General Royer had seen more battles than most could imagine, but this one was different. Years of experience taught him that when someone was desperate to prove their strength, a simple taunt could push them to madness.
Seizing the moment, he grabbed a microphone and yelled with commanding authority, "Julius! We're done playing hide and seek. Send them out when they're ready to die!"
Inside the White House, Julius's lips curled into a knowing smile at Royer's challenge. He was calm, almost amused, as he awaited the arrival of the Blind One. He knew every move the FBI was planning, thanks to his eyes outside, who kept him informed of every step they intended to take.
As Royer and his troops waited for Julius's response, a voice rang out from the darkness, close too close yet there was nothing to be seen. "But we're already here," it said, sending a chill down the spine of every soldier present. Weapons were drawn as they strained their eyes to pierce the shadows.
Suddenly, they materialized out of thin air, much closer than anyone anticipated, and in their monstrous Overwhelm forms. The FBI was surrounded. Some of these beasts stood atop vehicles, their gaze piercing and unyielding.
The voice that had spoken belonged to the beast now standing in front of General Royer. It was massive, twice his size, with the body of an enormous rat and a head that resembled a giant iron, its skin pale like that of a human.
Sharp teeth glistened in its wide, lizard-like mouth, and its green eyes glowed ominously, even in daylight. Draped in a dark, tattered cloak, the beast's muscular arms and legs were exposed, revealing sinewy, powerful limbs.
Caught off guard, Royer barely had time to react before the beast slapped him aside with the back of its hand, sending him flying into a tree, crashing down hard onto his chest. As he lifted his head, he saw his troops being decimated.
It hadn't even been three seconds, yet more than ten trucks were already ablaze, and bodies littered the ground. The entire battlefield was engulfed in smoke.
Royer, knowing that they couldn't hold out with what they had, immediately called for military reinforcements.
But he wasn't one to wait idly. Despite the pain wracking his body, he forced himself to his feet and charged back into the fray. His target: the beast who had struck him down. The creature was busy smashing a car with its enormous fists when Royer leaped into the air, delivering a powerful punch to the beast's face.
The blow was strong enough to stagger the monster.
"I'm surprised you're still standing," the beast sneered, its voice a low growl. "I meant to kill you with that blow. Tell me, are you even human?"
Royer, his expression grim, replied, "Honestly, I don't know what's what anymore."
Enraged that a mere human could land such a powerful hit, the beast lashed out, its claws slicing through the air at incredible speed. But Royer dodged with swift, precise movements, evading every deadly strike.
His agility only infuriated the beast further. In a desperate attempt to regain control, the beast swung its massive, crocodile-like tail at Royer, but the general flipped backward, narrowly avoiding the blow. When his feet touched the ground, the beast lunged, jaws wide, aiming to bite Royer in half. But Royer sidestepped the attack and countered with a punch that sent the beast crashing into a car, nearly splitting it in half.
The beast roared in frustration, its eyes blazing with fury as it ripped the car apart with its bare hands and hurled the pieces at Royer.
But Royer, calm and focused, dodged each one with ease. The beast, now obsessed with killing the general, charged with all its might. But before it could close the distance, two military helicopters swooped in, guns blazing, targeting the beast's head.
The bullets didn't penetrate its thick hide, but the pain was enough to drive the beast back.
Annoyed by the relentless assault, the beast leaped toward the helicopters, ripping off their guns with its claws. With its weight pulling the helicopter off balance, the pilot a female officer bailed out, deploying her parachute just in time. She landed hard but rolled to minimize the impact, immediately drawing her weapon as she got to her feet.
The beast, still intent on destroying everything in its path, shredded the first helicopter before jumping to the second. It grabbed the rotor, stopping it with one hand, then pierced the helicopter's body with its claws, sending it spiralling toward the ground.
The pilot, unable to escape, was killed on impact. But Royer remained undeterred, standing firm as the beast approached once more.
Just as the beast was about to strike, a tank roared onto the scene, positioning itself between the general and the incoming attack. The tank's barrel swung toward the beast, and inside it, Juliana Celcio, the same officer who had jumped from the helicopter earlier, fired a round that sent the beast reeling.
Juliana was tall, with a slim, athletic build, her long black hair tied neatly at the back of her head.
Her large brown eyes reflected the determination in her heart. She had always harboured feelings for Royer, and in this moment, she had risked everything to protect him. "Are you alright, sir?" she asked, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.
Royer, breathless and grateful, replied, "Thank you, Julia. I owe you my life."
She smiled, but their moment of relief was short-lived.
The beast, now enraged beyond reason, sensed that Royer was still alive. With a roar, it leaped into the air, aiming a powerful kick at the tank, sending it crashing into another vehicle. Royer, fearing for Juliana's life, shouted her name, his voice filled with panic as he called out, "Julia! Talk to me! Julia, are you still with me?"
From within the wreckage, her voice came weakly but determined, "Yes, sir."
Hearing her response, Royer's fear turned to fury. "You!" he shouted at the beast, charging forward with renewed strength.
The two met in mid-air, but this time, it was Royer's punch that connected first, sending the beast staggering backward. Undeterred, the beast roared in frustration, trying to intimidate Royer with its monstrous growls. But the general, now fully in control of his anger, landed another punch, then a kick to the gut, driving the beast back further.
The beast, desperate and cornered, lashed out with a flurry of punches, but Royer blocked and countered each one with a strike of his own.
His fists moved with such speed and power that the beast, despite its immense strength, couldn't land a single hit. Each blow from Royer sent the beast reeling, and soon, it was clear that the creature had run out of options.
In a final, desperate move, the beast spun around, its tail whipping through the air with deadly force, but Royer anticipated the attack. He bent his knees, letting the tail pass over him, then launched himself forward, delivering a crushing punch to the beast's forehead.
The impact was so powerful that it nearly caved in the creature's skull, sending it crashing to the ground.
Royer didn't let up. He straddled the beast's chest and began pounding its face with both fists, his blows growing stronger with each strike.
The beast, once fearsome and indomitable, was now at Royer's mercy. Seeing their leader in peril, another monster broke away from its fight and rushed to the beast's aid, but Royer, with lightning reflexes, ripped the door off a nearby Hummer and swung it like a club, smashing the oncoming monster in the head and sending it flying into another vehicle, which exploded on impact.
The beast beneath Royer, sensing its impending doom, tried one last desperate attack. It punched Royer under the chin with all the strength it had left, snapping the general's neck. The beast grinned, believing it had finally won, but its victory was short-lived.
To its horror, Royer's neck snapped back into place with an eerie crack as his broken tissues repaired themselves.
The beast's eyes widened in terror as Royer's gaze met its own, his irises briefly glowing a blood-red before returning to their normal brown. With a calm yet deadly resolve, Royer raised his right fist and delivered a final, devastating punch to the centre of the beast's face.
The force of the blow drove the creature's head into the ground, shattering its skull and spine with a sickening crunch. The sound of the impact echoed like an explosion, sending a shockwave that swept away the dust and debris around them.
The battlefield fell silent as the monsters paused, their attention drawn to the man who had just single-handedly defeated one of their own. Royer, his chest heaving from the exertion, stood over the fallen beast. He was no longer just a man; he was a legend.But the fight was far from over. Seeing Royer as a threat, the remaining monsters charged at him all at once. The general, still clutching the Hummer's door, braced himself for the onslaught. They came from every direction, but Royer was ready. He spun around, striking down the first monster that attacked him from behind, then turned to meet the next one, knocking it out with a powerful blow to the head.
One after another, the monsters fell before Royer's relentless assault. He moved like a whirlwind, using the Hummer.