The Hunt

Celestial energy is not of this world, those who come into contact with it die horrible deaths. However, few instead change into something else, something truly monstrous…

 That morning roads of Karmos City were jam-packed with all kinds of vehicles, pedestrians, and others everyone trying to get to their various destinations it was a Monday no less many people were going to work others coming from work it was a city that was constantly awake the blockage of one road could disrupt the entire road system like it happened now.

 Car horns honked all over traffic police dotted several parts of the road, at the reason for this entire commotion was an accident that caused one of the major routes to be closed off from public use. Many were now forced to use the central route, which led to the compacted traffic.

The Morning sun suddenly got dark scanning the sky a large, winged shadow flew overhead, people craned their necks to get a better view of what it was some cursing at what a plane was doing so close to the ground instead of what they saw led them to question their sanity as such a thing could not be real, it was the stuff of their wildest nightmares.

A giant lion flew over the cars, its body over 3 meters tall and as wide as a large tow truck, it cast a shadow big enough that several cars directly under it were completely engulfed beneath its dark silhouette. Large wings sprouted from its back black webbed bat wings connected to giant finger-like bone structures they whipped back and forth as the monster landed on the road crushing several cars under its weight. For a moment the road was quiet no one believed what they were seeing a giant lion landing downtown its dark brown fur seemed almost surreal in the morning sun. Some drivers had gotten out of cars their gaze transfixed at it at least until the monster's tail came whooshing out from its back so fast the on lookers only caught sight of it after it sliced through the nearest cars cutting them asunder along with any person unlucky enough to be within reach.

Its tail was unusual in that it was made of exoskeleton, its pointy end curved downward similar to that of a scorpion if the scorpion was big enough to topple a school bus. Blood and guts flew every which way, the monster seeing this opened its mouth revealing large razor-like teeth drool dripped down its maw glazing its full dark mane food should not be wasted, in a fluid motion not befitting its giant body it caught some of the body parts before they fell, its teeth crushed the bones instantly, it licked the blood clean off its mouth.

By then the pedestrians, cars drivers anyone who'd seen it had gotten over the shock or more precisely they were stricken with dread, fear, panic whatever emotion related to terror some screamed others cried however the unanimous concession was to get away from the giant lion thing as fast as possible. Cars backed up hitting each other due to the overcrowded road hitting several pedestrians, on seeing that there was no space to drive through people came out of their cars and started to run on foot, the panic wave caused many to step on each other striving to get ahead not that anyone cared adrenaline made any wound feel painless.

The Monster seeing the people scattering all around leaped off the crushed vehicle landing heavily on the highway, cracks webbed all over the tarmac breaking as its powerful body pounced. It whisked its tail from side to side impaling several people in its wake

RRRROOARR! RRROAR!

it let out a powerful killing intent its waves were so intense some people miles away from hearing it fainted while a few had a sudden heart attack and died on the spot.

The monster's hunt had begun.

 Several miles away Avion drove a black Mercedes they were wedged in between cars several vehicles expanding on all sides, they'd been stuck in traffic that morning for almost thirty minutes Michael sat in the back seat at least that was where he was supposed to be. By the time Avion noticed the commotion people running away he turned back to find an empty seat Michael's bag pack strewn across the young master himself gone the right back door lay ajar open, people screaming ran past slamming it shut.

In that moment fear clenched his heart like he hadn't felt since his time on the front lines.

Michael jumped from car to car maintaining a crystallized coat of celestial energy all over his body and minimizing its thickness, by actively circulating celestial energy throughout his body he'd learned how to minimize his output supplying the bare minimum amount of energy needed to sustain the cloak without largely impacting his energy reserves, also he found that giving it a name decreased the impact on his mind allowing him to activate and maintain it almost automatically.

 Crystal Shroud

'Fear brings out human animosity' he spotted a group running frantically stepping on a person who'd fallen down, after they passed the body lay limp lifelessly on the road 'It's too late to save him anyway' he hovered for a moment then jumped onto the roof of a red Buick people kept running away in his direction many abandoning their cars 'running between cars is suicidal,' something heavy hit the ground from where everyone was running from another roar reverberated all over the street shaking the road several cars honked aloud endlessly.

'I can feel it…' Michael smiled '…resonance from another source of celestial energy' focusing on the unknown energy signature from afar it looked like a bright golden spotlight the closer he got the stronger the resonance 'This will come in handy in locating other sources if there are any' he leaped off the car over a woman running frantically, she held her arm that bled profusely, her face had several cuts probably from breaking into a glass window somewhere she barely noticed him as he let go of the shroud midair becoming visible and kept on running,

 Micheal ran into an empty alleyway jumping over a wrought iron fence at the far end

 'Can't go charging in without seeing what I am up against no sense in trying to grow stronger if I die after if not before.' he crept up walls running behind shops and restaurants stopping only when he got close enough that the blot of celestial energy felt like a full-blown moving sun, the thing roared causing the back wall of the general store Michael was hiding behind to rumble dust crumbled off it he waited for it to calm before moving. "Well, it's now or never" He whispered "Crystal Shroud" light started to crystallize all around the outlines of his body until he was completely see-through.

 The monster stood at the center of a four-way road next to one of the biggest junctions of the city, a little more to the right; a park where children usually play, the junction itself was beautiful the main word there being was : the evergreen grass was littered with body parts and guts out in the open bloody and scattered, flower beds torn asunder, at the center a quartet of gray tall statues playing different musical instruments masterfully crafted used to stand now only a broken mess remained chunks of the effervescent stone musicals strewn all over the grass and tattered flowers Michael spotted a harp on the road.

Several cars were torn in half, others almost flattened where the monster had landed onto them some had caught fire 'this is bad those things will explode very soon, I need to do this fast.'

He followed the path most damaged skipping over broken parts of the road toward the giant lion.

"What the hell is that?" he tried to keep his heart steady, unsure of what he was seeing the monster had its back to him its attention focused on some corpses he was munching on, its spine pressed against its skin was visible snaking from its neck to tail bone spikes the size of fingers adorned across the spine with small gaps in between them, grizzly dark brown fur spread all over the back except the spine.

And the Tail he tried to tamp down the queasy feeling rising down his throat the scorpion-like tail was so long and thick it could easily take down a bear or an angel,

 'Me precisely' he gulped 'there's no way I am beating that! What was I thinking I need to get out of here now!'

Just as he tried to turn and hightail away, he felt his body convulse freezing him on the spot 'this.' he thought dismaying 'is the "Resonance" now that I am close to it the effect is stronger and if I can feel it the-'

 Michael jumped on instinct onto the dilapidated center of the junction the grass slippery with blood,

Where he stood until a second ago a giant paw banged the ground cracks webbing all over, the monster's golden gaze trained on Michael, its maw dripped in blood and drool.

The look of a predator who caught on to its prey.