Chapter 8
840 Words
Hero adjusted his glasses before replying, "Because Ben is a good observer, my liege."
Shidow looked at Hero, then shifted his gaze back to Ben.
"An observer, huh?" he murmured. "Or maybe... we've met before."
Ben smiled mysteriously.
"Maybe."
Shidow narrowed his eyes.
"Met where?"
Before Ben could answer, Kunika rolled his eyes.
"I don't know. Maybe once upon a dream." He waved a dismissive hand. "Who cares about that nonsense?"
He clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Listen up! Five months have passed, and today we're finally going to fight a Tama."
Hero raised a hand.
"Sir... I think everyone already knows that."
Kunika shot him an irritated look.
"No s**t, Einstein."
Camille laughed from the pilot's seat.
"Nice one, Commander."
Before Kunika could continue, Eyana stepped forward and gently held his arm.
"Everyone, please listen to Commander Kunika," she said. "This isn't a game. We have no idea what might happen once we land."
Kevin casually sat beside Camille and handed her a can of soda.
She smiled before pressing a button on the control panel.
Music suddenly filled the jet.
Kevin immediately began singing.
"We're leaving together, but still it's farewell. And maybe we'll come back... to Earth, who can tell..."
Camille happily joined him.
"I guess there is no one to blame... we're leaving ground..."
Kevin harmonized with her.
"We're leaving ground..."
Then both of them sang together.
*"Will things ever be the same again? It's the final countdown..."*
Completely ignoring Kunika's briefing, the two of them continued singing while Camille flew the aircraft with unnecessary twists and rolls.
"If you keep flying like that," Shidow said lazily, "we're all going to crash like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs."
Ben chuckled.
"Too bad. I wanted to see what a Tama looked like before I died."
Without anyone touching the controls, the music suddenly stopped.
Camille frowned.
"Who turned it off?"
"I did."
Everyone looked toward Samiten, the leader of Squad Four.
"My skill can shut down anything within four meters of me," he explained calmly.
Camille smirked.
"You know you're going to regret that."
Samiten folded his arms.
"We already regret letting you fly the jet."
Camille's eye twitched.
She stood up from the pilot's seat.
Kevin quickly pressed the autopilot button before disaster could strike.
"Relax," he said. "The jet can fly itself."
Kunika rubbed his temples.
"I swear I'm surrounded by idiots."
He called everyone over and waited until each squad gathered together.
Once everyone had settled down, his expression turned serious.
"I've received new information from ACA Headquarters."
The aircraft immediately fell silent.
"We finally know how to kill a Tama."
He unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist.
"Every Tama has a core hidden somewhere inside its body. Sometimes it's in the chest. Sometimes the arm. Sometimes the stomach. It changes from one monster to another."
He raised the blade.
"This sword alone is useless."
The metal glimmered beneath the aircraft lights.
"A normal weapon can't even scratch a Tama. Bullets, bombs, and ordinary steel are completely ineffective."
His grip tightened.
"But once you channel your curse energy through the blade..."
A faint aura surrounded the sword.
"...it becomes capable of cutting their flesh."
Understanding slowly spread across everyone's faces.
"That's why ACA gathered every curse they could find," Kunika continued. "Only someone with curse energy can kill a Tama."
Hero frowned.
"So we're just humans with powers... and they expect us to fight monsters like those?"
Kunika met his gaze.
"Yes."
His answer was immediate.
"Because if we don't..."
He looked around at everyone.
"...we die."
Before anyone could respond, the aircraft suddenly shook.
Shidow looked out the window.
"We're about to land."
He calmly stood up.
"Welcome to hell."
The atmosphere inside the aircraft instantly became heavy.
Many of the younger members swallowed nervously.
This would be their first real battle.
Kunika walked toward the rear door.
"Listen carefully."
He looked outside through the small window.
"The Tama have already spotted us."
A faint roar echoed across the sky.
"I doubt we'll have to search for them."
The roar grew louder.
"They're coming to us."
Another deafening roar shook the aircraft.
Kunika unsheathed his sword.
"Brace yourselves!"
The rear door opened.
One after another, the curse soldiers launched themselves into the air.
Below them stood several towering Tamas.
Each one was enormous, with four grotesque heads and bodies large enough to crush buildings beneath their feet.
One of the monsters reached toward the sky, trying to grab the flying soldiers.
Kunika was the first to attack.
His sword flashed.
A massive arm fell to the ground.
The other leaders quickly joined the battle.
Shidow, Samiten, Kasipin, and the remaining squad leaders engaged the monsters while the newer members struggled to concentrate.
Most of them couldn't channel enough curse energy into their swords.
Their attacks bounced harmlessly off the Tama's thick skin.
Only the veterans—Ben, Hero, Kevin, Camille, Eyana, and the squad leaders—managed to fight effectively.
For everyone else...
It was complete chaos.
- Writer
