Chapter 54: Change
Reinhard’s grip on Zenuken tightened as the thunder of paws, claws, and hooves shook the street. The air was with the scent of dust, every shadow flickering like it might lunge at any second.
Before he could speak, Marie’s light-gold eyes softened as she gently turned Anasha around and had her look at her. Marie gently brushed the girl’s bangs back and stroked her hair with tenderness.
"Everything will be okay, Anasha." Marie whispered, her voice steady against the roar of the oncoming horde. "We won’t kill them. We’ll just knock them out and figure things out later, alright?"
Anasha’s tear-reddened eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock. "A-Are you sure?"
"Of course, we are strong. And we can compromise with that. So no more tears now okay?" Marie says softly, leading to the trembling in Anasha to slow down and a shaky smile to appear.
Reinhard blinked, caught off guard by the certainty in Marie’s tone, while Joseph let out a low whistle before scratching the back of his neck. "You’re serious, huh?"
Marie’s smile didn’t falter. "Of course."
Reinhard studied her face for two seconds before he then sighed, and a small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he nodded. "Holding back won’t be easy... But you’re right. Knocking them out should be fine."
Joseph grinned as he summoned his gray lance in a shimmer of light and spun it in a smooth arc before planting it at his side. "Well then, it’ll be a good challenge for us."
Anasha stared at them all, her small fists trembling as new tears welled up and her shaky smile grew. She muttered almost too softly for them to hear. "Thank you... I know it’s unfair to ask this of you..."
But they all heard her.
Marie cupped the girl’s cheeks gently before her thumb brushed away fresh tears. "It’s not unfair, silly. You’re just a child, and you’re allowed to be like this. That’s why we’re here." Her smile deepened, full of warmth that steadied even Reinhard’s heart. "Now then! Stay behind us. If any get past, then shout their names so we’ll know. Can you do that?"
Anasha nodded rapidly, determination flashing through her tears. "Y-Yes!" She backed away, her tiny form trembling but firm as she hid behind one of the burnt buildings next to them.
Marie rose and summoned her weapon in a burst of light before a crimson-golden spear appeared in her hand.
Reinhard summoned Zenuken, its black blade radiating faint and ominous sparks of azure light while Joseph twirled his lance once more.
"Alright," Reinhard said, stepping forward with the others as the beasts howled. "Let’s move."
Moonlight glinted off razor claws as the first Werefangs surged forward, jaws snapping at empty air where Reinhard had stood a heartbeat before.
He rushed between the Werefangs after time slowed and the flat of his blade whistled through the night. Zenuken cracked against a beast’s jaw, smashing into the head of another, and then sweeping low to topple another as its legs buckled beneath it.
Reinhard continued as Zenuken arced through the air in Reinhard’s grasp, and the jet-black blade connected with the first Phantasm Beast’s jaw.
The impact lifted the Werefang clean off its feet, sent it tumbling into a packmate, and left the next in line wide-eyed, just long enough for Reinhard to bring the pommel of Zenuken into the side of its skull.
Reinhard did not break stride.
The flat of the blade caught a third beast at the knees, dropping it with a yelp as a fourth leapt from the rubble and jaws gaping for his throat. Reinhard ducked beneath its lunge before grabbing its throat and forcing it down into the ground.
Before slamming the pummel of his sword into the Werefang temple and knocking it out. All the while, his mind counted and measured the force as he continued.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Marie take the line. She spun Longinus in an arc, the polearm’s crimson-gold shaft sweeping through the air as she battered aside a charging Werefang.
Before then, she hacked down with the butt of the spear, crashing into a Bear-Terror’s snout, and then she jabbed the side of its neck, leading it to collapse. Marie spun Longinus as each blow hammered beasts into unconsciousness with terrifying force, but never piercing flesh.
Sparks flared as her spear collided with a claw, sending a Bear-Terror sprawling across the stones. She continued moving forward as she pivoted, parried, and delivered blows that left beasts tumbling into darkness.
Joseph’s lance swept through the air, every swing a calculated arc that slammed into skulls, shoulders, and ribs, toppling beasts with sickening thuds. He caught a charging Autumn by the antlers, whirled it above him, and slammed it into the burnt ground.
Then another lunged for his leg, but Joseph swiftly sidestepped and jabbed it in the gut, leading it to collapse.
Once when two Werefangs tried to strike him from the sides, Joseph dropped to a knee and swept his lance in a low arc that clipped both at the ankle and sent them tumbling.
Step by step, they pushed through the hordes with each strike knocking down monsters instead of cutting them apart. Over thirty of them fell before their feet when the scream rang through the night.
Reinhard’s head snapped around, and his blood ran cold.
Anasha!
She was backed against a broken wall, three towering Werefangs closing in. But these were not ordinary.
The first, its mouth, limbs, and waist wrapped in writhing shadows, was Ven. Reinhard’s gut clenched at the sight of the boy’s crimson eyes. The second, leaner but taller, with shadowy tails swirling around its spine, which was familiar.
It was the same beast that was with Ven the night before. The third one had spikes of shadow rising up grotesquely from its body, but Reinhard began noticing a pattern that made his eyes go wide.
"No..." Reinhard breathed as he rushed forward, smashing aside a charging beast in his path as his heart pounded in his ears. "It can’t be-"
Then he heard Anasha’s words as she questioned the Werefangs.
"Big Brother...? Mommy? Daddy!?"
Reinhard grit his teeth as his previous assumption was right, the trio was Anasha’s brother, mother, and father. It was Ven, Leafa, and Raphael.
Wait, this meant the one we fought yesterday was Leafa! I... I almost killed Anasha’s Mother... Leafa who fed us for free...
Reinhard grit his teeth as he fought to close the distance, slashing and kicking beasts away, forcing a path toward her. But every second, more creatures surged from the side streets, clawing at him and slowing his desperate advance.
Drasil Step.
Time slowed down around Reinhard as he began smashing his way through the beasts. He even sidestepped, leapt over, and slid under some of them as he almost reached Anasha.
But then, as time returned to normal, shadow burst out and wrapped around him, making him cursed out.
Anasha’s wide, tear-filled eyes stared blankly at the three beasts as they raised their claws. Her tiny lips trembled, her body shaking so violently she almost collapsed, but then she screamed. "Mommy! Daddy! Big Brother! Come back! You guys aren’t like that!"
The words shattered the air.
Reinhard watched in surprise as a pulse burst from Anasha’s body, it was a violet light that rushed out in a wave. He saw the light ripping through the three Werefang near Anasha before moving over to the one around him and past him.
Every Phantasm Beast froze mid-step, leading Marie and Joseph, who were rushing behind him, to stop as well.
All three saw the bodies of the Phantasm Beasts begin to convulse and tremble as though fighting against invisible chains.
One by one, violet light shimmered over them, their bestial forms that began to flicker.
Reinhard skidded to a halt just as Ven, Leafa, and Raphael staggered backwards with their clawed hands lowered.
Their beast forms began to recede, flesh and familiar features struggling to return.
But it was incomplete.
Some parts of limbs, their jaws, and their eyes still bore marks of the beast.