"Hydra!"
Two purple dragons formed behind Magellan. They stared at Shadow as they grew in size. He stared back, unimpressed. In the blink of an eye, the dragons rushed at him. Shadow sidestepped their attacks without breaking a sweat and launched a spear at them, exploding their bodies.
Magellan formed another pair of dragons. Without hesitation, they rushed toward their target. One chased Shadow around while the other grew even larger. The hedgehog skated at high speed, dodging the poisonous creatures' attacks. From above, a giant dragon descended, ready to swallow him. Before it could close its mouth, Shadow disappeared, and the dragon crashed into the smaller one.
"You're a fast little one. Don't tell me running is the only thing you can do against real competition. Fight like you did against my men, coward!"
He took a deep breath. "Venom Blowfish!"
He spat poisonous bullets toward Shadow, who moved like a blur. None of them hit the target. Magellan grew angrier.
"Hydra!"
Six dragons grew from his back but before they could move an inch, they exploded. Magellan tried to summon more but was struck by Chaos Spears. Multiple holes covered his body. He smiled.
"As powerful as you are… you don't have it yet, do you?" The holes slowly closed.
"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked, confused.
"You really have no idea, do you?" The warden smirked. "What an interesting creature. Where are you from, Shadow?"
"What does it matter to you?"
"Just so I'll know where to send your corpse once I'm done with you."
He took another deep breath. "Venom Cloud!"
Poisonous air poured from his mouth, filling the area with thick purple fog. Shadow jumped back, but he had already inhaled some of the poison. He coughed violently and nearly collapsed upon landing.
"Your vision's blurry? Your ears ringing?" Magellan taunted.
Shadow could barely stand straight. With what was left of his sight, he saw a giant purple silhouette rushing toward him.
"Hydra!"
Shadow sidestepped, but the dragon's body grazed his arm and it began to burn.
"Chaos Spear!"
Magellan's body was pierced, and his dragon destroyed. Once again, he regenerated almost instantly.
"It's no use, hedgehog. You cannot win or flee. You're already infected with poison. Accept your defeat and allow me to end you without pain. You can fight if you wish, but you'll inevitably suffer and die within the next twenty-four hours."
Shadow stared at him, eyes half-open. His lungs burned from the venom cloud. He could barely hear the warden's words. One step after another, he slowly walked toward the man.
"Chaos… Spear."
Magellan stood his ground as the projectile struck him.
"Hydra."
Two dragons formed on his back. They roared before lunging at their prey. Shadow slid around, dodging their attacks. His body ached with every stride. He ran up a wall, speeding along its surface. A dragon crashed in front of him, but he sidestepped in time. The other followed, snapping at him from behind. He accelerated, forcing the creature to miss. The dragon came back from above, Shadow jumped from the wall and launched a spear, destroying it. The hedgehog dove toward Magellan, an energy blast forming in his hand.
"Chaos—"
"Hydra!"
A third dragon appeared from the warden's back and bit Shadow. Another emerged from the wall and clamped onto him. Magellan reformed the destroyed dragon, and it too joined in devouring the Ultimate Lifeform.
Magellan looked at the black silhouette trapped inside the giant purple mass above him.
"No one escapes this place under my watch. Rest in peace, Shadow the Hedgehog. You were a powerful opponent. Unfortunately, you won't be remembered. I'll make sure of that. Can't let the Admirals know a hedgehog caused this much chaos—"
Shadow's eyes glowed orange.
"Blast!"
His body was engulfed in a red aura. The purple mass burned and burst apart. The dragons evaporated. Magellan raised his arms, but the massive energy blast swallowed him whole.
The floor disintegrated. Rubble flew everywhere. Prisoners and surviving marines screamed as the shockwave cracked the surrounding walls. Bodies were thrown into the air. The explosion left a massive fireball illuminating all of Level 4.
The pharaoh-hatted vice-warden watched the scene, gasping for air until he remembered how to breathe. His face was bathed in the immense light of the explosion. Falling debris crashed nearby. His body froze in fear and doubt.
What if that monster was still alive? What if he was coming for him next?
What if… Magellan had died?
Am I going to be the new warden?
No… it can't be me. Not now.
I have to confirm whether the creature is dead or him.
He took his transponder snail and called the warden. No answer.
He called again. Nothing.
A smile formed on his face.
"Finally, I'll be—"
A purple mass slid beside him and slowly took the form of a man. Magellan's uniform was torn, his face bloodied, and his right arm broken.
"You… you okay, Warden?"
"He escaped," Magellan replied coldly. "He won't live for long. He has at least ten hours left with that much poison in his system. I want the remaining guards on Level 5 to make sure he's dead. We can't take any risks with him."
"Yes, sir," the pharaoh-hatted warden said before shouting orders into the transponder snail.
Magellan walked to the edge of the stone bridge and looked down at the gigantic hole at the center of Level 4.
"You won't leave this place alive, Shadow. I swear it."
On Level 5, the temperature was as cold as Level 4 was hot. The soft snow dancing through the air froze solid upon touching the ground. Every prison cell was coated in ice. The place looked desolate, with no sign of life except for the distant howling that made anyone think twice before exploring.
Shadow lay on his back, watching snowflakes land on his cold, tired body. Poison dripped from his wounds, hissing as it touched the ice below. His body hurt. His breathing was slow. His vision worsened by the minute.
With what was left of his hearing, he picked up footsteps nearby followed by growls.
"I don't think I'm ready to go, Maria. My friends need me…"
He heard another set of footsteps faster, lighter, rhythmic, almost like dancing. A wolf growled before leaping toward the stranger.
"Bombardier Arabesque!"
The wolf was sent flying into a tree.
"I won't let you eat my ticket out of here!" the man shouted, taking a fighting stance.
Shadow looked at him, confused.
"Hang on, friend," the man said. "We're getting out of here."