Chapter 9. The beast horde.

"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Major Gareth, and I'm here on behalf of the Human Alliance," the military man began, his voice booming across the spacious hall.

"I am here to congratulate you and officially welcome you as guardians of the human race."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"Some of you might already feel a change within yourselves, a stirring of new power. Others might not feel anything yet. That's perfectly normal. The speed at which your body adapts to this power varies from person to person."

Major Gareth's voice, strong and confident, resonated with an air of authority that hinted at years of experience addressing large crowds.

"But regardless of whether you feel the change now or later, every single one of you standing before me today is officially a Chosen. Each of you has awakened the power to become a protector of humanity."

A surge of excitement rippled through the crowd, erupting into cheers. The individuals who had not received a Talent had already departed from the Temple, leaving behind a concentrated energy of anticipation and enthusiasm.

"From this day forward," Major Gareth continued, his voice unwavering, "you have a duty. A duty to protect and serve humanity. To stand alongside your fellow humans and fight against the mutant threat. This is your purpose now."

"Yes, sir!" the crowd roared back, their voices unified in a chorus of fervent agreement.

Kyoji, observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but shake his head at their naive enthusiasm. They basked in the glow of their newfound power, oblivious to the perilous path they had just pledged themselves to. They had never faced the raw terror of a mutant encounter, had never truly grasped the extent of their enemy's strength. Their lack of experience bred a dangerous overconfidence.

'They'll learn soon enough,' Kyoji mused with a chillingly cold smile, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as if lost in thought.

'Their cheers will turn to screams soon enough.'

His internal monologue was abruptly shattered by a piercing alarm that blared throughout the shelter.

[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]

[BEAST HORDE DETECTED IN THE SKY]

[DANGER LEVEL_ ORANGE]

[TIME BEFORE IMPACT, FIVE MINUTES]

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[WARNING.....

The mechanical voice repeated the warning, each repetition amplifying the growing tension in the room.

All eyes instinctively shot upwards, towards the source of the alarm. An orange level danger signified a Brawler horde—a threat the shelter was generally equipped to handle.

"Damn it!" Major Gareth's curse sliced through the air, instantly grabbing everyone's attention. He stood frozen, his gaze locked on a small device in his hands.

"The horde… It's directly above us," he finally gritted out, his voice betraying his own alarm.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd. A Brawler horde... right above them? Panic flared, and some individuals even turned to flee, their instincts screaming at them to escape.

"If you leave this shelter, you will die" Major Gareth's commanding voice boomed, stopping them in their tracks.

His words, as harsh as they were, rang with truth. The five-minute warning issued by the [LRBS-X12]—a device specifically designed to detect mutant activity near human shelters—was merely an estimate. The actual arrival time could be much sooner, leaving no time for escape.

"Everyone, gather around me!" Miss Anna's voice, sharp and authoritative, cut through the rising panic.

Responding to her order, the crowd surged towards Miss Anna and Major Gareth, seeking safety in their presence. While many, especially those not belonging to elite families, possessed limited knowledge about the true horrors of mutants, they had heard the stories, the whispers of creatures capable of tearing through steel with ease. And now, they were about to face hundreds of them.

They knew that becoming 'Chosen' meant confronting mutants was an inevitability. But so soon? Before most had even begun to truly master their powers?

"This is Major Gareth, requesting immediate backup," his voice trailed off in the distance, drowned out by the increasing panic of the young recruits. A Brawler horde was upon them.

Miss Anna moved with urgency, attempting to organize the panicked youths.

"Everyone, form a line behind me! Those who have awakened their powers, step to the front. Anyone with combat training, position yourselves behind them." she instructed, her voice firm despite the tremor of anxiety running through her.

Her words, however, only seemed to amplify the chaos. A mere twelve individuals confidently stepped forward, proclaiming they had awakened their powers. The rest scrambled for the relative safety of the back, desperate to be as far from the impending threat as possible.

Miss Anna felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. The situation was spiraling out of control. These were just teenagers, sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, thrust into a terrifying situation. How could she blame them for panicking?

She knew that even the twelve brave souls who had stepped forward wouldn't hold for long. The moment that beast horde arrived, their courage would likely crumble. She was their instructor, entrusted with their safety during the blessing ritual, and now their lives were in her hands. She had to find a solution, but her mind was blank.

Major Gareth would have been far more equipped to handle this crisis, she thought, glancing at his tense form as he continued to try and call for backup. But she couldn't rely on him. She had to do this herself, somehow.

"Listen up!" she roared, her voice cracking with a new, fierce edge that surprised even her.

The unexpected outburst had its intended effect. The youths froze, turning towards her with wide, startled eyes. The chaotic murmurs died down.

"I understand this is terrifying," Miss Anna continued, her voice still firm but laced with empathy. "But the reality is, there is a horde of beasts heading straight for us. They will be here any minute."

She let the weight of her words sink in before continuing, "There is no escape. Your only option is to fight, to hold them off until reinforcements arrive. And trust me, you do not want to face a beast horde as a disorganized mess."

Her words, though harsh, cut through the haze of panic. They were still terrified, but a grim understanding settled upon them. They knew she was right.

"Now that you understand the gravity of the situation," Miss Anna said, her voice regaining its usual calm strength, "get into formation. Now."

Despite her words, the youths hesitated. They exchanged uneasy glances, no one willing to volunteer for the front line, for the dubious honor of being the first line of defense.

"Move it!" Miss Anna yelled, frustration lacing her tone. The horde could arrive at any moment; they didn't have time for this. But her words had little effect. The students remained rooted to their spots.

Just as her frustration threatened to boil over, Major Gareth approached, his face grim but determined.

"Backup is on its way," he announced, his voice carrying across the tense crowd. "ETA, approximately ten minutes."

A ripple of relief, quickly followed by a wave of dread, washed over the youths. Ten minutes meant they were expected to hold off a horde of vicious mutants for almost eight more minutes.

"Listen up," Major Gareth barked, turning towards the youths. "This is it. Your first mission as Chosen. A chance to prove you aren't cowards." His eyes swept over them, sharp and unforgiving.

"You can cower here and die pathetically, or you can stand your ground and fight these monsters."

His words were harsh, brutal even, but effective. Shame and defiance flickered across the faces of the recruits. Still, no one moved.

"The time for hesitation is over," Major Gareth roared, his patience wearing thin. "Which will it be? Real warriors, or spineless cowards?"

Their eyes darted between each other, each waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Finally, a voice, trembling slightly but resolute, broke the tense silence.

"Can I get two handguns with faith-infused bullets, please?"