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Author's Guide:
This is narration
This is a character's thoughts
"This is a character speaking"
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On the fateful evening of June 18, 1789, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and crimson, Eichenheim's Black Heart offices became a tumultuous hub of activity. The dimly lit confines of the office held 320 Black Heart hunters, poised for action. The streets below were awash with the grotesque and nightmarish beast-type Anomalies, a scourge that seemed insurmountable. Every shot fired at these creatures was met with an eerie persistence, as more Anomalies emerged to replace their fallen brethren.
Amid the relentless chaos and the thunderous onslaught on the office doors, a pivotal meeting was taking place. In one of the office's meeting rooms, an assembly of seven individuals gathered around a rectangular table. A woman occupied the host's seat, her presence commanding respect and attention.
"What is a knight doing here?" inquired a silver-haired woman, curiosity etched on her face.
The room fell momentarily silent as an old man, a knight, spoke. "Me and my lance of knights were forced to seek refuge here due to the horde."
The silver-haired woman couldn't help but jest, "How embarrassing for a knight."
The old man's pride was evident as he retorted, "What did you say?"
This exchange of words continued until their discussion was disrupted by the entrance of a masked man. Draped in a long black coat and sporting an imposing hat, he commanded attention as he took his seat opposite the host.
The woman in the host's seat, identified as Commander Rachel, addressed the newcomer with an authoritative tone. "Hunter K, thou have arrived."
Hunter K showed respect, replying, "Thank you for waiting for me, Commander Rachel."
However, not all in the room were pleased with the delay. An old man, likely the knight from earlier, voiced his frustration. "What in bloody hell took you so long?"
"I was on the other side of the city; of course, it would take me long to get here," Hunter K responded with a hint of pride.
The old man, now named Sir Grayrock, did not appreciate the response. "Listen here, you Amoeba, you don't talk to your superiors like that. I'll have your head if you talk to me like that again."
The silver-haired woman sitting beside Ijin also chimed in, "Hannah, are you challenging us knights?"
A blonde-haired man, Sir Edrick, sitting beside Sir Grayrock, interjected in frustration. "Challenge you knights? Are you kidding me? What's the challenge here, Sir Edrick? You couldn't even kill a single Anomaly if your life depended on it."
This confrontation escalated, causing Commander Rachel to intervene, her authoritative tone quelling the tension. "Settle thy matters at a better time. Does thou think we have any time for this right now?"
After a moment of silence, Rachel continued, addressing Johan, "You said you have something to report?"
"Yes, Miss Rachel," Johan responded.
"Go on then," Rachel commanded, and Johan began to detail the grim news from other Black Heart offices in different cities, all facing their own Anomaly outbreaks.
The two knights, Sir Grayrock and Sir Edrick, were alarmed by this revelation. Meanwhile, the sarcastic Hannah remarked, "Great."
Ijin sought further information. "Which cities have you contacted that are currently undergoing outbreaks?"
Johan listed a series of afflicted cities, including Solus. Sir Grayrock was especially concerned about the news of Solus.
The room fell into contemplative silence, the Black Hearts deep in discussion about their impending plans. Rachel inquired if there was anything else to report, but Johan had nothing further to add.
Hunter K stepped forward, finally revealing another piece of crucial information. "There are what I assume to be beast-type Anomalies up in the industrial district."
Surprised, Rheanna asked, "How is this important, and what do you mean by 'assume'?"
Hunter K elaborated, describing the towering humanoid creatures, two-story tall with goat heads, estimating their danger level to be between 6 and 8.
This revelation astonished the room. "Two-story tall?" Rheanna exclaimed.
Hannah was equally taken aback. "That's insane, two stories tall?"
As the group tried to regain their composure, Rachel inquired again, "Anything else to report?"
Sir Edrick, the knight, seized the opportunity. "The knight has something to say?" Hannah remarked
Rachel quelled the brewing tension, and Sir Edrick explained his plan to join forces with the national guard stationed in Eichenheim's residential district.
Rachel weighed the suggestion thoughtfully. Before a decision was made, an urgent interruption halted the meeting. A breathless messenger entered, announcing the presence of a two-story tall beast-type Anomaly with a goat head right outside the office.
The room erupted into immediate action. Everyone turned to Rachel, waiting for her decision. After a brief pause, she turned to Ijin Yu and asked, "Do you think you could kill that thing?"
"I'll do what I can," Ijin affirmed.
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Relentless Slaughter
Chapter 2: As blood covers the streets...
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As the two-story tall goat-headed Anomaly pounded the office, Black Heart hunters rained bullets upon it from their vantage points on the rooftop, unable to pinpoint its vital points. The immense beast shrugged off the gunfire, raising the stakes of the ongoing battle.
The Anomaly's relentless assault eventually breached the office's defenses, breaking through walls and allowing swarms of Anomalies to pour inside. Amidst the chaos, a deafening roar echoed.
Hunters on the rooftop continued their barrage of bullets upon the towering monster, including Alan and Rheanna. Their silver and standard bullets found their mark but failed to halt the beast's advance.
"It's massive," Alan remarked.
The creature attempted to shield itself from the relentless gunfire. In a desperate maneuver, it began to scale the building.
"It's climbing the building!" voices of panic filled the air.
Rheanna took charge, ordering her men to retreat from the rooftop, but it was not swift enough. The goat-headed beast swept its massive arm, sending seven hunters plummeting to their doom below.
Meanwhile, on the office's second floor, Black Heart hunters engaged in a brutal battle with the relentless Anomalies. Hannah, Hunter K, and Rachel led the charge, attempting to hold back the horde.
Facing a relentless charge of beasts, Rachel wielded her claymore with precision, while Hannah, with her shotgun, plunged headlong into the fray, maniacal laughter accompanying each beast's demise.
As Hannah continued her reckless assault, the battlefield witnessed the gruesome dance between her and the Anomalies.
A particularly resilient werewolf challenged Hannah, striking at her. With nimble moves, she dodged the attack and filled the creature with bullets. Although wounded, the beast remained standing until Hunter K swiftly dispatched it with a well-placed stake through its heart.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The exchange between Hannah and Hunter K ignited a dispute over the kill. "That was my kill," Hannah protested.
Hunter K dismissed her claim as he reloaded his stake gun, and their attention turned to the approaching horde of Anomalies.
The tide of Anomalies surged towards the second-floor hunters, led by three ferocious werewolves. In this dire moment, Ijin Yu appeared, silencing his presence until the last second.
Ijin swiftly aimed his pistol and fired, hitting one of the werewolves squarely in the heart, causing it to fall lifeless instantly. The remaining two beasts, consumed by rage, charged toward Ijin. He deftly sidestepped their frenzied assault and executed a precise horizontal slash, cleanly beheading one of the menacing werewolves.
Undeterred, the last remaining wherewolf continued its relentless attack, only to be met by Ijin's lightning-fast response. He initiated a swift vertical slash, causing the beast to stumble backward. Seizing the opportunity, Ijin closed the distance in an instant and drove his blade deep into the creature's heart. Although the other werewolf attempted to regenerate its severed head, Ijin acted swiftly, delivering a lethal stab before it could mount any defense.
The Black Heart hunters watched in awe as Ijin, standing amidst the carnage, wiped his blade clean of the creature's blood.
"Slaughter them!" Ijin's voice cut through the chaos, and the other hunters charged forward, cutting down Anomalies with fervor. Ijin leaped to the first floor, landing among the creatures, and his presence alone sent the beasts recoiling in fear.
"How strange, beasts fearing a human?" Ijin contemplated as he skillfully eliminated Anomalies. Hannah joined the fray, slashing with her bayonet. However, the tide of creatures grew overwhelming, forcing her to retreat.
"Tsk, how annoying," Hannah muttered as she reloaded her shotgun.
"What did you expect?" Ijin questioned, firing a bullet into the horde.
"Heh," was Hannah's response.
The beasts closed in on the hunters on the first floor, but the second-floor hunters unleashed their firepower, raining bullets upon the horde. Sir Grayrock and Sir Edrick entered the fray, leading their lance of knights, armed with iron longswords.
"Let the sword speak!" the knights chanted in unison as they cut down Anomalies. Though they couldn't permanently dispatch the creatures without silver weapons, they held the line long enough for the second-floor hunters to fire upon the beasts.
"Ijin! The goat head is on the rooftop!" Rachel's voice carried over the chaos. Ijin sprinted towards the rooftop.
As he reached the rooftop, other hunters, including David, Kanako, Fredrick, and Alan, were already engaged with the colossal goat-headed Anomaly. Alan riddled the beast with bullets, but it struggled to block the onslaught.
As the hunters outside took positions to eliminate the horde, the rooftop hunters endured the beast's assault. Kanako promptly fired a grenade, blinding the creature. With a swing, it swept the rooftop once more, but Rheanna's timely order led to a hasty retreat. The beast's arm was severed, and it bellowed in pain.
Ijin began thinking:
That thing's torso looks like it is very heavy. It's legs look to be struggling to stand, perhaps we could use that to our advantage.
"David!, Fredrick!, target its ankles until it topples over. Kanako!, bombard it with your grenades," Ijin directed the four hunters as he made his charge toward the towering goat-headed Anomaly.
Ijin drew his silver cane sword, unleashing a rapid flurry of cuts at the creature's ankles, the strikes leaving scorching, sizzling marks. David and Fredrick mirrored his movements, joining in to assault the beast's legs, while Kanako unleashed a grenade that detonated near the goat head, inflicting further damage.
Rheanna observed the attack and added her firepower, barking orders to her men. "Get back on your feet and finish it!"
With grit and determination, the injured hunters mustered the strength to rise and opened fire upon the monster with their guns, focusing their aim on the weakened areas.
"Keep targeting its ankles," Ijin commanded the remaining melee combatants on the rooftop. The hunters continued their relentless efforts to cut down the towering Anomaly. However, the creature swung its massive arms once more, causing a violent upheaval on the rooftop, leading to many hunters losing their footing and tumbling off the edge.
"Go, continue cutting away at it!" Ijin instructed. David and Fredrick worked alongside Ijin, relentlessly attacking the creature's ankles. Kanako unleashed another grenade, contributing to the beast's misery.
Kanako deftly reloaded her grenade launcher, then aimed it squarely at the beast's head. With a deafening explosion, the grenade struck its target, temporarily blinding the massive creature. The Anomaly responded with a thunderous roar, shaking the very rooftop, before attempting to lash out again.
"Clear out!" Rheanna urgently commanded the hunters, while Fredrick remained unwavering, his greatsword poised for a strike. As the beast's enormous left arm came crashing down, Fredrick's blade descended with a devastating downward slash, cleaving the arm in half and forcing the goat head to let out another earth-shattering bellow.
"Keep going, focus on its limbs!" Ijin directed the hunters. David and Ijin maintained their relentless assault on the beast's ankles, severing them with their bladed weapons. The Anomaly could no longer maintain its balance and fell onto one arm. In a synchronized effort, Fredrick executed a horizontal slash that bisected the creature's remaining limb, presenting an opportunity for the hunters to discover its vulnerable heart and destroy it.
"It's over," the hunters breathed a collective sigh of relief, but the respite was brief. As they began to celebrate, Ijin rushed to the first floor, only to find a blood-soaked Hannah, smiling amidst the corpses of the defeated Anomalies.
"What happened here?" Ijin inquired.
"We had a party," Hannah said with a grin.
As Rachel approached Ijin for an update, he confirmed the beast's demise.
"Good," Rachel stated as she wiped her silver claymore clean.
Ijin, Hannah, and the other hunters began to consider their next steps. Hannah voiced concerns about the ongoing presence of the Anomalies.
"We must head to the residential district," Rachel declared.
"With these beasts around?" Hannah questioned.
Rachel took a moment to contemplate the situation, ultimately deciding on a plan. "Perhaps we could use a train."
"A train?" Ijin questioned, somewhat surprised.
"A train station is near by. Perhaps there's a train we could use," Rachel explained.
"Who's driving", Hannah inquired.
"K knows how to drive a train", Ijin interjected.
Hunter K sought clarity, "Who's going to clear the train station?"
Rachel responded, "Thou shall be joined by Ijin, Hannah, and other hunters."
...
As the night descended, and the heavens began to weep, Ijin, Hunter K, Hannah, Kitsune, Alan, and Henry made their way to Eichenheim's central train station in the commercial district. Henry scaled the building for reconnaissance, revealing that the station was overrun with Anomalies. Reporting back to the group, he painted a grim picture of the situation.
Ijin Yu contemplated their dire circumstances before devising a plan. "Hannah, do you think you could charge into that horde?"
With a smirk, Hannah replied, "I'd love to be able to do that."
Acknowledging her willingness to take on the challenge, Ijin outlined the plan: "Hannah and I will charge into the station. Everyone else will wait outside as we lead them outside. Once we have successfully led them outside, kill them all."
Ijin and Hannah entered the train station to face what seemed like an insurmountable number of beast-type Anomalies. The creatures turned their attention to the intruders, and Hannah seized the moment, hurling a grenade into the horde, causing death and chaos in equal measure.
"Let's go!" Hannah exclaimed as she charged headlong into the Anomalies, skillfully picking them off with her shotgun. Her recklessness was met with courage as she took on the beasts, she slaughteres many beasts before being forced to retreat outside.
After leading the creatures outside, Alan used his Lewis gun to cut down many Anomalies. Yet, once the gun ran out of bullets, the other hunters joined the fray, ensuring that no Anomaly survived the encounter.
As they believed the train station to be clear, they ventured inside to discover an abandoned train waiting on the tracks.
"K, you go and start the train. Henry, Kitsune, and Alan, you folks go and call the others," Ijin directed.
As the rain fell relentlessly and the sky wept, three of the hunters waited for the rest of their comrades, engaging in light-hearted conversation amid the tension.
"Hannah, I'd just like to say you're insane," Hunter K remarked.
Hannah's laughter filled the air, genuine and hearty. "To take on those bereft of sanity, one must embrace insanity."
K couldn't help but chuckle at her response. "A nonconformist in our midst, it seems."
Ijin interjected with a thoughtful tone, "I'm rather certain that's not a good principle to follow."
Hannah retorted playfully, "You're the one who said it, remember?"
Ijin struggled to recall. "I did?"
K jogged his memory. "Actually, yes, you did. I remember you saying that years ago.
Ijin confessed, "Oh right... I did
Hannah joined in on the fun, still chuckling. "Ijin Yu, the insane philosopher."
K couldn't resist poking further. "I kind of miss when you were like that, you know. It was funny to hear you say things like that."
Ijin retorted, "Shut up," but he couldn't help but smile a bit, reminiscing about the days of his philosophical musings.
The conversation took an unexpected turn as K probed into Ijin's personal life again. "Ijin, I heard you had a lover."
Surprised by this topic of discussion, Ijin stammered, "What? Who told you that?"
Hannah, still amused by the previous revelation, chimed in, "Ah, our Ijin had a lover, too?"
K maintained an air of nonchalance. "I have my sources."
Ijin offered a brief explanation. "It didn't last."
K probed further. "How long did it last?"
"A week..."
Laughter echoed through the conversation. "Bahahahahahaahhahaahahahahha," Hannah couldn't contain her mirth.
"Come on, Hannah, that's not nice," K chided.
"I'm sorry, I- I just..." Hannah said, struggling to conceal her laughter.
Ijin, though slightly embarrassed, shrugged off the good-natured ribbing. "Oh, shut up."
As the banter continued, K managed to start the train. With the rain pouring outside and the knowledge of what awaited them at their next destination, the mood was a mix of tension and camaraderie.
...
K successfully started the train, and after a some time, the remaining hunters arrived. They swiftly boarded the train as Commander Rachel called upon the three hunters.
"Thy service is appreciated," Rachel commended the trio.
"Thank you," Hunter K responded with genuine gratitude, accompanied by a warm smile.
"Thank you, ma'am," Ijin replied, his confidence evident in his smirk.
As Rachel continued her discussions with the others, Ijin boarded the train and found a seat. He gazed outside at the countless Black Heart hunters boarding, removed his hat, and used it to shield his face as he closed his eyes. His thoughts meandered through the chaotic events of the day as he eased into a well-deserved slumber.
As blood-stained the streets...
The Black Heart hunters would commence their preparations to confront the relentless horde of beasts.
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Relentless Slaughter
Chapter 2: As blood covers the streets...
Chapter end
To be continued