The dog monster, now named Guardie by Cain, surprised him.
Cain had intended to carry Guardie as they flew, but unexpectedly, Guardie could fly on its own.
"Not bad… you know more than I thought," Cain said, reaching out to ruffle the dog monster's head as they flew side by side.
Many monsters without wings simply couldn't fly — creatures like Golza or Silvergon had no ability to take to the skies.
How they exited the Dark Domain and crossed the vast ocean to the mainland was a mystery. The Earth Guard's speculation suggested they likely used subterranean tunnels or burrowed underground.
Others, like Goldras, had the ability to traverse space-time, potentially transporting monsters across dimensions.
"Let's head to the Dark Temple together, or you can wait here. It's pretty dangerous down there," Cain said, explaining the reason for their journey.
Guardie, however, had no intention of staying behind. It wanted to accompany Cain.
"If you're coming, you must obey me. If we attract the attention of the King of Darkness, escaping won't be easy."
Originally, Cain had thought to confront the King of Darkness directly.
But after entering the Dark Domain, he had reconsidered. Even handling ordinary monsters alone had taken a toll. Facing a group, let alone the King of Darkness, was inconceivable.
One breath from the King, and Cain could be blown tens of thousands of miles away.
So, for now, Cain's plan was simply reconnaissance — assessing the King's situation.
Ever since Camearra, Hudra, and Darramb became dark giants and left R'lyeh, the Dark Temple had remained silent.
The three were likely attempting to rescue Master Tiga — though his fate remained uncertain.
Soon, the duo — one human, one beast — reached the abyssal region.
The area was chaotic, shrouded in mist, with no clear sense of direction.
Focusing his pale blue eyes, Cain pierced the fog and discerned a path forward.
Above the abyss, several Zoigers circled menacingly. To avoid unnecessary confrontation, Cain guided Guardie lower, closer to the chasm.
Unexpectedly, a swarm of Dark Melbas hovered there.
Just as Cain considered avoiding them, the Melbas noticed the duo.
Their crimson eyes glowed, and the group swiftly dove from the sky.
"This is bad… move!"
Cain's heart raced. Facing one or two monsters was manageable — a whole swarm was another matter.
He wasn't Master Tiga; there was no way he could win.
Without hesitation, Cain pulled Guardie upward, fleeing as fast as he could.
Guardie's flight wasn't as fast as Cain's, but it kept pace, relying on him to pull them both forward.
During the flight, Guardie emitted a beam of golden light from its mouth, hurling it backward at the pursuing Melbas.
Given the swarm's numbers, the random strike happened to hit one Melba squarely on the head.
BOOM!
The Melba exploded in a burst of flame over the abyss.
"Well done!" Cain praised, impressed.
He couldn't fire beams easily while flying himself, so any harassment of the Melbas had to come from Guardie.
Unexpectedly, the explosion also drew the attention of the Zoigers above.
A long cry echoed overhead — Cain knew they were in deep trouble.
Below, Dark Melbas; above, Zoigers. Outnumbered, he could not fight.
All he could do was run — fight with every ounce of strength to escape.
"This is really it…"
Cain pushed himself to the limit, dragging Guardie with him.
Guardie, clearly afraid, clung tightly but continued releasing energy beams at their pursuers.
Though some beams missed, others struck several Zoigers and Melbas.
The Melbas hit by Guardie's beams exploded outright, while the Zoigers only sparked — disrupted, but not killed.
"The Zoigers' defense… is far stronger than the Melbas!"
"Even Dark Melbas aren't as resilient as Zoigers," Cain observed, astonished.
This aligned perfectly with the Earth Guard's records.
But there was no time for admiration.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several Zoigers fired flame bombs toward Cain and Guardie.
"Not good!"
Feeling the heat behind him, Cain reflexively raised a barrier.
The flame bombs struck his shield, all blocked successfully.
Cain then reflected the projectiles down at the Melbas below, using the shield as a conduit.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Though a few escaped, several Melbas were severely damaged and fell behind the group, unable to continue pursuit.
"Nice! Keep it up!"
Cain shouted to the Zoigers above, mocking them.
They took it as a challenge and fired more flame bombs.
Simultaneously, the Melbas below fired beams at Cain.
Guardie roared, releasing a light beam toward the Melbas, attempting to block their attack.
But Guardie alone couldn't stop the onslaught. The beam vanished, absorbed by the enemy fire.
Cain grimaced, tossing Guardie forward while bracing with both hands to hold the barrier against the barrage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Flames and beams collided against the shield, creating massive explosions.
The barrier shattered, and Cain was sent flying.
Just as he felt himself losing balance, Guardie clutched him tightly, saving him from plummeting into the abyss.