“Weapons check.” A behemoth of a man by the name of Raphael Rye called out to the other occupants of the armored vehicle’s back area.

  “Check.”

  “Check.”

  “Check”

  “Check”

  “Check”

  “Ok everyone, our target of this glorious night is Jesse Cole. A man whose danger is only exceeded by his unpredictability. There is no telling what we are walking into, so heads on a swivel people. We go fast and we go hard. I want him waking up to saint peter. Is that understood?”

  “Roger.”

  “Roger.”

  “Roger.”

  “Roger.”

  “Roger.”

  The armored vehicle dropped off its passengers at the beginning of their target’s long driveway before continuing onward. When it finally reached the front of the mansion, the large turret mounted on the roof swiveled around to face the house. It then proceeded to unleash a hailstorm of golden bullets that shredded the house.

  Before the turret could fire a second volley at the house a large muscular statue burst through one of its walls. The turret quickly focused a storm of bullets on the charging figure. The bullets slid off the figure’s thick crystalline carapace like water off a duck’s back. The figure hit the armored vehicle like a train would a soda can. Left much the same in its wake as well.

  The statue stood in the wreckage seemingly staring off into nothing for a few moments. The gigantic statue gleamed like a diamond in the moonlight showcasing its rough-hewn features and musculature.

  Its head suddenly snapped to the side and with eyes narrowed it focused on something in the distance. The statue hunched forward, and two waves traveled across his body. The iridescent one left human flesh in its wake before being immediately followed by a black and silver one that transfigured the flesh in a different direction.

  The new hunched form was supported by long arms that ended in steak knife-like claws that dug into the ground and digitigrade legs that matched. The figure was all but a shadow in the night due to the ebony shell that was wrapped around its lithe frame. Well, that would be the case if not for its head. For you see the figure’s helmet was a tangled hurricane of silver blades that screamed their presence to the world.

  The instant the new form was completed the figure shot towards its destination.

  Within moments the lupine figure arrived in front of its uninvited guests, Raphael’s team.

  “Go set up. I’ll keep the beast here.” Raphael told his men before charging the beast.

  With a tilt of the head, the beast charged right back, ignoring the scattering team.

  The two figures quickly reached each other. Before Raphael could react, the beast jumped onto him digging its hands into his shoulders, its feet into his thighs, and unfolded its head cyclone. In the next instant, the cyclone unleashed a sonic screech that hit Raphael’s mind, body, and soul. The beast let go before the screech sent Raphael flying back into the metal fence encircling the property.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Standing up Raphael wiped the blood and organ fragments from his mouth with the back of his hand. He then proceeded to tear off his tattered shirt before charging back at the beast.

  The beast anchored itself to the ground with silver tendrils that threaded themselves through the ground like roots. The beast then unfolded and grew its head tendrils upward into a tree shaped structure. The branches started vibrating, unleashing a storm of sonic energy that shook everything surrounding them: air, dirt, trees… organs.

  Raphael used Spirit to force his body to reach the beast and unleashed a devastating haymaker right into the beast’s unprotected side. The beast’s roots preventing it from dodging.

  Seeing the bladed tendrils start to swing at him, Raphael tried to back away. Unfortunately, he was too slow, the vibrating blades passed through his body like it was not even there leaving several large gashes across his torso.

  Raphael lit up with purple flames due to using Spirit to stop his body from collapsing. With the highest concentration located on his abdomen to keep his intestines from falling out.

  Using the time granted by Raphael fixing his body, the beast pulled back its roots and stood up. Well as much as the creature could at least.

  Its head then unfolded and wrapped around its body creating a silver headless knight with swords for fingers. The beast then rushed towards Raphael with its hands ready to tear him apart.

  Raphael squared up and prepared for the next round. When he went for a quick jab, the beast disappeared from in front of him and reappeared at his side. Before he could adjust the beast swatted him through the air.

  Raphael hit the ground like meteor and before he could get his head back on straight the beast appeared above him. The beast straightened its fingers into a spear that it promptly sent towards his chest.

  Raphael threw himself to the side but left his right arm where he was.

  He stopped the bleeding with Spirit, but it was of little use. The beast was on him in an instant.

  The beast grabbed his ribcage with one hand and his pelvis with other. Realizing what was about to happen Raphael infused his body with Spirit in hopes of keeping his body together.

  It was of little use though, the beast lifted Raphael above its head and then separated its hands, taking their respective sides with them.

  Covered in the blood of its victim, the beast howled in victory.

  After reveling in its victory for a few moments, the beast set off for those that remained.

  The beast reached the clearing where it had tracked the remaining members of the team. No sooner had the beast reached the center of the clearing than the golden shrapnel from exploded claymores and the golden bullets from the remaining members’ artillery flew towards it.

  The team watching the smoke and fire with bated breath, waiting to see if they had succeeded. When the large morbidly obese man covered in gaping maws appeared swallowing said smoke and dust, they knew that they had failed.

  The man transformed into another creature with two waves of energy, one blindingly white and the other a vibrant orange. The new creature was covered in a cloak of molten metal feathers and a large bird skull shaped helmet.

  Before the team could unleash a new volley of golden bullets, the creature spun sending its feather flying in every direction. The lucky ones only had mostly identifiable bodies, most were reduced to cinders and cooked meat.

  Seeing that everyone was dead a wave of orange energy flowed across the avian form leaving what looked like a regular person in its wake.

  The man’s only abnormal traits were his multicolored hair and eyes.

  The man then started walking back towards his house while thanking his foresight of getting a haunted one. It would not only save him on clean up by eating all the remains, it would use said remains to repair itself saving him from that as well.

  Artifacts:

  [Disparate Unity]

  [Smoke]

  [Bennett]

  [Time Piece]

  Materials:

  [Nascent Energy Vampire Progenitor Mantle (Remnants)]

  [Empowerment (Remnants)]

  [Frankenstein’s Lightning (Remnants)]

  [Emotive Fire]

  [Emotive Ice]

  [Olivia’s Friendship (Remnants)]

  [Beastly Heart (Remnants)]

  [Murder Weapon (Remnants)]

  [Various Utility Artifacts]

  [Various Articles Of Clothing]

  [Death Dogtags]