章 20: Devil's Nest
"Bet you a hundred bucks we'll be done before Team 8," Daniel said, a smirk on his face as he adjusted his gear.
Ian shot him a glance, his arms crossed. "You're on," he muttered, his voice deep and calm.
"Seriously? You think they're gonna be faster?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "Rurik's not slow."
"Yeah, but Barseagle's got us," Daniel grinned. "And Ian's... Ian. We'll be out of here before they even blink."
Ian didn't answer, but his slight nod made it clear he wasn't bothered. The tension in the air was quite suffocating, but the lighthearted bet was enough to ease it—just a bit.
"Focus, guys," Barseagle called, his voice steady. "We're here for the mission. We keep moving, no distractions."
Team 7 walked deeper into the cave, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the narrow walls.
Suddenly, a loud growl echoed from the darkness ahead, followed by more growls and the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against stone.
"Here we go," Daniel muttered, his grin disappearing as he tightened his grip on his weapon.
Ian didn't flinch, his eyes scanning the shadows. The air seemed to grow colder, the growls getting louder. A second later, werewolves charged out of the darkness, an instant ambush!
"Ian, you take the lead!" Barseagle barked, already in motion.
Without a word, Ian stepped forward, his Kagune tail snapping out behind him. He slashed at the first werewolf that came near him, his tail tearing through the beast with one swift motion. Another lunged, but Ian's claws extended, ripping through its flesh in seconds.
Daniel, Kate, and Liz moved quickly, handling their own enemies, but Ian was a blur of power, taking down one werewolf after another. His Kagune whipped through the air, smashing through the pack like they were nothing.
Rurik's voice rang out from the other side of the battlefield, shouting orders to his team. The True Werewolves were strong, but Ian wasn't slowing down. His tail lashed again, wrapping around another werewolf, tossing it aside like it weighed nothing.
"Show off," Daniel muttered, narrowly dodging a swipe from a Lesser Werewolf.
"I'll take that bet now," Kate smirked, slashing through a werewolf with ease. "Team 7's got this."
But as the last of the Lesser Werewolves fell, something strange happened. The remaining ones—those not yet dead—started charging at the True Werewolves. They didn't seem to care about their own lives, throwing themselves into the fray like it was their final act.
Before anyone could react, Xean from Team 8 was taken down by one of the charging beasts. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as the werewolf tore into him.
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield as the remaining werewolves continued their mad charge.
"No!!" Rurik's voice cracked. His gaze stayed locked on Xean's fallen body, his eyes red. But before anyone could speak, he snapped back into action. "We finish the mission."
Daniel's jaw tightened, his usual smile gone. "He's not wrong."
"Let's keep moving," Barseagle said quietly. "We still have to get the others out."
...
"You think we're gonna make it out in one piece?" Daniel asked, glancing at the others as they moved through the dark tunnels.
"Of course," Kate said, flashing a grin. "We're unstoppable."
"Yeah, until something giant falls on us," Liz added, her voice light but with a hint of worry.
"Stupid fucks..." Ian rolled his eyes at Daniel.
"You seriously gonna keep talking like that?" Daniel shot a look at Ian as they moved through the dim cave.
"Like what? Using my brain instead of hoping someone else will do the work for me?" Ian smirked. "Maybe if you didn't talk so much, you could actually get something done."
Daniel threw his hands up. "Real funny, Ian. But just 'cause you're a giant doesn't mean you're right about everything."
"Just because you've got a mouth doesn't mean you should use it all the time," Ian shot back.
Kate rolled her eyes, walking ahead. "Can we focus on the mission? We don't need you two fighting again."
"I'm just telling the truth," Ian said with a shrug. "Not my fault if some people can't handle it."
Liz shook her head with a grin. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"Sure does," Daniel mumbled, clearly trying to let it go.
Barseagle was ahead, his face serious. "Stay alert. We're getting close."
Before anyone could say anything else, they heard the growl. Then, out of nowhere, three True Vampires appeared, their eyes glowing in the dark. The tension in the air shot up.
"True vampires? Not true werewolves?," Ian said, unimpressed. "Just what is this?"
Barseagle gave him a look, but it was clear the plan was in motion. "Keep focused. We take them out. Quick and clean. These three must have colluded with the werewolves."
"Shut the fuck up!" The three true vampires charged at them.
The fight was on. Barseagle and Rurik jumped into the battle first, their speed and skill clearly ahead of others. The three True Vampires weren't going down without a fight, though. Their strange blood powers twisted everything around them, making the fight even harder.
Ian stepped in, his gigantic Kagune bursting from his back. His tail whipped out, slamming one of the vampires hard into the cave wall. It barely had time to react before Ian's claws ripped through its side. Just like that, the vampire fell, lifeless. Ian realized at this moment that he can now one shot true-vampires.
"Pathetic for a true vampire," Ian muttered, wiping the blood from his claws. "Are they truly true vampires?"
Rurik's eyes were sharp like a hawk as he took on one of the remaining vampires, his movements quick and hurried.
But then, the ground cracked. They were falling before they even realized it, tumbling into the darkness below.
"Ow! Damn it!" Daniel cursed as he hit the ground hard.
"I hate this place," Kate grumbled, trying to stand but realizing they were trapped. Something hard was holding them in place.
"I can't move!" Liz's voice was tight with frustration. She pulled and struggled, but her body wouldn't respond.
"Looks like we're stuck again," Daniel said, his voice filled with annoyance.
"Figures," Ian muttered. "Always stuck at the worst time."
Then they heard it. Morelle's scream. It was brief, but enough to make them freeze.
"Morelle…" Kate whispered. "No..."
"Great. Now we're really in a mess," Daniel said, trying to shake off his panic. "What now?"
Ian's eyes narrowed. "Someone has to clean up your mess. Again."
From the shadows, a new vampire stepped out, his eyes glinting with malice.
"You think you're getting out of here?" The vampire sneered, blood energy seeping out around him. "Not today."
"Shut up," Ian said, rolling his shoulders. "You talk too much. Can't even hear my own thoughts over your stupid voice."
The vampire charged, but Ian was faster. His tail lashed out, wrapping around the vampire's neck and pulling him to the ground. With a sickening crack, the vampire's body went limp.
"See? Told you. You're all talk," Ian said, stepping over the body. "Weak.... Villains usually die from talking too much."
With the vampire dead, the force holding them in place started to weaken, and they could finally move again. Everyone scrambled to their feet, but the air was solemn with the Morelle's death.
"We need to finish this," Kate said, her voice tight, but determined.
Barseagle's voice echoed. "Mission's not over. Move out."
"You always have to ruin my fun, don't you?" Ian said with a sigh as he moved forward.
Daniel shot him a grin. "No way we're getting through this without you whining, huh?"
"Better that than you talking non-stop about everything," Ian shot back. "You're lucky I'm here to handle the heavy lifting."
"I'll take it from here," Kate said, smiling at the back-and-forth.
Liz laughed. "Well, you're all so pleasant."
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