Chapter 29: Analysis Complete

(Sunday, June 16, 2026 – 2:11 AM)

The battlefield rumbled with the force of two hunters colliding, the air itself warping from the sheer energy unleashed. Mattia moved like a storm, his greatsword carving arcs of destruction as he pressed Boris with relentless aggression. Sparks danced through the night as blade met fist, each impact sending shockwaves that shattered nearby structures.

Boris, grinning like a madman, met each strike with overwhelming brute force. His reinforced body absorbed the punishment, his powerful arms deflecting the massive sword without hesitation. The force of their exchanges sent tremors through the city, cracks spider-webbing across the streets as their battlefield expanded.

'He's fast, but not untouchable.'

Mattia ducked low, pivoting around Boris's next strike, his blade flashing with condensed mana. He drove his greatsword upward, aiming for the Russian's ribs, but Boris twisted at the last second, slamming his elbow into Mattia's sword arm. The impact sent a numbing jolt through Mattia's body, forcing him back a step.

Boris chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "You swing that thing well, I'll give you that. But you're fighting a bear, little swordsman. Strength wins over fancy blade tricks."

Mattia's crimson eyes burned, his mana flaring around him like a storm of embers. "Then stop dodging and prove it."

Boris grinned, then inhaled deeply. The air around him trembled as his body expanded, muscle and sinew swelling as thick fur sprouted along his arms and chest. His frame stretched, bones cracking as he grew to an imposing four meters tall, his hands now resembling monstrous claws.

"Partial Shift!"

His voice, now deeper and rougher, carried a primal edge that sent an instinctual warning through the air. His previously overwhelming strength had just doubled.

Mattia didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his greatsword swinging in a deadly horizontal arc. Boris met the strike head-on, catching the massive blade between his claws. The ground beneath them shattered from the collision, chunks of marble and steel erupting into the sky. For a moment, they were locked in a contest of raw power, Mattia pushing forward with all his might while Boris grinned.

Then Boris shifted his weight, twisting his arms and forcing the blade downward. Mattia reacted instantly, wrenching his weapon free and spinning to the side just as Boris's claws raked the air where his chest had been.

Mattia retaliated with a downward slash, his blade crashing against Boris's shoulder, cutting deep into his flesh. The Russian let out a guttural growl, but his grin remained intact. Blood dripped from the wound, but he barely seemed to notice.

"Ghahaha, you little club, you're not weak!" Boris admitted, flexing his claws. "But you're gonna need more than that."

Before Mattia could move, Boris slammed his fist into the ground, tearing up a massive chunk of the street. With inhuman ease, he lifted the rubble, an entire building's worth of debris, and hurled it skyward.

Mattia's eyes flicked toward the air, tracking its trajectory. 'Not at me.'

High above, Adam and Venin's battle raged, a storm of mana and poison clashing in midair. The airborne battlefield had remained separate, until now. Boris's colossal throw sent the crumbling structure directly toward them, a building-sized projectile set to crush everything in its path.

Mattia exhaled sharply. 'Damn him. He's forcing Adam to break focus.'

There was no time to shout a warning. Adam had already noticed, his body flickering with light blue energy as he prepared to intercept.

Boris, seeing Mattia momentarily distracted, took the opening.

His massive claw tore through the air.

Mattia barely managed to bring his greatsword up in time to block, but the force was devastating. He skidded backward, his boots carving deep trenches in the ruined street. His hands ached from the sheer pressure, but he kept his grip firm. He could not afford to falter.

Boris didn't let up. He charged, his quadrupedal stance adding terrifying momentum to his next strike. His clawed foot slammed into the ground, launching him forward like a bullet. Mattia barely sidestepped before Boris's punch cratered the street where he had been standing.

Mattia retaliated, twisting his body and delivering a two-handed downward slash, his sword cutting through the air with lethal precision. It met Boris's forearm, and cracked.

For the first time, Mattia felt it.

A vibration ran through his sword, unnatural and sickeningly sharp. His eyes widened as tiny fractures spread along the blade's surface, his weapon, the one that has accompanied him untill now, was struggling against Boris's raw, overwhelming power.

'No!'

Boris saw it too. His grin widened, and in an instant, he slammed his other claw directly against the weakened edge of Mattia's sword.

The greatsword shattered.

A deafening crack echoed through the battlefield as Mattia's most trusted weapon broke apart, shards of steel scattering in every direction. For a split second, time seemed to stop.

Then Boris's next attack landed.

A massive claw strike raked across Mattia's abdomen, a brutal, merciless slash that sent him flying backward. Blood splattered against the broken pavement as he crashed through the remnants of a collapsed structure, rolling to a stop amidst the rubble.

Silence followed.

Then Boris laughed. Loudly.

"HA! Not so cocky now, are you?" He flexed his bloodied claws with his form still active. "C'mon, Crimson Storm! Get up! You wanted a fight, didn't you?"

Dust swirled around Mattia's motionless form. His body ached, his breathing heavy. His vision blurred slightly as he stared at the shattered remains of his greatsword, the once-proud weapon reduced to useless fragments.

But despite the pain, despite the overwhelming force of his opponent, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

'Bastard actually broke my sword.'

His fingers twitched. His mana surged. And deep in his crimson eyes, something burned brighter than ever.

(2:13 AM)

Adam landed atop a partially destroyed skyscraper with his boots pressing against the fractured concrete as he watched Venin streak toward him like a venomous shadow. The assassin moved with terrifying speed, his form barely distinguishable in the night, his remaining mask's mechanical breathing the only sound cutting through the distant destruction.

'Awà?'

[Analysis complete.]

A slow smile tugged at Adam's lips. His glowing light blue eyes locked onto Venin with his voice carrying with the weight of absolute certainty.

"The test time is over."

Venin didn't hesitate. His poison constructs sharpened into dozens of serrated lances, each one launching toward Adam with lethal precision. But the moment they neared, space itself folded. The constructs froze mid-air, trapped within an endless loop of distorted reality.

Venin shifted, attempting to retreat, but his body refused to move. He was locked.

His unparalleled speed, his mastery of movement, it meant nothing now. Adam had severed the concept of distance around him. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.

Venin's eyes narrowed.

Adam raised his palm and a construct of deep purple poison manifested within it, swirling ominously. The sight of it made Venin's eyes widen in pure shock.

Before he could react, chains erupted from the void, coiling around his body like serpents, tightening with each passing second. These were no ordinary bindings. They didn't just restrain, they drained. His mana was being siphoned, fed back into the very chains that ensnared him.

Adam's gaze flickered toward the battlefield below. His attention shifted just in time to see Boris shatter Mattia's greatsword with his claws raking through the Italian Hunter's abdomen in a devastating slash. Blood painted the broken streets as Mattia crashed into the rubble, unmoving.

Adam exhaled slowly, then lifted a hand. From the ruins, a greatsword stirred. Broken stone and dust parted as the weapon flew toward Mattia.