As the Gloomshroud Behemoth thrashed violently in the partially destroyed building, chaos ensued. The once-sturdy structure now groaned under the relentless assault, with debris falling unpredictably. The air was filled with the sound of crumbling architecture, and roars from the behemoth.
Lennox, Kira, and Theo, along with the Terra soldiers, moved swiftly to avoid the falling debris and maintain a strategic position.
Kira, looking up at the falling large stone debris, shouted, "Everyone, we have to evacuate the building!"
Recognizing the escalating threat posed by the plummeting debris, Kira concluded that it presented a greater danger to everyone than even the formidable Gloomshroud Behemoth. She made the prudent decision to initiate a comprehensive evacuation, prioritizing the safety of all involved.
Amidst the chaos, as everyone attempted to evacuate, some S.O.T forces found themselves crushed beneath the weight of large debris. In the midst of this pandemonium, Eve, who had fallen behind the group, suddenly found herself in a perilous situation.
The erratic and unpredictable movements of the Gloomshroud Behemoth had tragic consequences. In the midst of a fierce assault, a sizable piece of debris struck Eve back, slamming her to the ground and causing severe injuries. She became trapped beneath the rubble, and the abrupt turn of events caught everyone off guard.
"Eve!" Alex exclaimed, his face filled with shock, as he ran toward Eve, dodging whatever debris was about to fall on him.
"Alex, wait!" John suddenly shouted, realizing and knowing what Alex was about to do.
Everyone else could only watch helplessly as Eve lay in pain, unsure what to do.
Alex arrived at injured Eve, fueled by a mix of pain and adrenaline still with a soft smile on her face"Aex leave me before it's too late." she urged him.
Eve wanted Alex to leave her because she knew what he went through to reach the current position he held in the S.O.T.
But Alex didn't listen, using his body to take hits from the falling debris while still trying to lift the large stone that Eve was trapped under, muscles straining and veins protruding.
"No, I won't leave you here to die!" Alex roared over the loud sound of falling debris. "I just won't abandon you, just like you didn't abandon me."
Driven by a deep sense of camaraderie and love, Alex refused to abandon Eve in her moment of need. Despite the damage to his body from the debris, he started coughing up blood.
"Why won't you let me die?" Eve said in sadness."Why?"
"You have always helped me at my worst, and I couldn't have helped you in your worst time but now." Alex said, his voice filled with love. "I love you, Eve!"
Eve looked at Alex in surprise, unsure of what to say. "Alex, I hate you," she said subconsciously with tear in her eyes.
Alex looked at Eve with tender love in his eyes. "I know you don't mean that," he said.
As the Gloomshroud Behemoth continued its rampage, the building's structural integrity further deteriorated. Despite Alex's valiant efforts to save Eve, the inevitable occurred. The behemoth, having successfully climbed out of its entrapment, exposed the rest of its muscular body, adorned with black, stone-like armored skin. A long prehensile tail with a bony stinger swayed ominously.
In a tragic turn of events, a section of the floor collapsed, about to claim the lives of both Eve and Alex. However, just before the collapse, Eve's mouth opened and closed three times, and they both disappeared.
John, Jake, and everyone else stood at the building's doorway in shock, grappling with the sudden and devastating loss. John and Alex both knelt, placing their hands on the ground with heads bowed, overcome with grief they started crying. The rest of the S.O.T joined them in mourning.
Alex, initially a timid and skinny recruit, had grown under Eve's influence, breaking out of his shell and ascending the ranks. Despite his impulsive and often combative nature, it's safe to say he didn't have a good reputation but Eve saw something in him that others didn't when they didn't want him near her. Her soft touch and understanding transformed him into a valuable member of the S.O.T.
Lennox, feeling sickened, looked around at the somber faces. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was to blame for their deaths. Did I make the wrong decision? Would things have been different if I had chosen another course of action?
Kira, amidst the chaos, shouted and shook Lennox, desperate to snap him out of whatever internal struggle he was facing. However, he remained lost in his thoughts, oblivious to the world around him.
"Twinkle!"Kira shouted.
"Twinkle!"
"Twinkle!"
Finally, on the last call, Lennox snapped out of his shock, his gaze shifting from the unfolding events to Kira. Despite awakening from his reverie, he remained unsure, his mind filled with questions about what might be troubling Kira.
"Twinkle, are you okay?" Kira asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm... good," Lennox said, stuttering.
"Whatever just happened wasn't your fault, okay?" Kira said. "You understand me, right?"
"But my plan caused their deaths," Lennox said sadly.
"No, don't blame yourself. That was no one's fault besides the damn Behemoth," Kira explained.
Kira, despite her sorrow over the loss of Alex and Eve, recognized the urgency of the situation. She understood that even if they had managed to save Alex and Eve, the Gloomshroud Behemoth posed an imminent threat to everyone even with them being alive.
"We have to hurry after the Behemoth and kill it," Kira declared.
As the determination to avenge their fallen comrades surged, a sudden loud sound of heavy breathing and footsteps drew everyone's attention. John emerged in front of Lennox, causing Kira to tense, uncertain of his intentions.
"Even though I fully hate you to my core, Eve wouldn't want me to do what I want to do to you." John said, pointing at Lennox. "Let's quickly go kill that behemoth."
John still kneeled and had a flashback to the past with Alex, Similar to Alex, John had risen through the ranks alongside him, their battles and mutual motivation, laughing and doing everything together slowly they forged a strong bond. Now, he acknowledged the sacrifice made and, with purpose, walked away, signaling the remaining S.O.T. forces to follow him. The air shifted from sadness to revenge.
"Revenge for Eve and Alex!" John shouted in a battle tone, echoed by the rest of the S.O.T. force as they moved forward.
The S.O.T. followed John's shout.
"Revenge for Eve and Alex!"
"Revenge for Eve and Alex!"
"Revenge for Eve and Alex!"
Theo approached Lennox and Kira, who were observing the determined procession. "We better move before the behemoth kills the rest of them," he said seriously. The trio joined the determined S.O.T. force, ready to confront the Gloomshroud Behemoth and avenge the sacrifices of their fallen comrades.
Lennox rarely heard Theo speak with such gravity. The weight of his words hung in the air like a lingering echo, pulling Lennox from the depths of his depressive haze. With a sharp inhale, Theo seemed to emerge from his own dark cocoon.
"Let's move. What happens from now on, I don't know. You both lead." Lennox explained, his voice carrying a newfound determination.
As they navigated the desolate streets, Kira and Theo, good in the art of healing, headed themselves However, Lennox's wounds were beyond normal, and Nadia's prepared health potion became his only recourse. Though not ideal, it was enough to replenish his energy and mend his skin, leaving no scars as evidence of the battle's toll.
...
Elsewhere in the city, the behemoth moved with semi-fast strides toward the breach, instigating panic among the S.O.T. The behemoth's colossal form crushed medical teams and S.O.T forces under its spiked talons. A sense of foreboding filled the air as the S.O.T. worried about Lennox, Theo, and John, fearing the worst.
The behemoth reached the breach, its massive hand attempting to pry it open further. The remaining S.O.T., finally after a couple of minutes, John arrived as he, roared into action, attacking the behemoth. Yet, their efforts proved futile, as the behemoth remained focused on enlarging the breach.
After minutes of futile attacks, the behemoth seemed impervious to their blows. Motivation waned until a sudden multiple large fireballs slammed into its back, causing a roar that echoed through the city.
Turning to the source, everyone witnessed Lennox, Kira, and Theo rejoining the fight. However, the behemoth unleashed a venomous stinger, releasing a dark liquid that quickly entered the S.O.T. bloodstream and suddenly they couldn't move as they been paralyzed.
"It's Venomous Stinger," Kira exclaimed. "Once it enters your bloodstream, it instantly paralyzes its victims."
Undeterred, Lennox, Kira, and Theo resumed their assault on the behemoth, which remained fixated on opening the breach. Lennox realized conventional attacks wouldn't suffice; he approached the side of Theo amidst the chaos.
"Theo, let's attack together." Lennox proposed. "Our combined force might stop it or force it back into the breach."
Theo nodded in agreement. They ceased their attacks, locked eyes, and with a shared understanding, Put their both palms forward. Their Nexus Veins glowed as the combined force surged forward, impacting the behemoth's back. It screamed in a waling pain, but Lennox, pushing his limits, intensified the attack. Blood streamed from his nose, his body weakened, yet Theo stood resolute.
Some of the spiked stones on the behemoth's body fell away. However, a dark energy shot out from it body and enveloped everyone, inducing disorientation. Seizing the opportunity, the behemoth, now weakened, managed to open the breach wide enough to crawl through leaving.