In the middle of Nara City, a large stadium stood majestically, its grandiose structure stretching far and wide to the north and south. The stadium was bathed in neon lights, making it come alive as it synchronized with the city's background music.
Inside the stadium, the audience seats had come alive with cheers and joyful roars echoing through the arena. The audience sat in a strange yet organized manner. From the entrance of the stadium down to the left, they were all dressed in blue jerseys—every one of them. Meanwhile, from the left to the right, down to the entrance of the stadium, they were all dressed in yellow jerseys, giving the atmosphere a sense of unity and competition.
On the field itself, mirroring the audience, two different teams stood against each other—the first team in yellow jerseys and the other in blue jerseys. They stared at each other with determination blazing in their gazes. Three referees stood between them as pictures were being taken.
The camera hovered above a young teenage boy wearing a yellow jersey, zooming in to capture his face. The boy had an oval-shaped face, shining brightly under the lights with his golden spiky hair. A pair of golden earrings pierced his ears as he stood calmly, his gaze distant yet focused.
As the camera zoomed in closer to get a proper view of the boy, the crowd roared in cheers, chanting his name. On the back of his jersey, "Emmy" was boldly written, with a large number 10 prominently displayed below it.
A couple of minutes later, after the usual pre-match ceremonies were completed, both teams scattered on the field, taking their respective positions. The referee stood in the middle, his whistle hanging from his lips, ready to blow for kickoff.
Just as the referee finally blew his whistle, signaling the start of the match, something strange happened.
Above the center of the field, a large, spherical shadow appeared, growing larger with each passing second. The players instinctively moved away from the center, all taking defensive stances as they retreated to the edges of the field.
There was a mix of emotions among the audience. Some were surprised, fear gripped others as they began to realize what was happening, while a few appeared eager. Others had expressions of ignorance plastered across their faces.
A minute later, something large, heavy, and powerful struck the surface of the field, landing directly at the center. The impact sent several spikes of earth flying backward, injuring a few unfortunate members of the audience in the process.
Standing in the center of the field now was a solid object, round in shape and as large as an asteroid, with a portion of it buried in the ground from the force of its landing. The object was smooth, sleek, and shining brightly—a flawless purple except for the strange phenomena that began happening almost immediately after it landed.
A few in the audience who understood what was happening began navigating their way out of the stadium, fear gripping their hearts. Others stayed and stared at the object in anticipation. Among the latter group was Emmy.
"Wow, so it's really going to happen. Now let's see what you have for us,"
Emmy muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the object.
The stadium had turned into a hall of chaos, with people running around, trying to find their way out.
"Emmy! What are you doing? Let's go!"
His coach's voice rang out, urging him to leave as everyone else fled the field. Emmy, however, was the only one still standing there, staring at the object as cracks began appearing on its surface—almost like an egg hatching.
*Evacuate the stadium now and get to safety. It's already starting. Nobody should remain in the stadium. I repeat, evacuate the stadium now. Elite Squad will arrive soon.*
A deep mechanical voice resounded through the stadium's speakers, and even those reluctant to leave began walking out in regret.
'Is it that frightening?' Emmy thought, turning away with a heavy heart. It wasn't the cancellation of the match that saddened him—it was being forced to leave the field before witnessing what he'd always wanted to see up close.
'I'll just have to hide somewhere and watch.'
"Emmy!"
His coach shouted again, his voice now etched with fear and worry. When Emmy looked up to see what was happening, he was stunned to find himself standing in the spot his coach had been just moments ago.
'What's happening?'
He looked ahead, and his heart sank as he realized what had transpired. He saw his coach standing in Emmy's previous position, a sad smile on his face, his lips silently mouthing a single word:
"Run."
A massive earth spike suddenly protruded from his coach's chest, and in the blink of an eye, his head was sent flying from his body. It all happened in a fraction of a second. Before Emmy could process what had occurred, his coach was dead, standing in his place.
"Noooo!"
Emmy screamed at the top of his lungs as he began running toward his fallen coach. A large crescent sword suddenly materialized in his hand as he watched something emerge from the fallen object.
From the object emerged a creature unlike anything Emmy had ever seen—something straight out of a nightmare. It was the kind of creature that would have planted fear in him instantly. But now, rage burned inside him, coursing through his veins and fueling his very soul. Without hesitation, he ran toward the creature.
The creature towered several feet tall, slightly taller than the sphere from which it had emerged. Its body was constructed of red and black brick, riddled with cracks. Its eyes were hollow, and a massive hammer rested on its shoulder—large enough to dwarf two adult men.
"I'll kill you!"
Emmy shouted as he charged at the creature. But before he could reach it, several other creatures began emerging from the sphere. They came in all shapes and sizes—one resembling a bear fused with an ape, another like a cross between a chimpanzee and a dog. Each was grotesque, exuding a deadly aura.
Their attention turned to the lone human on the field. Emmy, who had stopped in his tracks, trembled as the sword fell from his hand.
"Death... this is death,"
Emmy muttered, shaking as the creatures charged at him.
The first creature—the one with the brick body—stretched itself, causing shards of brick to fall to the ground. It then struck the hammer resting on its shoulder, sending a barrage of earth spikes hurtling toward Emmy.
Before the spikes could reach him, something grabbed him from behind, hurling him out of the stadium.
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This is not the beginning of the novel, but it is the beginning of something, and also the end of something. Thus, I call it The Beginning And The End.
Enjoy...