— What the hell is this?! — Jake's scream tore through the air, his voice trembling with terror as his eyes darted frantically between the creatures emerging from the shadows, trying to process the horror unfolding before him. He watched, paralyzed, as some of the creatures staggered on deformed limbs, their purplish skin pulsating grotesquely, as if alive. Their sharp claws scraped against the asphalt, leaving deep, screeching marks that echoed through the empty street. Others crawled grotesquely, twisting in ways that defied logic, as if anatomy itself were irrelevant, and their hollow, deep, and hungry eyes fixed on the group with an intensity that made him nauseous.  

The world around them seemed to collapse, and the oppressive silence that once filled the street was replaced by an unsettling quiet, broken only by the heavy sounds of the creatures advancing and the rustling of shadows moving around them, like invisible predators preparing to strike.  

— Stay back, Jake! — Hyan shouted, his voice shaky but still firm. His fingers gripped the handlebars of his bike so tightly his knuckles turned white, as if he were clinging to the only thing he still had control over in the midst of the chaos. His eyes scanned the street, searching for an escape or a way to fight back, but the monsters seemed to be everywhere.  

Jake, almost hypnotized by fear, took a step back, his body moving slowly, as if terror had taken hold of every fiber of his being. He nearly stumbled, his breathing ragged, trying to process the impossibility of what he was seeing. Fear froze him in place, and he didn’t know where to look or how to act. Every movement of the creatures, every crawl and lunge, seemed to highlight his own vulnerability. There was nowhere to run.  

Meanwhile, Monica seemed completely unfazed by the threat surrounding them. She walked with calm, confident steps toward Tyler, her expression radiating an unbearable confidence, as if nothing in the world could shake her. Dressed in a black leather jacket with colorful patches that almost mocked the situation, she exuded an aura of irreverence. The spiked collar around her neck glimmered, almost like a mark of her authority over the chaos unfolding around her. She didn’t seem to care about the monsters or the visible fear on the others’ faces, focused solely on Tyler, as if she had already made up her mind.  

Monica radiated an air of irresistible provocation, every step oozing overconfidence as her dark hair fell messily over her face. Her red eyes glinted with a mix of mischief and defiance, as if she knew she controlled her own destiny in that moment.  

— You ready, Rat One? — she taunted, the smirk on her lips more than just an expression; it was a direct challenge, thrown at Tyler like a game she already knew how to win.  

Tyler, trying to keep his composure, stammered, doubt creeping into his voice, betraying what he was trying to hide.  

— Ready for what...? — His voice came out softer than he would’ve liked, a barely noticeable tremor revealing the fear he couldn’t completely mask. His face still held an air of control, but inside, panic was bubbling, hidden only by a mask of disdain.  

As the creatures closed in, their grotesque movements becoming faster and more lethal, Jake stared in shock, his eyes wide with horror at the nightmare unfolding before them. He could barely process what was happening, even more stunned by Monica’s terrifying calm, as if she didn’t care at all about the impending apocalypse around her. Every step she took was filled with a dark authority, almost unsettling.  

When Monica finally stopped, her voice came out low but loaded with an unusual authority, as if she were the controlling force in this chaotic scene.  

— Arcanum Evocattio... Petalis Rosae!  

The moment the words left her lips, the air around her shifted, becoming denser and pulsating. Scarlet flames erupted around her body, as if fire itself had been summoned by her will. But these flames weren’t ordinary. They didn’t burn; they glowed with a supernatural intensity, shaping themselves around her into a gleaming armor that looked like solidified blood, reflecting the very essence of power.  

In her right hand, a massive sword appeared, as if forged instantly by the flames. Its blade shimmered with a dark fury, so sharp it seemed to cut the very air around it. Monica’s presence had completely changed—she was no longer the irreverent provocateur but a supernatural force with the power to control the elements and command destruction.  

— Ready for this! — she exclaimed, her smirk widening as she raised the sword with unsettling ease, as if her strength were beyond human. The scarlet glow of the flames reflected in her eyes, lighting up her expression with a confidence that transcended any limit.  

Tyler watched her with a look of disdain, more annoyed than impressed. He shifted his attention from the approaching creatures, focusing solely on Monica, as if her mere presence were the greatest offense at that moment, more concerning than any supernatural threat.  

— Holy crap...! — Hyan shouted, alarmed, his eyes locking onto the two creatures leaping toward him with deadly speed.  

Jake, on the other hand, stumbled and fell onto the cold asphalt, the impact as abrupt as the terror paralyzing him. His eyes were fixed on Monica’s transformation, even more terrified by the monstrosities closing in with every second. His heart raced, and he could barely process the scene before him.  

Monica, however, didn’t hesitate for a second. Her eyes glowed with unshakable determination, as if the very essence of combat flowed through her veins. She adjusted the sword with skill, her stance firm, as the creatures approached with ferocity.  

The first creature, larger and faster than the others, lunged at Monica with a guttural scream, its claws extended like blades ready to tear her apart. But Monica didn’t flinch. With a graceful movement, she dodged with a lightness that defied physics, using the monster’s momentum against it. Her blade came down with lethal precision, cutting the creature in half with a brutal strike, as if it were an extension of her own will.  

The creature’s agonized scream was drowned out by the sound of its body being torn apart, the pieces falling heavily to the ground. The asphalt was immediately covered in purple, viscous blood, splattering in all directions and forming dark puddles that gleamed under the dim morning light.  

— Shit...! — Tyler yelled, quickly stepping back, his eyes wide as he watched another creature being taken down just as efficiently.  

Monica stepped forward, her face unreadable and cold as stone. When another crawling beast tried to attack her, she spun the sword with hypnotic mastery, a quick and precise movement that pierced the monster with a fatal blow. The creature’s body split in two with a grotesque sound of flesh and bones breaking, and the echo of the impact reverberated through the silent street as the monster fell, lifeless. Black blood spread around it, staining the asphalt with a sheen that only intensified the nightmare unfolding around them.  

Jake, still sprawled on the asphalt, watched the scene with wide eyes, unable to look away. His mind seemed to move in slow motion, trying to process the nightmarish vision before him: the grotesque bodies of the fallen creatures, the purple blood spreading across the asphalt, and, at the center of it all, Monica. She stood there, impassive, almost triumphant, like a figure from another world dominating the battle effortlessly. The scene felt surreal, like a nightmare that had become reality.  

— Where did you guys get this cousin...? — Jake murmured, his voice trembling and almost inaudible, as if he were afraid reality itself might slip away at any moment.  

Monica, however, seemed utterly calm as she casually walked over to Tyler. She wiped the blade of her sword on his shirt with cold precision, causing Tyler to jump back, horror written all over his face. The simple action seemed loaded with a near-inhuman disdain for the situation they were in.  

— This is an Evocattio! — Monica explained, with a disconcerting indifference, as if she were describing something trivial, like a cake recipe.  

Tyler, no longer hiding the frustration consuming him, shot back with an outburst of disbelief, his voice filled with anger and discomfort.  

— How the hell was I supposed to know how to do that?! — he shouted, his words echoing the confusion and tension building inside him.  

Monica didn’t lose her cool. She simply rolled her eyes, her patience visibly wearing thin. Her gaze was sharp, direct, and she seemed annoyed by Tyler’s lack of understanding.  

— You’re the successor of the Scarlet Arcanist — she said, her voice as cold as the steel of her sword. The words came out with a precision that seemed capable of cutting more than just metal. — This is the bare minimum you should know!  

Tyler looked away, visibly irritated by the situation, and reached out to help Jake up. The moment their eyes met, Jake noticed something strange, almost disturbing. The red in Tyler’s eyes seemed to glow with an unsettling intensity, reflecting a deep anger that Jake couldn’t quite place or fully understand. There was something there, something beneath the surface of the friendship they’d always known.  

Before Jake could say anything or try to make sense of what was happening, Monica yanked Tyler sharply by the shoulder, pulling him away from Jake with a firm, no-nonsense motion. Her expression was closed off, hard, as if she were the absolute authority in that moment. There was no room for further words, only action.  

— Then you’d better learn fast — Monica said, her voice cutting through the air between them with a relentless coldness. She seemed to be throwing the words like a sharp blade, each syllable a veiled threat. — These things aren’t going to stop coming for you.