Battle at The Gym

Alfred was in a horrible condition, Cai-Cai was wounded, and six beasts knew the threat that the new arrival was for them as soon as she appeared on that door.

Hayley didn't expect this situation, Dante couldn't talk too much, and all she knew was that Dana was in Danger, but something like this didn't cross her mind.

She had seen battles and people die before, but seeing normal refuges half eaten on the floor in front of the humanoid beast was not between her expectations. Also, she had never fought on her own against so many D-Ranks and E-Ranks with unknown powers. Without someone to hold them down, it was impossible for her to last too long.

Alfred finally fell, after Hayley's appearance he couldn't continue fighting anymore. People around didn't know how to react… they were scared as they were wondering the origin of the newcomer and whether it was friend or enemy.

Just like the girl at the door, it was like the time was frozen by the situation, the creatures looking at Hayley and Hayley trying to get all the information before the second round of the battle started again …

She needed to make a decision, and when the beast charged towards her, she used her ability in a wide area to slow them down and move back.

People noticed the new decrease in temperature and that the movements of the beasts were slower than before, the beasts became enraged, and the young woman managed to dodge a horn that was thrown to her. Even with the apparent stalemate, her chances weren't good.

D-Ranks were going to take longer to freeze, If she fights outside it would be better but if she leaves and not all the beasts follow her, there are not too many people left that can fight, it would turn into a massacre. Fighting in a closed space alone against six beasts was impossible for her without someone to get the attention of the enemies.

Luckily, she wasn't completely alone. Even if she came running, she wasn't the only one coming and wasn't that fast either. A second silhouette appeared on the door and slid into the gym, calling the attention of some of the beasts. The new arrival had black hair and looked even younger than the first girl.

This moment of doubt was used by Hayley to focus on the strongest looking one.

She couldn't use a full freeze, so she split her focus into two points. Both legs of the goat-man were frozen while the beasts were focusing on the girl that was shooting at them.

Hope moved fast, but she wasn't used to shooting a pistol while moving, so her aim was severely decreased. She didn't pull the trigger until she was at one of the flanks so she wouldn't hit a refugee by mistake.

No one liked to be shot at, so the beasts somehow forgot about Hayley and charged towards Hope, the horn-thrower also focused on Hope, but the pig-man being smarter noticed what Hayley was doing and ignored Hope.

Some of Hope's bullets missed, some were deflected, and others just pierced the skin of the beasts without achieving anything.

*click *click

The magazine of the pistol was soon emptied. She had to do her best to keep the distance from the beast with no way to counter-attack.

The pig-man was running towards Hayley. She couldn't focus on him since she had to finish at least one beast first if they wanted to have any real chances in the fight if the goat-man escapes it would have been entirely meaningless.

*tak *tak *tak…

The sound of the raindrops increased as it hit the gym's roof.

Cecily looked at the situation surprised… she didn't know what changed, but until now she was unable to change any of the things that happened on her nightmare, if she managed to save someone, he would die in another way later, or trade place with someone that died after… but all the death that should have followed Alfred's fall haven't happened.

She could only watch in awe as the familiar girls did their best to save the people here.

The future changed?

She didn't know how, but the little girl managed to run past her taking her chance to get to the fallen Alfred. She was shining, but the beasts were too busy to care about it. At a visible rate, Alfred wounds disappeared, closed, and even some parts recovered some of the eaten meat. His left hand was gone, just as his right ear and some teeth, but the nose recovered entirely just like a large part of his right calf.

With some difficulty he stood up again, surrounded by a white-greenish light, this time the shine wasn't ignored by the beasts and this time drew the attention of one of the pigs that were pursuing Hope.

Without waiting for even a second Alfred once again rejoined the fight, his fighting abilities were severely damaged after what happened before, but fighting against just one pig helped a lot holding on his own.

Cecily took Dana back to were the refugees were… Dana looked tired and worried as she saw the new appearance of one of her playing partners.

She fought trying to go and heal Cai-Cai, but they didn't let her. Cai-Cai's wound wasn't as severe as Alfred's, thanks to her dad Hannah knew a little about first aid, so she took a couple of things from between Spencer's kits and helped Cai-Cai with her wounds. A bandage was around her body as she was resting a little and looking at the fight.

*TAK *TAK *TAK

The sound grew louder and louder. The pig arrived next to Hayley, and she was forced to dodge, but after avoiding the first attack the third silhouette appeared, a guy shinning in a soft yellowish aura appeared and punched the pig, almost breaking his hand on the process. He noticed that he didn't have enough energy to protect his hand and do enough damage. He was pushed back, but at least he prevented the beast from attacking Hayley.

A loud noise gave everyone the warning that something was going to happen. Something pierced through the ceiling. Water started to fall, an ice needle dropped on the goat, followed by another, and another… dozens of needles stabbed the goat-man and one of the pigs that were following Hope. The unlucky fellow passed by near as he was following Hope.

The water started to spread. Fast just like the hole on the ceiling. Hope was running from the goat and the pig until a few seconds ago while trying to avoids the attacks from the horn-throwers. She subconsciously used her ability and discovered that the horns had metallic component so she could deflect them.

The pig died, so she had more liberty to control her power now, a horn flies to her. She grabbed it on an electromagnetic field. The horn orbited around her and after the second lap, she threw it back trying to hit the goat…

"Careful!!"

She screamed as the horn didn't fly to the place she wanted, the warning came in time for G to dodge the horn.

"Control your beast!"

"Sorry!!"

Hope didn't want to correct him by telling him it was her and not the beast, it's was better that he thinks that it was the beast and not her… that would be embarrassing.

The missed shot made her rethink her strategy but another horn came flying, and she dodged it. Because of the little distraction, she couldn't grab the horn in the field this time.

After the death of the two beasts, the pressure on the human side decreased by a lot. Since everyone was looking at the fight that would define their destinies, Dana managed to sneak and go to Cai-Cai… this time the beast couldn't ignore that shining. Hayley and Gerhard were taking care of the pig-man, and Alfred was controlling the remaining pig.

But Hope didn't have any means to really attract her enemies, she wasn't a real threat so as soon as the shine started a horn went flying towards the group of refugees and the goat charged at Cai-Cai and Dana.

People closed their eyes as they could already foresee the end.

The same image that was on the end of Cecily's nightmare. She couldn't let it end like in her dream, she moved in front of Dana blocking with her body the attacks from the beasts, her shoulder was pierced as she blocked the horn…

She closed her eyes.

She already accepted her fate, but what followed the horn wasn't the assault of the goat as she expected …

The whistling sound of something flying at high speed… a painful squeal… the sound of a wrecking ball tearing a wall down…

The next thing she saw when she opened her eyes again was the goat impaled by a spear on the wall.