15 The Bestia Macht (Again...)

Age 1991

Outside of the walls of Poppy City several white creatures could be seen. They almost seemed to resemble lizards, but had snow white skin and bright red eyes. They moved closer to the wall and pressed their bodies against it as they began to slowly slide through an inch wide crack...

For a brief second their bodies seemed to glow as they slowly began to vanish...

No one in the city was none the wiser...

The Bestia Macht were here...

People die.

Old age...

Disease...

Freak Accidents...

Murder...

suicide...

It's a sad fact. We will all die someday... However after Age 0 began once the great collapse was over and the Bestia Macht first appeared a new type of death became the most feared... A death that would give no peace. A death that would bring forth suffering. An endless damnation.

Death by Bestia Macht...

"I'm with the blackcoats." The man explained placing a gentle hand on Leo's shoulder. He bent down as he slowly handed the letter to the boy. "I'm sorry but on our last mission... Mrs. Mon... She didn't make it."

The words hit Hero like a truck as he stared at Leo's back. It was common knowledge that those killed by Bestia Macht had their souls destroyed... No afterlife or anything... Just nothing... Hero couldn't see Leo's face as the boys back was turned to him.

"I'm truly sorry..." The man said softly handing a small letter over to Leo. "Before she died she wrote two letters... One to you, and one to her husband... This is yours." The man patted the boys shoulder as he stepped away. "I thought you would want to read it... I'll give you a moment." He said stepping away.

Leo took the envelope and slowly opened it up as he began to read through it. He was silent the entire time as he read it not saying anything. Hero and the man didn't say anything either as they just watched the young boy. Finally after a few minuets he folded up the letters and pocketed it.

"Leo..." Hero said slowly. "Are you?"

"I'm fine!" Leo announced giving a goofy smile as he threw his hands behind his head.

"W... What?"

"I'm fine." Leo laughed. "I already knew that something like this would happen. She was in a dangerous job so I was always expecting this day to-"

Leo was cut off when Hero threw his arms around the man pulling him in for a hug and causing Leo to freeze slightly not expecting that. "I get it. You don't want to cry right? You would feel silly about crying in front of strangers right. When my father died I felt so sad. But I didn't cry because there was others in the room. I felt so silly. So I waited. And waited. And waited. And I'm still waiting. It hurts every day, an endless pit of despair that naws away at my own hope. It's gotten so bad I want others to be hopeful because it's the only way I can feel it. Don't hold these tears back."

"What? You're freaking weird." Leo said pulling away from Hero. He stuck his tongue out and ran towards the manner opening the door and entering.

It left Hero and the man alone as they set there in the silence once more. Hero let out a sigh bowing his head. "Are you a friend of the families?" The man asked.

"No." Hero shook his head. "I just met Leo today. I'm actually on my way to join the Enforcers." Hero said holding his hand out to the man. "Hero Law."

"It's good to met you. I wish we met under different circumstance." The man said shaking his head. "I was there when it happened... Several others went down to... The Bestia Macht are vile beasts who attack your very soul... Their grips freeze and shatter peoples souls erasing them from existence. All of us are scared of it..."

"Why do you do it then?" Hero asked. His eyes slowly stared towards the manner where Leo had ran into.

"Why do you want to join the Enforcers? We do it because we can. Because it can help people. We all don't have magical powers that can solve all our problems. But we can still help. The Blackcoats exist to inspire hope just like an Enforcer. We fight simply because we can."

Hero frowned as he turned away. "I suppose I'm the same then. I'll erase any despair I see no matter what. And..." The image of a girl with bright silver hair and bright silver eyes came to his mind. "No matter what... I'll find her... Leo. He reminds me of my little brother."

"You have a brother?"

"What?" Hero asked looking towards. the man.

"You have a brother?" The man asked again.

"I had a brother..." Hero said throwing his arms behind his head. The image of a boy with snow white hair and bright red eyes who looked like a younger version of Hero came to mind.

"Oh... I'm sorry I asked... You've lost a lot haven't you?"

The image of a girl with silver hair and silver eyes, a young boy with snow white hair and red eyes, Okami Otoko, and Piero came to his mind. "I have but..." The images of Kitsune, the Master, Mary, Jackson Storm, and Leena came to him now. "I've also gained a lot."

***

Within a small bus that moved down the road several people could all be seen.

The bus was nearly silent as everyone was just waking up for the morning.

No one said a word. Rather they noticed it first.

Someone breathed out and saw their breath...

And a clicking sound began.

"Hey does anyone else feel colder?"

"Do you guys ear that-"

A white creature suddenly appeared behind someone slashing them with their claws. The persons body turned into ice as the entire bus began to fill with screams as ice quickly covered the windows. Bodies began to fall and shatter as anyone near the creature was frozen within seconds...

In less than ten seconds the bus was filled with frozen bodies as it continued to move down the road the drivers frozen corpse stuck on the gas...

***

Leo took a seat as he stared down at the floor. He didn't say anything as he stared at the ground.

'Leo. You shouldn't do that. It's dangerous.'

The words of his mother played through his mind as he hissed out.

"Dangerous my ass!" He grabbed something throwing it at the wall as hard as he could. It hit the t.v shattering the screen as he slowly slumped out of the chair. "You idiot... Why were you so dumb... Why couldn't you be like dad and work in a lab... Why couldn't you-"

There was a loud siren sound which went off making Leo stop. His eyes went wide as he felt his body shake.

"T... That siren... That means... A Bestia Macht has been spotted. B... But our City doesn't have any Enforcers and the Red Sisters are out!"

Leo was silent before his eyes slowly drifted over to the wall where he saw a picture of his mom, and dad smiling at the camera. He gritted his teeth grabbing the belt he had on which was full of several small green grenades all filled with that foul smelling liquid.

"I... I'll handle this. I'm not scared!"

Outside of the manner Hero and the man both looked around as loud sirens echoed throughout the city. "What's that?" Hero asked.

"T... That means there's an attack..." The man cursed. "Damn it... This isn't good. This city doesn't have any Enforces and the nearest ones won't make it in time... And the Red Sisters are out... This town is-"

A loud explosion echoed a few blocks away and Hero began to walk towards the sounds of the screaming.

"What are you doing!" The man yelled.

"My job. Call me Protector of the weak Man!"

"What?"

"Still working on the name..."

Before Hero could run off the door to the manner was kicked in. He turned just in time seeing Leo running out of his house and down the streets heading towards the action.

"Leo! Wait!" Hero cursed running after the boy. "What the hell are you doing!" He called out to the boy.

"My job!" Leo yelled.

Leo didn't listen to Hero ignoring his cries as he ran forward turning around the corner of the street. He instantly came to a stop as he stared ahead. There was a flipped over bus in the middle of the street. On it several Bestia Macht all the same kind as the one he had seen in the alleyway could be seen and in the streets there was so many frozen corpses...

Every single one of them lost their soul...

One of the Bestia Macht let out a roar and jumped towards Leo as the boys eyes went wide. He felt ice began to slowly cover him as the creature moved closer and closer about to reach him only to be hit so hard it's head was literally blown off its shoulders as Hero slammed his right arm into it as hard as he could drilling a hole through its skull and shattering it into salt.

"My God..." Hero and Leo turned seeing the blackcoat from earlier staring at the Bestia Macht. "Those are the ones that killed the rest of my squad."

"T... Those are the ones that killed my mom..." Leo whispered.

"T... They aren't that strong being only Baron level." The man gulped stepping back. "B... But they have that invisibility thing they can do, and their noses are amazing... They must have followed my scent all the way over here..."

"Well. I'm sending them back to the frozen hell they crawled out of!" Hero hissed leaping forward as black energy began to glow off of him coming out of the cross on his hand. The creatures all roared and jumped at Hero but his arm proved to be to much as he used the feathers as shields to block their attacks than he simply punched holes through their bodies with energy heated claws.

Despite that though there was still so many of them.

And they were stealthy. If not for his training from the Master he would have missed it. Even seeing it, didn't help though...

Hero's eyes locked onto a small outline standing behind Leo and the Man.

"Look out it's-"

The Bestia Macht appeared behind Leo slashing out with its claws. It barley missed as the man jumped forward wrapping his arms around Leo and dragging the boy away. Small droplets of frozen blood dripped out of the mans shoulder from where the creatures claws had grazed him.

"I... I'm sorry..." The man croaked out as his body began to turn to ice. Leo watched him in horror as his skin cracked and froze. "I did this. If I never came here. If they never picked up my scent then..." The man shattered into a million pieces as the curse took affect.

Leo's head hit the ground due to the shattered corpse dropping him. Small trickles of tears came out of his face but they hurt as the water froze upon leaving his eyes.

"Why... Why is every blackcoat just so dumb... Why don't they care how much their life is in danger. Why would he care about me as he was dying." Leo cried throwing one of the grenades he had. It shattered into a bright yellow gas when it hit the creature and did nothing.

Several of them all circled him and jumped forward stabbing out with their claws. Blood sprayed out quickly freezing and Leo stared at Hero Law's back in shock. Hero stood in front of him stabbed multiple times from the frozen beats causing him to cough up a glob of blood.

"H... Hero..."

"It's okay." Hero said in a grunt. He grabbed at some of the claws that were impaling him and began to slowly pull them out.

"B... But the virus..." Ice began to cover Hero's body as he took began to freeze.

"I'm a transformation type. We're immune." Leo watched as the ice actually began to vanish not only around Hero but around the entire area replaced by a thick hot steam. There was a murderous look in Hero's eyes as he glared at the many Bestia Macht which tried to get away but there bodies began to burst into flames. "I'll take you all on myself..." Hero said grabbing one of the monsters by the head with his right hand and crushing it in one go making all the monsters jump back in shock. "I'm Hero Law." His red eyes ignited. "I'm the man who's going to kill the Beast of Hunger... I'll crawl forward like that damn worm. I'll keep going until I become a Dragon!"

The Bestia Macht were frozen ice beasts who crawled out of the depth of a frozen hell. They weaponize their blood freezing anything around them. A single cut is able to convert every cell in a person into water in less than a second than flash freeze all of that. However. Transformation types as well as Caster Types are immune to this virus.

White and black Flames literally exploded off of Hero's right arm as he punched out with flaming punches breaking the sound barrier with how fast and hard he hit as the sounds of a trumpet roared. Several of the Bestia Macht exploded from the impacts as Hero moved forward with an enraged look in his eyes. The feathers on his arm spewed out catching flame burning more of the monsters and the land around him as the energy crackled around his right arm wildly.

"That guy said you all have an amazing nose able to track anything huh. Well get a good feel for my scent. Keep hunting me down. It'll save me the trouble of finding you all myself!" Hero announced. "That's all you guys know how to do..." Flashes of memories long since forgotten went through Hero's mind. He saw a destroyed lab. Large white monsters. Frozen Corpses. A young boy with snow white hair and red eyes... Okami Otoko... And Mary. And of course his father... At that moment he saw all of them. "You monsters just kill and kill taking away the hope in this world. That's why I decided. None of you should exist in this world that's why... I'll become an Enforcer! Just call me Super Badass Hero Man!"

More of the monster roared and continued to attack him with everything they had stabbing and blasting him. Tails came out whipping the teen as more claws tore into his flesh.

"Your virus doesn't work on me so you think a brute force attack will." Hero smirked even as his flesh was torn and stabbed. "You'll never kill me with attacks like that. You're only damaging yourself more." Every time his blood splashed out it melted more of the monsters down to ash as they hissed at him. His energy crackled through the blood heating it up with his energy that pumped through his left arm. "This cursed right arm of mine is stronger, and faster. It also heals at an incredible rate and weaponizes my very blood transforming the iron inside of me all thanks to my right arm. You all have blood so cold it freezes a person so it's only fair I make mine the opposite. No matter what I'll kill you all so keep on attacking me!"

More and more came as they spilled over the buildings. There must have been a few hundred of them at least...

"Leo. Run. It's to dangerous." Hero yelled stabbing out with his clawed hand, but there was just so many of them none of them stopping.

"I never got it..." Leo said quietly as he stared at all the frozen bodies. It never dawned on me... How dangerous they were. I read about them... They were so weird and interesting to study... And all my family... They all seemed so weird... And I never got why so many people would get killed dealing with them... They all seemed so stupid.. Mom... That man... Why does everyone risk their lives..." His eyes began to fill with tears as he stared at Hero. All the frozen corpses seemed to stare back at him. All of them missing their souls... "I think I'm starting to get it... That's why. Destroy them all Hero! Save my city. Don't let anyone else die!"

The monsters roared as every single one in the city charged him. There was so many of them and they all jumped into the air surrounding him. Hero raised his right arm up as the feathers formed together into a wing growing in size reaching the size of a small car. The black energy on it dripped down even hotter as he simply slammed it into the ground as hard as he could stabbing his claws into the ground firing out a massive pillar of black flames which stabbed back up through the ground and washed over the Bestia Macht that came at him. The flame pillar bent and twisted around slashing the Bestia Macht in half. Everyone that was hit by it broke down into salt being changed on a cellular level.

It was his ultimate attack.

"Lot's Salt!"

The Pillar slowly came to a stop as the salt of the creatures slowly rained down onto the street. Hero's arm glowed as they, along with his skin reverted back to normal.

"H... Hero..."

Hero turned seeing the stunned face of Leo. "Sorry did I-'

He was cut off as for the second time that day Hero was tackled to the ground hitting his head on the floor as Leo dive hugged him. "Thank you..."

"H... Hey..." Hero asked coughing up some blood. "I don't suppose... You could call a Doctor." He was covered in burns and his left arm looked broken. His right arm looked nearly melted down to the bone from covering it in molten metal and he was covered in stab wounds. "Pretty sure I'm dying."

Small tears slowly began to stream out of his eyes. "Yeah... I'll do that."

***

A Few Hours Later...

The Hospital...

"What are you making?"

Leo let out a loud yelp spinning around and seeing Hero was standing in the doorway. His arm was bandaged and he looked pretty banged up but most of his wounds were healed.

"Don't scare me like that!" Leo yelped. "By the way... Should you be moving?" He asked.

"I'm fine. My body heals pretty fast. If not for my Equations I'd be seriously scarred for life!" Hero shrugged. He peaked over Leo's shoulder seeing a small yellow bomb in his hands. "What's that?"

"It's another bomb." Leo said staring down at it. "My last one didn't do anything to them. I'm going to keep studying my fathers notes. I still want to join the science division one day... It's not just a dream anymore. I'm going to make a weapon anyone can use. A weapon that the Blackcoats can use to fight off the Bestia Macht."

"Cool."

"Hey Hero... You're gonna join the Enforcers right?"

"I'm gonna try."

"Then..." Leo held his hand up balling it into a fist as he offered a fist bump to Hero. "Let's both do our best. One day. I know we're gonna work alongside each other."

Hero smirked accepting the fist bump. "Yeah. Just call me Super Cool Enforcer Man, and my Side Kick Science Boy."

Hero smiled as he stared at Leo. For a second his smile faded as a girl with long silver hair, and silver eyes, came to his mind as well as a boy with snow white hair and red eyes.

But it was only for a moment as his smile came back...