Attakai was honestly disappointed. He wasn't exactly sure what he expected an adventurer's guild to look like- some sort of high fantasy castle with orcs and elves milling about, he guessed. However, a small bar with two drunken, naked dwarves locked in passionate intercourse, while being watched by a barmaid savagely fingering herself to the scene wasn't even a possibility he would have ever considered.
Damu marched proudly, head held high, chest puffed out as he swept briskly past the small, steamy couple, arriving at the front desk. Attakai however, lacked the mental power to walk past them, and decided to just stay back. He had to just tunnel vision on Damu and tune them out.
The barmaid up front practically trips over herself trying to hide the fact that she was just violently masturbating, meeting Damu at the counter.
"H-how can I help you s-sir?" She stammers, out of breath. Damu, turned on by this, responds equally nervously.
"Me and my associate here," He gestures to Attakai. "Would like to register with the guild!" She nods, reaching into a drawer to her right, taking out a yellow manila folder, and what looked to be a vacation brochure.
"In the brochure, you'll find a comprehensive overview of all the compensation and benefits provided by the guild." The woman explains, next pointing to the folder. "That's all just liability forms you have to sign, nothing you REALLY have to read…" Damu nods, opening the folder. Within, was a twenty page packet. A bead of sweat ran down his face.
Attakai gawked. He had guessed this job would be demanding, but seeing all of his worries reinforced on paper was a different story. Another thing that troubled him was the fact that he knew none of this would trouble Damu in the long run.
Fervently, Damu blew through the packet, signing his name at least seventy times, before gesturing for Attakai to do the same. Clenching his eyes shut, Attakai shuffles past the dwarves still locked in coitus, finally arriving at the front desk.
Attakai takes the packet from Damu's hands skimming through it. It was pretty much what he had expected, they couldn't be held accountable for injury or fatality of affiliated adventurers, all artifacts obtained through guild assigned missions must be run by a guild master before ownership can be passed onto the adventurer- a whole packet full of technicalities like that.
Attakai, figuring he's seen all be has to, takes a step back, rubbing his temples. Should he really be enabling Damu like this…? He thinks on this for a moment, and decides NOT joining Damu would be the worse decision. Attakai knew that not going along with Damu wouldn't shake the his resolve in the slightest. Without Attakai's guidance, Damu would get himself killed in no more than a week.
Attakai sighs, and begins signing.
—--
After filling out all twenty pages of the warranty, Attakai hands the folder back to the receptionist, who accepts it, putting it off to her left. "Now," She says, reaching into a drawer down near her feet, coming back up with four pistols. "You'll each be given two standard issue pistols. Of course, as you advance in the ranks, you'll have more opportunities to upgrade your load." The boys each take two of the firearms, fastening their holster belts around their waists, sheathing the weapons.
Attakai was still stunned that they had fucking guns in a fantasy world, but he saw no point in asking about it. "Now…" The lady says, turning around, rummaging through a cabinet that had been behind her. "Ah!" She exclaims, pulling out two ornaments, presenting them to the two. "These are your Adventurer's Stars." She says. They were small, barely the size of the woman's palm, and a shiny, bronze color, shaped like wreaths. Each of the boys take one, Damu immediately pinning his to his Hatsune Miku hoodie, as Attakai continues to examine his own, turning it over in his hands.
"These," She says, "Signify your rank in the guild. Right now, you're the lowest, bronze."
Damu's enthusiasm completely disappears.
The lady notices this, and scrambles to get on his good side again. "B-but if you're super strong and powerful, you'll be able to climb all the way up to Grandmaster in no time!" Exactly as it was intended to, this statement reinvigorates Damu, his bastard grin once again flying full mast.
"Well you should've LED with that, little lady!" Damu says, flaunting his firearms about. Unbeknownst to him, this was NOT in fact cool. "Warrior God Damu Burakku never falls short of extraordinary!"
Silence.
The lady stares back at the boy, not knowing how to feel. He was like a disabled blobfish. "A-anyway," She stammers, waving her hand at a board across the room. "That's the quest board. There should be six sheets posted up at all times, one for each rank, listing all available jobs for said ranks." She leans forward, adjusting her glasses. "Let's see…ah! Here's one on your level! A group of goblins seem to be causing trouble in the next town over. There seem to be about ten you need to take care of."
Attakai, curious, asks, "So- uh, we're kinda new here. Could you show us like, a picture of what we should be looking for?" The lady nods, ducking down to slide open another drawer. She rummages for a moment before popping back up, proudly extending a sheet of paper to Attakai. He takes it from her grasp, and is…disappointed. What was displayed before him was a sorry excuse for a goblin. It was more like a green blob. It was no larger than a human infant, its rough skin a sickening green, with warts riddling its body. Its limbs were far too stubby to do much beyond flail haphazardly, and its eyes were bloodshot like a drug addict. Damu, who had been peering over Attakai's shoulder, lets out a sigh.
"I suppose this will do." Damu says, sighing as Attakai hands back the sheet. The woman, sensing their discontent, scrambles to win them over again. "How about this!" She proclaims. "I'll up the pay from ten silver to thirty, just for you handsome boys!" Now, Attakai wasn't one to objectify women, even if just by word of mouth… but it would have just been if he said the elven girl WASN'T hot. Attakai knew she was very well aware of this, and the "handsome boys" comment was nothing more than a business ploy to make them more interested in the job. Damu, however, began masturbating on the spot.
The lady stares at Damu's awfully small penis for a good twenty seconds, drooling…before lunging over the counter, attempting to grab it. Attakai, thinking on his feet, takes Damu by the arm, carting him out of the building.
As they cross the threshold, Attakai can still hear her shrieks. "COME BACK!!!! PLEASE!!!" Attakai clenches his eyes and pretends he can't hear her.
—--
"So if this all adds up…" It had been about four hours since they had signed with the guild, and Attakai sat alone in the night, toiling away. They had NO money to speak of, so currently, they slept in an old dog house. It was stationed in the back in someone's yard, so this was technically trespassing, but there were literally no other options. Despite the conditions, Attakai is hard at work. They were promised thirty silver for defeating the goblins, but they had to know just how much that really was, value-wise. Attakai had guessed it was just about the same market value as a U.S dollar, but when cross-referencing how much the other jobs went for, (In ranks silver and up) he was pretty sure that they were just about equivalent to an English pound. So that job ALONE should give them enough money to at least purchase sufficient clothing, as well as some decent food. If they took a few jobs a day, assuming they were all of the same value and they continued to climb the ranks, by the end of the month…
"...we actually have a shot!" Attakai exclaims. Damu, his sleep disturbed, turns over, mumbling gibberish, before resuming his foul snoring. As much as he hated to admit it, Attakai was slowly, VERY slowly, warming up to Damu. By no means were they best friends, bu they were stuck in this together, so they might as well get used to each other.
—--
Attakai tightened the tassels on his hoodie, pulling the hood tighter around his face. It couldn't be later than six in the morning, Attakai thought, exhaling a steamy breath. He had insisted that they woke up early to get the job finished as soon as possible, giving them more time to manage their finances and take up more jobs. Damu was all for this, and was leagues more enthusiastic about this whole ordeal than Attakai. Currently, they both trekked a path toward the bordering village, where their quest would take place.
Damu kicked a rock, looking lazily about at the misty, morning scenery. He turns to Attakai, who at the moment, led their path forward with a map he had gotten from the guild.
"Are we there yet?" Damu drawls, complaining like a toddler. Attakai sighs. He really was like an overgrown child. Regardless, they couldn't be more than a hundred yards from the village.
"We're close." Attakai says. "You should probably warm up…or something." He really just wanted Damu to do anything BUT bug him.
Damu nods, grinning. "Good idea, sidekick!" He tips his fedora, before speed-drawing his pistol. This ALMOST looks cool, as he loses his grip during the wrist flick, launching the firearm into a tree. He screams, leaping onto the ground to retrieve it, analyzing it for any possible damage. Once he's satisfied, he exhales in relief, holstering the gun once more.
"Whew," He says, "That was a close one…"
Dumb bitch.
—--
They had long since crossed the state lines into the village, and now, side by side, the duo sat in front of an abandoned brothel. It looked like it had been burned to the ground- all that was left of it were the charred remains of the first floor. Though it was a relatively open space, there was still plenty of space to hide, and Attakai assumed the goblins were further in, as he could see rising smoke a few dozen feet away.
Damu's resolve was steadfast and unwavering, but Attakai found himself unsure. From the picture, there was no world in which these things could be a threat, but raw instinct to avoid combat drove him a little closer to the edge.
"Well," Damu booms, pulling out both of his pistols. "Let's not waste anymore time!" With that, the fatass charges in. Attakai takes a deep breath, before following close behind.
As they draw nearer, Attakai is able to gauge the whole scene. About ten goblins sat around a fire … roasting a live young girl over it, as she screams for help through a gag. Attakai almost stops dead in his tracks at the sight, but continues on through the ruins, slower now. Finally coming to a halt behind the remnants of a wall, he holds up a fist, letting out a low whistle. This catches Damu's attention as intended, and Attakai nods toward a downed pillar, signalling for him to hide behind it. Damu catches on, doing as Attakai had hoped, concealing himself.
Attakai was practically hyperventilating at this point. He could barely handle the horrific display before him, his mind screaming at him to run. His morals slowly began to evade him.
Maybe he could just go back.
Maybe he could just leave her there and find another job.
Maybe-
Attakai flinches, escaping his downward spiral as a pebble strikes him in the head. Damu had thrown it. His eyes were wide, eyebrows raised. Attakai could almost hear his voice.
"What's the plan?"
That's right. Attakai wasn't alone. Damu relied on him. Leaving his side like that was a coward's ploy. Attakai thought for a moment. If he could line up a shot, he could probably use the cover of the ruins to their advantage and catch the horde by surprise, picking one of them off, and creating a distraction for Damu to rescue the girl and then flank from behind.
Attkai thinks fast. He has to convey his plan without actually speaking, because that was a surefire way to attract the attention of the goblins. He meets Damu's eyes, and nods over at the goblins, pointing finger gun at the closest one. Damu nods, and Attakai continues. He points at Damu, and makes a horizontal arc with his arm, going around the main camp, and landing on the still roasting girl. Damu is confused for a second, until a wave of realization washes over him, and he nods again.
Attkai nods back, and holds up his hand, counting down from five.
The moment Attkai's final finger comes down, he reaches for his holster, drawing his pistol, aiming, and firing.
There's a sharp blast as the bullet flies from the barrel- before the goblin's heart explodes, blood spraying everywhere as it flops onto the ground.
Attakai…smiles.
This surprises even Attakai. It wasn't like he took pleasure in killing the creature, but he was pleasantly struck by the revelation that he could actually land a shot. Regardless, he still has to push forward. The other goblins had long since taken notice of him, and now awkwardly hobbled toward Attakai, slowly gaining speed until they were moving at freaktish speeds. Attakai exhales, and charges.
The first goblin leaps into the air, at least five feet off the ground. Attakai is quick to react, drawing his left pistol and firing. The same twisted euphoria washes over Attakai as the bullet blows the head off of the small creature, the rest of its body flopping back onto the ground.
Another.
At his feet.
Pivoting to the side, Attakai dodges the feeble tackle, kicking the assailing goblin into the air, before letting off a shot at the midair freak- landing it.
He was kind of good at this.
He dodges another three airborne goblins, grabbing the third jumper by the leg, and full-force launching at another, completely obliterating both of their weak bodies.
Again.
One had taken advantage of this opening, rushing at him from behind, fangs bared. It was still too slow. Spinning on his heel in a full 360 rotation, Attakai meets the beast with a spinning kick, before firing and landing a shot, bursting its stomach wide open.
In the corner of his eye, Attakai notices movement. He smiles. It was Damu. Hunched over behind a heap of rubble, Damu stood… with the girl. One thing was different about him though. His signature Miku hoodie was gone, and was draped over the girl.
So he CAN be a functional human being.
Resuming battle, Attakai assumes an open position, outstretching both of his arms, and letting fly a volley of shots. Shrieks and cries can be heard through the camp as another chunk of the small men are reduced to veritable swiss cheese. He was making good progress-
A warm sensation.
On the back of his neck.
And then a feeling like knives lodging into his nape.
Shit. He had let his guard down. One was one his back. If he fired at it, he would only end up hitting himself too, and if he tried to rip it off barehanded, a chunk of his neck would come with it.
Fuck. He was losing blood fast…
Wait.
It stopped.
Attakai fell to the ground, aside the dead goblin with tatters of his flesh in its mouth, along with a shocking amount of blood.
This means…
No way.
Standing triumphantly above Attakai, smoking pistol at his side, was Damu Burakku. Attakai smiles. "Took you long enough man." Damu laughs, and for once, Attakai didn't mind.
—--
The walk back was somehow less painful than the previous had been. Despite his grievous neck wounds, Attakai was quite content with his current standing. The girl had thanked them profusely, and Damu had done his best to seem heroic. Attakai was expecting a much weirder dynamic between the two, given his disposition toward lolis, but maybe- just maybe…he had changed?
According to the lady at the counter the morning they had left, once they had retrieved the girl, they were to bring her back to the guild. Reason one being so that the guild could confirm they had completed the mission, and reason two was so the guildmaster could look over her until her real parents were found. Attakai was sure that would be quite the ordeal, given that the girl had NOT stopped bugging him. She was obsessed.
"Mister!" Juliet (she had formally introduced herself once Attakai had regained consciousness) called, tugging on Attakai's sleeve. Attakai frowns, sighing. "Yes?"
"If I ask super nice, can you teach me how to use your kill kill gun?" She asks, eyes full of wonder.
This was the thirteenth time she had asked him that. Word for word. Attakai's face slackens. "Now, now," He scolds. "Little kids shouldn't be handling such dangerous weapons- you know this, Juliet." The girl pouts, crossing her arms. "Whatever…"
They had just crossed the main gates to the village, and the guild was just within eyeshot. Attakai smiles. They could really do this, couldn't they?
—--
The warm, midday light bathes the boys in light as they wave back at Juliet from the base of the hill. At the crest, she stood in the doorway of the guild, waving back, the guild receptionist at her side, smiling. Damu blows her a kiss, but the girl seems completely uninterested and almost vomits, turning around back into the Guild with Juliet. With that, Damu and Attakai turn and head back toward town. They had completed their first mission.
Taking the small, brown pouch from his pocket, Attakai dumps the fruits of their labor into his hands. Thirty silver coins. It wasn't much, but if they kept progressing, they could really make it somewhere. Attakai had relayed his plan to Damu, conserve their money and use it wisely. In spite of Damu's disposition toward responsibility, he had actually taken kindly to the idea, and fully endorsed it. He really was improving as a person.
Damu kicks a rock, mind deep in thought. "You know," He says. "From that performance you gave back there, you have the makings of a real warrior, Attakai." Attakai wanted so badly to cringe, but he felt oddly prideful about the compliment. He grins. "Don't think I'll let your heroism go unrecognized." Attakai says. "I wasn't expecting you to pull through like that- no offense of course." Damu chuckles. "Don't you go buttering makeup like that when your neck almost got shredded to bits. The fact that you're still here is a wonder." Attakai nods. He really WAS in grave danger back there. "If there had been a second you, maybe we could've been saved the trouble of dealing with that, eh?" Attakai jokes.
Damu stops. "Hold on…"
Attakai cocks his head to the side. "Yeah…?"
"ANOTHER ME!" Damu seems to have a spiritual awakening, as he grabs Attakai by the collar of his shirt.
"Ow."
"THAT'S IT, ATTAKAI!" He exclaims, setting Attakai down. "We'll build our own adventuring party! We'll have a mage, a cool rogue- maybe even a cool guy with a shit ton of guns!" Attakai smiles awkwardly. "You have an awful lot of hope, don't you?" Damu gestures out to the village before them, grinning. "Attakai, you don't seem to get this, but we've been given a second shot at life! We can do whatever we want, dude! This is the only place we can truly be free, so why not shoot for the stars?"
This was…the deepest thing Attakai had ever heard Damu say. Attakai smiles a genuine smile, and holds his hand out. "I'm with you all the way!"
Damu grins as they execute the cleanest dap this world will ever see. "Alright!"
—--
F I V E M O N T H S L A T E R
"KAI!!!"
Snorting, Attakai snaps awake, jerking haphazardly as he falls out of bed. He rubs the back of his head, sighing. "Three exclamation points…?" He rises to his feet, stretching as the knocking at his room door continues. "In a minute!" He calls. An exasperated sigh seeps through the air. "We don't have time for 'in a minute'! We leave in fifteen minutes, and we still need to get to the guild."
"Oh shit."
Newly invigorated, Attakai scrambles to get dressed, fumbling over dirtied clothes as he throws himself across the room. It was newly fall, so he'd want something warm…maybe that scarf Bella had given him! He smiles warmly at the thought, and rummages around for a moment, before finally resurfacing with the scarf. He fastens it around his neck, and with his outfit now finished, Attakai opens the door.
Attakai's heart skips a beat as he steps outside. Waiting patiently just in front of him, was Belladonna. She was beautiful to say the least. She had short blonde hair, standing at a petite 5'8, her features soft, and her bright green eyes shining with beauty. She wore simple rogue-like armor, loosely plated, as she didn't really fight on the frontline, a bow and satchel of arrows slung over her shoulder.
"Ah!" She says, smiling. "There you are!" Attakai smiles back. "Good morning, Bella."
—--
In the five months that Attakai and Damu had been in the adventuring field, they had achieved exactly what Damu had hoped. They had built a party from the ground up.
In a span of a few weeks, taking about four jobs a day, the duo worked their way up to gold tier, and were just about making steady income. The main problem was, they only made this steady income because of the frequency of jobs, not because of rank.
Damu was growing erratic because they hadn't gotten any jobs above C rank, and pushed further for party expansion, so Attakai endorsed him as much as he could.
With their combined willpower, they pulled through, and they now boast a party of six. Attakai and Damu obviously, alongside six others. Belladonna, a sniper, Jonathan, a mage, Kor, a brute force tank, and Frederick, an old man with scoliosis. They were a little desperate toward the end.
As they expanded in member count, they expanded their power and efficiency, and were able to purchase a shared estate, increasing their income MASSIVELY. After not even a month of collaboration…their team collectively functioned at platinum level.
Attakai was still shocked that Damu's pipe dream had reached actuality.
And so perfectly at that.
—--
Reaching the bottom of the spiral staircase, Belladonna and Attakai are met by the rest of the party. Damu is the first to greet them. In the last five months, he had made a lot of physical improvement. His gut was now completely gone, replaced by actual abs, his Hatsune Miku hoodie had since been tossed aside as he no longer found it appealing, (and the stench of semen wouldn't come out) and most shocking of all…he had practiced, and become rather skilled with the blade. Attakai had stuck with pistols, as he found them easier to manage, but Damu was adamant on being an anime character, and toiled away for months learning the art of the sword.
"Better late than never, huh Kai?" Damu taunts, smiling. Attakai waves him off, yawning and walking past. "Whatever man…" Kor chuckles deeply, his heavy armor clanking as his form bounced up and down. "Now, let's not get into an argument just yet." He was freakishly strong, with almost cartoonish proportions. In the scariest way possible. A menacing scar ran down his left eye, his face chiseled like a statue. He was at LEAST seven feet tall, and was a meatball of pure muscle, lined in black, kevlar military armor.
"Shut the fuck up, Kor." Jonathan sneers, glaring. He was a spindly man, about six feet tall, but couldn't weigh more than a hundred pounds. In his left hand was a large, twisted staff- a casting conduit for Kai, an odd magic Attakai had yet to understand. Despite his rude and crass comments, Jonathan was VERY refined. He moved with elegance, always suited and adorned as well.
Kor glares back at Jonathan, but says nothing, turning the other way, beginning to head out the door.
Frederick, sensing hostility, speaks up. "Maybe-"
"Kill yourself." They all say in unison.
—--
"Welcome in!" The receptionist calls as the party steps into the guild. As far as Attakai knew, she had since given up her addiction to masturbation, so he had recently warmed up to the place as a whole. Attakai and Damu wave, stepping up to the front desk. "What's the word, pretty lady?" Damu jeers. The lady's face reddens. "U-uh well…" She peers over his shoulder for a moment, before reeling back sheepishly. "What is it?" Attakai asks, turning around to look at the quest board as she just had. After a moment, his face also grows disappointed. "Damu," Attakai says, turning to his partner. "There's only C rank missions left in platinum right now."
Damu is stunned for a moment. "Well uh…" He scratches the back of his head. "We'll take what we can get I guess! Mark us down for the highest paying one, desk girl!" She nods fervently, and does as she's told. "This one shouldn't be too hard!" She says. "Apparently a pest or something called a 'Schgloth' has been causing a bit of annoyance in Gyōsa, a trade town to the west." Attakai and Damu exchange confused looks. Neither of them have heard of a "Schgloth" before. The woman takes note of this, reassuring them. "They think it's just a bug or something- like a locust infestation. Shouldn't be too hard to take care of."
Damu nods, turning back to the rest of the party. "Alright then! Let's head out!"
—--
Attakai finally lifts his gaze from the map, eyes heavy. He really was tired. So tired that he didn't notice Belladonna meeting his eyes the second he lowered the map. That is, until he DID notice, and nearly fell over, Belladonna catching him as he trips, caught off guard. Attakai smiles awkwardly as she begins laughing that same laugh again. The one that warmed his heart.
Up ahead, leading the pack, Damu and Kor call back. "We close yet?" Attakai, practically wrestling Belladonna who was now fixated on annoying him as MUCH as possible, manages to get another peek at the map. "Yeah," he says. "We should be getting there soon. A minute give or take."
Jonathan frowns, poking Damu with his staff. "Hey, sir." Jonathan insisted on using honorifics... For some reason, and also oddly idolized Damu. They had found him in a bar, performing cheap tricks for money. When Damu was enthralled by his tricks, he invited Jonathan to the party. It was something about the passion behind his eyes that made Jonathan want to follow him, just natural charisma he guessed.
"Yes, Jonathan?" Damu responds. "Got any food…?" Jonathan asks, timid. Damu rubs his forehead. "Does it look like I have fucking food man?"
"No, sir…"
"Hey-" Frederick chimes in.
"Not the fucking time, Frederick." Jonathan says, dilapidated.
"Both of you shut it." Damu says. "We're here." Attakai's face twists in confusion. Usually Damu would be overflowing with excitement right about now.
But he was oddly grim as he spoke.
Attakai, managing to peel Belladonna off of him for a second, peers past Damu. His face drops.
The town was in ruin.
By then the entire party had noticed, and all had fallen silent. Damu, taking initiative, prompts them back into formation, and continues forward.
"Don't wait up too long. We have a job to do."
Attakai nods, following close behind. As they proceeded further and further into the village, the scene became more and more conspicuous. There was no trace of anything human, every structure they passed was reduced to rubble…how had things escalated this quickly? Whatever this blight was had eradicated the village in what had to be mere hours if word had still somehow gotten out to the guild.
Clutching Attakai's arm tightly, Belladonna stammers. "What happened here…?" Attakai shakes his head. "I have no clue Bella. No clue…"
Suddenly, Damu and Kor go still.
Holding up his first, Damu signals for those behind to stop. The rest of the group does as is expected, and halts in their tracks.
Up ahead, Damu was shaking.
He was…scared?
That beast of a man, Kor, was as well. What could possibly be up ahead…? Taking a step to the left, Attakai, vision now unobstructed by Kor's massive figure, gets a gauge of what they were dealing with.
His face goes pale.
In the center of the city square, just standing there, is a tall, lanky creature. It's hunched over, with slimy, white skin, and a bulging, sac-like stomach.
It doesn't have a face.
"What the fuck…" Attakai murmurs.
As far as they knew, it was the ONLY life within village territory.
"Kor." Damu whispers. Kor nods, grunting in acknowledgement. "On the count of five, you charge. Bella?"
She was still frozen.
He raises his tone. "BELLA." With a jolt, she's brought back to reality. "Y-yes?"
"I want you to provide cover fire, okay?"
No response.
"OKAY?"
"Y-yes!"
"Good. Now, Kor. Get ready." Kor nods, sweat pouring down his face.
"Alright. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!"
On the count of the latter, Kor rushes forward, unholstered his two shotguns, yelling wildly as he charges toward the creature.
Its head snaps toward Kor.
He stops dead still.
This wasn't an ability of the creature. Kor was terrified.
"KOR!" Damu yells. "MOVE GOD DAMN IT-"
At breakneck speeds, the creature sprints forward, leaping into the air, before coming down upon Kor, pinning him to the ground. It let's out a sickening scream, and Belladonna falls to her knees, crying.
Damu begins panicking, and follows after Kor, unsheathing his sword."FIGHT BACK, KOR!!"
Kor's mind, however, does not register this warning. He's panicking, kicking and screaming. But powerless against the creature. Slowly, its face begins to open, a terrifying, fleshy cavity, lined with an amalgamation of rotting teeth unfurling deeper from its throat, saliva dripping onto Kor's face. He begins crying, tears streaming from his eyes.
"HELP-"
In the blink of an eye, Kor's face is engulfed, his body still convulsing. There's a sickening crunch…and then he goes still.
The creature isn't done yet, though.
Grabbing Kor by his sides, the creature shovels him deeper and deeper down its throat, and eventually into its stomach, its flesh flexing and contorting to fit his size. This until Kor is fully stuffed into the creature's sac-like stomach.
At this point, Damu has completely stopped. Frozen where he stood. Jonathan is the only one still alert, and begins barking orders. "Damu! On your feet! I'll turn his attention my way, then you use the opening to-"
They had all averted their attention.
A fatal mistake for Jonathan.
The second the beast came upon him, he began shrieking in terror. It had him by the leg. Jonathan attempted to simply run away. Overpower its grip.
That would not work.
With Jonathan's opposite force acting upon the creature's death grip, his core gravity was thrown off, and he fell to the ground. It was then that he began sobbing.
This time, the creature went slower. Ever so lazily shoving the man down his tract, it's jaws goring through his flesh. There was nothing he could do. Jonathan's screams grew louder-
A loud "crack".
The creature had taken its left hand and slammed Jonathan's head into the ground.
Cracking his skull open.
It was only seconds before nothing but a bloodstain remained of Jonathan.
Attakai slowly turns his head to Belladonna. So far, it had only attacked those who made noise or moved. If they could stall it out…
"Bella. Don't move. Don't talk."
Belladonna ever so slightly nods, covering her mouth, slowly curling into a ball.
The creature was still.
A pang of relief strikes Attakai's heart…
It had her.
It had just hobbled over on all fours, and taken her by the ankle. Belladonna began screaming.
What the fuck was he thinking.
This thing wasn't some bumbling goblin. It was smart. It was messing with them.
Belladonna continued kicking and screaming, as the creature grabbed her thigh, and began pushing. Pulling from the ankle and pushing from the knee…until it had ripped off her entire lower left leg. A terrifying, gutteral screech left the creatures maw as it played with the dismembered limb.
It was happy.
Like a dog.
Belladonna continues crying, crawling her way toward Attakai, clawing at him. She pleas for his help with her labored, gasping shrieks.
But he's frozen.
Powerless in the situation.
"PLEASE!!" She cries. "I'M BEGGING YOU-"
Her call for help is interrupted as blood sprays from her mouth, her screams becoming unintelligible.
The creature's claw duh into her back. Just like Jonathan, it pulled her slowly back toward itself. Like a toy.
Again, it stabbed its claw into her open back wound. She screams in pain, squirming to escape.
All in vain.
The creature laughs again. It's sick, horrifying laugh. It stabs her again. Again and again and again.
Until all life is gone from her eyes.
When she stops screaming, the creature grows bored.
And it casts her aside.
Its head jerks toward Attakai.
He was next.
He begins hyperventilating. He didn't know what to do. He was frozen in fear-
"Bankai: Damu Burakku Special!"
The creature lurches forward, flopping onto the ground beside Attakai, which prompts the boy to immediately scramble away. Standing above the creature, sword shaking in fear, was Damu Burakku.
He was NOT smiling this time.
The creature slowly, shakily rises, blood dripping from its back, sourced from a DEEP gash left by Damu.
Wait.
This thing wasn't invulnerable or anything. If Kor had just shot it…
If HE had just shot it…
It was his fault. Attakai falls to his knees, screaming as he weeps.
He was useless.
The creature lunges forward toward Damu, swiping its sharp, serrated claws at his abdomen. His face flushes a ghastly white, and doing his best to react, Damu swings his sword upright vertically, attempting to parry the strike.
Attempting to.
His efforts bore no fruit as his intestines spilled out onto the ground.
Damu stares in disbelief.
As does Attakai.
There's a moment of silence…before Damu speaks.
"You said you'd be with me all the way, right?" He says, smiling as blood trickles from the corners of his mouth. "Well it's all you from now on, Kai."
Damu drops to the ground. Unmoving. The creature slaps his back a few times, expecting a response. None comes. It moves on.
To the only one left-
There's a bang- before the creature reels back in pain.
One to the lungs.
It fell on its side, screeching in pain-
Another bang.
One to the skull.
The creature goes still.
Another.
Another.
Another.
Attakai doesn't stop until both of his clips are empty.
Then, he uses his fists.