As the dust cleared a visible image began emerging from it, their presence carrying a sense of aura. Sharp claws, sharp fangs, heads the shape of a ghost, some the shape of an animal. Others had double heads, while some had four arms. The creatures that stood before the students were not ordinary.
Among the monsters stood a 7-foot humanoid monster. An abomination of fur, steel, and shadow. Its body was wrapped in tattered cloth and matted wolf pelts, armor clinging to its frame like remnants of old battles.
Long clawed hands flexed restlessly, sheathed in dark iron. Its legs were powerful and horse-like, digitigrade and wrapped in rough fur and scaled plating, ending in taloned feet that cracked the earth beneath them.
A thick bristling tail swayed behind it, tipped with dark charms that whispered with movement. Long pointy ears crowned its head, and a mane of wild silver hair framed a face twisted in calm menace.
Twin blackened swords hung at its sides, with an appearance like they had been used in many battles and emerged victorious. This wasn't just a monster, it was a harbinger of ruin, born from the marrow of nightmares.
Everyone who thought they had awakened the power to fight a monster, gazed. Their eyes were trembling. Minding racing, not only did it look like a monster, but it had an aura that the others didn't have, one wrong move and their heads could fly off their heads.
The once confidence that played on the faces of the students, had now been swept away, all from the appearance of the terrifying monster.
As they were all feeling scared, to the point they could wet themselves, a voice exclaimed.
"We can take him!"
Everyone turned to the person that spoke. Even Hitori, who was a bit far from them, heard the voice and stared as well.
"I said we can take them!" the voice proclaimed again.
Looking at him, it was a boy with brown spiky hair wearing a blaze jacket. He had a bow on his hand but no arrow whatsoever. Although, it wasn't just any bow. It was a bow that didn't need an arrow. Once the user was about to make it shot, the arrow would emerge, making it a bow with endless arrows. From his weapon, it was deemed that he was awakened.
Everyone stared at this boy like he was crazy. Even Jenna and Phillip, who were the first to claim it, were now quiet as they watched the boy. They knew that they wouldn't dare face something that was beyond them, they weren't that stupid to die early.
"Oi, do you know what you are saying?" another voice called out gaining everyone's attention.
It was another boy with blue hair and white eyes. He had a headset on his head, showing his game-like figure. On his hand was what seemed to be a hammer. It wasn't big but had an ancient design, and he carried it with pride as if it was a weapon of mass destruction
"What?!"
"Can't you see the monster before you? It's not like the others. For all we know it might not even be a human-turned monster."
The boy with an arrow smiled. A smirk, that is. He looked unfazed, as if the words that were just spoken were nothing, a mere sentence to frighten him.
"Come on!" The boys with an arrow began, as he walked up to the boy holding a hammer.
"You and I know that's not true. You play video games so you should understand more. This kind of monster appears with such an intimidating appearance as if he can conquer the game, but in reality they are just weak."
Reaching him, the boy with the arrow placed his hands on the hammer boy's shoulder, as his lip curled to a smile. He almost looked like a hero about to go and save the world.
"Don't worry. Just watch and see. With these powers that have been bestowed on us, I'm sure it would be easy."
After saying this, the boy with the arrow double tapped off the other boy's shoulder, and left. He walked past the other, reaching Jenna and Phillip, but he didn't stop as he passed the top. He moved forward, a bit far from the others, but not near enough to the monster, since he needed a distance to shoot his arrow.
Everyone watched as he was the only one to make a move. In a normal sense, such an act would be called an act of courage, however, Hitori, who was at a distance, saw the idiot kid.
'He thinks he's a hero?'
Of course, Hitori was reasonable, after all he just faced off with a monster and knew how terrifying it was, and now some kid has the guts to say he can face off with an even dangerous monster?
Truly idiotic.
Both Jenna and Phillip didn't utter a word, their bodies wouldn't react after all. It was almost as if the boy with the arrow was the only one immune to the 7-foot monster's aura.
"-"
At this point, the boy with the arrow raised his left hand which had the bow in it. Then he placed his right of hand on the bow, and immediately an arrow emerged in his hand, ready to fire.
In this fine moment, the boy took it as an opportunity to look back at the others, to show either his bravery, cool power, or just to show off.
"You see, what did I tell you? I h-" the boy was supposed to complete his sentence when suddenly.
SWOOSH!
In a flash, his head left his body, falling.
"Huh?"
It was in slow motion.
BAM!
His head landed on the floor.
Blood splashed out from the boy's headless body, before then falling to the ground lifeless, while his arrow disintegrated like it was burned in flames.
There was silence. Nobody blinked, yet they didn't see what had happened. No, they did see what had happened but didn't know how it happened.
All eyes were on his lifeless body, and then suddenly shifted to the humanoid monster, it had no reaction, no sudden movements.
"W-What just happened?"
The students were bewildered. They couldn't tell what had happened, as their eyes moved from the lifeless body, to the humanoid monster. It was the only explanation, yet they wouldn't prove it.
Jenna's gaze were sharp at the monster, as she thought in her head:
'How did it happen? I never took my eyes off that monster for a second. Not even blinking. So how did that happen? No other monster here could have made such a move. It was him. It was him.'
Her eyes were trembling, not knowing what to do. However, in Hitori's thought:
'I saw it. I saw it move. It was motionless, yet it moved, like a dance to a rhythm, movements that could only be made if one was one with the wind.'
"Impossible."
"That's not possible!"
A voice screamed from behind the students.
"I will not accept it."
The boy with a hammer and a headset, ran to the monster while shouting. He couldn't comprehend what had happened, and was driven by madness to go and attack. Maybe he thought he was doing the right thing by asserting revenge.
Yet it was futile.
Again, in a flash, just like with the arrow boy earlier, his head was chopped from his body, and fell to the ground, as blood splashed everywhere.
However, this time it was seen.
On one hand, the humanoid monster held a sword, its edges dripping with fresh blood. It didn't raise it to attack, just held it out, calm and cold, like it was showing them a fact they couldn't deny. They were nothing.
Inferior.
The way it looked at them, silent, unbothered, worse than a roar. It didn't see enemies, It saw prey.
The monster raised its sword, pointing towards the students. No words were spoken, yet a message was passed. Suddenly, all the monsters both behind and forward began charging towards the students, their goal?
To kill.
At this point, everyone knew they were to attack if they needed to live, it was a risky gamble, yet they played it.
Hitori tried to shout so he could prevent them from attacking, however it didn't work. The injury on his hand stung in a very painful way, it made him fall to the ground.
'Tsk why now. Why now of all time!"
Before him, he saw a horde of monsters running and the students also charging. It was a disaster, and just as they were about to clash, a golden barrier appeared.
"Huh?… What is this?" Phillip uttered.
The barrier surrounded the students, stopping the monsters from getting through.
At this point, everyone, including the monsters were confused, as bodies started flying, monsters shredded, ripped apart by something unseen. Black blood splashed across the ground as they were being slaughtered. It wasn't the act of the students. None of them had moved, they just stood there, stunned, eyes wide, trying to figure out what was happening whether to feel safe or scared.
Then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared in front of the students. Their armor shining bright, almost blinding. In their hand was a sword that looked too perfect for this world, they looked human, but something was off.
Not wrong, just, different. The air around them felt strange, but not threatening, it was warm and safe.
Then they turned slowly, their faces calm and clear, eyes landing on Jenna. They spoke:
"Are you hurt?"