Chapter 20 – The Warbringer’s Judgment

Cain barely had time to react before the Warbringer moved.

It wasn't fast—it was instant.

One moment, it stood in the clearing, weapon raised. The next, it was in front of him, its spear already swinging toward his head.

Cain's Titan Core exploded to life, golden energy surging through his limbs. His instincts screamed, and he twisted just in time. The spear tore through the air where he had stood, splintering the ground on impact. The force of the attack sent a shockwave through the clearing, trees bending under the pressure.

Cain hit the ground hard, rolling before pushing himself up. His heart pounded.

Too fast. Too strong.

This wasn't like fighting an Enforcer. Warbringers were built for annihilation.

Cain barely had time to move before the Warbringer attacked again, its massive frame moving with terrifying precision. It didn't waste movement. It didn't hesitate.

It wasn't human.

Cain ducked low as the spear slashed horizontally, missing his chest by inches. The energy radiating from it burned the air, warping space itself. He countered immediately, golden flames flaring around his fist as he struck forward—

The Warbringer caught his punch.

Cain's eyes widened. His Titan-infused strike should have shattered armor, should have at least forced it back.

But the Warbringer didn't flinch.

Its gauntleted fingers tightened around his fist, and suddenly, Cain felt an unbearable pressure crushing his hand. The Titan Core in his veins flared instinctively, reinforcing his bones just in time to stop them from shattering.

But it still hurt.

The Warbringer's helmeted gaze bore into him.

"You are an anomaly."

Cain gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well, I get that a lot."

The Warbringer threw him.

Cain's body launched through the air, the force of the throw sending him crashing through a stack of crates. The impact rattled his ribs, but he was already moving, rolling to his feet just in time to see the Warbringer closing the distance again.

No time to breathe. No time to plan.

Just fight.

Cain planted his foot and surged forward, golden light crackling around him. His movements blurred as he dodged under the next attack, twisting around the Warbringer's massive frame.

His fists slammed into its back, Titan energy detonating on impact.

The ground beneath them fractured.

The Warbringer stumbled half a step.

Then it turned, completely unscathed.

Cain's stomach tightened.

"Insufficient force," the Warbringer declared. Its massive arm lashed out, and Cain barely had time to brace before a solid metal fist crashed into his side.

The world blurred.

Cain hit the ground hard, the impact leaving a crater in the dirt. He groaned, forcing himself up, but his vision swam for a second. His ribs screamed in protest.

The Titan Core had saved him. Again.

But it was burning too fast.

The Warbringer didn't wait. It lifted its spear, the energy along its edge shifting—condensing.

Cain recognized what was happening.

It was about to end this.

His fingers twitched. The Titan Core was roaring now, power begging to be unleashed.

But Cain had never let it go fully.

Not yet.

He didn't know what would happen if he did.

His golden eyes flicked to the side, searching for the woman—the former Enforcer who knew too much.

She was gone.

Cain clenched his jaw. Had she fled? Had she decided he wasn't worth the risk?

His thoughts fractured as the Warbringer's spear pulsed violently. The energy along its blade had condensed into a singular point, a sliver of white-hot destruction.

Cain had seconds.

His Titan Core screamed.

Cain moved.

He lunged forward just as the Warbringer thrust its spear down, the weapon tearing through the air with the force of a falling star.

Cain's golden flames detonated around him, energy bursting outward in a blinding surge of raw force. His speed tripled, his body moving faster than thought as he twisted—

The spear hit the ground.

And the world erupted.

A shockwave of annihilation tore through the clearing, erasing everything in its radius. Cain had barely avoided it, but the sheer force of the impact still sent him flying backward, his ears ringing, his vision flickering.

The Titan Core fought to stabilize him, but the damage had been done. His body wasn't built for this yet.

The dust cleared.

Cain pushed himself up, coughing, his limbs shaking slightly. He was still alive.

The Warbringer stood untouched, its weapon still humming with condensed power.

Cain exhaled sharply. He couldn't win this.

Not yet.

His mind raced. He needed a way out—now.

Then, a gunshot rang through the air.

Cain blinked.

A bullet struck the Warbringer's shoulder from above, sending a brief spark of impact rippling across its armor. It didn't do damage, but it got its attention.

Cain's head snapped up—toward the rooftops.

And there—standing against the moonlight, rifle in hand, glowing blue eyes gleaming—was the woman.

Cain barely had time to register the sight before she jumped.

Not down.

At the Warbringer.

Cain's breath caught.

She moved like something unnatural, her body shifting midair in impossible ways. Her form flickered, twisting just like it had when she had avoided the Enforcer's attack earlier.

And then—she was behind the Warbringer.

Before it could react, she drove her hand into the back of its armor.

And the world collapsed inward.

Cain felt it—space bending, warping around the impact point. Like the Abyss itself had just opened up for a fraction of a second.

The Warbringer staggered.

It was the first time it had shown anything resembling vulnerability.

Cain's instincts screamed.

What the hell was she?

She landed lightly beside him, her rifle slung back over her shoulder. "I suggest we run."

Cain's golden eyes burned.

But before he could say anything, the Warbringer began to move again.

And this time—it adapted.

The ground beneath them fractured violently, energy crackling across the Warbringer's frame as its armor began to shift, its power amplifying.

Cain's breath stalled.

The fight hadn't weakened it.

It had just woken up.

The woman swore. "That's new."

Cain gritted his teeth, muscles tensing.

The Warbringer raised its weapon again.

And Cain realized—this time, neither of them were walking away unscathed.