Dangerous Situation

"What's the point of blabbering?" Minerva interjected with a cold, unfeeling tone. "Sooner or later, you would die by my hands after all these years."

Her declaration sent a shiver through the crowd.

The youth candidates who were around Holy Maiden Mariam exchanged nervous glances, understanding the gravity of the situation.

They were facing enemies who had no qualms about their fate, and the stakes had never been higher.

And this was their first time facing monsters, hence, they were rather scared. 

The holy maiden's eyes bore into Minerva's, her determination unwavering. "Even if I fall, others will rise in my place''

"How cute, but can you even protect all of these kids at the same time?" Minerva taunted, her voice dripping with contempt.

Before anyone could react, Minerva moved with terrifying speed.

She slashed her hand toward one of the nearby youths, her strike so swift and deadly that the unfortunate candidate had no time to react.

In an instant, heads splattered, and horrified screams filled the air as young lives were extinguished within seconds.

''Ah....AHHHHHH!'' The girls nearby screamed frantically as the blood was splashed on their bodies and the monsters nearby laughed as they went nearer. 

''No...NO! Get away from me!'' One of the monsters grabbed the girl's body before it smiled and snapped her head with its fangs. 

The gruesome display sent shockwaves through the crowd, and chaos erupted. 

Some couldn't handle it and vomited at the same time, while some fainted on the spot. 

Candidates scattered in every direction, desperately trying to evade Minerva's deadly attacks.

Panic and fear gripped their hearts as they realized the horrifying reality of the situation.

Holy Maiden Mariam's eyes blazed with anger and sorrow as she witnessed the senseless slaughter before her.

She knew she had to act swiftly to protect the lives of those under her charge.

With resolve in her heart, she raised her staff high, channelling her power into a protective barrier.

The barrier shimmered to life, creating a shield that enveloped the remaining candidates, providing a brief respite from Minerva's onslaught.

"Stay close to me!" she shouted, her voice filled with authority. "We must stand together!"

As the survivors huddled behind the protective barrier, the battle for the fate of Earth had reached a critical juncture.

Minerva, the relentless and merciless enemy, had made her move, and the Guardians of Earth were faced with a choice—fight or perish.

"Sigh, you do know that your barrier is useless, right?" Minerva taunted, a cruel smirk twisting her lips.

Before Holy Maiden Mariam could react, Minerva's power surged, and with a contemptuous flick of her hand, she shattered the protective barrier with ease.

The youths huddled behind it gasped in terror as their last line of defence crumbled.

"How...?" Holy Maiden Mariam's surprise was evident, her eyes widening with disbelief.

Minerva simply lifted her hand, revealing a sinister-looking ring on her finger. "After all, I have this," she said, pointing to the ominous ring.

"Damn it!"

The holy maiden cursed under her breath, realizing the terrible truth.

The Ring of Vow that Minerva possessed was a weapon capable of bypassing her most potent defences.

As the barrier fell, the monsters wasted no time.

Their savage onslaught began, and the echoing screams of the terrified youths filled the air.

Blood stained the ground as the candidates, their hopes and dreams shattered, were cut down one by one.

The once-hopeful scene had transformed into a nightmare of despair and death.

The future Guardians of Earth found themselves faced with a ruthless enemy, and their world was on the brink of a dark and uncertain future.

The holy maiden knew she couldn't leave Lily's side, not while they faced the ruthless Minerva.

Her duty to protect the young girl was unwavering, even if it meant witnessing the tragic fate of the candidates who were falling one by one.

"Since you love to stay there so much, why not let us battle in another place?"

Minerva taunted, her smirk filled with malice.

Before Holy Maiden Mariam could protest or inquire further, Minerva clicked her fingers, and in an instant, both of them were enveloped in a blinding light.

The world around them shifted and twisted, and they found themselves in a completely different location.

"What did you do!'' the holy maiden demanded, her voice filled with outrage.

But it was too late.

Minerva's teleportation magic had already taken effect, and the two of them had been transported to another place entirely.

Panic welled up within the holy maiden as she desperately tried to turn back and return to Lily's side, but her efforts were in vain.

With each attempt to reach her destination, she found herself being whisked away to different locations, unable to control her own movements.

It was as if Minerva's magic had trapped her in a nightmarish game of teleportation, leaving her separated from the very person she had sworn to protect.

Thrown apart by the blast, Daniel and Lily eventually found themselves side by side again, but their reunion offered little comfort.

The world they had known only hours ago had transformed into a hellscape of despair and fear.

''AHHH IT HURTS!''

''MOM HELP ME!"

"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!''

Around them, the wounded and dying candidates cried out in agony, their voices a cacophony of pain that echoed through the air.

Blood stained the ground beneath their feet, a grim reminder of the brutality that had unfolded.

"We have to run, Lily!"

Daniel's voice trembled with urgency, his eyes wide with fear.

He tried to convey the severity of the situation to Lily, but when he turned to look at her, he found her in a state of shock.

Lily's eyes stared vacantly at the horrifying scene before them, her mind struggling to process the nightmare.

She was unable to speak or move, her body frozen by the sheer terror of their predicament.

Desperation seized Daniel as he shook her gently, his voice quivering.

"Lily, wake up! We have to get away as far as possible!"

Lily's consciousness returned in fragments, and her initial confusion gave way to the chilling realization of the dire circumstances they faced.

"Huh...? Daniel? What's going on?" Her voice wavered, and her eyes filled with dread.

As she comprehended the horror that surrounded them, she nodded in agreement with Daniel's plea.

"Y-Yeah, let's run away quickly," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of suffering.

But when she attempted to move, panic and despair washed over her. Her legs refused to respond, leaving her trapped in a body that wouldn't obey her commands.

"H-Huh...?" Lily's eyes widened with terror, and her voice quivered with despair. "Daniel... I can't feel my legs."

The gravity of their situation hung heavily in the air.

They were marooned in a nightmarish landscape, surrounded by chaos and danger, and Lily's physical paralysis added another layer of hopelessness to their desperate