Awakening of the Weakest Slayer

"What? what was that thing? did you see it?" the boy rushed with multiple questions.

Sezel just stared at the ground, shaking his head slowly, his expression grim. "No," he said, his voice low and heavy. "The arrow came from below. It shot the Leviathan with perfect precision. It was terrifying. The place was relentless. As soon as the snake fell, more beasts attacked us, and then the roof of that castle below us broke."

He let out a tired, ragged breath. "We fell down inside the castle. That's where we were attacked by the Flesh Reaper. My other friend was killed by that monstrous thing, but thanks to his sacrifice, I was able to kill it and get out of there with Mari." He looked up, his crimson eyes filled with a carefully constructed exhaustion. "That's all."

A heavy silence fell over the small group, each of them lost in their own dark thoughts. Finally, the girl broke the quiet. "I guess we can't do anything about it now," she said, her gaze meeting Sezel's. "Let's stick together."

Sezel's heart gave a triumphant lurch. That's it. Good. His objective was complete.

"I am Vesta," she introduced herself, gesturing first to her own chest, then to the boy. "And this is Shiki."

"Nice to meet you, Vesta. I am Gabriel, as I said earlier."

The fragile peace was shattered in an instant. Vesta suddenly shot to her feet, her longsword unsheathed in a blur of motion. She lunged past Sezel, and he heard the sharp, vicious slash of her blade cutting through the air behind him. Sezel froze, his heart beating frantically, as a sickening thud resonated behind him.

The girl stayed silent for a moment, her eyes scanning the surrounding darkness. "We are surrounded," she announced.

Sezel's pupil shrank, 'Surrounded? when?' He and Shiki were on their feet in a heartbeat, their own blades out. The night, which had seemed so quiet just moments before, now felt alive with a malevolent presence. Among the tall wilderness, dancing in the purple light, something moved slowly with predatory grace, not one or two but dozens surrounding them from all sides.

They hadn't noticed, primarily because the breeze was already making the grasses move, and the beasts moved even slower.

Sezel instantly ran to Mari's side, his gaze sweeping the wilderness behind the tree. He saw movement in three different spots. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath, shaking Mari's shoulder. "Wake up, Mari."

The little girl opened her eyes groggily. "What happened, mister?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"We need to run. Get up."

The girl scrambled to her feet, her small form trembling as she huddled behind Sezel. Without warning, one of the beasts lunged from the shadows, its sharp claws reflecting the purple light, its maw gaping wide, revealing rows of slick, needle-like teeth. Sezel swung his sword on pure, unthinking instinct, the clash of steel on claw ringing out in the night.

The beast jumped back, and Sezel retreated, pulling Mari behind him. Shiki's voice cut through the tension, sharp and clear. "Take care of the little girl! I have the bag!" Sezel nodded, his focus narrowing to the encroaching threat.

Their assessment devices chimed in a cold, mechanical unison.

[Enhanced Beast - Night Devil Detected]

[Rank - 2]

'Damn, enhanced beasts, figures why we are surrounded.' Sezel's thoughts raced as the creatures emerged from the wilderness, forming a tight, inescapable circle around them. Their claws scraped against the paved road, sharp enough to carve stone and tear flesh. They moved on two powerful hind legs, their front arms smaller and held close to their chests. A long, thin tail flickered behind them, ending in a sharp, knife-like barb. Their faces were large and reptilian, filled with needle-like teeth. Despite their terrifying appearance, they were small and agile.

'Looks like a baby dinosaur.' Sezel thought.

"It would be hard to run from them," Vesta announced, "we will need to kill some, create a distraction and then hide somewhere deep in the city."

Sezel and Shiki nodded, fully in agreement.

Two of the Night Devils lunged at Sezel. He pushed Mari further back, his grip tightening on the katana. One of them leaped high, aiming to come down on top of him. He swung his blade upwards, but the moment it connected with the beast's tough hide, the angle was deflected. He clicked his tongue, exerting more pressure to at least throw the monster away from himself. The other one followed, its jaws snapping at his legs.

He pushed the katana with all his might, finally sending the first beast sprawling, but as he turned to the second, he knew he was too late. His blade wouldn't reach it in time.

SLASH!

Suddenly the beast's head was chopped off, falling on the ground with a spray of black ichor. Sezel stumbled back. Shiki jerked his sword off, "Don't let your guard down, their skin is hard and slippery, you need a straight cut with all your might," he explained.

Sezel nodded, turning around looking at the side where Shiki had been. He glanced to his other side. Vesta was a whirlwind of motion, her graceful slashes leaving trails of yellow light in the air. Flames? Sezel wondered, but there was no time to analyze.

Another one lunged at him, a smaller, faster one. Sezel took a step back, waiting, his body a coiled spring. As soon as the beast was within range of his katana's tip, he brought the blade down, clutching the hilt until his knuckles were white, and slashed through the creature's neck.

"Come on, follow me," Vesta's voice cut through. She was done with the ones on her side and opened a path for them to run deeper into the city of broken buildings.

Sezel immediately crouched in front of Mari. "Jump on my back," he insisted.

Mari hesitated. "But…"

"Come on, we need to run! I'll be fine."

She nodded and climbed onto his back, her small arms wrapping tightly around his neck. Sezel stood and ran, sprinting past Vesta, who now stood as a lone bastion between them and the horde of Night Devils. She raised her sword high, and suddenly, flames erupted around the blade, dancing and writhing in the moonlight. With a powerful cry, she slashed an arc in the ground before her.

A wall of flames erupted. The beasts stepped back. It acted as a barrier but, in exchange, invited something more terrible.