The giant atop the roof slowly turned its stiff head, its gaze sweeping over the convoy speeding away at the end of the street. However, it did not give chase. Instead, it came to a sudden halt and turned its head mechanically, its pupils locking directly onto Lear below—or more accurately, onto the pale-faced Sherry, who was clutching Lear's arm.
That bone-chilling gaze felt almost physical as it pierced through Lear. His heart tightened, immediately sensing something was wrong. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the trembling Sherry beside him. Damn it, why is a Tyrant getting involved in this now?
Could this Tyrant be after that reporter?
To ensure the evacuation was more secure, he had intentionally left the reporter, Ben Bertolucci—who held evidence against the Umbrella Corporation—inside the Police Station Jail. Knowing the plot, Lear was well aware that Umbrella was doomed regardless; the only real significance of that evidence was to draw out Ada Wong. Compared to that so-called evidence, the safe evacuation of the majority was far more important. It wasn't that Lear was cold-hearted, but the death of one man was better than the deaths of many.
No, if it were that specific Tyrant, it should be heading for the Police Station or chasing the convoy. It shouldn't be targeting Sherry.
Suddenly, Lear noticed Sherry's necklace, and a thought flashed through his mind: Could this be the Tyrant from the game that pursued Claire and Sherry, only to be torn apart by William? Yes! It's possible—it's after Sherry's necklace, which contains the G-Virus sample placed there by her mother, Annette Birkin.
Realizing this, Lear looked up again at the rooftop, only to find that the Tyrant had already vanished.
"Now isn't the time to think about this." Lear forcibly suppressed his unease and looked down at Sherry, keeping his tone as gentle as possible. "Sherry, stay close to me, okay? We're going back to the Police Station first. We'll wait for Uncle Raymond and the others to return, and then we'll all evacuate together."
Sherry didn't speak. She simply trembled and squeezed Lear's hand even tighter, her small frame shaking slightly. She lifted her anxious face toward Lear and nodded vigorously.
Lear knew better than anyone that facing a Tyrant head-on in these wide, unobstructed streets was a death sentence. He decided immediately to take Sherry back to the Police Station. Not only was he familiar with the layout there, but the thick, reinforced walls would serve as a barrier; it was far safer than being exposed in the open streets.
Holding Sherry's small hand, Lear moved quickly through the empty, ruined streets. The two kept their profiles low, carefully avoiding the stray zombies lingering in street corners and the shadows of buildings. Because of the previous clearing efforts and the commotion caused by the passing convoy, most of the zombies had been drawn away. There weren't many left on the streets, and they made smooth progress until the silhouette of the Police Station finally came into view.
But just then, Lear sensed Sherry's breathing becoming increasingly ragged, her gasps turning heavy. He stopped immediately and turned to look. The young girl's cheeks were flushed deep red, and beads of sweat covered her forehead, with damp strands of hair sticking to her temples. It was clear she had long since reached her physical limit, yet she had gritted her teeth and remained silent, forcing herself to keep up with him despite her exhaustion. Lear felt a sharp pang in his chest, and his voice unconsciously softened. "Sherry, if you're tired, we can take a little rest."
But Sherry shook her head vigorously, her clear eyes filled with determination. She gripped Lear's fingers tightly, showing through her actions that she could keep going. Looking at her struggle against exhaustion, Lear felt a surge of pity, but he knew they absolutely could not stop now. Not knowing where that Tyrant was made him uneasy; they had to reach the safety of the Police Station as quickly as possible.
However, the very moment he prepared to take another step, a fierce, whistling wind suddenly lunged at them from behind!
Lear had no time to look back. His body moved on instinct as he ducked his head and doubled over, simultaneously wrapping his arms tightly around Sherry and using his momentum to roll violently to the side.
Right as they managed to scramble away, a deafening explosion of sound tore through the air!
A massive, hideously muscular fist smashed brutally into the spot where he had just been standing. The hard concrete ground instantly shattered and buckled, sending fragments and dust flying in every direction as the terrifying force gouged a massive crater into the pavement.
As the dust slowly cleared, the Tyrant stepped out from the pitch-black shadows of the street. Its hulking frame blocked out most of the light, its cold gaze fixing on Lear and Sherry as they lay disheveled on the ground.
Lear set Sherry steadily on the ground and growled in a low voice, "Sherry, you remember the way back to the Police Station, right? Run back now! I believe in you, you're the bravest kid I know. Go!"
He gave Sherry a forceful push, signaling her to escape immediately. Sherry suddenly reached out and gave Lear a brief, gentle hug, her voice trembling with a sob yet remaining exceptionally firm:
"Please... you have to come back safely."
With that, she didn't hesitate any longer, turning and running desperately toward the Police Station.
Lear drew his gun and aimed it at the Tyrant, who was pulling its fist from the ground, preparing to pursue Sherry. If he didn't hold this monster back, neither of them would make it out alive.
The Tyrant let out a low, muffled roar, its massive frame lunging off the pavement as it charged in the direction Sherry had run. Lear's pupils constricted, and he pulled the trigger of his pistol without hesitation. Bullets whistled out in succession, striking the Tyrant's head and chest with precision, kicking up sprays of blood. But to this monster, such an attack was like an itch; it merely faltered for a second, its gaze still locked onto the retreating Sherry.
Lear immediately tossed aside his empty pistol, drew the shotgun from his back in a reverse grip, and stepped forward to fire at point-blank range!
BOOM—!
The 12-gauge lead buckshot slammed into the Tyrant's left shoulder at close range. The terrifying impact tore through its straitjacket, and the raw explosive force sent the Tyrant's massive body staggering back two steps. Seemingly enraged, the Tyrant abandoned its pursuit of Sherry, spun around, and swung a massive fist down toward Lear. Lear dove into a harrowing roll to dodge, and the concrete ground was instantly pulverized into flying shards where the blow landed.
He didn't dare linger in the fight. Using the momentum of his roll, he pulled the Grenade Launcher from his back and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Thump—shoo!
A High explosive grenade, trailing white smoke, slammed hard into the Tyrant's chest and exploded! Flames and shockwaves instantly engulfed the giant. The Tyrant's massive body was blown backward, smashing heavily into a wall amidst a cloud of swirling dust.
Lear panted heavily, bracing his hands on his knees as he stood up, thinking he had finally dealt with the threat. But the moment the dust settled, his heart sank completely. The Tyrant, charred black with its flesh torn and curled, actually stood back up.
Lear stared in shock at the Tyrant, which remained standing firm even after being hit by a Grenade.
Crap... even that didn't work?! By all rights, a heavy injury should cause some stagger! It took that much damage and it's fine?! How the hell did Leon fight this thing?
Lear had no time for further thought; the Tyrant had completely blocked the path back to the Police Station. He raised his pistol to fire a rapid succession of shots at the Tyrant's eyes to suppress it, then switched to the shotgun for a close-range blast, intending to use the opening to create distance.
But the Tyrant pushed through the bullets, swinging a fist in a horizontal sweep. In his frantic attempt to dodge, Lear was still grazed across the ribs. A surge of sharp pain tore through him as the fist swept past his chest; he felt as though he could hear the sound of ribs cracking.
He gritted his teeth and turned, quickly firing off three more rounds from his Grenade Launcher. Taking advantage of the thick black smoke rising where the grenades hit the Tyrant's body, he dragged his injured self toward the dense Apartment area nearby, attempting to use the complex terrain to lose his pursuer. Behind him, the Tyrant charged out of the wall of fire, its body still burning as it gave chase to Lear.
(Translated by yourtl.app)