The creatures that emerged from the darkness were not the hulking behemoths one might expect. These were fallen soldiers, their forms twisted and corrupted by a malevolent force. Some wore remnants of their former armor, their weapons still clutched in their skeletal hands.
The villagers had faced these monstrosities before, their encounters etched into their collective memory. These creatures were not to be underestimated, their agility a deadly asset. To face them with arrogance was to invite destruction.
But the villagers had learned. The naivete that had once plagued them had been replaced by a grim determination. They understood the dangers that lurked in the shadows, the cunning and ferocity of the fallen.
An hour had passed since the creatures had emerged from the darkness, their growls echoing through the deserted streets. Yet, they had found no living souls to devour. The village was eerily quiet, an unnatural silence that is very much unusual.
If the creatures possessed a mind, they might have been surprised, perhaps even alarmed. Their instincts, honed for destruction, had led them to expect a feast of human flesh. But the village was empty, a barren wasteland devoid of life.
The creatures continued their aimless wanderings, their senses attuned to any sound, any disturbance in the silence.
Suddenly, a vibrant crimson-green cloud erupted into the sky.
From her perch atop a building, Zara could see the cloud and understood that a monster is heading towards a secluded location. Her comrades were in position, preparing to intercept the creature and bring it down.
Vergil, who had noticed the signal, stood motionless, his senses heightened, waiting for the next signal, the one that would indicate the trap's triumph.
Time crawled by, each agonizing second pressing down on Vergil's heart. The silence was deafening, a reminder of the trap's possible failure. Two grim scenarios haunted his thoughts.
Either the monster had evaded the trap and followed a different path, a scenario that should have triggered a red smoke signal. Or, worse, the soldiers had fallen victim to the creature's wrath, silenced forever.
"They're dead," Vergil muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
Out of the blue, he dropped a bombshell, leaving Leila stunned. "Excuse me?" she replied.
"You know what I mean," Vergil answered. "Another funeral pyre will burn. Be strong."
A ray of hope unexpectedly broke through the gloom, a green signal that echoed through the night. Zara, perched at her watchtower, immediately recognized it. The trap had succeeded!
She raced down, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Incredible news!" she shouted. "We've got one,"
Time seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. Leila caught a disturbing twitch of Vergil's lips, a sinister smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. A heavy silence fell, a tension that Leila alone seemed to sense, broken only by Vergil's impatient demand, "Why are they taking so long?"
"Anytime now," Zara replied, her voice calm.
Soon, loud, man-made noises echoed through the village, a cacophony of battle cries and the clash of steel. A deliberate ploy to draw the creature's attention.
Zara cautiously opened the door. She peered out into the night, her eyes scanning the darkness. The area was devoid of monsters, to her relief, their attention diverted by the orchestrated chaos.
The trio emerged from their hideout, their figures cloaked in the inky blackness of the night. Leila and Zara flanked Vergil, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. Vergil, his impatience mounting, held himself back. He possessed a speed that would leave them in the dust, but to reveal his true capability might be a mistake.
A few hours stood before the rising of the sun, time enough to complete their mission.
A sudden movement from the dark drew their attention almost in unison.
A shadow materialized, its form a twisted grotesque human likeness. It was a straggler, a solitary predator that hadn't followed the others. As soon as it caught sight of the trio, it charged, its movements a blur of terrifying speed and strength.
Zara's drew her weapon, a defiant challenge to the monstrous creature. But the moment their blades clashed, she was hurled backwards, her body slamming against a wall.
Leila was stunned. These creatures were more formidable than she recalled, their strength seemingly enhanced.
"Go!" she shouted to Vergil. "I'll handle this."
Leila charged towards the beast, her determination unshakeable. A strategist, not a brute, she knew she couldn't match the creature's raw power. Instead, she would dodge its attacks, biding her time for the perfect strike.
Vergil observed the battle for a time, his respect for Leila deepening with each passing moment. Then, with a sigh, he turned and continued his journey, leaving Leila to face the creature alone.
He hastened his pace, covering the distance to the trap house in record time.
As he entered the building, the grim reality of the situation became apparent. Two bodies lay sprawled on the floor, victims of the creature's brutal attack. The signs of the monster's rampage were everywhere.
Vergil felt a whisper of movement, seconds before a young soldier stepped into view.
"You sent the signal?" Vergil pressed.
"Yes," the soldier replied, his eyes a flicker of fear and relief.
Vergil didn't need to be told the details. He could piece together the tragic events that had taken place. Thanks to the soldier's swift thinking, however, the mission had been a success.
"The trap was a dud," Vergil grumbled, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"It missed," the young soldier explained. He recounted the terrifying encounter, how the creature had launched itself at the nearest soldier, then the second, killing them with brutal efficiency.
"I fared no better," the young soldier continued, leading Vergil deeper into the building. A gaping hole yawned at their feet, and from its depths, a low growl echoed.
Vergil and the soldier peered down into the abyss. Trapped within the hole was the creature, its hunger for destruction momentarily quelled by the unexpected fall.
The soldier felt a pang of guilt. Their mission had been to incapacitate the creature, not merely trap it. Yet, here it was, still alive, its movements restricted only by the confines of the hole. To jump down and fight it would be suicidal.
Vergil's expression remained impassive, his eyes cold and calculating.
"I'm sorry," the soldier muttered, his words a feeble apology.
"What's your name, boy?" Vergil asked, his voice sharp.
"It's Ethan, sir," the soldier replied.
"Do me a favor, Ethan," Vergil said, his tone commanding.
"Anything, sir," Ethan replied, his loyalty unwavering.
"Speak to no one of what you are about to see," Vergil instructed.
With a deep breath, Vergil drew his blades and leaped into the hole. His movements were a blur as he sliced through the creature's right arm, disarming it. The creature retaliated with a powerful punch, but Vergil, anticipating the attack, easily evaded it and plunged his blades into the creature's eyes. With a final, brutal strike, he severed the creature's second arm and a leg, immobilizing it completely.
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never seen such skill, such raw power. Was the healer always this formidable a fighter? How could he be so good?
Vergil wasted no time. He sliced open the creature's body, revealing a grotesque and mangled interior. The soldier jumped into the hole just in time to witness Vergil's next move.
With a flick of his wrist, Vergil weaved a complex magical formation, his hands a blur of motion. He inscribed symbols into the air, their glow casting an eerie light on the scene. In a moment, the formation pulsed with energy, a radiant light that filled the hole.
When he placed the formation through the creature's inside, a torrent of information, memories, and fragments of knowledge flooded his mind, a fleeting connection to the summoner. The experience was disorienting, a whirlwind of sensation that left him reeling.
The creature, though immobilized, remained alive, its grotesque interior exposed. Ethan, the young soldier, stood beside him, his eyes wide with awe.
"What happened?"
"I may have revealed my presence to the enemy," Vergil replied.
"What does that mean for us? For our home?" Ethan asked, fear creeping into his voice.
"I don't know," Vergil admitted, his gaze distant. He wasn't even sure he cared. "But one thing is certain," he continued, "Things are about to get worse."