The situation was far worse than Mandla could have imagined. Chaos reigned in the village. Mandla had believed that the Guardian Recruits would handle the beast attack with relative ease. As a native, such an assault was a rare occurrence. The Citadel had always seemed like a powerful entity capable of eradicating any vermin, but he was in for a rude awakening. When the Alpha Hyena entered the scene, Mandla knew they were in deep trouble.
Though the Guardian Recruits were strong and well-equipped, facing an evolved creature like the Alpha Hyena was another matter entirely. Such a beast would typically require at least five Guardian Enforcers to bring down, depending on its abilities. Whether it was agility, hardened skin, or demonic powers, each evolved creature presented unique challenges.
The Alpha was not only intelligent but also incredibly agile. The Recruits, with their metal armor and well-maintained weapons, held their ground against the horde of hyenas better than the warriors with leather armor. However, Mandla's concern grew as he lost sight of the Alpha. A hidden threat was more dangerous than a visible one; it could strike when least expected, with dire consequences.
Mandla decided to investigate, hoping to prevent a surprise attack. He broke away from the two acolytes and other novices, his eyes scanning the battlefield. It didn't take long to locate the Alpha, but the scene before him was unexpected. A man and the Alpha stood facing each other, both grinning. Mandla noticed a Divine Relic pointed at the sky, clutched by the man facing the beast. The Alpha moved slowly toward him, and the man responded by stepping back and aiming the relic at the creature. Hope flickered in Mandla's heart; this man had to be a Guardian Enforcer sent to protect them. The Citadel, always a few steps ahead, must have deployed this protection for their village.
As the realization struck, Mandla recognized the man—it was Sizwe, the same individual who had shown interest in his sermon.
"Is he a Guardian in disguise?" Mandla's thoughts raced. Sizwe's intense interest in the Great Book and calling him "Fellow Man of God" now made sense. This revelation brought renewed faith in the Citadel. With an Enforcer facing the Alpha, they might survive this ordeal.
---
On the battlefield, Sizwe's mind raced through every possible scenario. He was in deep trouble. The Springfield rifle he carried took too long to load and was not powerful enough to kill this monstrosity with a single shot. Fighting in the open was suicidal; the beast had the upper hand, able to hunt him like prey. Sizwe had a plan—his only chance of survival to fight inside the buildings and maneuver around while using funiture and structure as hindrance to the Alpha. He glanced at the door of the inn where he had checked in. It was his escape route, but the beast blocked the entrance. Who said he needed to enter through the door? He could try the window, but it was a risk, he had to rethink this plan as plan B. He needed a new plan with more chances of survival.
Sizwe took a deep breath, preparing to face the monstrosity. With the rifle strapped to his back, he ran straight towards the danger. He was indeed a madman—no one in their right mind would charge at that thing. But what choice did he have? Running wasn't an option. He had to confront his enemy. Hesitation meant death.
From a distance, Mandla gasped at what seemed like a suicide attempt. Was Sizwe tired of life? Had he been heartbroken and now sought death? Mandla whispered a small prayer for his brethren, knowing heartbreak was hard to heal.
"Rest in peace, brother."
What happened next unfolded like a storybook. Sizwe didn't die; he played a deadly game of Tic-Tac-Toe with the Alpha.
Sizwe had already analyzed the hyenas' attack patterns. This one might be stronger, but it was still a hyena. Quadrupedal by nature, its attack patterns were limited and predictable. Sizwe's mind worked like lightning, analyzing every movement. He could see a muscle twitch before the body moved and predict the attack. The hyena could strike with its jaws or front paws while its tail and hind legs maintained balance. It wasn't hopeless.
Sizwe avoided a paw, equipped with his dagger but refrained from attacking. He wasn't ready to provoke the beast's wrath yet. The Alpha was playing with its food, underestimating him, which was precisely what Sizwe needed. As he danced with the beast, he inched closer to the ongoing battle, his eyes searching for a fallen Guardian Recruit. He postponed his initial plan.
Sizwe led the Alpha into the battlefield where Guardians and warriors fought the hyenas. Initially, he had intended to lure the Alpha into a building, making it hard for the beast to move. But he adapted his strategy: meat shields worked too. There was no moral high ground in battle; survival was all that mattered. He could eliminate his two foes simultaneously—a stroke of genius. The Church was already his enemy, why not start eliminating the as soon as possible? He didn't owe them anything. This way he could eliminate them while keeping his hands clean.
Sizwe dodged a bite and drove his dagger into the Alpha's lower jaw. Quickly withdrawing the knife, he dove headfirst into the crowded fight. The Alpha, feeling pain for the first time in a long while, went berserk. Its bottom jaw and tongue bled; it tasted blood. The beast charged into the fray, consumed by murderous rage, killing anything in its path, including its own kind. The battlefield became a bloodbath of friendly fire from the Alpha.
To a bystander like Mandla its will a sight to behold. It was like Sizwe predicted every move the Alpha would make, it was like a dance of death. Every where the two creatures moved, human and beast, a trail of death followed. Both didn't care about their kind, but just their goals. One had to die, although many would bet on the beast. Mandla bet on Sizwe. Sizwe was a hateful person for using his own kind to kill this creature, but could he really blame him? He was putting up a fight, and maybe if he won, he would have saved more lives. Mandla had heared that some Guardians were brutal in their methods but this was a first for him. Sizwe didn't care for his brethren, in fact it looked like he was targeting them on purpose.
"Was he?" Mandla wondered looking at the scene of carnage. It was like the hunter had become prey, Sizwe was like a demon. He was calm and decisive, no margin for error. It was like an artist painting a mosaic. A dancer leading his dance partner, the Alpha was where he wanted it.
As the Alpha's eyes searched for its hateful foe, Sizwe appeared like a phantom, cutting into the tendon of its left hind leg. The Alpha howled in agony, its frenzy turning it into a killing machine. Sizwe, now equipped with a shield, was ready. The Alpha finally spotted him and charged, but Sizwe vanished behind a Guardian locked in combat with a hyena. The Alpha's bite killed the Guardian instantly, flinging him aside. Sizwe seized the opportunity, thrusting his dagger into the underarm of the Alpha's front paw. The beast snapped at him but missed as Sizwe vanished behind the fighting hyena. The Alpha, furious, slapped the hyena away viciously.
Fear started to develop the heart of this beast, this puny being was playing with it. It was the one being hunted. The Alpha felt a primordial fear, it would sometimes catch a gimpse of Sizwe and his hateful smile. The next moment it would suffer an injury. The Alpha knew this man had to die, a threat like this cannot be allowed to live.
Sizwe reappeared farther away. The Alpha, now struggling with a paralyzed hind leg, had lost its former agility. Bleeding and pathetic, it was driven only by madness and hatred for Sizwe. The man had to die.
The Alpha moved like a relentless killing machine, eliminating everything in its path. Sizwe kept appearing and disappearing like a ghost leaving it with pain and injury every time he appeared. Even Guardians now feared this man who brought death wherever he went; every appearance of Sizwe led to a life lost at the Alpha's hands. Slowly, the Alpha began to tire and slow down. The surviving humans had long since fled the battlefield of death, fearing Sizwe, now dubbed the Phantom of Death. Even the hyenas cleared the area. Finally, the Alpha spotted its foe and limped toward him. No longer the powerful predator it once was, it reached Sizwe, unable to lift a paw.
Sizwe pulled out his gun and shoved it into the Alpha's mouth. He looked into its hateful eyes and gave a small smile.
"Say hello to my little frie—"
BANG!
The gunshot echoed across the battlefield, silencing the chaos.