Chapter 35: The party of Death 3
"YUTO! GET OUT OF THERE!!!"
Minato shouted at the top of his lungs.
Before Yuto could react, the atmosphere around the portal twisted aggressively. A loud crack echoed through the street pavement. A massive head pushed through the glowing purple portal frame, gray skin, thick veins in its head, and one huge yellow eye scanning the area. The ground shook as dust and debris scattered in all directions.
For a moment, Yuto and the other guys just stood there, frozen in confusion. His phone was still in his hand. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound or words came out.
Minato started running toward them, channeling blood control to boost the strength in his legs. But in that instant, his eyes widened... everything slowed. He could see every detail: the fear on Yuto’s face, the way his body trembled.
Then the creature’s mouth opened. Rows of uneven, dark, and rotten teeth snapped shut around Yuto’s upper body. Blood burst out immediately, splattering across the street and the side of the cars parked nearby.
Yuto’s phone hit the ground and cracked.
Minato stopped in his tracks; he couldn’t move anymore. His legs felt heavy. His heartbeat was loud, almost painful.
=======================
[DING]
[PORTAL BREAK HAS STARTED...]
[CAUSE: PORTAL CORE HAS BEEN TAMPERED]
[ALERT]
[STOP THE CYCLOPS TITAN FROM INVADING YOUR REALM...]
[CYCLOPS: 150 DEAD: 0]
[GOOD LUCK, HOST. SURVIVE.]
=========================
Minato forced himself to move. He walked forward, each step slow and shaky. The smell of blood was thick in the air. Steam rose from the portal behind the creature.
He reached Yuto’s remains... the lower half of his body lying motionless on the ground. His hands trembled as he dropped to his knees beside it.
Blood soaked through his jeans as he stared blankly, unable to process what he was seeing.
Then, his voice broke, and he screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Minato’s scream echoed throughout the street. His voice cracked from the force of it.
The Cyclops turned toward the sound of Minato’s voice. Its single eye focused on him, the round pupil tightening inwards. The creature’s nostrils twitched as it breathed out... each exhale deep and heavy, like air being pushed through a broken pipe.
It started moving forward. The portal behind it expanded with a tearing sound, letting more of its upper body through.
Each street’s concrete cracked under the pressure and weight of its full body. Dust and debris rose into the atmosphere as the Cyclops pushed itself forward. Then it started running straight toward Minato.
Its massive hand reached out briefly, the fingers closing in to grab him... but before it could, the creature’s head burst open. Flesh and dark blood splattered across the ground.
Amelia landed from above, her boots hitting the cracked pavement. In her hand was a sword made entirely of blood, its surface tip still dripping. The blade dissolved a moment later, fading into red mist.
She instantly looked at Minato. He was on his knees, his hands pressed to the bloody ground, his shoulders shaking intensely. Tears ran freely down his face.
"Minato!" Amelia called out as she rushed to him. She dropped to her knees and pulled him into her arms. His head rested between her shoulder and breast as he struggled to breathe through the shock.
Minato didn’t answer her. He couldn’t. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. His whole body trembled. Tears kept falling, leaving stains on Amelia’s red jacket.
She didn’t ask him anything... she didn’t need to. The pain in his eyes and voice, even without words, was clear.
The silence that followed didn’t last long. The portal rumbled again... louder this time. The glowing purple turned gray, and more Cyclops began stepping out one after another. Their voices were deep and harsh, speaking in a language neither Minato nor Amelia could understand. Some of them were laughing, their footsteps shaking the road.
The ground shook again. The Cyclops were moving closer to the university, their shadows stretching across the street.
Then, a voice came from the far end of the university gate.
"Ahhh! Oh my god... a giant!"
Minato turned his head slightly. The sound pulled him back to his senses. He slowly pulled away from Amelia’s breast. His eyes were red from crying.
He wiped his face with his hoodie’s sleeve, then stood up straight.
In front of him, more Cyclops were stepping out of the portal. The air around them vibrated from their growling and snares.
Minato clenched his fists so tight his nails dug into his palms’ skin, blood dripping out. His whole body was shaking, but his eyes were fixed on the Cyclops group moving toward them.
One of them stepped forward. It was even bigger than the first one. Its skin was thicker and cracked like stone, and each step knocked out all the street lights from the pavement.
Amelia stood beside him, her hand raised as blood began to form another sword. The red blood floated from the air around her, twisting into shape, instantly.
"Minato," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the group of cyclops, "stay behind me."
He didn’t answer. His chest rose and fell fast, anger replacing the fear that had frozen him earlier.
The nearest Cyclops let out a roar and started charging toward them, its yellow eyes glowing brightly with hunger.
Minato took a deep breath. Then he moved forward.
He ran straight at it.
Amelia shouted after him, but he didn’t stop. His legs were heavy, yes, but he pushed through. The Cyclops swung its arm down. The sound of air splitting filled the street. Minato rolled forward, just barely avoiding the hit. The shockwave threw dust into the atmosphere.
Minato got up fast and punched the monster’s leg with all his strength. There was a dull crack. The Cyclops staggered slightly, surprised by the blow’s impact.
Minato’s eyes widened... his punch had actually left a mark. A bright red glow ran across his right arm.
======================
[DING]
[POWER SURGE DETECTED]
[HOST ABILITY ACTIVATED – BLOOD BOMB]
========================
Swiftly, Minato dodged the Cyclops’ hand again. This time, instead of retreating, he ran up its arm, his feet pounding against the thick gray skin. The creature roared in anger and hunger, turning its head to follow him.