Author's Note: I am changing Monsters into Beasts. Beasts just sounds better and a bit less childlike to me. Thank you for understanding.
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The six months of absolute punishment flew by and before we knew it, our last day with Pain was upon us. In that time, the attacks on H rank first years never stopped.
We started out almost one thousand strong, but over the course of half a year our numbers dwindled down to just over three hundred. The Headmaster never said a word. The higher ranking students, even ranks F and G never showed any concern. This would make my mission so much easier.
I was lying in my bed waiting for the sun to come up as I often did these days, sleep was a commodity that I didn't want to abuse. I head Brady snoring like a freight train under my bed. Finn though, he was already awake and in the shower which we had nicknamed 'The Blizzard'.
I could hear him singing quite terribly to one of the songs he liked from his hometown. I imagined what a cat and a goose would sound like if they fought and attributed that to how Finn sounded.
I hoisted myself up and over the side of my bed, landing on my feet. In half a year my two friends and I had all grown by over a foot. The rewards of our labor did not stop at height either, we had all physically become beasts in our own right.
I looked down at the dreaming Brady and admired how he could sleep an entire morning away, and then I smacked him in his face.
This had become a morning ritual of ours, the last to wake up would be smacked. It usually ended up being Brady, although sometimes he would surprise us.
"Get up lazy bones, we have the final combat trial today." I said, stretching while walking to the dresser.
"Ow…why are you always up so so early you damn vampire?!" Brady shouted, rubbing a bright pink hand print on his left cheek.
"Oh shut up already bro, have you forgotten that when we pass this trial, we get to choose our Beast Weapons?" I said.
Saying that was like flipping a switch, brady rolled gracefully out of bed and into a handstand as he began to perform push-ups.
"Oh save it for Valerie, lady killer. Better yet, save it for Pain, he would like it more." I teased.
"Come on bro, Valerie and I aren't like that, it's just that she is understanding and pretty and perfect and…shut up!" He scowled looking embarrassed.
"Come on Finn, we all need to step into the Blizzard, or at least brush our teeth!" I shouted as I banged on the bathroom door.
This was a typical, comfortable morning for us, friendly conversation while we got ready for the day. I felt bad for those who had lost their dorm mates and now woke up to empty beds.
We finished getting ready and went down into the dining hall. The air was a bit more stale than usual. People looked terrified, more than I had ever seen them. Even more than the time a squad of ten H rankers were found hanging from their feet in the front yard. Something had spooked them.
I gathered my food and sat down at our usual table. While waiting for the girls to arrive I saw another student that I knew fairly well named Jenny. If anyone knew what was going on it would be her.
"Hey Jenny, can you tell me why everyone in this place looks so frightened?" I asked.
"There was another attack last night." She said.
"Don't get me wrong, but that's hardly new." I said.
"On any other day you would be correct, but today is different. The attack happened inside of a female first year H rank portal. They came inside of our dormitory Jake." She glared at me with a scared expression.
"How many did they kill?" I asked.
"All of them. It was a systematic attack, every room was hit and of the twenty six students, nobody survived." She said solemnly.
I had had enough, I was tired of seeing all of my classmates die for no reason at all. I turned back to my two friends and continued to eat in silence.
"Wait," Finn said with a sudden look of horror, "Did she say which portal it was, because the others usually aren't this late."
Looks of worry filled all of our faces, we could not imagine life without the other half of out troop.
"I SWEAR TO GOD IF ANYBODY HURT THEM I WILL-" Brady yelled, jumping onto the table before stopping abruptly, a huge smile spreading across his face.
"Woah, who got you so worked up this morning Brady?" Dana asked, throwing me a cold glare.
"Did Jake slap you again this morning, ugh boys and their stupid games." Linda asked full of sarcastic concern.
"I for one, do not care one bit. If something is bothering you, you should not burden us with it on the day of the trial." Valerie said.
She may have meant those words, but her face contradicted them, as her cheeks filled with a rosy blush at the sight of Brady. They had been flirting for a few weeks now, but neither had built up the courage to make a move.
I was still fuming though, today we would be rewarded with beast weapons. They weren't very strong, and our abilities were as weak as always, but with our physical improvements I felt confident.
I could no longer contain my thoughts.
"I am going to kill the H Rank Assassin tonight, who will join me?" I said as I pounded the table.
"Oh yeah, I'm in!" Brady said gleefully.
"Ya know, it's about time somebody decided to deal with that garbage, count me in too." Finn said.
I got a nod from Linda and Valerie, they had determined looks on their faces.
"How would you suggest that we do this if we have no idea what rank they are?" Dana asked suddenly.
"Easy", I said with a wicked grin, "We cut them to pieces with our beast weapons until the bastard stops squirming."