Entering a hole that looks like a sewer entrance, it's very dark inside. The flashlight was turned on and I could tell that this place was a kind of waterless sewer. Gerald explained that this place was a sewer that was not used because of the wrong direction. In order not to be a waste, they used this place as a secret exit and only Gerald and Edward knew.

  Explosions echoed from behind. Vibrations can also be felt instantly when the sound comes. The wind was blowing hard from there and we nodded at each other. This is an underground explosion.

"Hey, will this be safe?"

"No, we have to move fast!"

"Does this tunnel really have this kind of explosive?"

"Shouldn't have. Dad never told me about it, but judging by his personality, he shouldn't have put up any dangerous things that wreak havoc in the garden!"

  Then we have been detected by the enemy and, or maybe, we are being herded by the enemy. I don't know if this is a trap or not, but...

"I have a bad feeling!"

  Our journey stopped. We haven't reached our destination yet but we are hindered by underground ruins.

"This didn't exist before!"

  Looks like as expected, we've been framed.

"Looks like we were framed!"

  My words replied with a nod by Anthony.

"How dare you enter into my territory, Euphemia-sama's territory!"

  A loud voice came from behind us.

"Impossible, the only way to enter is a hut and a wine cellar!"

  Gerald called out, responding to this emerging voice.

"If you really want to return, I'll give you a chance. However, if you dare to go any further in my mansion, I will make sure that you all become my lowly slaves!"

  Threats with a terrible tone. Even though I feel a little goosebumps, I don't feel scared. Quite the contrary, somehow I feel excited. After all, my goal is to kill this mutant for Haruka's sake.

"So now what?"

  Edward asked. His face was filled with doubt and fear.

"... I don’t know either!"

  Anthony was also discouraged. Damn, just the sound of a mutant can make a survivor's morale fall just like that.

"I follow Tanaka's decision!"

"Yuki..."

  That's right, Yuki. Me and her have the same goal, to get Felsia's vaccine and for that we have to kill the gargoyle mutant. I obviously can't stop, but since this plan is falling apart, I want her to either wait or go back to the jeep.

"I will keep going! I have to kill that mutant no matter the situation!"

"... I guess I'll just go back!"

  Gerald agreed to return.

"Wait, I thought we wanted to avenge our family. Why are you such a loser at a time like this!"

"Brother, you have no idea how scared I am. If our original plan had worked, I probably wouldn't have given up like this. But, we've been caught. It will be a suicide mission if it goes on!"

"So you gave up just because of something like this! Haven't you seen how Tanaka-san and Yuki-san have fought so far!"

"You don't know, brother. For a blessed person like you it may sound normal when it comes to dealing with mutants. But I'm only human. I have no hope if I have to fight them. I'm not as strong as you, brother!"

"... Ughh, whatever!"

  The situation that had previously heated up finally returned to normal. I wanted to mediate between them, but I wasn't the right person for that. Luckily these two didn't end up fighting.

"So, Gerald, do you really want to go back?"

"Yeah, we're lucky because Euphemia gave us a chance. If you guys want to continue, just go ahead on your own. I want to get out of this operation!"

"Okay, I understand. First we have to find a way out first. After that it's up to you whether you want to go back or continue!"

  So, the conclusion is that only I, Anthony and Yuki will continue this operation. Honestly, I understand Gerald's feelings right now. It's impossible for an ordinary human to fight a mutant… It reminds me of Yuki who is also a commoner here.

"Yuki, if the situation worsens, come back with Gerald!"

"... Alright, I understand. But I'm sure that everything will be fine!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

  But, how do we get out?

"... Gerald, is there another way to get to the mansion here?"

"Nothing. The only way in and out is the hut and wine room behind these ruins!"

"So where did that mutant voice come from?"

"... You're right. Euphemia's voice shouldn't have made it all the way here!"

"There must be another way in here. The direction of the sound is that way, two people will be watching over and the other two are guarding the front and back!"

  We're moving. Not far from where we stopped, there really was a hole to the top that had no ropes or ladders to go there at all. However, we believe that this is where the path for Euphemia's voice will come from. I'm the first to check since I'm the strongest in this group.

  Once I made it there, I could tell it was a cramped place. What is in front of me right now is a place to light a bonfire. I destroy it, expand this place and quickly check the surroundings. It was a large empty room. Immediately I gave the rope to the others so they could climb up easily.

"Is that all?"

"Yes!"

  All goods and people have gone up. Anthony was currently walking around the room. Looking for signs of the mutant.

"I found some memo!"

"What's that?"

"Towards the direction of the hall. We were directed by Euphemia!"

"That's right, we were given a chance to get out and by the time we got to the hall, we were safe. We don't have to do stupid things like fight mutants or do anything heroic or other revenge!"

"Shut up Gerald, if you really want to go back, then go ahead. Me and Tanaka-san as well as Yuki-san will go on!"

"Then let's move. Remember, we still have to be aware of our surroundings!"

"Let's take two of the explosives with us. We'll leave the others here!"

  Dark room and dark hallway. Even though it's noon, everything here is covered. The windows were blocked by some kind of plank, the roof was covered with some kind of leaves and the other rooms didn't produce any light either. Only our flashlight is the only source of light.

  We move quietly. Head to the hall which is directly connected to the front door of the mansion. After Gerald leaves, the three of us or maybe the two of us without Yuki will continue this high-level mutant assassination operation.

~~~

  Darkness. Silence. Footsteps. Death. Memory tied to a place, that's how Anthony and Gerald felt as they looked around. Familiar place. However, that feeling was quickly swept away by the swift movements of Tanaka who led the way.

  An enormous space awaits ahead. The gates open and darkness is still a thing there. The flashlight goes to the right and left. Checking if there will be a surprise attack or something. However, as far as they go, there is nothing suspicious about anything except on how quiet the mansion is. Where are the enemies when the intruder is in their base?

  Everyone has entered the hall. The most spacious place in the mansion. There are two stairs that lead to the top. Tanaka checked upstairs and didn't see anything suspicious. Statues stand in the corner of the room. There are four monsters, one of which is a gargoyle, right at the front right corner from their direction to their destination. All the statues stared at the four intruders.

"The door over there and we'll get out!"

"Yes, it is the front gate!"

"Hey, Anthony, Gerald, has the statue over there been there a long time?"

"Yes, our father bought it for decoration. They said it was for guardian spirits, but I don't believe it!"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Tanaka's worries disappeared when he learned that the gargoyle statue there was indeed a real statue. However, not long after that he thought of one more thing. What if the original statue was discarded and replaced by the mutant?

  Slow movement towards the gate. Tanaka always looked to his right, where the statue of the monster was. Frightened by the sudden attack, Tanaka continued to stare at it. Arriving at the gate, Anthony and Gerald tried to open the gate. A gate that can be pushed or pulled.

"... Is the gate jammed?"

"Shouldn't be... But it's so heavy!"

"We can't even push it!"

  The door that looks normal, but can't be opened. Quiet atmosphere inside. Focus on the statue and Yuki behind them.

"Wait… Yuki!"

  It's too late. The gargoyles were already behind them and sharp claws pierced through Yuki's thick armor. A deep scratch wound formed on the girl's back. Tanaka immediately ran towards there to secure Yuki. The winged mutant jumped up, to the second floor.

"Anthony, Gerald, get out of there!"

  Tanaka noticed it. These are all traps. The forgave given by the mutant was just a lie and behind that gate were two huge monsters, the Tank mutants.

  Light came in, but the huge figure before them was a threat. Tanaka hugged Yuki who was in pain, the man was looking for a bandage, the bleeding had to stop. On the other hand, Anthony and Gerald shot straight at the winged mutant. Of course, assault rifle bullets couldn't penetrate the thick skin of a gargoyle.

"Hahahaha, how stupid you guys are. Rats are creatures that need to be exterminated, and obviously I won't let them go just like that once they're out of that tight spot. Welcome to the hell!"

  The gargoyle ordered his two mutant subordinates to attack. Tanaka was stopping Yuki's bleeding at that time, Anthony and Gerald immediately took over. They served as bait for the two Tank mutants until Tanaka was finished. The injured Yuki felt short of breath, Tanaka was worried for a moment, but finally started to return to the senses of the surroundings where the battle was taking place.

"I wonder how strong the person who managed to kill my subordinate was. And I don't think it's the girl, so it must be you, the guy with the katana!"

  The gargoyle pointed at Tanaka. Tanaka's fierce face radiated seriously in response to the gaze of the monster, lord of the mansion. Gargoyle felt a slight tremor, but it was her feeling of excitement seeing the gaze of a strong man.

"I love your stares... Defeat two of my subordinates and I will kill all of you. You will never be able to escape from here!"

  The two Tank mutants, each of which are facing Anthony and Gerald, are getting more and more raging. Seeing the situation, Tanaka decided to help Gerald since he was in more trouble for not being a blessed one. Unlike his brother, Anthony.

"Leave this one to me, Gerald! I'll leave Yuki to you!"

  Substituting opponents, Tanaka with his sledgehammer stepped forward to replace Gerald. The man without the blessing immediately ran to Yuki who was in front of the gate. His intention was to take Yuki out, but hundreds of zombies had already surrounded the front of the mansion. There is no way out.

  Anthony and Tanaka each took care of one mutant, but neither of them were able to defeat the monsters quickly since the two were Tank mutants who were more powerful than before. Tanaka also realized something, the size of this Tank mutant was the same as the first one he fought in the past. A tough fight to win, but one they had to go through and get through. However, the fact that they don't know is that hundreds of zombies are ready to go inside after the two mutants fall. The desperate Gerald finally lost faith.

"Hey, didn't you say to let us out, damn it!"

  The gargoyle felt called. Gerald is the main focus.

"Sure, I told you not to go any further right? But why did you guys enter my mansion instead?"

"Weren't you the one who destroyed the way back. We were forced to come this way because of you!"

"But since when did I let you go through my mansion?"

"... Ahahaha, so it's like that. I see, I see. Basically our only choice is to die from battle or die from hunger, right? Yeah, damn it... What a loser ahahaha..."

  Gerald, who realized the trap made by the mutant, couldn't stop laughing hysterically. Hearing the word 'loser', the gargoyles felt a chuckle.

"Did you say I was a loser?"

"Yeah, that's obvious. Do you need to ask further, you loser. I'm sure your life is full of loser things like this!"

  A burst of emotion came out of Gerald. Yuki tried to stop him, but the body could not be moved at will. Tanaka was also aware of the foolish actions that had angered the gargoyle, but he couldn't dispel it because the opponent in front of him was the main focus. And on the other hand, Euphemia was already at the limit of her patience.

"Say it one more time!"

"You're just a loser. I'm even sure, your human form is the same loser as yours now!"

"Stop it, Gerald!"

  However, it was too late.

"You... are die..."

  In the blink of an eye, Euphemia the gargoyle was in front of Gerald. Goosebumps spread all the way to the head. The pain began to be felt, from a slight ache to very painful. The body lifted and Euphemia slammed her hands down. Three claws cleaved his neck, as fast as lightning, the big brother watched his little brother die, right in front of him.

"Gerald!"

  The only person who intended to get out alive from the place died horribly. Everyone was watching, Euphemia laughed. The psychopath in the form of a monster shows its ferocity when she kills her enemy. The intention that was just playing games has now disappeared. She wanted to end this quickly.

"Well, you don't have to worry anyway. You're going to die at the end. The man who gave out the fire thing, I'll give you my bite. The strong man over there, I'll give you my blood directly by mouth to mouth. The girl over there is destined to be died of infection. I will make the three of you my happy slaves, I guarantee that!"

  The fight still continued, but in one sentence, Tanaka stopped. He blocked the mutant's attack and reversed it.

"What did you say earlier?"

  The serious look now turned into a cold stare. Turning to the right, Tanaka gave Euphemia a threatening look.

"What, you guys are going to be my slaves. Is that too bad? How about servants?"

"No, earlier it was about Yuki and the infection!"

"Ah, maybe you still don't know, but my claws can infect people. Hehe, do you think it's only our saliva that infects, not for us gargoyle mutants!"

  The bolt caught Tanaka's body. The hand as big as people's stomach gripped tightly. However, the thing he was gripping didn't break, even though the force should be enough to crush the car.

  In the depths of his mind, he was trying to process what was about to happen. Yuki was infected, and the infection came from mutants. An infection from a zombie only takes a few hours or days to turn a human into an inhuman creature, and a mutant infection will go much faster than that. In a matter of minutes, Tanaka remembered that it had been about four minutes since this battle had taken place and Yuki continued to endure the pain of the infection for another four minutes. He turned his eyes to the poor girl, motionless.

Dead

  That was all Tanaka thought for a moment. The person he loved died in front of him. The person who should have greeted him when he returned had died. And the person who killed Yuki actually gave a disgusting grin.

"You…”

  The grip reversed, the inside was stronger. Broken and cracked.

“... are dead!"

  A strong swing landed. A loud bang is created, one enemy dies. Euphemia came to her senses, she realized, she had just resurrected a monster.

  "W-What!"

  Immediately Euphemia ran towards Anthony, planning to fight alongside his subordinates. However, not at that time. Something flew hard into the great monster's face. Shattered to pieces, a headless body. Now the winged mutant faces off against a real monster. Her destiny is to die.

  Step by step roared towards Euphemia. Soon the only mutant left runs towards Yuki, trying to hold her as a hostage. However, the speed of the fastest high-level mutant lost to Tanaka’s. Before the body reached Yuki, a monster was already in front of him, blocking the path to the girl.

"W-wait, I actually know a way to bring her back. You don't have to worry about memories or anything else inside her body. As long as she's a mutant like me, she can remember everything!"

  The frightened mutant tries to strike a deal. She may be strong, but she knows what terror is from a power greater than her own.

"Become a mutant? Memories? What are you talking about? You just killed my lover, damn it!"

  A dead and empty stare. Euphemia, who was desperate, then tried to attack the monster in front of her. The result, zero thing.

  Her claws were nothing in the face of a super sharp katana with super fast attacks. Even the wind from the attack sliced through the pots and the motifs of the mansion's wall coverings. Euphemia's body split into five pieces in less than a second. In one moment, the target dies.

"..."

  Gradually, Tanaka returned to his normal consciousness. After letting out a huge rage, he burst into tears while slightly turning his head to the body of the girl behind him. The fear of seeing his loved one motionless is a real terror. When he saw Yuki's body, Tanaka immediately ran to it.

  Hugging the body, still hot. The breath is still there. The heartbeat hasn't gone away either. It's just that, just as Euphemia said, Yuki was infected and luckily Yuki wasn't dead. She just passed out.

“Graaaa!”

  Zombies, after their master dies, the mind returns to its normal mode. Their target was Yuki, and Tanaka realized it. However, Tanaka's radiation of anger was still something. Zombies don't understand what anger is, but at least they know what to do and what not to do. They scattered outside.

"Thank goodness..."

  Tanaka was relieved for a moment, but he was instantly reminded of his mission. He wanted to heal Haruka by eliminating dead enemies. However, now there are two people infected and the two people only have a little time before changing.

  Dilemma. Healing one meant letting the other die. To him, Haruka was an important person. She is like his own sister. However, on the other hand, Yuki was also an important person since the two of them were lovers. The oath to take care of each other has been made and the bitter taste of failure produces a tightness in the heart.

"Yuki..."

  A gentle caress reached the face. Yuki responded with a heavier breath. Tanaka who realized that Yuki was still alive immediately took the antiviral in the bag. First injection, second injection and third injection. Tanaka couldn't give her more for fear of something called an overdose. Slowly but surely, Yuki returned to her normal senses. Only, what she felt was very chaotic.

"Yuki... I'm sorry!"

"Tanaka, you did it!"

  The result of the battle. Four died on the side of mutants and one died and one got a deadly infection on the side of humans. Victory belongs to the human side, aka attackers and intruders. Anthony's goal is fulfilled even though at this time he has to grieve for his brother who died horribly. There was also Tanaka who made progress in his goal, but had to get paid as much as he wanted to achieve.

……

…

"Is everything done?"

"Yes, Gerald and my family are where they should belong. This land is where they belong and I've taken everything I need. Sorry to keep you guys waiting!"

  Return trip. Yuki who had a high fever sat in the back, pillowed on Tanaka's lap.

"About what happened earlier, can you keep it a secret?"

  Tanaka remembered how he acted when he was furious. It was out of control and not in the intention. He never thought that his body would be able to withstand such immense power. The only eyewitnesses of the incident were Yuki who was on the verge of fainting and Anthony who still couldn't believe his brother’s death. It all happened so fast and at that moment, Tanaka and the others saw the incident as insignificant, getting out of focus. However, not for now where rational mind predominates.

"No, I won't tell anyone. I'm sure you also have your own reasons for hiding such great power all along!"

"... I didn't hide it. It's just that, it came suddenly... Just like them... They suddenly came one by one into my life!"

  Bad news delivered. Taki and the others received the message. Nothing but sadness and despair.

  Arriving at the headquarters, Tanaka immediately put Yuki to sleep. Taki with a sharp cold gaze attacked Tanaka mentally. Even though Taki knew that it wasn't entirely Tanaka's fault, there was still someone who was responsible for this.

"So, who's the vaccine for?"

  Very difficult question to answer. Tanaka had already exchanged the mutant heads for the vaccine that had been agreed upon. Small vaccine that is the size of a finger. Most of it is just a container for the vaccine that is protected from contamination from the outside world. Dosage only once, using a small needle and button to instantly push automatically.

"Tanaka, we don't even know if this vaccine will work or not. Even if we give it to Haruka and it works, it won't change anything!"

"Taki, shut up for a while. I know that too!"

"... I will go out!"

  In the room, there are now two patients and Tanaka left. Only one of them can be saved.

  With great deliberation, Tanaka headed towards Haruka. He opened it, a somewhat hurtful remark.

"Sorry!"

  However, Haruka replied with a smile.

"Not a problem!"

  Haruka's lowly hoarse voice answered. Now Tanaka was heading towards Yuki with a very heavy heart. However, it was not a look of hope that was shown but a cold and threatening gaze.

"Did Tanaka forget his purpose? Why are you even here?"

"Yuki, you should understand. I more-"

"If you give it to me, I will hate you and follow Haruka to the afterlife!"

"..."

"Tanaka, sorry. But remember, we have to heal Haruka and also I have a promise to her. I'm not a person who likes to break promises!"

"Yuki... I'm sorry, I was just too messed up to make the right decision... Thank you!"

"Wait, you guys are serious! Stop that, Tanaka, you should know that-"

"Shut up, I know that. I'll do something about it... Right now, it's all yours!"

  And Tanaka chose Haruka in the end. One time injection. Haruka felt unimaginable pain for a moment. A voice that made Yuki smile.

"Good!"

  In front of her, there is a man who puts on a face full of maturity.

"I will try again. Until then, please wait, Yuki!"

"Hehe, Tanaka is such a hard worker!"

  In the room, there are now two patients left. One is in recovery and one is in critical condition.

  Steps and more steps are focused on one thing. Black robed with yellow eyes. She is about the same height as a middle schooler and she is a girl. The ultimate merchant, that's the nickname Tanaka gave her.

"Give me that vaccine again. I'll do anything!"

  Scratched board. No one knows what writing will appear as an answer except the ultimate trader himself.

[Minotaur in the West. Give me the head as before.]

"Okay, I accept!"

  That afternoon, Tanaka found new hope. Hope that will bring together many fates.