The Beast Of Armageddon: The Man She Was Meant To Kill

Chapter Three - The Price Of Victory

"Who are you?" everyone except Derek asked.

Derek wiped the tears from his face and freed himself from Erica's hug. "He's the same man who saved me in Canaan Town from the Beast of Armageddon." Derek introduced the stranger to his friends.

"The one who sprinkled some dust and caused the beast to flee? Perfect," Erica said.

"If anyone can go up against this beast, it's him," Silver said.

Jake nodded, totally agreeing with his girlfriend, Silver. "He's the one who can kill the beast."

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid. I'm not fighting the beast. I'll only be the bait," the stranger, Derek's saviour, replied.

Ryan frowned. "Come on, man. The beast was scared of you once. You're the best shot at taking down this beast once and for all."

His friends agreed with him, all except Derek.

"Save my lover, please. Don't let him go up against that monster," Erica pleaded with the stranger.

The stranger, whose name was Tony, shook his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, lady, but destroying the beast is far more complicated than any of you could imagine. Even if anyone succeeds, the aftermath would be disastrous. It's not worth risking my life for," Tony replied.

Everyone in the room heard him ranting on and on, but no one understood what he was talking about.

Destroying the beast was everything. What aftermath could there possibly be after the beast's death? Nothing he said made any sense.

But Derek, even though he didn't understand what Tony was saying, knew there were many things Tony was hiding from everyone.

"Sorry. The least I can do is tell you some information about this Beast of Armageddon and be the bait," Tony apologised again.

Derek nodded in agreement and asked him to continue.

"I'll be fast about it because, by my estimate, the beast will appear in about two hours," Tony said, making the five friends gasp in fear and surprise.

"The Beast of Armageddon isn't just a monster. It's a werewolf—a lycan werewolf," Tony explained.

Silver frowned in confusion. "What's a lycan?" she asked.

"A title used for high-ranking werewolves. It's just below the alphas," Tony explained.

Derek frowned. "I thought it was an alpha." He was equally confused, just like Silver and his friends.

"It's not as strong as an alpha, but it is a cunning warrior who is stronger without a pack." Tony paused for effect, allowing his listeners to process the information. After a while, he turned to look at Derek.

"The beast won't be easy to destroy," he said.

"Is that supposed to make us afraid?" Jake asked.

"That is supposed to make you proceed with caution and tactics," Tony replied.

"I intend to defeat him with this knife, greased with wolfsbane, mistletoe, and mountain ash." Derek pointed at the knife on his waist.

"Good luck with that, but remember, while I distract the beast, martial arts won't be enough to overpower the beast. You'll have to apply tricks too," Tony advised Derek, who nodded and muttered a thank you.

"How do you know all this?" Erica asked Tony.

"Permit me to introduce myself. I am Tony, the last of the werewolf hunters from Armageddon," Tony introduced himself.

The five friends gasped.

"Isn't Armageddon the beast's name?" Ryan asked.

"The beast is named after the place it originated from, Armageddon. I'm from Armageddon, and that's why I'm here. I want to help you so the beast won't level your town like it did mine," Tony answered Ryan's question.

"You're a werewolf hunter?" Silver asked.

"Not just a werewolf hunter. I hunt other supernatural beings, including vampires, kanima, and zombies," Tony replied.

"Okay, since you're the hunter, why don't you hunt this beast and kill it?" Erica couldn't understand why he was avoiding the beast.

Tony shook his head. "I already told you, everything is more complicated than you all know. Now, if you don't mind, I'll need some time alone with Derek. If he's going against this beast, he'll need some training."

Tony concluded and watched as everyone left, except him and Derek.

*. *. *

The scene changed. The atmosphere was still tense, and the air was filled with fear and anticipation.

Derek and Tony were standing in an open field, anticipating the beast's arrival. After what seemed like forever, they heard a gust of wind, and both realised the beast had arrived.

The next second, the beast was in sight, ready to launch its dust attack.

"Liam!" Tony shouted at the beast. "I know it's you. You're the Beast of Armageddon," Tony said, coming closer to the beast, which howled angrily.

"Hearing you howl almost made me think you're calling out for your pack." Tony paused. "Then I remembered you don't have a pack. You're a loner, Liam. You're no different from an omega."

The omegas were the loners, the lowest-ranked among werewolves. The lycan werewolf couldn't bear to be compared to the weakest werewolves, so it charged at Tony angrily, pushing him to the ground and getting ready to finish him.

"Now, Derek!" Tony shouted.

Derek came out of his hiding place and threw the knife at the beast. It struck its chest.

The Beast of Armageddon turned in surprise and attacked Derek with its last strength.

The next minute, the beast fell to the ground, dead.

Erica, who had been hiding, came out and froze in terror.

Yes, the beast was dead, but two men lay unconscious on the cold ground.

It didn't take more than a minute for her to realise: one man was unconscious, while the other was gone.

"No, Derek!" she screamed through her tears, having realised that her lover was gone.

He did it. He was her hero—a hero who saved Valley Town from the Beast of Armageddon.

But destroying the beast came with a huge price.

His life.