Nightfall had descended with an eerie sense of foreboding, signaling the rise of the Demon Zombies. Their guttural growls slithered through the darkness, merging with the thunderous roars of Demon Monsters. As the ominous sounds intensified, the remaining survivors scrambled for the scant safety of hideouts where the likelihood of encountering these monstrosities was reduced.
"Fuck, they're coming...!" one of the people I was with yelled, his voice cracking with terror.
In an instant, I saw them emerging from their concealments. Enormous, grotesque zombies stomped forward, their growls reverberating through the ground and causing it to shudder beneath their weight.
The sheer number of them was overwhelming. It seemed we'd have to carve our way through this monstrous tide. I drew the katana from my back, feeling the sharpness of the blade as it glinted in the dim light, and braced myself for the confrontation. The pistol in my hand had been my lifeline for the past three months of the Demonic Ruination, and it was ready for action once more. Read more chapters on m-vl-e-mpyr
"Raaaaaaah!" The roar shattered the night, making us turn to see a hulking, bulging Demon Zombie charging toward us. Its physique was grotesquely immense, muscles straining and red veins throbbing beneath its mottled skin. It charged with a bone-shaking force, the ground quaking with each of its thunderous steps.
Other nightmarish Demon Zombies joined the fray—one with slithering, writhing tentacles, and another with grotesque, membranous wings unfurling menacingly.
"Incoming!"
We all snapped into battle mode, adrenaline surging as we prepared for the inevitable clash.
I surged forward, charging straight at the colossal zombie while the others took on the less intimidating threats. I couldn't fault them for their caution—they clearly didn't want to risk getting pulverized by those massive, bulging arms. We hadn't exactly formed a cohesive unit; we hadn't even exchanged more than a few words.
We'd only come together by chance over the past week, and it showed in our lack of coordination.
"Shoot it! Shoot it down!" one of the survivors yelled, desperation in his voice as he aimed his rifle at the Winged Zombie. The Winged Zombie, however, was as elusive as a shadow, dodging bullets with a dragonfly's uncanny speed. In a horrifying instant, the shooter's head vanished as if it had been snatched away.
"Wha...?" another survivor stammered, eyes wide with shock. The head of the man fighting the Winged Zombie had simply disappeared. It quickly became apparent that something far more sinister was at play. "It's fucking invisible?!" he shouted, his voice a mixture of terror and disbelief.
Our attention snapped to the new threat. The Invisible Zombie had materialized briefly, taunting us with a mocking gesture before licking its hands and vanishing back into invisibility.
"Stay alert! There's an invisible one!"
We refocused, keeping our eyes on both the massive monsters before us and the elusive, invisible threat.
I managed to slice into the thick, muscular arm of the enormous zombie, but the blade didn't cut through completely due to its sheer bulk and dense muscle. The Demon Zombie retaliated, swinging its enormous fist toward me. I quickly abandoned the katana, now lodged halfway through its arm, and drew my pistol.
The despair was almost too much to bear. For three months, I'd been surviving alone, and I knew just how bleak things could get. So many had chosen to end their own lives rather than face becoming a monster. They wanted to die as humans, with a shred of dignity.
No, that was weak and foolish of me.
I couldn't afford to give up here. I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let the life that Ichinose-kun—no, Tsubasa-kun—had saved go to waste. I was going to survive this, no matter what.
With that resolve burning in my mind, I swiftly reloaded my gun and resumed firing at the invisible Demon Zombie. Thanks to the blood now coating its form, I could finally make out its shape. I kept my shots steady and relentless, while also evading the massive zombie's swinging fists. As one of its colossal hands slammed down onto the ground, I seized the opportunity.
I yanked the katana free from the flesh, and with a powerful push, I sliced through the huge hand, severing it completely.
"Graaaah!"
The cry of agony from the hulking monster fueled my determination. I bolted toward the now-visible Demon Zombie, knowing that decapitating it would be straightforward. I struck with precision, sending its head flying as blood sprayed in a crimson arc from the stump of its neck. Without missing a beat, I moved behind the remaining massive zombie, launching myself into the air.
My katana plunged into the back of its head, the blade cutting deep towards its mouth. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to finish it off.
The zombie, its remaining arm flailing wildly, tried to grab me from behind. I leaped clear, narrowly avoiding its grasp. It spun around, charging at me with a roar, its arm pulled back to deliver a crushing punch. I jumped back, dodging its attack, all while firing relentlessly with my pistol.
The other survivors joined in, their bullets tearing into the monster's massive, quivering bulk.
"Raaaaaagh! Raaaaah!" The zombie roared in agony as the relentless barrage of bullets battered it. Weakening rapidly, it finally collapsed to its knees. Seizing the opportunity, I dashed behind it, yanking the katana from its skull. I plunged it back in with a fierce thrust. The beast convulsed one last time before going limp and crashing to the ground.
To our dismay, the relentless barrage of gunfire had drawn the attention of a whole new wave of Demon Zombies, and they were coming in fast. From the horizon, a massive, grotesque horde emerged, their hungry eyes glowing with malevolence as they surged towards us.
"Shit...!"
"We're screwed! There's no way we can handle this fucking mess!"
"Run, goddammit! To the building!"
In sheer panic, we sprinted for our lives. The image of the approaching army of horrors fueled our desperation as we raced towards the safety of the building, our only hope in this nightmarish fight for survival.