Tails

"Damn… kid, that's some bad luck," Wrath muttered, his voice a low rumble as he listened to Adam recount his time in this world. His fiery eyes flickered softly, like embers cooling in a dying fire.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Adam replied, a half-hearted chuckle escaping him. He slumped back against the wall, the weight of his words hanging in the silence that followed.

Wrath sighed deeply and sat cross-legged on the ground, his armor creaking faintly as he settled in. "So, let me get this straight. You're sticking with that queen of yours—who, by the way, sounds completely unhinged—because… what? You're bored?" He tilted his head, his fiery gaze narrowing. "Kid, she sounds like a nutcase. And by the looks of it, I'd bet my flames she's either possessed or dabbling in something dark enough to make even me think twice."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. "Well… I kinda thought she'd help me find a way back home, you know? But…" He hesitated, his voice trailing off into the heavy air of the room. "Honestly, I don't even know anymore. I just keep helping her because… it's something to do, I guess. Keeps me busy. And hey," he added with a weak smile, "it led to me meeting you, so it's not all bad, right?"

Wrath didn't smile back. His eyes burned brighter, his face unreadable as he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near growl. "Kid, listen to me. That woman? She's not just dangerous—she's a ticking time bomb. People like her don't stop when they get what they want; they just find new ways to want more. And you? You're convenient. A pawn she's using to win her game. Mark my words, the moment you're no longer useful, she'll toss you aside—or worse."

Adam swallowed hard, his earlier smile fading. "I mean… she's not that bad—"

"Don't kid yourself," Wrath interrupted sharply, his tone edged with an unusual mix of anger and pity. "I've seen people like her before. They'll promise you the world, make you think you're part of something bigger, and then grind you into dust the second it benefits them. If you're lucky, it's just your body they'll destroy. If you're not…" Wrath let the sentence hang, his eyes glowing like molten metal.

A chill ran down Adam's spine, and he looked away, suddenly unable to meet the demon's gaze.

"Kid," Wrath said softly, his voice losing some of its heat, "I've been around long enough to know when someone's standing on the edge of a cliff, and trust me, you're closer than you think. When this war is over, you need to get out of here. Don't wait for her to show you who she really is. By then, it'll be too late."

Adam didn't answer right away, his thoughts racing as Wrath's words echoed in his mind. Finally, he let out a shaky breath. "You think it's really that bad?"

Wrath leaned back, his fiery eyes dimming slightly. "Kid, it's worse. But hey," he added, his tone turning bitterly amused, "you're stubborn enough to find out for yourself, aren't you?"

Adam forced a small laugh, but the knot in his chest only tightened.

"Why… why are you helping me?" Adam asked, his voice quieter than usual. His eyes avoided Wrath's fiery gaze as he spoke. "You're a demon, right? Shouldn't you be… I don't know… evil or something?" 

Wrath leaned back, the flames in his eyes flickering like a hearth struggling against a cold wind. For a moment, Adam thought he might have angered the demon, but instead, Wrath let out a low, rumbling laugh. 

"Hah! Kid, you really are a child, aren't you?" Wrath shook his head, his armored frame rattling slightly with the motion. "Or…" He tilted his head, a contemplative look crossing his sharp, almost ancient features. "Maybe it's not that simple. It feels like you're being forced to think like a child—like your mind's caught in some strange place between the person you were and the boy you are now. It's... sad, really." 

Adam frowned, a pit forming in his stomach at Wrath's words, but before he could respond, Wrath continued. 

"To answer your question, though…" Wrath's tone softened, taking on an almost paternal quality. "Demons… we're not what you think we are. Not in the way this world paints us. Sure, there are actual demons—real monsters that even I wouldn't want to cross paths with. Believe me, kid, you don't want to see one of those. What people here call 'demons' is… different." He paused, his fiery eyes dimming as if lost in thought. "We're just another race, Adam. Another kind of being, living and breathing like everyone else. But this world…" 

Wrath sighed, a sound so heavy it seemed to shake the air between them. "This world doesn't care about understanding. People fear what they don't know, and fear breeds hatred. It's easier to call us demons, to cast us as villains in their stories, than to admit they don't have all the answers." 

Adam felt his chest tighten, the weight of Wrath's words pressing against him like a stone. "So… you're just… misunderstood?" 

Wrath let out a bitter chuckle. "Misunderstood? Sure, you could say that. But it doesn't change the fact that I've seen my kind hunted, slaughtered, and erased from existence. All because someone decided we were 'evil.' And now, here I am—helping you, of all people. A kid from Earth who landed in this mess." 

"Why?" Adam asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why help me if this world's treated you so badly?" 

Wrath leaned forward, his fiery gaze locking onto Adam's. "Because, kid, you're not from this world. You don't have their blind hatred yet. Maybe you'll be different. Or maybe…" He paused, his voice growing softer, sadder. "Maybe I just don't want to see someone else lose themselves in a world that doesn't care if you live or die." 

The silence that followed was thick, neither of them willing to break it. Wrath's words lingered in the air, heavy with a truth Adam wasn't sure he was ready to face.

"…Maybe we should get back to Earth soon," Adam said quietly, his voice laced with an odd uncertainty. He added, almost to himself, "So I can go back to… normal." 

The way he said "normal" hung in the air, carrying a weight Wrath couldn't ignore. There was something unspoken in Adam's tone—not longing, but something darker. Wrath chose not to comment, though his fiery gaze lingered on the boy longer than usual. 

"Yeah…" Wrath finally said, his voice gruff. "Well, enough talking for now. The time's come. The attack's about to begin." He stood, towering over Adam as his armored body cast a flickering shadow in the dim light of the room. "I'll be in the frontlines. If you want, I can take you with me. I'll keep you safe… more or less." 

Adam blinked, as if waking from a dream and stumbling into a nightmare. "More or less? That doesn't exactly inspire confidence." 

Wrath chuckled, the sound low and rumbling like distant thunder. "Kid, confidence is for fools who don't understand the stakes. But I meant what I said—you'll live. Probably." He reached out and ruffled Adam's hair with one massive, clawed hand, a surprisingly gentle gesture for a being wreathed in fire and shadow. 

Before Adam could respond, Wrath's tone grew serious, his flames dimming slightly. "Listen, kid, one more thing about Leah… You need to keep your distance." 

Adam frowned. "What do you mean? She's been good to me. Well, mostly. Okay, she's kind of crazy, but—" 

Wrath cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I can smell one of our own." His words were slow, deliberate, as if he were choosing each one carefully. "Another from Earth. She goes by Lust." 

"Lust?" Adam repeated, the name foreign yet unnervingly familiar. 

Wrath nodded, his fiery eyes narrowing. "Leah reeks of her. The scent's faint, but it's there. If I'm right—and I usually am—it's possible she's already been corrupted. Maybe not fully, but these things… they take time. And when it happens, it'll take everything from her—her mind, her will, maybe even her soul." 

Adam's throat tightened. "You're saying… Leah might not be Leah anymore?" 

"Not yet," Wrath said, his voice low and ominous. "But it's only a matter of time. Lust is patient, kid. She'll worm her way in, bit by bit, until there's nothing left of the person you thought you knew." 

Adam's mind raced, a thousand questions clawing at his thoughts. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? Can't we… do something about it?" 

Wrath sighed, his fiery eyes dimming further. "There's not much to do except watch and wait. If it's already started, the only way to stop it might be… drastic." He didn't elaborate, and Adam didn't press him. 

"Just stay alert, kid," Wrath said finally. "Trust your gut, not your heart. And if the time comes when you need to make a choice, make it fast. Because trust me—Lust doesn't wait for anyone." 

The room fell silent, the weight of Wrath's words pressing down like a heavy stone. Adam nodded, unsure if he was ready for what lay ahead. But ready or not, he knew one thing for sure—he couldn't afford to trust blindly anymore.

_______________

Nilguard stood atop the highest tower, the crisp evening air swirling around him. Before him lay an intricately carved ritual site etched into the stone, glowing faintly with arcane energy. Below, stretching across the courtyard and open fields, were hundreds of mages in neat formations. Most were novices, their magic modest in power but crucial to the scale of what was to come. Their collective efforts would fuel the grand spell prepared for this decisive moment. 

Nilguard raised a hand, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "All units, prepare to cast. Synchronize your energy—ten… nine…" He scanned the horizon as his countdown continued. "Three… two… one… Fire!" 

The ritual site surged to life, its runes flaring with brilliant light as the mages chanted in unison. A ripple of energy burst from the tower, cascading downward and outward. Within seconds, a massive dome of shimmering magic materialized, enveloping the palace and cathedral in its protective embrace. The dome pulsed with an iridescent glow, its surface rippling like liquid glass as layers of enchantments reinforced its structure. 

Nilguard smirked, his gloved hand brushing a speck of dust off his pristine coat. "There we go. That should force their hand. Let's hope they're not hiding a trump card—I'd hate to ruin these clothes for nothing." 

He stepped back, his gaze fixed on the dome as it solidified into an impenetrable barrier. The sky above seemed to dim slightly, the ambient magic altering the atmosphere in a way only seasoned mages could perceive. 

Reaching for a peculiar communication device mounted on the wall, Nilguard spoke into it, his voice calm but authoritative. "Leah, it's done. The commoners won't be an issue—they shouldn't even notice the dome if we've calibrated it correctly." 

Leah's voice crackled through the device in response. "Good. Stay there for now, Nilguard. I have a feeling you'll be necessary soon." 

Nilguard arched a brow, sensing the weight behind her words. "What's going on?" 

"The church," Leah replied, her tone sharp with controlled frustration. "They've begun their move. And, amusingly enough, it seems they're attempting to launch an attack from the rear." 

Nilguard chuckled, his breath misting in the cool air. "How absurd. Do they honestly think such a tactic would work against us?" 

"It's desperation," Leah said flatly. "And desperate people make mistakes. For now, hold your position. If they try anything clever, you'll have the vantage point to deal with it." 

"As you command," Nilguard said, his tone laced with confidence. He glanced down at the mages below, now dispersing to maintain their energy reserves. 

As the dome shimmered against the twilight, Nilguard allowed himself a moment to admire the sheer scale of their preparation. This was more than a simple defense—it was a declaration of power. And if the church dared to challenge it, they would soon learn the price of their hubris.

__________________-

Leah stood on the balcony overlooking the battlefield, her sharp gaze locked on the abomination before her. The sky was darkening unnaturally, the air thick with the stench of magic and decay. Before her was something she could scarcely believe—a writhing mass of flesh and bone, grotesquely shifting and pulsing as though it had a mind of its own. Its size dwarfed anything she had imagined, easily as large as a shipping vessel, its twisted form bristling with malformed limbs, jagged protrusions of bone, and what appeared to be countless half-formed faces screaming silently across its surface.

"How… how did this happen?" Leah muttered to herself, her tone laced with equal parts disbelief and disgust. She let out a sharp breath, running a hand through her hair. "Hah! To think this was going so well, and then those damned zealots pulled the unthinkable! A blood sacrifice of this scale? Who even does that?!" She turned her head sharply, catching Bouyd's eye. "Don't answer that, Bouyd—it was rhetorical."

Bouyd, ever the unflappable advisor, merely raised an eyebrow and scribbled a note on his ever-present ledger. "As you wish, Your Majesty. Though for posterity, I might remind you that blood sacrifices of this nature are a hallmark of desperation—and madness."

Leah ignored him, her mind racing. She'd read about rituals like this in ancient tomes buried in the castle's forbidden archives. Sacrifices on such a massive scale hadn't been performed for centuries, not since the Age of Sundering, when rogue sorcerers had torn apart nations in their bid for power. It was said that these rituals could summon entities or creations beyond mortal comprehension, abominations that defied the laws of nature. Yet to see one manifest before her eyes was far worse than any description she'd ever encountered.

The creature let out a sound, a guttural cacophony of groans, wails, and roars, as it shifted closer to the dome surrounding the palace and cathedral. Its movements were slow but deliberate, as if testing the magical barrier for weaknesses.

"This is bad," Leah muttered, gripping the railing tightly. "Nilguard," she said sharply into the communication device at her side, "you're sure you can hold it in place? If that thing breaks through—"

Nilguard's voice crackled in response, calm but strained. "The dome is holding… for now. But this thing isn't just testing the barrier—it's consuming ambient magic. If it keeps feeding, it could grow strong enough to break through."

Leah clenched her jaw. "Damned zealots. They've unleashed a monstrosity that's as much a threat to themselves as it is to us. Typical." She paused, glancing toward a shadowy figure leaning casually against the wall behind her. Wrath, the Demon of War, met her gaze with a raised eyebrow and a faint smirk.

"If you can't hold it, Nilguard, I'll send in… our friend." Leah's voice was firm, but there was an edge of unease. Wrath had proven his loyalty—for now—but unleashing him on something of this magnitude was a gamble.

"Your 'friend'?" Nilguard's voice carried a hint of skepticism. "If it comes to that, just be sure he knows which side he's on. I don't want to clean up after two monsters."

Wrath chuckled, his voice a smooth rumble. "Oh, don't worry. I'll behave… unless they make it really interesting."

Leah ignored the demon's quip, her focus returning to the grotesque mass lumbering ever closer. "Bouyd," she said sharply, "get me everything we have on countering constructs of this nature. If there's a weakness, I want to know it."

Bouyd bowed slightly. "At once, Your Majesty. Though if I may say, we might be better off finding a way to slow its growth. The sheer scale of the thing suggests it's already far beyond traditional methods of combat."

Leah gritted her teeth. The stakes had just escalated, and if she wasn't careful, this monstrosity could turn her battlefield into a graveyard.

______________

"WAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAA!" Adam screamed as he hurtled through the air, clinging to Wrath like a terrified squirrel clinging to a tree in a hurricane. Wrath, in contrast, seemed entirely unbothered, holding Adam close with one arm as if the young man weighed no more than a sack of flour.

They landed with a thunderous boom near the grotesque monstrosity. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, shaking the surrounding ruins and scattering bits of rubble. Adam, however, was far too preoccupied to notice.

"Hmmm," Wrath mused, casually surveying the abomination before them. "Gotta hand it to those church guys… this is pretty impressive work. A bit sloppy, sure, but not bad. Not bad at all." His tone was disturbingly jovial, as if he were appraising a piece of modern art.

Adam, meanwhile, was still clutching onto Wrath's side, his face buried in the demon's armor. When he finally peeked out, the first thing to hit him wasn't the sight of the horrific creature—but the smell.

"Oh no… oh NO!" Adam gagged, his voice rising in pitch. "That thing SMELLS LIKE SHIT! Oh my god, IT IS SHIT! It's like rotting garbage mixed with a wet dog that rolled in… WHAT IS THAT?! OH, IT'S GETTING WORSE!" He clamped his hands over his nose and mouth, muffling his anguished cries.

Wrath threw his head back and laughed, the sound deep and resonant. "Hah! I like your style, kid. Honest reactions, no filter. Keeps things lively."

Adam shot him a glare, his eyes watering from the noxious fumes. "Lively?! Lively?! My nose is dying a slow and painful death right now, and you're over here treating this like it's a goddamn vacation!"

Ignoring Adam's protests, Wrath rolled his shoulders and held one hand behind him, his palm igniting with an intense flame. The inferno swirled and coalesced, taking the shape of a massive, jagged spear forged from blackened metal. The air crackled around it, the weapon radiating an oppressive heat.

Wrath smirked, gripping the spear tightly as he crouched slightly, muscles coiling like a predator ready to pounce. "Alright, big guy," he muttered to the monstrosity. "Let's see how much you can take." With a sudden burst of power, he hurled the spear forward, the weapon tearing through the air with a fiery trail behind it.

The spear struck the abomination with a deafening explosion, blasting a hole clean through its disgusting, writhing mass. Chunks of flesh and bone rained down, the creature letting out a guttural wail that sounded like a dying whale crossed with a chainsaw.

Adam peeked out again, cautiously optimistic. "Did… did you get it?"

Wrath tilted his head, surveying the still-wriggling monstrosity as the hole he'd created began to close, new layers of flesh bubbling up to fill the gap. He sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Ahhh… guess that wasn't enough."

Adam's face twisted in horror. "NOT ENOUGH?! YOU JUST BLEW A HOLE THROUGH IT THE SIZE OF A BUS, AND IT'S JUST FIXING ITSELF?! Oh, great. This is fine. Everything's fine. This day couldn't possibly get worse."

Wrath grinned, flames flickering in his eyes. "Don't worry, kid. It's just getting interesting."

"Define 'interesting,' because I think we're working with very different dictionaries!" Adam wailed as the abomination let out another horrifying roar, readying itself for a counterattack.

"Interesting in the sense that this isn't the worst that's to come," Wrath said, his voice calm and unnervingly steady, as if he were commenting on the weather. His gaze remained fixed on the abomination, his fiery eyes narrowing slightly. "I can smell it—the distinctive trail of a trap. This thing? It's just a distraction."

Adam froze mid-panicked thought, his eyes twitching like he'd just been slapped. "A trap? Oh, CRAP! We've got to tell Leah and the others! Quick, let's go!" He began to bolt, only for Wrath to lazily raise a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"Ah, ah, ah," Wrath tutted, wagging a clawed finger like an adult scolding a toddler. "Not so fast, kid. Like I said, things are about to get worse. But don't worry, the others will handle it."

Adam gawked at him, his face a mix of disbelief and bubbling fury. "Handle it?! That thing over there is literally a walking landfill of nightmares, and you think they'll just 'handle it'?! Are we watching the same horror movie here?!"

Wrath grinned, sharp teeth glinting. "Relax, kid. I've got thousands of years of practice. Trust me, I know how these things play out. For now, our job is simple: keep this thing busy while you figure out how to kill it."

Adam's jaw dropped, his brain buffering as he processed Wrath's words. "Kill it?! Me?! Buddy, I don't know if you've noticed, but I can barely do magic! Like, maybe I could throw a fireball at it, but that's about as useful as flicking a peanut at Godzilla!"

Wrath chuckled, folding his arms across his chest as he glanced down at Adam. "Oh, come on. Where's your sense of adventure? A little ingenuity, a little courage, and maybe—just maybe—you won't get eaten alive. Probably."

"Probably?!" Adam screeched, his voice cracking. "That's not exactly the reassurance I was looking for, Wrath!"

Wrath tilted his head, his grin growing wider and a little too sharp for comfort. "Look, kid, let me tell you a secret. Every monster—every nightmare—has a weakness. You just have to be smart enough to find it before it finds you." His voice dropped, a sinister edge creeping into his tone. "And sometimes… weakness hides in the places you'd least expect. So, think fast, because this thing isn't going to wait for you to figure it out."

The abomination roared, its grotesque mass of flesh and bone pulsating as it began to shift and grow, sprouting new limbs and gnashing maws. Adam watched in horror, gripping his head like it was about to explode.

"Okay, okay, okay," Adam muttered, pacing in frantic circles. "Think, Adam, think! Weakness. Weakness. Does smelling like hot garbage count as a weakness? No, no, focus!"

Wrath, meanwhile, leaned casually on his flaming spear, watching the chaos unfold like he was at a particularly interesting theater performance. "You've got this, kid. Just keep that brain of yours from imploding. And hey, if you do fail, I'll step in before it eats you. Probably."

"STOP SAYING PROBABLY!" Adam howled, the sound lost in the monstrosity's deafening roar.

___________________

"

Nilguard stood atop the crumbling battlements, his wooden rod—more a glorified tree branch than a wand—gripped in one hand. He squinted at the writhing abomination in the distance, its grotesque mass already oozing back together despite Wrath's flaming spear attack. He let out a sigh, the kind of sigh reserved for someone realizing they'd have to clean up everyone else's mess.

"I'm guessing that's the 'friend' Leah mentioned," he muttered to himself, cracking his neck. "Hah. Well, I can't let them hog all the glory. Time to show them what real magic looks like."

Raising his rod, Nilguard began to manipulate the moisture in the air. Tiny water droplets formed, shimmering in the dim light like diamonds. They coalesced, growing larger and larger until a massive orb of water, the size of a carriage, floated ominously above him. With a wave of his hand, he compressed it into a small, impossibly dense point.

"Alright, ugly," he said, pointing the rod at the creature. "Let's see if you can swim."

With a sound like a crack of thunder, the concentrated water shot forth in a pressurized beam, slicing clean through the abomination. It roared in pain as its upper half slid off its lower half, collapsing into a heap. Nilguard twirled his rod with an exaggerated flourish, dusting off his cloak.

"Hah. Neat," he muttered. Then he noticed the creature twitching, its body already stitching itself back together. His eye twitched. "Oh, for the love of—guess that wasn't enough either."

Before he could unleash another spell, his communication device crackled to life. Ghiest's voice barked through, panic threading his words. "Nilguard! Come in! We've got a problem by the southern part of the dome. That thing isn't alone—it's got more!"

Nilguard froze, his rod halfway raised. "More?" he repeated, dread creeping into his voice.

"Yes! HUNDREDS! They're swarming us! I can hold them off for a bit, but we're losing ground! We need reinforcements now!"

Nilguard pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. "Of course it has friends. Why wouldn't it have friends? Can't just be one big nightmare, nooo, it's gotta have a whole family reunion."

He turned to the mages scrambling below. "Alright! You lot, listen up! I need forty mages heading to the south side of the dome—now! Use fire and wind magic. We need to torch those things and keep them from taking to the air!"

One of the younger mages hesitated, raising a hand. "Uh, sir? What if they burrow underground?"

Nilguard groaned, resisting the urge to chuck his rod at the kid. "Fine! Send a few earth specialists, too! And someone—anyone—figure out what these things are made of! If it's flesh, cook it! If it's stone, crack it! If it's something else, improvise! Just keep the damn things off our backs!"

The mages scrambled into action, some conjuring fireballs, others summoning gusts of wind or fortifying the ground with stone barriers. Nilguard watched them go, muttering to himself.

"Hundreds of monsters, a regenerating nightmare, and a dome keeping us locked in. Yup. Just another day at work. I should've gone into alchemy. Worst thing you deal with there is the occasional explosion. Instead, I'm babysitting pyromaniacs and fighting flesh blobs. Great career choice, Nilguard."

He raised his rod again, aiming at the abomination still reforming. "Now, where were we? Oh, right. You were dying. Let's try that again, shall we?"

_____________

Adam stumbled back, eyes wide and breath shaky as the horde of grotesque creatures emerged from the shadows. Their warped forms were vaguely humanoid, but their twisted limbs and gnashing, jagged teeth screamed nightmare. They moved with an eerie, jerking gait, their bodies oozing a black sludge that hissed as it touched the ground.

"Wrath..." Adam's voice was unnervingly calm, though it trembled slightly. "Are those... zombies? Because I don't remember them being this terrifying. Nothing like the movies—where's the shambling? Where's the stupid groaning? These things look like they eat people for breakfast and use the bones as toothpicks!"

Wrath stood beside him, utterly unfazed. He tilted his head, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Zombies, you say? Could be. Probably aren't, though. Maybe some kind of cursed flesh amalgamation? Or... y'know, a Friday special. Who knows?" He shrugged, his tone casual as if he were discussing lunch options.

Adam's eye twitched. "Friday special?! FRIDAY SPECIAL?!" He gestured wildly at the advancing monstrosities. "They look like someone fed a blender raw meat and hit 'purée!' And they're coming at us!"

Wrath chuckled, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Relax, kid. Got any ideas? You're up."

"Oh, sure," Adam snapped, dropping to his knees and clutching his head. "Why not? Let me just whip up a genius plan while staring at my impending death. What the actual fu—"

Wrath sighed and raised his spear, the air around it igniting with an intense, nearly white flame. With a lazy toss, he hurled the weapon at the horde. The spear exploded on impact, sending a wave of fire that incinerated the smaller creatures instantly. The larger monster staggered, part of its grotesque form charred and smoking.

"There. Bought you some time," Wrath said, his tone as bored as ever. "Now stop panicking and figure something out."

Adam blinked at the fiery carnage, still clutching his head. "Sure, yeah, let me just think up a miracle. No big deal. Just another day in hell!"

Wrath crouched beside him, grinning. "That's the spirit. Use all that terror and existential dread—fuel for creativity!"

Adam glared at him, pointing at the still-regenerating giant beast in the distance. "And what about that thing? You gonna burn it again? Maybe roast marshmallows on its corpse while we're at it?"

Wrath smirked, standing up and cracking his knuckles. "Nah, I'm saving my energy. You've got this. I believe in you."

"Oh, great!" Adam shouted, throwing his arms up. "Wrath believes in me! That'll totally stop the army of flesh nightmares and their giant overlord!"

Wrath leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a mischievous whisper. "Kid, if it makes you feel better, you're not their target."

Adam froze. "...What?"

Wrath's grin widened. "Yeah, they're not after you. They're after someone way more interesting."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. Leah."

Wrath's silence was all the confirmation he needed. Adam groaned, standing up and brushing dirt off his pants. "Fine. Let's deal with this. But I swear, if I survive, I'm never watching another zombie movie again."

Wrath clapped him on the back with a laugh. "That's the spirit, kid! Now let's go not die. probably!."

_____________________

The air crackled with tension as Nilgaurd's voice crackled through the communication device. "Leah... they're not killing anyone. They're... coming for you. It's like they're incapable of—wait, I've got an idea... I can buy time... maybe an hour. While I figure something out. You should run. They'll be here soon, and we're not ready for this."

Leah, standing tall amidst the chaos, let out a long, steadying sigh. The gravity of the situation was crushing her, but there was no time for hesitation. With a flick of her wrist, she raised her hand, the device transmitting her orders to Bouyd, who was waiting just out of sight.

"Bouyd," Leah's voice was clear, cold, and commanding. "Send them in. Now. It's about to get messy."

From the shadows of the darkened hallways, like ghosts emerging from the mist, came her cursed battalion. Each one of them a reflection of her trust, her broken hopes, and her haunted past. They moved swiftly, silently, like predators preparing for battle. 

Pental was the first to arrive. His form was serpentine, coiling through the air as his muscles twisted and stretched in ways that defied logic. His eyes, cold and calculating, gleamed with barely restrained fury. His curse was a weapon, but it had come at a steep price: his emotions had withered, leaving only an insatiable, bitter rage. He was a time bomb, waiting to explode, but his power was undeniable. His breath, laced with venom, could turn the tide of a battle in an instant.

Ludel followed, his body floating effortlessly just above the ground, the gravity around him seemingly distorted by his curse. The metal gloves and boots anchored him, but even with these precautions, his vulnerability was palpable. One wrong move, one puncture, and he'd be rendered immobile. Despite this, his eyes burned with determination. He had never been one to back down, and today would be no different. 

Then there were the twins—Heyfell and Beyfell. Heyfell was the picture of joy, his movements light and swift as he laughed in the face of the approaching threat. But Leah knew the danger—his happiness could quickly turn into madness, and once that joy tipped over the edge, nothing would stop him. His twin, Beyfell, was the opposite. Her posture was heavy with sorrow, and Leah could feel the weight of her despair settling in the air around them. Beyfell's strength was terrifying, but too much sadness, and she would shatter into chaos. The twins' bond was the key to controlling their powers, but even Leah wasn't sure if they could hold it together for much longer.

Rift appeared next. His presence sent a chill down the spine of anyone nearby. The air around him rippled as though reality itself bent to his will. Rift was no ordinary cursed being—his power to manipulate everything within his radius was godlike, but it came at a high cost. Every use of his ability tore at him, both physically and mentally. He was a ticking time bomb, and Leah knew that at any moment, he could collapse under the strain. But for now, he was an asset. And they needed him.

Then came Due. Silent. Mysterious. His presence sent an unsettling wave through the air. He was a puzzle wrapped in shadows, and no one, not even Leah, knew the extent of his curse or the toll it took on him. But his loyalty to her was undeniable. There was a depth to his silence, a dark intensity that made him as much a weapon as anyone else in her group.

Lastly, Ligh appeared, her usual quiet grace shadowed by an undeniable tension. She could teleport, a gift that made her an invaluable ally in battle, but it came at a terrible cost: her voice. It was a silent agony for someone who had once known the power of speech. Still, Ligh was a rock in the storm, her eyes betraying a depth of understanding that words could never express. 

Leah gazed upon her cursed battalion, the only family she had left. Each one of them carried the burden of their curse, but together they were unstoppable. For now. 

"Alright," Leah said, her voice low but firm, cutting through the noise of the approaching horde. "Prepare yourselves. We fight, or we die trying."

The cursed ones moved into position, their powers ready to burst forth at a moment's notice. Leah's eyes locked onto the horizon, her mind already strategizing, calculating the next move. She could feel the pressure building, the weight of her choices closing in on her. But there was no time for doubts. No time for regret. The monsters were coming, and her cursed battalion was ready to answer the call.