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CRASH!!!
Glass shattered like a thousand screaming voices as a monstrous figure burst out from the burning apartment's window — wings of molten flame unfurling mid-air. The sunlight glinted off its scales, each one a mirror of rage and grief.
For a brief second, the creature free-fell through the smoke — until its body twisted unnaturally, bones cracking, tendons warping.
FWHOOM!
Two enormous wings erupted from its back — feathers sharp as blades, glowing faintly red at the tips like metal fresh from a forge.
Below, four black getaway cars tore through the streets, their engines roaring like panicked beasts.
From above, crimson eyes locked on them — eyes that burned not with reason, but pure hate.
The creature dived.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" one of the bandits screamed, leaning out the window. His words vanished under the deafening roar of the wind.
The monster's right wing folded inward, reshaping into a massive, clawed limb wreathed in flame.
SLAM! CRASH! BOOM!
The claw came down on the last car — slicing through steel like paper. The impact tore the vehicle in half. The back half exploded, the front half flipped through the air like a toy before smashing into a light post.
BOOOOM!
A column of fire erupted behind, lighting up the sky red.
"STOP THE DAMN CAR! We can't outrun that demon!" shouted the leader, his voice breaking.
Tires screeched. Two remaining cars halted abruptly, rubber burning on the asphalt. The doors flung open, and men poured out in panic.
"Shadow Disperse!" the leader barked.
Each bandit grabbed a small, rune-carved lantern from their belts. A pulse of dark energy rippled outward as they poured their MC into the artifacts.
Instantly, black fog swallowed the entire area — a suffocating darkness that devoured light itself. Within a kilometer, nothing could be seen. Not headlights. Not flashlights. Only darkness thick enough to taste.
"Scatter!" someone yelled.
The gang broke apart, running in different directions. Their boots slapped against asphalt. Their hearts thundered in their chests.
And then came the screams.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
"NO— NO— NOOOO—"
Each voice was silenced within seconds. A snap. A wet crunch. Then nothing.
The leader kept running, gasping for air. Sweat drenched his face. His lungs burned. He could feel it behind him, stalking.
"No way… it can't see through Shadow Disperse," he panted. "It can't!"
Then, silence.
The air grew colder.
A faint sound echoed — soft, rhythmic.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The footsteps of something walking leisurely… in total darkness.
He froze, pulse pounding so hard he could hear it in his skull.
A glint of red appeared in the shadows ahead. Then another. Two crimson slits — eyes, watching him.
He stumbled backward. "No, no, no, no—"
CLANG!
His back hit something — cold and metallic. He looked up. The eyes were right there. The creature towered over him, half-man, half-bird, its feathers molten, its face a nightmare of twisted sorrow and fury.
The scent of burning filled the air.
"P-please…" he stammered, voice trembling. "I didn't— we didn't mean—"
The monster tilted its head. Its claws flexed.
Then, with a horrifying crack, one claw seized the man by the throat and lifted him effortlessly off the ground.
He kicked. He clawed. His feet scraped against nothing.
SNAP.
His vocal cords gave out. Blood dripped down his neck.
The creature's other claw pierced his shoulder and pulled.
PLUP!
The head came off clean — spine and all. Blood fountained into the air, painting the darkness crimson.
The body hit the ground with a wet thud.
The creature's chest heaved. Every breath sounded like a furnace roaring. The rage inside him felt endless — and empty.
He looked up to the heavens and screamed.
KPELEHHHHHHHHNNNNN!!!
The shriek tore through the city like a shockwave.
Windows shattered for miles. Streetlights burst in showers of sparks. People fell to the ground clutching their ears. Some screamed; others bled from their noses and ears.
And then, as suddenly as it came, the sound stopped.
The monster spread its wings — wings now completely wreathed in golden fire — and launched into the air, slicing through clouds like a spear of vengeance.
THUM! THWHOOM!
He vanished into the east — leaving behind fire, corpses, and a city drowning in terror.
---
At the G-City Military Command Center
"Sir, the sensors just went offline for a full twenty seconds — citywide blackout," a panicked technician shouted.
"Get me a live feed from all satellites!" the commander barked.
"Impossible, sir! The EMP burst fried half our systems!"
In another control room, guild officers and mutant hunters watched shaky surveillance footage — shadows, explosions, and a faint silhouette of wings.
"What the hell was that?" one of them whispered.
"Energy signature exceeds SS-rank thresholds," another replied, voice trembling. "No recorded lifeform matches that output."
Within minutes, the order went out across the city.
> "All citizens remain indoors. G-City is under emergency lockdown. Possible SS-rank beast sighting in Sector 7. Evacuate surrounding zones immediately."
Three encrypted messages were sent out simultaneously — to the only three mutants in the city powerful enough to face what just arrived.
The era of peace in G-City… had ended.
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