Chapter 10
The wind stopped for a moment.
The world fell silent.
And within that silence—
a faint whisper echoed, a woman's voice, soft as a ghost from a forgotten past:
"...Sai... it's been a long time..."
Sai straightened, eyes widening, pupils trembling.
"...Rei...? is that you"
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the ruins and his pale face for a heartbeat—then darkness swallowed it all again.
The voice vanished with the light.
Rain poured harder.
The soldiers behind him shouted, but their voices seemed drowned by the roaring storm.
"Sai! Come on! Don't just stand there!"
Yet inside his head, the echo didn't fade.
That gentle—but terrifying—voice kept resonating through the storm and thunder:
"What you've seen... is only the beginning of the awakening."
Sai stared at the dark sky, where violet lightning pulsed like veins in the heavens—and for the first time since the Great War two months ago, he felt true fear.
They pressed forward through the storm.
Rain thickened, wrapping the world in a shroud of gray.
None of them noticed—the glowing red eyes watching from behind shattered ruins and twisted trees.
Silent... breathing slowly, like the night itself was holding its breath.
Sai's skin prickled. Every hair on his body stood on end.
Something was wrong.
The air reeked of blood—and something else. A whispering hunger.
"Sai, what exactly are we looking for out here?" asked one of the Indosvara soldiers, voice shaking.
Sai turned slowly.
"We're searching for any signs of monster activity. It's been too quiet lately—and that's exactly what makes it suspicious."
The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks.
Tension rippled through the group.
"Sai, are you insane?!" one shouted. "If monsters aren't showing up, that's a good thing! Why are we hunting for trouble? That's suicide!"
Their panic rose like waves in the thunderstorm.
Sai's eyes cut through the rain like cold steel.
His tone was calm—but unyielding.
"That's your duty. And listen well—nothing is more terrifying than thinking you're safe… and being wrong."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Then—
BLARRR!!!
A bolt of violet lightning split the sky in the distance.
The blinding flash lit up the forest and ruins for a heartbeat—then darkness fell again.
But in that darkness... something moved.
The ground trembled.
Rubble tumbled from the old stone walls.
Then came a deep, guttural roar that made their chests vibrate.
From the shadows emerged a towering figure—
a monster, massive and brutal, its body armored with metal-like spikes, eyes glowing blood-red.
Each step cracked the earth.
"SHIT! RUN!!!"
Panic exploded.
The Indosvara soldiers scattered like ants.
The ground quaked as the creature slammed its clawed hand down—BOOOOM!
Mud and blood sprayed into the storm.
Sai leaped aside, barely dodging—
but the beast's claw grazed his side.
Blood burst out. His body hit the mud hard and rolled.
"Arghh… damn it…" he groaned, clutching his wound.
The monster turned toward him, lips curling into a hideous grin.
Rows of jagged teeth gleamed like iron blades.
And then—it spoke.
"You humans... are so weak."
The voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the air itself.
Sai froze, disbelief filling his eyes.
"...You... can talk...?"
The creature tilted its head, eyes glinting.
"Hmm... your horse looks delicious."
It reached out casually, grabbed the horse beside him—CRACK!—and snapped it in half.
Blood splattered across Sai's face.
"Do you want to end up like that?"
Sai trembled. His breath came in gasps.
It wasn't just the monster's strength that crushed him—
but the hatred radiating from its sentient gaze.
It wasn't a beast. It hated like a man.
The monster lowered itself, its massive claws wrapping around Sai's body.
"Humans... all the same. Born to be erased."
Then—KRAKKK!
Bones shattered one by one.
Sai's scream pierced the night, cutting through thunder and rain.
His body collapsed limp in the creature's grasp, blood dripping from its claws.
The monster laughed, picked up Sai's sword, and turned away into the storm—
leaving behind a field of corpses and a silence too heavy for the world to bear.
---
Hours later, the rain began to ease.
At the Monster Hunter camp, the night hung thick with mist and the smell of wet earth.
Jake stood at the center of the training grounds, watching the recruits gather once more.
A massive bonfire flickered, casting trembling light across their weary faces.
"Everyone," Jake's voice rang out, strong and steady, "tonight's training will continue. There are three phases."
"First—maneuver and evasion drills."
"Second—striking a monster's weak points through live simulation."
"And third—testing magical potential, for those who possess it."
He raised his hand.
Magic flared from his palm.
From the ground, shapes rose—monsters forged from pure energy.
They moved fluidly, eyes glowing—but soulless.
"Survive as long as you can. The last one standing gets top marks."
Jake began the count.
"One… two… three—BEGIN!"
The simulacra lunged.
Chaos erupted in perfect rhythm.
The earth shook; shouts echoed through the arena.
Recruits darted, rolled, screamed, countered.
Jake's eyes tracked each one carefully.
"That's Evelyn," he thought. "Flawless movement. Swift, clean—untouchable."
Evelyn danced between monsters like a phantom—graceful yet deadly.
"Leon," Jake noted next. "Not strong, but clever. He's using the terrain well."
Leon dove, using a bag and broken branch as makeshift shields.
Fear marked his face—but his survival instinct was razor-sharp.
"And Ryu Celestia…" Jake's eyes narrowed. "He's not just defending. He's fighting back."
Ryu struck, kicked, parried. His breath came heavy.
Rage burned in his eyes—so intense that the magical beasts shattered beneath his fists.
"His resolve is fierce… but he's too driven by anger. Dangerous in the long run."
Jake's gaze shifted again.
"Asta… analyzing. Not fighting head-on. He's searching for openings—striking from the shadows."
"Kael and Elias… perfect coordination. Two souls moving as one."
"And over there—Ami. Lightning-fast. She moves through them untouched, eyes sharp—as if she sees every strike before it comes."
"Hana, Tajima, Hilda…" Jake smiled faintly. "They look clumsy, but their fear saves them. Sometimes panic moves faster than reason."
"And Yusuke… he fights like he's dancing. Every dodge in rhythm with death itself."
Jake scanned the entire arena.
"The rest… not ready yet."
At that moment, an Indosvara soldier rushed over, face pale.
"Commander Jake—sorry to interrupt."
Jake turned sharply. "What is it?"
"Sai and his unit… haven't returned. It's been over two hours. No signal. No trace of their energy."
Jake closed his eyes, trying to sense Sai's presence.
Nothing.
Only silence.
"...After this, I'll search for him myself," Jake murmured.
"Then let me go with you," said the soldier quietly.
Jake nodded once.
"Fine."
---
In the ruins of Indosvara's capital—
beneath the blackened sky—
the dead lay scattered across the ground.
The rain had stopped, leaving pools of blood among the broken stones.
Sai was still alive—barely.
His body shattered, his breath shallow.
His half-open eyes blurred everything into darkness.
From the shadows, slow footsteps approached.
A woman emerged—
cloaked in black, long dark hair falling over her shoulders, soft bangs across her forehead.
Her face was beautiful—angelic—
but her eyes were not human.
She knelt beside Sai, smiling faintly.
"You're still alive?"
"P...please... help me..." Sai whispered weakly.
Her smile widened.
"Ah… what a pity. Looks like the beast only crushed your body and left you to die slowly. How cruel…"
She laughed softly—
a sound so gentle it was almost sweet—
yet it echoed like a demon's lullaby.
"Wh... who are you…?"
She tilted her head, touched her chin, her gaze shimmering with cold beauty.
"My name… is Velista."
Her smile was perfect—beautiful, deadly.
"But I'm not as kind as I look, darling."
She grabbed a nearby soldier still barely alive—
and with slow, graceful cruelty, slit his throat before Sai's eyes.
Blood splattered across her hands.
Sai froze.
His breath caught.
His mind went blank.
"Pathetic creatures…" Velista whispered, chuckling softly.
Then her face shifted—sweetness gone.
Her smile died, her eyes emptying of light.
She seized Sai by the hair—
and smashed his head into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Again and again—until the mud turned red.
"Hahahahahaha…"
Velista's laughter echoed through the dead night.
Amid blood, rain, and corpses—
the world itself seemed to bow in terror before her.
To be continued...