"Flow beasts! He called an army of them on us!"

The air crackled with a sinister energy as Oliver vanished. In his place, a snarling pack of Flow Beasts materialized – fourteen hulking nightmares with glowing red eyes that locked onto us with predatory hunger. Confusion clawed at me. Oliver's parting gift – an entire army of monsters. How did he pull that off?

Lou, however, seemed unfazed. He let out a low hum, his signature prelude to battle, then a smirk played on his lips. "Interesting," he muttered, stroking his chin as he assessed the beasts. "Most are C-class or higher. Not a bad challenge."

Before I could react, he scooped up Mina and launched himself into the branches of a nearby tree, putting a good distance between us and the encroaching horde. "Bug," he called down, his voice carrying an unnerving cheer, "Looks like you have some company! Get to it!"

My jaw slackened. "All mine?" I squeaked, the Morphblade feeling inexplicably cold in my hand. "You can't be serious! There are fourteen of them!"

Lou chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes. He peered down from his perch, seemingly unaffected by my mounting panic. "Thirteen actually," he corrected, counting the beasts with a nonchalant air. "Seems one decided to take an early lunch break."

The weight of his words slammed into me. He'd tossed me into the heart of a monster brawl without batting an eyelid. This wasn't just a test; it was a baptism by fire.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Terror pulsed through me, a cold fist squeezing my heart. Thirteen Flow Beasts, each a grotesque tapestry of claws, fangs, and pure malice, circled me like a ravenous pack. My breath hitched in my throat, the metallic tang of blood mingling with the acrid scent of impending death.

The first beast lunged, a blur of obsidian fur and razor-sharp claws. I swung the Morphblade with all my might, shaping it into my trusty Death’s Tear, the clang of Flow on flesh echoing through the clearing. The beast recoiled, a chunk of flesh sheared from its flank, but the pain only seemed to fuel its fury.

Before I could capitalize, another beast, a hulking monstrosity with glowing red eyes, slammed into me from the side. The impact sent me sprawling, the Morphblade clattering out of reach. I scrambled to my knees as I stretched a hand to the hilt, panic a suffocating shroud in my lungs, this was my first time fighting such a horde in this body after all.

Desperation fueled my next move. I channeled Flow, willing it into existence, but the surge was pathetic. A meager blade of energy materialized in my hand, barely a flicker against the encroaching darkness.

A guttural roar ripped through the air. A monstrous boar, its hide matted with dried blood and glistening with saliva, charged at me. I raised the flickering blade, a whimper escaping my lips. While the impact was good for me, my blade splitting the boar's tusk in two, I was still pushed by its overwhelming gigantic body.

Pain exploded in my arm, a searing agony that sent me tumbling backward. The beast loomed over me, its fetid breath washing over my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the final blow.

But it never came. A guttural snarl, different from the others, filled the air. I cracked open an eye, a sliver of hope flickering within. Lou stood before me, his Flow crackling with a vibrant silver aura. Below him, the massive Flow Beast, lay twitching on the ground, its throat ripped open.

Lou's gaze was a dagger, piercing through me. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and the air crackled with tension. With a violent exhale, he unleashed a tempestuous aura, forcing the Flow Beasts to retreat. Before I could react, his hand clamped down on my clothes, lifting me effortlessly into the air.

"Bug," he growled, his voice like thunder, "You were on the brink of death. A single moment more, and you'd be nothing but a corpse. Yet, you stand there, paralyzed."

His grip tightened, cutting off my breath. I managed a weak nod.

"Then why the hell are you holding back?" he roared, shaking me like a rag doll. "You’re holding back, just like that Oliver dude said! You have the power to annihilate them with a flick of your wrist. Morphblade, Aura, whatever! Unleash the monster within you! You're capable of more than you think!"

He hurled me to the ground, the impact jarring my spine. I forced myself to look up, meeting his furious gaze.

"I'm scared," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper. "I know what I can do, but the thought of using my full power terrifies me. I fear becoming something... monstrous."

“I’m scared that if I show this world my true colors, I’ll end up reaching the place I hate the most…”

A heavy silence descended, thick and oppressive. It was the kind of quiet that screamed of unspoken truths and underlying tensions. Then, a mirthless chuckle escaped Lou's lips, a jarring discord in the still air. His hand flew to his forehead, a mask of feigned amusement.

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"Scared?" he scoffed, his voice laced with contempt. The tempestuous aura that had roiled around him began to subside, a controlled calm replacing the raw fury. His gaze, however, remained as sharp as ever, fixed on me with a penetrating intensity.

"Did you know," he began, his tone dripping with condescension, "those who fear their own power are the epitome of cowardice? But you," he added, his finger jabbing a pointed accusation, "you're not one of them. So prove it. Show us your true colors. Not to become a monster, but to avoid becoming a pathetic coward." With that, he retreated to Mina's side, his eyes glinting with anticipation.

A wave of realization washed over me. Lou's words, harsh as they were, carried a kernel of truth. I had been a prisoner of my past, allowing fear to dictate my actions. But was I truly destined to be a victim of my own power? A surge of determination ignited within me, a counterpoint to the fear that had held me captive.

"Why did you suddenly decide to spell words with such sense, Lou?" I muttered, a wry grin tugging at my lips as I sheathed my Morphblade and discarded the bracer. My Flow surged through me, an untamed tempest of energy. "Whatever. You and Oliver are right. I've been holding back. But no more."

My voice hardened. "Back off, Lou. Take Mina with you!" I crouched low, arms outstretched, my head lowered to meet the onslaught of Flow Beasts. It was a gamble, a desperate play. I'd planned to perfect this move, but survival dictated otherwise.

Unlike others, I possessed a unique ability. I could perceive the Flow in the atmosphere. While I couldn't absorb it, I could establish a connection, akin to the Flow Circuits. A wild idea took hold. What if I channeled my Flow into the surrounding air? Could I control it?

"Eidos: Way of the Wind," I declared, the words a catalyst for chaos. The move was raw, unrefined. My Flow poured into the atmosphere with reckless abandon, overwhelming my control. A monstrous vortex of wind erupted, a cyclopean tempest of nature's fury. It grew, a ravenous beast consuming everything in its path, while I remained its captive at the eye of the storm.

Lou's triumphant laughter echoed amidst the chaos, followed by the sound of his retreat with Mina. The Flow Beasts were tossed about like rag dolls, their bodies battered by the tempest and my overwhelming Flow. Trees uprooted, their limbs transformed into deadly projectiles. The world was a whirlwind of destruction as the logs mercilessly pierced the Flow Beasts. Finally, my focus depleted, the vortex began to dissipate, leaving behind a desolate landscape strewn with the remnants of battle.

The aftermath was a stark, desolate beauty. Trees, once towering giants, were now mere splinters scattered across the land. I stood amidst this chaos, a solitary figure, my gaze fixed on the coat Oliver had left behind. It had survived the tempest, a curious anomaly in this ravaged landscape. I pulled it on, a makeshift replacement for my destroyed cloak. The coat was too large, but it offered some semblance of warmth and protection.

Lou returned, Mina slung carelessly over his shoulder. His grin was infectious, a stark contrast to the somber mood that had settled upon me. "Look at you, hiding more tricks up your sleeve!" he exclaimed, ruffling my hair. "Why didn't you tell me about your Eidos?" His tone was laced with pride, a sentiment I thought I appreciated.

I shrugged, the coat's collar pulled high to hide my face. "It wasn't perfected yet," I mumbled, my voice barely audible. "And it drains me."

Lou's cheerful demeanor faltered. He studied me for a moment, his gaze piercing. Then, with a heavy sigh, he started walking. "You just proved that you're not a coward, you know," he said, his voice soft. "You did great."

I followed silently, my mind racing. The weight of my actions pressed down on me, a crushing burden. My eyes, once filled with a childlike wonder, now held the cold, empty stare of a seasoned warrior. The echoes of my past life, the life of Ash Wyvern, were growing louder.

"I may not cower anymore, now that I've embraced my power," I began, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "But I'm undeniably treading a monstrous path. A path I can't escape, I'm certain of it. And you, you’re also certain of it…"

His head turned, his gaze meeting mine in a ‘supposedly’ silent acknowledgment. Don't make me laugh. He was one of Them, a high-ranking Sponsor. But that was a chasm away from the abyss I was plunging into.

His signature sigh interrupted my spiraling thoughts. "What I'm about to say might be a bit out of character," he began, as we reached camp, and he gently set Mina down. "You're right, you're becoming a monster. A fate you believe is inescapable, a curse you've been condemned to."

He stepped closer, his finger flicking my forehead, a sharp contrast to the gravity of his words. "But instead of letting that shadow consume you," he continued, his voice low and steady, "perhaps it's time to realize that some people can see the monster within you and still choose to see you as something more."

My eyes widened in disbelief, my jaw slackening slightly. I stumbled backward, my gaze locked on Lou's irritated features and shadowed eyes. I was speechless. Lou, however, was not.

"Your parents don't see you as a monster," he continued, his voice steady. "Romeo doesn't see you as a monster. I as hell don't see you as a monster. And this little one here?" He ruffled Mina's hair affectionately. "You saved her life. To her, you're a hero, not a monster."

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. "So what if you're a monster? What matters is the monster you choose to be in your heart."

Before I could process his words, Mina tugged on my coat, her hazel eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety and gratitude. "Um, this... this flew away earlier," she stammered, holding up the torn piece of my bracer. "I think it's important to you..."

Her cheeks flushed as she explained. Despite her obvious nervousness, she was determined to express her thanks. "Thank you... If it wasn't for you, Oliver might have taken me back to the tower. So... thank you."

A warm sensation spread through me as I looked into her trusting eyes. A genuine smile crept across my lips, a stark contrast to the turmoil within. I gently patted her hair, then knelt to meet her gaze. "No," I shook my head. "It's I who should be thanking you," I added, my hand now gently resting on her cheek as I enjoyed beholding the innocence in her round face and feeling the smoothness of her olive skin.

“You just saved me from the abyss, little girl. So, thank you!”