Zion's eyes locked onto the monster, his heart racing with fear. He knew he had to act fast, or risk losing Elias and the little boy.
Without hesitation, he charged forward, his feet pounding the ground as he sprinted towards the beast.
The monster's eyes lifted from the boy and locked onto Zion, its gaze piercing through the air. It raised a massive claw, ready to strike but Zion dodged to the side, avoiding the blow by mere inches.
As he ran, Zion's mind raced with thoughts of how to take down the monster. He had no magic, no special abilities to aid him in battle. All he had was his sword, his training, and his determination.
He leapt forward, his sword flashing in the dark. He struck at the monster's scales, but they were too hard, too resilient. The blade bounced off, leaving Zion stumbling back.
The monster retaliated, its claws swiping wildly. Zion dodged and weaved, avoiding the blows by sheer luck. He knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer.
Elias was still recovering from the monster's previous attack. Zion knew he had to buy him time, had to give him a chance to recover and join the fight.
With a shout, Zion launched himself at the monster once more. His sword flashing once more, he stroke at the beast's scales with precision and force.
The monster roared in pain, its claws swiping wildly as it stumbled back. Zion dodged again, avoiding the blows by sheer luck.
But he knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. The monster was too strong, too powerful. Zion needed a new plan, a new strategy if he was going to take down the beast and save everyone.
As he danced around the monster's claws, Zion's eyes locked onto a weak point - a small, unprotected spot on the monster's neck. It was a tiny target, but he knew it was his only chance.
Zion launched himself at the monster. He struck at the weak point, his blade biting deep into the monster's flesh.
The beast let out a deafening roar, its body stumbling back as it clutched at its neck. Zion knew he had to finish the job, had to end the fight before the monster could recover.
But as he raised his sword for the final blow, Zion felt a surge of uncertainty. Could he really do this? Could he really kill this monster?
The monster's eyes locked onto Zion, its gaze piercing through the air. Zion felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that the beast was not anywhere done for.
"What kind of monster are you?" He grunted and aimed for that weak point.
But with a sudden burst of strength, the monster who was still not done yet countered Zion's attack, its claws swiping wildly.
Zion tried to dodge, but the monster's blows were too fast, too powerful. He stumbled back, his sword falling from his grasp. The monster's claws tore through his robe, leaving deep gashes in his chest and arms.
Aria's eyes widened in horror as she watched Zion fall from where she was standing. She had been warned not to transform, not to reveal her true nature to the other juniors. But she couldn't just stand by and watch Zion die. Zion was everything she had... He was her light, her hope, her reason to live like a human again... She couldn't let anything happen to him at all.
Even if her actions will make people hate her, turn away from her... She doesn't care as long as Zion was alive and well.
As such, she charged forward, her body beginning to shift and contort. Her limbs elongated, her senses grew sharper, and her skin turned a deep, scaly gray. She ran towards the monster.
The other juniors gasped in shock, their eyes fixed on Aria's transforming body. They had never seen anything like it before.
"Aria, no!" Zion shouted from where he was lying in his own pool of blood, his voice was weak but urgent. "Don't transform! Don't do it!"
But Aria didn't listen. She was too far gone, her monster instincts taking over. With a roar, she launched herself at the monster, her claws swiping wildly.
'You dare hurt my man! I am going to make you pay!' She yelled internally as she fought the monster.
The battle was intense, the two monsters clashing in a flurry of claws and teeth. But Aria's training and determination gave her the edge she needed. Slowly but surely, she began to gain the upper hand.
The monster let out a deafening roar as Aria struck the final blow, her claws tearing through its chest. The beast collapsed to the ground, defeated.
Aria stood over it, her chest heaving with exhaustion. She looked up, her eyes locking onto Zion's. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.
Then, Aria's gaze shifted, taking in the shocked faces of the other juniors. She realized that she had revealed her true nature, that she could no longer hide her secret.
Aria's face fell, her eyes filling with tears. She knew that things would never be the same again. Zion's worst fears had come true.
The other juniors stared at Aria in shock, their minds reeling with the implications of what they had just seen. They had always known Aria to be a cute little girl who loves to play, train and make friends with everyone, but they had never expected her to be a monster.
"What have you done?" Zion mumbled weakly from the ground, his eyes on Aria. His gaze was weak but Aria knew very well that he was disappointed and angry with her.
"I—I"
"I told you not to do it but you disobeyed me... What are you going to do about it, Aria?" He asked.
Aria's heart skipped. Her shoulders dropped, Zion's tone was cold on her.
"You..."
Zion's vision began to blur, his body feeling heavy and weak. He tried to stand and continue his speech, but his legs wouldn't respond. He collapsed to the ground, his head spinning with dizziness.
"Big brother!" Aria yelled as she ran towards him.
The last thing he remembered was Aria's face, her eyes filled with tears as she stood over the defeated monster. Then, everything went black.
>>>>
Days passed, and Zion remained unconscious. He was vaguely aware of voices and footsteps around him, but he couldn't respond. His body was too weak, his mind too foggy. He had lost a lot of blood during the fight, he was lucky to have survived it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Zion slowly came to. He was lying in a bed, his body feeling weak and sore. He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, forcing him back onto the bed.
As he lay there, trying to catch his breath, Zion noticed a figure standing in the corner of the room. It was Allen, his face expressionless.
"Zion, you're awake," Allen said, his voice neutral. "How are you feeling?"
Zion tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and barely audible. He cleared his throat, before trying again. "What... what happened?"
Allen's expression didn't change. "You were injured during the battle. You've been unconscious for days."
Zion's mind was foggy, but he remembered the battle. He remembered Aria transforming into a monster, and the look of shock and fear on the other juniors' faces.
"Aria," Zion whispered, his heart racing with concern. "Where is she?"
Allen's expression turned grim. "Aria is being held in one of the underground cells. She's being kept under close guard."
Zion's eyes widened in shock. "What? Why?"
Allen's voice was firm. "Aria's transformation was... unexpected. The organization has rules against monsters being part of the team. Aria's actions put everyone at risk."
Zion's mind was reeling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Aria, locked up in a cell? It didn't seem right.
With a surge of anger, Zion tried to sit up again. This time, he managed to stay upright, despite the dizziness.
"I need to see her," he said, his voice firm. "I need to talk to her."
Allen's expression was skeptical. "I don't think that's a good idea, Zion. Aria's situation is... complicated. You need to focus on your own recovery right now."
Zion was determined to see Aria and speak with her. "I don't need your care, I don't care about anything else." I just need to see her."
Allen sighed, his expression softening slightly. "I'll see what I can do, Zion. But you need to be careful. The organization is not going to be easy on you guys."
Zion's heart sank, but he knew he had to try. He had to see Aria, had to talk to her. He owed it to her, after everything she had done for him. While he was unconscious, he thought back to what had happened. How Aria, selflessly saved him despite the consequences that will follow her actions. He was stupid for being angry at her and now, he wished to make it up to her.