Julian crossed his arms, watching Kevin’s radiant sword dissipate into particles of light.
"Light skill, huh," Julian muttered. "The opposite of mine."
Kevin chuckled. "Guess that makes us a perfect pair, huh? Where there’s light, there’s always shadow."
Julian narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Just so you know, I only like women."
Kevin laughed, unfazed. "Relax, man. You’ve got quite the sense of humor."
Just then, the rumble of an engine echoed in the distance. A motorcycle burst from the horizon, kicking up a trail of dust as it skidded to a halt near the group. Its rider, a young man who looked barely out of his teens, jumped off with a grin that could challenge the sun.
Jet-black hair, bright crimson eyes, his energy was wild and untamed.
"Big bro!" the boy shouted, dashing forward.
Kevin’s face lit up. "About time you got here, brother."
The two embraced warmly.
"You won’t believe what I saw on the way here!" the boy said, eyes sparkling with excitement. "A giant whale, swimming in the sky. I swear! It was huge!"
Kevin laughed heartily. "A sky whale? That’s insane! I believe you, Rei."
Then he turned toward Julian and the others.
"Everyone, this is Reimon Devka," Kevin announced. "He’ll be helping us out."
Julian nodded. "Julian. Nice to meet you."
Reimon eyed him carefully, then leaned in to whisper to Kevin, "Hey... that guy gives off picnic vibes with all those girls around him."
Kevin snorted, whispering back, "They’re our reinforcements, not some beach party crew. Trust me, they’re strong."
Reimon raised an eyebrow and gave a reluctant nod, though the disbelief lingered on his face.
"If you say so..."
Kevin patted his brother’s shoulder. "You’ll see. Just wait till we’re in the nest."
Belle crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You sure took your sweet time, Reimon."
Reimon gave her a flat look. "Here come the complaints again, Not again Belle."
"Don’t speak like that," Belle huffed, stepping forward. "And call me Big Sis Belle, got it?"
But Reimon didn’t even look at her. His gaze was busy scanning the horizon, pretending she didn’t exist.
Nia giggled softly and patted Belle’s shoulder. "Let it go, Belle. He probably exhausted himself riding around like that."
"Exhausted?" Belle scoffed. "He’s got a motorcycle and teleportation. He probably stopped for a nap halfway."
Kevin clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. "Alright, alright, enough. Let’s get to the real business, our assault strategy."
Julian nodded once. "Let’s begin."
Kevin stepped forward and projected a crude sketch of the terrain with his skill, marking the zombie nest’s position. "The nest is massive. We’ll bait the zombies out first, attack from a distance to draw them away. Then we can eliminate them in waves before pushing into the core."
Julian’s voice was calm but sharp. "That’s unnecessary. I can deploy explosives directly into the nest and destroy everything from within."
Kevin shook his head firmly. "No. We can’t do that."
"Why not?" Julian asked, eyes narrowing.
Kevin glanced around at the group, then back to Julian. "Because there may be survivors in there, people taken by the zombies. We need to get them out first."
Julian was silent for a moment, then looked Kevin in the eye. "Those survivors are already dead."
The camp fell into a brief silence.
Kevin frowned. "How can you be so sure?"
"I’ve seen it myself," Julian replied. "The zombies... they don’t just kill. They transform the people they kidnap. They implant a parasite, and turn them into a new species. Those humans are gone."
Kevin clenched his fists. "Still... we have to check. We must try."
Julian’s tone darkened. "That’s inefficient. Risking lives, burning energy, just to chase the hope of something that’s already lost? We have intel. Use it. Level the nest before it grows into something worse."
Kevin stood his ground. "No. We’re not abandoning them. If even one survivor is still alive, they’re waiting for someone to come for them. Someone who won’t give up."
Julian’s eyes narrowed, the two leaders locked in a tense silence. Shadow and light, ideals clashing beneath the morning sun.
"I already told you," Julian said firmly, eyes dark. "They cannot be saved."
Kevin didn’t flinch. "And I told you, we won’t know that unless we try."
The air around them grew thick with tension. Both groups stood in silence, watching as the two leaders stared each other down.
Clarissa stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Julian’s arm. "Julian... calm down. Let’s talk this through. No need to fight an ally."
On Kevin’s side, Belle crossed her arms and frowned. "Kevin, don’t be so damn stubborn. We get it, you want to be the hero. But don’t get everyone killed in the process."
Celestia’s voice came from behind Julian, soft but stern. "Letting emotions rule a discussion never ends well, Julian."
Julian exhaled slowly, the glow of faint lightning dancing down his fingertips fading. He glanced at Celestia, then Clarissa, and finally turned his gaze back to Kevin.
"...Fine," he muttered. "We’ll do it your way."
Kevin blinked. "You mean—?"
Julian raised a finger. "But if we find no survivors, no one, not you, not them, stops me from reducing that nest to ashes. I won’t allow another abomination to be born from hesitation."
Kevin nodded solemnly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That’s fair. Thanks, Julian."
Julian didn’t smile back.
The time for talk had ended.
With practiced efficiency, everyone began preparing for the raid. Weapons were checked, enchantments were applied, and the atmosphere shifted, no longer a camp, but a war party.
Reimon stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and grinning. "Alright, opening the gate."
A blue shimmer burst open in the air before them, swirling like liquid energy as a two-way portal materialized. The glow bathed their armor and faces in ghostly light.
Julian narrowed his eyes. "A two-way gate?"
Reimon raised his chin proudly. "Damn right."
Kevin added with a confident nod, "Reimon’s one of our best. He can create two gates simultaneously, perfect for insertion and extraction."
Belle crossed her arms, though her tone was more informative than critical. "It’s limited though. He can only connect to places he’s already been."
Julian gave a curt nod of approval. "That alone is incredibly useful."
The groups began organizing. Kevin’s unit, twelve fighters strong, would lead the forward assault. Julian’s squad would flank the opposite side, pinning the enemy within their own nest.
Everyone took position. They could feel it in the air, this was no longer a scouting mission or a skirmish.
This was war.
"Move out," Kevin commanded.
With that, they charged through the shimmering portal.
The raid had begun.
The two teams surged into the nest.
Gunfire, elemental energy, and raw combat clashed in a chaotic chorus as the once-proud structure of a shopping mall trembled with violence.
Broken storefronts, shattered escalators, and collapsed ceilings greeted them. The mall, once full of life, was now twisted into a grotesque warren of flesh, rot, and blood.
Celestia, dodging a leaping infected, sliced it in half and glanced at their surroundings. "This used to be a mall."
Emma, unleashing a wave of flame that scorched the horde, grimaced. "It’s horrifying how far it’s fallen. Now it’s just... their hive."
As if summoned by her words, a surge of zombies charged at them, howling and snarling. But there was something wrong, they weren’t acting like mindless creatures. They moved in coordinated waves, flanking and baiting, forcing the team into tactical positions.
Julian narrowed his eyes. "They’re moving... like soldiers."
Aya raised her crossbow and activated her [Eagle Eye], scanning the upper levels cloaked in darkness. Her voice was sharp. "There’s someone in the shadows... I can see them. They’re directing the horde."
Julian’s tone turned cold. "I’ll take care of it. You all handle the front."
Kevin stepped forward beside him. "You’re going in alone? Nah. I’m coming too."
Without another word, both vanished, Julian in a blink of shadow, Kevin in a flash of light.
Zombies lunged to intercept them, but Clarissa’s telekinesis hurled them aside. Celestia and Emma cut a path open, Belle and Aya covering them with deadly precision. Within seconds, Julian and Kevin had pushed through to the upper levels.
And there, standing amidst the shadows, was something... wrong.
A humanoid figure with jagged black horns and scales glinting under the broken lights. Its red eyes glowed with predatory delight.
"Well, well... we have guests," the creature purred, voice unnatural and deep. "Let’s greet them properly, shall we?"
From behind it, a monstrous brute emerged, taller than any of them, with bulging limbs and half a skull fused to its back. It charged, and struck Kevin like a cannonball, sending him crashing into a pillar.
Kevin grunted, groaning as he pushed himself up. "I’m fine!"
Julian stepped forward, electricity sparking in his veins, his shadow trembling at his feet.
"I see," he said darkly. "You managed to transform, didn’t you, parasite?"
The creature grinned, eyes widening with insanity. "Ahh... so clever! Yes, I’ve finally found the perfect host. This is what you’d call evolution."
Julian’s gaze turned sharper, his voice like steel. "No... This isn’t evolution. You’re just puppeteering a corpse."