Chapter 6 - ch 6: The escape

Brian emerged from behind me, a gun in his hand and his usual smile plastered on his face."How... how did you escape?" I asked, perplexed."Heh, guess," he replied.Suddenly, alarms blared, and red lights flashed all around."Alert! Alert! No sign of life detected in chief! Protocol Zero activated.""Base in full lockdown. ""Self-destruction in 10 minutes.""Shit, was this guy important?" Brian muttered."He fucking wrote a self-destruction protocol for his death.""Hey, hey! Unlock me! Don't leave me here, please!" I screamed."Why, now you don't fear me?" Brian said as he started picking up papers from Oliver's dead body."Please, I'm just a kid," I pleaded."Okay, okay, give me a minute," Brian said as he began to unlock my straps.He tore off the straps like they were made of low-quality plastic."Let's go.""Where should we go?" I asked, massaging my hands."Well, this guy was heading this way, so we should too," Brian said, starting to run forward."He said the exit route is this way. There must be many guards there," I questioned."Don't worry about it," Brian said. As, a shadow detached from his body and moved forward at an incredible speed."Is that your contract beast?" I asked.But Brian didn't reply."How powerful are you?" I asked again."Don't worry, kid. I'll answer all your questions, but first, let's get out of here."I wondered if he would be enough to fight the guards.Then, screams—both beast and human—echoed from up ahead, accompanied by gunshots."Ahhh! Where is it? Where is it?" one soldier shouted."Be aware, it's very fast! Try to aim for the legs," another voice yelled."Shit, it's a platinum-level beast! We're no match for it! Run!" a guard screamed.By the time we reached the turn toward the exit door, it was all over.Blood was everywhere, red from both humans and beasts, with body parts scattered around. Not a single guard remained.A black shadow landed beside us—it was Brian's contracted beast. I finally saw its form: it looked like a mantis, but was little different from the one I knew. It had a green exoskeleton and steel blades extending from its arms. It was both magnificent and terrifying, especially with all the blood on it.We started moving forward through the blood.It was my first time seeing such a gruesome scene. I don't know why, but I kept thinking of food, which made me feel like puking, but I tried my best to hold it in."Did you have to make such a mess with these weaklings?" Brian said to the beast."Kei kei," it replied in its odd voice."It can even understand us," I thought.From what I heard just now, this is a platinum-level beast, which should come after the silver level. That means Brian might be a platinum level as well. If so, he should be even stronger than the leader. Is this guy really a prisoner?We continued moving, the scene around us a horrifying testament to the beast's power. Blood smeared the floor and walls, and the lifeless bodies of guards lay scattered like discarded dolls. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, making it hard to breathe.We reached near the door but it looked like it was all ready locked.The door to the exit was locked, a heavy steel barrier standing between us and freedom."Tear it down", Brian said.Brian's beast, the mantis-like creature, approached it without hesitation. With a swift motion, it slashed through the door with its razor-sharp blades, cutting it open like it was made of paper."Let's move," Brian said.Once we were outside, Brian didn't waste any time."Let me pick you up kid you are too slow," Brian said.He picked me up effortlessly and started running at full speed. The world around us became a blur as he dashed through the corridors and hallways."Hang on tight," Brian instructed, his voice calm despite the chaos.We burst through another set of doors, emerging into an open space. The night sky above was filled with the sounds of distant alarms and the rumble of approaching vehicles. Federation troops were closing in, their headlights piercing the darkness.Brian's contracted beast led the way, clearing obstacles with deadly efficiency. Any guard foolish enough to stand in the path was swiftly dispatched.We finally stopped near where the vehicles were parked.Suddenly, the earth shook, and a loud sound came from behind us.Boom!The mall erupted in a ball of flame, sending a huge shockwave rippling through the air.The guards and other soldiers were currently engaged in a fierce battle with the Federation army. The night was lit with gunfire and explosions, creating a chaotic and dangerous battlefield.Upon seeing the explosion, the guards and the fake soldiers began to flee in panic. The shockwave from the blast had thrown everyone into disarray, and the fire from the mall was spreading rapidly, illuminating the night with an eerie glow.Then, a huge howl sounded."Awooo!"I saw a werewolf-like creature locked in combat with three other beasts: a dog with flames flickering around its body, a steel gorilla with metallic skin glinting in the firelight, and a rock golem towering over the others with its massive, stone limbs.The werewolf moved with incredible speed and agility, its claws slashing at its opponents. The fiery dog barked and snapped, its flames scorching the air. The steel gorilla pounded its chest and charged, while the rock golem stood firm.The werewolf growled, its icy breath visible in the night air. It lunged first, targeting the Flame Dog. With a swift slash of its frost-coated claws, it cut through the flames, extinguishing them instantly. The Flame Dog yelped in pain, unable to withstand the werewolf's freezing power. The werewolf followed up with a powerful slash, shattering the Flame Dog into icy fragments.The Steel Gorilla, enraged by the sight, charged at the werewolf. The werewolf stood its ground, eyes narrowing. As the gorilla swung its steel fist, the werewolf sidestepped and countered with a punch of its own, its icy claws driving deep into the gorilla's metallic hide. The gorilla staggered back, its chest covered in frost.The Stone Golem lumbered forward, aiming a slow but powerful punch at the werewolf. With a swift leap, the werewolf landed on the golem's shoulder, slashing at its rocky head. The frost spread quickly, and the golem's movements became sluggish. The werewolf then jumped off and struck the ground with its claws, sending a wave of ice that encased the golem's legs, rooting it to the spot.The Steel Gorilla roared and charged again, but the werewolf was ready. It met the gorilla head-on, grabbing its steel fists and channeling its frost power through them. The gorilla's arms froze solid, and with a mighty yank, the werewolf shattered them into icy shards.Roarrrrr!, the gorilla grimaced in pain.Turning back to the Stone Golem, the werewolf unleashed a torrent of frost breath, completely encasing the golem in ice. The werewolf then leaped high into the air and came down with a powerful double-footed stomp, shattering the frozen golem into pieces.As the battlefield fell silent, the werewolf stood amidst the ruins of its foes, barely winded. It glanced around, eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before turning away."Showoff. He even transformed to kill three silver-level beasts," Brian scoffed."Kii Kii," his contracted beast echoed, making some noise.The werewolf picked up a body and made a high leap, landing near us. He dropped the body, and his form began to change. A huge wolf emerged, and his body shifted back to a normal human."It's him," I thought, recognizing the man who had controlled the wolves to attack the convoy.