Grey: Monsters

My chest was on fire. The heat spread to other parts of my body, as if I were being roasted from the inside. My throat felt dry, my stomach hollow. I was thirsty, hungry for the blood and flesh of the Nephilim standing before me. But in my current state, it was impossible—I couldn't win. I was already at my limit, my limbs tired and heavy.

Supporting myself on one knee, I gazed at the Nephilim. It looked unfazed, as if our battle meant nothing. I couldn't see its facial expression, but by its posture, I knew it wasn't panicking.

What should I do? I'm out of tricks, out of strength, but one thing's for sure—I'm not letting it reach the construction site.

"It seems like our brawl has come to an end."

Eh

The air behind him tore open, revealing a vast expanse of space.

"I wasn't able to retrieve you after all, but this curiosity inside me—it's like a hunger. I want to know more, to understand why. But I guess it won't be today. We'll meet again, hybrid."

He pointed his palm at the corpse. A hole formed in his hand, and it began sucking in everything and sucked the body too. He turned, ready to step into the rift.

"Wait, bastard!"

I rushed forward with every ounce of strength I had left, but before I could reach him, he disappeared into the void.

Not only did I not kill that bastard, he also took the body of that girl

Everything is so fucked

***

One by one, everyone gathered at the construction site, where the buses were parked. Leonard stood, waiting patiently.

"Captain, we heard your call," Haruchi and Kitetsu arrived together, along with some of the Squad Six members, including Ko Hinetsu.

"What about the others?" Leonard asked.

"They should be on their way. I haven't seen them since we split up," Kitetsu said, glancing at Haruchi.

"Eh... I didn't see them either. But I thought Ryuma said Ms. Saiya was in trouble," Haruchi added.

Just as they spoke, Saiya appeared, breathing heavily.

"Senior Saiya, thank goodness you're alright!" Kitetsu and Haruchi rushed to her.

"I'm fine," Saiya replied quietly.

"And where's Ryuma?" Leonard asked.

"He... he's on his way. We got separated, but he's fine."

"Oho, that dude? Fine on his own? I doubt it. He can't even outrun a nine-year-old," Haruchi scoffed.

"Come on, don't talk behind his back," Kitetsu chided.

"What about Yui? I don't see her with you. Is she with Ryuma?" one of the girls in Squad Six asked.

Saiya fell silent, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She quickly wiped them away.

"She... she didn't make it," Saiya said softly.

"What? What do you mean she didn't make it?" The girl walked up to Saiya and grabbed her collar. "What do you mean she didn't make it?"

"She's dead," Saiya whispered.

"And I'm asking you, what the fuck does that mean? You were the one in danger, and she was sent to help you. You left her to die while you ran back here like a coward?"

"I—" Saiya stammered.

"You—"

"That's enough!" Squad Six's captain, Reiko, barked. She approached them, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Captain—"

"I said that's enough." Fumi's voice softened, and the girl released Saiya's collar, wiping her tears.

"Lieutenant Benchiro Saiya, I need a full report. Explain what happened, and how Yui died."

Saiya began speaking as if she were being interrogated, detailing how her sensitive nose had made her fall ill.

"So you're saying these guns don't work on them?"

"Yes."

"That's strange. Yui was the best shooter in the team, one of the best we had. For her bullets to have no effect... that's strange."

"Oh, maybe Lieutenant Saiya over here fabricated the whole story to save face. Maybe she lied about her nose too—"

"You had bread with apple jam and coffee this morning before coming out. Your shampoo is strawberry-scented, just like mine."

"You—" The girl was speechless. Everything Saiya said was true.

"I have no reason to lie about what happened in battle. There's no benefit for me. We were all caught off guard. Yui was at the front. I could have been next if not for Ryuma."

"Ryuma? What did Ryuma do?" Haruchi asked.

"He... he pushed me out of the way before the bullet could hit me. Then he engaged with it, giving me time to escape. He said he'd catch up."

"That guy, saving you? Ha, that's hilarious."

"It's not funny, Haruchi," Kitetsu snapped.

"Oh, sorry, my bad—"

"He saved me twice today," Saiya said, walking away. She boarded the bus and grabbed two blades similar to hers, strapping on a grenade.

"Where are you going?" Leonard asked.

"I need to check if he's alive. He might be in danger."

"Wait, guys," Haruchi spoke up. "Apart from Ryuma and Yui, someone else is missing."

Everyone exchanged glances.

"Where's Lieutenant Nagato?"

***

Huff... Huff...

I was exhausted, but at least the casualty count was only one. Still, if I'd sensed its presence earlier, I could have prevented it. I could have saved that girl. Just like that, a life was gone, all because of that faceless monster. But still... I learned a lot today, things even humanity doesn't know. If my hunch is right, these Nephilim aren't just flesh-hungry beasts—they're a civilization centuries ahead of humans. To create a portal like that... that's something else.

I was about to revert my transformation when B spoke.

"Ryuma, we have company."

"What?!"

I turned, only to find Nagato standing before me, a long blade hovering near my throat. In that moment, my life flashed before my eyes…I knew that this day was not avoidable

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