Chapter 8: A Flicker in the Fields
One Year Later...
Nestled in the peaceful hills of the countryside was a small farm where a boy named Jake lived with his father. Jake loved the animals deeply and spent his days tending to them with gentle care. One day, while cleaning the barn, a sudden, unnatural noise pierced the air.
A cow was violently thrashing, its eyes wild, as if struggling against something inside its mind. Jake froze, then cautiously approached. "Are you okay?" he whispered.
The cow slowly turned, its face twisted with rage and pain. Before Jake could react, it charged, sending him running. He fled into the barn, slamming the door behind him. But inside, the other animals had changed. Their eyes glowed with demonic fury.
Terrified, Jake escaped and ran for his father. "Dad, the animals are trying to kill me!"
His father laughed nervously. "Son, they wouldn't harm you—"
A roar shattered the air, leveling the barn and sending debris flying. A horde of demonic animals surrounded them. Jake's father grabbed a stick and shielded his son.
Just as the beasts charged—
BOOM! A flash of light exploded in front of them.
They vanished from the center of the fray. In their place stood a boy, calm and defiant.
"You two okay? Don't worry—we'll handle this," said the mysterious figure.
Jake, wide-eyed, asked, "Who are you?"
The boy tightened his shorts and grinned. "Name's Dai. And I'm here to kick some demon ass."
Flames engulfed his sword.
Dante appeared beside him, dropping to a knee. "You get them out?"
"Safe and sound," Dai replied.
The mutated animals growled, growing in size and exuding thick, devilish energy.
"Let's make it a contest. Who gets the most kills?" Dante smirked.
"You're on. But no cheating," Dai said.
"One... Two—"
Dante dashed forward before he could say three.
"Hey! That's cheating!"
Dante leapt, energy bursting from his fist as he slammed the ground, sending shockwaves through the demonic beasts. Dai, with eyes closed and breathing steady, blurred into action—his sword slicing cleanly through ten of them, their innards burning as the flame engulfed their hearts.
Dante summoned a glowing purple bow and launched a single, guided arrow. It curved through the air, striking ten targets with deadly precision.
Dai, focused, held his sword skyward. From the tip, beams of fire shot out, taking down eight demons.
Dante, now using a telekinetic energy orb, pierced the hearts of seven beasts in rapid succession.
"I got eighteen! You?" Dante shouted.
"Seventeen. Still five left," Dai answered.
But the final five began to tremble and roar. They lined up and, glowing with a crimson aura, started to merge.
"What are they doing...?" Dante muttered.
"Yami told me about this," Dai said grimly. "Low-tier demons can fuse when afraid. They create a giant beast capable of leveling a village. We need to act fast."
The monstrous fusion roared, releasing a shockwave that knocked them back. Then it charged up a massive energy blast—firing at the crops, setting the field ablaze.
"We end this now!" Dai yelled.
Dante rushed the beast, forming a massive pole that jammed its jaw open. Two energy pistols appeared in his hands, firing blasts into its maw.
Dai teleported to its back. With his sword aimed down, he thrust it deep into the beast's body. The blade extended, piercing its heart, and fire erupted from within, incinerating it from the inside out.
The beast screeched... and disintegrated.
Dai and Dante landed without breaking a sweat. They quickly put out the fires and turned to Jake and his father.
"You're safe now," Dai assured them.
Written by fainted & whipslash
AUTHOR NOTE
HEY FAINTED HERE THANK U ALL FOR YOUR JOURNEY WITH POWERHOUSE IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE ADDED ON A NEW RECRUIT :WHIPSPLASH; TO HELP ME WRITE &WITH A NEW WRITING STYLE, ANWAYS WANTED TO SAY IM OFFICALLY BACK AND WILL CONTINUE THE POWERHOUSE STORY, THE MANGA WILL BE OUT SOON SO KEEP IN TOUCH.....