The sky was wrong.
Daylight hung above them, but it wasn't the familiar golden sun that once bathed Ariandel in warmth. Instead, a crimson orb burned in the heavens, casting the world in shades of blood. The clouds swirled unnaturally, twisting like ink spilled into water, and the streets reflected the eerie red glow as if the land itself was bleeding.
After escaping from the church, leaving Spinell behind, the three of them ran toward Moros' laboratory. The distant howls of monsters echoed through the broken city, mixing with the tortured screams of the survivors.
Josh stumbled again, barely able to keep himself upright. His breathing was labored, and every step seemed like agony.
"Leave me... I'm just ballast slowing you down," he gasped, clutching his side.
Moros grabbed him by the arm, his grip firm. "Shut up! I'm not leaving you behind!" His voice was raw with desperation. "I still need you to help me save Misa!"
The name hung in the air like a fragile promise. Misa—the only reason Moros kept going.
Hanz suddenly motioned for them to stop. "Quiet," he hissed, shoving both of them into a dark storefront. "Stay down."
Outside, the ground trembled beneath heavy footsteps. A monstrous figure emerged from around the corner—a massive gorilla-like creature, but twisted beyond recognition. Its muscles bulged unnaturally, patches of fur missing to reveal sickly gray flesh.
Clamped between its jagged teeth was the torn body of a human, blood dripping from the lifeless limbs. The creature chewed slowly, savoring the taste.
Josh's hands trembled as he whispered, "What the hell… I thought the monsters were only in the palace. How did they get here?"
"I don't know," Hanz replied, his voice steady despite the terror in his eyes. "But we need to get to the lab. We need weapons."
He placed a reassuring hand on Moros' shoulder. "We'll save her. We'll save Misa. But we have to survive first."
Moros nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on the monster outside.
The gorilla monster finally lumbered away, vanishing into the red-tinted mist.
"Now," Moros whispered. "To the car."
They hurried to a futuristic pickup truck parked nearby. Its sleek, metallic frame was marred by the chaos—its front windshield shattered, and blood smeared across the doors.
"The keys are still inside," Hanz muttered after a quick glance. "Come on. Faster."
Josh climbed into the back. His prosthetic arm whirred as it activated, the mechanical plating shifting to reveal hidden weapons. "I'll sit back here. I can handle any monsters that come too close."
Neither Hanz nor Moros argued.
Moros slid into the passenger seat. "Let's go. Quickly."
Hanz took the driver's seat, gripping the controls tightly. The truck's engine hummed to life, and the vehicle levitated off the ground.
As they sped through the ruined streets, the true scale of the destruction became apparent.
Ariandel, the city once known as the "House of the Blue Giant," was unrecognizable. Its towering buildings were reduced to rubble, and fires burned uncontrollably. The red sky cast twisted shadows over the wreckage, making it seem as though the ground itself was writhing.
"Look!" Josh pointed to the streets ahead.
Monsters prowled everywhere—creatures of all shapes and sizes, their twisted forms tearing through what little remained of humanity. They feasted on the fallen, their growls and snarls mingling with the doomed cries of the living.
"This place…" Josh whispered, his voice hollow. "This is no longer the home of the Blue Giant. This is hell itself."
Even Ariandel's famed Guardians had fallen. Their bodies lay scattered in the snow, their once-mighty weapons shattered and useless. The streets were painted red with their blood, and the crimson sky seemed to mock their sacrifice.
Despite the chaos, some still fought to protect the innocent.
The Cult of Lars, the Crimson Hand, the Luigi, and the Cosmic Temperance had put aside their differences, forming a desperate alliance to hold back the tide of monsters.
But it wasn't enough.
For every monster they cut down, two more took its place. And among the defenders, only the Chaosborn seemed to revel in the destruction.
"We must return to absolute chaos!" the fanatics chanted as they slaughtered anyone in their path. "Kojetan, our goddess! Take us into the void!"
They hurled themselves at the monsters, welcoming death with open arms, convinced they would be reborn in the chaos.
"Madmen," Hanz muttered as he swerved to avoid a wrecked carriage. "Even now, they seek destruction."
Josh fired from the back of the truck, his prosthetic arm unleashing bursts of energy. "Ha ha ha! These upgrades are incredible!" He aimed for the monsters' legs, slowing them down.
"We're almost there!" Moros shouted, his eyes locked on the distant outline of the laboratory.
But before they could reach it, a monstrous figure lunged from the shadows, slamming into the side of the truck.
The pickup spun out of control.
Hanz fought to stabilize it, but it was too late. The truck crashed into a wall, the impact jarring them all.
---
When Hanz opened his eyes, the world was spinning. His vision blurred, and his ears rang from the crash.
Gunfire jolted him awake.
Josh stood alone in the wreckage, his prosthetic arm crackling with energy as he fought off a horde of monsters.
"Josh!" Hanz called out, his voice hoarse.
Josh didn't respond. He was too focused on the fight, unleashing blast after blast.
With one final surge of energy, Josh cleared a path to the lab's entrance. He grabbed both Moros and Hanz, dragging them toward safety.
"What… happened?" Hanz asked, his mind still foggy.
"Shut up!" Josh snapped. "I can't concentrate!"
A monstrous claw lashed out, grabbing Josh's leg.
"Let me go!" Josh roared, punching the creature with his mechanical arm.
He shoved Hanz forward. "Take Moros! Go! Now!"
Josh fought with everything he had.
His prosthetic arm crackled with energy, sending blast after blast into the oncoming horde. Each shot ripped through the monsters, slowing them down but never stopping them entirely. His laughter, once triumphant, had turned into desperate, guttural grunts.
"Josh, we need to go!" Hanz shouted, his voice trembling with urgency.
"I'm doing what I can!" Josh growled, his teeth clenched. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, mixing with the sweat pouring down his face.
Just as he cleared another wave of creatures, a monstrous claw lashed out from the mist, grabbing his leg. The force pulled him to the ground, scraping his back across the broken pavement.
"Let me go, you freak!" Josh roared, swinging his prosthetic arm with brutal strength. The mechanical fist smashed into the monster's face, cracking its skull. But more creatures were closing in.
"Josh! Hold on!" Hanz yelled, starting toward him.
"Stay back!" Josh snapped. His eyes burned with determination, but there was fear there too—fear he couldn't hide. "Take Moros and run!"
Hanz hesitated, torn between survival and loyalty.
Josh's voice softened for just a moment. "If you survive… tell my family I love them."
A monstrous howl shattered the brief silence. The creatures surged forward, their twisted forms blotting out the crimson sky.
"Go!" Josh bellowed. His voice echoed through the streets like a doomed man's final prayer.
Then, they were on him.
The first creature lunged, sinking its teeth into Josh's shoulder. He screamed—a raw, agonizing sound that pierced the air. Blood sprayed from the wound, staining the snow beneath him.
Another monster grabbed his prosthetic arm, tearing it from his body with a sickening crack of metal and bone.
"NO! You bastards!" Josh roared, thrashing wildly. He punched and kicked, but there were too many.
Claws ripped into his torso, tearing his clothes and flesh. One creature bit into his side, pulling out chunks of muscle with each gnash of its teeth. Josh's screams grew weaker, but he refused to go down quietly.
"I'm not done yet!" he spat, blood foaming at his lips. With his remaining arm, he grabbed a shard of broken metal from the ground and drove it into a monster's eye.
The creature howled in pain, stumbling backward, but more took its place.
One monster—a grotesque beast with twisted limbs and too many eyes—wrapped its claws around Josh's head. Slowly, it began to twist.
Josh's screams turned into guttural, choking gasps as his neck cracked under the pressure.
"NO! JOSH!" Hanz's voice cracked with anguish, but he knew he couldn't save him.
The creature tore Josh's head to the side with a sickening snap. His body went limp, but the monsters weren't done.
They ripped into his corpse, tearing it apart piece by piece. Limbs were severed, bones shattered, organs spilled onto the pavement. The monsters feasted, their grotesque mouths smeared with blood and viscera.
Hanz could only watch, his fists clenched, his heart pounding in his chest. The sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones echoed in his ears, a horrifying symphony of death.
He turned away, unable to bear it any longer.
Clutching Moros tightly, he stumbled toward the lab's entrance. His vision blurred with tears he refused to shed.
As he activated the lab's defenses, the reinforced doors slammed shut behind them, sealing them inside.
Hanz sank to the floor, his body trembling.
A single tear rolled down his cheek—a rare, human crack in his otherwise stoic demeanor.
"Josh…" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant howls of the monsters outside.
For a moment, silence reigned inside the lab.
But outside, the monsters continued their feast, howling into the crimson sky. The world was ending, and their hope was slipping away, one doomed life at a time.