The attack happened so fast Cole didn’t know what hit him. Sariph had teleported between Cain and Cole, slashing them in an instant. Both of them instinctively lessened the blow with wind shields, but still the attack got through. Cole was flung backwards into the blood soaked mud. He would be gasping If he didn’t have the wind knocked out of him. A huge slice traversing up his leg to his shoulder had been taken out of him.

Cole struggles to get his hand into his pocket. Finally he clasps his remaining healing crystal. Just like in his fight with Death, his skin aggressively stretches across his chest to reattach itself. He jumps up realizing he’s already spent too much time on the ground. His vision is hazy, still recovering from the hit. Luckily it seems the demon only came in long enough to stop the creators of the storm or else Cole would already be dead. Sariph has already jumped back into the heated battle with Growler.

How are we supposed to stop that thing? With each hit Growler is shrinking. It must take a massive amount of energy to continue moving a body so large. At this rate we’re done for. Even with our combined powers we couldn’t stop it!

Cole wonders if he should share his healing crystal with Cain. For without his help this battle is over. He looks around expecting to find an injured doppelganger stuck in the mud, but he can’t find him. For a moment he struggles through the slick ground, spinning, quickly realizing that Cain is gone.

Did the demon eat him? Or did he escape?!

Sure enough as Cole watches the super giants battle unfold, Growler is shrinking rapidly. He’s starting to lose. His movements are becoming faster, but each hit is becoming softer. As Growler decreases he continues to throw chunks of mountain terrain until there’s nothing left to throw. What’s left is a giant, bloody, naked man growling at the demon. Sariph on the other hand is showing no sign of slowing down. His structure has become so spiky that he appears to be related to a thorny devil lizard.

Cole’s hope crashes before his eyes. He buckles to his knees sloshing in the blood soaked mud. Shado teleports next to Cole as if he sensed he needed consoling. He pulls him out of the mud pit speaking to him, “Can you believe it?! Blood rain! This is disgusting!”

Cole replies but can’t share the same enthusiasm, “I don’t know where Cain went. Did the demon eat him?!”

“I don’t know. The attack was too fast. I didn’t see what happened.”

Cole replies with a defeated tone, “Is it over then? This is it? The mountain, he’s losing size. He can’t compete anymore!”

Shado replies with excitement in his voice, “Well, I have an idea. It’s dangerous… Look how thick the clouds are. I’ve never seen anything like it! This is literally the biggest shadow I’ve ever seen! I mean just look at it!”

“I hope you’re not thinking what I think you are!”

Shado pulls his skull mask over his face before replying to Cole, “How do you think I’ve survived this long? I know how to run!”

Shado pulls out his favorite poison infused combat knives, then does a running jump into the air. He surprises Cole when he teleports mid air. He didn’t even need to land on a shadow before completing the jump. Shado lands directly in front of Sariph taunting, “Pick on someone your own size, you aborted freak of nature!”