22 Chapter 22: Hope.  

'I'm fucked.'

Her hands automatically moved, taking her gun from the back. The trigger to her fully loaded AK47 on her fingertips. "Take this!" she shouted.

BRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

"Aaaaaaaaa!!!!!"

Her scream mixed with the sounds of the nonstop bullets of the guns. The Certic flinched, closing its eye. Not moving from its position. Why should it? As the bullets only knocked over his thick green fur. Not even one of the bullets made a single dent on the huge monster.

Yes, her aim was mismatched. Her arms not handling the recoil of such a powerful gun.

"Just die!!!" she shouted from her heart, trying to let out all of her stress. But the blazing of bullets finally stopped, with all the bullets laid wasted before the green wolf.

Click!...click!...

She clicked the trigger multiple times, hoping if another bullet would come out but all she got was the smell of gunpowder, smoking out from the gunpoint.

aaaaarrrrr….!

the wolf growled its playful grin turned to anger. it was safe from the barraging bullets but the pain from the impact was still there, Lise could feel the wolf's anger as she was the cause of it. All it's killing intent directed at her.

she could have used her pistol for distraction or any other purpose but her witty mind was only filled with fear, fear from being eaten alive, fear from being shredded like a piece of meat. she had seen many times. imps dying like toys before their sharp teeth.

She could only back away, her feet shaking more and more with the wolf's every other step, taking its time to come near her. its green eyes and its hungry teeth came closer and closer.

Her feet couldn't take it. The killing intent of such a beast. Making her hands and legs worthless. She wanted to survive but the reality was indeed harsh, as she felt lower than a mouse before the huge beast. All the hard work, all the betrayal, everything she did, now worthless.

She closed her eyes, giving up. Maybe because she felt like she deserved it, maybe she felt like this world was not for humans anymore as all she could do was just close her eyes in fear and despair as the wolf before he eats her alive piece by piece.

"So, you are a titled one as well huh?" said a woman from her back.

AaaaRrrrrr….

The growl of the wolf intensified. But his rough growl didn't match its step as it slowly backed away. its wild instincts, telling it to back down.

Lise gradually opened her eyes, gasped to see the wolf that made her despair slowly back away. She sluggishly turned back. Trying to know who this women's voice belonged to.

"Eyes on the enemy…" she said, her voice so commanding to a point that. Lise turned forward right away. She had thought the wolf was walking away but what welcomed her was the jaws of its sharp teeth right in front of her face.

She was speechless. She didn't move, or more apparently, she couldn't. Her body fully paralyzed with fear. She felt her bottom warming up as her piss started trickling out. which she had zero control of. All she could do was open her eyes wide. Gazing into its huge mouth, its stinking breath and saliva overreaching her head.

she was shocked. she thought she would get her head chewed off. as its jaws didn't move an inch with her head already inside its mouth.

she again turned, as the saliva from its five-inch teeth dripped on her hair. her eyes again gaping in literal shock.

The woman, the same woman who was behind her was holding the mouth of the huge wolf with her bare hands.

"H…how?"

The women didn't reply, only giving a prideful smile. Her commanding voice, matching her gray military outfit.

"Hans!" The women shouted.

and like a devil's call. a bulky man jumped from a tree nearby, in his hand, a huge ax looking deadly sharp. the same skin which even bullets couldn't penetrate was shredded by the ax, like soft tissue.

the green blood howled all over, painting everyone with its color, not to mention the man with ax himself. he turned to his captain right away. ready take orders. his salute obedient to his discipline.

"Good job Hans." said the woman. Letting go of the girl who she just picked up, shielding herself from the stinking green blood. "there must be more coming, ready the troops!"

The man saluted once more. "Yes, captain!" as he went his way, placing the huge ax on his back.

Lise slowly stood up, her body now covered with the stinking blood of the wolf and her own piss. "w..who are you?" she asked in reverence. She didn't know who she was but she was oozing with strength like she had an aura of her own. like her whole being commanded obedience.

The woman fixed her hat, gazing at the child which she just used as her shield. "....The strongest human…or once was," she said. Her eyes, turning temperamental.

Lise was charmed the second after. her beautiful gray hair coming up to her shoulder. Her cold gray eyes. her attitude roaring of an alpha.

As Lize gazed at her in awe, her hood fell down, showing her blond hair and green eyes. She looked cute in a way. How a teenage girl like her should. but something caught the women's sharp eyes.

"Come with me…" she said, pulling her to the side of the fallen Certic. Its huge body, giving them some coverage. "Show me your shoulder," she ordered.

"y..yes." she did as she ordered, or was compelled to do so. as she slowly pulled her tattered cloth down.

The captain's eyes narrowed even more. Gazing at the many marks on her body. And she was familiar with such marks.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"..." Lise turned elsewhere. Her head, looking down like she was ashamed to even give a simple reply.

The woman sighed, covering her shoulder back. "Don't worry child. You are now under my care. No one will ever do such a heinous thing to you ever again." she said with assurance. Covering back her small body with her coat.

"Follow me. It will get dangerous soon."

Lise slowly lifted her head, feeling the warmth from her coat. She gazed at her wide back. Following her footsteps.

She was still dazed from her response. She didn't want to believe her words to be true. but her naive heart was already warm from her coat and her words of encouragement. she wanted to believe once more. once more in her own kin. in humanity.

'Hope…..'