Shadow Slave | School Days

Who do you want Noctis to fight this arc? And who is stronger between Current Cassie and Luster?

--

Standing within the frameworks of the building, Sunny decided to take a light break before construction continued. After all, there were things that needed addressing that he had been putting off. Whatever was included within the cartridge was serious, and Orion sending Luster, his strongest recruit to send it off made it more pressing.

Turning around, he was greeted by Jessica's face which was only a few inches away from his own as she wore a wide smile. "We're out here hard at work, don't tell me you're going to rest already." Beads of sweat that lingered across her body collided with the rays of the sun, creating an ethereal rainbow-like effect around her as her smile beamed at him.

Stepping out of her way, Sunny waved her off as he pulled the cartridge from his pocket. "I need to watch the video, remember? From the way Luster spoke about it, something serious is in there." Jessica's features immediately hardened, following after Sunny intently as the rest continued to work.

Sitting down on the wooden log he had decreed was a bench, Sunny removed his phone from his pocket as he inserted the cartridge with an indifferent expression. His mask of indifference quickly faded though as a pair of soft lips collided with his cheek, causing his entire body to shudder in fear and his form to tense.

"Sorry, sorry, I thought you had gotten better." Sunny stared at Jessica, a furious blush on his face as he sighed, allowing his body to relax as he placed a hand over his fast-beating heart. "I don't think this is something I can get over. But more importantly, why did you kiss me!?"

Instead of replying immediately, Jessica sat right next to him, killing as much distance as possible without creating any physical content as she tied her hair up. Sunny stared at the woman for a moment with awe, despite his utter reluctance in admitting it, he was surrounded by beautiful women.

Noticing his gaze, Jessica smiled at him, cocking her head to the side as she stared at his phone. "Do you like what you see?" She asked, leaning forward expectantly as Sunny turned his face away from her, mumbling a quiet yes before shaking his head feverishly.

"Back to the video!" He exclaimed, an aura of calm coalescing across the bench as the two sat in silence to watch the harrowing events that would take place within the video.

Both of their eyes were graced with an unfamiliar ceiling, a young boy who resembled Sunny's earlier years down to the finest detail and multiple animals. 'I don't remember this... did I suppress these memories subconsciously?' Sunny wondered to himself.

And the answer was yes, what he saw let him know that was the right choice.

--

Usually, entities of high size are praised for their amazing power and resilience, being able to shrug off attacks that lesser entities would be felled by with relative ease. However, their fatal flaw was their lack of speed.

Animals of significant weight needed to expend far greater energy if they needed to move at high speeds compared to lighter creatures. That was simply an unwritten yet supremely omnipresent rule in which no animal that had ever existed had been able to defy.

Yet, here this creature was, this nightmare, defying the laws on its own.

Cassie barely had time to react. Even with her echolocation, the sheer speed of the creature forced her onto the defensive. She leaped back, air screaming as one of the beast's hooves crashed down onto the tree she once stood on. In a single motion, the horse had toppled it like it were a piece of paper across the road.

Eubin moved, flicking her wrists as wires flashed like silver fangs as they shot forward towards the horse's legs. The steel threads wrapped around it's limbs in an instant, ready to tighten—But the beast twisted unnaturally, as if it understood her intent.

With a single, violent buck, it ripped free of the binding, snapping the reinforced wires like strands of grass. "This isn't something we can run from! We're killing this thing here!" Eubin commanded, it was clear that the rest of the beasts had not approached the clearing for a reason.

They were afraid of the apex predator.

The onyx monster reared up, front hooves rising high before coming down with devastating force. Beneath its weight, the ground shook, sending a light shockwave that pushed all three warriors back. "Why does a horse have toned abs!?" Cassie exclaimed, slightly shocked at the horse's excellent physique.

Nephis took the opening. Launching herself forward, she turned into a blur of muscle and intent. Her footwork was sharp, weaving between the beast's strikes as she closed the distance. She ducked low, avoiding a wild kick before shifting inside her effective range.

"I may not understand much, but this...isn't complicated." She muttered. Her arms locked around its front leg. She wrenched, using precise leverage and explosive strength to unbalance the beast. For the first time, the horse staggered. Eubin saw the opening like a hungry predator.

Her wires shot forward once more, wrapping around the beast's throat, binding its movements with reinforced tension. "Why get in close when I could do this? Well...I guess outperforming Changing Star at her specialty could have benefits." She muttered, staring at her handiwork with glee.

This time, the steel threads held. She yanked—tightening the grip, cutting off the darkened monster's ability to manoeuvre. Cassie moved in next. A single, precise lunge. Her rapier gleamed; a sliver of light aimed straight for the beast's eye.

And for a moment, victory seemed possible.

Until it wasn't.

The horse moved. It's entire form blurred like shifting smoke, dodging at an unnatural angle. Instead of piercing flesh, Cassie's blade sliced through empty air. The next instant, a hoof slammed forward—so fast she barely had time to react. Pain exploded across her limbs as she flew back, skidding against the dirt.

Turning her head slightly, Eubin stared at Cassie with mild concern, causing her iron grip to falter for the slightest of moments. Such openings got you killed in battle. A powerful twist sent the wires snapping apart once again, forcing Eubin to retreat before she, too, was crushed under the onslaught of thrashing limbs.

Despite the odds, Nephis moved further into range, her eyes completely focused on the beast before her as she moved reflexively. She rolled under another crushing hoof, rising into a tight stance before shifting forward. A brutal elbow slammed into the beast's neck, but something was wrong.

It wasn't like she was hitting a human. No, it was like she was hitting a wall.

A threshold she would die if she didn't surpass.

With a sharp exhale, it thrust its chest forward, slamming against Nephis as she was sent flying into the ancient stone pillars that the horse had seemingly made his home. The structure cracked upon impact, dust and debris cascading around her as she slumped forward.

"How the fuck is a horse that strong!" Eubin exclaimed, the idea of retreat seemed completely enticing at the moment, but despite how slim the odds were, things hadn't gotten deadly yet. Each of them were monsters in their own right, predators who had survived the brutal years of being prey. They wouldn't break here.

Cassie coughed, rising from where she had landed. Her vision wavered, getting hit by the horse was like getting hit by Orion on a small scale. Still absolutely devastating. She saw the beast's muscles coiling, an impending stomp that would shatter bones on impact.

"Move!" She roared, more to herself than anyone else as she dove to the side. Eubin reacted instantly, flipping backward as the beast's hooves came crashing down. The sheer force of the impact left a crater where they had once stood.

Instead of backing away, Nephis surged forward. She caught the horse mid-movement, locking it's foreleg with a brutal grip. Muscles strained, tendons screamed—then, with a violent pull, she forced the beast to it's knees. Eubin's wires flashed. Dozens of strands wrapped around the beast's body.

She wasn't playing around anymore.

Using the opening, Cassie lunged forward, blade aimed true piercing the air towards the beast's eye. But, despite her work, her planning, her reflexes, the horse reared back. Not enough to break it's binds, but enough to put Cassie in the range of it's teeth. Almost mockingly, it was forcing Eubin to make a choice.

Let the prey go or Cassie gets brutalized.

The choice was easy, being made on reflex even as she slackened her wires, causing the horse to overshoot it's attack as it missed Cassie by a fraction. Instead of following up, it bolted in the other direction, fearing for it's life. In the end, it would always be more beneficial to live another day.

That was until a scythe lazily emerged from the trees, placing itself right in the horses path as it used the horse's combined force as well as the supreme sharpness of her blade to wrench the animal's head off in a single motion.

Dark blue hair emerged from the trees, a blackened military bodysuit donning the woman's body as she jumped down. Staring at the horse before wiping her hands and twirling the scythe idly. Each of the three tired women stared at her in shock, she had waited for the horse to be sufficiently fatigued and taken advantage.

A true opportunist.

However, that wasn't the source of Nephis' and Cassie's surprise. It was the familiarity. The eerie familiarity that reminded the two women of times that they once possessed, simpler and more peaceful times. One where death only came from old age.

And yet, almost mockingly, a ghostly woman in the visage of a soul reaper had arrived.

It was Jet.