The heavy rain still hadn't stopped, as if it wanted to wash away the remnants of destruction left by the monsters. Touka stood frozen in the middle of the wet street, his body feeling heavy. His breath was ragged, and the sound of giant footsteps was getting closer.
A smaller Omnivorax, though still much larger than him, emerged from the shadows of the collapsed buildings. Its body was covered in tough scales that reflected the lightning, making it look even more terrifying. "Damn," Touka muttered quietly, his eyes locked on the approaching creature. He knew there was no way to escape this time.
Suddenly, amidst the sound of rain and the monster's roars, he heard a faint cry. Touka turned and saw a small child trapped under a pile of debris not far from him.
Touka sighed deeply. "Why now?" he thought. But without hesitation, he ran through the pouring rain. He couldn't let this child die. Not again. Not in front of him.
Touka kept running, weaving through the wreckage thrown by the monster's attacks. His breath grew heavier, but he didn't care. He had to reach the child before the Omnivorax noticed them.
"Hold on, I'll save you! Just wait a bit longer!" Touka shouted, though he wasn't sure if his voice could be heard over the roar of the storm.
When he got there, he found a young boy, covered in dust, crying beneath a chunk of concrete blocking his way. The boy's eyes widened when he saw Touka's figure.
"Hey... Can you stand?" Touka asked as he pulled the rubble off the boy's leg. With one strong pull, he freed him.
"Run! Get out of here before the monster gets any closer!" Touka ordered, pointing toward a safe route.
The boy nodded, fear in his eyes, then ran as fast as he could. Before Touka could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a roar of wind behind him.
BAM!
The ground behind Touka exploded as a giant Omnivorax claw slammed into the asphalt. Touka was thrown aside, crashing hard against the cracked building wall. Pain shot through his body, but he quickly got up, blood dripping from his temple.
"Damn... This thing's tough…" he muttered, his hand shaking as he grabbed the sharp knife he used when cleaning monster corpses. He knew it wouldn't help much, but it was the only weapon he had.
With fierce determination, he charged toward the monster, trying to pierce its tough scales.
But his attack had no effect. The Omnivorax's glowing red eyes only looked at him with disgust, like it was swatting away a tiny pest.
"Why… Why am I always so weak?" Touka thought as he staggered back. His body was already covered in wounds, and his breath was growing heavier. Deep down, he knew he wouldn't last much longer.
Then, suddenly, memories from the past flooded his mind. Fifteen years ago, he was just a scared child. He had watched his family be torn apart by the Omnivorax. His mother's and little sister's screams, the explosion, the suffocating smell of smoke... It all came rushing back, like a never-ending nightmare.
"This seems like the end…" he muttered, his body giving out.
But just as Touka thought it was all over, a bright light exploded from the darkness. A blast of energy hit the Omnivorax, sending the giant monster stumbling back.
Touka, already losing so much blood, could only stand unsteadily, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
From the dust and smoke, figures in black uniforms with shining Aether Corps emblems on their chests emerged. One of them, a girl with long hair blowing in the wind, moved swiftly, using a glowing sword to slice through the monster.
"Shina...?" Touka muttered, his eyes straining to focus, though his vision was starting to blur. Could it be… Shina?
But before he could be sure, his body couldn't take it anymore. His legs gave out, and the world went dark.