Kapitel 2: Triplets
(This and all of this volume are a part of the old version of Howler. Look out for the remastered version in the next volume releasing late 2023)
To André, time itself felt as though it had succumbed to the triplet's leer. This feeling, however, was personal to André alone. Everyone else in the room took only seconds to react. The male farthest from the door was the first to speak.
"Orochi what is the meaning this," his tone was bitter.
"Brother Snorochi, this being was not here during our initial slaughter," the female in middle spoke with withdrawn excitement.
"Brother Snorochi, sister Orochi is correct. I did not detect his life force until 3.5 minutes ago when he was within a 200-meter radius of this care facility centre," the male closest to the door remained expressionless.
"I see, brother Tonorochi. This makes little difference to our original objective. The 'Howler' will be disposed of in the end." Snorochi glares at Leoandré with intense murderous intent. Leoandré's firm resistance began to dissolve, as he dropped his arms and stammered backwards.
It was now when the severity of the situation dawned on André. His eyes darted around the room. He saw bloodied corpses, some were mutilated to the point where they were no longer recognisable, whilst others lay snuggled up in a pool of their own organs. Slowly, all of André's senses began to fail him. First, his perfect vision blurred. Soon afterwards he could no longer feel the floor beneath him. A high-frequency sound shot through his ears, demanding his heart rate to increase. Throughout this, his limbs never stopped shaking. He craned his stiff neck towards the floor after hearing a minute thud. There lay a severed head, screaming death into his soul. He looked up. He saw no weapons. Only three demons. Yet, only one had blood on their bare fingers and garments.
"Look at the poor fool," Orochi walked towards André seductively, "He's frozen solid."
She licked her lips and used her blood-drenched hand to caress his face. Bound by fear, André moved his eyes towards the tainted hands resting on his face. She lifted his chin and drew his face closer to hers. "There's nothing to be afraid of my darling. I have all the bodies I need to experiment with, you are not my target."
She had the tongue of a snake. It slithered its way up to his cheek, playfully licking the blood she left there.
Through the corner of his eye, André noticed the nails on her right-hand sharpening to a point, aimed right at his gut. It was at that moment something kicked in. Adrenaline? Who knows? All he knew was that the powerful chill that had held him captive disappeared, and all his senses began to return to him. In one swift manoeuvre, he was able to turn the tables. With his right hand, he gripped her right wrist, twirling her until she was no longer facing him. By the end of it, he had her head locked and slightly risen. He then held her sharpened hand to her throat.
*Gasp*
A long, silent glare penetrated the back of her head. One of the spectators chuckled, averting André's attention. Soon, Snorochi's chuckle morphed into a joyful bellow. "I'm ever so sorry. It's just, I would have never imagined that a mere human could pin one of the elite Ichiro clan down," his joyful gaze turned ruthless, "You are disgracing our people sister. Do better, scum."
"Damn you, brother!"
Orochi made her move. "Hey there! Yoohoo. Yeah, you darling," she spoke gently and smirked, "Did you really think…" With her left elbow, she jabbed him deep into his abdomen, forcing him to release his grasp, gasping for air, "...It was wise to look away from me?" André fell to his knees, coughing up blood and saliva. His ribs felt as if they had completely shattered. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.
'Damn! GASP! I can't catch my breath let alone stand'.
He motioned his head to face Leoandré slowly, and their eyes met. André smiled, "Why are you crying?" His lips were moving but no sound came out. Overcome by desperation, Leoandré ran frantically towards André's body. Before the boy can reach, he was launched, viciously into the ceiling above. "LEOANDRÉ!" André sprinted with an intoxicating bundle of adrenaline. With only milliseconds to spare, he caught the fragile child.
"Oh my! I guess my hand slipped," Orochi turns to face the raging André, cupping her face in her hands, "I do apologise but he looked an awful lot like a fly. So, I had to swat him away. Oh ho ho ho!" Her maniacal laughter echoed off the walls.
Still carrying the child, André dashed into Orochi's torso, holding her up by her throat with a tight grasp. Then, he bombarded her into a wall.
"How..." her voice was straining and she coughed, gasping for air, "Why are you still alive?"
André threw her body across the ground. "Leoandré," he placed him down, whispering gently, and wiping the tears from his cheeks, "Listen to daddy. Take the children and run. Far, far away." More tears streamed down Leoandré's face. Even as a one-year-old toddler, he could grasp the severity of his predicament. After a few moments of André's reassuring smile, he pumped up his chest and sniffed his tears away.
"mmm!" Leoandré nodded.
He ran towards the group of terrified toddlers and lead them to the door, however, his path was barricaded by Tonorochi and Snorochi.
"Brother Tonorochi round up the children. And you, Orochi..." Snorochi grabbed Leoandré by the collar and rubbed his snake-like tongue against his cheek, "If you don't round this up soon, I'll have no choice but to kill all three of you!" These words left Orochi speechless in fear. Slowly she rose up and began pacing towards André.
"Hey, don't you dare touch him you freak!"
"Worry not human. I'm not heartless. You have 4.5 minutes to try and save him. All you have to do is kill my incompetent sister. Now, Orochi, in order to redeem yourself kill the human within the 4.5-time limit. If you are both still alive," Snorochi drops Leoandré onto the floor and sharpens his claws, "I'll kill all three of you slowly and painfully, starting with the Howler. I'm sure he would taste exquisite."
"Gasp! Understood, Brother."
At that exact moment, Orochi unleashed a ruthless barrage of rapid physical attacks that André couldn't dodge. With every punch, the taste of blood and saliva intensified in his mouth. With every kick, his ears rung louder until they reached a whistle tone. Blow after blow, tear after tear, André's own organs felt as if they were being crushed by a snake's grip. Her razor-sharp claws dug, deep into his flesh several times. The pain was excruciating. His shirt was shredded leaving his chest bare. He seemed to have many scars, thirteen were healed whilst six were fresh.
The pain lasted until a singular jab to the head left him completely unconscious.
A slow sarcastic clap shook Orochi out of her trance state, "My, my well-done sister. It's time for the finishing blow," Snorochi's grin forced all who witnessed it, to shiver uncontrollably, fear bound. Orochi turned to face André's lifeless body once more. It was time. She inched closer to him, every step causing the ground to tremble. By now Leoandré had joined the other children in their choir of tears.
Orochi was only a few steps away from André's head. Then finally, she arrived. Tonorochi bore the same uninterested expression, whilst Snorochi was undoubtedly enjoying every moment of the show.
Orochi crouched down beside André's body, "Sorry darling, but this is where we part. I had lots of fun; you really know how to show a girl a good time! I would love to play more but you know how it is. My body would be such a waste as a corpse, I'm sure you understand."
And just like that she raised her sharpened hand and went straight for his throat.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein