Descendant of Sloth

My knees shivered. My breath hitching as the horror unfolded before me. This wasn't just an attack—it was a massacre. 

"What the fuck just happened here? How can it be that we couldn't detect it??" One of my teammates yelled, his voice filled with disbelief and panic as he surveyed the devastation. 

Flames roared around us. The air stank of smoke and blood —a suffocation that made it hard to breathe. Hosts lurked in the burning streets, feasting on humans. I see my neighbors and vendors getting killed. 

The demon hosts silhouettes twisting in the firelight of the evening. 

*Tap* *Tap* 

I didn't wait for orders. My body moved before I could think. I ran, sprinting toward my building, toward my street, my home. My heart pulsing fast inside as adrenaline surged through me. 

"Adrian!" Hina's voice broke through the chaos, filled with concern. 

"Protect the civilians!" Henry shouted behind me, his voice commanding and urgent. "Take down as many hosts as possible until the Vigilant order arrives! Move it!" 

As I dashed through the familiar streets, the world around me showed more chaos. Bodies littered on the ground. People I knew—my neighbors, shopkeepers, the old man who always sat on the bench across the street—all gone. 

A woman lay on the pavement, holding her child in her arms. Her face was filled with tears, her body shaking with terror. In front of her, a complete host towered, its grin stretching too wide in amusement. A rusted sword on his hand, dripping with blood. The mother's lips moved silently, begging for mercy, her eyes wide with horror. 

The host raised its sword, and in that moment, I moved. 

"NO!" I screamed. 

I launched myself forward, dagger materializing in my hand. With a clean, precise strike, I drove the blade into the host's neck, black ichor spraying as its body crumpled to the ground. Its lifeless smile stayed frozen, even in death. 

"Hina!" I shouted, turning back to see her catching up to me. 

"Take them to safety!" I pointed at the mother and child with urgency. 

Hina nodded and she knelt beside the woman. "Come on, you're safe now. Follow me!" 

The woman sobbed with relief as she stood on her feet, clutching her child close. 

"Thank you," she whispered, though her voice was nearly drowned out by the surrounding chaos. 

I didn't wait to see them leave. I turned and ran again—toward my apartment, my footsteps echoing on the blood-streaked pavement. 

Desperation burned in my lungs, every breath was getting heavier and heavier and the blur image of my parents face, a girl dead in my arms was flashing repeatedly which I was trying my best to keep behind. 

By the time I reached my building, the flames had climbed high, reaching the windows and on the walls as they burn. My boots thudding with every step. 

And then I saw him. 

A man standing in between of the flames, perfectly still, like a statue. His left leg and shoulder was burning in fire but he was painless. His head tilted slightly, and when he turned to face me, my heart stopped. 

"No..." I whispered. 

It was Arlo. 

His eyes glowed red—a soulless, empty red that sent chills down my spine. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes like tears, and his face was twisted into something unnatural. His voice broke the silence. 

"You... didn't... s-save... m-me..." 

The words struck me like a blade to the chest. My knees felt weak. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. 

"Arlo...." I choked out, stepping toward him. My hand trembled around the handle of my dagger. 

The body moved then, stumbling down the stairs, blood oozing from his mouth as his body jerked unnaturally. Every step he took echoed with a dragging sound, like a bag of cement against the floor. 

"Save me..." he repeated, his voice hollow. 

I froze, my breath caught in my throat. My childhood friend stood before me, twisted beyond recognition. Memories of us flashed through my mind—running through fields, laughing at stupid jokes, arguing about meaningless things. Arlo, who had always been cheerful and full of life... now a walking dead.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. 

Arlo's head snapped up. His eyes locked onto mine. 

"Kill... me..." he rasped. 

"Arlo..." My voice cracked. 

"You... have... always... been... strong..." he stammered, his words broken and jagged. "S-save... kill me..." 

Tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision. I gripped my dagger tighter. My knuckles turned white. 

"I'm sorry...." I said again, though the words felt meaningless. 

Arlo leapes forward. His movements were erratic, monstrous. I jumped back, narrowly avoiding his grasp. I could hear the pounding of my heart and the echoes of our childhood. 

You have always been strong... 

My hand trembled as I raised my dagger. I forced myself to look at him—not as a monster, but as my friend. 

"Goodbye, Arlo," I whispered, my voice breaking. 

I dashed forward, my dagger slicing cleanly through his chest. His body went still. The red glow in his eyes faded, and he crumpled into my arms. 

For a long moment, I just held him. His body felt so small now, fragile. My tears dripped onto his face, mixing with the blood. 

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I whispered, rocking back and forth. The world outside fell away. It was just me and Arlo, my friend who I couldn't save. 

The sound of heavy footsteps pulled me back to reality. I looked up. The stairwell was crawling with hosts. More than I could count. Their forms loomed over me, their grins wide and hungry. Behind them, massive demon hosts lurked, their dark bodies radiating a suffocating aura and smile on their faces 

I should have been scared. I should have run. But as I looked down at Arlo's lifeless face, something snapped inside me. The image of my sister and parents flashed through my mind, their faces pale and frightened. I had failed them. And now, I had failed Arlo too. 

"Why?" I muttered, my voice shaking. My body trembled as rage and grief swirled inside me, a storm that refused to be contained. 

"Why? Why? WHY?!" I screamed, my voice raw and broken. 

Black vapor began to seep from my skin, swirling around me like a living thing. 

~A serene face of the devil with wings curled around him who was sleeping, peacefully felt a slight disturbance in his eternal slumber. 

My breath came in ragged gasps as the energy crackled and the pressure around me increased. The hosts hesitated, their red eyes watching me with something like fear. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" I roared, the scream tearing through the air like a thunderclap. 

From below, my other team members looked up at the building, Hina's face pale with horror. She clutched her chest, her voice trembling. 

"Adrian..." 

The entire building shuddered. The air vibrated violently, the sheer force of it rippling outward. Car windows shattered. Glass rained down from broken windows, and the sound echoed through the burning streets like a chorus of screams.