A brother's love. Into the dark

Jealous?

Max narrowly avoided injury in a tense situation as a large claw from a pursuing monster scraped against his shoulder. Recognizing the urgency of their predicament, he quickly shifted to grab Netami and began sprinting through the intricate network of corridors, focusing on finding their escape route.

Max cursed silently as the monster began to follow them through the narrow corridors. Netami, who was being carried by Max, was so terrified that he could hardly breathe.

Fortunately, the monster was colossal, struggling to squeeze through the narrow corridor. Its terrifying form was something out of a nightmare, adorned with numerous bulging eyes that shimmered like a spider's, each one glinting with a predatory hunger. It boasted four powerful legs, each jointed and muscular, allowing it to move with an unsettling grace despite its size. Strangely, it was devoid of skin, leaving its raw, pulsating flesh exposed and glistening under the dim lights, enhancing its horrifying presence.

Max searched each room they passed for something useful. Entering a room was risky, as it might lead to being trapped.

After narrowly evading the monster's ferocious attack, he felt a searing pain from the numerous cuts that marred his body. Each jagged slice was a reminder of how close he had come to disaster. Gritting his teeth through the agony, he understood that he couldn't hold out much longer; the monster's relentless pursuit was taking its toll. He could feel his strength waning, and the time for hesitation had passed, he had to make a decisive move before it was too late.

Just as he was about to walk past a room, he spotted a sword mounted on the wall. He adjusted his stance toward it, stepped inside, and took the sword.

But now he found himself ensnared in a moment of fear. The monster loomed ominously at the doorstep, its eyes gleaming with malice. He inhaled deeply, the air filling his lungs and igniting a flicker of determination within him. Assuming the familiar stance he practiced tirelessly during training, he stepped forward, placing his right foot firmly in front, grounding himself. With a calculated move, he positioned his sword arm behind him, ready to strike at a moment's notice, the steel glinting menacingly in the dim light.

As the monstrous creature lunged forward, Max swiftly gestured to the right, trying to outmaneuver it as he aimed his sword at the beast's side. His heart raced with a mix of courage and dread, but he could only watch in horror as his weapon failed to pierce the creature's thick, scaly hide. With a sudden, powerful swipe, the monster sent Max crashing against the cold, unforgiving wall, its relentless assault already in motion once more. Panic surged through him as he struggled to regain his footing, the creature looming menacingly, ready to strike again.

But a big gust of wind threw the monster to the side.

"His weakness is its belly!"

As Max heard his friend call out, he summoned all the strength within him and charged at the monster to stab it in the stomach. With his friend's abilities holding the monster's belly open, he succeeded in doing so.

A gruesome scream reverberated through the corridors as the creature perished. Max collapsed to the floor and began to catch his breath.

"We did it! We defeated the monster. You know, you're quite skilled with your sword."

'Without your drive, I would have been dead. Must be awesome having one.'

"Are you jealous?"

Max didn't like being teased, it reminded him of Princess Elizabeth.

'Of course I am. How could I not.'

Netami chuckled as he lowered himself to Max's level.

"I haven't seen these monsters before, which means they're probably made artificial..."

'What do you mean by an artificial monster?'

"Some families that specialize in outlawed powers have begun creating monsters. I'm not sure why someone would do that, but they are."

'Then Not many people know about them, right? I doubt they would allow the world to find out about them.'

"Yeah, you're likely correct, they probably wouldn't. That's the reason they placed them here, not many people reside in this area of the city."

...

'But how did you figure out that the creature's weak spot was its belly?'