CHAPTER 16. PREDATORS' PREDATOR.

“I really thought that was going to be like... a little harder or something." Gwen said as she leapt down, Damon and Zephyr landing just beside her.

The massive worm collapsed with a final tremor, crumbling into the earth.

As they neared the heart of the city, distant screams pierced the air.

"What's that."

The trio gasps, instinctively sprinting towards the sound.

Their eyes widened at the horror laced before them. Corpses littered the streets, People screaming as they are being stabbed through, leaving them for dead immediately.

And stood at the center of the carnage was a monster.

It was Seraphim.

Her eyes turned pitch black, black veins resting all over her body, her arms had stretched into grotesque, worm-like tendrils, draining the blood from anyone she touched, leaving behind empty husks.

She turned slowly, her cracked lips curling into a grin. In a low, rasping voice, she spoke.

“Thank you for setting me free so early. It would’ve taken at least 200 years on my own.”

Zephyr narrowed his eyes. “That’s not Seraphim.”

“Obviously." Gwen muttered, lowering her body into a fighting stance. "Her energy feels just like the worm's."

Damon’s hands trembled. His eyes darted across the bloodied corpses. “What’s going on? I...I, I thought we took it down… How is it still here? They’re all dead because of me."

He panted heavily, his chest pounded.

Smack!

Zephyr slapped him across the face. “You lose your head one too many times.”

Damon looked up slowly, stunned.

“None of us could’ve predicted this, you dumb moron,” Zephyr snapped, his voice sharp but steady.

Seraphim tilted her head, amused. “You kids done with your little heart-to-heart?”

“Shut the hell up, you disgusting freak,” Gwen snarled, her face twisted in revulsion.

Seraphim licked her lips as worm-like tentacles erupted from her back, each one lined with rows of gnashing teeth like sandworms.

Gwen dashed in regardless, weaving through the lashing tentacles with sharp, clean movements, leaping side to side, dodging each one as they struck the ground.

Seraphim licked her lips as worm-like tentacles erupted from her spine, each one lined with rows of gnashing teeth like sandworms.

Gwen dashed in regardless, weaving through the lashing tentacles with sharp, clean movements, leaping side to side, dodging each one as they struck the ground.

Seraphim charged forward, her tentacles still lashing out in a frenzy.

Gwen closed the distance almost immediately, her body a streak of red and green blur. Her feet struck the earth with a soft crack as she launched a powerful punch.

Seraphim leapt aside, almost phasing out of the way, her tentacles immediately lashing twice in wide arcs. Gwen leaned to the side and ducked, slipping past both attacks—only for a third to thrust straight toward her.

Her eyes snapped forward, and her body responded instantly, arching into a deep backward bend, hands never touching the ground. She tracked the movement, and as Seraphim withdrew, pulling the tentacle away, Gwen snapped upright and surged forward.

Seraphim let out a dark grin, stretching her arms wide. Two thin, razor-edged tentacles extended. With a flick of her wrists, they slashed inward in an X-formation.

Gwen dropped low, the shockwave from the strike shearing every building in sight. She darted forward on all fours, diving through the rubble and debris.

A tentacle lashed at her mid-sprint, but Gwen vaulted over it, swinging her fist mid-air. The tentacle crashed into the ground—her punch landed square on Seraphim’s jaw.

Relentless, Gwen followed up with another blow to the other side of her face—then a third—but froze halfway, her eyes narrowing.

A tentacle shot forward but Gwen tilted her head, tearing through, it managed to graze her cheek..

Another two burst from either side but she caught them both in her hands.

A third came slashing from the flank, aimed straight at her neck.

Only Inches away from it. Gwen smirked and dropped low, clearing a path.

FOR HIM.

Damon flashed above her, his eyes trailing shimmers of silver, his fist crashed into Seraphim’s face with explosive force—blasting her into the nearest wall.

“Took you long enough,” Gwen turned to him with a smile.

Seraphim growled—but before she could recover, arrows of compressed wind tore through her tentacles, hands, and legs—pinning her to the wall with a sharp, concussive thunk.

Seraphim growled in pain as Zephyr teleported beside Damon and Gwen.

“It’s still no different from before,” Zephyr said coldly.

“Yeah, but we need to figure out how to, you know... remove the sandworm ghost thing from her,” Damon replied, glancing at him.

“Cant you do it." Gwen turned to Damon, "I mean, you did it with noisy queen."

“No... This is different.” Damon’s gaze shifted to Gwen, eyes darkening.

Seraphim’s growl deepened—and slowly, it turned into laughter.

“I can feel it now,” she hissed, her voice warped and scratchy. “My powers... they’re finally returning. Not much longer, and I’ll kill this bitch—and break free!”

Dark smoke began to swirl and gather around her.

The wind arrows pinning her dissolved instantly.

The black smoke cleared, revealing her arms back to normal—no more tentacles hanging from her back—but her hair had turned pitch black, flowing backward despite the still air.

She roared, the ground trembling beneath her.

In an instant, she was beside Damon, swinging a fist toward his face. Damon’s eyes tracked the attack, and he immediately formed a force field shield. The blow struck, shattering the shield effortlessly and sending him sliding back.

Zephyr’s gaze flicked from Damon to Seraphim, narrowed with fury. He teleported behind her, wind dagger in hand, swinging down. Her hair whipped around, grabbing his hand, it struck his face, knocking him back before extending to grab his neck and squeeze it tight.

Blood dripped from the side of Zephyr’s head, but he recovered instantly, eyes blazing with intensity. Suddenly, Seraphim’s hair shattered into a billion pieces as a fierce wind erupted from Zephyr’s body.

Just then, Gwen was already charging forward, her breath quiet and steady, fist blazing with energy. As Seraphim snapped her focus back to her torn hair for a split second, Gwen slid in close and slammed her fist into Seraphim’s gut, sending her flying backward, hitting the ground and rolling.

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Zephyr teleported above Seraphim’s back mid-motion. His eyes glowed brightly.

“Helix Sphere.”

His voice was low and steady as violent winds gathered around his palm, forming a swirling ball of destruction. Pressing it onto her back, the impact left a massive crater. Zephyr vanished, teleporting away instantly.

“I really love that attack, you know,” Gwen said with a smile. “What about the other one? You haven’t used it in a while.”

“I can’t just throw those attacks around,” Zephyr replied.

“Why? Too much stamina?” Gwen asked.

“No… I copied those attack from someone very great,” he answered.

“Weirdo,” Gwen teased, grinning.

Damon regrouped with them, dropping gracefully from above.

Gwen nudged his shoulder. “You see Zephyr’s attack just now, right? Cool, huh? Wish I had powers like that, it's a waste on him.”

“I did. It’s the same one he used on Ivy,” Damon said with a smile. “And the name’s even cooler—‘Helix Sphere.’” He mimicked Zephyr’s tone.

Zephyr scowled in mock annoyance. Even though Gwen and Damon clearly admired the technique, something about their teasing tone made his skin crawl.

Suddenly, Seraphim rose to her feet.

Despite blood streaming down her face, she looked... energized.

“More!, more!!, more!!!” she howled. “It’s all feeding me!”

The trio froze, confused by her words.

Without warning, Damon and Gwen lunged in. Zephyr teleported beside her, spinning violently, he landed a kick that hurled her into a wall.

Dust burst outward— and her hair shot out like tendrils, anchoring into the wall, stopping her from hitting it.

“MORE!!!”

She rocketed forward like a missile.

Damon slammed his foot into the ground. Spikes of jagged stone shot up beneath her in a cone formation—impaling her limbs and body.

Seraphim's muscles tightened unnaturally. With a sickening crack, she tore herself free—shards of stone flying in every direction.

“MORE!!!”

Gwen was already there, a blazing fist cutting upward toward her gut. Seraphim blocked, knocking her arm down—but Gwen pivoted and came from the side. Another block. Seraphim retaliated with a sharp hook to Gwen’s cheek, knocking her low.

But Gwen only grinned wider.

She kicked Seraphim’s knee, throwing her off balance, and drove a brutal knee into her chin. Then, with speed unnatural, Gwen landed dual punches from each side straight to Seraphim’s face—followed by a crushing uppercut.

Seraphim reeled, teeth bared, but her hair snapped outward like blades. Gwen caught both strands midair and slammed another knee into her jaw, stunning her.

Before she could recover, a synchronized strike smashed into her—Gwen’s punch and Damon’s flying kick colliding with her face.

The impact sent Seraphim skidding back, hands digging into the ground to slow herself. As she stabilized, Zephyr appeared beside her—wind daggers flashing. He slashed sidewards, but her hair blocked the blow. Still, the force launched her backward into a wall.

Just as she steadied herself again, a wind arrow pierced her gut, pinning her in place.

The trio regrouped, breathless.

“Heh... hahaha...” Seraphim chuckled darkly.

“That last attack...” she muttered, pulling the arrow from her stomach with a wet sound. She licked the blood from its tip. “Tasted... beautiful.”

“That’s disgusting,” Gwen muttered, clearly repulsed.

A pulse of power erupted from Seraphim. The air exploded outward, tearing through the ruins around them—everything vanished except the shattered earth beneath their feet.

The trio froze. A crushing pressure bore down on them, suffocating, paralyzing. Seraphim hadn’t even moved—and yet it felt like they were drowning in her presence.

Like a PREDATOR LOCKED ON TO ITS PREY.

Then, in a blink, she was there—right in front of them. Her clawed hand swept in a brutal arc aimed to rip through all three at once.

But her strike halted mid motion.

“Hey, kids.”

A calm voice echoed from behind them.

Grimm stood there, a finger raised casually—effortlessly stopping Seraphim’s monstrous attack.

Damon smiled, not even bothering to look back. “Show-off.”

Seraphim leaped back with insane speed, but Grimm was already behind her. Her eyes widened—then narrowed with fury. She twisted and screamed, unleashing her hair like whips.

Grimm leapt back just as violently. "Oooh."

Her hair launched in a chaotic barrage, but he weaved through it all—playfully, effortlessly.

Damon and Zephyr sat cross-legged on the floor, watching like it was a sparring match.

Gwen, however, trembled with excitement.

“Gwen… don’t even think about it. You’ll only get in his way,” Zephyr warned her.

“Oh, no,” she muttered, sweat dripping down her face. “You’ve got the wrong idea.”

Grimm smiled, still dodging and parrying. “Ah, Gwendolyn. Care to jump in?” he called out.

Gwen’s eyes widened—then she grinned like a madwoman.

Seraphim lunged at Grimm.

Grimm’s eyes snapped forward. "You're still as agressive, even when taken over by." He raised a hand, poised to flick her forehead—

But in a blink, he and Gwen switched places.

Gwen appeared mid-air and slammed her fist into Seraphim’s face, sending her skidding back.

Seraphim rose slowly, hair flaring violently. Gwen, sweating like never before, didn’t flinch. Her gaze burned.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Damon called out to Grimm, irritation in his voice.

Grimm stood relaxed, arms tucked into the holes of his yukata sleeves, a knowing smile on his face.

“Tell me, Kid,” he said calmly, eyes still on the battle. “Do you know what separates the strong from the weak?”

"What are you talking about?." Damon asked, confused.

Grimm’s voice lowered, firm yet gentle.

“It’s not power. It’s not talent. It’s will. The strong aren’t those born mighty—they’re the ones who refuse to stop moving forward. They crawl through fear, through failure, through pain… and choose to keep rising.”

His smile widened slightly. “Strength doesn’t wait to be given. You take it, inch by inch, every time you stand back up.”

Gwen and Seraphim clashed again, fists colliding—shockwaves blasted both of them backward. Gwen, relentless, dashed in with a spinning kick to Seraphim’s face, dropping it low, she swung forward, toward her gut.

Seraphim caught her fist, shoved it back, and delivered a sharp blow to Gwen’s side, following up with an uppercut.

Gwen’s eyes widened—but she grinned again.

She grabbed Seraphim’s arm with both hands and flipped over her, landing behind, she used the momentum and slammed Seraphim into the ground, lifting her all the way across her head.

Gwen followed up immediately, a massive punch coming down—but Seraphim’s hair shot into the ground, yanking her upright just in time. Gwen’s fist left a massive crater where Seraphim had been.

Her eyes widened, snapping up forward to Seraphim, who immediately drove a knee to her face before she could react, pressing on with a crushing punch to Gwen’s gut—shockwaves rippled out Gwen’s back. Gwen swung back fast, but Seraphim redirected the punch, guiding her arm to the side. With her other hand, Seraphim landed another blow to Gwen’s stomach, then an uppercut.

She grabbed Gwen’s face in her palm and lifted her high, ready to slam her down—but Gwen twisted mid-air, using Seraphim’s momentum against her. She landed on her feet, twisting Seraphim’s arm in her grip forcing her whole body downward.

Without pause, Gwen drove a brutal knee into Seraphim’s face, followed by a punch from the right—then the left. The second blow was blocked, Seraphim's hair snapping out, knocking Gwen’s fist down. More strands whipped forward, but Gwen flipped back just in time, Seraphim's hair pinning the ground where she had just been.

Gwen lunged forward again, relentless—but Seraphim's hair wrapped around her, stopping her cold. A massive punch followed, smashing into Gwen’s face and sending her flying. She crashed into the ground but landed on her feet, skidding back.

The ground shattered beneath her leap as she launched forward, but Seraphim was already there, driving a fist into her guts. Gwen reeled, but pressed on, swinging wildly from both sides, Seraphim blocked both strikes and countered with a clean punch to Gwen’s jaw.

Relentless, Gwen spun, her legs sweeping overhead. Seraphim ducked under the arc, then retaliated with an uppercut and a twin cross from both sides. Gwen ducked beneath the second, swinging from the side—but Seraphim caught her fist mid-swing.

Gwen launched her other fist, but Seraphim tilted her head to the side, dodging narrowly. She batted Gwen’s hand aside and landed a sharp kick to her face, then stomped off her body and bounced into the air. Her hair surged forward like tendrils. Gwen caught some with both her hands, but the others pierced her body.

Seraphim landed, her hair pulling back with a sickening sound. She slammed a final punch into Gwen’s face, sending her flying into a thick dust cloud.

“Come on, is that all you’ve got?” Seraphim taunted.

“You haven't seen anything yet.” Gwen’s voice was low—ragged—but smiling. She stood again, blood dripping from her chin, eyes shining.

Seraphim grinned and launched herself forward, her fist rocketing towards Gwen.

Gwen’s eyes narrowed. As the strike closed in—mere inches away—her eyes fluttered shut. Her body shifted, smooth and fluid, gliding to the side like water, moving on pure INSTINCT.

“Wha—” Seraphim's eyes widened as her fist flew by.

Gwen shot her eyes back open and her fist smashed into Seraphim's face. Bone cracked.

"How the hell did she move like that." Seraphim muttered under her breath, "It was like a beast, poised to kill her prey."

Seraphim’s body flew, crashing through a wall with brutal force.

“That’s payback, you dumb bitch,” Gwen grinned.

"Drip."

Blood sipped from the sides of Gwen's mouth.

She looked down—three gaping holes now pierced through her body. Her legs buckled and she dropped to one knee.

Seraphim appeared in front of her in a flash, swinging with full force—

CRASH!!

A massive stone fist erupted from the ground beneath Seraphim and slammed into her body knocking her upward.

A forcefield dome surrounded Gwen, flickering with raw power with Damon standing in front with his hand raised.

Above Seraphim, Zephyr hovered, holding an enormous helix sphere—twisting energy and wind coiling around it, many times bigger than he was.

With a wordless snarl, he hurled it down.

Seraphim leapt back in an instant.

Zephyr’s attack hit the ground—and detonated. The blast annihilated everything in its path.

Everything… except Damon’s shield.

From the wall she’d been sent through, Seraphim emerged. Blood streaked down her face. Her once-mighty hair was gone—shredded into a billion broken strands.

She’d used it to shield herself.

But even that wasn’t enough.

Her body shimmered. Her hair rapidly regenerated, her wounds sealing in seconds.

And then… she grinned—mocking, arrogant.

Until she saw their eyes.

She froze.

Her breath caught.

Their eyes didn’t hold rage.

They didn’t hold fear.

They held hunger.

*PREDATORS.

That was the only word her instincts gave her. She backed away slowly—something inside her screaming that she had just made a mistake.

She growled and lunged forward—

Only to be stopped cold.

Grimm chopped her in the neck for behind, calm as ever.

She dropped instantly, unconscious—falling straight into his arms.

In a blink, Grimm vanished, reappearing inside Damon’s forcefield dome. He caught Gwen’s collapsing body effortlessly, blood trailing from her wounds.

Without looking up, he spoke—calm, firm.

"You two. Rally the last of the villagers."

And just like that—he vanished again.

Not a sound.

Only the fading shimmer of his presence remained.