"It's exactly midnight… all exits are locked, the suspect's position confirmed. Time for the cleanup."
Beneath the silver glow of the full moon, Marilyn William stood firm, gripping a wheellock firearm tight in her right hand. Her eyes fixed on a shattered doorway, splintered as if something had rammed through it, slime and trails of blood splattered all over the place.
Without fear, Marilyn stepped inside. She walked forward, following the streaks of blood and slime around her, ignoring the stench of rotting flesh that clung to the air, sharp and vile.
Deeper and deeper she moved down a long corridor, the blood and slime more concentrated here than at the entrance. Her grip on the weapon tightened, eyes flicking left and right, taking in strange marks gouged into the walls.
"This one's different… way more aggressive than the others in its class." Marilyn muttered, almost in awe. This was the most violent target she had ever been sent to eliminate for the government.
When she reached a branching hallway, she noticed the blood and slime veered sharply to the right—her steps halted instantly.
She could feel it. The suspect was there, waiting for her to step just one inch into its sightline. But instead of charging recklessly forward, Marilyn bent down, picking up a loose stone from the floor.
With a swift motion, she tossed it ahead. The moment it hit, the creature lunged, fooled into thinking Marilyn had entered the corridor.
"Got you!" she grinned. Raising her gun, she aimed straight for its head and pulled the trigger.
The spark ignited, powder flashed—her bullet ripped through the air and blew the creature's skull apart in a burst of blood and bone.
"Target Echofiends number twenty-eight. Category: Floralfiends. Infection type: Malekhia. Terminated. Time of elimination, twelve-oh-eight past midnight. Mission complete." Lowering her weapon, Marilyn strode toward the corpse of the Floralfiends.
She looked down at the body with a small smile, slid her firearm back into the holster on her hip, and pulled out a worn notebook from her pocket.
Efficiently, she began scribbling down the mission report, ignoring the putrid stench thickening around her. She didn't notice the massive, tentacled shadow moving above the building she stood in.
"This one went smoothly. Report matches the scene perfectly—unlike the last case, no anomalies outside of expectations."
"With this, the city of Ramna should be safer… and maybe I can finally head home earlier than scheduled."
Casually, Marilyn tucked her notebook and pen away, giving the corpse of the Floralfiends one last glance. Her lips curved into a faint smirk as she nudged its body with her boot.
"Nothing but trouble…" She turned her back, stepping toward the ruined entrance.
She didn't notice the massive tentacled beast looming overhead, slithering after her toward the exit.
As soon as she stepped outside, the tentacles whipped down, coiling tightly around her body.
"What—the hell!? Tentacles!?" Marilyn gasped, dragged upward into the air, toward the monster above.
Panic surged. She bit, kicked, struggled, but every movement only tightened the crushing grip around her body.
"Damn it! Damn it, damn it!"
"Why does this have to happen—again!?"
"I can't—reach my gun—" Her thoughts froze as searing pain exploded through her arm, the bone snapping under the pressure of the tentacles. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Terror spread like fire through her veins. Sweat poured down her face, her body trembling, weakening, locked by the agony. Marilyn stared at the monster's twisted face, her eyes wide with fear.
"No, no, no!"
"I can't die—NOT tonight!"
"Move… MOVE, damn it!"
"I—I still have to live! For Mother, Father… and for my brother!"
Hopelessness gnawed at her heart as she clenched her teeth, bracing for a death she never wanted.
The creature leered at her, mouth stretching open, dragging her closer toward its gaping maw.
Marilyn stared into its throat, despair swallowing her whole. She didn't even sense the figure soaring through the night, launched from the clock tower.
The stranger hurled himself at the beast with reckless speed, a wide grin splitting his face.
"YEAAAAAHHH!" he bellowed. The impact slammed into the monster, knocking it off balance. The grip on Marilyn loosened, just enough for her to wrench free.
"What the hell just happened!?"
The monster crashed down onto the ground below, its weight shaking the earth with a thunderous quake.
Marilyn didn't know who her savior was, but instinct drove her to act. Her boots hit the ground running as she slammed an explosive round into her wheellock.
"Loaded!" she called to herself, spinning back toward the beast, doubt clouding her mind.
Her body screamed not to move closer, but her will to finish the mission pushed her forward. Sprinting at full speed, she leveled the firearm, one last bullet ready.
The odds of survival were close to zero. But as a tentacle lashed out, Marilyn leapt aside, reflexively firing at the monster's head.
The shot boomed, the bullet blasting through its skull.
Marilyn hit the ground hard, her chest heaving, eyes fixed on the writhing creature that still thrashed in fury.
Its tentacles tore through buildings, smashing everything in reach—until one swung toward Marilyn.
"YOP!"
The same stranger intervened, slamming his palms onto the ground. Fire erupted from the earth, a roaring blaze engulfing the beast until it crumbled into ash.
The man turned his head with a bright grin, crouching down beside Marilyn.
"You okay, Marilyn?" he asked, helping her sit upright.
Marilyn's lips trembled into a soft smile. Deep inside, she knew she should've realized sooner.
The one who just saved her life—was none other than Caius William, the fool of Ramna.
And her brother.
"Yes, I'm fine… thank you, big brother."