Raising A Few Wives in a Beast Apocalypse

As Muku's group got close, seemingly relaxed without their guards up. Which the beast observed through its shadow sense, which didn't need for its eyes to be open. Instead of feeling the usual excitement accompanied by a hunt like the past, it felt more and more dread as they got closer. Though as a superior MR1 beast, it didn't abort the plan to attack, why should it be wary of its prey after all. The group in front's auras seemed quite powerful, especially the man in front. But it was likely just an illusion by this prey to trick its senses, otherwise how can it's food it had been eating without resistance so far be so strong.

Tap, tap, tap...

Muku's group got closer and closer, the beast's feeling of dread got stronger and stronger, but it didn't back down.

.....

On Muku's side....

"Can I have this one?". Layla suddenly asked, confusing everyone other than Muku and Jade who could sense what she was talking about, they were even slightly surprised she could sense it as well. She was usually part of the other group that couldn't properly sense hidden gases yet after all. What they didn't know was that she didn't sense the gaze but the creature's aura itself, which they themselves couldn't sense.

"Sure...I'll defend the first attack for you and you can deal with it". Muku replied. At this point the others realised that something was definitely going on but didn't attack. Adam's group all had a look of realisation on their faces then suddenly, fear encroached their eyes along with the realisation.

"Just defend, don't attack it". Layla said as she narrowed her eyes at Muku a bit, clearly still not over the kill steal from earlier.

"It was a mistake okay, and I won't". Muku said raising his hands to show surrender with a wrily expression that was basically pasted on his face at this point.

As they got within two metres of the buildings shadow, the beast made it's move.

Woosh!

A shadowy figure flew out of the shadow and I'm less than a second was in front of Muku about to slash at his chest. It's claws were five inches long so if the attack connects, Muku would be screwed. Hope's healing they hadn't even needed up to that point might not be enough.

Bang!

But surprisingly, to the beast and Adam's group, it bounced off the air in front of Muku like there was an invisible wall there. The beast spinned in their air and like a graceful acrobat it landed on its feat, only difference being that it had four and was growling at Muku's group with its yellow eyes looking at them with pure killing intent.

It's figure was now clear for all to see, it was a two metres tall and three metres long black panther with glowing yellow eyes full of malice. Five inch long white claws and....a scorpion tail?. It really was a huge scorpion tail, around two metres long and the head of it was menacingly red.

"It-it's Death's Shadow!"

A man from Adam's group screamed out as he dropped to the ground shaking from head to toe. The rest of them hearing the name, despite not having personally faced it before like him, started shaking in fear and didn't dare flee, or even move a muscle, other than the shaking of course. This beast had appeared on the same day as the apocalypse. And unlike the others that went back into the city after being unable to penetrate the barrier. It stuck around, killing off at least 70 people in just four days. Its infamy spread into the stadium by the lucky survivors like the man who just screamed.

Of course this was his first time clearly seeing it. It was always a shadowy figure before, killing off every in its way with no resistance offered by them. But he knew that this creature, was the same creature, it had been haunting his nightmares ever since the attack three days before, those cruel yellow eyes. Luckily he hadn't drank water for a while or he likely would have wet his pants on the spot.

"Ice spikes!". Not wasting any more time after the man's scream, Layla attack.

Bang!

The beast slapped the ice with it's front paw, breaking some of it before using the pushing force from the ice to jump into the shadows and... sinking into the walls!?.

"Oh my!". Muku said with a look of disbelief on his face, it was the first time he had seen something so mystical after all. Of course people manipulated fire, ice, lightning and such were quite amazing to see, but seeing a creature made of flesh sink into a wall was on a whole different level. It finally dawned to him that they had been thrust into a crazy era where everything might be possible. Even the girls other than Layla were surprised.

Layla had the shadow element after all. She always felt an affinity with shadows and darkness. Even felt that she likely meld into them. But as a normal human, she didn't know how the hell she was supposed to do that, and today, because of this scorpion tailed shadow panther. She finally had an idea of what she was supposed to do.

It was also because of her shadow element that she was able to sense the beast even without sensing it's gaze. She only spoke up after seeing Muku sneakily looking in the direction of the beast. Quite frankly, the beast stuck out like a sore thumb to her, to her senses, the shadows basically highlighted its presence. She at this point had just discovered the weakness of the shadow element amoung those with it when they are the same Rank.

So when the shadow panther melded into the shadows and was circling them, she could still sense it. As for why it had so many shadows to use I'm the first place, it was because the sun was close to setting, so there were large building shadows everywhere. But it was all useless as Layla's eyes were always on it, no matter were it went.

This frustrated the beast as it was most deadly when it attacked from the shadows. So Layla being able to track it, basically halved its power in half. Because of this it chose her as its target. It didn't want to leave such a troublesome figure to roam around.

"Need help?". Muku's asked, though he probably wouldn't be much help in the situation, Emily and Chloe should be somewhat useful with their energy type elemental powers.

"No, I was just thinking of something...let me see if works or not". Layla replied while still following the shadow panther with her eyes.

"Shadow spikes!" Black ethereal spikes extended out from Layla's feet and stabbed toward a certain building. Of course it looked weird to the others but since they knew she could see what they couldn't, they just looked on as she did her thing. And as interestingly as it entered, the shadow panther popped out of the shadow.

There was a long gash on its hind leg. It has been caught off guard by the attack. It likely assumed Layla could only attack with ice, which, as a physical type element like Muku's metal, wouldn't be able to harm it when it was in the shadow realm. But then the little brat suddenly threw out a shadow element attack at it, almost stabbing it on the butt if it hadn't managed to barely escape.

"Growl". The panther's hatred for Layla went up another level, it's eyes radiating even more malice now.

"Hot damn!, almost forgot you had the shadow element". Jade screamed out. Her statement was understandable as Layla hadn't used it ever since she told them about it and only gathered a little shadow elemental energy on her palm.

"My ice element was alone good enough for all the situations we'd faced until now, and I didn't know how to properly make use of the shadow element in the first place.". Layla replied also staring and the shadow panther as it stared at her. The only difference being that it looked at her hatefully while she seemed emotionless with her ever stoic face.

"I think I can finish this in less than five minutes if no variables get involved". Layla said, gathering shadow energy in her palms.

The shadow panther didn't stand around anymore and quickly got into its shadow form from before and sped toward Layla. It also didn't want the fight to last too long, after all it was an ambush type predator that usually only needed to be active for a few seconds before killing it's prey. So it hated this prolonged fight quite a lot.