The helicopter's noise ceased in the distance from Mineforde. The ghouls turned their attention to the general.
The leaders gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies shaking with irritation, frustration and, above all, sadness. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the area, and the ghoul positioned at the top of Mineforde's wall was thrown backwards, falling hard to the ground. The impact opened a huge crater, attracting the attention of everyone, humans and ghouls alike.
"What was that?!" exclaimed both ghouls and humans, their gazes turning to the site of the impact.
Before anyone could react, another bang shook the battlefield. The ghoul general was violently thrown away, crashing into a wall and raising a cloud of dust and debris.
"Who dares to disturb my meal?!" roared the general, emerging from the ruins with half of his body cut off again, his regeneration already beginning. He looked ahead, searching for the person responsible. — A ghoul challenging the general? That's unthinkable!
Everyone turned to the source of the attack, humans and ghouls alike confused and tense.
The general began to laugh, even as blood dripped from his wounds.
— What are you? Some kind of prototype?! A small ghoul like you managed to hurt me?! — he mocked, looking disdainfully at the small figure in front of him.
— Mini-ghoul... — Lena whispered in disbelief, her eyes wide with surprise.
In the distance, on Takemichi's mangled body, all that remained intact was an arm, which still held a ring made of noxium. The mini-ghoul walked over to the arm, bent down and began to smell it, as if recognizing something familiar.
— This is my meal, brat! If you dare eat it, I'll kill you! — growled the general, approaching with a threatening look.
The mini-ghoul stopped, still staring at his arm. When he finally recognized Takemichi's scent, his small, fragile body trembled slightly. He took a step back, visibly frightened.
“Ah... So you knew this human?” the general continued, noticing the mini-ghoul's hesitation. “Did you come to devour him or to take revenge for him? Either of those options puts you against me, and that is unforgivable!”
The general's aura began to emanate again, even denser and more oppressive than before, spreading throughout Mineforde and reaching the mini-ghoul.
All the humans cowered, feeling the crushing weight of the general's presence. But the mini-ghoul remained motionless, unshaken, staring at the general with cold eyes.
“Aren't you afraid of my aura too?!” the general roared, frowning in disbelief. — This can't be a coincidence. You're going to tell me why!
The mini-ghoul ignored the general's words. With a fluid movement, he undid the small wings that had manifested and, in response, revealed two additional tentacles, for a total of four. His small body, now emanating a menacing energy, seemed completely prepared for confrontation.
— Don't attack the humans. — said the general to the other ghouls. — I'll have fun with this brat personally!
The ghouls surrounding the humans whispered among themselves as they watched the confrontation intensify.
— So... this is the mini-ghoul that the voice on the device mentioned. — muttered one of the ghouls, curiously. — That means another ghoul is coming to help you.
— Traitors! — growled one of the ghouls, showing his fangs in anger.
— The general will deal with him. — said another, turning his attention to the humans. — Our priority is to keep these humans under control!
Meanwhile, the human leaders watched the scene with tense expressions.
— We lost our chance to fight back... — whispered Joana, her voice full of frustration. — But I didn't expect the mini-ghoul to actually be able to hurt the general!
— I already told you that we can hear you, humans! — growled one of the ghouls, approaching with a sinister smile.
Joana raised her face and stared at the ghoul, answering firmly:
— I know.
The general charged forward with a burst of power, his four tentacles shooting like spears toward the Mini Ghoul, each seeking to pierce him from different angles. However, before they could even get close, the tentacles were cut off in an instant.
Clang!
The slashes were so fast that the surrounding ghouls and humans could barely keep up. The tentacles fell to the ground, lifeless, as if they were nothing more than dry twigs.
“What?!” the general exclaimed in surprise, as he stepped back slightly.
The Mini Ghoul was already on the move again. He charged straight toward the general’s neck, his eyes fixed on his target. With superhuman speed, he swung his tentacles like sharp blades, aiming for a fatal blow.
Clang!
However, at the decisive moment, the slash stopped. Despite the impact, the Mini Ghoul was unable to pierce the general’s thick skin. A thin crack appeared, but nothing more. Frustrated, he quickly retreated, falling into a guard position, his eyes still fixed on the general.
The general laughed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
"I see..." he said, standing up and lightly touching his neck where the blow had landed. "So, the only thing you have is speed!"
He glared at him with disdain, his expression full of superiority.
"It won't be any fun to face you!"
The Mini Ghoul stared at him, his breathing steady, but the irritation evident in his eyes. On his small, pale face, there was a slight hint of frustration.
"Damn you..." the general growled, now serious. "What's with that expression? Don't tell me... you were with the humans for too long!"
The general's rage began to take hold, his aura growing once more intense and oppressive.
"You're nothing but a traitor!" he roared, as his tentacles began to regenerate.
The Mini Ghoul remained motionless for a moment. Then, with a sudden movement, he disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Damn you... where are you?!" the general shouted, his words filled with frustration.
Suddenly, he felt the cold touch of something against his neck. Before he could react, the tentacles he had just regenerated were cut off again.
The Mini Ghoul reappeared behind him, his eyes fixed on the general, emotionless.
The general laughed, turning to face him.
"You're faster than me, I admit." He touched his neck again, feeling the same slight cut as before. "But... you don't have the strength to kill me!" The general's tentacles began to regenerate once more, rapidly growing in shape and size, even more robust than before. He was preparing for a direct confrontation, his aura increasing in intensity.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Meanwhile, the Mini Ghoul remained still, watching intently, his eyes searching for any weakness in his opponent.
The surrounding ghouls watched, now wary, while the humans, still filled with fear, began to realize that this fight was far from over.
"Wait, if this continues, it will be to our advantage!" the leaders thought, exchanging determined glances.
"A ghoul who can't even speak... A wretch who acquired speed because of his insignificant size. That's what you are, so don't get too cocky!" the ghoul general roared, his voice filled with disdain.
Now more irritated, the general moved quickly, trying to create a gap in the Mini Ghoul's speed. His tentacles whipped the air with force, attacking in all directions in an attempt to capture him.
"He's disappeared again!" thought the general, turning his gaze, trying to track his opponent with his sharp vision.
But before he could react, he felt himself lose his grip. His tentacles had been cut off, and this time, his legs were also torn apart. Without control, the general was dragged across the ground violently.
The Mini Ghoul wasted no time. In an almost imperceptible movement, he attacked the general's body with fury. However, shortly after, he backed away in frustration, having not managed to cause enough damage.
"My upper body is more resistant..." the general mocked, regenerating even faster than before. "It's a shame, but you won't be able to kill me!"
The Mini Ghoul hesitated for a brief moment, feeling the growing difference in his opponent's power.
"That's my true power!" roared the general, his voice echoing like thunder. — You are not worthy of feeling it, but your annoying speed must be eliminated. I will end this now!
"True power? Wasn't he fighting the captain seriously?", the leaders thought, alarmed.
The Mini Ghoul advanced again, determined to attack, but was hit by one of the general's tentacles. His small body was thrown away, hitting the ground with an impact that echoed through the area.
"Your speed is now nothing! Your only advantage is lost!" the general roared triumphantly.
Wounded, the Mini Ghoul began to run again, trying to gather strength for one last attack.
"Useless!" the general shouted, ready to crush him.
Suddenly, the Mini Ghoul stopped. His eyes showed something different. He looked scared.
"Are you going to surrender?" the general mocked, walking towards him with disdain.
The Mini Ghoul moved to the right, kneeling and placing his head on the ground. His tentacles were retracted.
“Mini Ghoul!” the leaders shouted, horrified by the scene.
“No... You won’t give up that easily... You won’t…” the general began to say, but was interrupted.
A thick smoke began to spread quickly, covering the field of vision of the humans and ghouls.
“What’s going on?” Lena exclaimed, confused.
A strong and powerful wind swept the smoke, directing it towards the general and the Mini Ghoul. When the humans’ vision returned, they noticed something alarming: the ghouls near them all had their throats cut.
“Joana! I didn’t see the captain among you. Where is he?” Kay shouted, a firm voice coming from within the smoke.
“That voice... There’s a general out there! He killed the captain!” — Joana replied, confused and worried.
— The general who was facing the Mini Ghoul? He's already dead. — Kay said, her voice sharp.
Suddenly, the general's decapitated head was thrown out of the smoke, rolling to the feet of the soldiers.
Civilians and guards were in shock. "Who's inside that smoke?", everyone thought, trying to understand what had happened.
— He was the one who killed the captain! — Joana exclaimed, looking at the place where the voice had come from.
— I understand. — Kay replied, bending down to touch the body of the dead general.
A few seconds later, Kay's suit began to clear the smoke, slowly revealing his figure. He was standing still, looking at Takemichi's severed arm on the ground.
— Old man... Why did you die? And what about Rem and Mira? — Kay murmured, her voice low and full of emotion, although her expression remained hidden by the mask.
— Leader, there are still ghouls in Mineforde! — Fiona warned from afar.
“I know,” Kay replied, crouching down next to Takemichi’s hand.
He removed the captain’s ring and handed his arm to the Mini Ghoul.
“Your reward. Devour this… and the ghoul you were fighting. Good job holding him off!” Kay said, with an almost cold firmness.
The Mini Ghoul began to devour Takemichi’s arm. Kay then turned and walked toward the humans.
“The captain fought for so long. The Mini Ghoul held that general back until the end, and that’s why there were no more deaths. The victory belongs to the army! Remember this: there were no casualties because the captain sacrificed himself!” Kay declared, her voice echoing with authority.
A wave of sadness and relief ran through the group.
“Joana, call Fernanda. Notify each division and ask them to send a squadron as reinforcements!” — Kay ordered.
“Reinforcement?” — Joana exclaimed, surprised.
“For a week, the entire Sixth Division will be in mourning for the captain’s death,” Kay said, almost like a decree. He handed Takemichi’s ring to Joana. “I don’t want to lose anyone else. Hold on to this for now.”
“You…” Joana began, but words failed her.
Kay manifested the wings of the suit and took flight, determined to hunt down the remaining ghouls in Mineforde.
“Get your things. We’ll take them back!” Lena said, struggling to maintain a firm stance in the face of the situation.
“You heard me! Get your cell phones back and head to the vehicles. The army will take care of the rest!” reinforced the head of the guard.
Yan found a cell phone lying on the ground and picked it up.
“Whose is this?” he asked loudly.
A person hesitantly extended his arm.
“Come and get it,” Yan said.
The person approached and picked up the device.
“Unlock it!” Yan ordered.
Not understanding, the person obeyed.
“All right. Are there any other belongings of yours here?” Yan asked firmly.
“No!” the person replied.
“Go back to the vehicle and wait there,” Yan instructed.
“Thank you!” — the person said before walking away.
— Come on, help me speed this up! I don't want anyone saying they lost something here! — Yan ordered the other leaders.
— I'll leave this to you. I'll call Fernanda. — Joana said, grabbing her radio and cell phone.
— Don't worry! — the leaders replied, as they organized the remaining civilians.
The scene changed again to the inside of the plane.
The monotonous sound of the engines echoed throughout the cabin, but the silence among the occupants was almost palpable. Rem was sitting, her gaze fixed on a device in her hands. A message flashed on the screen:
"I'm sorry, Rem. I didn't get there in time to help the captain. Takemichi is dead."
The color drained from her face, and her hands began to shake.
— Mom? — Mira called, noticing something wrong.
— Your face turned pale! — Raven said, leaning forward, worried.
Rem didn't answer. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears.
“Mira, come here.” Her voice was shaky, but firm enough to sound calm.
Mira, confused and increasingly anxious, approached.
“What’s wrong?” Mira asked, sitting down next to her. “What happened?”
Rem took a deep breath, holding her daughter’s hand. Her mother’s gaze met her daughter’s, and Mira felt a chill run down her spine.
“Stay calm, dear. Listen carefully.”
— Mom? — Mira insisted, now with an almost pleading tone. Fear was evident in her eyes, as if she already knew the answer, but refused to accept it.
Rem squeezed her daughter's hand tighter, as if she was gathering strength to say those words.
“Your father…” she began, her voice breaking, as if each word was an impossible burden to bear.
“No…” Mira whispered, her eyes wide. “Don't tell me he lost…”
Rem couldn't take it anymore. The tears, which she had tried to hold back until that moment, ran down her face. She pulled Mira into a tight hug.
“He's dead…” Rem whispered, her voice breaking.
“No!” Mira screamed, her tears bursting as she clung to her mother. “It can't be true!”
Sarah and Raven watched the scene in silence, not knowing what to say or how to react. Raven closed her eyes, holding back her own tears, while Sarah looked away, trying to contain her tears and respect the moment between mother and daughter.
“It’s impossible, this must be a lie!” Mira sobbed, her body trembling as she held her mother’s clothes.
“I know…” Rem murmured, stroking her daughter’s hair. “But it was Kay who warned me…”
For a few moments, the world outside the plane ceased to exist. Only the sound of Mira’s sobs and Rem’s silent crying filled the cabin.
“I don’t know how I’m going to face them…” Kay murmured, her voice heavy, staring into space. “If only Rem were here and not with me, this wouldn’t have happened…”
“I couldn’t know!” Thais replied firmly. “And it’s not your fault! It’s the ghouls who killed the captain!”
Kay sighed deeply and looked away, as if those words didn’t comfort him.
“Can you sit down for a bit?” — he asked, almost in a whisper.
Thais looked at him, a little confused, but obeyed, sitting on the edge of the wall.
“Like this?” she asked, curious.
Without answering, Kay lay down on the wall, resting his head on her lap.
“I drank a lot of coffee…” he confessed, with a tired tone, closing his eyes. “But I ended up overdoing it. Let me rest just a little bit…”
Thais smiled, a soft expression taking over her face. She began to stroke Kay’s hair, her hands gently sliding through his hair.
“Rest. You did well.” she said, softly, as if afraid of breaking the moment.
— Ask Fernanda to send the institute to come and get those ghouls... — Kay murmured, her voice muffled by exhaustion. — But first, send our squad to touch their bodies.
— I'll warn them, don't worry. — Thais replied, picking up her cell phone without interrupting the caress.
Silence hung between the two. Kay fell asleep almost instantly, exhaustion finally overcoming him.
Thais observed his face, more serene now, and a melancholic smile appeared on her lips.
— Have you slept yet?! — she whispered, more to herself. Her eyes softened, reflecting a mix of admiration and sadness. — You must have worked harder than usual to get here... Thank you for coming so quickly.
She swallowed hard, as discreet tears threatened to fall.
"As much as the ghouls said they wouldn't attack us, letting them get away unharmed would be humiliating for the army." — she thought, looking away to the horizon, where the sky was beginning to lighten.
Taking out her cell phone, Thais quickly forwarded the message to Fernanda and the others. The weight of responsibility seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders.
“What’s going to happen from now on?” Thais murmured, worried, looking at the horizon with her eyes still moist.
Time passed slowly, until, an hour later, the sound of helicopters and vehicles began to echo in the distance.