(Libertatem 1, 59 / 4:40AM)

  (Luna, Miles, and Diego)

  (Miles) Luna! Help those two out for a bit!

  (Luna) What about you!?

  (Miles) I’ll figure out something.

  On the top of the highest industrial building in the district, both Miles and Luna were standing over the edge of the roof, their eyes peering down onto the two men below.

  Having both of his hands feeling the rexing wind that chilled his hands, he inhaled a multitude of air inside his lungs, trapping it as he soon let it out slowly.

  (Miles) You probably don’t want to be ordered, but now’s not the time. You have to help those two out, or Luke will never forgive you if something happens to them.

  (Luna) Dammit … you better think of something good!

  Gritting her teeth for a couple of seconds, Luna trembled both of her swords harshly as the grip of the bdes soon started to crack.

  And in an instant, Luna vanished into thin air, the dust and dirt around the edges of her boots soon dropping onto the aluminum roof.

  Turning his head away from the two men from below, Miles looked up to see the fiery monster almost heading toward his position, his feet gripping the roof as he swallowed his saliva.

  (Miles’s thoughts) So this is what death is huh? Death incarnate? Or a bringer of death?

  Having both of his sawed-off shotguns in his hands, he maintained a firm grip on them as he rubbed the metal with his thumbs.

  The monster still plowed through the district, the cool summer breeze ceased as it was repced by a scornful wind filled with heat. The wind and heat hit him as if he was feeling the heat of an open oven, his face soon started to crunch up as he arched his head back.

  (Miles’s thoughts) And how am I supposed to fight that thing with no leverage? The best I could do is hope that my shield is strong enough.

  His body poured out cold sweat to fight back the heat, Miles used his right sleeve to swipe away a good chunk of sweat from his forehead, as many droplets got into his dried-up eyes. Opening his mouth slightly, he started to breathe through his mouth as he squinted his eyes from the stinging pain, his arms losing the strength to support his guns.

  Swaying his head sideways repeatedly, he then turned his squint to gre, his eyes sharpened as most of his eyelids reached toward the center of his nose.

  (Miles’s thoughts) So I guess that’s all I have as of right now.

  Raising his right hand, he had his finger cozying itself on the trigger, the barrel pointing straight toward the monster that was right in front of him.

  He pulled the trigger, creating a loud gunshot that rippled through the district.

  The barrel of the sawed-off shotgun emitting smoke from its chamber, Miles still had his gun pointed toward the monster. Taking a step back, he continued to gre at the monster, biting his lower lip which soon released blood.

  As the monster slowly looked down toward the puny insect that was in front of her.

  (Miles’s thoughts) I guess that got her attention…

  Pulling his hand down to his side, he then spread his feet apart a couple of inches from one another, his feet continuing to grip the aluminum roof that he’s still standing on. Slowly, Miles then breathed in and out, the lingering heat coming from the creature continuing to soak Miles’s body.

  Unfortunately for Miles…

  The monster didn’t take the gunshot too well.

  (Miles’s thoughts) Shit, I didn’t think this through did I?!

  Opening her mouth, the monster let out a deafening cry, her vocals tearing apart one another as the high-pitched shriek caused Miles to cover his ears with his arms rather than his hands.

  Her whole body hunching forward, she pulled back her right arm and hand, the hand reaching the ash-covered clouds that she created from her fmes. Keeping her fming eyes on the man below, she then thrust her open palmed hand toward him, the fastening speed of the monster reaching an ultimatum.

  (Miles’s thoughts) Where’s Luna where you need her?!

  As the heat of the monster’s palm started to dehydrate Miles instantly, his entire body felt as if he was going to be a mummy, his skin drying up as the hand that was approaching him.

  Fttened the entire building, her hand reaching the depths of the concrete.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  The hand remaining on the completely fttened building, the monster then started to drop out burning magna from the corners of its mouth.

  Rolling down from her red-skinned burning face, the monster then slowly lifted her hand upward, as well as pulling her own body back up. Standing in a straightened position, she looked down to see the completely leveled and fttened building, smoke and dust filling the entire area around it.

  Her left hand was enclosed into a fist, and she dug her rigid nails into her skin, the pain of her own body causing her to heave her chest erratically.

  But another loud gunshot was heard.

  Looking up toward one of the other buildings that was near the fttened one, the monster saw smoke emitting from the dust cloud that surrounded the said person. The dust being swept away, it revealed a dark composed man still pointing his gun, smoke leaving the barrel of his right shotgun.

  And next to him was a tanned woman with twin-bded, double-edged swords.

  (Miles) That was close. I almost pissed my pants at your te arrival.

  (Luna) At least I’m here you meathead.

  (Miles) Well, thanks for helping me though.

  Both of them gncing at each other, they all turned their attention toward the monster in front of them, the fmes of the creature sprouting out of its scaly skin.

  Having both of their weapons at hand, Miles also gnced at the swords Luna’s wielding, a bead of sweat rolling down his right temple. Noticing that Miles was squinting toward her swords, her cheeks stiffened followed by her head not looking toward the man.

  (Miles) I don’t think you can fight her with those.

  (Luna) I’m not as stupid as you are. You can’t do shit with those close-ranged shotguns alone either.

  (Miles) Then why the hell did we decide to fight her in the first pce?

  (Luna) We choose to do it. Besides, we’re here to stall it, not defeat it.

  Seeing that the monster was ready for another attack, Luna got close to Miles as she pced her left arm around Miles’s right arm, locking him in.

  The monster began to raise her arm, her hand already forming into a fist as she hurdled it down toward the two adults on the roof. As the fming hand began to spread out its unholy heat that soaked both Miles and Luna, she turned her body the opposite way, seeing another building that was suitable for standing or running.

  (Luna) You better keep up!

  (Miles) I’m more worried about you!

  As soon as the monster had its’ fist close to the building they were on top of, Luna vanished yet again.

  Teleporting onto another building that was facing Luna, they quickly stumbled down as they quickly put themselves back up.

  Noticing that the monster was keeping its eyes on them, the two of them pushed their legs off of the aluminum roofs of the industrial building. With their boots soaking in all the decade's worth of dirt and ash, they continued to remain locked onto one another as Miles noticed Luna’s extensive breathing as they sprinted.

  (Miles) We can’t have it go northwest any further! We need to push it toward the northeast if we can!

  (Luna) What does it look like I’m doing!?

  Another building that was ready to be teleported on, Miles looked behind him as the monster was already barreling both of her fists at them, the fming heat starting to make him buckle his legs. Noticing that Miles was slowing down, Luna began to tug him, using her body weight to push him further.

  Teleporting again, both of them nded on another building, the heat behind them dimming as their bodies began to soak with cold sweat.

  (Miles) I hate that thing … pants … I just hate hot weather in general … pants

  (Luna) I don’t care if you’re a tundra boy you idiot! Just keep moving!

  Still pushing their legs to their limits, Miles soon pced his left hand onto his chest, his breathing starting to weaken. Seeing this, Luna gritted her teeth as the arm lock between both of them started to tighten evermore, her chest upheaving faster than it did before.

  Miles noticed that Luna’s face began to be coated with sweat, followed by her hair being puffed up.

  (Miles) You’re tired, are you…

  (Luna) Tired? Me? Are you a dumbass?

  (Miles) Says the person with puffed-up hair.

  (Luna) You got something to say!?

  As the two bickered, both noticed the heat soon starting to return.

  Looking behind them, the monster began…

  To run.

  Widening their eyes as the heat from the monster began to surround them yet again, both of them noticed a row of buildings they needed to traverse, the hard metal beginning to blister their feet.

  (Miles) Luna! … pants … Can you teleport … pants … to the st building?

  (Luna) I could, why?

  (Miles) … pants … do it!

  As soon as they were already on the edge of the building, Luna looked toward the st building in the row of buildings ahead of them. Her hands began to tremble, and she swayed her head once as sharpened her eyes at it.

  Teleporting past many buildings, both of them were out of the burning heat from the running monster, the cold sweat relieving them as they plopped onto it.

  Miles arched his head up as his legs began to feel the soreness of their sprint, while for Luna…

  Began to wheeze as her face was turning pale.

  (Miles) You … You need to breathe in more…

  (Luna) gasps … supt up!

  (Miles) Seriously … pants … you’re not speaking straight.

  (Luna) I dun’t … gasps … need no help! I cud … gasps … spek fi!

  The heat from the monster began to thicken once again.

  Not even bothering to look behind them, the two of them noticed that the nearest building where they had leverage was far away from their original standpoint.

  Or about several blocks away.

  Not even halfway to the center of the roof, the heat from behind them quickened, causing their legs to buckle as Luna’s teleportations and Miles’s intolerance to heat began to dawn on them.

  (Miles’s thoughts) Could we make it to the other building…

  The back of their necks began to sunburn, Miles gnced at the charging monster, seeing an incoming fiery fist already rapidly being thrown right at them. With nowhere to go but to teleport to the faraway building in the distance, Miles straightened his body as his neck started to lose stability, causing him to wobble his head like a bobhead.

  As for Luna, her skull began to smash itself into one another, the top of her head making her ears ring as if someone put a hot branding bar on her head.

  (Luna’s thoughts) I could make it! I could do it! I’m strong!

  The two were close to the edge of the building.

  While the fist that was hurdled at them was a few feet away from fttening them.

  Feeling their hair begin to sizzle under the cataclysm of heat clouding around them, their eyes widened as the top of their eyes noticed the hand slowly trapping them.

  (Miles’s thoughts) Mom … Dad … Coach …

  Miles extended his arm outward toward the building that he focused his entire being on, the space between them closing.

  Luna’s eyes began to redden, followed by a drop of blood dripping out from the right corner of her mouth.

  (Miles’s thoughts) I’m sorry…

  The monster’s hand was mere inches away from making them into burnt pancakes, their heads puffing up as the dry heat shriveled their bodies like old prunes.

  And at the st second.

  The monster smmed onto the building that they were on, its fists again pushing down onto the pavement below.

  As another dust storm clouded the area, the monster couldn’t see if she had hit their bodies at all, the smoke clogging her fming red eyes. For a st resort, the monster turned her head toward a building that was many blocks away, her eyes squinting as she saw from the top of the roof.

  Two adults, a man and a woman leaning back against a chimney.

  Instead of running, the monster began to slowly walk toward them, her eyes panning at the two completely exhausted adults who had their mouths open and their arms motionless to the ground.

  With each stomp that she took, Terra shook.

  With each thud amongst the cement and soil underneath, it reverberated throughout the buildings many miles from its epicenter.

  And with the heat of a hillbilly oven, the wave of low humidity and dryness made the entire district into a desert.

  Reaching onto the building that bestowed the two adults, the monster looked down as she had her arms motionless to gravity. Her hands were enclosed into fists, her fming eyes began to dim as the light from them started to falter like a dying star.

  (Sidney’s thoughts) The end is nigh for the chosen.

  Extending her right hand, the wind and heat that came out from her hand dyed down, the scaly red skin upon her palms and knuckles turning into a bckish red. Her right palm hovering over the two exhausted adults, she let out a low hum from her throat, her vocals jingling with one another to create a low static sound.

  With nothing to do but just brace for the bringer of death, they closed their eyes shut as the world around them darkened…

  Until the monster turned its body the opposite way.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  Flinching her body forward, the monster crouched down as her palm didn’t hover over the two of them anymore, the dim heat not forcing itself onto both Miles and Luna.

  Her eyes fming bright red, she took a whiff of many anti-air vehicles, their main firing barrel being a long turret compressor. And instead of a rocket shell, missile, or even a fancy railgun…

  (Lieutenant) Hit her again!

  The bullet was simir to a rail gun, in that the bullet released a white light that shined the entire area around it when fired. Released from the chamber and out the barrel, the highly compressed light hit the monster’s back at light speed.

  Making a hole in her back, the Lieutenant kept his hand down, his face still looking at the monster as his eyes sharpened. Next to him were two other figures that saw the hole of compressed light hitting her, their eyes sparkling as one of the figures took a step back.

  One was a Sergeant and the other was a tanned man with gsses.

  (Diego) So this is the power of mana huh?

  (Sergeant) We mine mana for energy, and it led to the most beautiful creation ever created.

  (Diego) Do you think mana would be something that will be used for spiritual energy? Simir to a person’s stamina you know?

  (Sergeant) Where did that come from? Mana has always been our energy source for lighting, basic energy, and electricity. It’s one of our most valuable energy sources.

  Near them were many ptoons of soldiers carrying low-tier cssified weaponry, as the weapon was tinted in all bck but had a pointed barrel that stood out. Having a little battery inside of the chamber, combined with a reticle of the gun showcasing a moving dot, all of the soldiers managed to aim their high-tech weapons right at the creature that aimed at them.

  Seeing that the monster started to fme out even more, the scaly skin started to peel off as magma dripped from the corners of her mouth.

  (Sergeant) That son of a bitch wants to come to us…

  (Diego) What do we do?

  (Lieutenant) Well, did you coordinate that ambush like you promised?

  (Diego) Yeah, but I don’t think it will work though—

  (Lieutenant) I don’t care if it doesn’t stop it fully. As long as that bitch stalls for even a second, that’s a success in my book.

  Turning his body toward the monster, the fming beast then started to push her body off the melted cement that was drenched in the hellish heat.

  Almost as if she was running like a human, she moved her arms in a jogging motion, her feet kicking up the ground as fming debris scattered throughout every direction. Having his hands csped on his lower back, the Lieutenant stood tall, his eyes unwavering for even a second.

  (Diego’s thoughts) That contraption is the only invention that I did without the help of Luke, Stan, Fred, and even Gary. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just a fly to the monster.

  Pcing his right hand onto his mouth, he used his thumb to caress his right cheekbone. His fingernails not even tracing along his skin, Diego’s left hand curled up into a fist as his body soon started to tense up from the monster that was halfway toward their location.

  Bringing up his right hand, the Lieutenant and Sergeant both pced their right hands up high, their arms straightened out as their palms were facing toward the monster. Keeping them there, they cleared their throats, as their eyes widened at the heat that started to radiate around them.

  Sweat started to form amongst the many soldiers, their hands stained as the weapons that they gripped started to loosen.

  (Diego’s thoughts) Just please … at least let it stall the monster for one second, that’s all I’m asking.

  As the monster continued to sprint toward the rest of the ptoon, they all took a step back as the heat started to thicken the air around them, causing them to turn their head away. As if feeling the heat of an oven attacking them, they didn’t dare to open their eyes as the heat from the monster managed to turn their bodies into sucked-up mummies.

  For Diego though…

  Droplets of sweat dripped down from into the steaming asphalt that he stood on, while he dropped his hand from his mouth, pcing it motionless to gravity. His chest started to stab him from the burning air that began to cook his lungs, a slight tear dropped down from his enclosed eyelids.

  Until they heard a loud contraption.

  Opening his left eye, Diego gnced at the fiery monster, causing him to open both of his eyes instantly. His mouth slightly open, and his feet glued to the burning pavement that put his boots in a bind, and despite the heat dimming down from her body and skin.

  Diego's draw dropped.

  (Diego’s thoughts) No way…

  The rest of the soldiers opened their eyes, all witnessing the monster’s sudden stop with their hands and arms still wielding the advanced weapons that they were given.

  Looking down onto her ankles, the monster was wrapped by a long strap of nylon rope, her legs unable to push forward as it was locked on tight. Her eyes fmed more yet her body continued to dim the heat, the rope started to cause her legs to wobble, her knees on the verge of buckling.

  As they all saw this, the soldiers all looked toward Diego, who had his hands pced on the back of his head as he gripped his hair.

  (Diego) It worked…

  Many vehicles were pced onto a certain intersection that the monster decided to roll on through. With the vehicles all holding down the monster’s ankles like nothing, all of them gave Diego a thumbs up and nod, making him jump up once as he lit up a smile.

  (Diego) Holy shit it worked!