They're coming... A faint whisper in the dark stirs Lucy's consciousness. Her mind is muddled with exhaustion as she barely had eight hours of sleep in the past ten days. The voice was rough, old, weary... like her. Captain, you have to wake up.
The voice whispered again as Lucy slowly twisted and turned. They are in danger captain; you have to wake up! The voice whispered, urging Lucy to stand. "Danger... who?" Lucy thought wearily as the voice began to boom.
The children! The children and the sisters are in danger captain! Lucy blinked as the words seemed to click inside of her. "The... children?... sisters?" Her mind begins to warm up now as the voice tries to answer. Lucy could not hear it though as an inhuman roar screamed in her ears.
"This...-!!!" Lucy's eyes snapped open as the roar felt so distant yet so close in her ears. "Edrak." Lucy whispered as she tapped into power. The noises in her ears suddenly boomed to power as if the volume was turned to maximum.
"Kalva... be damn." Lucy let out a curse as she fell hard to the floor. Stupid! Lucy thought to herself as she used power without adjusting herself properly to the incoming changes. She was about to continue cursing herself when her hearing finally tuned in properly.
Her eyes widened in fear as she could hear the growling of the wolves, the snicker from the monsters and... and the cries of the children. Lucy let go of power in her ears as she redirected the flow towards her legs. "Vekra." Lucy whispered as her legs burst with alacrity.
Lucy ran through towards the shed with all haste. She ripped the door open violently as she began searching for the ax she had returned previously. Lucy grabbed the ax as if a hurricane passed by before turning back in the direction of the cry.
Lucy weaved past through fences and stones as she turned to the last corner where the backyard could be found. Please don't be late... please! Lucy could feel her heart drop beneath her feet as she turned to see Emma tripped over a rock, carrying a child in her arms.
Lucy saw a lone rider breaking formation from the group, eager to have the first blood as it ran straight towards Emma. "NO!!!" The sisters screamed in dismay as the monster raised its ax towards Emma and the child.
The monster smiled so gleefully at the pair as if it relished the look of despair in their eyes. Its sharp teeth water in excitement as Emma tries to protect the child with her body. The monster was so happy savoring the sight of the two that it failed to see Lucy, eyes turning into gold.
"Dashvha." Lucy growled as power flared to overdrive. The speed Lucy had in her legs exploded tenfold as it began to burn power at a tremendous pace. The monster's eyes widened in surprise as Lucy appeared in the blink of an eye, swinging her ax far faster than it could react.
The skin on its throat opened, revealing a bloodied trachea as blood rushed forth from its wound. The monster tried to desperately seal the wound with its hand, only to fail as its neck slowly toppled forth from its shoulder.
The riders abruptly stopped in their charge as Lucy stood before the body of their fallen comrade. It was alive, mere seconds ago in fact but the sudden death it faced caused so much confusion and uncertainty to the monsters that they stopped several paces away from her.
Lucy glared at the group as the grip on her ax tightened. Her heart beats in the rhythms of resentment as she stares directly into their eyes. Their repugnant and vile faces begin to sweat the longer they continue to stare into Lucy's eyes.
Her amber eyes burn like the furnace of war. The light swirled and twisted inside, frightening the monsters even further as if her eyes were an anathema. Power bleeds from her eyes despite being so young.
The wolves, sensing their master's uncertainty, let out a growl, some even barked. It was the first instinct of the servants to scare their prey into submission and invoke courage into the hearts of their masters.
They would have succeeded too when Lucy suddenly let out an even inhuman growl. Her teeth strongly gnashed against one another creating a disturbing sound. It was not the sound a human should have made. It sounded like a feral beast instead.
The voice that escaped from her lips was so strong that it made the wolves shy back in fear as their masters were only discouraged further. Lucy slowly lowered herself, ready to pounce at the moment of weakness.
"L-lucy?" A whisper suddenly cut Lucy back to reality from her bloodlust as she turned to see Emma and the child. The two looked relieved as well as afraid when Lucy saw their eyes.
"Get out of here." Lucy hissed as she turned back to face the monsters.
Firmly placing herself between Emma and the monsters, Lucy guarded with vigil eyes at every movement they made. "Y-your eyes, why are they-" "This is not the time! Get out of here now!" Lucy snapped, louder this time as her patience was growing thinner by the moment.
It was then Lucy felt power died inside of her. ...Damn it Lucy cursed as the well of power inside her had finally dried up. Her amber eyes slowly reverted back to sapphire as Lucy turned back to the monster behind her. Dashvha had finally come to take its toll.
Lucy suddenly felt sluggish as the whole world around her turned dull as power left her body weak and normal. Seeing her eyes revert to sapphire, the monsters slowly grew more confident as they slowly approached Lucy.
Lucy lowered into a stance as she prepared to defend Emma and the child. Emma finally snaps out of her daze and begins to run again with the child in her arms. The monster's eyes shifted towards the nun as she fled in fear.
The scent seemed to arouse them once more as they began to move in earnest. Lucy grabbed the rusted ax from the fallen monster before hurling it directly towards one of the wolves. The wolf manages to avoid the incoming weapon but falls dead as Lucy throws another one.
The rider was thrown off in front of Lucy. It tried to regain its balance, but Lucy was having none of it. The former captain moved with the confidence and alacrity seen only through veterans as she grabbed its jaw and forehead firmly before twisting it in a single jerky motion.
The monster fell silent as its head twisted in the opposite direction. "TUVAK SHRA!" One of the monsters inhumanly cried in anger as it rushed for Lucy. The wolf opens its maw, revealing several sharp teeth that aimed at her neck. The wolf closed the distance before snapping.
The monster smiled for a moment, petting its steed in satisfaction before it abruptly changed to surprise. Lucy manages to grab onto one of the fallen monster's bodies as it serves as her shield. The wolf tried to gnaw past the body but failed as its bone and sinew proved to be a hindrance.
Lucy glared at the two in silence as she reaches for a weapon beside her. The wolf tries to bite through again and again, gaining distance ever so close to Lucy's head. Come on... Lucy frowns in frustration as her free hand keeps searching for a weapon.
The rider seemed to have enough as it raised its ax high. ...Finally! Lucy thought in relief as her hand finally found something. Lucy pulled the weapon free just in time as the monster brought its ax low.
The monster's eyes widen in pain as a spear pierce through the throat of its wolf and reaches its heart. The thing vomited in blood as Lucy twisted her spear free before the blood touched her. She manages to land several paces away from the two as five more encircled around her.
As the five slowly encircled around her, Lucy began to replenish her supply. The amount she could get was significantly reduced, slowed by the constant threat of battle. Still, Lucy continues to replenish her supply as much as she can.
Slowly but surely, her body begins to fill with power. It was like pouring a drop of water in the desert. Its thirst could never be quenched by such a small amount, but she continued nonetheless. As Lucy continued to replenish her reservoir, she noticed the numbers had significantly reduced.
The former captain turned to see the remaining 12 ignored her as it rushed straight into the orphanage. "No!" Lucy roared as she turned to run but was caught off by the remaining five. She turned sharply in the other direction but also failed as they kept circling around her.
Lucy begins to panic when she saw the pack getting closer and closer to the orphanage. No matter how hard Lucy tries, the five manage to keep her isolated from the rest of the world. They never tried to approach her as they simply circled around her, preventing her from reaching outside.
Think damn it! There has got to be another way! Lucy tries to forcefully calm herself down as she begins to scan her surroundings. The five continue to encircle her counterclockwise as they only move to intercept her attempts to break free.
Come on, there has got to be some other way! There has to be! Lucy thought as she continued to scour the lands. She looked through every nook and cranny with precision, her heart beats faster and faster as her blood began to boil in frustration.
There is a way you know? Lucy blinked as she quickly ignored the voice. Ignoring me won't help, you know?
Silence.
You know it's the only way.
Enough! I will find another way! I won't rely on you! I will never rely on you you wretched- A scream suddenly erupted from the world.
Lucy snapped towards the direction of the sound before her heart froze. She could not see the children nor the sisters outside, but she could see the band of monsters encircling the entire building. Probing its windows and walls for any opening,
Are you sure? Are you certain you won't need me? Lucy could see their abhorrent faces smiles in glee. They are going to die Lucy. They are going to die, and it will be your fault. You need me and you know it!
The cries of the children seemed to amuse them just as the tearful begging of the sisters seemed to elate them. Their faces were filled to the brim with excitement as Lucy recalls a distant, terrible memory.
Bury it. Her vision flickers for a moment as the distant cries suddenly grow louder and louder. The world changed as it was covered in crimson. The arid smoke assaulted her nose violently as the screams were beginning to twist into terrible wailing now.
Bury it.. The vision changed again to her horror as the pit of her stomach turned. Bodies filled the streets from every corner of the village. Every building in the village was broken beyond the point of recognition.
Bury it... Every street she looked, every street she turned, only ruin faced her. Out of the corner of her eye, something moved. Lucy turned to her horror as a man crawled with his lower portion missing so weakly towards the body of a woman and a child.
It was then Lucy felt something within her snapped. Bury that facade or they will all die! All thoughts of her safety and reason were thrown out of the window. The world around her darkens as her eyes tunnel vision towards the orphanage. There you go. There is the soldier all along. A grim laughter echoed within her mind, but it hardly mattered. Now run. Run as fast as you can soldier. And fail like you always do. It mocked, but it hardly mattered at all.
Lucy screamed as she made a mad dash towards the orphanage. The five moved to intercept her, but Lucy could no longer care. An ax cut here, a spear stab here, it did not matter to her as she continued to run at a frightening speed. The five panicked as they desperately tried to push her back, only to fail as Lucy did not even spare a glance and continued to run.
As she grew closer and closer, Lucy could faintly hear the cry getting louder and louder. With every step she took the voices became clearer as she heard the door shudder. It bangs again and again until it finally stops, and the wailing continues to get louder.
Desperate, Lucy begins to burn what little power she manages to reclaim as she whispers. "Vekra." Lucy whispered as power coursed through her legs. Her heart beats with the rhythm of anticipation as she continues to run.
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The children cried in fear as a monster tried to reach beyond the window with its filthy green hands. Everyone huddles from the corner of the prayer room as it has the least amount of windows in the building.
The main door was sealed shut with the hastily made barricade they made with the pews and wood that they could find. The monsters banged loudly against the door as the wolves scratched furiously at the door as it shook beneath its assault.
The building rocked as the cries of the children and the nun intertwined with the sinister laughter of the monsters. The sisters placed themselves in front of the children as they fervently prayed with their beads in hand.
Some were crying as they prayed while others trembled violently as they tried to steady themselves from trembling to no avail. Emma was one of these sisters as she tried to collect herself. She had to maintain a front that others could lean into.
She had to be brave for the children who were beyond terrified from the crackles of the monsters. She had to be strong for Lucy... who had given her life for them. Emma did not want to believe what she heard moments ago when she heard Lucy scream.
She did not want to think of it, but her terrified mind began to play cruel tricks on her as she believed she had died in a gruesome way. Thoughts of the wolves gnawed her to death were barely kept away as she continues to put up a front.
She had to be brave for them, for sister Rose to arrive with the guards... but she was scared. Emma was afraid she could not keep the front any longer the longer the door banged. She was terrified of what could happen next if they broke through that door.
A devastating blow landed. The frame of the door shuddered as several pieces of the door broke free, revealing a vile smile from beyond. "Urum, save us..." One of the sisters broke down as she cried for her life.
Another blow rocks the door as the cries of the children begin to intensify. Some of the sisters could not keep it any longer as they simply broke down and cried. Emma could feel her resolved quiver as another blow landed.
The bead from her hand slipped through as all hope was lost. Emma could see their faces, smiling in pure ecstasy as they violently pushed through one another for one last blow. It was then that a figure suddenly moved from the corner of her eye.
Emma blinked to her horror as Iva stood before her with a plank of wood in her hand. The small figure trembled violently like the others; tears streamed down from her face. Iva was terrified, but she somehow tries to stand her ground with the plank of wood in her hand.
Her legs shook so much that Emma thought she was going to fall over any second now, but she did not. Iva stood before her, ready to defend Emma and the others. Even though it was meaningless in the end, Emma admired the little girl's bravery.
...What am I doing? Emma thought in anger as the fire inside her began to grow stronger. I have to protect her... Emma thought as she slowly rose from her feet. I have to protect them... Emma thought as she slowly began to stand when the final blow landed. A roaring cacophony signals their doom.
The door finally gave in as the monsters rushed in for the first kill in glee. Iva lost her will from the sheer horror running towards her as the plank slipped from her grip. Emma ran towards Iva as she hugged the little girl in her arms. I have to protect them... Emma closed her eyes as she turned her back towards the monsters, away from Iva. ...I'm sorry everyone... I-
A deafening boom rocks the building as silence suddenly engulfs the entire world. Emma slowly opened her eyes to her surprise when she saw the sisters and the children's eyes widen in shock. Emma looked down to see Iva staring past her with the same look of surprise.
The sun seemed to grow brighter than Emma had remembered. "...What the..." Emma trailed off as she turned to see what was going on. Emma could never finish her words that day as she too could only look in surprise.
There was a massive hole in the roof as Lucy stood on top of a corpse from one of the monsters. Her eyes burned with so much hatred that the monsters seemed to move back in fear. Her face was twisted beyond recognition as her entire being was filled to the brim with spite.
Emma could not believe her eyes. She blinked again and again, afraid it was all an illusion that her eyes played on her, but it was real. Lucy was alive and real. There were several cuts that bled from her arms as a massive gnash flowed from her shoulder, but Lucy was alive.
Tears rolled down from Emma's face as relief washed over her. She's alive... Lucy is alive! Emma thought over and over again, it was as if she was afraid she would disappear if she did not do so. Emma wanted to reach out towards Lucy, to embrace the girl in her arms as joy and relief flooded her chest. She would have done so too when Lucy suddenly moved.
The young lady pulled the spear free from the dead body. Her eyes flickered from amber to cobalt several times before she let out a blood-curdling scream. Emma flinched back in surprise as she watched Lucy run after the monsters.
Lucy violently begins to dismember and kill every monster within her reach as she lets out another scream. Her eyes finally flickered to gold as if they were on fire. ...Lucy?... Emma thought in fear as she watched the young girl descend into madness.
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KILL KILL KILL!!! Her mind roared into a deafening cacophony as her eyes glared at the retreating monsters. Her body burns as if it were engulfed in fire as her heart beats with the rhythms of resentment. YOU BASTARDS!!! DIE DIE DIE!!!
No words escaped from her lips as she continued to howl like a wild animal. Hearing the children cry, listening to the desperate prayers of the sisters, and witnessing Iva and Emma almost getting killed invoke a deep seethed rage that Lucy fought so hard to contain.
It had been so long since she remembered this hate, this burning indignation as she let herself drown in its fires. Lucy roared as she impaled a monster. The fear in its eyes did not calm the fire inside her even in the slightest as she continued to swing.
Blow after blow, Lucy moves with inhuman power coursing through her veins as the spear dances around her. Each swing took a head, each stab penetrated a heart, and each blow decimated a monster beyond recognition.
The monsters tried to fight back as the wolves bore their fangs at Lucy. Some throw their spear while others rush in for the kill. It did not matter though as her spear reached through their bodies before they could to her.
Lucy killed everyone within her reach, though it was not meant to last forever. With each blow she traded, her eyes flickered dangerously back to cobalt. The amber-like glow begins to grow dimmer and dimmer with every moment that passes.
Each time it did, Lucy could feel her body getting slower and slower as she was slowly running out of power. And it was not only Lucy who had noticed this too, the monster had taken notice as they began to grow more and more confident with each swing that passes.
"URRGGHH!" A monster roared as it raised its weapon to cleave Lucy in two. Lucy was forced to defend against the blow as she let go of power. Her eyes reverted back to sapphire, saving the last drop of power as the monster smiled triumphantly.
Though the stupid creature could not even enjoy the brief victory as Lucy gutted him with her spear. The monster's eyes widened as Lucy still did not let go even with the loss of power. The monsters screamed in frustration as they tried to push Lucy back with their numbers.
Lucy had killed five more of their numbers but there were still 7 more and another 5 from outside. Thankfully, however, most of the wolves could not squeeze through the narrow door. Lucy stood firmly on the ground as she made sure to hold back every monster from the door.
Lucy made sure not one passed through her as the spear began to flow in her hands. The vibration from the spear made her arms shake in pain as it was far from being accustomed. Each swing felt like a metal pipe being swung at full force against a brick wall.
Heavy and painful, but Lucy endured. She had to endure or everything she held dear in this life would be taken away from her. Everything had been taken away from her once, Lucy was not about to let it happen again.
And so, she held on. Every second felt like a minute as every minute felt like an hour. Lucy swung the spear again and again as one by one their numbers slowly dwindled. It was not as fast nor as clean as the ones before, but it was still a kill as Lucy pierced one through the eyes.
Lucy breathed raggedly as her gaze looked down for a moment. Four... five... Lucy thought in a daze as she killed a total of 12 monsters and three wolves. There were still 8 more monsters and 12 more wolves to kill.
Only 20 more remained as Lucy raised her spear for another swing. "UUUGGGHHRRR!!!" But she was so tired. Lucy was so exhausted after fighting without stopping that might as well lasted for hours. She felt so tired after sleeping less than 8 hours in the past 10 days as she parried a blow from an incoming ax.
Her muscles screamed in pain, her bones jolted in exhaustion, her- "You can do it, Lucy!" Lucy blinked as another shout followed suit. "It will be over soon! So please, hold on!" Emma shouted as soon more and more of the sisters and children began to encourage her.
"You can do it, sister Lucy! Please hold on! Sister Lucy! Sis..." The people behind her shouted in encouragement as Lucy blinked back in surprise. Their desperate plea stirs deep within Lucy's subconsciousness as she slowly shifted back to her stance.
Lucy could feel power brimming inside once more as she glared at the monsters. A second wind begins to blow on Lucy's sail as her eyes slowly regain its focus. Hold your ground soldier Lucy thought to herself as she begins to swing once again.
The monsters begin to despair as the human who was on the brink of exhaustion suddenly regained strength. Desperate, the monsters made one final push as they threw everything they had at Lucy. They pushed their comrades at the tip of her blade as the wolves tried to reach her.
Lucy bitterly tries to hold back the incoming onslaught as the spear pierces through them. Blow after blow, Lucy continues to throw back relentlessly at the horde as much as they throw at her.
Unfortunately however, one of the monsters managed to grab onto her spear as it pierced through its chest, refusing to let go. A wolf saw an opening as it bit her hard on her right leg.
Lucy winces in pain as she falters for a moment. "No!!!" The people behind screamed as a monster stepped on one of the corpses as a ladder to reach her. The monster smiled in glee as it buried its ax deep on Lucy's left shoulder.
Lucy vomited blood as the monsters rejoiced and the sisters and the children despaired. The monsters hurriedly tried to push past the falling corpse when Lucy suddenly grabbed the monster with an ax. The monster frowned in annoyance as it reaches for her hand.
It refuses to let go. The monster growled in frustration as it was infuriated that even in death, she persists to fight on. The monster tried to shake her grip free but failed. It tried again and again but still, it failed. The grip suddenly tightened as the human slowly raises her head.
The monster's eyes widened in panic as it tried to pry off the grip but still failed even with the help of its comrades. It was then a sweat escaped from its ugly face as it turned to face Lucy, glaring with a single hateful eye. The blue cobalt hue was slowly being infected into a golden amber.
The monster had the privilege to stare back in horror one last time as Lucy bares her mouth open. Lucy pulled the monster closer as she bit hard on its neck. Panic, pain, enrage but even more so fear. Nay, it was terror that flooded the monster when Lucy dug through. The monster tried to break free from the grip, but it was no use as Lucy gnawed through its veins.
The monster shrieked in fear. It desperately flails its limbs as it tries to free itself from Lucy in vain. The monster could feel its nerves pop one by one as blood flooded its throat. The monster tried one last time to free itself but failed as it slowly begins to drown in its own blood.
Its windpipe is crushed beyond saving under the sheer force of Lucy's teeth. Yet still, it did not stop. The terrible sound rang across the building as Lucy bit down the monster's neck again and again and again aND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN! LUCY NEVER LET GOES FOR A SECOND! THE BASTARD GURGLES FOR RELEASE, BEGGING FOR AN END BUT LUCY HAD NEVER SHED EVEN A SCRAP OF HER MERCY AS SHE BITTED DOWN AGAIN AND AGAIN!... until it finally stopped moving.
The world around them went silent. The monsters could not believe what just happened as well as the humans behind Lucy. It was far beyond disturbing and frightening. Especially from the monster's eyes as they look back in sheer horror at the human before them.
Lucy's mouth was bloodied grimly as the body dropped to the floor. Her golden eyes pulsed softly as the monster inched back in fear. Blood dripped ever so slowly at her chin as Lucy let out another baleful howl. The scream echoed across the halls as the monsters stumbled back.
The monsters finally understand what they are facing and begin to flee in terror. It was no soldier that they normally fought with their lives nor was it a helpless human who would cower in fear. It was but a human in its most primal form.
A monster that even monsters are afraid of. There were legends amongst the monster's tribe. A tale of an ancient evil that were the ancestors of humanity. It was said that the race was so terrible that when it finally passed on, humans and even the monsters themselves chose to forget the terrible nightmare.
Naturally, this was a bygone legend. A ghost story that would be used to scare children. The monsters simply scoffed at the mere thought of such a race were the ancestors of such a specie. Though one could never forget an instilled primal fear even if countless generations pass on.
Standing before them was a legend made manifest. Broken and bruised, yet its hunger still remained. Lucy did not resemble even a fragment of her former self as she glared. Her hate was absolute, not even a ray of compassion dotted her eyes. The monsters knew then.
Even the wolf released its bite as it fled with its tail behind its back, cowering in terror. Lucy blinked in confusion as she watched them retreat. She could not believe what she was seeing as power finally ran out inside her.
Lucy tries to chase after them but fails to even move one step forward as her body fails. It had finally and truly reached beyond its limits. Lucy glared at the fleeing figure before her one last time before she collapsed from exhaustion. Darkness consumed her world once more.