The skies over Chiba were a dreary blue, with pillars of gray smoke swirling through the once-great city now reduced to a desolate landscape stained with blood and crawling with undead monsters. Above, birds flew carelessly above the crumbling buildings, indifferent to the horror below.
One bird flapped its wings and was about to turn west when it was suddenly struck down by a larger, mutated bird with pulsating red muscles. The mutated bird hissed and quickly broke the smaller bird's neck with its enormous, razor-sharp talons. With its meal now secured, the mutated bird flew off to its den to feast.
"Ew. Gross," Minami gagged as she witnessed the gruesome act from behind the glass window of the microvan. Suddenly, her hair began to float and rise above her head. She hissed and closed her eyes as the microvan plummeted downward. "I hate this!"
Beside her, Shigeo grinned at the experience while Rumi, seated behind the steering wheel, chuckled as she held on tight. Next to her, Kamakura slept through it all. They stared out the front windshield, watching as the rooftop of an apartment building quickly approached them. Just before a collision, the vehicle jerked suddenly, and a loud impact rang out below them. The van jolted again and then soared into the sky.
Beneath the microvan, I effortlessly held the vehicle above my head as I jumped through the air. Even after three hours of traveling across the city while carrying the van, I felt neither strain nor exhaustion. At this point, I barely noticed the weight above me as I scanned the city for any signs of life or evidence of the military.
"Hikigaya! Enough! I want to take a break!" Minami yelled out from Shigeo's open window, her face a shade of green.
"Neesan, don't tell me you're going to throw up again?!"
"Shut it, Shigeo!"
I sighed at the arguing siblings as I leaped off another rooftop. Scanning the area, I spotted a clear roof with a small garden in the corner. I turned toward it, landing gently and placing the microvan down as carefully as I could.
"Thank you for flying Air-Hachi. Please exit the plane in an orderly fashion," I said as I flipped off my hood.
Immediately, Minami rushed out of the van, leaned over the edge of the roof, and promptly threw up. With a sigh, Shigeo stepped out of the van, grabbed a bottle of water, and walked over to his sister. He handed her the bottle and gently rubbed her back.
"N-no more," Minami managed to say after spitting out the water from her mouth. "I'm going to die."
"Neesan, you'll die trying to travel the streets with those things down there."
"At least it'll end my misery."
I rubbed my hair and turned to Rumi as she placed Kamakura down. The cat stretched and began wandering on the roof. "How much longer?" Rumi asked as she stepped beside me.
"I'm trying to keep the van as steady as possible, so our traveling speed is really slow," I replied, looking out at the horizon. "Probably another two hours or so before we get to the river."
"I see. Do you think we'll find any of the military there?" Rumi asked, grabbing the sleeve of my jacket.
"I'm not sure. Shigeo and Minami said they heard from their parents that the military was evacuating certain families to a base somewhere to the north. That matches what Satoshi told you. There has to be some kind of stronghold up north with more people. And if we're lucky, Komachi and the others might be there." I rubbed her hair reassuringly. "Even if they're not there, at least you three will finally be at a safe location."
Rumi blinked, her expression turning panicked. "Are you… going to leave? Are you leaving me behind?" Behind me, Minami and Shigeo exchanged worried glances as they listened in.
"No, I'm not abandoning you, Rumi. I promised I wouldn't. But I have to find my sister, Yui, and Yukino. Once I do, I'll come back to you with everyone. Okay?" I knelt down and placed my hands on her shoulders.
Rumi turned her gaze downward and remained silent. I sighed, gently rubbed her hair, and then stood up. "Let's not dwell on hypotheticals, okay? There's still no guarantee that we will find the JSDF. So for now, our little road trip isn't coming to an end anytime soon."
"…yeah," Rumi muttered, a little relieved.
"Sorry to interrupt, Hikigaya-San," Shigeo said as he and Minami walked up to us. "But… what's that?" He said, pointing behind Rumi and me.
I turned and looked over at where he pointed. Several meters away, a large grey figure could be seen jumping from rooftop to rooftop. With a dull crash, the figure landed seven buildings away from us and rose to its full height.
"Hachiman… isn't that?" Rumi gasped as she moved behind me.
"You have to be shitting me," I muttered as I stared at the Tyrant.
But unlike before, his body had grown somehow larger and more muscular. Its upper body was bare, revealing a large, beating heart surrounded by protruding ribs. Its right arm, the arm I had ripped away and consumed, had regrown into a large mass of muscle and sharp spikes. His other arm had also changed, growing larger and bearing bone growth like spikes along its length. Half of his head, the part I had crushed under my foot, was still a mangled mess, but the upper half of his head had healed. Leaving two grey eyes to stare at me without blinking.
"W-What is that?!" Minami yelled, scared at the sight of the mutated biological weapon.
"A-A monster," Shigeo whispered, shaking.
"That shouldn't be possible... I killed it," I said, gaining the Sagami siblings' shock.
"What?! You're telling me you fought that thing!" Minami said.
"Yeah… and it almost killed me, too."
"We have to go! We have to run!" Shigeo yelled and ran to the van. "Let's go!"
"There's no outrunning him," I said, my tone heavy and serious. "You three stay here. I'll lead him away from here and fight him somewhere where you won't get in the crossfire."
"What?! You almost died?! You didn't tell me that!" Rumi panicked and grabbed my hand. "You can't fight him! We have to run away together! Please!"
"If it weren't just me… I could probably outrun it," I said, causing everyone to fall silent. "But it's not just me. I have to protect you three and make sure you all make it out of here alive. So I won't run. I have to put a stop to him. Otherwise, I have a feeling he's just going to keep coming back."
I leaned down and picked Rumi up. I walked over to the van and placed her inside. At the same time, Kamakura jumped inside as well. "Don't worry, Rumi, Shigeo. I don't have any intentions of dying yet. So just sit tight... I'll be back."
I walked away before they could respond. I stopped in front of Minami. She had a nervous and frightened expression as she looked away from the Tyrant. "Sagami," I said under my breath and placed a hand on her shoulder. Unlike before, she didn't flinch at my touch. "I know what I'm asking you isn't fair. But if something happens to me, please watch over Rumi and Kamakura."
Minami blinked and shook her head. She pushed my hand away from her shoulder, threw a weak punch at my stomach, and glared at me. "I won't do that, Hikigaya. I refuse! You told me you'd keep us safe!"
I blinked at her reaction and smiled slightly. "Yeah, you got it." I walked past her and stood at the edge of the rooftop. Minami moved over to the van and stopped to stare at my back.
"Hikigaya!" She yelled. "I-I… I forgive you! So you better not die! You hear me!"
I glanced over my shoulder and gave a quick nod.
For some reason, her words eased a small weight I hadn't realized I was carrying. My expression hardened again as I locked eyes with the enemy in front of me.
The Tyrant remained motionless as we stared at each other, with no words or sounds exchanged between us.
Then, without warning, we both jumped off our respective rooftops, crashing onto the concrete below, and leaped toward each other.
This time, I'll make sure you don't get up!
Finally, the Tyrant and I met and exchanged simultaneous punches. Our fists collided, creating a loud crack that echoed around us. I grimaced as a wave of pain shot through my arm and up to my shoulder, but I pushed through the discomfort and used my smaller, more agile form to grab the Tyrant's wrist for leverage.
With a spin, I slammed my foot into his neck, sending the bio-weapon crashing down to the street below. His body struck the pavement with an earth-shattering explosion, sending several of the undead flying while crushing those unfortunate enough to be in that exact spot into paste.
Gravity took hold of me, too, and I plummeted to the ground with a loud crash. As I stood up and waved away the dust cloud, I watched, not surprised, as the Tyrant rose to his feet with a low growl.
I grabbed my hood and pulled it over my head. "Time for round three, ugly."
The Tyrant glared at me and suddenly broke into a sprint. I quickly surged forward, sliding beneath a wide swing from his enormous right arm, its massive spikes barely missing me. I sprang back to my feet and landed a punch across his face. The Tyrant's head snapped to the side, but before I could react, his other arm swung toward me. His large fist struck my chest with incredible force.
I gasped as my body flew backward down the street, knocking parked cars aside as if they were mere toys, until I crashed into the side of a building with a thunderous impact.
Dazed, I shook my head and pushed the large debris off myself. Slowly, I rose to my feet and held my chest. While the punch had hurt and probably broken a few ribs, it wasn't nearly as painful as the one I had endured during our first fight.
Consuming that bastard's arm definitely made me much stronger. And that was just an arm. I walked out of the ruined building and stared at the marching Tyrant. If I want to stop him for good, I'll have to listen to my instincts and consume his entire body.
The thought made me frown in disgust.
I had already accepted that I wasn't completely human anymore. Allowing the instinct inside me to consume the biological weapon in front of me felt like I would be giving away the last remnants of my humanity.
Looking up, I saw Rumi, Minami, and Shigeo watching me from where I had left them. Even from a distance, I could see the worry and fear on their faces.
I don't have the luxury of hesitation. If I don't do what I have to do to stop him, then he'll just keep coming after everyone to get to me. I won't let him hurt anyone I care about.
"Hey, you bastard," I said as I walked towards the Tyrant. "Why are you after me? What's your problem with me? Well? Answer me?!"
Instead of using words, the Tyrant rushed forward and slammed his clawed arm down where I stood. I flipped over its body gracefully and landed on its shoulders. As soon as my feet touched down, I pulled my arm back and unleashed a flurry of punches straight to the Tyrant's head.
It groaned and growled in response to my attack. The Tyrant attempted to grab my arm, but I quickly jumped back. With a grunt, I kicked the Tyrant in the lower back, sending it staggering forward. However, instead of falling, it used its momentum to spin around and slash at me with its clawed arm. I hissed in pain as four deep gashes formed from my chest to my hip, blood spilling to the ground.
I darted back and turned toward an overturned vehicle. Grabbing it, I hoisted it overhead and threw it at the Tyrant. The bio-weapon swung its arm and effortlessly knocked the vehicle aside, treating it as if it were a mere nuisance rather than a two-ton hunk of metal.
Undeterred, I grabbed another vehicle and hurled it at him again. As he swatted it away, I seized the momentary distraction to leap at him. Using both feet, I kicked the Tyrant in the stomach. It grunted and fell to a knee. Not wasting this opportunity, I rained down punches on its face, neck, and torso with enough force to rattle the ground and buildings around us.
I then turned my attention to the large beating heart that protruded from the Tyrant's chest and reared my arm back. With a yell, I sank my fist into its heart, causing it to explode with gore. The Tyrant let out a loud groan and roar as my arm sank into its chest.
"Yeah! How do you like it?!"
The Tryant hissed and grabbed my head. Using his much greater strength, he pulled my arm out of its chest and threw me through the sky. My body spun around from the force until I crashed face-first into the side of a tall, corporate building made of glass walls.
With a groan, I pushed myself up and breathed deeply. Blood slid down my face from the long gash on my cheek as a piece of sharp glass stuck out of my head. I pulled the glass out and watched as blood splattered out to the floor with a sigh.
I stood up and walked over to the shattered wall and looked down at the Tyrant below. His chest was bulging and morphing the flesh around his heart, slowly healing it.
"No, you don't."
I ran as far back as I could, then sprinted. With a leap that shook the floor, I jumped out of the building and soared into the sky. I quickly realized I had overshot my jump and tried to adjust my trajectory. As I stretched out my arms to try to steer myself in the air, red wisps of energy erupted from behind me. In that moment, I successfully turned in the air and glided toward the Tyrant.
Holy shit! Am I flying?! No. More like gliding like a flying squirrel!
I quelled the surge of exhilaration at my newfound ability to soar through the skies, redirecting my focus to the Tyrant looming below. His grotesque form was nearly restored, and just as he lifted his gaze, I plummeted from the heavens like a vengeful comet, fists primed for impact.
The collision was catastrophic—a cataclysmic shockwave rippled through the streets, sending a maelstrom of dust and debris spiraling outward. Nearby buildings trembled, and the very ground beneath me groaned as the force of my descent reverberated through the air, heralding my arrival with a thunderous roar.
I blinked, feeling my senses adjust as I came to.
I shook my head and raised my arms, only to see two stumps of flesh and bone. I blinked at the sight and looked down to see the Tyrant below me, its upper body crushed as its heart was once again reduced to a paste. Even so, his large grey chest heaved as he breathed.
"Still alive?" I muttered in shock and irritation, my face covered in our blood as my arms shook with pain.
With a growl, I leaned my head back and slammed my forehead down on the Tyrant's face. I hissed with pain and pulled my head back. I yelled and brought my forehead back down to the Tyrant's face, sending blood and viscera onto the ground. I repeated this again and again until the bio weapons skull was crushed and bone could be seen.
I gasped when its clawed arm stabbed into my side, puncturing my organs and spine. I yelled in agony as the Tyrant raised his arm and slowly rose despite its injuries. But in the end, he only managed to rise to his knees. The Tryant growled and swung his arm away, sending me tumbling down the road.
"Just… die already," I gasped out and forced myself to stand. I was immediately pushed back onto the ground as an infected man clawed at my back with a frenzy. "Fuck. Off!"
I jumped up, knocking the infected off my back. I growled at the undead and stomped my foot into its chest, caving it in and shattering the asphalt. Its body crumbled, and blood exploded from its chest.
It was then that I felt it.
That deep-rooted instinct inside me to consume.
I didn't refuse it.
Black, glowing red tendrils exploded out of my body and stabbed into the infected's body. With incredible speed, my tendrils broke down the undead man's flesh and biomass into myself.
I gasped as a wave of relief overcame me, as large sections of my body healed themselves. But even so, the infected man wasn't enough. I had only managed to heal the stab wounds on my torso and regain one arm. Turning to the right, I saw two more infected individuals and jumped at them.
With my one arm, I grabbed the top of one of the undead heads and crushed it underneath my grip. Instantly, my tendrils shot out of me and broke down its body, absorbing its biomass into myself. I didn't stop there. I reached out to the other infected and absorbed it as well.
Looking down, I saw that I had completely healed back to around eighty percent.
I turned to the Tyrant and glared. It seemed that the Tyrant had been observing me, watching as I consumed the undead around me to heal.
That would be the Tyrant's last mistake.
I rushed in and swung a wide haymaker. The Tyrant reacted and raised its clawed arm to block. My flesh sank into the spikes, but I didn't stop. I snapped my left leg out and kicked the Tyrant's jaw off. I then reached out and grabbed one of its arm spikes. With an animalistic yell, I tore it off its body. The Tyrant growled and punched my head into the asphalt with a crack.
For a moment, I saw stars flood my vision before a powerful force shoved itself into my stomach. I gasped and looked on as the Tyrant pulled back its leg and stomped again. Before he could land another stomp, I pulled my legs over my head and did a kick up over its head.
Using the spike still in my bloodied grasp, I used all of my upper body strength and stabbed down into the Tyrant's skull. Stabbing the spike all the way down its neck. Stunned, the Tyrant gawked as it tried to function without its brain. Now, it merely moved on instinct as it swung its large arms around wildly.
With a swift motion, I dashed to a nearby car and lifted it above my head. I bounded toward the Tyrant, bringing the car down with a shout just above its head.
The car exploded in a brilliant cloud of fire and smoke, shaking the glass windows across the street and attracting the attention of even more infected. However, they remained still, seemingly aware that they were in the presence of alpha predators.
Within the pit of fire and destruction, I looked down at the broken and mangled form of the Tyrant and snarled. Reaching down, I grabbed it by its ruined skull and collar bone.
I shouted and began to pull.
At first, the Tyrant's body didn't move, but slowly, a line of crimson grew down the center of its torso.
I released another roar and finally tore the Tyrant in half. Blood, organs, and bones exploded around me as I held both halves in my hands. With my enemy now dead, I released my tentacles and consumed.
Flesh and bones collapsed and melted into me, fueling my body with new, raw power. I could feel the bio-organic material—tissues, organisms, and viruses—comprising the Tyrant as it entered my system. They struggled for control, but my cells quickly overpowered them and forced them into submission. Before long, the Tyrant's biological makeup became my own.
As the last remnants of the Tyrant's cells were absorbed into my body, I gasped in pain as a whirlwind of sounds and images assaulted my brain. I didn't understand how, but I instantly recognized that I was witnessing the Tyrant's memories.
"Test his ability."
In an instant, I saw a blurry image of a tall man standing behind a thick glass wall, as green fluids bubbled before me.
"Push him to his limits and observe his potential."
The man had blonde hair and was dressed entirely in black, wearing dark sunglasses that obscured his eyes. He stared up at the Tyrant with an expression that revealed no clear emotion.
"But if he fails to show any promise, kill him and bring the corpse to me."
The memory quickly faded as I gasped back to reality, and the brief moment of pain in my skull swiftly disappeared.
I struggled to make sense of what had just happened, but as I tried to concentrate on that feeling, I suddenly noticed three other groups of memories. These were even more unclear and challenging to describe. One set of memories belonged to a hard-working salesman, the second to a college freshman, and the third to a construction worker.
Then it struck me where I had obtained these memories: from the three undead individuals I had consumed.
Hold on… not only does consuming heal and make me stronger, but it also gives me the memories of those I absorb?
I felt nauseous at the thought. This power of mine was terrifying and dangerous. I didn't have time to spiral into what I could do when I suddenly gasped.
I grit my teeth and leaned forward, grasping my chest. Something new, raw, and primal surged up from within me. With a yell, I extended my arms as flesh and tendrils enveloped my muscles and skin. New, tight, powerful muscles formed over my arms and shoulders, and long, sharp claws extended from my fingers. They shimmered under the bright sky as I gasped for breath.
I stared at my new arms and claws in amazement. They were razor sharp, and I had no doubt they could slice through solid steel like butter.
The sharp, reflective surface of my claws bounced light, causing me to squint as it reflected off the remains of a shattered glass window. Looking up, I saw my own reflection.
I had a crazed, maniacal smile on my face as my body was covered in blood and gore.
I looked like a monster.