Like a beast, the blood surged outward, shifting and forming into a massive pair of jaws that stretched downward from the hammer's head to her shoulder. For a moment, the bloody maw hung open, dripping crimson onto the concrete below. Then, with explosive force, the jaws slammed shut, biting down on her arm and devouring it whole. Asura's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he watched the blood imploding, twisting around her arm and reshaping itself as it conformed to her new form.
The blood separated into strands, twisting into veins and muscles that coiled around her bones. It solidified swiftly, forming a grotesque, massive gauntlet, its fingers lined with razor-sharp claws. Its once brighter crimson darkened into a blackish-red, and Asura barely had time to react before she brought the monstrous gauntlet crashing down toward his head.
He braced himself, raising his four arms to absorb the blow, but the weight of the gauntlet caught him off guard. He had expected it to be light, given the material it was made from, but he was wrong. The leftover mana from earlier battles had increased its weight tenfold. Wain watched in horror as the massive gauntlet slammed into Asura, causing the ground beneath him to crack. Its claws dug deep into the concrete, creating a massive indentation.
The Beastman laughed triumphantly. "Oh, the mighty Asura, the big bad warrior, to think he'd fal—"
Wain rushed toward Asura but stopped dead in his tracks. The gauntlet, though heavy, was not enough to hold Asura down for long. With the relentless resilience of an ogre, a race that never knew the word surrender, he gripped the gauntlet's large fingers and tore it off, roaring in fury.
"Not so fast, you damn show-off," the Beastman muttered under her breath, frustrated by Asura's strength. She reformed the blood into a hammer again, preparing for another attack.
"This was fun, Asura, but my master's already gone, and I was told not to continue a meaningless fight. Looks like my job—"
Before she could finish, Asura's presence loomed behind her. How did he hide his presence? She froze as her eyes met his. His eyes glowed eerily white, two blazing suns in a void. Although the raging fire illuminated the surrounding area, he stood in the darkness where light dared not tread. He stood utterly still, like a hunter in the woods, and his cold, merciless gaze made her tremble.
It was as if she were face to face with a demon.
A sinister smile spread across his face. "I can smell you…" He whispered in her ear. "Just kidding, I've always wanted to use that one." Terrified, she watched in horror as he grabbed her waist with his two lower arms.
He interlaced his fingers with his other two arms and raised them high, preparing for his worst. She thrashed, trying to bite at his neck, but Asura's grip was iron. Her desperate struggle became frantic with every passing second. With one final, brutal strike, Asura brought his hands down, like a hammer against metal, crashing into the side of her head. The force of the blow snapped her neck, sending her head slamming into her chest, and her body flew from his grasp, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
Wain stood frozen, horrified by the sound of her skull being crushed under her own body. It was a terrifying noise, more than just a mere break, the sound of something titanically powerful. He shuddered at the thought of being on the receiving end of Asura's strength.
But the horror didn't end there. To Wain's utter disgust, the Beastman's body began to regenerate. Flesh and bones twisted back into place, her mangled form shifting as if defying all natural laws. Wain turned away in nausea, unable to look at it. However, Asura was simply amazed at the speed,
"This is wicked, dude. Like damn-" The ogre muttered, though he could not finish his thought before a thunderous boom interrupted him. Asura was sent sprawling backward, the massive gauntlet crashing into his chest. He slid across the ground, but a defiant grin spread across his face as he pushed himself up.
The Beastman, now whole again, shot him a glare as she rose from the ground and dusted off her gauntlet. "Like I was saying.".
"My job here is done, you annoying dipshit!" she spat. "Until next time, when I can rip those arms off your body. I'll leave you with a little present."
Wain watched her fall backward, her body splashing into a pool of blood that splattered across the floor. The firelight danced on the surface, making it bubble ominously. It's active… Wain stood motionless, staring into the pool of blood as Asura walked up beside him.
"What are you waiting for?" The ogre asked as he placed his hands on his hips.
"The present she mentioned," Wain anxiously rubbed the back of his head, casting a glance at Asura. "It can't be good."
Asura shot him a glare. "Appreciate the help, by the way. We could've killed her."
Wain shrugged. "I thought you had it under control. My bad." He paused, then added, "Hey, could you repeat what you said about me not joining the fight? I'd love to record it and play it back next time you complain about me sitting out."
The cultist bodies, disturbingly untouched by the raging fire around them, began to melt. Wain had not noticed it before, but even amidst the flames, the bodies remained as if some external force was preventing them from being harmed. The bodies deformed, dissolving into pools of blood that rolled toward the large pool created by the Beastman's body.
Once the blood from the bodies had joined the mass, it stopped, forming an eerie summoning ritual, circles filled with demonic runes. As the summoning circle ignited in purple flames, Wain cursed under his breath. "Shit, we need to go."
Before they could react, the flames suddenly extinguished, leaving a feeling of failure in the air. Asura stared at the failed ritual, confused. "Guess she fucked up?" he mused.
The silence that followed made Wain feel even more unsettled. What is going on? Asura, seemingly unbothered, approached the ring and touched it. Without warning, the floor inside the ring sank, opening into a massive pit. From the edge of the hole, the sounds of monsters roaring reached their ears, growing louder by the second.
"I didn't do that… Okay…" Asura pointed at the ground like a child, blaming a nonexistent reason. "That was her."
The unmistakable thundering of paws and hooves reverberated through the ground. Wain's heart dropped as the realization hit him. It's a stampede. Asura dashed away from the sinkhole like a child caught doing something they had been warned not to. Wain stood frozen as monsters poured out from the opening behind the fleeing ogre.
"Oh, shit..." Wain gasped.
Asura, counting under his breath, spoke with unsettling nonchalance. "One... Two... Ten... Thirty…" His shoulders slumped, "Oh, fuck, it's more than fifty."
Wain could barely make out the monsters in the dim firelight, though he could clearly see the ones closest to them. A few were faster than the others, bursting forward from the pack and lunging at Asura.
"More Hell Hounds," Asura groaned, punching each one that lunged at him. The creatures yelped in pain but quickly regrouped, circling him. Asura was surrounded. He shouted toward Wain.
"Oi, can't you deal with these? Summon those animals or whatever again!"
Wain's frustration boiled over as he yelled back, "I can't! I need a specific herb to summon them, and I'm running out of supplies!"
The situation was getting dire. The horde of monsters kept pressing forward, and Asura's usual brute force would not be enough to stop them all. Wain, panicking, reached into his bag and pulled out his last herb. He smoked it quickly, exhaling a dense cloud of smoke. The mist swirled into the shape of a wolf. Without thinking, Wain jumped onto its back, ordering it to race toward Asura.
The wolf leaped over the Hell Hounds, landing beside Asura. Though Asura was eager for a fight, Wain knew this was not the time. We need to leave. As if on cue, a Hell Hound lunged at Wain with teeth bared, but the wolf caught it in its jaws, biting down on its neck. The Hell Hound burst into flames as the holy mana poured into its body. Wain scrunched his nose as the smell of burning flesh lingered on the creature's body as it was reduced to ash.
Asura, ready for action, laughed. "This is gonna be so cool!" He raised his arms, eager to take on the horde with his friend, but before he could dive into battle, the wolf snatched him up in its mouth like a pup. Asura struggled furiously, throwing his arms around as he dangled.
"What the hell? Let's fight them!" He swung back and forth. "There's only fifty of them! We can take 'em on! I'm no coward!"
Wain's voice was firm, a warning. "We won't be able to kill them! You'll keep pounding away until you eventually get eaten!"
The wolf's movements were impossibly fast for its size, as if gliding through the air instead of running on the ground. It turned on a dime at every corner, sprinting ahead, leaving the monsters trailing behind. With only the faint light from street lamps, Wain could barely make out the shapes of the beasts chasing them, but their gnashing teeth and fur were unmistakable as they tore through the streets. The sudden jerky movements whipped Asura around, swinging like a piñata on a tree.
The chaos was relentless. Cars were crushed under the massive paws of the bears as they trampled over anything in their path. Although the wolf's speed kept it barely ahead, its body was beginning to shrink with each passing moment, the smoke that had formed it dissipating as the wind clawed.
The wolf strained to hold Asura, its body groaning under the effort. The ogre pounded against its jaws, desperately trying to free himself. Wain's heart raced as he realized they were running out of time. He glanced back to see the monsters crashing through the streets, their brutal advance unfaltering.
Then, the cathedral appeared in the distance, its towering structure offering a glimmer of hope. Thank Judex! Wain closed his eyes briefly, breathing a sigh of relief as they neared the sanctuary. But the wolf's form collapsed beneath him before he could even process it. Both he and Asura fell to the ground.
The impact was jarring. Wain groaned as the ground struck the back of his head, the pain searing through his skull. They rolled for a few moments before coming to a sudden halt. Asura pushed himself up, immediately turning to charge toward the approaching monster. But then he stopped, his gaze falling on Wain. Blood pooled beneath his friend's head, the sight making Asura hesitate.
Could I just leave him? Just let him be... Surely, he will be fine, right? No monsters will get to him... For a brief, terrible moment, he considered leaving Wain behind. With a heavy sigh, Asura scooped Wain up and began sprinting toward the cathedral, every step driven by the need to protect what little was left.
Suddenly, a familiar thumping sound reached Asura's ears, steady, rhythmic, unmistakable. Grenade launcher fire. He slowed his pace and turned just in time to see the explosions rip through the horde of monsters trailing them, sending waves of destruction in all directions.
Mel stood in the distance, her silver grenade launcher aimed toward them. Asura's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. Her glare was sharp, her body tense with anger. She mouthed words that sent a chill down Asura's spine: You are so dead.
As Asura's attention wavered, two magma bears closed in from behind. Mel, unfazed by the ogre, pivoted quickly, ready to intercept them before they could pounce on Wain. But just as she prepared to act, she saw Asura spin around, his fists flying. With a thunderous crack, he drove his punches into the bears' faces. The impact was brutal, each strike caving their massive skulls in an instant, their brains crushed beneath the force. The creatures collapsed in a heap, their bodies twitching once before falling lifeless.
Without wasting more time, Asura tossed Wain onto the grass near a house and sprinted toward the monsters. "Wain, stay down!" Asura shouted, ignoring the groans of pain from his friend.
The horde was a swirling mass of fur, teeth, and claws. Hell Hounds, Magma Bears, and now, Griffins emerged. A Griffin swooped down at Asura, its lion-like body and eagle head lunging at him with razor-sharp talons. But the ogre was ready. With lightning speed, he seized its neck with all four of his massive arms, his grip tightening. A sickening crack erupted as he squeezed, and the creature fell limp in his hold. In one swift motion, Asura tossed the lifeless beast aside, its body crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
From the mass of monsters, two Hell's Kittens lept toward Asura, their claws aimed at him. But before they could land, he ripped two large chunks of rubble from the sidewalk. With a roar of triumph, he hurled the concrete at them. The chunks slammed into their jaws and faces, knocking them back hard onto the ground. Disoriented, the Kittens shook their heads violently, trying to shake off the blow. Asura grinned, his eyes alight with excitement as the battle raged on.
"This is freaking awesome!" The ogre shook his head. "Nah, wait, that didn't hit the spot. Fucking awesome!"
Another Griffin dove at Asura, its claws outstretched, and with a powerful impact, it slammed him to the ground. Asura fought against the beast's weight, his muscles straining, but more monsters surged forward, eager to join the chaos. Hell Hounds sank their teeth into his legs, ripping through flesh as they clamped down. Meanwhile, Hell Kittens spat acid, the corrosive liquid sizzling as it ate away at his skin.
Mel watched the carnage from a distance, her grip tightening around the grenade launcher. She had been content to let the fight unfold, but the sheer number of monsters closing in made her hesitate. With a frustrated sigh, she transformed the launcher's form.
Its metal body screeched as it burst into flames, its metal shining brightly as it warped from the mana, pulling at its structure. Six barrels spun to life from the amber flames, releasing a deafening roar from a minigun. Bullets tore through the air, shredding the monsters with ruthless precision. Their bodies fell one by one as the horde was slowly whittled down.
Asura, slippery as ever, managed to wriggle free and stand atop the growing pile of monster corpses. He looked down at the carnage, grinning wide, his excitement unwavering. The bullets continued to rip through the beasts beneath him, their roars fading as the massacre continued.
When the last monster fell silent, Mel slowly ceased firing, the minigun's barrels glowing red-hot, smoke rising from the barrels. Asura stood atop the bodies, panting and exhilarated, his wild grin still in place despite the chaos around him.
Mel stood in the dimly lit street, scanning her surroundings, waiting for any sign of movement. The silence was unnerving.
"Nothing..." she muttered under her breath.
She turned toward Asura, who was dusting off his hands with a smug grin. He stood tall, chest puffed out as if he had just completed a masterpiece, his magnum opus of fights, no doubt. Mel rolled her eyes but didn't comment. Instead, she walked toward the bodies. Her minigun had already reverted back into its original twin-pistol form, ready for a more precise job.
One by one, she put bullets into the heads of the fallen creatures, ensuring none had any fight left in them. The moment the rounds struck, holy fire erupted from their corpses, consuming them entirely until nothing but ash remained. Asura had no interest in the cleanup.
Instead, he turned and made his way back to where Wain still lay groaning in pain on the pavement. With a grunt, Asura reached down, grabbed Wain by his uninjured arm, and hauled him up. With his other two hands, he clapped him on the back.
"See? Told you it'd be easy."
Satisfied that Wain was, in fact, still alive, Asura threw his fists into the air, laughing maniacally.
"That was fucking awesome!"
Mel let out an exasperated sigh and holstered her pistols. Without warning, she marched over, grabbed Asura and Wain by the ears, and began dragging them toward the cathedral.
"Ow, ow, ow, hey! What did we do?" Asura yelped, trying to pry her hand off.
Mel smacked his hand away without missing a step. "You snuck out in the middle of the night, fought a horde of monsters, and made my life ten times harder, that's what!"
Asura grumbled but wisely kept his mouth shut. "You're both in deep shit," she continued, her grip tightening. "The captain wants a word with you after this little stunt."
The moment they reached the cathedral, she shoved them through the doors. Standing in the doorway, she glared at them furiously.
"Now I have to clean up your mess, so don't even think about hiding from the captain!" she snapped before slamming the heavy doors shut behind them.
Asura and Wain stood in silence for a moment, exchanging uneasy glances. The dread settled in. They both knew exactly what was waiting for them. "...We're dead, aren't we?" Asura muttered.
Wain groaned, clutching his wounded head. Thinking quickly, Asura leaned in and whispered, "Okay, here's the plan. We just say we went out for pancakes. That's it. No monsters, no cultists. Just pancakes. We stick to one story, got it?"
Wain shot him a flat look. "You seriously think that's gonna work?"
Asura gave him an encouraging nod. "Totally."
Dragging his feet, Wain let out a resigned sigh. "We're so screwed."
When they reached the captain's office and stepped inside, the weight of his aura hit them like a crashing wave. It was suffocating. The air burned, making it hard to breathe. Both of them buckled under the sheer pressure, collapsing to their knees.
The captain's eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, radiating authority and barely restrained anger.
"Look, look, look, I uh, um…" Asura stammered, his usual bravado faltering. "We were, uh, investigating pancakes. Wait… eating, we were eating." The ogre hung his head in defeat. "Damn- I mean, we found some cultists, but nothing too serious! We actually stopped them! They were gonna kill an old man!"
He turned to Wain, his eyes wide. "Wait... what happened to the old man?"
Wain winced and gave a small shake of his head.
We don't know. Turning back to the captain, he quickly added, "But like, we totally saved him, and he is safe... somewhere... I think. But that's beside the point. There was this guy, and he had a scar and a cool robe." "
Wain groaned, his head pounding from both his injury and Asura's rambling. He cut in before the ogre could dig their graves any deeper.
"I'm sorry," Wain said, his voice steady despite the tension. "I took Asura out for food, and we got caught up in a fight with cultists. We didn't know what to do. Asura fought them and managed to disrupt their meeting. We did our best. I take full responsibility."
At the mention of cultists, the captain's aura receded slightly. The suffocating pressure lessened, and the holy mana filling the room thinned. He let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. As the tension lifted, Asura and Wain slumped onto their backsides, gasping for air, sweat dripping down their faces.
Asura wiped his forehead and leaned back on his lower two arms, relieved. However, it lasted for merely a few seconds. The captain stepped forward, crouching directly in front of Asura. His piercing gaze locked onto Asura's, unyielding.
"So," he said evenly. "What happened with the cultists?"
Asura swallowed hard and scratched the back of his head. "Uh... okay, so we sensed those evil bas—uh, cultist guys at the factory. We got there, and they were sacrificing people. And, well, we're the totally cool temple dudes, right? So, obviously, we had to save them since it's our job."
He gestured dramatically. "I jumped down and fought them, stopping their little meeting and stuff. We beat them, and a stronger monster from the beast race showed up. Super powerful and stuff. She was a real bi-... annoying woman. We had to run, though, because she summoned like fifty monsters."
The captain watched him, then glanced at Wain. He stroked his beard in thought before finally turning his back to them, staring out the window.
After a long silence, he spoke. "I won't punish you this time. Because I know you're not lying."
Asura blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
"The old man you 'saved' made it here. He's fine," the captain continued. "Mel will hunt down any remaining monsters."
He turned back to them, his gaze settling on Wain, who looked like a guilty puppy.
"Wain," he said sternly, "you're coming with me."
Then, his eyes shifted to Asura. "And you will remain in your room until further notice." The whirling mana crackled, "If you pull a stunt like this again. I'll send you to hell personally."