Chapter 16: Into the Beast's stage

Makino and the others heard that growling sound, looking frantically in all directions to find the source of the sound.

"Hey, could that be one of the mechanical beasts we're supposed to find?" Havati said while turning his head around.

"If that's so, that could be our payday coming to us nicely." Akadagi mischievously said.

"Everyone, don't make sudden moves or they may get scared. Approach it nicely." Kofalu said as he see his team getting frantic.

Makino and Arlandy, on the other hand, was on a different page however. Makino is, in the moment, tense right now.

'I know those roars. It is really not that would come from a docile pet.'

While he was in his mutterings, a series of thuds is being heard and the next thing is the one that settles it.

Slash!!!!

"Arghhhh!!!!!" A scream is heard from one of their teammates, ambrosia leaking from his sides, slashed in it's entirety.

'It will come from a viscous bloodthirsty beast!' Makino's final inner thought as he saw the attacked teammate and a growling beast in the sides.

They come face to face with the mechanical beast. A monster of visceral monstrosity. Resembling a mechanical wolf, but many differences. Wires, looking less industrial and more on the organic side, jut out from it's hind body connecting to the other half of its body. Razor-sharp claws adorned it's mechanical paws, sharpened for tearing up preys. Its yellow mechanical eyes glowing in the dark adds up to its menacing appearance being paired up to  a sleek body frame.

'Huh? It doesn't look like from any beast that I remembered, but...there is something close to its appearance from a certain beast.' Makino tried to remember.

The whole crew is now feeling intimidated and scared by the sight of beast paired with the horrific event that happened earlier.

"Arghhhh! It hurts! It hurts so much!!" The attacked mech screamed as he still reeling from the damage and now is being attended by his other teammates. 

"Everybody! Ready yourselves! It's gonna attack again!!" Kofalu commands to his teammates as the wolf is readying itself for an another attack.

The wolf backs off and vanished immediately. It's speed is terrifying. Everyone readied themselves to cast a spell when the wolf vanished. Arlandy readied himself as Altor picked up his sword from his side compartment. This act caught some brief and quick amazement from everyone excluding Arlandy. 

'Hm? He's also a swordmech? He is a young Armanben from the look of his stance. No, not now.' Kofalu instantly dismissed his thoughts as he holds his sword up and also readying up to unleash a spell.

Everyone is getting tensed up by the situation, but it would not last for long they knew. 

'Just where are you? This isn't was on the description. Hope they give us a better pay for this, stupid Armanben!' Akadagi thought while holding his hand up for the spell.

'I knew it there's fishy here. But so do you too, Altor. Even at the beginning, you we're suspicious about this. Is there something you know about this?' Arlandy thought as he looks at Altor readying himself, answering his last question on the negative.

'This is it. Those devils are on the move now. I need to get ready. I... I need to coordinate with them in order to succeed with this.' Makino's thought as he hold his sword up.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"!?"

Metallic thuds is now being heard and the mechs are positioning themselves in the direction of the sound.

Roar!!!!!

The beast lunged at them at great speed, but the mechs have enough time to act.

"Callo Vavanti!!" Some of the mech shouted their spells in unison, unleashing many balls of fire to the beast. But something unexpected happened: the beast dodged all of them in different directions in a matter of seconds.

"What in the-"

Slash!!!!

"Arghhhh!!!!" One of the mechs groaned as his arm is being slashed apart by monster's jaw and claws and falls off immediately.

"Avacati!!" Kofalu shouted as he saw one of his crewmate fell down from the attack.

But there is no time to grieve, the beast continued it's rampage, slashing the mechs nearby, some managed to fire off a spell, but to no avail. Almost all of them fell down to the beast, with the exception of Akadagi and Havati along with Kofalu. Altor and Arlandy are shocked on what they've seen, especially Makino. He knew this kind of beast and their rampages are horrifying. Memories flooding in of those horrible attacks sparked a revelation to him.

'I know this beast. It looks different now but now I'm sure. It's the Fakadi. It doesn't looked more monstrous than before, but the speed is the same.' Makino's thought give him a shudder

But doesn't wanted to falter, Makino stances himself to attack the beast.

'No! That's why I'm here. To kill those monsters! I... I can't falter now!!' Makino's hold on his sword is shivering now.

Arlandy saw this and reached out a hand to Altor's shoulder.

"What are you doing? We need to go now! We can't handle this.

This gave a sting to Makino, but seeing the beast, he relented. He run off with Arlandy to get away from this place.

"Darn it!!"

He knew Arlandy's right. The sight of the fallen mechs is indicator enough to bail out of there. But he wanted his enact his mission immediately. But it's speed is demonic. Rapid fire spells wasn't enough to beat this thing down. He cursed is own luck. 

They ran off from the scene and wondering what just happened back there.

"This is one of those gentle beasts? This must be a sick joke of that stupid Armanben! This isn't on the description of what we're going to do!" Akadagi loudly groaned at the situation.

"I knew something fishy is going on here, but this is outside of what I had in mind!" Arlandy loudly protested.

"Then why didn't you say something? This would not gonna happen of you didn't just sealed your mouth up!" Akadagi furiously told him.

"I said this isn't what I had in mind!"

"Enough!!" Kofalu loudly shouted at them.

"We didn't know about this and caught off guard. We need to compose ourselves on this." Kofalu calmly and loudly tell this to peace them up.

"But what is that thing, Kofalu? It was so fast I couldn't see it with my own havé(eye)." Havati asked.

"It's the Fakadi." Makino said, finally bursting his silence.

"!?" 

"The what!?" Akadagi asked.

"Ah- it was monstrous beast I- I only heard of once. It has a ferocious speed to ensnare it's prey." Altor almost stuttered to construct his explanation.

This information started all of them.

"Then why you didn't tell us about that? Many of them died there! Maybe we could dispatch it sooner or at least get away from with no casualty!" Akadagi rudely and furiously asked Altor.

"I didn't know it was the Fakadi!! .... I said I just only heard about it." Altor furiously said in frustration, causing the others to bite their words inside their mouths. An Armanben's fury is really intimidating.

"We apologize for what he said, Sir Altor. You didn't know much too. You're liable for it." Kofalu humbly apologize, causing Akadagi to bow in apology while running.

"It's... It's fine." Altor said.

"Blaming others won't get us anywhere. We just need to get away from here. We had to go to the barrier and tell the caster of what happened." Kofalu laid out the plan with everyone agreeing to it, one has still has frustration.

They continued to run to safety. But a sound is being heard some mile away from them.

Grrrrr......