"So, Mrs. Roche, where are these little devils?" (Gracia)
"They're hiding in the shed, where I kept two of my horses. They're old now, more like pets. This morning, when I went to feed them, Black Jack was gone, and his companion, poor Apple, had no appetite, not even for apples, which are his favourite." (Rocher)
Old Mrs. Rocher and the policeman walked across the property, far from the city. The farm was dark, except for a few lights coming from the main house. Officer García walked with his shotgun slung over his shoulder and his torch to light the way.
Only the rustling of the trees and the fluttering of a bird in the forest accompanied them. García had felt uneasy since he arrived at the place; something made him nervous, and he could feel his hands sweating.
"Let's take a look at the shed, Mrs. Rocher, behind me" (Garcia).
They both walked to the shed, which looked old but large. There was a faint sound of laughter coming from inside and a strange smell lingered in the air.
(It smells like rotten eggs, how disgusting...) (Garcia).
García gently pushed the door open, and the sight inside made him tighten his grip on his weapon.
There were dozens of small humanoid beings, emaciated and with skin as red as blood, sharp claws on their four-fingered hands, pointed ears, sharp fangs filling their small mouths, eyes as yellow as urine, and all measuring just over a metre in height.
They surrounded poor Apple, a cinnamon-coloured horse that was now little more than pieces of flesh stuck to bones, from his guts to his head, having been gnawed on while still alive.
"Gulp..." (García)
All the Imps turned their heads towards García, some with their snouts still smeared with horse blood.
"Mrs. Rocher, run to your house. I'll hold them off as long as I can." (Gracia)
"Cryyyyaaa"
The first Imp jumped on García, whether due to adrenaline or the wide range of a shotgun, the first Imp exploded into pieces when García fired. In such a small, crowded space, it was difficult to miss, especially when the target was running towards you.
"Cryyyyaaa!!!"
More Imps ran towards García, jumping from the ceiling beams, from the straw, from the walls, looking like a swarm of aggressive bees.
One after another, García destroyed them with a couple of shots.
"Chuck"
(Shit, no ammunition...)
A particularly fat Imp knocked the officer to the ground, several of them grabbed his hands and legs and, without caring about the fabric, sank their fangs into García's flesh. They were small and each individual bite was not a big deal, but when dozens of them bite at once, they are like piranhas on land. In a few minutes, there would be nothing left but the bones of their prey.
"I have to call the police, the army, someone!!!" (Rocher)
The lady ran home, unlocked both doors and hurried into the kitchen. Just as she was about to reach the telephone on the wall, her tired ankle decided to give way, bending at a strange angle, and Mrs Rocher's face became intimately acquainted with the cold, hard kitchen floor.
The little bites from the imps continued to accumulate on García's body, just as a fat imp was about to tear out the carotid artery in García's neck, a powerful wolf's paw split it in half.
"Cough, I think I swallowed some of that!" (García)
The stinking black blood filled García's face and mouth, and he began to pray even though he was not a believer.
(I made it in time, phew ~) (William)
William fell asleep in the back seat of the patrol car, his cat-like form particularly comfortable in this cold weather.
(Now for some nasty little things, it's my turn) (William)
The huge black wolf that seemed to blend into the shadows growled, baring its sharp fangs. In his Grimm form, William had a slight tendency towards violence.
William was like a fox among chickens. Every imp that jumped at him was torn in two by his powerful front paws, ripped apart by his fangs, or kicked against the trees in the distance.
Soon the little imps realised they couldn't even touch his fur. They tried to flee with all their might, but turning their backs on a large predator was not a good idea. Their heads were cut off at the neck or crushed by the weight of William's Grimm form.
(Now there's only one left ~) (William)
William slowly approached the last Imp. It was very small and had always kept to itself, aware that it was the last one standing. His sword struck the wall of the shed.
*Take a breath*
Contrary to what many thought, the little one did not decide to run away. He took a deep breath that made the skin on his throat inflate like a huge red balloon.
(Interesting, let's see what happens in a moment.)
"Gyyyyyyy!!!!!!"
William waited silently, and after a few seconds, the little imp with the inflated throat burst into pieces, releasing a deafening scream.
William took human form and approached the officer. Garcia had lost some blood and looked as pale as death, but he was still breathing.
"He's just sleeping for a while" (William)
William dragged Garcia by one arm to the patrol car, refusing to carry a man in his arms.
"You'll be fine" (William)
William placed his hand on Garcia's shoulder and little by little every wound on his body closed, bites and scratches alike. It seemed like a miracle from heaven.
"Now where is that old lady?"
William entered the house, which looked tidy and clean, contrary to what William had imagined of an elderly, lonely lady. He had originally imagined something like a place full of rubbish and cat litter with dust accumulated everywhere.
"It's just a small bump, she'll be fine."
She received the same treatment as García, dragged to the sofa and covered with a large blanket. The slight wound on her head was treated, and she would probably wake up in a few hours.
*Thump*
There was a faint tremor that caused ripples in the water in a jug on the table.
"I think there are too many of them."
William watched as hundreds of little imps emerged from the ground like ants. The last cry of that little imp was a warning cry to his pack at the cost of his own life, which is why he waited until the end to do so. Everyone wants to live, even that little being who was born only to die at the right moment and warn his species of a potential threat.
William pulled Titan from its sheath at his waist, and with a pleasant metallic clang, Titan expanded to two metres in length.
Farm entrance.
An off-road Jeep stopped right in front of the gate to Mrs. Rocher's farm, its headlights illuminating the desolate dirt road.
"We're late because of you" (Man)
"I drove all day, I wanted a little break" (Girl)
"It was more than a little break, it's nighttime now" (Man)
A large, muscular man got out of the car, his Hawaiian shirt clinging to his body and bulging muscles. Large tattoos covered his skin from his arms to his neck, and his long white hair was tied back in a ponytail.
The big guy angrily complained to his companion, a small girl about 1.50 metres tall, very petite, wearing a long black trench coat, her face covered by her hair, which was black with a few strands of red.
With every step his thick boots took on the ground, his earrings, necklaces and bracelets jingled.
"We're here, that's what matters. Let's get this over with and go back to sleep." (Girl)
The girl ignored him indifferently, seemingly accustomed to her big friend's complaints. The difference in height made them very conspicuous; they looked like a muscular father and his little daughter, but nothing could be further from the truth: the girl was older than the man.
The duo advanced to the front of Mrs. Rocher's house. The corpses of imps still covered the ground of the property, some torn to pieces, but most killed by a clean and perfect cut.
"Who is the boy?" (Man)
The duo watched William wield Titan at an impressive speed, striking any imp that came within range, spinning his spear in 360-degree circles around him. The imps seemed to go mad with rage and did not care about their lives or those of their companions after hearing the previous Sunday Imp's cry.
"No idea, we didn't receive any warning that they would send another 'Fang' to deal with this matter. It's impressive to achieve such mastery with a spear at such a young age." (Girl)
"Should we help him?" (Man)
"It's our job. He's helping us. Let's go before a Royal Guard shows up." (Girl)
The girl quickened her pace.
"I think it's too late." (Man)
A devil emerged from a hole in the ground. It was much larger than a common imp, at least twice the size, with muscles as hard as steel covering its body and a thick, pointed tail emerging from its spine, a feature that the smaller ones do not have.
The devil flexed his thick legs and disappeared from his spot in a cloud of dust.
"Boom!"
William could barely react to him. His body was thrown like a broken kite, crashing into an old cart without wheels, and his body became embedded in the bodywork.
"Cough... that hurt a little" (William)
William suffered no damage. A powerful layer of silver scales covered his entire chest beneath his black shirt. It was the reward for defeating the Silver Drake, an armour that was thin but highly resistant to impact. The delicate and beautiful scales protruded from his skin from his waist to his neck.
They were soft and flexible in all the right places, which did not hinder William's movement in combat, thick and wide across the chest to protect the heart. It was natural armour that did not need to be taken off and put on every time he needed it.
"He really is a tough guy!"
Both were surprised; a point-blank blow from a Royal Guard Devil was very difficult to resist, and the best thing to do was to dodge it in time.