Screams emerged from the people running on the streets. They ran with aimlessly as they were in fear for their life. Behind them were beast that killed on instinct.
They were sheltered, free from worries. Seeing these beast was a first for them.
"W-What the hell is that thing?"
"Mom! Momma! Where are you?"
Buildings started to crumble. These beast were destroying everything in sight while killing those they caught.
Yet, out of all the beast present, there was one that struck fear in the hearts of many. Taller than a house with arms thicker than a tree. Tribal markings tattooed on its face with two black horns pointed towards the sky. Its eyes looked as if it was dead, there wasn't an iris.
The creature was mostly naked. It wore a vest made of fur and had a black cloth wrapped around its waist. Spiked chains were covering its arms as if it was just released from purgatory. In its hand was a black axe, larger than any of the axes a human could carry.
This creature was on a rampage as it roared out loud and swung its black axe wildly. One swing from this creature easily destroyed the side of a building. One swing chopped a person in half like they were butter.
This, this was the beast they feared.
The way it looked at them running around made it seem as if it was toying with them. When the beast laughed they could feel their spines shiver. The only instinct they had was to run. Run as fast as they could and don't look back.
There were no thoughts of fighting such a creature. It never once emerged in any of the citizen's heads.
A person had two instincts, fight or flight.
All those people chose the latter, fighting was pointless.
The ground beneath their feet rumbled as some people staggered to the ground. A ferocious roar echoed behind them causing their entire body to tremble with fear.
Some were so shaken that they could only stand in place. As much as they told their body to move, to hurry before they were killed. It was all for naught as their body stayed put.
"Where is the military!? The police? What are those damn EXO users doing?"
Cries emerged from the mouths of men losing hope.
"Warning! Warning! Demon beast have broken through and have breached the city. Evacuate at once. I repeat, evacuate at once! There is a shelter on Eleventh street. All those needing a place to hide it is recommended you proceed to the shelter. All EXO users in the state are required to help those in need. If you're found hiding out instead of being on the front lines there will be repercussions."
The emergency warning was heard once more. This was already the third time it appeared.
This was Eleventh street, and the shelter they were supposed to go to was destroyed. The entire building was caved in and those that entered before were presumed dead.
All hope was lost.
"It's the end of the world. I knew this day would come, I f*cking knew it."
One man dropped to his knees as tears streamed from the side of his face.
All around him were busted cars, broken buildings, and dead bodies. Blood filled the streets and there was a constant scream in his ears. Before this, he was on his way to his wedding. Now all those he knew were dead.
His white suit was stained with dirt and blood.
His eyes locked on ahead of him. People were getting torn apart while the monsters in front of his eyes were having their way. As his vision started to blur he saw a group of people appear.
"Who are you? Leave me, there's no point in making a stand. We're all doomed here."
His voice was soft but filled with despair.
"Take him away, you five find anyone still alive and lead them to the shelter. You six go and help the wounded if they're able to be saved then save them. If not end their suffering as quick as possible. The rest of you, you're with me."
A woman started giving out orders as she pointed to the people that came with her. The group of people moved as they were told. Each of them knew how dire the situation was.
They were not prepared for an invasion. Before this, they were watching the Twelve God competition. Now, they were protecting those that they could while fighting against the demon beast that came to their home.
The woman locked eyes with the giant beast that held the black axe. Her eyes opened wide as she felt how powerful it was.
"Ma'am, that's a Demon General. As for what rank I can't tell, no wonder those guarding the city were killed. What's that thing doing here?"
One of the people she came with asked her a question. It was a question that she did not have the answer to.
Demon Generals were strong but they were held at the borders in the United States. For one to be all the way in Ohio, that was unusual.
"I don't know…"
☆☆☆☆☆
Two hours before the invasion…
Nick's eyes locked onto Rachel. She seemed to feel his gaze as she looked in his direction and smiled.
Rachel didn't wave she started to say something. The distance between her and Nick was great but that did not stop him from understanding the words she was trying to say.
'Bring it on.' The meaning behind her words was clear as day.
Once those words were spoken her attention was drawn elsewhere.
Nick calmed himself down. If this was a video game Rachel was a boss. Before he reached her he needed to beat down all the others.
However, if the two of them met on the battlefield early on then Nick wouldn't back away.
Nick wasn't going to lose sight of what was important. He was here because his academy needed him to get them a good spot on the rankings. If he were to just charge straight for Rachel then he'd be leaving his teammates behind to deal with everything.
"Before we even set off let's decide who will sit on the throne. It's an important position but I doubt the person thats seated on it will be able to do much fighting."
Arthur was the first to speak up.
His words were not wrong as the person who was seated on the throne would have the easiest and hardest job. You'd be able to watch your teammates protect you and take it easy. If your team lost then you'd have to try and defend for as long as possible.
The person on top of the throne should be able to handle the situation if that were to happen.
"Not taking it for yourself?"
Matthew asked with a smirk on his face.
Those at Demeter called Arthur 'King' and this was a perfect opportunity for him. He could be king of the hill, a title fit just for him.
Arthur stared at Matthew wondering if he was being serious or just playing around. Arthur did think about taking it for himself, but it was best for him to defend the person on the throne.
"Out of the four of us here, there is no one better to sit upon the throne but myself."
The one that spoke was Scarlet.
Arthur, Matthew, and Nick looked at her. Each one had thoughts of their own going through their heads.
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"Why're you looking like that? None of you can attack from a distance. I can support you guys from the throne while also protecting myself. Nick uses a sword, he wouldn't be helpful. Matthew, you might control gravity but it'd be difficult for you to do anything with the weapon you picked. Don't know why you chose two short swords, honestly why couldn't you pick up a bow or something? As for Arthur, while he could take the throne thanks to his EXO ability allowing him to attack from a distance I believe it'd be hard for him to focus his attention on multiple targets. Me, on the other hand, I can deal with large groups of people."
Scarlet explained the reasoning behind why she was the one that needed to sit on the throne.
Matthew patted her head and smiled but Scarlet pushed his hand away. Her face showed how annoyed she was about it.
"I don't have a problem with you sitting on the throne."
"Me either."
"Doesn't matter to me, you or Arthur were my choices."
All three of the males agreed that Scarlet should be the one to do it.
Scarlet crossed her arms and nodded her head. Was about time that they took her seriously. She was surprised that Matthew didn't have anything to say to her about her comment. Maybe he didn't hear her or just ignored it.
Nick and his group talked about their plans for how they were going to take the throne and keep it. As that was happening other participants were analyzing their opponents.
Those that were at the bottom of the rankings previously took note of all the strong freshmen. For them, they had something to prove. The freshmen from the top academies only took notice of those from their academy or within the top five. As for those that were at the bottom they couldn't bother to learn their names.
This was the weakness of those from the top academies. The academy had so much prestige that the newcomers didn't bother to worry about those from lower ranked academies. It was a drawback as what academy you attended did not mean you were weak as an individual.
"You've waited long enough. The anticipation is even killing me. I want to know, who among these freshmen will stand above the rest? What group will prove that their academy is the top dog? Let the final match begin!"
The bald announcer only appeared on screen for a moment. His words were meant to start the final match and get everyone moving.
All the freshmen started moving, each group moving to the hill closest to them. They couldn't hide or use the terrain to their advantage. It was simple, one hill with a throne and everything else was grass.
Nick and his group dashed forward without wasting any time. The smart thing to do was go to the hill closest to their location and battle for it. They'd be able to accumulate a good amount of points quickly.
It was not long before the fighting between freshmen broke out. Some members of the different groups went in different directions. Their goal was to block others from advancing further.
"You guys go ahead, i'll go stop that group from going any further!"
Nick yelled back to his teammates as he ran forward. Scarlet and the others did not try to stop him as they continue to go towards the hill. Once the seat was secured they'd be able to help Nick out.
Nick's eyes turned from hazel to icy blue. He appeared in front of a group of freshmen with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"By yourself? Hope you don't plan to stop us."
One member of the group spoke up.
They felt that Nick alone was no threat. It was one against four, they had the upper hand here. If he backed off that would be good, but they needed to eliminate him.
Nick smirked and took a stance.
He started reading the flow inside their bodies. The one on the right was about to attack so he needed to dodge.
His moved just enough to dodge the blast coming his way. The blast was sudden that others would be caught off guard. Nick would have been too but he was prepared beforehand.
A look of surprise emerged on the faces of the group in front of Nick. They did not think he would be able to dodge out of the way.
Pushing off the group Nick darted straight for the group. Unlike him who had agile movements, the group in front of him were unprepared. They didn't expect him to react to their attack so fast and make a counter-attack of his own.
Nick read the flow in their body, his mind worked quickly as it analyzed the biggest threat. Soon he found his target and struck out.
The person he hit tried to block Nick's attack but failed as Nick did a feint and kicked him.
Seeing as their teammate was sent flying back the others hesitated for a moment. Their thought process was as such, should they go towards their teammate and regroup or try to take on Nick.
The time it took them to find an answer to their thoughts was enough time for Nick to make his next move.
He wasn't planning on wasting any time. The people in front of him were weaker than expected, but if he drew the fight out he'd become exhausted. Best to finish it as quickly as possible while trying to converse as much strength as possible.
"Attack! Attack!"
One member yelled out as he saw Nick's body turn into a blur. Nick was already making his next move but they are standing here idle. It was a single guy, what were they waiting on?
Hearing their teammates voice the others started to react and launch attacks. They spotted Nick but failed to hit him. He was moving faster than them for some reason. They were sure they'd be able to hit him but by the slightest margin, he managed to escape.
Nick swung his sword clashing with the three. They gave him many openings and he took it. He could tell they were skilled with their weapons of choice except he had more experience.
The beatings he took when he was younger by his sensei came in handy. The motions these students were making seemed slow in Nick's eyes. He was actually starting to doubt whether he should use his EXO ability on them.
Soon the fight ended in Nick's favor.
He looked up towards the hill and saw that his teammates were fighting over the throne.
Nick glanced around at the other hills and noticed some hills were already conquered. It's only been two minutes but for them to hold a throne already showed how powerful they were.
Moving swiftly Nick dashed up the hill. The people who were focused on those in front of them were cut down by Nick's blade. No one expected to be attacked from behind.
When they tried to respond they felt their movements became sluggish. Their bodies were heavy, it was as if they were being crushed. Nick glanced up and noticed Matthew had released his EXO ability causing them to feel the weight of gravity.
Nick was not affected by the gravity thus his movements were unhindered.
No one could react, they were being beaten in the front and from behind.
One blue-haired young man was wielding a lance while striking with lightning. His weapon was infused with it making each of his strike deadly.
The other young man with black hair struck with two short swords. Each of his strikes was heavy but quick, finishing off his opponents in the least amount of time possible.
Scarlet sat on the throne and crossed her legs with a smile on her face. It felt nice being protected while the others fought for her. She felt like a queen and couldn't help but laugh out loud while covering her mouth.
"Retreat! This hill is lost!"
One of the smarter students decided to have his team retreat backward. They weren't going to fight here. This teams composition was weird.
They had the upper hand, as the gravity only affected those who weren't apart of their team. Arthur strikes fiercely at all those who tried to come close and Matthew's attacks were swift. Nick was busy cutting down those that tried to fight back.
Scarlet wasn't even using her EXO ability. If all of them were to attack together then this hill would be under their control. So far with only three of them attacking they could hold the throne, and with the gravity under their control, they could beat down anyone who stood in their path.
There was no hope here and he knew it, against Nick's group it was pointless. Instead of being eliminated by them it was best to find another hill and try to conqueror it.
He took his team and retreated, leaving the hill to Nick's group. Soon others followed allowing Nick's team to dominate the hill while giving them ample time to rest.
Arthur looked off at the other hills.
"Who are they?"
He asked out loud.
His words were meant for himself but he happened to say them loud enough for the others to hear. This caused his teammates to turn their attention to the other hills.
Nick saw Rachel seated on a throne by herself. There was no one trying to fight her for her spot. Her hill was completely empty. Not even her teammates could be seen.
The other hills were having intense matches. Some people outshined the others making the spotlight fall on them.
"Look at the scoreboard, why do they have almost double our points?"
Scarlet asked as she looked at the scoreboard.
It was true, Athena was ranked first amongst the other academies. Their points were double that of everyone else.
"Probably due to Rachel. She's sitting on the throne by herself, no one is even bothering to contest it. Leaving the opportunity for her teammates to take another hill."
Nick answered Scarlet.
Arthur clicked his tongue. It wasn't fair.
"They don't call her the goddess of war for nothing. Their academy specializes in strategy and large-scale warfare."
Matthew made a comment as he praised Athena. She brought forth victory in all her battles and what the students of Athena academy were doing was the same.
The time went by and the hill shrunk while the throne disappeared. Shortly after five new hills appeared, one less than before.
A buzzing sound was heard as the announcer appeared on the screen.
"Athena academy is starting off strong, leaving all the other academies in the wind. Sadly, Aphrodite, it's the end of the road for you guys. Having no points at all you've been eliminated from the match."
With that being said Aphrodite academy which was placed eleventh last year now had a chance to lose its spot. It was currently in tenth place but it seemed like it was destined to be placed last this year.
The fights continued as more groups were eliminated and others pulled further ahead. Nick's group managed to maintain a throne and kept their points steady.
Athena academy that had long pulled ahead of all the other academies kept one throne to themselves. Some contested for the throne others did not and chose to fight at different locations.
Nick's group fought to keep their throne but it cost Matthew a large amount of essence. To continue to put out pressure on their opponents he was constantly draining his essence pool.
Soon the number of hills left were three. Matthew was spent, the amount of essence left in his body wasn't enough to do what he's been doing.
All the others in his team could see it as well. Scarlet took the initiative to ask him to trade places, but he refused saying he wasn't done yet.
The number of groups left competing slimmed down a lot compared to before as many gave up, or were just eliminated from combat.
Demeter once again gave everyone a shock as they were holding their own against the top academies. Although they were not in first place, they held on to third.
With the emergence of the three new hills, all the groups were eyeing their own. There were six groups left that refused to give up.
Everyone scattered as each group ran towards a hill. It wasn't surprising that Athena academy was the first to claim a throne among all the academies. Everyone knew how precious these points were and the longer they held on the more points they'd accumulate.
As Nick and his group charged up a hill they were met with resistance. A young black man with a bastard sword stood in their path. He had green eyes and curly hair dyed brown at the top.
"Sorry, but this is as far as you go."
He spoke in a deep voice.
☆☆☆☆☆
Katherine who was seated in the stands was gazing down. She squinted her eyes as she locked onto the young black male in front of Nick's group.
She felt it. The two of them were similar.
'We're the same?'
She couldn't be certain if he went through the same process as her, but she was sure that he was some sort of modified human. Except, he seemed more stable than she was.
From what she could make out, he was strong.