CHAPTER 2: TAKING A TOUR IN THE BIG CITY.
Alaister's eyes widened in shock.
The ghoul's skin was slimy black, with elongated limbs that appeared more like those of a spider. Its body was thin and malnourished, having hundreds, if not thousands, of yellow-tainted, serrated teeth, some even piercing out of its face just to have room. Its eye sockets were all crimson and veined.
From the essence and the rotten scent that the creature produced, Alaister was certain...
TIER 1: GHOUL. RANK: HIGH.
Alaister swallowed, his face cringing on instinct. There was a silence, the evacuating civilians were frozen in horror. No one dared to take a breath let alone a shriek. Maybe, they thought, if we don't move, it won't see us...but they couldn't be more delusional.
Like a predator, it moved slowly and viciously, its mouth oozing saliva with each step it made closer to its prey. Alaister's muscles flexed in readiness for the inevitable clash.
He turned his head to the civilians."FUCKING!!! RUN!!!"
His voice was like a wake-up call. In that moment, everyone let out a desperate cry and began bolting to the exit. The ghoul screamed in response to its running prey, lunging toward Alaister with murderous intensity.
Alaister spun on his toes and struck its face with his sheathed katana. The blow sent the ghoul crashing into the wall.
He glanced at the civilians; each of them, desperately squeezing through the narrow gap in the doors. Some tragically lost their lives in the stampede.
It wasn't pretty, the exit door wasn't more than 80 meters wide, a small space for such a massive crowd, but it was better than all of them being mangled by ghouls. Alaister was certain that he was going to be facing ordinary ghouls; after all, he'd been informed that the rift was a low-tier one. Knowing that, he hadn't felt a need to evacuate anyone. But after seeing this one...the only way anyone was going to survive this, was if they escaped, no matter the cost.
The ghoul pushed out of the crater it made.
Alaister's jaw tightened.' You're tough.'
The creature grinned, then it lunged. Alaister changed his handle on the scabbard and raised the weapon, ready to crush the ghoul.
To his shock, it dodged. Grabbed his leg and tossed him to the wall.
Without hesitation, it turns its attention to the screaming civilians and rushes to its meal. The sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh echoed in the room within a matter of seconds. One after another, there was a shriek of pain before another torn corpse fell to the ground. Blood sprayed all over the ghoul like delightful rain.
Alaister quickly recovered. In one jump, he closed the distance, delivering a kick that sent the ghoul crashing into another wall on the left. He didn't let up and rushed in with another blow.
The ghoul dodged to the side. Alaister thrust his weapon forward, causing the katana to slide out and smash into the ghoul's face. The monster fell on its back before it quickly twisted itself back up.
It glared at him with blood-stained teeth. Alaister's hair was a mess, his hood already showing tears. His heartbeats were even, but his mind was already racing with thoughts.
Slowly, the ghoul's limbs began to crawl on the side. Alaister followed it up the railing and back to the dance floor. It stood near the entrance it originally came from, as Alaister stood close to the railing where civilians were still escaping through the exit.
A moment later, the 4 ghouls that hadn't been present, finally made their stand. All five, vicious and enraged began to spread out, their crimson glares fixed on the hunter before them.
"Nilli, you there?" Alaister spoke in a low voice.
"I am." She responded." I've been using the club's camera feed... seems the battle is turning into a real shake-up."
Alaister's eyes moved from one ghoul to another." We'll talk about this later. For now, I need you to lock the exit."
"On it."
In a matter of seconds, the exit doors began to close off, with the remaining five people escaping through the gap. Leaving 45 still locked inside.
"What the hell! We're still in here!"
"Help! Please! I don't want to die here!"
In panic, they tried to force the door open, scream for help, but it was too late, their exit was cut off.
Alaister wasn't psychotic. Much as he'd want to let the rest escape, he couldn't. The larger number wasn't that far off, and with the rest of the ghouls finally joining the battle, there was no way he could hold all of them without risking some escaping and hunting down the rest of the humans. It was a hard call, but like Nilli said; He knew his job.
"The rest of you listen up!" He shouted." I'm going to create an opening! When I do, everyone makes a run for the main entrance!"
This was the best he could do for them now.
'And here I was thinking I was gonna get home early today.' He thought.
The ghoul from earlier stepped up and screeched at the top of its voice, prompting the rest to do the same. Alaister smirked, he switched his grip on the weapon and tossed it like a javelin. With a loud bone-breaking sound, the sheathed katana tore into the ghoul's body and ruptured its heart.
Killing it on the spot. One down.
"Run!"
All the ghouls rushed towards the humans. Alaiter attacked the closest one in a blur of speed, punching it into the wall. The people ran past. He grabbed the limb of the one he'd pinned and hurled it to another ghoul. They crushed and tangled.
Instantly, one of the two ghouls standing skewered two people with its limbs. Alaister speed blitzed, grabbed the ghoul's face and crushed its head into the ground. The floor tore up apart in a network of cracks. Before he could deal the final blow, his instincts spiked.
Alaister flexed his fingers, causing the katana to materialise in his palm with a bright flash of red lightning. Suddenly, the other ghoul from the two, pounced on Alaister, sending them both crashing into the bar. He was drenched in alcohol and sprinkled with glass shards. Alaister had stopped its teeth from tearing him apart with the scabbard of the katana. It bit hard on the sheathe it forcing its face closer to him.
Alaister gritted his teeth. With two limbs holding down his legs and the other two pressing down on his katana, he was basically pinned down. The pain in his muscles intensified, threatening to give up on the resistance.
'God, don't these things at least own mouth wash.'
From the corner of his eye, he could see the other ghouls cutting down one human after another. They were down 6 people.
'Oh fuck it. You're the one who didn't want to play nice.'
Alaister slid his hand to the handle of the katana, and with a short struggle...he unsheathed it. An explosion of black smoke instantly covered half of the room.
Another ghoul down.
Alaister bolted out of the smoke and tackled one of the ghouls to the wall. Blood gushed from its mouth, but before it could twitch. Alaister thrust his hand into its ribcage and tore out its heart. The ghoul dropped lifeless. He turned to the remaining two and approached in cold silence. Unlike before, where the ghouls had unwavering confidence, now, it was nothing but uncertainty as they watched a hunter hold their comrade's beating heart.
The closer he got, the more they backed up. Alaister stopped in front of the remaining six humans. His usual smirk and cheery mood, completely faded as he gave a calculating glare to the remaining two monsters. Alaister flexed his fingers, and his resheathed katana appeared.
The ghouls crawled slowly toward the entrance, it had become all too clear that this wasn't a fight they could win anymore.
Alaister flicked the guard, causing just inches of the grind ridge to show. Just then, a slash tore across one of their eyes. The ghoul shrieked and began jumping around in pain. The other one immediately took to the door and disappeared through the corridor. In pain, the other ghoul followed.
Allaister tapped his earpiece."Nilli. Two ghouls went into the city. Send a distress signal to nearby police and shut down all the roads leading to the central."
"Already on it." She responded.
Alaister turned to look at the survivors." Send medical team for six—"
A woman nearby, with her chest having been ripped open, gasped for a couple of seconds. Before she ultimately went limb. Eyes staring into the nothingness.
"Correction, five."
"They'll be there in ten minutes," Nilli confirmed.
"You five, follow me," Alaister said. Walking to the doors.
He threw a side the ghoul's heart.
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The night was cold and starless, the moon dangling alone in the never-ending sky. Some parts of Constan City were illuminated radiantly, while some had long since gone dark from the monster attacks. Traffic lights leading to the central area were all flashing red, backing up hundreds of cars into traffic.
Some drivers stood out of their cars impatiently, while others sat inside, sceptical that this was just any other traffic light malfunction.
Some of the people leaning by their cars:
"What is this shit? I'm supposed to be getting home to my wife, now I have to deal with this." Said a man dressed in a navy blue suit, leaning against a Nissan.
"Tell me about it, I thought the government said that this wasn't going to happen again." Complained a man with a robust stomach, standing by a truck.
"Welcome to America, where a politician's words are as worthless as life insurance." Chimed another woman nearby.
People had every right to be angry. It was already midnight, most were clocking out after long shifts, while others were going on to scheduled meetings. But all that meant nothing, if they didn't live long enough to see the night through.
Suddenly. A ghoul crushed down on the parked Nissan, instantly throwing aside the man in the suit. Screams followed after, with looks of terror. In a matter of moments, people began to run away from their vehicles. The ghoul screamed and continued its dash. It ignored all the civilians in the busy streets, almost as though they were more of a distraction than a meal. Because at that moment, hunger wasn't on its mind...but fear.
It got to a junction. But before it could make another leap, a black katana struck the tarmac. The ghoul flinched a second after, when Alaister landed on top of the weapon.
Their eyes locked. Alaister looked down on the creature, his face stern with his hands held at the back. The ghoul, fearful, slowly lowered its head under the weight of his gaze. A smirk crept on Alaister's lips as he turned to face the surroundings.
Buildings both tall and short, covered in glass and others not, some brilliantly lit by billboards while others weren't. Several people had begun to gather around the junction in curiosity, phones in their hands as they couldn't miss capturing the moment.
"I like cities, there's a way they just know how to make the night seem more colourful, you know." He turned his gaze back to the ghoul." But when creatures like you come in and ruin that...I can't help but get angry. And trust me, you never want to make me angry."
The ghoul shivered at his words. Alaister stepped off the katana and approached the kneeling creature.
"Look at me."
It didn't understand the human language, but instinctively, it knew what he wanted. Raising its gaze to meet his, the creature's heart couldn't help but thud rapidly as its eye sockets widened. His eyes were beautiful, so white, you'd think they were made from the moon's very radiance.
A shame, that those eyes were the last it was going to see. In one swift movement of his fingers, its head came rolling off.
Alaister raised his head." Then, there was one."
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The last ghoul had covered a good distance from the club, certain that it had gotten away from the white haired hunter, it decided to pick up where it left off. Inside a ramshackled parking building that had been abandoned after a monster attack, a bunch of teenagers were inside.
A hellcat pumped music into the gloomy space, with the headlights giving just enough illumination for them to see where the crates of beer were.
"Man, this spot was definitely a good idea to hang out." Said one drunk guy." How did you even find it?"
"My brother and I usually take a shot at some cans here. So I'm kinda like a usual resident." Answered another.
"But are we really supposed to be here? What if the cops show up, or those guys from the Hunters Association?" Asked another drankee.
"Why do you always have to be a bitch, live a little, coward.? One of the girls in the group mocked.
"She's right. Fuck all that authority nonsense." The other girl supported.
"You guys, cut him some slack." One of them placed their beer bottle down." I'm going to take a piss." He walked off.
He went further and further away from the car, aiming to find where he could do his business privately. Spotting nearby debris, he walked over and began to ease himself.
Just then, a breeze brushed past him.
He shivered." Damn, it's cold."
Once he was done, he zipped up and turned...only for his eyes to be met by a true terror.
"AAHHH!!!!!"
The other teens turned in alert.
"What was that?"
"Guys, I think we should leave."
The sound of tearing flesh and crunching bones could be heard in the distance. The teens were frozen, torn between running away or staying, seeing this as some kind of joke by their friend. But they were wrong; the alcohol had clouded their judgment, because after such a shriek, the rational thing was to get as far away as possible.
One of them went to the car, picked up a torch and came back to flash the light where the sound was coming from.
"What is that?"
Their vision was hazy, simply making out a dark silhouette with a figure almost similar to a man...
The ghoul snapped its head toward the teenagers, revealing its ugly scarred face. With blood and intestines caught within its assembly of teeth, it grinned.
"It's a Rifter!!"
Screams broke out as they scrambled into the car.
The ghoul didn't hesitate to close the distance, there was no way it was going to let a free meal pass like this.
The guy seated behind the wheel turned the ignition key over and over again, but to no avail.
The car battery was dead.
With great force, the ghoul came crushing into the side of the car, shattering the windows and almost completely toppling it over. It fell back down. The ghoul scratched and bit through the metal of the vehicle as though it were paper. The teens exclaimed at the top of their lungs in desperation. And as the ghoul only got closer to tearing them apart, there seemed to be no hope for them.
Until, the slash across the ghoul's face began to burn. The creature screeched in pain. Back and forth, left and right, it swung its body in agony.
"I leave you for less than thirty minutes and you've already killed someone else. You creatures never learn." Said Alaister.
He landed on top of the car, hands at the back, his coat waving with the wind and his expression stern. He watched as the creature screamed in torment.
"You would have made it easier on yourself if you'd just died in the club. But, I guess even that was a tall order." Alaister paused." But my real question is..."
He stepped off of the car and walked up to the ghoul.
"What exactly are you? Your essence, your repulsive scent, everything about you is foreign to me, why?"
The ghoul continued to hold its face in pain as it screamed into the night.
Alaister sighed." No matter. You aren't the right rifter to be asking this anyway. So you can die."
Before another sound could twist out of the creature, it's head came falling clean off.
'Finally, it's over.'
He tapped the earpiece." Hunter Alaister reporting in, all the ghouls have been subjugated successfully."
"Then we can mark this as a mission accomplished. Good work Alaister." Nilli responded." Your dismissed for the night."
Alaister took off his ear piece and shoved it in his pocket. But just as he was about to leave, something caught his attention. There, where the ghoul's corpse was decomposing, a sigil began to burn itself onto the concrete floor. The symbol was unclear at first, then slowly, it became more defined, then turning into a violet color.
Alaister's gaze was glued on it for a whole minute, the world around him almost completely fading as he stared intently.
Then, a devilish smirk cut across his lips.
"Well now, isn't that interesting?"