The wind howled through the hollow streets of Eldoria. Night had fallen again — and with it came the fear that clung to every shadow.
In the dimly lit hall of the Beast Hunters' fortress, the six Mastorka stood around a table made of blackened oak. A single candle flickered at the center, its flame dancing like a dying heartbeat.
Thonyiak's voice broke the silence.
> "Another massacre. Twenty-three villagers. No survivors."
He placed a bloodstained map on the table. The red circle marked a place near the edge of the forest — an old, abandoned road known as Tigen Route.
At the end of that road waited the Tigen Bus.
Once, it was a simple carriage that carried travelers between towns. But for months now, no one dared to ride it. Every night, the bus appeared out of nowhere — its wheels screeching, lanterns glowing dim red — and whoever entered it was never seen again.
Some said it was cursed.
Others whispered it was haunted.
But the Beast Hunters knew better.
"The reports confirm it," said Nekuva, her sharp eyes scanning the papers. "A Level Six Beast code name Giyuza."
The name made the room go silent. Even among the Mastorka, few had faced a beast that high in rank. Giyuza was said to be a shape shifter half man, half shadow that fed on fear itself.
Thonyiak's gaze turned to the strongest among them.
"Takiru. This one's yours."
Takiru raised his head slowly. The firelight reflected off his eyes — burning with the same fierce glow that had earned him his title.
"Understood," he said simply.
The next night, Takiru arrived at the Tigen Route. The air was cold, filled with a thick fog that swallowed the moonlight. He could hear the faint creak of metal — the sound of wheels turning.
And then… it appeared.
An old bus, its body rusted, windows shattered, moving without horses. A dim red light glowed from inside, and a low, inhuman whisper echoed through the fog.
Takiru stepped forward, his blade "Karyon" glowing faintly with orange runes.
He entered the bus.
The door creaked shut behind him with a hiss. Inside, empty seats lined the corridor, but faint silhouettes of people sat frozen — their faces pale, lifeless, eyes wide in eternal terror.
"So this is your doing… Giyuza," Takiru muttered.
A voice slithered through the darkness.
"You came alone, hunter… brave, but foolish."
From the ceiling, a black mass began to drip forming a monstrous shape. Long claws, a mouth stretching too wide, eyes that burned crimson.
Giyuza had appeared.
The beast lunged, the bus shaking violently. Takiru swung Karyon in a blazing arc, fire flashing through the dark. Metal screeched, glass shattered, and shadows screamed.
But Giyuza was fast — it vanished and reappeared behind him, striking with a claw that tore through his armor. Blood spilled, but Takiru didn't flinch. His flames grew brighter.
"You've killed enough," he growled. "Tonight, you burn."
With a roar, he ignited his blade completely the entire bus glowing in fiery light. Giyuza howled as the flames engulfed it, its shadowy form dissolving into smoke.
When the fire faded, the bus stood still. The cursed whispers were gone.
Takiru stepped out, smoke rising from his armor.
The dawn sun peeked through the trees.
The Tigen Bus would never move again.
Back at the fortress, Thonyiak received the report. Another village saved. Another monster gone.
But deep inside, he knew the war was far from over.
For each beast they destroyed, two more would appear.
And somewhere in the dark, Ashamija was still creating more.
The hunt had only just begun.
End chapter 2