"Fuck!" Jack screamed and ran over to the nearest window, looking outside. A knock on the window and noticing the missing tint of the glass told him the same thing Kiki already knew. This house was essentially a normal house, with normal windows. The kind that broke if you threw a brick at them, or a hundred plus kilogram of angry, green hyena.

  "Elias, take up position at your window, we have to keep them out of the house!"

  But there was one more thing he didn't know, although Kiki did. The ground floor had no doors, and several other rooms with another three windows spread across them.

  Of course, there is the chance that they are too stupid to realize that they might be able to reach us through the other windows... No, no way we can bet on that.

  And even if, how many bullets did they take? A hundred? Two hundred? Each monster is going to take several shots, even more if they have to kill them fast without time to aim. It’s never going to be enough!

  Kiki's thoughts raced. Defending wouldn't work. But going out there and fighting on open ground would be nothing but suicide. Sure, the Becker's garden had enough space for Kiki to fight properly, but how many of the monsters were there? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred?

  Kiki had managed to defeat two in a row with Elias' help, holding one off just long enough for her to deal with it. But if they all come at once?

  And running? That didn't seem feasible at all. The second Monster Kiki had killed on the way here, she had noticed something strange, though she hadn't been quite sure then. Now, what Elias said all but confirmed her suspicion.

  The monster had come right out of the hedge, in a place that definitely didn’t have a gap. And its hindquarters, while they should have still been inside the hedge, they didn't really seem to exist. These Monsters somehow seemed to have the ability to move through plants. Rather than cover limiting the monsters paths of approach, the hedges might just as well be screens keeping the monsters hidden until the very last moment.

  Hah! Being too slow, or too weak to save people? Did that ever even matter? Has there ever even been a chance in the first place? Just staying inside the bunker, I guess? I could still be there, waiting until someone finds and rescues me...

  BLAM! The first shot fell, and more followed, but Kiki didn't hear anything.

  What the hell? What opportunity? What was I even thinking? Am I fucking lunatic? Trying to fight monsters with a damn sword? People stopped using these damn things literally ages ago! And for good reasons!

  The old married couple tried to get Kiki's attention, and failed. Kiki didn't even notice, her thoughts spiralling.

  Hiding is pointless, only delaying the inevitable. Running? We would only give the monsters an even greater advantage. And fighting? There is no way we will win this! All we can do now is fucking pray and hope for...

  Pray?

  I could pray...

  It was impossible to tell what it was. Weakness? Intention? Pure despair? Whatever it was, Kiki's legs gave out, her knees hitting the floor. She kneeled.

  She had never been religious. Sure, she might act when necessary, but she had never believed. Not truly. Even now, with the blessing of a supposed Goddess, she still wasn't. And yet, a certainty filled her mind, knowledge that came from nowhere that told her exactly what to do.

  She didn't fold her hand, she didn't speak the lord's prayer.

  With both hands flat on her heart, Kiki bowed and whispered.

  "Mother of Sin, Lady of Lust, thy name be Luxuria;

  thy blood be sensation;

  thy flesh be satisfaction;

  the sin before sin.

  the force behind all.

  Eternal temptress, deliver thy will from beyond the veil, and end my doubts.

  Please, tell me what to do? I... I don't want to die!"

  Everything will be alright. It was neither voice nor thought nor knowledge injected into her mind.

  It was certainty. Nothing more and nothing less.

  Try it.

  What's the point?

  Fight.

  I can't!

  You are stronger than you think.

  What difference does it make against that many!?

  What do you have to lose?

  ...Gran, Gramps, my life.

  Whether I fight and lose it, or don't fight and lose it, what's the difference?

  Everything.

  And Kiki knew.

  "Kiki? Girl, don't worry!" Margret worried, "Everything will be alright, those two lads will deal with those monsters quickly and then we can go to the mansion, alright?"

  "It's alright." Kiki whispered, trying to reassure her with a smile as she stood back up. "Everything will be fine. Just make sure you stay safe, alright?"

  "Kiki..." Nikolas tried to ask something, but before he could finish his sentence, realization hit. "Young lady! Don't you dare..."

  But it was already too late.

  Kiki stood in front of the door, one hand holding her sword on her shoulder, the other on the door handle.

  She hesitated for just a moment.

  She took a deep breath.

  This was it.

  She opened the door and stepped out. Outside was hell.

  Countless monsters were rushing at the house, and more were dying to the hail of bullets streaming out of the windows. For now. For so long as the bullets lasted.

  It feels surreal. Kiki thought. And not because of the monsters. Not because of the death. It wasn't even the calming scent of grass, released by the monsters as they died.

  None of them are paying attention to me?

  She stood out in the open, but the monsters were fixated on their targets, ignoring her completely.

  Could I just take Gran and Gramps and leave?

  She shook her head. She doubted the monsters would allow that.

  Charm is more than appearance.

  It is your Presence.

  How others perceive you.

  And Kiki knew exactly how she wanted to be perceived right now.

  Kiki took a deep breath.

  She put on a well practiced and confident smile.

  Projecting her voice, she spoke:

  "Hello everyone!

  It's your favorite, Kiki!

  Today I have something interesting to show to you, SO!

  All eyes on me, alright?"

  Monsters stopped in their tracts, bullets stopped firing.

  Like magnets, all heads, be they monster or human, turned to her.

  *****

  For a moment, Kiki let her gaze wander over the horde of monsters, at a rough guess counting fifty or more. Then again, their shapes and colors caused them to blend into one another and their surroundings, so for all she knew there were way more than that.

  But Kiki couldn't afford to waste any more time, whether it was to stand there and watch, or to even think.

  She knew only one thing, she had to get away before any of the people still inside the building got the chance to do something even more stupid than herself. Like trying to follow and save her. If they did, there would be little point to what she was doing after all.

  Kiki fell into a dead sprint directly towards the monster's lines.

  At the same time, the monster, now paying attention solely to her, began to move again, converging on her.

  In the back of her mind, Kiki still heard shots fall, but she ignored it for the most part, only focusing on what was right in front of her.

  In mere moments, the first Monster was before her, and all Kiki could do was try her best to push its leaping form aside, succeeding just enough that she could squeeze herself by, but not without taking a heavy hit to her left shoulder and losing most of her speed.

  But Kiki didn't let that stop her, and the next monster was already waiting in line to get a piece of her.

  She jumped, her feet barely clearing the creatures lunge. She almost lost her balance and dropped when she tried to step on the monster's back. She wouldn't try that again.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Claws painfully raked across her exposed thigh, but she ignored it.

  Her thoughts raced, her heart thumped in her chest, monsters, maws, and claws passed her by in a blur. The pain in her shoulder barely even registered compared to the burning in her lungs.

  And then, all of a sudden, there were no more monsters. At least not in front of her.

  "COME!" Kiki screamed, trying her best to draw attention to herself once again, just to make sure as many of the monsters as possible would follow her.

  And then she ran. She wasn't quite sure where, she didn't think it mattered even, so long as it was away from the path to the manor.

  *****

  Exhausted and breathless, Kiki came to a stop in the middle where two paths crossed. The area was big and square, surrounded by hedges in all directions about fifteen meters from where Kiki had stopped.

  Several gravel paths split the area into a grid, leaving space for four square flower beds. Several benches were dotted around the outer edges, allowing someone to view the flowers from any direction they wished.

  Right now, however, the soil lay barren and the scent of flowers was missing, replaced by nothing but freshly cut grass.

  It took Kiki a while before she finally recognized the place, having entered from a different direction than usual. It was already a few months too late if she wanted to see the tulips.

  It's a shame, I wouldn't have minded seeing this place one last time in full bloom.

  It wasn't necessarily because the place was especially beautiful. At least not in the way most would expect. They weren’t anything too unusual, flowers planted in such a way that they would form images. Flags more often than not. But that’s not what would show here when the flowers bloomed.

  Something about Tulips forming the image of a dancing Llama always made her grin.

  This is as good a place as any. And it's far enough away from the others. I just hope I managed to pull enough monsters away from them.

  Hearing the crunch of gravel behind her, Kiki turned around.

  Here they come, finally.

  The first minute or two of Kiki's escape had been a desperate sprint, monsters jumping out at her from the hedges and trying their best to cut off her path. And yet, Kiki herself wasn't quite sure how she had gotten through all of it. And before she knew it, the Monsters disappeared. Not completely, of course. She didn't manage to lose them.

  At no point had the smell of cut grass disappeared from the air, and occasionally, she could hear the crunch of gravel from behind the hedges.

  A group of them was also still following her, though much slower than before.

  For whatever reason, the monsters had changed strategy. Maybe because they realized that trying to throw themselves into her path wouldn't didn't seem to work, or maybe because she had somehow broken through their encirclement, they instead decided to tire her out. Or at least, that's what Kiki assumed.

  And now? One by one they came.

  They came from the paths.

  They stepped out from the hedges.

  More and more came, surrounding Kiki on all sides.

  "Well, let's see how many of you bastards I can take down with me!"

  Kiki was tired, utterly exhausted. Her muscles burned, and in several places she was hurt, injuries caused by monsters ramming her, aggravated by her escape.

  No cuts though, she realized. Her armor Skill was more incredible than she had thought, making her skin too durable to be cut by the monsters.

  But more so than ever before, she felt determined. The despair she had felt earlier was nowhere to see, fully replaced by a singular emotion.

  Spite. She would lose, but take as many as could down with her.

  =====

  Congratulations! You earned an [achievement]!

  =====

  "Now of all times?"

  And almost as she had waited for this...

  =====

  Congratulations! Luxuria has granted you a minor Favor!

  + 10 Blank Achievements.

  =====

  =====

  Congratulations! You earned an [achievement]!

  =====

  "What?" Kiki was stunned. For a moment she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.

  Then again, it wasn't too hard to figure out. There was only one thing she knew she could do with Blank Achievements.

  [Level up]!

  =====

  Level up to level 1

  12/3 Effect Achievements available

  10/1 Blank Achievements available

  [Confirm?]

  =====

  Confirm!

  =====

  You have currently 12 Effect Achievements available.

  Please choose 3 to apply and proceed

  Achievements:

  Monster Hunter choose 1 Skill at or below your Class rarity and increase its rarity by 1

  Personal Strength (Train.) +1 Personal Strength

  Personal Endurance (Train.) +1 Personal Endurance

  Personal Vitality (Train.) +1 Personal Vitality

  Personal Dexterity (Train.) +1 Personal Dexterity

  Personal Dexterity (Train.) +1 Personal Dexterity

  Personal Intelligence (Train.) +1 Personal Intelligence

  Personal Wisdom (Train.) +1 Personal Wisdom

  Personal Charm (Train.) +1 Personal Charm

  Personal Charm (Train.) +1 Personal Charm

  To the very End Gain Skill [Endless Stamina]

  Luxuria's Favor +20 Charm

  [Proceed?]

  =====

  Any moment now, the monsters would be on her. And yet, she made sure to look at all of her achievements and their effects. Noting that this time, her thoughts did not seem to have been sped up.

  The first ten, she already knew. 'Monster Hunter', which was the very first achievement she got. And the nine following which she gained when she got her Class, and her Stats were normalized.

  Quickly, Kiki's eyes fell on the second to last achievements, which should be the one that prompted Luxuria to give her her favor.

  Well, that Skill sounds awfully convenient...

  Without any more hesitation, Kiki quickly chose the last three Achievements and proceeded.

  Without even waiting on the result, Kiki immediately thought: I have still more Blank Achievements, so [Level up].

  =====

  Level up to level 2

  9/3 Effect Achievements available

  9/2 Blank Achievements available

  [Confirm?]

  =====

  [Level up]!

  =====

  Level up to level 3

  6/3 Effect Achievements available

  7/3 Blank Achievements available

  [Confirm?]

  =====

  [Level up]!

  =====

  Level up to level 4

  3/3 Effect Achievements available

  4/4 Blank Achievements available

  [Confirm?]

  =====

  =====

  Please choose an applicable Skill to improve by 1 rarity!

  =====

  Kiki would have preferred to make a more informed choice about the matter, and her original plan had been to improve [The Bigger the Better]. But now? With her stamina as the one thing holding her back?

  Improve [Endless Stamina]!

  The change was sudden, extreme, and Kiki had no time at all to appreciate it.

  All she knew was that she felt stronger, faster, better than ever before, and whatever her new Skill did, brought her from the edge of unconsciousness into a state capable of at least swinging her weapon.

  And that was exactly what she did, swinging her sword in wide arcs around her, keeping the blade moving in circles to maintain momentum and taking full advantage of a Zweih?nder’s greatest strength.

  Point defense. Or in other words, making it too fucking dangerous to approach by acting like an oversized blender.

  But the Monsters seemed to be done waiting. Maybe they had noticed Kiki recovering, maybe they even realized she had gotten stronger and didn't want to risk her getting away, maybe they simply finished surrounding her. Whatever it was, Kiki didn't know what went on in the Monster's minds.

  All Kiki cared about was that when the first Monster jumped at her, her blade carried enough momentum to cut cleanly through its head, followed by another two just moments later.

  But that was about as far as she got, as not a moment later another monster jumped at her just as her blade had passed and missed it. All she could do was arrest her swing and interpose her blade between herself and the monster before it was on her and bowled her over.

  "Oof!"

  Kiki lands painfully on her back, oddly reminiscent of the first time she fought these monsters, just without her opponent having been skewered. Instead, quick reaction saw her letting go of her sword with her right, instead resorting to punching the creature right inside its throat as it opened its maw and revealed its crystalline weak spot.

  She felt something crunch beneath her gauntleted fist, and the creature went limp.

  Before she even had a chance to try and free herself, help came from an unexpected direction, another monster ramming the corpse off her body in an attempt to get at the person beneath.

  Taking her chance, Kiki held onto the corpse, rolling along with it until she landed on its other side, having it once again between her and its still living brethren, just not on top of her.

  She just about managed to get into a crouch before the next monster came at her, forcing Kiki to throw herself to the side, the monster shooting past her, buying her the precious seconds she needed to get back up on her feet.

  Somehow, in all of this, she had managed to hold onto her sword. Unwilling to stay passive this entire time, Kiki searched out the next monster, and after just two steps swung her weapon at it.

  Just before the hit connected, the monster jumped, causing Kiki to chop off its front leg instead and cause it to tumble in the air. This time, Kiki reacted quickly and pulled up her knee, ramming it into the monster before it could collide with her and make her fall again.

  Still, in doing so she lost balance, forcing her to take several steps back.

  "AAARRRGGGHHH!" Kiki screamed in pain as suddenly, crushing force was inflicted on her left upper arm.

  A quick look told her all she needed to know, and while the Monster tried its absolute best to pull Kiki to the ground, Kiki let go of her weapon and began to punch it in the head.

  The angle was awkward, and Kiki had never practiced any form of combat besides swords. So when punching it didn't work, the exhaustion that had been in a limbo until now suddenly returned, and she saw the next monster already coming at her, Kiki screamed in anger and frustration: "Get! OFF! ME!"

  The monsters flinched back, for barely a split second. But it was enough. Kiki gripped one of the petals making up the creature's face and pulled on it, giving her enough leverage to rip her left arm free and then proceed to punch it right into its weak spot.

  She had no more than two seconds to catch her breath before she heard another Monster coming from behind her, while the ones she had made flinch earlier had recovered as well. And while much slower, the ones whose front leg she had cut off had also recovered enough to come closer.

  All while Kiki was without her sword. But she knew where it was, somehow still able to feel it like a part of her own body.

  In a cartoon worthy stunt, Kiki jumped to the side, letting two lunging monsters collide in the air behind her. Meanwhile, she performed a roll and got back onto her feet, collecting her sword from the ground in the process.

  But Kiki had no time to appreciate her own acrobatics. More Monsters were already coming for her.