From up in the sky came dozens of four-winged birds, each with beaks that seemed to be made out of some sort of gray, rusted metal.  The screaming only got worse as people fought against each other and climbed over the bleachers to attempt to get to somewhere, anywhere safe.<br/><br/>Of course, not everyone was successful.  The transformation to ash didn't seem to be instantaneous upon touching a monster, and blood sprayed freely through the fields as one wretched beast after another found human flesh to slice.  Panic was speeding people up, but not enough to save everyone.<br/><br/>Nikki and Hideo's path was blocked by a pair of giant ape-like creatures with the same grayish, metallic teeth as the birds' beaks, as well as their fists, rusted and covered with knoblike protrushions that looked as though they could pound straight through the wall of a building.  They were grinning, or at least, they seemed to be.  It was hard to tell whether the huge teeth even allowed them to close their mouths.<br/><br/>The sound of clapping suddenly ceased as something not quite solid and not quite black soared out from the other opening.  It was vaguely human in shape but for the dark winglike protrusions, but difficult to look at in the same way that staring at the sun too long tended to hurt one's eyes.  One of its beastly mitts grabbed Ms. Knight up by her waist, pulling her up into the sky.  No matter how much she struck at it with her soulblade, it momentarily discorporated in parts only to rejoin.<br/><br/>When it spoke, it lacked amplification the same way it didn't really speak English.  The words were just so terrible that their meaning could be felt in one's bones, like an old, forgotten story that came flooding back to life as soon as one idiot forced everyone else to remember.<strong>"We have used your world for billions of years, your kind and those who came before you.  What makes you think that you can stop us?"</strong><br/><br/>"Well, I don't know," Ms. Knight responded coyly, fishing something forcefully out of her pocket that was apparently partly sewn in.  Her voice came through clearly, despite having dropped the microphone some time ago.  "Maybe because I have one of these."<br/><br/>It snatched the thing from her almost before she had her hand out of her pocket, grinning jagged crimson in a sea of darkness.  "And just what is-"<br/><br/>The grenade exploded, shredding through about half of the creature but leaving the other half to start flying back in the direction of the forest.  One last tendril wrapped tightly around the headmistress, squeezing and enveloping her before dropping a set of human bones down to the center of the stadium.<br/><br/>Many of the students stood frozen in shock, and the monsters were more than willing to take advantage.