The storm had kicked off its showers and with it came panic among the thin line holding the eastern wall. Undaunted by the smoke, flames, or even the piles of their dead kin, The Grimm pressed on.
With his teammates and a fraction of their defenses reassigned to the other flanks, fear emanated from those who held their weapons fast and fought. Still, there were those few who tried to take the opportunity to run.
As a group of three abandoned the fight and tried to make a run for the main road, Caelum leaped out of his watchtower. Kicking off a nearby wall, he landed before the three deserters. His appearance scared them stiff, the glare from behind his mask as he stared into their eyes petrifying them.
There was a punishment for deserters, for cowards. One he would have gladly enforced had he been consumed in the moment and held no composure. Yet he was not afraid as these volunteers were. He did not share their inexperience and lack of resolve. They were all older than him. One by barely a year, the other two by half a decade. They feared for their young lives.
Despite his personal beliefs, which were instilled by the very regime he despised, Caelum knew he could not follow through lest he ruin relations after this ordeal. Instead, he threw his arm out, his MG elongated and slid in his hand as he grabbed the very end of its stock. With a wide swing, he swept the three's legs out with their cries of pain from the steel shaft.
As they fell to the ground bewildered and panicked, Caelum gave an order. "Get back up and fight." Then he took off into the fray ahead, unwilling to waste any more time on the matter. What was supposed to be an organized retreat was anything but. The militia stood their ground and fought, only to be overwhelmed or cut off from the others in small pockets of resistance. Those that did manage to fall back couldn't organize themselves.
A group of several Grimm assaulted the first fallback position along the main road. The militiamen shouted orders and scrambled, firing wildly to little effect and dispersing before the charging beasts. As the foremost militiaman was about to be gored by a boarbatusk, Caelum appeared.
His bayonet went up and through the Grimm's palate, bracing himself, Caelum slid back a few feet from the sheer force behind the impaled monster's charge. The other Grimm soon seized the opportunity to attack.
With fluid movement, he grasped the bipod bayonet with his left hand, detaching the MG as he spun to his right. Swinging the MG back, he rammed the stock into another Grimm's forehead, emitting a sickening crack as its armor chipped and it reeled back. In the same movement, he pulled the bayonet from within the decaying Grimms mouth and completed his spin.
Lashing down with the blade in his left hand, he hacked into the nape of another's neck and opened up with a lengthy burst of his MG from the hip. In a matter of a few seconds, the few nearby Grimm were dispatched. The militiamen took the chance to collect themselves as Caelum turned to them. His figure, doused in rain and scarily still, stared at them from behind the mask's slightly fogged lenses. His appearance left them just as the Grimm had, struggling to catch their breaths.
"Gunners to the rooftops. Melee troops hold formation in the street. Fallback slowly. Give inches, not your lives." The order was succinct and with its end, lenient in their eyes. The words meant little as many words did but to these people who were staring possible death it meant they did not have to wildly sacrifice, they did not have to fight desperately with their backs against the wall, they could afford to give ground. Caelum knew they would latch onto this, he just omitted the fact that they did not have much to give.
The junior officers scrambled to fulfill his directive as he had already set off to save other small pockets before ordering them to regroup or fall back to a side road. It was nightmarish to organize the street-by-street fallback and defense by word of mouth. But there was no one else here except he who could scale buildings and sprint dozens of meters in seconds. Aura was certainly a boon as he passed every order by mouth while saving tens of the stranded militiamen.
The assaults in the other directions shouldn't have nearly as much intensity, hopefully, his team and those with them were faring much better. No news however was good news as it meant they were handling their fronts if they weren't reporting any mishaps.
Then as if fate were to chastise him for being thankful, Niel brought news to his ear over their comm. "Alpha Beowolf!" he shouted into their earpieces. The sudden exclamation was followed by an uncertain murmur. "I… I think. It's standing on its hind legs, but it looks just like the alpha we fought at initiation."
"You sure it's not just a big Beowolf?" asked Lukas through grit teeth and the sound of his SMG rattling off.
NIel immediately snipped back. "I know how to identify prey. I've just never seen a variant like this. It-"
"It what?" demanded Lukas as the pause dragged on. "You better not have gone and died!"
"Shut it!" snapped Niel, a sense of disbelief in his voice. His eyes locked on the large Grimm as it stood tall and a single digit pointed at the wall he stood upon. At its roar, dozens of the Grimm around it diverted their attention and charged. "It's commanding them."
The claim would have been unbelievable to most but not the four boys who shared a simultaneous shiver in their spines. Recollections of the Wendigo raced in their minds leaving them each to hesitate at their station. Each wanted to verify the sighting, to ensure it wasn't a mistake, even Niel himself wanted to doubt it. Yet reality was never so kind and each of the boys took it as truth.
Raiden was the next to support the claim. "He's right", he said with a shallow breath. His glasses HUD zoomed in as he sighted a similar creature in the backlines of Grimm to the west. It let loose its roar, one that he took the chance to compare to the one he had recorded at initiation. It matched with small differences. "It's certainly an Alpha variant. And there's two to boot."
"Make that three" added Caelum as he witnessed another breach in the gates before him. A hundred meters down the main road he saw the large wolf-like Grimm trudge past the shattered gate with an entourage of black beasts at its heels. Roaring, the Grimm scattered into the streets, soon to clash with the defenses he had coordinated. Yet it seemed unaware of his presence atop the roofs in the rain. "Prioritize killing these Alpha variants while the militia holds the line. The deaths of these Grimm may be vital, even at the expense of a few men. Understood?"
"The west gate is unbreached, will comply" informed Raiden.
"The north stands with little casualty. Very well" complied Niel.
"Souths taking a battering, but me and the guard here feel worse for yours" added Lukas unnecessarily. The loss of life was obviously displeasing to him but the urgency of this task was not lost either. "I'll handle anything I see so just work quick so we can still show our faces after this."
Even if Caelum agreed with his teammate on the matter, he felt compelled to remind them to value their lives over the militias. "Survive. No matter what." With that Caelum took off at a sprint. His feet stomping across the simple, flat rooftops were masked by the falling rains. Leaping with a gust of wind he descended downwards, his weapon in its scythe form as it swung down in an arc at the Alpha in the street below.
As his scythe came down upon its shoulder, the large crimson eye looked into his own. In a moment and with unusual coordination, the Grimm brought up an armored forearm and caught the weapon by its shaft before the blade could sever the limb. The impact of the blow cracked the bone armor on its arm but with little other than a slightly pained huff, the Grimm lobbed a left hook into Caelum's ribs at the same moment.
Crashing through a wooden door, Caelum rolled with the strike but still suffered a heavy impact to his now bruised side. Rolling to his knees he stood and caught his breath. The mask making it difficult to draw breath as his side throbbed. Swearing, he ripped off the restrictive covering and inhaled sharply. He saw the lenses fogged and the rubber covered in sweat and moisture as he pocketed it. The militia's defenses were far enough that he couldn't be seen anyway.
Then he heard the creaking of wood as a large clawed hand gripped the framing he had burst through. A large snout entered as two red eyes scanned the rustic interior. Suddenly a wooden chair smashed into its face as the Large Grimm yelped from its bruised snout. Recovering the Alpha caught sight of Caelum with a raised middle finger. As if it actually understood the gesture rather than wishing to simply disembowel him for his aggression The Grimm charged within.
As he expected the large Grimm smashed through the walls of the home as it tore after him. With limited space to run, Caelum kicked a back door open and escaped out the back into an alleyway. As the Alpha clambered its way after him, Caelum was tripped up by the ensuing debris from the barreling Grimm and caught a claw to his back. His aura protected him and his clothing as he was shoved to the ground and the Grimm shook its fur free of dust and splinters.
Then five large claws like steak knives descended into supple flesh. Caelum heaved a heavy breath as he resisted the Alpha's strength. A pair of milky white eyes and a ghastly face starred into his soul from the deceased militia man whose torso he held to receive the Grimm's blow. The unfortunate soul must have been one of the few who had not made it to the fallback line in time. Yet his demise had saved Caelum a nasty strike even if the expression frozen on its face seemed to question his action with pleading fear from beyond death.
Thankfully none of his comrades or the militia could see Caelum's fervent battle and disregard for the dead. Dropping to one knee, the beast lost its balance for a moment as Caelum pulled out a dagger and threw the torso to the side with the beast's claws still within.
Now it lay open for a single strike as it swung its arm wide to dislodge the torso. Caelum ducked under the swing and plunged the long dagger blade into its exposed armpit. With a shrill shout, the beast lashed out as it fell to one side, its erratic movement only worsening its wound. Caelum retreated with a long backstep and rolled onto the bricked road. Kicking up his discarded weapon in his short retreat, he smoothly transitioned to the prone as his weapon did the same locking into its MG form.
With a gaping wound in its armpit now sloshing blood through its fur and bone, the Alpha charged him enraged. As the cool rain pattered against Caelum's gray uniform and steaming skin, he calmly pulled the trigger. In the two exchanges, he had concluded a primary concern. These variant Alpha's were nowhere near as intelligent or resilient as the Wendigo.
A burst of fifteen armor-piercing rounds ripped out from his MG and into the speeding Grimms legs. No further than ten meters, the rounds impacted and tumbled through the knee joints and shin bone armor. Nearly amputating both appendages, Caelum stood as the Beast howled in pain and crashed into the road brickwork, struggling to pull itself up.
The once fiery scarlet eyes looked up into the cascading rain to see Caelum's pale face and dark brown irises void of empathy or even disgust. Instead, it saw apathy as a lengthy bayonet impaled its eye socket and exited its skull.
The Grimm quickly turned to mushy ash on the brick road as it mixed with the rain and Caelum took a deep breath. Looking up at the end of the street he saw struggling Beowolves and some boarbatusks which quickly scattered. It seemed Niel was right in these Alpha's directing the lesser Grimm. But with his objective completed in the east where the highest incursion rate was, he now would only have to ensure the militia didn't get themselves killed while he awaited his comrade's reports.
In contrast to Caelum's ordeal, Raiden held the west with little resistance as the hoard had long since lost steam and only remnants assaulted his front. The climax of his combat at the gate arose as a group numbering around fifty Grimm assaulted the gate at once under the direction of an Alpha. Collapsing under their weight and strikes, the few Militia present beat a hasty retreat as the wooden braces buckled and gave.
Yet as the Grimm poured in after, searching for the scrambling defenders, the Alpha strode in, sniffing the air and standing a few feet taller than most of its assaulting force. "Not as exhilarating a fight I'd have imagined as a child" he lamented as he shouldered his railgun and leveled it at the Grimm's head.
Just as he pulled the trigger and a bright streak of blue raced out, the Alpha stumbled, being knocked aside by its own charging Ursa's. The tungsten round clipped its shoulder, ripping a chunk off from the kinetic force as it slammed into an Ursa behind, slamming it into the pavement as the round embedded itself within the earth.
Raiden let an annoyed sigh out. 'The problem with precision is that there is none if you can't control every variable' he thought in a huff as he loaded another round. Through his glasses, he found some urgency as he watched the Grimm race below his position as the Alpha spotted him. With its arm dangling by a few tendons and strings of meat it leaped and climbed atop a nearby one-story home. Then it raced and charged along the rooftops towards him.
Uninhibited, the Alpha closed in instantly as Raiden slammed the receiver closed. It was a story below him and tensing, preparing to jump up and claw at him. As its feet left solid ground, Raiden descended with a heavy overhead swing.
His halberd hammer struck the only remaining shoulder of the Alpha, knocking it back down to the roof below as Raiden landed and rolled with it. Sliding to its stomach, the now armless Alpha stood to its feet and looked up with a snarl as Raiden slid beneath its heaving torso. Glancing down it caught sight of a blue hue as he barrel stuffed his railgun beneath its chin and fired.
Clambering to escape the floating ash from staining his clothes, he popped open his receiver as it and the coils along his barrel vented heat that left a thick waft of steam in the cool air. Loading another round and shifting it to its halberd form once more, he moved to assist those under his charge.
In the north, Niel had admirably fought alongside those on the wall. His enhanced strength, speed, and agility allowed him to lithely maneuver the defenses and come to aid those who were being overwhelmed before running clear across to another. Even as they fell back into the outer streets of the town, their tactical withdrawals repelled the Grimm again and again with his aid.
He was confident, calm, and collected, yet doubt crept even into his mind amidst his usually optimistic mindset. In his short tenure with his team, he had grown close to Raiden and realized he shared the same sense of needless comparisons. At times he envied Radien's technological prowess. In others, he was in awe at Lukas' knowledge and connections. And often he found himself contemplating Caelum's skill and actions.
As he dispatched Grimm after Grimm with his dual revolvers and their trench knife forms in a seamless manner, he felt at peace, void of any doubt or disparaging comparisons to his teammates. It was here he was familiar and could lash out his frustrations. Then the Alpha variant appeared. His hands tensed and loosened even as he hip-fired, dropping an ursa that turned a corner.
His heart pounded as he recalled the desperate fighting against the Wendigo. His own inability, his feelings of inadequacy. He began to hear his heart pounding in his ears. Then he found himself stepping towards the large Grimm. Slowly he approached before taking off at a jog. A random Grimm would obstruct him only to be cut down or violently kicked out of the way and into a wall.
His boots stamped against the pavement, he began to sprint. He began to run as fast as he could and within a moment, any Grimm between him and the Alpha had disappeared by his hand. He had closed the distance to it as the large wolf-like Grimm loomed in on a defensive barricade manned by the militia.
The Alpha finally noticed his presence at the last second, when his semblance sent his physical p[rowess skyrocketing. He leaped at max speed, with increased agility, he broke through its guard, and with all the force he could muster, he wielded his trench knife in a reverse grip and embedded the brass knuckles as deeply as he could into the thick cheekbone of the monster.
The Grimm over three times his size contorted mid-air as it slammed into a nearby building, bricks raining down upon it as a mild shockwave interrupted the rain between them from the impact. The beast Groaned as it collected itself. Niel stood in place huffing heavily as the militia watched on in awe. They feared he was injured or perhaps exhausted.
Beyond the rain, they couldn't see the exhilaration on his face. This was something he had been missing for so long. It wasn't subterfuge, underhanded dealings, sneaking, street fights, or battles against humanity. It certainly wasn't the frightful flight he had as the Wendigo hunted them. No, this, this was a hunt. A proper hunt. There was a challenge, a risk but he had skill, experience, and confidence.
The alpha rose to its feet amidst his epiphany and seeing an opportunity lunged forward with its elongated claws aimed at his jugular, seeking to pay him in kind for its now shattered facial armor. With a swipe of his arm, he batted the offending claws up high. With a tenacious glare, Niel sent a fierce jab into the Alpha's gut.
The Grimm lurched but held its ground bringing down its hand, which Niel received with a heavy block on the blade of his reverse-gripped weapon. It then swiped at his throat with its other arm. Niel received this blow as well, blocking it in time as he gave a bemused glare at the Grimm.
Suddenly his balance was stolen as the Grimm shifted, using its heavier mass and strength it caught him off guard as it spun and struck him with a reverse swipe. Niel took the blow to his torso and backflipped to gain ground to no avail. The Alpha was on him. Instead, he landed on a single foot and pushed off, charging at the beast.
The two met mid-charge, and Niels's left trench knife struck the Grimm's side, cracking bone and drawing blood. The Alpha grasped Niel in a crushing embrace. Losing breath and feeling his aura drain Niel fought through the awkward position and drove his right Trench knife into the rear shoulder blade of the Alpha.
The Grimm flinched and released him before kicking outwards, propelling him into a fire hydrant which cracked and began dousing both in its contents, as if the rain hadn't already chilled Niel enough. He wiped his eyes as he stood to his feet to witness two Beowolfs beside him lurching forward to strike.
A burst of three rounds rang out from behind as a shout accompanied it. The first Beowulf dropped dead, the second found an axe embedded in its skull. Niel turned to see his help come from the militia at the barricade, one of which had charged in close to assist him. Niel gave a surprised look as he and the militiaman made eye contact. The bewildered man gave a disbelieving grin and nodded before Niel grasped the man's axe and pushed him away.
Not a moment later the Alpha had brought both claws down and snapped the shaft in half as the axe head clattered onto the ground from the decaying Beowolf. In a flash of pure instinctive reaction and wit, Niel's body showed an astounding speed and flexibility. In one succinct movement, he dropped low, barely dodging the claws that broke through the axe shaft. Before the axe head had even stilled on the ground he had grasped it in his right hand. With it, he stood and embedded the blade head into the Alphas jugular.
Within the same second his left hand followed, the hilt of his trench knife slammed into the axe head burying it deeper, then his torso dropped low as he twisted back and swung his right leg into a high and harsh kick that drove the axe head firmly within the black flesh.
Coming back to a full rest with his hands out to catch his balance, Niel teetered on his feet as he gathered his balance. He glanced past the falling rain and fire hydrant's shower to see the Alpha now deceased with its head nearly fully decapitated. He stared at the slowly ashening corpse with a slight grin of satisfaction for a moment.
From afar the militia couldn't believe what they had seen. As they were deliberating to go and attempt to help the young huntsman once more, they wondered if it was necessary. After all, they had just witnessed him brawl the most monstrous Grimm they had ever seen and won. They were left speechless as he slowly walked over to the decomposing Grimm and freed his other trench knife from the corpse before turning to them. With his usual lackadaisical smile, he waved before taking off to assist others.
Despite the battle that still engulfed the world around them, the chaos consuming their home and all that was at risk for a moment their amazement left them starstruck. Unable to do little more than gawk at the figure of the young man.
So that was what a Huntsman was.
-Chapter end-