recoiled as if it had struck a wall of steel. That third, ancient, and dark aura within Cassian stood like an impenetrable fortress around his mind. This was a domain that a power obtained through a doctor's experiments would not even dare to touch.
"Mental games?" Cassian whispered, the contempt in his voice deepening. "My mind is no place for an insect like you to crawl."
Cassian suddenly pulled his sword back, throwing Aris off balance. Then, like a shadow, he moved behind him. Before Dr. Aris could react, he felt the searing cold of the black-flamed sword as it swung toward his back. The blow tore one of his newly sprouted wings off at the root.
As Dr. Aris screamed in pain, the Chimera responded to the attack on its master. Screeching from hundreds of different mouths at once, it leaped at Cassian. The battle was now two against one. On one side, a mad scientist who had attained the power of a demigod; on the other, a creature torn from a nightmare; and between them, the emissary of death, his calm expression unwavering.
The chaos of a two-on-one battle filled the moonlit crater. Cassian was no longer facing a single opponent, but two nightmares that complemented each other. Dr. Aris moved like a phantom with his newfound speed and strength, his energy sword carving deadly arcs through the air. The Chimera, on the other hand, was a manifestation of pure, brute force; it spat acid, attacked with tentacles that erupted from the ground at unexpected moments, and restricted Cassian's movements with its massive body.
Cassian didn't falter for a second. His body moved with an instinctual flow. The moment he dodged Dr. Aris's sword, he would counter the Chimera's claw with black flames, and an instant later, he would leap over the beast to change position, avoiding the doctor's psychic assaults. Although they managed to inflict minor wounds on Cassian from time to time, it changed nothing. When the Chimera's claw grazed his arm, the wound instantly sealed with a wisp of black smoke. The burn mark left by Dr. Aris's energy sword gave way to smooth skin the next second as the ashes fell away. Cassian was instantly healing every minor injury he received thanks to his unique regeneration ability. This was a deadly dance, and Cassian seemed to be conducting it flawlessly. This fact infuriated Dr. Aris even more. This brat didn't seem to feel pain.
As Cassian's steps echoed on the crater's fractured floor, the Chimera roared and pounced. Every movement of the massive beast shook the earth, its claws tearing through the air. With a moment of decision, Cassian pressed his palms to the ground. The mana beneath the earth swelled, responding to a command that seeped deep into the soil, and in an instant, sharp spears of rock shot up from under the Chimera's feet. The beast howled and retreated, its thick hide pierced by the spears, but Cassian's eyes never wavered.
At that exact moment, Dr. Aris spread his wings and descended upon Cassian like a shadow. His energy sword cut through the air in a deadly arc. Cassian gathered the wind into his palms; his body lightened, his steps becoming invisibly fast. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. Aris's fatal strike sliced through nothing but empty space.
The Chimera, as if forgetting its pain, opened its mouth and spewed a dense, corrosive wave of acid. Cassian swiftly raised his palms to the air; a hard wall woven from wind materialized in an instant. The acid slammed against the invisible barrier and was deflected, and howling sounds filled the crater as the Chimera was burned by its own weapon.
But the attacks didn't stop. Aris took to the air again, charged his sword with black energy, and dove at Cassian with the speed of lightning. This time, Cassian formed a sword of pure, shimmering fire in his hand. Their clash echoed with the violence of thunder; sparks flew with every blow, and the sharp scent of ozone filled the air.
The Chimera used this opportunity to retreat underground. A few heartbeats later, massive tentacles burst from the earth, lunging for Cassian's legs. Cassian leaped into the air with an agile jump, gathering a current of wind around him to launch himself forward like a spear. As he spun in mid-air, he ignited a sphere of black flames in his palm and hurled it at the spot where the Chimera had emerged. The moment it hit the ground, the black flames exploded, consuming the earth and forcing the beast to burn.
Dr. Aris retreated hastily, his eyes fixed on Cassian. The boy before him was no longer just an enemy, but a storm incarnate.