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A deafening roar reverberated through the air, the ground trembling beneath the cacophonous assault. It was punctuated by the incantation, “Fire blaze!” Lucas's voice, filled with determination, summoned flames to life with his words. Fire danced on his fingertips, ready to be unleashed.

“Lucas, get back inside. You promised me you'd stop going out to fight,” Lucy's voice pleaded, laced with genuine concern, her eyes scanning the encroaching darkness beyond.

Lucas stood beside her, their eyes locking in a silent exchange of determination and worry. “But this isn't going outside, Lucy,” he argued, a hint of defiance in his tone. “I'm still inside the safe zone.”

Lucy's expression grew more somber, a deep-rooted worry etched into her features. “It's not safe anymore, Lucas. You need to go back inside.”

He shook his head firmly. “Nope.”

Lucy, her patience wearing thin, let out a heavy sigh, her eyes flicking back to the encroaching horde. “Ah, I swear, I'll have to deal with you if you get hurt again.”

Lucas managed a weak smirk, the exhaustion of his recent awakening evident in his eyes. “Believe me, it's not like I want to dive into a fight just a few hours after waking up.”

Since the force field barrier had shattered, allowing the relentless horde of zombies’ access to their once-secure sanctuary, their refuge had transformed into a perilous battleground. The undead had infiltrated their previously vacant spaces, leaving them with no choice but to confront the encroaching threats.

Resigned to their fate, Lucy and Lucas ventured forth, their movements measured and cautious, determined to face the grim reality they now found themselves in. Meanwhile, Meri remained at the window, her nimble fingers deftly releasing arrows into the encroaching darkness outside, all the while keeping a vigilant eye on her brother, Cale.

The daylight lingered, casting a fading glow over their desperate struggle. They had been preparing to wash up and make dinner, but the unexpected zombie invasion had thrown their plans into disarray. Leaving the undead to roam freely in their sanctuary was not an option, as the university was vast, and one stray zombie could easily stumble upon them and launch a surprise attack.

As the sun hung low in the sky, its intense heat gradually subsided, Lucy shouted, “Freeze!” She extended her palm, and a frigid blast froze the oncoming zombies in their tracks. Hail materialized from her hand, flying toward a zombie.

Meanwhile, Lucas summoned a fireball, conjuring it into existence on his palm before hurling it at an oncoming zombie. His jian sword flashed in the fading light as he delivered a decisive blow to another nearby undead assailant.

Lucy, her focus razor-sharp, continued to slice through the horde with her katana, causing blood to splatter across the ground and stain her clothes. Panting and coated in gore, she muttered, “It's been a while since I dealt with them. It's starting to get scary.”

Her expression grew vacant, as if her muscles weren't accustomed to the prolonged exertion. She stared at her blood-stained katana, watching fresh green blood drip from its blade.

Lucas, ever vigilant, shouted, “Lucy, focus!”

Startled, Lucy snapped back to attention, realizing that the days of peace spent watching over Lucas's unconscious body had dulled her combat instincts.

“Miss!” Meri's voice pierced through the chaos as she dispatched an energy arrow into a zombie's back. Lucy swiftly regained her composure, dispatching the zombie behind her with a decisive stroke.

‘Sorry, I got lost in thought,’ she muttered to Lucas.

Lucas nodded; his tone unwavering. “Focus!”

Resuming her previous effort, Lucy immediately cast “Icicle!” forming an icicle projectile that shot like a bullet toward one of the zombies.

A notification sounded in her ear, signifying another kill, but in their dire situation, it hardly mattered. More zombies lurked around the university, drawn to the source of the noise and movement, their relentless advance showing no signs of abating.

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Lucy observed Lucas as he soared through the air with a graceful hurricane leap and unleashed a hurricane spiral, all the while casting fireballs from the sky. He descended occasionally, employing his dark magic spear to create shockwaves and combustions that reduced the zombies to smoldering piles of flesh and bone. His movements were fluid, a deadly dance of destruction.

No longer confined to narrow alleyways, they fought in the vast open space in front of the university. The fading sun cast long, eerie shadows, adding to the chaotic atmosphere. Beads of sweat trickled down Lucy's face as she deftly parried attacks with her katana, her strikes precise and deadly. Lucas alternated between fireballs and his jian sword. His movements were efficient and lethal.

“It's disgusting,” Lucy remarked once again, her voice laced with a mix of revulsion and weariness. The road was littered with rotting corpses, the pungent smell of death hung heavy in the air, and her katana was caked with the blood of the undead.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of battling the relentless undead, the last zombie fell, its body collapsing to the ground. They breathed heavily, their clothing stained with sweat, dirt, and blood.

“I'm so tired,” Lucas muttered, his hand trembling from exhaustion. Meri's energy arrows had run out hours ago, and Lucas had instructed her to conserve her strength while watching over Cale.

Lucas gazed at the horizon as the sun set, casting a soft orange glow that gradually gave way to a dark mist. The once-hot yellow sun transferred its light to the gray moon, sharing its dim illumination.

The last zombie Lucas had decapitated wobbled weakly as he stepped over it. Though not all the zombies had been vanquished, most of those around the university had been dealt with. Their task now was to fortify their sanctuary.

Lucas, his voice tinged with exhaustion, declared, “We did it.”

Lucy managed a tired smile. “Yeah, we did.”

Seated on the steps leading to the university's front door, she observed Lucas as he dispatched the final zombie. Her eyes remained fixed on him as he handled the lone straggler.

“For a sick and injured person, you sure have a lot of stamina, Lucas,” Lucy commented.

“Try pulling fish out of the water every day in the scorching heat, then you'll acquire this ability too,” Lucas quipped, his laughter intermingling with the sound of their heavy breathing.

“Let's go inside and clean up,” Lucas suggested as he walked over to Lucy.

“BANG!!”

Then, out of nowhere, a thunderous noise reverberated through the air, prompting Lucas to instinctively crouch down. Lucy, bewildered by the unexpected sound, remained frozen in place.

Lucas quickly rose and pulled Lucy behind one of the university's pillars near the front door. His countenance grew grave as he whispered, “I recognize that sound. I've come perilously close to death because of it more than once.”

Lucy's eyes widened with realization. “Lucas, is that-”

“Yes,” Lucas confirmed, his voice low and tense.

“A gunshot,” Lucas finished, his heart pounding as they braced themselves for the unknown threat that had just revealed itself.

As they remained vigilant, a sudden rustling in the shadows caught their attention. Without warning, a group of armed humans emerged, their clothing difficult to discern as they were shielded by the building's shadow and the faint moonlight. One thing was clear; they were armed and appeared to be hostile.

Lucas reacted swiftly, summoning a fireball to defend against the assailants. “Ambush!” he shouted urgently, his voice echoing through the night.

The words weren't just for Lucy's benefit; they were meant for Meri as well, who was on the fourth floor of the university, looking after her brother, Cale. Revealing their location was a risk, but it seemed their enemies were already aware of it. The sudden gunshot had given that away.

Squinting his eyes, Lucas tried to discern who these assailants were. He counted them—one, two… The group stood there in silence, their collective gaze locked on him, conveying the unspoken message that they outnumbered the two defenders.

There were approximately seven of them, varying in height and build. That was all Lucas could make out from the shadows.

Then, a change in the standoff occurred as one of the mysterious figures stepped out from the shadows. Lucas felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. It was a woman with emerald earrings, wearing a striking green dress. Her hair was poofy, and she held an axe in her hand.

Lucas's brow furrowed as he struggled to place where he had seen this eccentric-looking person before. It was an odd choice to wear such jewelry in the midst of an apocalypse. The woman broke the silence with a greeting that sent shivers down Lucas's spine.

“Hello, Lucas.”

A faint breeze carried the voice of the woman, her words drifting toward Lucas like a haunting melody, both gentle and sharp, akin to a Green Anaconda wanting to swallow him whole. It was disconcerting; they could barely see their assailants, and yet her voice seemed as if it were right next to his ear.

In that chilling moment, Lucas pieced it together. This was the woman who had shouted at him when he exited the gym, the voice he couldn't pinpoint when he walked back up the stairs.

“Ah, Lucy, be careful,” Lucas cautioned urgently, his voice filled with a mix of anxiety and realization. “It's them.”