A Predator’s Hunt

Chapter 53: A Predator's Hunt

The world outside had grown quieter. No more distant explosions. No sirens. No panicked civilians running for cover.

For the first time since Kael-X had arrived on Earth, humanity wasn't trying to kill him.

But Zypheron-5 still was.

Kael-X stood on the rooftop of an abandoned skyscraper, gazing at the city bathed in neon lights below. The Shadow Beast that had just bonded with him—now named Oblivion—was curled around his shoulders like living smoke, its glowing amber eyes scanning the streets.

They are close. Oblivion's voice slithered through his mind. Four of them. Unfamiliar scent. Not fully human.

Kael-X's jaw tightened. "Zypheron-5's infiltration squad."

Crowley's voice crackled in his earpiece. "You're sure about this? You're just gonna hunt them down like a damn assassin?"

Kael-X smirked. "That's exactly what I'm gonna do."

Crowley chuckled. "Not gonna lie—I kinda like this side of you."

Kael-X ignored him. He focused, his enhanced vision piercing through the skyline, tracking movement where there shouldn't be any. The Zypheron-5 operatives weren't normal soldiers. They wouldn't march in, guns blazing. No, they were specialists—designed to blend in, to erase threats silently.

Kael-X knew their tactics. After all… he used to be one of them.

A flicker of movement. A rooftop two blocks away. A shadow shifting against the wind.

There.

Kael-X took a step forward and vanished.

---

The First Target

The first agent never saw it coming.

Kael-X blurred into existence behind him, his presence a whisper of death.

The operative—a tall figure clad in an adaptive cloaking suit—didn't even have time to turn before Kael-X's fingers wrapped around his throat.

"Gotcha."

With a flick of his wrist, Kael-X ripped the cloaking device straight off the agent's belt. The man's body shimmered, his invisibility failing as he became fully visible. His expression twisted in shock, but before he could make a sound—

CRACK!

Kael-X's knee drove into his ribs, sending him flying into the side of an air conditioning unit. The agent collapsed, wheezing.

Kael-X knelt beside him, voice calm but cold. "How many of you are here?"

The agent spat blood, glaring up at him. "You're dead. You just don't know it yet."

Kael-X sighed. "Wrong answer."

Oblivion's smoky form slithered forward, its golden eyes glowing eerily.

Shall I consume him? the beast asked, almost lazily.

The agent froze. The color drained from his face.

Kael-X smirked. "Oh, now you're scared? That's cute."

The man's breathing quickened. He knew what Shadow Beasts could do—consume minds, erase souls, leave nothing behind.

"I—wait—"

Kael-X leaned in, voice low. "Names. Locations. Now."

The agent swallowed hard. "…There's four of us. Two on the ground, one setting up a recon drone."

Kael-X tilted his head. "And?"

The man hesitated. Then, finally, he whispered, "…They sent a specialist. He's not like us."

Kael-X's smirk faded. "Define 'specialist.'"

The agent coughed. "He's… like you."

---

The Apex Predator

Kael-X stood still for a long moment, processing those words.

A specialist from Zypheron-5. Someone like him.

A surge of excitement twisted in his gut.

He wasn't the only predator in this hunt.

Kael-X turned back to the agent, but before he could speak, a faint beep echoed from the man's suit.

His heart sank.

Remote detonation.

Kael-X barely had time to react before the agent's entire body detonated in a controlled explosion.

BOOM!

The rooftop shook. Kael-X blurred backward, dodging the flames, but his expression remained cold.

So that's how Zypheron-5 was playing this. Disposable soldiers. No loose ends.

He exhaled slowly. Then, he turned to Oblivion. "Find the next one."

The Shadow Beast's mouth curled in a grin. With pleasure.

As Kael-X vanished into the night, one thought echoed in his mind.

If Zypheron-5 had sent someone like him…

Then this hunt was about to get interesting.

---

Chapter 53 (Continued): A Predator's Hunt

The fire from the rooftop explosion still crackled behind him as Kael-X leaped across the skyline. The city's neon lights streaked below like a blur of colors, but his mind was focused on only one thing—the specialist.

Someone like him.

Zypheron-5 had been trying to kill or capture him ever since he broke free, but sending a specialist meant they were done playing games. This wasn't just about eliminating a rogue experiment anymore.

They had sent a predator to hunt another predator.

And Kael-X was eager to see who would come out on top.

---

Tracking the Next Target

Oblivion slithered along Kael-X's shoulders, its glowing amber eyes scanning the city below.

"The remaining agents are separating. One is attempting to flee. The other is still setting up the recon drone."

Kael-X smirked. "The one running first."

"Hunting the weak? Not very sporting."

Kael-X chuckled. "Nah. It's called cleaning up loose ends."

In a fraction of a second, Kael-X vanished.

He reappeared on a street below, the shockwave of his landing cracking the pavement. The fleeing Zypheron-5 operative was already two blocks away, sprinting into an alley.

Big mistake.

Kael-X blurred forward, closing the distance instantly.

The agent barely had time to turn before Kael-X slammed him into the wall.

A pained grunt escaped the man's lips as the impact left a dent in the brickwork. He struggled, but Kael-X's grip was like iron.

"Going somewhere?" Kael-X asked casually, pressing his knee into the man's chest.

The agent gasped for air, his hands shaking. "Please… I—"

Kael-X tilted his head. "You detonated your teammate. You don't get to beg for mercy."

The agent's face twisted with fear. He knew he wasn't getting out of this alive.

But then—

Bzzzt.

A red light flickered on the man's wristband. A silent activation signal.

Kael-X's instincts flared.

Another detonation.

BOOM!

The explosion engulfed the alley in fire, but Kael-X had already reacted—his shadow beasts surged forward, swallowing the flames before they could reach him.

When the fire cleared, Kael-X stood unharmed, the ground beneath him scorched.

He sighed. "Annoying."

Oblivion chuckled. "They are willing to die rather than be caught. That is… amusing."

Kael-X wasn't laughing. Zypheron-5 was erasing its tracks too perfectly.

Which meant the real threat—the specialist—was still waiting.

And it was time to flush him out.

---

The Recon Drone

Kael-X leaped back onto the rooftops, moving toward the final location Oblivion had pinpointed.

The last operative was still setting up the recon drone, unaware that his team was already gone.

Kael-X landed behind him silently.

"Hey."

The agent whipped around, reaching for a weapon—

Too late.

Kael-X blurred forward and grabbed the drone.

The agent froze in terror as Kael-X crushed the device with one hand, letting the broken pieces fall to the rooftop.

"You can either talk," Kael-X said, cracking his knuckles, "or I let my shadow beasts play with you."

The agent swallowed hard. "I… I don't know anything! I was just ordered to—"

A gunshot.

The agent's body stiffened. A perfect, clean bullet hole appeared in his forehead.

Kael-X instantly turned, eyes narrowing.

From the rooftop across the street, a figure stood. A sniper rifle rested against his shoulder.

Not an ordinary Zypheron-5 soldier.

The specialist.

Kael-X grinned. "Finally."

The specialist slowly removed his mask, revealing sharp, calculating eyes. He looked eerily calm—too calm.

"Kael-X," the man said, voice steady. "I've been waiting for this."

Kael-X's smirk widened. "Then don't keep me waiting."

He launched himself forward—and the real battle began.

---

End of Chapter 53