Marcus couldn't believe what he was seeing.
According to Adrian and Jhon, Duke had lost both arms less than a week ago. Forearms and hands—cleanly severed.
Kara had already explained the regenerative capacity of Transformers. It wasn't a secret. They healed faster than any human, closing deep cuts in hours, mending bones in days. They could even regenerate amputations. Fingers. Hands. An entire arm, if given enough time.
But not like this.
Two forearms and two hands in less than a week didn't add up. Not even close. Marcus ran the numbers automatically. A month, at least. And that under ideal conditions—no combat, no excessive ether expenditure. Before that, the body simply couldn't manage it.
And that was without mentioning how the bastard hadn't bled out in the middle of the forest after losing both arms.
The numbers didn't make sense.
There were only three possibilities.
Either Duke had an abnormal ether technique, one of those bordering on legendary. Or his trait was directly tied to regeneration, bypassing known limitations. Or, simply, Duke didn't play by the same rules.
Marcus clenched his jaw.
And as if one more proof were needed, he remembered the shattered floor, the collapsed ceiling, the entrance broken open.
Pure brute force.
Duke was a monster between monsters—in the most literal sense.
Marcus froze for a moment, taking in the scene.
Duke's voice echoed through the chamber like thunder, every word loaded with threat and twisted humor. The pointing gesture seemed to challenge him directly, reminding him of a fight that had never been finished.
Duke charged toward him with heavy steps, the floor shaking under the impact of each stride. No doubt: Duke didn't care about the egg.
Marcus turned his head to the right, quickly assessing the situation. There, beyond the chaos, Rylan was advancing toward the egg with unwavering determination. Every second, the distance closed.
Liora's group had chosen the main objective: secure the egg as quickly as possible.
Marcus understood the immediate priority. He couldn't afford to be distracted for long. If he wanted any chance to save the egg—or at least intervene strategically—he had to move with speed and precision.
His eyes returned to Duke. The distance between them closed with each second, the monster's roar filling the space with an almost physical pressure.
Marcus clenched his fists, feeling his pulse accelerate, mentally calculating the time before first contact.
Then he heard footsteps.
They weren't heavy or chaotic. They were regular. Measured.
Marcus turned his head.
From the west entrance emerged a humanoid monster about three and a half meters tall. Slim. White, pale skin, almost textureless. He wore a dark blue kimono, black hakama, and a simple gray obi, no adornments. In his right hand, he held a katana nearly two meters long, straight and proportioned perfectly to his height.
The weapon didn't drag. It didn't tremble. It stayed aligned with his body.
Marcus took another second to process what he was seeing.
His face.
Too human. Symmetrical features, neutral expression, calm gaze. No fangs, no exaggerated deformities. This didn't look like a monster imitating a human. It looked like a human trapped in a monstrous body. That contradiction created immediate discomfort.
The second impression hit immediately after.
His speed.
He ran fast, obvious and direct. His body moved with an unnatural lightness for its size, covering ground in an instant. No preparation, no prior tension: he was already at high speed from the first step.
Behind him, emerging from the same entrance, ran another monstrous form Marcus recognized immediately.
Victoria.
Her presence filled the space even before she fully entered. The contrast was brutal: the contained elegance of the swordsman against the overwhelming dominance of the golden warrior.
Marcus understood something in that instant.
The balance of the chamber had just shifted.
He turned to see Duke, who had already arrived.
Duke leapt without hesitation, his entire body projected forward, and launched a flying kick aimed directly at Marcus's chest. It wasn't a technical strike; it was mass and speed concentrated into a single trajectory.
Marcus didn't retreat. He adjusted his step diagonally, just half a meter—the minimum needed.
The blow brushed past his torso, the compressed air rattling his plates. In the same movement, he pivoted on his back foot and positioned himself to Duke's side, out of the line of force.
Marcus took a short step forward and delivered a sharp punch to Duke's side, aiming just below the ribs, where the twist hadn't yet closed the guard.
The impact didn't land fully. Duke raised his opposite elbow violently, absorbing the blow against his bandaged forearm.
Without leaving space, Marcus chained a second attack. He rotated his hips and thrust his fist upward toward Duke's head, direct and clean. Duke reacted instantly, raising the opposite arm to close his guard. The punch crashed against the defense and was deflected outward.
Liora watched from the other side of the chamber, evaluating the fight with calculating eyes.
The situation had devolved into complete chaos. Liora observed everything at once, trying to adapt to the speed at which events unfolded.
Her gaze first settled on the entrance from which Victoria had just burst in. Clearly, she had a specific objective: secure her spot among the top three in the event and probably secure the egg before anyone else.
She was likely still upset over the raid.
Her eyes then shifted to the humanoid monster with the katana. She recognized him instantly.
Ryunosuke, the prodigy. She didn't understand how he had allied with Victoria, but his presence disrupted any predictions Liora had made. The combination of the two changed everything.
Her eyes returned to Rylan. He was already close to the egg, moving with calculated precision. He could buy time and pressure for the rest of the group.
Liora made a mental note that Emma also needed to intervene.
Finally, she observed Marcus and Duke. As expected, Marcus had infiltrated the chamber, reached this point, and remained operational. How he managed it remained a mystery; his ability to adapt and overcome obstacles in extreme conditions seemed to defy logic.
And Duke. Another mystery. Despite everything that had happened, he was here, whole, active, ready. No one would be surprised if he destroyed part of the chamber with pure brute force at any moment. Liora couldn't afford to underestimate him.
He was a tough bastard, one who left a mark in any confrontation—and now, right here, his presence added another layer of complication to the chaos already dominating the scene.
Rylan advanced toward the egg with calculated movements, his monstrous form adjusting to every irregularity of the floor. He had navigated past ants with measured steps, cutting limbs when necessary, conserving energy.
Looking at Ryunosuke, he calculated the distance and speed of the prodigy. The bastard had entered later than him, but moved so fast it seemed they would reach the egg simultaneously. It was clear: he had to adjust his strategy.
Without hesitation, Rylan changed trajectory. He veered sideways and charged at Ryunosuke.
His target was no longer the egg; now it was about buying time for his companions. He couldn't face Ryunosuke directly—that meant certain defeat.
Rylan knew Ryun's reputation, knew a frontal clash offered slim chances.
At the same time, he threw his sword, timing the throw with precision and force.
Ryunosuke reacted with instinct and calculation. He skidded abruptly on the wet rock, absorbing the blade's force as it grazed his side. The movement was fluid, without losing control or speed. Within seconds, he resumed his run toward Rylan, seeking confrontation.
Rylan launched a direct thrust at Ryunosuke's torso. Ryun twisted his torso, deflecting the strike with his katana, using the momentum to deliver a diagonal cut toward Rylan's shoulder.
Rylan blocked with the other sword, the impact vibrating through their arms, but he didn't yield an inch.
Then Rylan stepped back, attempting an upward slash meant to catch Ryun off guard from the flank.
Ryunosuke responded with a spin, evading the attack and launching a horizontal cut that brushed against Rylan's blade, sparks flying from the clash.
Rylan struck quickly at Ryunosuke again, who sidestepped smoothly, keeping his katana firm.
Rylan was slightly confused. Normally, wielding two swords gave him brutal rhythm advantage: he could alternate strikes, cover angles, move his arms like extensions of his body. That coordination allowed him to control the pace of the fight, maintain flow, and anticipate reactions.
But Ryun was different. Not only did he seem to match Rylan's speed at every exchange, he responded in the most efficient way possible.
Not only that, Ryun always found a way to disarm or neutralize attacks effortlessly.
Before Rylan could continue, a buzz cut through the tension. A blue bubble appeared at high speed, descending from above. Inside, Emma floated, eyes fixed on them.
Before Rylan could react, the blue bubble exploded in a flash of light and energy.
Emma emerged without pause, transforming: her body grew into a monstrous bear nearly five meters tall, with massive muscles and shiny dark brown fur.
Her eyes locked on Ryun as she landed heavily on the ground, making the rock vibrate beneath her weight. A deep roar echoed through the chamber, announcing her presence and alerting Ryun that
Rylan was no longer alone.