Human Monsters
AN Warning: This chapter is somewhat dark
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Ratae, East Midlands
Britain
~492 AD
They came during one warm summer morning, their bat-like wings flapping behind them while their armor glinted with the light from the sun. Their features, while human, were too beautiful and perfect to be considered as such, and it was then that the people understood that these were not human. Their faces smiled kindly at them and they spoke sweet honeyed words of what they have to offer to them, power, women, land, and even immortality. They spoke of the greatness that they could bestow upon the humans, of the glorious battles they could win, the lands they could win, the women they could conquer, and even the kings that they could become. They promised all of that and more, all for one simple price, their obedience and their worship. Like any good salesman they knew who they were speaking to and what they had to say and offer to seal the deal, and just like they expected, the humans were more than happy to accept the offer by signing a magical contract with their blood.
With the contract signed, things quickly changed for the humans of that settlement. The first major change was their enhanced physique. They could move far faster than any normal human, lift more, fight for longer periods of time, and survive the worst punishments without being harmed.After having their physiques enhanced, they were then given weapons of superior quality as well as training in how to use them before being ordered to conquer the surrounding settlements while also making the people their worship their new benefactors.
Like this, the followers of the devils began to war with any settlement not under devil rule, which, considering their proximity to the north and the Kingdom of Camelot, was quite a lot. With their superior weapons and bodies, they easily defeated any opposition in their way and took whatever it is that they wanted from the defeated. Whether it be their land, riches, or women, they took them all while also enslaving the surviving warriors who decided not to worship the devils. They did all of this while the devils merely watched and reaped whatever it is that they wanted from the defeated and the humans who worship them; whether it be the beautiful human women, the slaves who they made fight for their amusement, or the lands that they burned just for the sake of it.
It is like this that the devils spread their influence beyond Southern Britain, and into the lands bordering Camelot. They did not participate in any of the battles, nor did they actively act on behalf of their worshipers. They merely gave them weapons and enhanced their physique while watching them conquer and pillage their way towards Camelot. They did all of this for one simple reason, God and his Angels will not interfere in a conflict between men even if one side has an unfair advantage in the form of better crafted weapons and magically enhanced physiques. Even if they possess these advantages due to making deals with devils, as long as the devils themselves do not actively attack or wage battles against humans, he will not interfere. Like this, the followers of the devils were allowed to conquer and ravage their way towards Camelot's borders unimpeded.
Currently within the town of Ratae, a town that was well developed by the Romans during their occupation of the island, a group of men could be seen rampaging through it. Most of them wear no shirts, allowing the muscled torso to be seen as well as the strange tattoo over their hearts that denotes what devil they serve and worship. Despite the valiant attempts of the warriors of the town, these men simply cut through them as if they are made of nothing but straw. They cut, stab, and decapitate them while laughing without care about the fact that they are outnumbered. To them, it does not matter how many of them there are, their attempts to fight back are simply futile.
While some of the invaders are killing their way through the town's warriors, others are barging into the homes of the citizens and dragging them out to the streets, and some of the men can be seen having their way with whatever woman they fancy regardless of their consent. In one particular house, a mother can be seen hurrying her children into hiding under a bed.
"Whatever happens, do not come out!" She instructs the children as she leaves their room and walks towards her own room just as the door of the house is smashed open and a shirtless man with brown hair walks in. He stands close to eight feet tall with a massive frame full of nothing but muscles. His shoulders are so wide that to enter the house he has to step in one shoulder at a time, and his arms are so wide and thick that one would not be wrong to compare them to the trunk of small trees. His chest, arms, and hands are drenched in the blood of his victims that drips onto the floor, and his dark eyes seem to promise nothing but pain and suffering.
Seeing this monstrosity of a man enter the house, the mother cannot help but scream in fear while silently praying that her children will be safe. Unbothered by her scream, the man makes his way to her with wide strides and grabs her by her blond hair before making his way towards the exit of the house. As he passes by the room where the children are hiding however, he pauses and sniffs the air, causing the mother's heart to skip a beat.
"W-what are you doing?" questions the mother as she musters enough courage to distract him for the sake of her children. Ignoring the mother, the invader continues to sniff the air before slowly turning to face the children's room. Knowing that if this continues her children will be found, the mother scratches the hand that holds her in an attempt to draw his attention. Unfortunately for her she does not even leave a mark on him, nor did she succeed in drawing his attention as the massive man ignores her and makes his way into the children's room where he grabs the bed and flings it a wall, shattering it and causing the children to scream in fear.
"No!" exclaims the mother as she does all she can to force the man to leave her children alone, scratching, punching, and kicking in the hopes of hurting him somehow. Unperturbed by her however, he grabs both of the children by their shirts and makes his way out of the room. As they are being dragged out, the mother comes close to a wooden stake from the broken bed that she picks up and proceeds to use to stab the man's thigh with, only for it to break upon making contact with his skin.
As the mother watches the stake break, she can't help but feel the last of her hope leave and despair take root within her heart. Her children are about to be killed, and she is going to be turned into a toy for this monster to play with. Yet, despite the hopelessness of the situation, she can't find it within herself to cry or show her fear. She doesn't want her children's last moments to be filled with despair, or for them to see her fear. Even if they are about to be killed, and she is going to suffer a fate worse than death, she wants them to at least go peacefully. And so, she plasters a smile on her face and turns to face her children.
"It's going to be ok." she whispers to them even as they fearfully stare at her. She knows that it's a lie and that things are never going to be ok after this, but she can't bring it upon herself to be honest with them, so she lies. For the first time in her lifetime, she lies to her children. She tells them that it's all going to be over soon and that everything will be fine even as the monster drags them out of the house and tosses them to the ground.
Ignoring the pain of her landing, she crawls to her sons and smiles to them while wiping their tears.
"We're going to be ok." she tells them even as she feels the monster grab her by the ankles and drag her back to him while her two sons call out her name.
"You're a real pretty one." says the behemoth with a voice that sounds like stone breaking and a grin as he turns her over to face him.
"Not in front of my children." she says with a glare that hides her fear.
"So you want me to kill them?" questions the monster with a tilt of his head, her silence and the look in her eyes giving him her answer.
"If you leave them be and don't do in front of them I won't struggle." she negotiates with an expression that gives nothing of her thoughts away while internally hoping that he listens.
"Too bad for you then, I love it when they struggle." he says with a dark chuckle as he begins to undo his pants. Despite being horrified, the mother calmly looks towards her sons.
"Look away." she says with another smile as they reluctantly close their eyes and look away. Despite telling them obeying however, she knows that it is too late and that they are already traumatised. The sound of other women being raped, the sound of battle, the laughter of the invaders, the smell of blood and smoke, and the voice of this monster has most already taken its toll on their minds. Still, at least they will not have to suffer the sight of what is going to happen to her.
"Hehehe, you really care about these brats, don't you. Maybe I'll keep them alive and raise them to be just like me. I bet that will break you." says the monster with a chuckle, causing the mother to turn urgently to to face him with fear written all over her face. "There's that look that I love. The look of fear and horror." says the man as he begins to lower his pants, and despair truly takes hold of the mother.
Before he can completely lower his pants however, something smashes into him and sends him flying through countless houses.
"Tsk, savages." says the calm and smooth voice of a man that slowly floats down from the sky. He is around six feet tall, has a pale yet healthy skin, and is a remarkably handsome man with quirky long black hair combed backward in a rough fashion that has a strand hanging down his face, golden eyes, and a small birthmark under his left eye. He wears a dark teal, sleeveless body tights with black accents, black arm sleeves that cover his arms from his wrist to just under his shoulders, and he holds a silver trident in his left hand.
"Are you harmed my lady?" asks the man as he softly lands in front of the woman with a concerned look on his face while offering her his hand. Dumbstruck and still processing the fact that she has just been saved, the mother can only stare at him while absentmindedly taking his hand.
As he pulls her up to her feet, the mother is able to regain her wits and runs to her children while ignoring the man.
"My children!" she happily exclaims while enveloping them in a hug that they tearfully return.
"Your orders?" asks a man that appears next to the mother's savior.
"Tell Ambros and Anlon that they can go all out. If possible make one of them summon whatever devil they worship; I want the head of at least one of them today." orders the leader.
"Ahhh, are you sure that you want those two to go all out? After all, they are the reason why the devils call us Bloody Beta Squad." asks the subordinate.
"Yes. I am tired of these sights, Vanko." replies the leader.
"I know what you mean." agrees Vanko as he prepares to leave, only for the woman to stop him.
"Wait, if you go you will die." she says as she approaches the duo while carrying her two children. "These men are monsters, they can't be harmed." She informs them just as the behemoth returns as he plows through a house and charges at the group of three at a speed too fast for a normal man to react. Despite hearing him approaching, the mother cannot react in time to save herself and her children. Before the massive man can reach her however, Vanko appears in between them, grabs the man by the face and smashes his head on the ground, cracking it, before breaking the man's neck with a powerful stomp.
"W-what?" stutters the woman as she attempts to process what has just happened.
The monster is dead. The man that had been about to have his way with her and was threatening into turning her precious sons into beasts like him just died from a stomp as easily as a bug is killed when stepped on. What kind of beings would be capable of doing something like this, she wonders to herself. How much power would someone need to kill that monster as easily as a human kills a bug? No, these beings can't be considered human, she thinks to herself. They are far too powerful and beautiful to pass off as human, especially the leader. They can't be angels since they don't possess wings, nor are they devils since the monsters killing their way through the town serve devils. That can only mean that they are a third party group, one that can't stand the atrocities that the devils cause.
That thought brings a smile on the mother's face, and fills her heart with hope. They are saved, her and her sons are saved by beings powerful enough to beat the devils and the monsters who side with them. That means that everything will be ok. She didn't lie to her sons, she and her children are going to be fine.
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the fifth chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The fifth chapter is already available on my Pat re on which is (pat re on .com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters as soon as I finish writing them along with other pat re on exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.