The ragged, gaunt mother and daughter waved in the wheat field with eyes full of apprehension and hope.
He didn't know who those two were or what relation they held to him, but one thing was clear.
He had to return, he had to get back to their side—
Guided by this inexplicable thought, the man commenced his action.
########
"Beast" fired bullets in rapid succession, with the force of a large-caliber machine gun just skimming past the body of the alien form, shaving off pieces of the ground and walls.
"Hey, hey, this is a bit of a foul, wouldn't you say?"
The alien's body made a chittering, grinding noise as the shoes forcibly worn on its feet burst apart, and its feet, now far longer than any human's in proportion, bent backward at the knee in the opposite direction to human joints, with thick, long toe claws like those of a predatory beast digging into the ground. The shape of these feet called to mind Dragon and some birds known for their speed.
