Of Monsters and Redemption

Chapter 11

"I'll protect you… Anna," Malick said, coughing up blood.

"A hybrid revenant—you're worse than trash," Elliot sneered as he yanked the katana out of Malick's chest with a brutal motion.

Malick's pained grunt jolted Janice back to reality. Her wide, horrified eyes locked onto Malick's face, where a bloody, bittersweet smile was etched. She stood frozen, unable to move.

"I'll protect you this time," Malick rasped, his voice trembling with emotion. "I won't let you die…"

"Shut up!" Elliot barked, swinging his blade to decapitate Malick in a single, ruthless strike.

But Elliot stopped mid-swing. Cold sweat ran down his face as a chill of fear froze his muscles. He stumbled backward instinctively. Malick had stood back up. The gaping hole in his chest was already beginning to close, flesh stitching itself together unnaturally.

"If you want to run away from me, Janice," Malick began, his voice strained and low, "now is the time. I understand." He exhaled sharply, his tone turning darker with every word. "It's nothing new. I can't protect you—not like this. Not as I am now." He looked down at his trembling hands before locking eyes with her.

"I have a monster inside me. I can save you… but only if I let it out." His voice deepened and distorted, becoming almost inhuman. "I've built my past relationships on lies, and when people find out what I am, they always run. I want you to stay… That's why I'm showing you the truth. This is what I am. If you choose to leave, I'll understand."

He turned, facing Elliot with a haunting calm. "But first… I'll show you the monster you all created."

Dark mist began to seep from Malick's body, swirling around him like a storm. Within moments, the mist ignited into roaring black flames. Bone-like protrusions formed a jagged crown around his head, and thick, black liquid poured from his eyes like corrupted tears.

Elliot's voice faltered as he asked, "What in the world are you?"

By then, Malick had already lost himself to the creature inside. Rational thought was gone. Only one thing remained in his mind: KILL.

"Malick… this…" Janice's voice trembled as she reached out a hand to him. Fear and shock rooted her to the spot, her gaze fixed on the monstrosity he had become. All the pain and hatred he had hidden so well for so long were now laid bare, manifest in his new form.

Malick lunged at Elliot with terrifying speed. Elliot barely managed to react, raising his sword in defense and slashing across Malick's chest. The blade bounced off him harmlessly. Before Elliot could recover, Malick struck him with a dark-flame-covered punch, sending him flying across the battlefield.

A pained groan escaped Elliot as he tumbled to the ground. Malick's shadow extended unnaturally, and from it, skeletal hands burst forth, clawing at the air as they reached for Elliot.

"Shit."

Elliot's instincts kicked in. Flow state.

His movements became fluid, almost effortless. Dodging the skeletal hands with grace, he dashed toward Malick, drawing the second katana from his back in one seamless motion. The blades sang as he attacked.

Elliot's strikes were precise, one after the other, slashing across Malick's body. But Malick didn't dodge. He took the hits head-on, his focus entirely on finding an opening to counter. Elliot danced around him, striking again and again, until finally, he drove one blade into Malick's chest.

With precision, Elliot swung the second blade, aiming to decapitate Malick in a clean strike. The sword bit into Malick's neck, cutting halfway through—

Then Malick let out a deafening roar, a sound that shook the ground.

Elliot froze, his hands trembling as both swords refused to budge, held in place by the sheer force of Malick's monstrous energy. Before he could react, Malick raised a clawed hand, aiming to pierce Elliot's chest.

With a curse under his breath, Elliot abandoned the swords, leaping backward to put distance between them. His heart pounded as he stared at the creature before him.

"I don't have the firepower to take this monster down in one hit," Elliot muttered to himself, his breaths ragged. His eyes flicked toward Malick, who loomed larger and more menacing with each passing moment. "He keeps tanking everything I throw at him… and worse, he's evolving. If this drags out, I might lose."

Elliot clenched his fists and shook his head, determination hardening his gaze. "I'll give it everything I have. Time to end this."

He punched a button on the sides of his wrists, and two small gauntlets warped around his hands, locking into place with a metallic hum. Sparks of electricity crackled along their surface as he slammed them together, releasing a sharp electric surge.

Malick growled low and guttural as he yanked the swords from his body, his flesh knitting itself back together almost instantly. His ragged breaths grew heavier, and beneath his now-transparent ribcage, his glowing, pulsing heart throbbed like a beacon of unstable energy. From the dark, distorted shadows beneath him, massive phantom arms erupted, clawing at the ground and air around him.

Malick opened his mouth wide, and a massive fireball began to build, swirling with black flames that pulsed with chaotic, crackling energy. Without hesitation, he fired the beam directly at Elliot.

Elliot's instincts kicked in, and he dove to the side just in time. The beam slammed into the ground, and Elliot could only stare for a moment as the black fire spread, not just burning but decaying everything it touched, leaving twisted, crumbling remains in its wake.

"Don't let them leave," whispered a sinister, ethereal voice from the depths of Malick's mind. It oozed malice, mocking him with every word. "Protect them. Protect… If they leave, you'll be alone again They'll never accept you," the voice hissed. "Not Anna, not Janice. You can protect them… but they'll still run. Everyone runs.You'll die lonely, back to what you fear most. Let me take over. Give me full control."

The voice warped into groans and mocking laughter. "You'll die l—"

A warm hand wrapped around him from behind, pulling him back from the edge.

Malick froze. His ragged breaths began to slow, stabilizing as the touch anchored him.

"You've done enough, Malick," Janice said softly, her voice trembling yet steady with emotion. "Don't lose yourself for me. If you destroy yourself trying to protect me… who will protect you? I can't watch you lose yourself because of me. Let's protect each other."

"What the hell are you doing, tramp? Get out of the way!" Elliot barked, but before Janice could react, Malick ripped her grip off him, tossing her aside like a rag doll.

He charged toward Elliot without hesitation.

Adaptive Motion.

Blood dripped from Elliot's nose as he braced himself, his eyes locking onto Malick's glowing heart.

He darted forward with precision and punched Malick square in the chest. A bolt of electricity burst from his gauntlets, ripping a hole through Malick's torso. But Malick barely staggered. His massive clawed hand lashed out, grabbing Elliot's arm like a vice.

Elliot gritted his teeth, ducked low, and swept Malick's legs out from under him with a sharp kick to the ankles. Malick fell hard, and Elliot charged up another attack, slamming his gauntlet forward with a roar, aiming for Malick's head.

But before the blow could land, Janice stepped between them.

"Janice, move!" Elliot shouted, but it was too late.

The gauntlet struck her instead.

The force sent her reeling. Blood poured from her mouth as she crumpled to the ground.

"See? You are… not alone," Janice said, her voice steady but soft. A bright smile lit her face.

Malick's gaze locked onto her, that smile pulling him out of his darkness once more, just as it had long ago. It was the smile of human nature—naive, perhaps, but warm and genuine. Slowly, the jagged bones covering Malick's face began to crumble, piece by piece, revealing his true expression. Gone was the strong, stoic mask of a monster. What remained was a boy—a desperate boy, broken by the weight of everything he had lost and terrified of losing even more.

Tears spilled from his eyes as his lips quivered. "I'm sorry…"

Before he could say more, Elliot's fist struck Janice, sending her flying backward.

"Get out of the way," Elliot snarled, his voice cold and venomous. He glared down at Malick, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I'll punish this pig for almost killing me. I'm not falling for your tears, so save it."

Malick tried to lift his hands in defense, but exhaustion had already taken hold of him. His body gave out, collapsing to the ground like a lifeless puppet.

Elliot laughed, a sharp, hysterical sound. "Where's all that power, huh?" He kicked Malick hard in the side. "Show me! Come on!" He kicked him again.

"Stop…" Janice's voice trembled weakly.

Elliot paid no attention, his laughter growing louder.

"Stop…" she said again, her voice growing stronger.

"...S-STOP!"

A sudden, bone-chilling cold swept through the air. The temperature plummeted as frost began to form on the ground. Around Janice, a furious blizzard swirled to life. Her breaths came out in visible clouds, and ice slowly crept over her skin, coating her in an unearthly, glacial armor.

Elliot's laughter faltered. His eyes narrowed as a grin crept back onto his face. "You've awakened."

Janice slowly rose to her feet, her once warm and kind expression replaced with a cold, deadly calm. Her eyes burned with rage, devoid of all emotion except the desire to protect.

"But do you really think you can take me on?" Elliot mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance.

 "I've studied you, Elliot I've analyzed every move you've made, every technique you've used. Your abilities are impressive, sure. That unparalleled speed, the razor-sharp reaction time, the precise, perfect synchronization between mind and body—it's remarkable." She paused

 "But I also know the toll it takes on your brain. Your power isn't infinite."

Janice stared at him, unblinking, her icy breath curling in the frigid air.

"Do you think you can take me on?" she said, her voice low and venomous, cutting through the storm like a blade.

Elliot sneered. "Brat. I'll take you on—even if I'm blind!"

With a burst of speed, Elliot dashed toward her, his fists flying in quick, powerful strikes.

Janice was faster.

Coating her hands in frigid air, she parried his punches with precision, deflecting every attack with ease. Elliot launched a left hook, but she blocked it effortlessly, spinning in a fluid motion before slamming her elbow into the back of his head.

Elliot stumbled forward, growling in frustration. Enraged, he charged again, his movements wild and reckless. But Janice's eyes tracked him easily now. His rage made him predictable.

She parried his attacks one after another, her counters precise and devastating. Her punches landed like hammer blows, her kicks striking with the force of a frozen storm. Each hit sent Elliot staggering further, his blood painting the frost-covered ground.

By the time she stopped, Elliot's face was a broken, bloody mess. He struggled to stand, swaying unsteadily on his feet.

"Why don't you kill me?" he spat, his voice hoarse but defiant. "I can see the rage in your eyes. The hate. And right now, I'm the reason for it. So why don't you kill me?"

Janice stood over him, her icy aura crackling in the cold air. Her gaze didn't waver.

"Because I'm not like you, Elliot," she said quietly. "I believe in second chances. But know this—if you ever show your face again, or if you harm anyone close to me, you won't be so lucky next time."

Elliot let out a bitter, rasping laugh. "Still clinging to your ridiculous ideals. Do you think this world was built by people like you? By people who give second chances?" He coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Purge those ideals now, while you still can," he sneered. His body slumped to the ground, barely able to hold itself up.

He managed a faint, mocking grin. "Let me give you a warning, Janice. Drop those ideals, or one day, they'll come back to haunt you. And when that day comes…" He chuckled weakly, his voice fading. "...It'll hurt. More than anything. When you finally realize… everything you fought for was a lie."

Elliot collapsed, unconscious, as the frost around Janice began to fade.