Uninvited Guest

The light in the sky dimmed, the room trembled in fear, the city was quiet. She was supposed to arrive two days later, but that wasn't the case.

Standing at the doorway, only Lyra stood before Veyra – frozen in fear, until her feet gave up and knees shoved into the wooden floor. 

“Who are you?” Rauen asked in a commanding tone.

“I'm just a mother, trying to survive in this cruel world. The young gentleman said he'll save my child.”

“She's lying, she's… The Weeping Widow, Veyra!”

“What?!” Rauen jumped from his chair, taking a few steps back. 

Veyra was only focused on Touma, it looked as if she hadn't noticed Lyra at her feet. Her eyes were locked onto Touma, who was trembling on the ground in shock. 

Veyra lifted her feet as she started to walk into the room. A sudden whoosh split the air — pressure yanked Lyra off her feet and out of the room as Veyra vanished.

“Lyra!!” Touma shouted as he got onto his feet before running out in a flash.

Suddenly, something smashed into the wall with a bang nearby. Touma turned his head towards the sound, only to see Veyra hanging on a wall, something impaled her stomach. It was a spear.

“How did she get here so quickly?!” A familiar voice came from behind him. 

“Perhaps our calculations were wrong.” Another familiar voice.

Touma was reassured to see that Dain and Alaric had returned. They could do something to protect themselves now.

“If she came here… this early… hff, hff… she must not have been on foot!” Lyra was gasping for air.

“Girl, get in the library! You'll be safe here!” Rauen shouted as he stood on the doorway.

“Yes, he's right. You should go inside Lyra. Touma, Dain and I will take care of things here.”

“Is that… okay?” Lyra looked at Touma to see if he was alright with it, who nodded his head. “Take care of things here then.”

Lyra ran into the library. Only Touma, Dain and Alaric remained outside.

“The city has changed. And where are all the soldiers?!” Touma turned to Alaric.

“It seems most of them were killed as they tried to intercept her on the way here, maybe that's why the sky changed colour too.”

“What? I didn't notice it before! But yeah, it's just like back then.” Touma was surprised, but he didn't tremble now, because of the fact that he wasn't alone now.

The sky was cloudy, black spores covered everything in sight, Hollowborns roamed around the city, only to be purged by the knights.

“Hey!!” Dain shouted suddenly. “Where did she go?! My spear is still there, but she's not there!”

“What?!” Alaric was alarmed.

Touma looked at the wall, but only the spear was stuck there, Veyra was gone. “Wher—”

A force suddenly smashed Touma onto the ground, cutting him mid-sentence. Ve yra was standing on top of him, as she was ready to stomp his head.

“Do something, Sir Alaric!” Dain shouted as he was pulling his spear out.

Alaric suddenly punched Veyra with all his might, throwing her away. The punch disrupted Veyra’s balance, giving him an opportunity.

Alaric jumped at her, quickly drawing out his sword and slashing it at her. His blade carved only empty air — the opening was gone in an instant. Veyra jumped a few steps backwards, but the attacks didn't stop there, a spear tore through her stomach in the split second after Alaric missed and she dodged.

But Veyra didn't budge. She stood there motionless, until the hole in her stomach healed.

“You insects!!” Her scream shattered the windows, her voice didn't seem human anymore. “What the hell do you think you can do to me?!! I was thinking of only killing the boy. But forget that!!! This whole city is getting wiped out now!” 

Her glare left Dain trembling, giving her the opportunity to attack him. Her claws grew longer, as if they were blades. Suddenly she disappeared from her place, flashing before Dain in an instant. “Die!!”

Clang! She hit metal. It was Touma, he saved Dain. There was no fear in his movements. His eyes locked into Veyra's, he slashed at her. Thump! She parried the attack, but the force sent her flying backwards.

“You'll kill them all, huh? Who do you think you are?! Just because you bested me before doesn’t mean you always will.” Touma's words were heavy.

“The only one dying here today is you. And the one you think is your prey is going to be your executioner!” Touma glared at her, his killing intent clear from his tone.

Touma vanished in a blur, steel clashing against her claws. Sparks burst as her talons scraped his blade — the two locked in a deadly struggle.

Touma’s eyes tracked her claws — every twitch, every feint.

“I can see her movements. I can do this!!”

A sword impaled the widow from behind her, Alaric joined the clash! A one versus two started. 

The scene was terrible, a hideous monster in a woman's body fought against two men. It felt as if Veyra was being pushed to the brink, but things went south the moment a claw interrupted Touma's swing.

A rotting beast the same size as the one in the field appeared. More of them started appearing on roofs.

“We've been surrounded!” Dain exclaimed from the corner, “They killed the soldiers!”

“Touma! You and I will focus on her, and Dain, you take care of the beasts!” Alaric shouted in a commanding manner.

“Got it!!” Their replies echoed with the striking metal of their weapons.

Dain began shouting to draw their attention. He unsheathed his sword, which he had never used up until now. Mist arose in the air. The paws of the beasts hitting the concrete and their scraping claws hinted at their arrival.

Dain swung his sword, there was no rebound. He cut straight through, the shining blade lost its lustre as the blood coated it. Dain was a monster on the battlefield, his instincts like an animal's. Each slash of his sword was filled with accuracy and precision, tearing the flesh of his enemies at once.

A few yards away was Veyra, who was getting cornered by the continuous attacks of Touma and Alaric. The baby was still there in her hands, but she was still dodging all the attacks.

Touma jumped in the air, landing a heavy slash directly at her face. Clang!! She parried it. Alaric saw his opportunity and slashed.

In another corner of the mist, Dain was fighting the endless surge of those four legged hounds. 

“Hff! Hff! I… am tired, being alone… it's finally catching up to me. Why aren't they ending? I've already killed more than a hundred of them, but they still keep coming.” He was gasping for air.

His accuracy dropped, the beasts adapted, targeting his weak spots. 

“My arms feel heavy, but my head feels light. I can't… keep standing anymore.” 

A beast jumped at him, Dain ducked – barely avoiding the attack. But that didn't mean he was safe, another one hit his back, next from the left, followed by the right. 

He was starting to get hit, he was being cornered. 

“Gahh!!” Something tore through his armour, ripping off the flesh in his back. An attack landed on him.

“I can't… not anymore. It's too much for me. At this rate, I'm going to d— hack!” A wet coughing sound emerged from his throat.

“Is this blood? Hff! hff! So this is the end.”

Dain closed his eyes as he gave up his will to fight, accepting the imminent death surrounding him.

“You sure give up quickly huh?” A strange familiar voice came from a distance.

The mist shredded apart as a sudden gale ripped through the street. A crack of thunder followed — lightning speared down, erasing the beasts in a single blinding flash.

“Well, well… all of you gathered in one place. Seems today’s my lucky day.”

Dain turned his head in the direction of the sound.

“You!! What are you doing here?!”

“Isn't that obvious? I'm helping my junior.”

Dain felt his pain going away. The person healed him.

“Why did you come here Malrik?!” Dain shouted.

The name echoed in the air, Alaric's gaze shifted from the woman to Malrik. 

“What?! Malrik?!”

A claw appeared in the periphery of his vision, but missed him by an inch.

“Keep your eyes on the enemy in front of you! You would have lost an eye if I hadn't cut her arm.” Touma seemed unfazed by the arrival of Malrik.

“Aww! Look at the little weak boy from the cave. You've finally gotten stronger huh? Well then, fight her on your own. I'll just wipe the bottom feeders in the meantime.”

“Why are you helping us?!” Alaric lost his patience on his arrival. 

“You know, this isn't the time to wonder about that. Worry about me after you save your own life first.”

Malrik had a point, Alaric was speechless. Touma was slowly getting cornered by Veyra. Dain was in no state to fight, the healing magic only healed his injuries, not his exhaustion.

“Help me here! She's getting stronger.”

Veyra had no openings, she constantly kept attacking him. Touma was only blocking, ducking and constantly being pushed back. Veyra’s claws slammed into his sword, the impact shrieking like steel on steel, sparks producing on each impact.

In an instant, a second sword disrupted Veyra's attacks. Alaric saved Touma. Veyra jumped in the air, landing on the top of a nearby shop.

“I felt no repulsion in my slash, it felt as if I cut through her flesh, but she's unharmed.” Alaric seemed confused.

“Maybe she healed—” 

A loud, wet thud silenced Touma mid-sentence. A head fell on the ground, covered in blood. It was a child.

“Wait! Isn't this…” Touma shifted his gaze to Veyra's hands, only to find them carrying something.

It was the infant in her hand, Alaric beheaded it. Veyra was silent, until she broke into guttural screams.

“HOW DARE YOU KILL MY CHILD!!! I'LL MURDER EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!” 

Her voice didn't even seem normal anymore, it felt like a shriek coming straight out of hell.

Her hands opened, dropping the carcass of the infant on the ground, which got smashed the moment it landed.

“What's going on?!” Dain stood up, resting his hand on his sword, ready to draw it any moment.

“I… don't have any idea.” Touma was clueless too. Alaric looked like a statue as well, their gazes fixated on the woman.

Her mouth gaped unnaturally wide, eyes bulging. From beneath her eyelids, something twitched — pale, writhing digits pressing against the skin from the inside — fingers.

“They… they are fingers!!!” He freaked out.

“What?!” Alaric too looked at her eyes, only to witness the gruesome sight.

Touma was speechless, he stood at his place – fear struck. 

The fingers clawed outward, ripping her eyelids open with wet tears of flesh. Her jaw split wider, impossibly so, until whole hands forced themselves out of her throat.

“Dozens of hands pressed against her skin from the inside, bulging, straining — until her body began tearing apart. Blood sprayed in sheets, chunks of flesh slapping wetly against the ground.” 

“What the hell is this?!” Touma had nothing else to say.

Her body swelled grotesquely, skin stretching until it split. In the next instant she burst, drenching the street in gore.

But something was still there, standing in her stead. A black figure stood in her place — the thing that had torn its way out.