Some survivors got out of their hiding places and, seeing the armored truck plowing through the horde, scurried out of their hiding place and tried to get their attention. Tysone would have considered taking them in, but he wasn't a charity. They'd either be a liability or a backstabber. He couldn't afford to take any chances, especially not with the lives of his own group on the line.
"Tch."
He swerved to avoid a group of them, a little too close for comfort. The tires screeched, and the truck lurched to the side. He sped off, the truck smoothly tumbling over corpse upon corpse, until they took a corner, and the road ahead was blocked by a massive pile-up. A mountain of twisted metal and shattered glass that stretched across the entire width of the street.
"Damn." Tysone muttered, bringing the truck to a halt.
"We'll have to find another way." Saeko said, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Or go on foot from here."
"Let's find another way, Kohta keep a keen eye on the rooftops. We don't know if zombies can fly yet."
"Flying zombies?" Kohta's eyes widened in excitement behind his glasses. "That's a terrifying concept, but also... awesome! The possibilities are endless! Imagine a zombie with wings, or a jetpack! The destruction it could wreak!"
"Kohta." Tysone's voice was flat.
"Right, right. No more jokes. I'll keep an eye out." Kohta said, peering through his scope.
Tysone backed up the truck, and drove down an alley.
It was a tight squeeze, but the Mule handled it like a champ. The sides of the truck scraped against the brick walls, sending a shower of sparks flying.
They emerged into a wide-open square, a place Tysone recognized as a small park. A fountain, now dry and stained with black blood, stood in the center. The park was littered with bodies, both human and zombie. The human ones were riddled with bullets, taken out before they could turn.
That was when, behind a huge heap of debris and corpses, Tysone and the others saw a tall zombie shambling into view. It was a familiar sight for sore eyes. An evolved, with its bulky, muscular frame and jagged teeth.
"We've got company." Tysone announced, putting the truck into park.
A chorus of cocking guns and the unsheathing of a sword answered him. Tysone didn't even get off, he just sat there as Takashi and Rei pushed open the door and leaped out of the truck. Saeko quietly followed after them, one hand resting on the hilt of her katana. As for Kohta, he had a stupid, maniac grin on his face as he poked out of the rooftop with a sniper rifle in hand.
It was a good opportunity to test their skills. A 'boss fight'. Even though it couldn't really be considered much of one now that both Takashi and Rei were evolved. This was just a way for them to get used fighting with their enhanced bodies.
The evolved zombie let out a guttural roar and charged. Its powerful legs propelled it forward with surprising speed, its massive arms swinging wildly and battering away the horde of common zombies surrounding it.
Takashi met its charge head-on, his spear held firm. The spearhead sank into the zombie's shoulder, digging deep into the muscle.
The zombie roared in pain, its other arm swatting Takashi aside like a fly.
Takashi flew through the air, briefly rolling backwards before he stabbed his spear through the concrete to slowly kill his momentum.
Meanwhile, Rei had swiftly darted ahead. She was fast, swaying like a drunkard to trick the zombie's primitive brain. The creature threw a punch that would've turned a normal person into a pancake. But she ducked under it and slid across the ground, her spear scything through the zombie's ankle.
The zombie stumbled, its leg now half useless. It let out a frustrated roar, its attention now on Rei.
It clasped both fists overhead, and sledgehammered them down towards her.
Rei easily sidestepped. The concrete blasted apart, a cloud of dust billowing up, through which Rei's spear emerged, aiming straight at its skull.
The zombie saw it coming. But before it could react, another force intercepted.
Takashi had thrown his own spear like a javelin, piercing deep into the zombie's arm. The creature's roar turned into a pained gasp as it collapsed to its knees.
Rei didn't hesitate. She drove her own spear through the zombie's skull, piercing its brain. The creature shuddered, its eyes glazing over.
It was over.
Rei and Takashi breathed out. Besides some grime from all the rolling around, there wasn't any drop of perspiration on them.
They looked at each other. They had done it. They had taken down an evolved without any help. They looked up at Tysone, their faces splitting into proud grins.
"We did it!" Rei was the first one to shout, skewering three zombified heads in one clean swoop.
"We did." Takashi said, with a similar grin. "That was... easier than I thought." He swivelled around a shambling infected, beheaded it with the blade of his spear, and then, like the recoil of a sniper rifle, slammed the bottom end of the shaft into an ambushing zombie's skull, bursting it open.
"Don't get cocky." Tysone's voice came from the truck. "That was one. What if there were three? Or five? You two would've been dead meat."
The grins on their faces faltered slightly.
He was right. The adrenaline from the kill was still pumping through their veins, but Tysone's words brought them back to reality.
"That being said." Tysone's voice softened, a note of approval in it. "You two did good. Now, hurry up and finish off the rest. We've got a schedule to keep."
Rei and Takashi's grins returned.
They turned their attention to the remaining horde, their spears moving. They were a blur of motion, two silver streaks that left trails of blood and gore in their wake.
Saeko and Kohta watched from the sidelines, not moving.
Kohta was itching to join in, but he knew his role. He was the support, the sniper. And this was a good opportunity for the newbies to get some experience. No point wasting ammo anyway.
Saeko, on the other hand, was a different story. She could have ended the fight in seconds, but she chose to observe, as that was her role at the moment.
The horde of zombies, around thirty of them, was soon turned into sixty pieces strewn across the square. They still stood tall in the face of their grizzly work. Not a single one of them had even a scratch on them.
"You two can get in now."
Rei and Takashi cleaned their spears on the grass, then hopped back into the truck.
Tysone stepped on the gas, the Apocalypse Mule lurching forward.
"That was amazing!" Rei gushed, her eyes lighting up as she stared and flexed her hands. Who'd have thought such destructive power could so easily come out of those tiny, soft little things?
"Can't say I disagree." Takashi admitted.
Saeko turned to them, her expression as serene as ever.
"You have good instincts, but your technique is still rough. You rely too much on your newfound strength. You need to learn to be more efficient, to conserve your energy. You won't always have the luxury of a second wind." She lectured.
Rei nodded, then gulped as she thought of something. "If we can evolve, then so can other people, right? Maybe there are other survivors out there, with powers like us, or maybe even stronger."
Everyone fell into a strange quiet.
Tysone's face remained as calm as ever. "That's a possibility we have to consider. Zombies are not the only threat out there. Humans can be just as dangerous, if not more so." He paused, glancing at each of them. "So stay vigilant. Trust no one outside the group. And if you see anyone with powers, be cautious. They could be a friend, or they could be an enemy."
"I mean, I can understand zombies, but who could possibly be stronger than you, Ty?" Kohta still had his upper body outside the truck's roof as he spoke, one eye on the scope.
Tysone's eyes narrowed. "I'm not invincible, Kohta. There are always bigger fish in the sea. And I'd rather not find out what's at the top of the food chain. Not before I get there as well... I doubt the strength I have now is the limit. In fact, I believe we still have a long way to go, which is quite scary if you think how strong we are now, and how much stronger those things could get in the near future. So we must get stronger than them. It's the only way."
The truck went silent again. Saeko gently squeezed Tysone's shoulder. "I'll always be by your side." She said. "No matter the obstacle, we'll face it together."
"Me too!" Rei piped up. "We'll kick their butts!"
"Same here." Takashi said, a determined look on his face.
Kohta gave them a thumbs-up. "The King of Destruction shall not fall! Hahahaha!"
Tysone couldn't help but smile.
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.