To the Monster's Lair(3)

As everyone took their positions, Avasyu and his guard tightened their grips on their machetes.They exchanged a glance.

"Are you ready?" Avasyu asked.

One after another, they responded.

"Yes. Let's go."

The guards moved swiftly, splitting into two groups,some to the left, others to the right. With Avasyu's precise count of the monsters, surrounding them was seamless. Now, it was his and his guard's turn to move in.

Just as they were about to step forward, Avasyu suddenly stopped. Without a word, he stretched the rubber band on his wrist and let it snap against his skin.

A sharp sting jolted through him. His body tensed, and he involuntarily jumped.

It hurt. A lot.

But that pain was exactly what he needed.

A proof that this wasn't just another dream.

They moved forward, slipping through the gap between the two massive rocks and stepping into the open area where the monsters lurked.

The passage was strangely unguarded. Not a single creature stood watch. Wasting no time, Avasyu and his guard slipped through undetected, their movements swift and precise.

As they entered the clearing, Avasyu drew his machete,electricity crackling along its blade. His grey eyes glowed with power.

Without hesitation, he drove the weapon into the back of the nearest monster. A surge of electricity coursed through its body, making it convulse violently before collapsing.

Before the others could react, Avasyu yanked the machete free and struck again,slashing at the monsters beside him, lightning sparking with every deadly swing.

He slashed through the monsters.

Slash!!

To his left.

Slash!!

To his right.

Slash!

Avasyu tore through them relentlessly. His guard watched in astonishment, unable to believe that this was just a kid.

Yet, Avasyu moved like a warrior. Each swing of his machete sent jolts of electricity surging through the creatures, their bodies convulsing before falling lifeless.

Once again, not a single monster could lay a scratch on him.

But this was all part of his plan. The other guards were already in position, waiting for his signal. Yet, Avasyu gave none.

He just kept going,slicing through every monster that dared step in front of him.

The air crackled with electricity, the ground soaked in the echoes of growls and dying screams.

Slash!! ZZZZZT!! Slash!!

Crackle!! GRAAAHHH!! Slash!!

GRRAA-ZZZZT!!

Then, he stopped.He was standing face to face with their leader.

The female monster.

She was terrifying,her head covered in mouths, each filled with razor-sharp teeth. And inside those mouths? More eyes. Tens of them.

She glared at Avasyu, her voice a guttural growl.

"RAAAHHHH!! How dare you kill my children?! I won't just eat you, GRRR !!! I'll make you suffer first!"

Her roar shook the ground. "RAAAHHHH!!"

Every monster froze as they sensed their leader's rage. Yet, they didn't retreat. Instead, they lurked behind her in the darkness, believing Avasyu couldn't see them.

But for his guard, the sight was terrifying.

Before him and Avasyu stood an uncountable horde—countless glowing dark red eyes, all fixated on them, ready to attack.

Then, Avasyu took a step forward.

"I can see you all."

His voice was calm, unwavering.

"Thirty remaining."

A flicker of recognition passed through the monsters. He continued, his words sharp as a blade.

"I've killed all of you before. I've slaughtered your kind. I've even killed you."

He raised his machete, electricity sparking wildly along its edge. His glowing grey eyes locked onto the leader as he pointed the crackling blade directly at her.

The sight of him,his unwavering stance, his fearless gaze,only enraged her further.

"RAAAAHHHHHH!" she roared, trembling with fury.

"You damn human! I'll kill you!"

Without hesitation, she lunged, her speed blinding, aiming to sever his hands in a single strike.

But Avasyu was faster.

He sidestepped.One, two steps to the left,his eyes never leaving hers.

The battlefield fell into stunned silence.

Both the monsters and the guards stood frozen, astonished by the sheer speed of Avasyu and the monster queen.

The monsters, who had been advancing moments ago, stopped dead in their tracks. Even they hesitated now.

But the most shocked of all was her.

She had always been the fastest, her slim, agile body built for speed. Her glowing red form stood out in the darkness, a constant reminder to all that she was the apex predator.

Yet now, she was outmatched.

And by a mere child.

Her many eyes flickered in disbelief. She had attacked with all her speed,but Avasyu had followed every movement.

Fury ignited within her.

She growled, then lunged again,this time faster, deadlier. She twisted her body mid-dash, sprinting toward Avasyu, aiming to rip his weapon from his grasp.

But that was her mistake.

She gripped his wrist, ready to tear his hand clean off,only to feel something wrong.

Pain.

Searing, electric pain.

Avasyu hadn't moved an inch. He had simply angled his machete's sharp edge upward, anticipating her attack.

She had cut herself.

Her own momentum had become her downfall.

The blade itself wasn't razor-sharp, but the coursing electricity made it feel like lightning-infused steel,and now, it had severed her own hand.

Her shriek echoed through the darkness.

Her left arm had been severed,by her own reckless speed.But instead of fear, rage consumed her.

With a furious snarl, she lunged again, even faster than before. This time, she was wary of Avasyu, her glowing red eyes locked onto him with murderous intent.

She extended her remaining claw, aiming straight for his head.But she failed.

The moment her claw neared his skull, a surge of electricity erupted from his body.It wasn't Avasyu who attacked. The lightning itself rejected her.

He stood completely still, his grey eyes glowing, watching her own downfall unfold.

The electricity wrapped around her like a living force, crackling as it surged through her body.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!"

Her agonized screams tore through the night, echoing across the battlefield.

Then,silence.

Her body collapsed to the ground, motionless. Only her head lifted weakly, her many eyes flickering as she struggled to focus. She lay there, belly against the dirt, unable to move,paralyzed by the very force that had defeated her.And in front of her stood a child.

His glowing grey eyes pierced the darkness, his machete crackling with electricity. The night had swallowed everything else, leaving only the glow of his eyes and the hum of his blade.It was as if he were looking down upon her.

For the first time in her life, her heart raced in fear.

Then, Avasyu spoke."Why did you attack us?"

His voice was calm, but it carried an unshakable authority."Who do you think I am?"

She couldn't answer.She tried to, but no words came.

Avasyu crouched beside her, lowering his voice into a whisper.

"I know you can't answer."

He leaned in closer.

"But before you end your own life, let me tell you a secret."

His breath was cold against her broken body.

"I have superpowers."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"They allow me to see through your attacks. To counter you before you even realize you've lost."

A flicker of realization passed through her many eyes.His final words echoed in the darkness.

"I've killed you before. Multiple times."

"But this... was the last time."