Chapter 10 - The Invasion
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꧁ Early Morning ꧂
Reiji stays at that residence for a few days until, one midnight, he is awakened by cries and screams.
— REI, WE NEED TO RUN — the beastman shouts, rushing into the room.
…
Waking up abruptly, still confused about the situation, the boy, still sleepy, asks: — What's going on?
As he gradually regains some of his consciousness, rubbing his eyes and slowly getting up from bed, he feels the stifling and dense atmosphere.
Turning his gaze to the side, he notices that Kazuki, with Mia in his arms, is staring fixedly through the open windows of the room. They both wear a dazed and confused expression.
"Why are they like that?"
He thinks, alarmed.
He then turns his attention back to the windows…
But as soon as he looks outside, he notices something unexpected and surprising…
All the surrounding area and local shops are on fire, the cathedral is in ruins, and part of the wall visible from the room is completely damaged and shattered... Its rubble is scattered across the streets and paths below.
The interior of the room is entirely bathed in red, probably from the flames being reflected.
Not understanding what's happening, Rei, who just woke up and is still drowsy, gets up quickly.
And starts following Kazuki, who, in turn, walks quickly downstairs while explaining the current situation to the boy.
— We don't have much time, so I'll explain as fast as I can... — he says between breaths, going down the stairs.
— The Beastmen's kingdom, being located near the coastal plains... is often attacked by the Demon Kingdom, and others, from the Artys continent — he reports, stepping out of the house.
— Them coming... to this village, can only mean that the cities and towns before here were also targets of attack.
At the door of the residence, following Kazuki, who begins to run down the street, the boy hears countless screams coming from nearby people.
Soon, he notices that many of the people he meets on the way are running in the same direction as Kazuki.
Looking around, he notices many houses and market stalls are partially destroyed... A rather odd scene.
But… Who did this, or what happened to make things this way? It's the boy's thought as he keeps running.
Chills run through his entire body, and the cold midnight winds enter and fill his lungs as he follows the figure of the man in front of him.
— I can't believe this is happening, this wasn't supposed to happen — the man says, his voice full of distress and nervousness.
All this hesitation and confusion is reflected in Mia, who's in the man's arms, and as a result, she starts shaking and covers her face in his clothes, gripping them tightly.
— This village...
— If it weren't for the mercenary guild, the village wouldn't have had enough strength to defend itself, it would've been destroyed long ago.
…
— This attack won't end like the others.
— I never thought I'd say this... but the best thing to do is to run, or hide.
While speaking, a loud noise is heard.
When the people nearby, Rei, and Kazuki look back, in the direction where the noise came from, they see that part of the wall has collapsed. Everyone notices a huge dust cloud that covers the entire atmosphere, while the remaining debris of the wall begins to fall slowly.
At that moment, the silhouettes of some things start to take shape through the dust.
So that, as the dust begins to slowly dissipate, their figures become clearer...
Something large begins to take form, quadrupedal beings with deformed shapes, and enormous twisted horns on their heads… Demogorges.
When the dust settles, they become clear to everyone, and soon they advance forward, emerging in large numbers, countless creatures from beyond the fissure, entering the city... A true chaos.
The terrified citizens, realizing the presence of the creatures, start screaming louder and running in unison towards the city gate.
They run without caring about the outcome, bumping into each other and ignoring those who fall nearby… The survival instinct screams louder, and soon the true nature of humankind becomes evident.
— What the hell are those things? Is it really possible for a monster like that to exist? — the boy says, astonished, staring at the creatures.
The monsters, noticing the human frenzy and excitement, are drawn to the people's positions.
And in the blink of an eye, with great speed, they begin to run quickly, getting close to the villagers... And soon, the worst nightmares and most bitter dreams become reality.
The creatures propel themselves with their claws and tear apart the bodies of nearby people, and then devour their corpses whole.
"What the hell is this?"
Thinks the student, freezing for a few seconds.
The situation spirals out of control, and Kazuki, realizing the situation, desperately grabs Rei's hand and pulls him to an isolated area to avoid the crowd... In his mind, if they stayed close to the people, they'd easily become targets.
…
They hide in a small stall nearby, and soon, the man, still trying to assess the present situation, turns to the boy and says quickly: — We'll stay here.
— I'm sorry for dragging you like this, I didn't know what to do... If we stayed with those people, we'd probably be targets too.
— O-ok — the boy responds.
Even though Kazuki tries to speak confidently, the tone of his words conveys indecision and apprehension.
Kazuki is clearly shaken by everything that has happened, trying to process the reality, and Mia... Is in a worse state.
The girl, despite covering her face with the man's clothes, hears the screams, growls, and noises from all around every passing minute... Affecting her constantly. In her memories, all she can think of is that fateful day she was kidnapped and had to run, fearing for her life.
Of the three present, Rei is the one who remains emotionally stable and able to make a rational decision. Despite the chaos he's witnessed, the boy has a strong mentality.
But, before he could say anything about the situation, Mia, turning her head to the side, screams upon witnessing something... That makes everyone look in horror at the scene.
To be continued...