Kapitel 33: Chapter Thirty Three
High in the sky, screams ring out below.
- What... What's going on
Creatures of nightmare sink their fangs into innocent people, sparing neither man, woman, nor child. Blood pools in the streets, painting the city in a grotesque tableau of horror. The air is thick with the scent of death and the echoes of despair.
-Oh my God. What's... Oh... oh, someone should help them.
a voice trembles, barely audible above the cacophony of terror.
A hand is raised.
-Is that... is that my hand?
The voice quivers with disbelief.
Reality bends and twists under a sudden influx of power. The sky shimmers with an unnatural light, and the ground below seems to ripple as if in a fever dream. The demonic creatures shriek in agony as they burst apart, their grotesque forms dissolving into nothingness.
-Just what is going on?
The question hangs in the air, a desperate plea for understanding in a world gone mad.
Another demon appears, different and more massive than the others. Its eyes glow with malevolent intent, and its howl shakes the very foundation of reality. It transforms, growing larger, more terrifying.
-No... stay away.
The voice pleads, filled with a primal fear.
The demon lunges, jaw wide open, flames as black as coal surrounding it. Its maw promises nothing but oblivion.
-Nooo!!
The scream is one of pure terror, a cry that seems to come from the depths of the soul.
A roar of fury answers the cry. Suddenly charging at the massive demon, a hand pressed forward, black lightning crackling around it. The energy is raw, untamed, a manifestation of sheer rage and power. But it misses its mark.
-Help me.
The voice sobs, now choked with fear and confusion.
The impact of the miss slams into multiple buildings. The city, already in ruins, crumbles further. Dust and debris fill the air, a choking miasma of destruction.
-This... this is...
The voice trails off, lost in the chaos.
The battle rages on, a clash of titanic forces. Reality is turned inside out, moments flashing by in a surreal blur. Each strike, each clash, sends shockwaves through the city, tearing apart the fabric of existence.
The fear is palpable, a living entity that grips the heart with icy fingers. Confusion reigns, a dark cloud that obscures all hope. In this nightmare, only the will to survive remains, a flickering flame in the darkness.
The city lies in shambles, a testament to the devastating power unleashed. And above it all, the sky crackles with the remnants of dark energy, a grim reminder of the battle that tore through reality itself.
Victory at last, born in the form of a spear created from the tears in reality.
-Its name.
Another roar. An impossible sight.
-What? How... it should be dead.
A cacophony of roars. Surrounded.
- Noo, please... no.
Elevation. Escape. Eight chains. Heavy.
In the distance, a figure surrounded by abyssal darkness.
- K... Kaede?
|| Saturating Chaos ||
Darkness.
////
"Aaaaargh." A girl jerks awake, drenched in sweat. "Kaede!!!" she yells as she hurries to her feet.
"Okay, this is... What am I looking at?"
Chaos stretches as far as the eye can see. A massive battlefield sprawls before her, soaked in blood and littered with the remnants of a brutal conflict. The air is thick with the metallic tang of iron, mingling with the stench of death.
"Where the hell am I?" The young girl shakily stands up, gawking at the gruesome scene. She feels a surge of nausea at the sight and smell.
"This is a dream, right? It has to be." The girl finally realizes the taste of iron in her mouth. Bringing her hand to her lips, she recoils in horror.
"BLOOD!" she screams internally. She's covered in it, her clothes soaked through with the sticky, crimson fluid. Falling to her knees, she scrambles messily for cover, but there is none to be found.
Corpses, body parts, and pools of blood surround her on all sides. The ground itself is seeped in red, the iron scent making her head spin and her stomach churn.
"Hehehehe, what do we have here? You a little one, ain't ya?" An armored figure stands over the girl, casting a dark shadow. A gruff beard adorns a green, lecherous face, twisted into a grin that reveals larger-than-normal fangs. His eyes gleam with a predatory light.
"Wha... what's going on?" she asks, her voice trembling. The armored figure laughs, the sound mingling with the distant screams of pain, making him seem all the more sinister.
"I could tell ya, or I could just show you myself." The armored man suddenly grabs the girl's throat with one hand, pressing her to the blood-soaked ground. His other hand undoes his belt with practiced ease.
The girl's eyes widen in realization, understanding the creature's vile intent. With a primal roar, she kicks the creature off her, the force of the blow breaking its nose in the process.
"You little bitch! Screw this, I'll fucking kill you." The figure immediately tightens its belt, drawing a large axe from its back. The weapon is nearly as tall as the girl, its blade stained red with the blood of countless victims.
The creature leaps, his axe tearing through the air with murderous intent. "I'll enjoy fucking your corpse, bitch." The weapon reaches the girl's head in an instant, aiming to cleave it in two.
Time slows to a crawl.
The young girl blinks, the air around her vibrating with a strange excitement. Her eyes, previously filled with fear and confusion, now bear an intensity that would put assassins to shame.
The edge of the axe makes contact with the girl's forehead, a thin red line forming where it touches.
The girl vanishes. The creature blinks once, then again in shock. Below, it realizes too late.
Underneath his swing, the girl crouches down on the floor, her right hand tensing against the ground, her left hand grabbing the handle of a dagger behind her waist.
The dagger is drawn from its sheath, a blue light shimmering behind it like a mirage.
The girl moves with fluid grace, slipping under the swing and swirling behind the man. Like flowing water, the blue light traces an arc through the armored figure's arm. In a seamless motion, it slices through his neck, shoulder, and down to his hip, finally severing both thighs.
Time resumes. The girl slides to a stop, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The armored creature completes his swing, unaware of his fate.
For a brief moment, reality seems confused. They both stand back to back, the wind choosing that moment to pass through. Then, the creature's body collapses in a spray of blood, falling apart at the precise points where the blue light had cut.
The girl remains still, her chest heaving as she tries to process what just happened. Her mind races, battling the fear and confusion that threaten to overwhelm her. She looks down at her bloodstained hands, the blue dagger still gripped tightly in her left.
"This can't be real," she whispers to herself, the realization settling in. She stands up, her legs trembling.
As she steps forward, her senses heighten, every sound, every movement around her becoming sharp and clear.
She doubles over and pukes. Around her, she can hear it, the cries of the dying before their final breath. For once, she hated her high situational awareness.
So much death and destruction. So much blood.
Footsteps. She turns around, more of the armored creatures, at least a dozen.
"There's too many." She turns and runs, straight into a forest, her figure a blur of ocean blue.
Atop a large beast like mount, another green creature sits, scars riddle his face, his steel silver eyes stare into the forest.
"The hunt, is not yet over." The mount roars, the air trembling as other monsters join in.
The green creature releases a war cry and five hundred Nilbogs race into the forest.
////
Trees blur as they pass by, the girl now a streak of blue light tearing through the forest. Leaves and branches whip past her face, but she doesn't flinch. Her breath comes in rapid bursts, each one a reminder of the relentless pace she must maintain.
Left. She darts around a towering oak, its gnarled roots clawing at the earth. Right. She narrowly avoids a cluster of thorny bushes, their barbed tendrils reaching out like hungry fingers. Over a branch. Her legs coil and release like springs, propelling her into the air with a grace born of desperation.
Don't stop moving. The mantra echoes in her mind, a rhythmic pulse that drives her forward. Leap. She soars over a fallen log, its surface slick with moss. A slide. She drops into a crouch, skimming beneath a low-hanging branch, the rough bark grazing her back.
A cliff? Her heart skips a beat, but she doesn't hesitate. Running down the steep incline, her feet barely touch the ground as she descends, the world tilting around her. Leap into the air. The ground vanishes beneath her, and for a moment, she is weightless. Another leap. She lands, her momentum carrying her forward, unstoppable.
The blue streak slows as she reaches a stream, the girl panting as she kneels before the running water. Her reflection ripples in the current, distorted but unmistakable. Sweat drips from her forehead, mingling with the grime and blood that cover her face.
'I think I lost them,' her mind races. If she knew just how much distance she had covered in only eight seconds, she would be more relaxed. In reality, she has crossed not just a forest but an entire two cities' worth of distance, her incredible speed leaving her pursuers far behind.
She splashes water on her face, the cold shock bringing a moment of clarity. The forest around her is silent, save for the gentle babble of the stream. Sunlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air is cool and fresh, a stark contrast to the chaos she left behind.
Her breathing slows, and she takes in her surroundings with a newfound sense of awareness. The stream is clear, the water so pure she can see pebbles on the bottom, smooth and colorful. Fish dart through the current, their silver scales flashing like tiny mirrors.
She dips her hands into the water, the chill soothing her raw, bloody skin. The sensation is almost surreal after the frenetic escape. She drinks deeply, the cold water invigorating her tired body.
As she kneels by the stream, her mind begins to process the enormity of what just happened. She recalls the blood-soaked battlefield, the grotesque figures, and the lecherous armored man. The memory sends a shiver down her spine, but she pushes it aside. She is safe for now.
Looking around, she spots a patch of soft moss under a cluster of trees. She moves towards it, her legs heavy and unsteady. The moss is a welcome cushion as she collapses onto it, her body finally allowed a moment of respite.
Her eyes scan the forest, taking in every detail. The vibrant green of the leaves, the rich, earthy scent of the soil, the distant chirping of birds. It's almost peaceful here, a stark contrast to the horrors she escaped.
She knows she can't stay here forever. She has to keep moving, find shelter, and figure out what is happening. But for now, she allows herself a moment of rest, her mind and body recovering from the intense ordeal.
The girl takes a deep breath, the cool forest air filling her lungs. She closes her eyes, letting the sounds of the forest wash over her. The rustle of leaves, the gentle flow of the stream, the distant call of a bird. It's a symphony of nature, a stark contrast to the cacophony of battle she left behind.
She hears a sound, the snap of a twig. Immediately, she's on her feet twin daggers drawn.
"Lower your weapons." A feminine voice calls from within a network of trees.
The girl growls, her grip tightening on the daggers, "Show yourself first."
A rustle from the bushes, and the girl tenses. A figure walks out cautiously, followed by another, and another.
The girl eyes widen, before her are women of different species. They all had something in common however, the girl lowered her daggers. 'Pregnant women?'
The lead woman, possessing small budding antlers on her forehead, a deer kin.
She wears a tattered and worn-out tunic made from a rough, coarse material that's barely holding together. The tunic is stained with dirt, sweat, and blood, and is torn in several places, exposing her pale skin. The embroidery that once adorned the garment has long since unraveled, leaving only a few loose threads.
Her leather belt is cracked and worn, held together by a few scraps of twine. The bones, feathers, and trinkets that once adorned the belt are now gone, lost or broken.
Her leather pants are similarly worn, with holes and tears that expose her legs to the elements. The pants are held up by a few scraps of leather thong, and are barely clinging to her hips.
Her boots are little more than scraps of leather wrapped around her feet, held on by a few tattered laces. The soles are worn through, and the boots offer little protection from the forest floor.
Her hair is matted and tangled, with leaves and twigs caught in the knots. Her face is dirty, with streaks of grime and sweat etched into her skin.
Despite her ragged appearance, she moves with a quiet strength and determination, her eyes fixed on the girl.
She points her spear, menacingly. "Who are you."
The girl raises her arms in a non hostile gesture. "I'm not the enemy, I won't hurt any of you. I'm lost. My name... My name is Sally."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein