Prince Kain recalled a special memory. He was no longer on the battlefield but in a dark, cavernous room of his home, where he rested on the grime-ridden floor.
His baby sister slept in a bed. She looked like a small, pale bundle with an expression of pure innocence.
Their mother cradled her with a look of love and adoration. "Such a pretty baby," she cooed and stroked her baby daughter's cheek.
Their father stood by with a proud and gentle smile. He placed a hand on his baby daughter's head and whispered, "Our dear daughter, you are the most special of our experiments."
Prince Kain observed from a distance. He felt the love meant for him ripped and stolen from him. He clutched a small, wooden toy, a gift from his father, and squeezed it until the wood creaked.
The memory faded.
Prince Kain waddled to a boulder. "I have... No one! Daddy... Mommy... Only love... Baby sister."
Stark scoffed and held the claymore in a defensive stance. "You're just a big baby wanting attention," he insulted.
Prince Kain glared at each of his adversaries. He snapped and bellowed, "You... A family. I hate it! You... dead! Then... I'll outshine baby sister!"
With a shout, Stark, Hafen, and Matteo rushed towards him.
"Me... Next heir! Not... Her," Prince Kain roared and hurled the boulder. It crashed through the trees and slammed to the ground.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo scattered and dodged. With a fearsome focus, they rolled back up and advanced again.
Hafen launched a wave of water at Prince Kain's right side with a wide swing.
Matteo unleashed a ball of fire at the left with a thrust.
Aiming for the neck, Stark swung a diagonal chop with all his might.
With a defiant squeal, Prince Kain spun around and smashed his feet against the ground.
A shockwave flung water and fire cascading back at the brothers.
By the shockwave, Stark embedded into a tree and dropped the claymore.
Matteo and Hafen fell back with burnt eyebrows and drenched clothes. They blinked in amazement.
In a swift turn, Prince Kain pivoted and charged at Stark. He reached him and swung a chubby arm.
Stark flew through the tree he had crashed into.
Leaves and splintered wood exploded into the air.
Prince Kain suddenly grabbed him with his mouth and swung him around.
Stark lost all orientation as he was thrown from one tree to the next. "Let me go," he stammered in a frenzy.
Prince Kain grinned wickedly and obliged. With a flick of his head, he tossed Stark over his head. He opened his mouth wider than before, and his rotten teeth emitted a visible trail of disgust. He waited for Stark to fall inside.
Stark's eyes widened in horror. "No," he gasped and held his breath.
All of a sudden, Prince Kain bit Stark, and his eyes opened wide as a crack echoed.
Stark flailed his legs. From the inside, he punched the side of Kain's mouth and declared, "You won't defeat me!"
Prince Kain spat him out in a short panic. He stared at him with a dumbfounded look. He displayed his broken front teeth. He whimpered and touched them with a trembling finger.
Stark landed with a loud thud and panted for a breath of fresh air. He coughed and proclaimed, "You're going to have to do a lot more than that!"
Prince Kain groaned in frustration, "You ruined... My cute smile!" He charged towards him again.
Matteo intervened and thrust his rapier.
A jet of flame, hotter than before, shot out and struck Kain in the face.
Prince Kain howled in agony as the flames singed his skin and melted the flesh on the side of his face.
Meanwhile, Hafen rushed to Stark's side and helped him up. "Are you alright," he asked with a concerned tone.
"I'm fine," Stark replied and winced. He picked up his elemental claymore. His body ached, but he ignored the pain. "Let's finish this," he snarled.
Prince Kain held his face and squealed. He glared at Matteo with pure hatred and lumbered towards him. Out of the smoke, his face became grotesque and unrecognizable. Steaming slobber fell from his gum-revealing mouth.
Matteo nervously fiddled with his elemental rapier. "Sorry," he whispered and stepped back as a primal fear rose in him.
"I'm going to crush you," Prince Kain roared and slammed a massive fist to the ground. Its shockwave threw Matteo away.
Stark caught his brother with a vine and pulled him to safety beside him. "Don't be scared, Matteo! We trained solely for this fight," he advised. He raised a fist in the air with a fiery grin and proclaimed, "We'll take him down!"
Matteo gulped, stood back up, and nodded with a determined look. "Right," he affirmed.
At the same time, Hafen loomed behind Prince Kain. In a swift sequence, he raised his elemental katana high and sliced down with a powerful slam.
The katana's blade glowed yellow, and a slash of electricity erupted upon contact.
Prince Kain shrieked in agony as the electricity coursed through his body. His hair frizzled, and he convulsed violently. He angrily turned around and stomped the ground.
In an instant, the ground trembled and quaked beneath Hafen's feet.
Hafen lost his balance and fell.
Prince Kain grinned with a malicious glint in his eyes. He jumped into the air with surprising agility and crashed down where Hafen lay.
On impact, the ground shattered like glass. Dust and debris flew into the air.
Hafen rolled away and narrowly avoided being crushed. He panted and scrambled back to his feet.
Prince Kain grasped and lifted him off the ground. He again leaped into the air and prepared to crush him. "Die... Scum," he demanded.
"I don't think so," Matteo yelled from below. He focused as a large boulder materialized from the point of his rapier. Once ready, he flung it towards Prince Kain.
The boulder struck the airborne zombie baby with a deafening crack. Energy burst out in an explosion.
Prince Kain lost his grip on Hafen and collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
Hafen fell into a tree's thick leaves with a yelp. He groaned and fell out.
Matteo rushed to him and caught his descent.
Stark, regaining his balance, groaned in frustration and clenched his teeth. "I can do that, too," he declared. He slammed his claymore onto the ground.
The ground suddenly shook violently.
Thick, gnarly vines broke through the earth and coiled around Prince Kain's arms and legs with immense force. The vines tightened and dug into the giant infant's rotting flesh.
Prince Kain's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and rage. He thrashed wildly, and the vines strained and creaked under the pressure.
"You're not going anywhere," Stark grunted, pouring all his energy into his claymore. His muscles flexed, and his face turned red from the effort.
"You... Cannot... Hold... Me," Prince Kain bellowed.
Stark smirked and muttered, "We'll see about that."
The ground rumbled and cracked open. Spikes of hardened dirt shot up from the ground and stabbed deep into Prince Kain's body. They pinned him in place.
Prince Kain convulsed with a grimace.
"I don't know how much longer I can hold him," Stark managed, and the veins on his neck bulged. "Matteo, Hafen, now's your chance. Finish him," he commanded.
Hafen stood up and steadied himself. He looked at Matteo with a determined gaze. "We have to do this together," he reminded.
Matteo nodded with a deep breath. "I know," he reassured. He raised his elemental rapier and pointed it at the writhing monster.
Prince Kain's bloodshot eyes darted between the brothers with a maelstrom of pure hatred. He struggled with every ounce of strength.
The vines binding him began to fray and snap. The earthen spikes cracked and crumbled into dust.
Stark gasped as a wave of raw force slammed into him, throwing him backward like a discarded toy.
Hafen and Matteo quickly charged forward.
"Matteo, go for his limbs," Hafen ordered in haste.
Prince Kain, finally free, roared and swung a massive arm.
Matteo jumped over the attack. He thrust his rapier into the shoulder.
The elemental rapier's blade glowed a faint brown light, and the point materialized a small, sharp rock that shot out.
It tore through the joint with a sickening crack.
The arm, with a spray of blackened blood, separated and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Prince Kain's eyes opened wide in disbelief. He clutched the bleeding stump and stumbled back.
"You did it, Matteo," Hafen praised and charged for the other arm.
Prince Kain swung his remaining arm.
Hafen slid underneath it. He sliced at the elbow joint with a swift strike.
The elemental katana's blade glowed yellow, and a slash of electricity erupted, cauterizing the wound as it severed the limb.
The forearm and hand dropped. Dust rose from both attacks.
Losing his balance, Prince Kain fell forward, and his jaw smashed against the ground.
Matteo dashed and circled him. In a rapid instance, he dismembered the giant baby zombie's legs, as well.
Prince Kain cried out with a shriek. Unable to defend himself, he rolled around without purpose. "Why... Can't Kain win? Me... The next heir," he lamented. Black blood gushed from all four severed limbs.
With the help of Stark and Hafen, Matteo has brought down the mighty Prince Kain. What fate awaits the baby zombie prince? What about The Orphanage?