Slayer: I Will Eradicate All Monsters

Damien froze as the hulking shadow shifted in the fog, and a guttural snarl echoed through the ruins. His heartbeat quickened, but he gripped his sword tighter, refusing to give in to the cold fear creeping into his chest.

"Stay alert!" Jasons's voice rang out from behind. "They're testing us. Don't let your guard down."

Before anyone could respond, a shriek ripped through the air, high-pitched and bone-chilling. From the shadows emerged the first beast—a creature as grotesque as a nightmare. Its body was emaciated yet unnervingly powerful, its limbs long and twisted like gnarled tree branches. Its skin glistened with a slimy, black sheen, and its face was a grotesque amalgamation of jagged teeth and hollow, glowing eyes.

A girl near Damien, Elise, let out a terrified gasp, stepping back instinctively. "W-what is that thing…?"

Before she could finish, the creature lunged, its claws slashing through the air. Damien moved without thinking, intercepting the beast with a sharp slash to its side. His blade met resistance, the thick, sinewy hide slowing his cut. Black ichor sprayed across his arm, the stench so foul it made his stomach churn. The beast shrieked, its glowing eyes locking onto him with a murderous glare.

"Damn it!" Damien cursed, kicking the creature back. He felt a strange, cold rage rising in himF, an overwhelming desire to destroy the abomination before him.

"Damien, behind you!" Jason shouted, but his warning came too late. Another beast shot out from the fog, its claws aimed directly for Damien's back.

Several bolts flew out piercing the beast in its vital spot, with a dying growl the beast fell and slithered across the ground to Damien's feet. Damien turned to the perpetrator. 

" You are welcome " Sara said turning to the other beasts.

More beasts emerged from the fog, their guttural growls blending into a horrifying cacophony. The students tightened their formation, their earlier bravado dissolving into sheer terror.

Black fluid flew out of an Otherworld monster and a red haired girl wielding a scythe emerged from its corpse. 

" So many ? " Aylen's eyes widened in shock , her hands trembling.

"Hold the line!" Leon yelled, his shield raised. But even his voice trembled, betraying his fear.

The monsters were relentless, their twisted forms darting in and out of the fog with unnatural speed. One of the creatures tore through the side of a lanky boy named Fredrick, who screamed as he fell to the ground clutching his arm.

"Help me!" Fredrick sobbed, his eyes wide with panic.

Damien felt a pang of guilt but pushed it aside. He swung his sword with renewed force, severing the head of the beast that had attacked Fredrick. Its body collapsed in a heap, twitching unnaturally before going still.

"Get up, Fredrick!" Damien snapped, dragging the boy to his feet. "If you stay down, you'll die."

Fredrick nodded shakily, his face pale, but he gripped his spear with trembling hands and joined the line once more.

Despite the students' best efforts, the beasts kept coming. The ground was slick with black ichor, the stench of death and decay thick in the air. A girl named Lara let out a scream as one of the monsters tackled her to the ground, its claws tearing into her chest armor.

"No!" Damien roared, his body moving before his mind could catch up. His sword glowed faintly as he drove it through the creature's back with a force that cracked the ground beneath them. The beast writhed for a moment before going limp, and Damien pulled Lara to her feet.

"Don't freeze up," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "They won't stop just because you're scared."

Lara nodded, her face streaked with tears but her grip on her weapon tightening.

The fog grew thicker, and the students' fear was palpable. Their breaths came in short gasps, their movements sluggish. Damien's gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the carnage. For every beast they killed, another seemed to take its place.

"Focus!" Anna's voice cut through the chaos. She stood a safe distance away, her piercing gaze watching their every move. "The monsters aren't invincible. Find their weak points. Use your fear—turn it into strength!"

Damien's grip on his sword tightened, her words igniting something deep within him. His mind flashed back to the faces of the villagers in Unem Village, their smiles, their laughter. He remembered the children's cries as their homes burned, the helplessness he'd felt as he failed to protect them.

Aylen took a shaky breath and thrust her scythe into the creature's skull, ending its life. Her hands trembled as she pulled the weapon free, but a spark of resolve lit in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Jason moved with practiced agility, weaving between the monsters with deadly precision. His daggers flashed as he struck weak points, keeping the beasts off balance. "Damien, you owe me if I get more kills than you!"

Damien didn't respond. His focus was razor-sharp, his sword moving with deadly efficiency. Each swing was precise, each kill clean. His movements grew faster and more brutal with every beast he cut down, his killing intent radiating like a storm.

"Damien!" Sara called out, her voice tinged with concern. "Don't lose yourself!"

He barely heard her. All he could see were the monsters—disgusting, vile creatures that didn't deserve to exist. The memories of Unem Village and his mother's smile flashed in his mind. His grip on the sword tightened, and his strikes became more forceful, fueled by a cold, unrelenting fury.

Aylen, fighting nearby, glanced at him and shivered. "What's with him…? It's like he's a completely different person."

In Damien's vision the monsters were no longer just obstacles—they were enemies that had to be annihilated.

One of the beasts lunged at him, its claws aiming for his throat. Damien sidestepped with fluid precision, his sword cleaving through its neck in one clean motion. He didn't stop there, rushing forward to meet the next creature head-on.

His classmates watched him in awe, his movements growing more aggressive and precise with each kill. Jason, emboldened by Damien's ferocity, let out a battle cry and charged into the fray, his daggers flashing as he struck at a beast's legs, bringing it down.

 Elise, who had been trembling earlier, gritted her teeth and lunged at a smaller beast, her blade finding its mark.

The students began to push back, their fear slowly giving way to determination. The monsters, sensing the shift, became more erratic, their attacks desperate and disorganized.

As the last beast fell, its body collapsing into the blackened dirt, the fog began to lift. The students stood amidst the carnage, their breaths ragged, their bodies covered in blood and ichor.

Damien stood at the center of the group, his sword dripping with black ichor. His hands trembled, not from fear but from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

On a hill several metres away from the village, Anna sat on her horse, gazing into the distance.

" What is up with that kid...kids his age do not have that killing intent " 

Damien looked deeper into the fog..." There are several Otherworld monsters ahead " he said 

The students nodded, their faces grim but resolute. They couldn't see the beasts but Damien's actions had won their trust.

As they began to regroup, Damien looked at his bloodstained hands. His heart still burned with the desire to protect the innocent, but for the first time, he wondered if that fire would consume him. Unknown to him his dark brown eyes were flashed with a red light and blood red characters were appearing on his back 

Damien's thoughts spiraled for a moment, the weight of the battle sinking in. His bloodstained hands trembled slightly as he wiped them on the dirt. But the anger, the adrenaline—it was still there, still burning. It was a feeling that made him question whether the fire inside him would ever fade.

But now wasn't the time for doubts. The creatures they'd just defeated were only a fraction of what awaited them. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the best of him.

"Damien, you good?" Jason asked, noticing his stillness. His voice carried a slight edge of concern, but there was a touch of humor in it, as if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"Yeah," Damien muttered, shaking off the feeling. "We're not done yet."

Aylen wiped the sweat from her brow, stepping closer to him. "Damien… you were different in there. You've got to be careful not to let that rage take over."

Damien glanced at her, his expression hardening. "I know my limits," he replied, voice tight. But deep down, he wasn't sure.

Lara, her armor dented but still standing, nodded grimly. "She's right. It's like you were…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

"Unstoppable," Jason finished for her, his grin only half-hearted. "But we can't lose ourselves in the fight. We've got to stay sharp, or those beasts win."

Damien knew Jason was right. This wasn't about going berserk; it was about precision, discipline, and teamwork. He had to lead them—not let his anger control him. The next wave would be tougher, and they needed to be in top form.

 "Thank you, Damien "

A rumbling growl echoed from deeper in the fog, and the ground trembled beneath their feet. The students turned as the sound of multiple creatures stirred in the distance. It was as if the beasts had been waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then, from the dense fog, the next monsters emerged. These ones were bigger, bulkier, and more intimidating than anything they had faced so far. The first was a massive quadrupedal creature, its thick, plated hide almost impenetrable. Its large, glowing eyes scanned the group as it slowly stalked forward, its claws scraping the earth.

Behind it, two other creatures appeared—smaller, but just as deadly. One had serpentine tentacles, which writhed and lashed like whips, while the other had wings like a bat, its screeches reverberating through the air.

"These are more powerful," Damien said, his voice low. "We'll need to work together to take them down."

Aylen's eyes narrowed as she looked at the creatures. "These things are stronger than the last group. We'll need to pick our targets."

"We'll have to be strategic," Jason added, already sizing them up. "If we don't focus, they'll tear us apart."

Leon raised his shield and planted it firmly into the ground, taking the lead. "Stay close to me. I'll hold the line while you all take out their weak points."

Damien glanced at Sara, who was already nocking an arrow, her gaze fixed on the massive creature with the glowing eyes. "We'll need long-range support to take down its weak points," he said. "I'll focus on its legs."

"We've got this," Jason said, a grin on his face as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's do it."

The students scattered into position, each of them prepared for the battle ahead. The first beast charged, its massive paws thundering against the ground. Damien rushed forward, meeting it head-on, his sword raised. The creature's claw swiped down, aiming for his torso. He dodged to the side, his blade coming down in a sharp arc, but it only scraped across the beast's thick armor.

"Damn, it's tougher than it looks," Damien muttered, quickly backing up.

The creature swung again, but this time, Damien was ready. He ducked under its arm and sliced at its leg, aiming for the joint. His sword struck true, and the beast let out a roar of pain, staggering back. Its glowing eyes flickered, but it wasn't down yet.

Meanwhile, Sara loosed a barrage of arrows at the creature's exposed neck. The first few hit the thick hide and bounced off, but the last one buried itself deep into a gap between the plates. The creature howled, a spray of black blood shooting from the wound. It stumbled and roared, disoriented.

Jason, ever the opportunist, darted in from the side, his daggers flashing as he aimed for its joints, slicing through the softer spots with precision. "Hit the legs!" he yelled to the others.

The creature let out a deep, rumbling growl, its large claws swiping down at Jason. But Aylen, with her scythe in hand, leaped forward, using her weapon to deflect the strike. The creature's claws scraped against the metal of her armor, but she twisted with the motion and drove her scythe into its side.

The beast roared again, more enraged than ever, but the combined pressure from all sides had begun to take its toll. With a final, collective push, Damien drove his sword into its neck, severing its head with a sickening crack.

The beast collapsed, its body falling heavily to the ground.

"One down!" Jason grinned, wiping sweat from his forehead.

But there was no time to celebrate. The other two creatures weren't waiting—they were already closing in.

The one with the bat-like wings swooped down, its claws extended like daggers. Damien rolled out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding its strike. "We've got to take that one down quickly before it starts flying around," he said.

Leon stepped forward, his towering shield raised. "I'll hold it off. You all focus on its weak spots."

With Leon on the frontlines, the rest of the group rushed in. Aylen struck first, her scythe flashing as she aimed for the creature's wings, hoping to cripple it before it could take flight. Jason darted in, slicing at its exposed joints while Sara provided long-range support, sending arrows flying at its underbelly.

The creature screeched in pain as its wings were sliced, and it staggered, momentarily grounded. Damien saw his opening and lunged forward, driving his sword deep into its side. With a final roar, the creature collapsed.

"Two down," Lara panted, looking around for the last beast.

But the serpentine tentacled monster was still very much a threat. It coiled its long, writhing tentacles, striking at anything that came close. Its eyes glowed with an eerie, malevolent light, and it hissed as it charged toward the group.

"Focus on the tentacles!" Damien ordered. "Take them out one by one!"

The students sprang into action, their teamwork more fluid than ever before. They used their speed and agility to avoid the creature's strikes, each student working in tandem to chop off its tentacles. Jason dove in, his daggers flashing as he severed one of the tentacles. Aylen followed up, her scythe cutting another cleanly in half.

In the end, it was a coordinated strike that brought the beast to its knees. Damien, with a final, powerful thrust, drove his sword through its head, ending its reign of terror.

The battle was won—barely. But the students were no longer the fearful, uncertain group they had been at the start of the trial. Their confidence had grown, and while their bodies were battered and bruised, their resolve was stronger than ever.

Damien looked around at his classmates, each one covered in blood and sweat, but each one standing tall.