The slam of a giant fist cracked the air.
One of the towering werewolf warriors roared as he hurled a brutal punch straight at Joshua's face. But Joshua didn't move. His hand shot up and caught the punch with a single palm. The blow that could've leveled stone didn't even shift his footing but the sheer force shredded his hood, revealing his wild black hair and the noble black wolf ears.
The giants froze.
"You... you're a noble," the first one stammered, his bravado draining instantly as sweat beaded down his face. "I-I didn't know. Forgive me."
He tried to retract his fist, but Joshua didn't let go.
Instead, Joshua's grip tightened.
A sickening crunch echoed through the slums as the werewolf's hand was crushed like fruit in a vice. Blood splattered, bones snapped. The warrior collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony.
"My hand! Aaaahhh!"
The second giant werewolf immediately dropped to his knees, hands raised. "Please! He's learned his lesson! Let us go, noble one!"
But Joshua was already leaning down, eyes gleaming with a monstrous green light. His teeth, elongated, jagged, gleamed under the sun.
"I am going to kill you..." he growled, his voice inhuman. "And eat you."
Steam hissed from his mouth.
With a horrifying snarl, Joshua lunged and bit deep into the first giant's neck. Blood burst into the air as he tore flesh from bone. The werewolf shrieked, flailing helplessly as Joshua devoured him like a starving predator.
"HE'S EATING ME!" the werewolf howled, his voice broken by pain and horror.
The second giant struck Joshua again and again, fists pounding into him with desperate force but Joshua didn't even flinch. He kept eating. Tearing, ripping, chewing.
Then silence.
The first giant's body hung limp in Joshua's grip, barely a husk of what it once was. Blood soaked the dirt. Bits of bone and organs lay scattered across the slums.
The second giant backed away in terror, eyes wide as he beheld the carnage. "You... you monster…"
Joshua turned toward him slowly. His glowing eyes narrowed. His smile widened.
"Hahahahaha... I knew it." He stood, blood dripping from his face. "He tasted disgusting."
Then his voice turned into a scream of rage.
"I WILL EXTERMINATE ALL WEREWOLVES!"
The second giant fled in terror but Joshua was faster. With a single leap, he landed on the beast's back and slammed him to the ground.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, BASTARD?" Joshua roared with maniacal glee. "YOU STILL HAVE TO REPENT FOR YOUR SINS!"
He dug in. The second giant howled. Another brutal, bloody feast began.
By the end, only bones remained.
Residents of the slums screamed and scattered, fleeing in every direction. Some cried out in horror, others called him a demon, a monster, a beast from hell.
Joshua stood alone in the blood-soaked alley, grinning at the sky with his arms raised high.
"Hahahahaha! I am your savior! Your hero! You should be THANKING ME!"
He laughed for hours. Loud, echoing, deranged.
Eventually, the haze faded.
He stood in the silence of the massacre, staring down at the carnage. Guts and flesh soaked his clothes. Blood covered his hands, face, and chest. He blinked and in the shadows of a shack, he saw a small werewolf child watching him.
The child turned and fled in terror.
Joshua staggered, dazed.
He looked down at himself, felt the blood on his lips, his teeth still coated in meat. Then nausea struck.
He fell to his knees and vomited violently, coughing up gore and bile. It felt like an hour before he stopped.
When he finally rose, he made his way back to the noble house of Kaizer, each step heavy with dread.
Inside his room, Tiffany was tidying up, humming softly. She turned as he entered and gasped.
"Joshua! Are you alright? Are you hurt? There's blood all over you!"
He looked at her with hollow eyes. "It's not my blood."
Tiffany paused, concerned. "Let me get you some fresh clothes."
She hurried out. Joshua removed his bloodstained garments, letting them fall to the floor. Naked and trembling, he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
What have I done?
Am I... really a monster?
Pain stabbed through his skull, forcing a groan from his lips. He gripped his head, staggering.
Tiffany returned and immediately blushed upon seeing him. Her eyes dropped before she quickly turned away.
"You could've put on a towel at least!" she giggled, flustered.
Joshua blushed too, quickly covering himself. "Just, give me the clothes. And turn around."
Tiffany tossed the clothes over her shoulder and turned away, still laughing.
"I already saw everything anyway," she teased.
As Joshua dressed, face red with embarrassment, Tiffany sat beside him on the bed. "Don't worry. About what happened... or what I saw. I'll keep it all a secret." She leaned close, voice soft and sultry. "Even little Joshua, who's hiding right now."
He turned red as a tomato.
Suddenly, a gasp came from the doorway.
Blanchette stood frozen in place, eyes wide with betrayal. She had seen and heard everything.
"You cheating bastard!" she screamed, then turned and fled, tears already in her eyes.
"Blanchette... wait!" Joshua pushed Tiffany aside and ran after her.
Tiffany remained on the bed, watching the door with a smirk. She lay back, burying her face into Joshua's blanket, breathing in his scent.
Mmm... He really is fun, she thought, her cheeks flushed. Just like you said, Amy.