The Difference Between a Man and a Beast
All over the city, the districts were being liberated and mercenary numbers were diminishing. Many of those that were left defected to the side of the mysterious group led by a white-haired youth wielding powerful weapons.
His band of defectors surged to a force of tens of men each armed and instilled with newfound vigor.
Soon even the newly freed residents joined up in arms with their liberators.
Now bolstered with even more allies, the mercenary force still loyal to Lloyd Slate wavered and were being routed.
"Who do you think you are dealing with! Our boss wi- Augh!"
"Thanks for the target practice, fool! Men, show them how grateful we are!"
"Hah!"
"There's too...many of them."
"How could we allow them to take back this much of the city in mere hours!"
Yes, by dawn most of the lower districts were taken back from the mercenary guild. That left only the upper-class districts and areas on the fringe where the manor stood.
'I knew these mercs were weak and poorly managed but... No this is to be expected without their leader present. As long as someone competent doesn't appear this makeshift band of warriors should be more than enough to take ahold of the city.'
"Cut down every last one of them! These are the bastards that held you all as prisoners in your own dang city for crying out loud! Take them down with your own power and with it take back your pitiful lives!"
"Nick, sir!"
One of the mercenaries who defected to his side ran towards him. His name was Anders Lorenz. He had a strong build and rough-looking features. He maybe looked like that but was more of a gentle giant. He became a mercenary to pay off his family's debt. At least that was what he had told him.
"I've come to make a report on the retaking of the upper-class districts, sir!"
He was also a high-ranking mercenary in the Brass Bulls before he switched allegiances. He had experience commanding others so he was given the same job now.
"Make it quick, Anders. I don't have all day. Neither does he~" Nick pointed down at the mercenary below his foot.
"Yes, sir! We are making great progress in the upper-class districts thus far. I have decided it best to split our forces for our two main objectives: retaking the districts and freeing the residents. We've also taken the liberty of destroying any Brass Bull loyalists we find or enlisting them to our cause."
"Not too shabby if I may say so myself~ You, my friend deserve a raise! After taking back the city, of course! What about the ones I told you to look out for? Any info on them?" Anders only gave a sour expression to Nick's questions. This only served to fuel Nick's curiosity.
"Was it something I said? Go on, spit it out."
"Sir, since we don't know what Lloyd Slate looks like, we couldn't find any information about h-"
"Yeah, yeah. I knew that would most likely lead to nothing there. Your old boss was a lot of things but a complete full wasn't one of them. What about the other one? He was the more important one."
"My apologies, sir. My men and I couldn't find anyone named Eren let alone someone matching his features you described to us."
"Tch. No matter then we will continue moving forward then."
'It's not like you to just fall off the face of the... Nevermind. I'm sure the kid's fine and all. It would just be bad if he got caught up in the mayhem~'
The sounds of a far-off battle stole their attention and brought Nick back to reality.
"What is that?"
"I think our men have just found some opposition. I'm sure they can handle it as I placed some trusted people of mine to help coordinate the attack."
Nick tried to look at the battle taking place but it was too far for even his superior vision to ascertain. He then decided to pull out something from his coat pocket.
This had caught the attention of Anders who had noticed how peculiar the device was.
"It's a monocular. Well, for now at least."
"...A monocular, sir? What is it used for?"
Nick smirked.
"I'm glad you asked my ignorant henchman. It is a device that I created from a modified refracting telescope when I was a child. It magnifies any images of distant objects by passing light through a series of lenses or sometimes prisms. With the utilization of prisms, I can get this lightweight, compact telescope you see in my hand. I'm actually planning on making a device that allows one to see more than one object at a time~ I- Are you even listening?!"
Anders had a confused look on his face once the discussion took a turn.
'And I was just going to get to the good part, too! Well I can't expect the average plebeian to understand~'
"Well, whatever just know it allows me to see across a wider distance than the average naked eye could... Here. Try it out for yourself then."
Nick had handed the device to Anders who was still reeling from Nick's explanation.
"I see... Then, I'll check out the battle from here."
Anders was looking all over with Nick's device that allowed him to see even further than he would have from atop a tower.
"This thing is actually pretty grand! I can see even more details than before! And you've said this was your invention, sir?"
"Well more like I had modified a previous invention but yeah. This was made by me. Though this pales in comparison to the one who trained me... But I'm glad you can see the wonders this would do on the battlefield."
"Wh-Why haven't I heard of you?! This invention could change the world as we know it! It co-"
"Enough! I do not need for the petty admiration of a fool. Besides, this invention is already making its way around the continent...through another inventor. As long as there is a need for these inventions that alone is enough for me."
"Forgive my insolence, sir. I-I didn't know."
"Forget about it. It's in the past. Just tell me what's the situation with our troops. Are they done breaking through this district's barricade, yet?
"As you command." Anders continued to look over the battlefield until he found the last barricade in this district. There he saw a battle going on between their troops.
"I've found it, sir! Our troops are breaking down the barrier now."
The barrier finally was broken through by their side and was being stormed through.
"It seems they've finally made it inside and are now pushing past all obstructing forces."
"Finally! If only they could leave some action for me~ Ahahaha!"
"I feel the same as you, sir."
"Then I guess all that's left is to take out the manor and take that Lloyd Slate's head! Should be smooth sailing from there~"
"Yes, it is as you say."
With that, Anders was ready to return the monocular when something caught his eye.
Anders began to look through the device once again and his eyes brought him back to the destroyed barrier.
There was a lot of movement which was expected but the scene that worried him was the sight of their side being pushed back.
'What's going on? There should be no major threats among the enemy troops that our sheer numbers can't handle...! Unless...'
"Ahhh!!"
"Don't waver, men! Face this beast head-on!"
The one leading the vanguard against the mercenaries stationed in this district was a man in his twenties named Faltras. He was appointed to this role by Anders himself.
At first, once the barricade fell his troops were victorious in routing the small mercenary force. With numbers on his side, the following task of capturing them was a cinch. Until the appearance of an unknown factor in the battle, that is.
"Wha-What is that thing?!"
"Knowing that doesn't help our situation, does it? Just get in position and follow my lead!"
There were only the sounds of terror in front of them.
"W-What is that?!"
"Calm yourselves! They might be some of our men taking care of the opposition!"
'Although, I'm just saying that to calm down the others... I can't really say for sure what's happening to the ones we left behind in our retreat.'
The sounds of stamping feet could soon be heard coming towards them.
"Can you all hear that?"
"Brace yourselves!"
The outline of something running towards them came into their view. It belonged to a man clad in leather armor. He had a look of fear on his face.
"Stand down! I know this person!"
The men situated around the entrance lowered their weapons albeit begrudgingly.
'My apologies everyone. I didn't want anyone to attack before figuring out their identity.'
"Hey Mihael! Its me, Faltras!"
It seemed the man had truly known him as he had made his way towards Faltras.
"We have to run! That monster!"
"Calm yourself, Mihael. Are you hurt? What of the others under your command?"
"...dead."
"...what? I may have misheard you, Mi-" Faltras was grabbed before he could finish his sentence, catching him off-guard.
"They're all dead! That...thing killed them all! Ripped them to shreds with its bare hands..."
The man then started to break down, tears slowly filling his eyes.
"What did he say? A monster?"
"How can thirty men be defeated that easily? Maybe they had someone strong on their side, but a monster? That's absurd."
"You didn't see it! That beast broke through our line in an instant! It was only thanks to the Gods that I made it out alive..."
"Enough! Everyone calm down. You, over there! Take Mihael back t-" The sounds of yelling from one of the other men drew everyone's attention.
"Hiii- A m-monster!"
The man pointed up ahead past the wrecked barricade. It was walking down the main road from the upper-class districts. On two legs and scales of the darkest of nights, a monster slowly approaching the men.
"Th-That's the monster... No, the demon!"
All the men stood there with their mouths agape. Dumbstruck by the monster gradually making its way towards their direction. Each of their hands shook, almost violently, with trepidation.
It seemed like everything and everyone there stopped. As if, time and space had frozen over leaving the men there stuck forever.
Well, almost everything was frozen in time.
The monster continued to inch closer to the men with every step forward. One could even see some of the men's lips move ever so slightly. Counting every step the monster took. Maybe they were counting how many minutes of life they had left, perhaps?
Either way, it had felt like years had passed all in one mere moment.
Even Anders was caught up in that frozen moment.
Even with all his years of service as a mercenary, he had never been faced with a monster of this caliber. Its dreadful aura stretched closer to him with every step the monster took. A whiff of it already made his knees weak. He wouldn't be able to survive the strength of it up close let alone its powerful owner.
He wouldn't even be thought less of for being too overcome with fear against such a monster. But, that wasn't good enough for him. Anders still had some will power left and he would use it to fight.
"M-Men! Ready your weapons!"
'I messed up a bit at the beginning but hopefully, you all will forget that."
The men around him had heard his cry. They pulled themselves from their stasis fueled by their ingrained training.
"Pull yourselves together and get in position! We will still fight to free this city! There are only one little beast and more of us, men! Men won't lose in a battle against a beast, right!"
"Right!"
"Then show this beast it is not a man!"
"Yes, sir!!"
All of the men were pumped up by the words of their commanding officer. Even Mihael seemed a bit better but he was still visibly shaken especially now that the monster was soon within spitting distance.
"My friend Mihael, you can leave this to my men and me."
"I-I cannot leave you all to die!"
"Nonsense! Besides, you wouldn't want to trample on all the men's spirits here, right?"
Mihael looked around him and was shocked by what he saw. Each man there no longer had looks of fear and trepidation. They each had looked like they were ready to face Death itself.
This broke Mihael as he was only thinking about trying to escape. The thoughts of the others hadn't even crossed his mind. Not even freeing the city mattered to him anymore. He just wanted to run away as far as he could from this obstacle in front of him.
He couldn't shake the intense fear he felt from seeing that monster kill his whole group. But, the part of him that wanted to still fight back was still alive and well within him as well. He was torn between two opposing sides within himself.
"Stop worrying about all of that! Just make sure you tell Anders and our new boss about what went down here. Alright?!"
It was almost like he could read his mind. That was what Mihael's face had shown.
"How... How can you just stand there and believe all that you can beat that...that monster?!"
That was when he had noticed something. Anders was shaking. It was obvious now but his voice didn't waver one bit in their conversation.
'Were you just saying all that...for me?' Mihael could feel his eyes start to fill with tears as those words finally broke him.
'Just because I was scared...doesn't mean you couldn't have forced me to fight alongside you!'
"My apologies sir, I was out of line. I'll go and make the report to our boss."
'What are you saying?! Don't leave them to die, you fool!'
"Good luck, Mihael. Godspeed, my friend."
'Is that all you have to say, Anders?! We're comrades, aren't we?!...'
Mihael started running as fast as his legs could carry him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about his friend. His footsteps continued to be heard until the sound of them trailed off. With them, so did any final thoughts of escape.
The monster had now made it to the group of men.
"How do you do, gentlemen." The monster spoke to the men as clear as day. No one was expecting it to speak let alone in proper sentences.
"Hm. This silence is too dreary for my liking. Would your leader step forward and show themselves? I would like an audience."
The men all had baffled looks on their faces. They were still confused as to the reason for this monster in front of them to be able to talk. They couldn't wrap their heads around it.
"The silent treatment, eh? Then how about I liven things up a bit?"
In an instant, the monster in front of the men had vanished in thin air.
"Where'd it go?!"
"Augh!" Along with that cry, came forth a fountain of blood. The source was one of the men being cut down. The one responsible was the monster itself.
"How did he...!" Soon as Anders spoke, the monster had grabbed another victim, lifting him high into the air by his head.
"H-help me!"
"No!"
"Will you all be a little more talkative now?"
'How could it so easily kill one of my men...instantly?!"
"Men! Stand back!" Anders sent out that desperate cry all in one bid to not further increase the casualties amongst his men. Though with its speed alone would make it difficult to stop any more bloodshed.
"Trying to escape already, I see. Well, then you won't mind if I make myself a snack?" The monster then opened its jaws wide as if it dislocated its own jaw to make more room. He lifted the man high above its mouth with ease as if it were doing something natural. The man struggled to break free of the monster's grip to no avail. It seems there was nothing to stop the man from meeting his fate at the jaws of this monster.
"Wait! We will listen to what you have to say so release him!"
The man had stopped moving towards the monster's mouth, it seems the monster had a change of heart.
'Thank the Gods! It seems this monster can be reasoned with.'
"So you are the leader of this band of rebels, I presume?"
"If you are referring to just the men here, then yes. But our true leader is a man named Nick though that's all I know about him."
"Hmm, is that so? Well, that's a pity. I was hoping to at least talk with the one who became a thorn in my sides before killing him with my bare hands."
'...What is this monster saying?'
"Well, I'll just have to suffice with you lot then. Those are weapons, I take it?"
'Why would he ask an obvious question like that?'
"Yes, we each have a blade or bow. But why would that be necessary information?"
"Well, I wouldn't want you all to die empty-handed. Besides, it's good for a leader to show a little benevolence from time to time. I don't want to be remembered as only a tyrant."
'He spoke of killing us all so nonchalantly...I may not survive this battle after all...I have to increase our chance of survival if even a little bit.'
"I have a question for you, then? You don't look like a mercenary so why are you fighting against us?! If anything, you look like you're in the same situation we were in. A slave to Lloyd Slate, to the Black Bulls! Why don't you help us against them both? Our new boss doesn't discriminate based on a man's past at all. What do you say..."
The men around him had given Anders an incredulous look but he paid them no mind. He had to do what he could to increase their chance of survival even if he had to forsake the lives of all the men he had lost up until this point. He was betting on the monster to at least think his proposition over.
The monster had paused for but a moment. Even the man trapped in his grasp had stopped struggling as he too was in shock by the words of his commanding officer.
But it was only a moment.
"What makes you say that?" Those words had stirred Anders from within.
"Uh, well I just felt that a mon- er man like yourself would understand the values of c-coming to our side."
The monster then smiled. Well, Anders thought it probably smiled. Its mouth opened wide showing its many razor-like teeth. It was a pretty horrifying sight especially for those of the men that were closer than they'd like.
"Let me tell you something about myself for a bit. There is something I dislike about this world. The animals, the plants, and the Gods themselves to just name a few. But you know what I just absolutely despise?!"
The men around the monster had gotten shivers down their spines as it talked. Everyone felt there was nothing good about what the monster would say next.
"I completely despise the insects known as humans! From these pests, I have received more problems than I could ever count. You all think that you are entitled to the things you possess such as the clothes you wear or the food you get to eat. Bah! You aren't even entitled to your puny lives! I'll start with you all and show you just how easily the things you enjoy can be taken away from you!"
"Ahhh! Let go of me!!"
Still reeling from the sheer malice the monster had for them all, made them all shrink back from the monster. Thus, the man already its grasp couldn't hope to be saved from his surrounding allies.
"Auughgh! Stop! Stahp id!" The man screamed for help meaninglessly as all hope of breaking free from this monster's ever-increasing grip was useless.
"And, pop!" With those two words, the man's head was crushed under the monster's massive strength. The corpse dropped to the ground at the monster's feet.
"Now...who's next?" The monster looked around at the people all spread out in front of it, like a grand banquet. It quickly began salivating at the looks of fear on each of the men's faces.
The monster once again vanished in a blink of an eye.
"W-Where'd it g-!" As if on cue, the man's head was sent flying with one swipe of the monster's claws.
"N-No!" Another and another fall to the ground lifelessly as the monster kills them effortlessly. Moving from one man to the next with inhuman speed.
Some were quick enough to pull out their swords in defense against the monster while some just as quickly tried to run. A few could only stand in fear as they awaited death. Those who tried to flee were quickly picked off.
In mere moments, the men around Anders were being reduced to a fraction of their previous numbers. There was nothing any of them could do to fight against this monster. Their swords bounced off of the monster's hard skin and scales while arrows seemed to do the same. No one here had the power to hurt let alone slow down this monster.
They were akin to ants facing off against an elephant.
That is what Anders had felt at this moment. He was sure his men had felt the same way.
He now had accurately felt what his friend Mihael had felt. The feeling of uselessness as he watched the men under his command die in front of him. This feeling had hurt him even more as still wanted to live even more.
Anders had lifted his blade in front of his face. The sword reflected the fear on his face but, in his eyes were something else. His eyes reflected his will to survive, too.
He engraved them both in his heart and charged at the monster as it was about to strike down another one of his comrades.
"Hah!" His sword barely even grazed the monster's skin but it did draw his attention for a second.
"Now, run!" The man heard Ander's order and began to run away. This caused the monster to become angered and it slashed at Anders who barely blocked the strike with his sword before stumbling back.
The strike was strong enough to break through his sword with one hit. But still, Anders got to his feet and stood in defiance of the monster in front of him.
"Why do you wish to rush your death? You could have lived a bit longer."
The answer to the question was clear in Ander's heart.
"What kind of man would I be if I let a beast like you beat me?" He smiled. A smile to stave off his fear of death, perhaps?
"Give me your name, insect. I will try to remember it."
Anders didn't even pause before he answered.
"Anders." With that said, the monster closed the gap between them in an instant. Its claws seconds away from Anders' heart.
'I hope this had bought Mihael sometime at least.'
In an instant, Anders was no more.
The monster continued on its rampage unbarred soon after.
The tide of battle had changed with the appearance of the monster. The number of deaths on their side was climbing drastically.
"Nick, sir! We must head to the battle to lead our men! There seems to be a large monster that's decimating our troops!"
"Tch! Fine, we better get a move on then~"
"That won't be necessary, gentlemen." Those words came from behind the two.
The two had quickly pulled out their weapons upon turning to face the intruder.
It was an old man. He was wearing a butler's uniform and gave off an eerie aura.
"How do you do?"
