CHAPTER 8
"AAAAAARGH! NOOOO! MUM!" He suddenly bellowed into the air as saliva dribbled down his mouth.
Tears fell freely while he lay stomach flat on the ground, his body trembling in pure horror.
***
"Now… it's your turn." The Abberant grinned as it slowly rose up from the ground, and with a single step of its feet, it crossed the distance between itself and Ray.
Its hand shot toward the helpless human who was still lying on the ground in disbelief, his eyes locked on his mother's body as it rolled limply across the earth before finally coming to a halt.
The massive hand drew closer and closer, shadow looming over him, until.
Pffff—!
Han dove straight forward, grabbing the young boy as they rolled violently across the ground for a moment, dust and debris spraying everywhere.
With one fluid motion, his boots activated and lifted the two off the ground as the man began leaping from air to air, blitzing frantically away from the Abberant, which was briefly stunned.
In that single movement, a distance of one metre had already been placed between them as Han was about to land.
But with one leg lowered before the other, he forcefully smashed it into the wind, propelling them away again with brutal force.
Feeling the rushing air slam against his face, Ray finally snapped back to reality.
"Let me go," he whispered slowly, his voice hollow.
"Not a chance."
"… Uncle Han, let me at that bastard! He fucking took my mum from me. Let me go,
NOW!"
"I know you are hurt. But there will still be more chances to take your revenge."
After a brief pause, as the man landed on a building and immediately took off again, he added;
"… Just not now."
"F*ck your lectures!" Tears poured freely from the kid's eyes as the distance between them and the creature grew at an alarming rate.
"I want my revenge, NOW! So let me fucking GO!" He bellowed as he hammered his fists into the man's shoulders, specifically the same place he had bitten earlier.
"Damn you, Ray!" Han yelped as he accidentally lost his grip.
The young boy dropped from the air at just the right moment, landing on a roof with a sharp roll that scraped his skin painfully.
Kneeling down, he glared into the distance as the Abberant rose to its full height, its monstrous face now locked directly onto him.
One thing about these creatures was the annoying fact that they looked somewhat humanoid.
Aside from its rocky, fur-covered body, it had something on its head akin to hair.
The strange strands were a different shade entirely from its fur, resting atop its skull like an island in a vast sea.
Jet black, thick, and wavering slightly in the wind.
"BASTARD!" Ray roared into the air as he shot to his full height, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I will rip your head apart!"
The Abberant smirked.
"Come take a shot."
Ray gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glint as he stepped forward, fully ready to face the creature and end it with his own hands when.
"I'm sorry, boy. You forced my hand."
Bam—!
The butt of a shotgun smashed into the back of Ray's head with immense force.
His vision blurred instantly as his body staggered back and forth like a drunkard losing balance.
He grimaced, desperately trying to fight off the dizziness, but his weak body finally gave in.
He swayed one final time, his knees buckling as he nearly collapsed.
But swiftly, Han swooped in, grabbed the unconscious boy, and slung him over his shoulder before kicking off the building and speeding away at full force.
"Hey! Where are you going with my toy?!" The Abberant snarled, its expression twisted with fury as it began giving chase.
Every footstep it took sounded like a drum of doom, pounding against the ground with terrifying intensity as Han refused to look back and kept running.
His breath turned hoarse as he leaped from building to roof, propelled by his boots, spending barely a minute in the air before needing to launch off something again.
But the more he felt he was gaining speed, the closer the thunderous footsteps grew.
And nearer.
And faster.
Each booming step caused his own heart to pound harder with every dodge, every leap, and every desperate launch through the air.
The weight of the young boy pressed down on him, further adding to his growing weariness, yet he was determined to push through and get him to safety no matter what.
Even at the cost of his own life.
"Get back here now!"
The Abberant's roar shook his bones with terrifying intensity, but Han grit his teeth and refused to slow.
With one final kick, he twisted midair like a sharp arrow cutting through the sky.
His hand shot to the gun slung over his shoulder.
Cocking it swiftly, he pulled the trigger in one smooth motion, sending a sharp bullet tearing forward through the air.
Even though it would not truly hurt the creature, the Abberant instinctively lifted an arm to block.
The bullet bounced off harmlessly, clattering away as Han clenched his jaw in frustration.
He landed heavily on another building.
Han vaulted off again the very next second, just in time as the Abberant bulldozed straight through the structure behind him, completely crumbling it to the ground.
His heart beat anxiously as the creature continued gaining on him at an alarming rate.
Twisting his head to the side, his breath hitched.
Another Abberant was rushing forward, and it did not take long for its eyes to lock onto the humans in the air.
It immediately changed its trajectory, charging toward him from the side while the first creature was nearly upon him from behind.
'Why is my luck so shitty? Damn it!'
Still, the man did not falter.
He steadied Ray's body while hovering in the air for a brief moment as both creatures rapidly closed the distance.
He closed his eyes and took in a sharp, deep breath, his lungs burning fiercely from the constant exertion.
'… I only have about two minutes left before the gas gets exhausted. I need to get Ray to the train that leaves for Wall Steel as soon as possible.'
The cacophony of roars grew deafening as the two creatures bore down on him, each oblivious to the fact that another of its species was closing in from the opposite side.
Taking advantage of this brief opening, Han forcefully smashed his foot into the air, producing a thunderous bang as he vaulted forward with tremendous speed.
Right on cue.
Wam!
The two Abberants collided with each other with brutal force, crashing to the ground in a resounding thud as thick dust billowed high into the sky.
By then, Han had already placed over a metre of distance between himself and the creatures, landing hard on a half cracked roof.
"Bastard! I'm taking him to safety right now. But this isn't over," Han roared into the air, shouting over his shoulder.
His eyes remained fixed straight ahead.
"I assure you, he will take his revenge. On you, on your entire race. He will tear you to shreds. That's my promise."
With that, he sprang off the roof with immense force, darting from side to side through the air, his breath heavy and laboured as he vanished into the chaos.