Modern Monster

“Everyone, stand back!” the Knight ordered the civilians in a brash tone. “Escape the area in an orderly fashion. Do not be concerned; us Knights will deal with this.”

Sen wasn’t worried. He wasn’t near enough to be in danger, but regardless, it was for the best he fled with the rest of the panicked bystanders. The only problem was the monster blocked the only streetway to his house.

Of course, he could take cover in a nearby store until the situation was over with, still, he couldn’t help but linger around and see how the scene unfolded. As people started rushing towards him to escape, the Knights took their battle positions and commenced their attack.

But… why aren’t they attacking it? It's right in front of them. The Knights seemed to be stunned and reluctant to attack all of a sudden. Only when the crowd finally dissipated did Sen finally realize their hesitancy.

“My son! Where’s my baby!” a panicked cry resembling a mother erupted from the escaping crowd. They’re by the monster… A child, seemingly around four or five years old, lay on the ground, petrified, while the monster observed it like a piece of candy.

Sen finally realized – that’s why they didn’t attack it. Any sudden movement and the child would be ripped to shreds. They needed to be very careful moving forward – “NO! SAVE MY BABY!” the mother cried out.

She began running towards the monster in horror. “Stop! Lady, stand back!” the Knight bellowed out. Sen had an urge to pull back the mother and explain how ignorant she was being, but it was far too late.

“If you’re not helping him, I will!” She growled out in anger, rushing to her child despite the risk. Tsk, it’s over. Sen's eyes darkened. Time stood still as the mother frantically ran towards the monster in an attempt to save her dear child. Her face was twisted with horror and adrenaline when she darted past him. Sen only stood back with hollow eyes, remembering the words he heard long ago…

#

“Father, could I ask a question?”

“Of course, Son.”

“What are Monsters?”

His father let out a long murmur of thought before giving him a small, warm smile. “Hm, well, how could I put this so you can understand…”

“I’ll understand, Father; everyone tells me I'm smart after all,” Sen's young voice remarked.

“HO, HO, HO, aren’t you confident!” he gave a light-hearted chuckle. “Hm, well then, since you’re so smart, I guess I’ll give you the complicated answer.”

Sen sat on his father’s lap, patiently and eagerly waiting for his explanation. He’d always liked learning difficult things. “Well then, monsters were sent to our world because of our sins.”

“Sins?” Sen echoed his father’s words.

“Yes, our sins. Humanity itself was built off our own greed and immoralities. Humans kept killing each other, raping, pillaging, destroying ourselves as well as Mother Nature. We don’t deserve to be alive after everything we’ve done. So, God punished us for our foolishness. He gave us what we so desired the most… but in return—”

“What did God give us?” Sen tilted his head curiously. The next words his father spoke were something he never forgot for the rest of his life.

“Power, my son, he gave us power,” he murmured, “and in return, punished us for our greed.”

“So, monsters are God’s servants?”

“Hmph, in a sense, yes. You see, the monsters that kill us are just doing what we’ve done for hundreds of years,” he smiled.

“Why are people mad then?”

His father’s face lay hidden from the leaking light that gleamed through the window, but he could still see him scratching his beard in amusement. “Well, you can say that monsters don’t really like other monsters…”

In front of him lay a gruesome scene he wished he hadn’t witnessed. Everyone around him held their tongue in shock while Sen could only sigh. This is just a reality.

“No,” the mother whispered. “No… NO! NO! This can’t be happening…” her voice quivered. The Knights stood in silence, their faces turned away in disgust. The child the mother tried to save in the fit of her rage was already dead the instant her fingers touched the boy’s body. Only a pool of blood was left by the mother's trembling hands.

The monster had snatched the child and ripped him clean in half, leaving only the ear-shivering sounds of broken bones echoing through the hollow streets. The monster let out a growl of triumph while it licked its claws clean from the feast. “He’s gone…” Her eyes were dull and broken as she collapsed on the floor.

“...K-Knights, attack the monster!” the captain of the Knight faction stuttered his orders.

Now that the child was not the main focus, the Knights began their assault. Pulling out handguns from their pockets, the Knights shot at the monster from different angles, careful not to hit the grieving mother.

But this proved futile, as the monster took advantage of the Knights' hesitant gunfire and dodged every bullet.

“Shit, I still can’t make a clean shot because the mother is in the way!” one cursed. “Two Knights with ‘Touch’ need to restrain it. Quick! Before it escapes!” the captain directed his order to the two Knights beside him. Both nodded and slammed their fists to the ground, their formidable strength causing the ground to tremble as if from an earthquake. That’s the power of Touch. Those blessed with Touch as their Super Sense possessed strength far beyond that of an ordinary person. They could lift over a hundred times their body weight and withstand much greater physical damage. Most deemed this Super Sense to be the most superior due to its raw strength. But in different situations, other senses could be more beneficial.

At night, a person with Sight and Hearing could avoid danger with their keen detection abilities, while Touch could only offer defense while in danger. Each Super Sense brought its own value to the table, though some were considered weaker than others, such as smell and taste, which didn’t offer much in value but had their benefits.

Watching the scene unfold was like something from a movie. The monster bared its teeth in a futile attempt to intimidate the Knights, who remained undeterred.

“EGHHH!” The Knight heaved as he punched the monster squarely in the face. The Grim whimpered like a wounded dog as the impact sent it crashing into a stone building, immobilized from the Knight's powerful blow.

“This should end it quickly, you monster…”

“BANG!” A gunshot rang out, and the bullet struck the monster in the skull, blood spurting from the wound. And just like that, the Knights' victory was secured, but at a cost.

The mother knelt by the pool of her son’s blood, wide-eyed with shock. Sen knew she would never recover from this ordeal. The death of her son and her own role in it would haunt her, preventing her from finding peace for years to come.

“You see, the monsters that kill us are just doing what we’ve done for hundreds of years.”

His father’s words echoed in his mind as he observed the tragic scene.

Is all this death truly just atonement for our sins?