A gross beast

The room fell silent, the air thick with tension. The only sound was the crackling of the campfire, its flames casting flickering shadows on the crumbling walls. Through the broken windows, a single eye of the beast glinted in the darkness.

The skin around the eye was grotesque, melted and pulsating with fleshy bumps that seemed to writhe unnaturally.

The firelight grew brighter, revealing the creature in its entirety.

It was a four-legged monstrosity, its body resembling a twisted lizard. Tentacles of raw, dripping meat protruded from its back, writhing like serpents. Its form was both alien and horrifying, a nightmare given flesh.

The beast turned its gaze toward the group, its eye locking onto them. Everyone froze, their breath caught in their throats.

"MOEN, GO!"

The leader's voice shattered the silence.

Moen, the towering man with the massive shield, hesitated for a split second before charging forward. He raised his shield, his movements clumsy but determined. Before he could reach the beast, one of its tentacles lashed out with blinding speed.

Erley's world slowed to a crawl, his eyes widening.

Moen's head was severed cleanly from his body, tumbling through the air.

But before it could hit the ground, the skin from his neck stretched unnaturally, snatching the head and reattaching it as if nothing had happened.

The rest of the convoy sprang into action, rushing toward the beast from both sides. Erley stood frozen, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed.

The leader was the fastest, darting past Erley with two swords in hand.

Moen, now fully restored, slammed his shield into the beast, sending it crashing through the front of the shop and into the street outside.

A boom is heard.

'I have to move!'

Erley snapped out of his shock and rushed to join the fight, his crude sword clutched tightly in his hand.

***

The battle spilled into the street, the beast snarling as it faced the convoy. Moen stood his ground, his shield absorbing the creature's attacks with a series of bone-rattling impacts.

From behind Moen, Hao leaped into the air, a massive greatsword now in his hands.

He spun gracefully, bringing the blade down with devastating force. It plunged deep into the beast's skull, but before Hao could retreat, a tentacle shot toward him. He barely managed to dodge, leaving the greatsword embedded in the creature's head as he scrambled back behind Moen.

Anna, the blonde girl with the spear, emerged from the shadows of an abandoned car. She moved like a predator, her white eyes locked onto the beast.

She moved like a cornered animal, her every step tense and calculated.

In one fluid motion, she thrust her spear into its eye, the tip piercing through with a sickening squelch. Blood gushed from the wound, but the beast refused to die.

Erley watched from the sidelines, his mind racing.

'What can i even do here?!'

Looking up Erley sees somebody flying down from a nearby building.

Before the beast could retaliate, a small figure dropped from a nearby building, landing on its back with a thunderous impact. It was the young man in black, his dagger plunging into the creature's flesh. The beast roared in agony, its body contorting as blood sprayed from the wound.

The lizard had no time to react before another attack rained down on him.

The leader moved like a blur, her twin swords flashing in the firelight. With two precise strikes, she severed one of the beast's legs in a single second, leaving it unbalanced and vulnerable.

Lashing out with both of her swords, she continues to circle the lizard while slashing him non-stop.

Hao, now unarmed, darted forward and retrieved his greatsword from the creature's skull. With a final, brutal swing, he cleaved through its head, the creatures skull split open. Blood spilling everywhere around the street.

Erley stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. The entire fight had lasted mere seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

'What the hell!'

'What the hell just.. happened.'

The convoy moved with practiced efficiency, their coordination flawless. Even Moen, who had been decapitated moments ago, seemed unfazed as he adjusted his shield.

The leader knelt beside the beast, her swords carving into its flesh.

'Huh..'

Perplexed Erley looks back at Hao, who looked happy as always, however now he was clenching his fists and talking in a low voice.

"How did i miss the brain.."

Looking back at the leader, Erley says weakly, his voice trembling.

"Good job" 

The leader glanced at him, her gaze piercing. For a moment, Erley felt something stir in his chest—a strange, unfamiliar emotion.

"Everyone go back inside, Hao help me carve this."

Hao groaned.

"Me? why me again?!"

"Come, now, we need to move."

"Alright alright..."

***

Back inside the ruined shop, Erley sat in silence, his mind racing.

'What even is my ability? What are theirs?'

He glanced at Moen, remembering how the man's skin had stretched to reattach his head. It was both fascinating and horrifying, a reminder that the members of this convoy were far from ordinary.

'Kind of creepy, but why did that remind me of the lizard in a way?'

Erley's gaze fell to his crude sword, its jagged blade a stark contrast to the polished weapons of his companions.

'Now that i think about it.. why is my weapon so crude compared to theirs?'

The blade looked more like a long bar of metal that was sharpened by force instead of an actual sword.

He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

'Well whatever, It doesn't matter what I have. Next time, I'll prove myself.'