Mayor Sung, what a pleasant surprise. How do you do?"
Otto's voice reverberated through the planes of his office. Seated on a mat, with a cup and jug brimming with tea on the table before him, he held the phone to his ear, listening to the mayor's increasingly frantic tirade.
"Pleasant? There's nothing pleasant about today!" Mayor Sung's voice erupted through the receiver.
"Do you have any idea the predicament you've placed me in, Otto?!"
From his governmental office, Mayor Sung roared into his telephone, his anger palpable. The mayor, a striking Asian figure with a commanding presence, was impeccably dressed and exuded the quintessential political aura.
"Calm down, sir. Everything's under control."
"Under control? There's a terrorist—possessed terrorists… I don't even know what to call them, but all I know is that the state has paid you handsomely for situations exactly like this one."
Otto, lifting his already filled teacup to his lips and blowing away the steam, took a moment to compose himself.
"People are dying, Otto. That's the last thing I need. I have a second campaign to manage."
"I most certainly don't need this." he added with palpable frustration.
"So, what would you rather have me do?" Otto asked, taking a measured sip of his tea.
"Send Beast in. He can handle the job swiftly. There's no need for further casualties."
Otto, stifling a light chuckle, set his teacup down on the table.
"Is this amusing to you, Otto?"
"Forgive me, that was rather rude. What I meant to convey is that there's no need for such drastic measures."
"Are you aware of the chaos unfolding right now?! People are dying—"
"All the local exorcists have been deployed to the three attack locations. As we speak, a counteroffensive against the possessed is underway."
"I don't care about any of that. I want Beast out there now!"
"Our contract stipulates that my associate will protect the city for one year. I'm fulfilling that obligation. I will not permit my trump card to be misused or underutilized in this scenario."
"You—"
"Sit back, Mayor Sung. I'll handle things from here, so please refrain from meddling in my affairs again. Good day."
BEEP
Ending the call, Otto retracted the phone and stowed it away. As he raised his teacup to his lips, he paused and glanced at Beast, who stood silently behind him.
"Prepare yourself, Beast. I believe the true terror of today is yet to unfold."
Closing his eyes, Otto sipped his tea while Beast regarded him with a contemplative gaze. After a moment's pause, Beast averted his eyes from Otto.
On the battleground, the relentless onslaught of possessed was momentarily stymied by the arrival of their common adversary, the exorcists. Despite their numerical superiority, the newly emerged possessed were outmatched combat.
Slash!
Thud!
The cacophony of clashing possessed and exorcists filled the air across all three locations as the bloody skirmish raged on. Gradually, the possessed began to overwhelm the exorcists, attacking in coordinated groups of three or more.
Rich stood resolute, observing the possessed and preparing for his assault. Behind him, his fellow exorcist had already hoisted the young girl onto his shoulders. The young exorcist, glancing at Rich with concern, took a deep breath.
"Alright. I'll leave things to you, sir."
With that, the young exorcist sprang into action, leaping from rubble to rubble until he disappeared from sight.
Tilting his head, Rich observed the departing exorcist with a deep sigh before focusing entirely on the fiend before him.
"Well, now they're gone."
"Shall we begin?" Rich added, adopting the 'In no Kamae' stance.
The possessed, its grin widening, lunged at Rich with alarming speed. A few meters away, it swung its monstrous claws at him.
Slash!
Rich deftly dodged the initial strike but was met with two more slashes, which he managed to block with his sword. He retaliated with a slight cut across the possessed's neck, but the fiend leaped out of reach, evading further damage.
"It's fast. Really fast."
"I need to end this quickly before it escalates further." Rich thought urgently.
The possessed, now regenerating its partially severed neck, charged at Rich again, delivering a flurry of slashes from every direction. The once-cornered fiend now outmatched Rich with its relentless assault, its speed rendering Rich nearly imperceptible.
"Is this truly an infant possessed?! Its strength may be limited, but its speed is threefold!" Rich thought desperately.
The possessed slashed again, leaving a shallow scar on Rich's arm.
"I... I won't let myself lose! I can't—"
Before Rich could complete his thought, the possessed charged at him. Rich blocked the blow with his sword, but the fiend scraped its feet along the rubble-strewn floor, attempting to slow its momentum. Rich swiftly turned, preparing to strike.
"An opening... Now!"
The possessed responded in kind, pivoting to strike Rich. For a brief second, the air was thick with tension as both adversaries readied for their next move. They charged past each other with blinding speed.
Slash!
As they came to a halt on opposite sides, the final, decisive blow was struck.
For a moment, the intensity was palpable as both combatants held their positions. Then, a bloodstain began to form on Rich's chest. Wincing in pain, he fell to one knee, coughing violently.
Cough!
Cough!
The possessed appeared to have gained the upper hand. However, its triumph was short-lived. The possessed's head began to detach from its neck, nearly falling to the ground. With swift action, the possessed reattached its head to expedite regeneration.
Rich, sword in hand, seized the opportunity and charged at the immobilized possessed, thrusting his blade through its heart. The fiend's body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Thud!
The possessed was dead.
Rich exhaled in relief, but his victory was fleeting. The cacophony of human screams and the sound of tearing flesh filled the air. Rushing forward, he climbed over the rubble to witness the grim reality: most of the exorcists had been obliterated by the horde of possessed.
While a few still fought for their lives, many were already dead, their corpses mangled beyond recognition.
Stunned and paralyzed by disbelief, Rich surveyed the carnage, his body trembling with rage and horror.
"You... motherfuckers." he muttered through clenched teeth.
Fueled by anger, Rich plunged into the fray, attacking every possessed he encountered with relentless fury. He severed them in half with fierce swings of his sword, roaring in rage as he fought to reclaim the battlefield.
Swing!
Slash!
The cycle of violence continued until Rich confronted a possessed that had cornered an exorcist alongside two others.
The possessed evaded Rich's slash and retreated with its companions. Approaching the exorcist, Rich pointed his sword at the fiends encircling them.
"Are you hurt?"
The exorcist shook his head, his fear evident but his tears finally drying.
"Good. Ready yourself. We still have a long way ahead of us." Rich declared as a pack of ten possessed began to encircle the duo.