The colossal wolf halted its charge, freezing in its tracks, its blazing red eyes fixated on Michael in an unsettling stare.

Amidst the chaos of the relentless zombie battle, an unexpected standstill unfolded.

"It stopped…how intriguing. Perhaps it has an aversion to danger, like those formidable Level Fives," Michael murmured, his mind racing with mysterious possibilities.

Growing impatient, the colossal wolf unleashed its fury, lunging at Michael with unimaginable force.

With thunderous thuds, it trampled over the hapless zombies surrounding them, while Michael stood firm, awaiting his moment.

Roaring with a ferocity that threatened to rip Michael's head off, the colossal wolf closed in, its enormous jaws mere inches away from his face.

But, inexplicably, it found itself frozen in place, unable to move, its vicious countenance contorted in pain as droplets of saliva fell from its massive, dagger-like fangs.

"Poor thing...such a shame," Michael thought, his gaze locked on the enraged eyes of the demon that loomed before him.

Baaam...!

Seizing the opportunity, Michael suddenly struck with lightning speed, delivering a powerful back handed slap across the demon's jaw.

The impact sent it crashing against a nearby tree, blood oozing from its wounded form.

'Blood', thought Michaelangelo.

A wicked grin stretched across Michael's face as he observed the bloodstain, his attention fixated on the weakened demon struggling to regain its footing.

It whimpered in agony, its lifeblood pouring from its wounded diaphragm.

Snapping his fingers, Michael watched as the pool of blood floated, twisting and shaping itself into countless lethal spikes, all aimed at the helpless demon.

Confidently approaching, he beheld the pleading eyes of his vanquished foe, a subtle smile on his lips.

"Your own blood is your demise…how ironic," he taunted, and with those words, the spikes surged through the air, piercing the demon's very soul.

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Yet, even as the spikes impaled its body, the demon's heart continued to beat, refusing to succumb to its wounds.

"Still alive, are we? Hungry for more blood? Very well, here's a banquet for you," Michael declared, as his eyes burned blood red.

With a snap of his fingers, blood surged into the demon's heart, overflowing until it burst in a cataclysmic explosion.

"Now, you're truly dead," Michael declared with satisfaction. As his zombie soldiers dispatched the Level One zombies, his gaze shifted, beholding a sight that bewildered him.

The number of zombies seemed to multiply exponentially, far beyond his initial creations. "So, what they kill becomes my minion...then what if I kill?"

His train of thought was interrupted as a colossal shadow loomed over him, and when he turned, his eyes widened—a colossal wolf, its eyes ablaze, its form transformed—a kitsune devil.

Michael's gaze locked onto his newfound minion. "So, you were a kitsune devil all along. I am so gonna rule this apocalypse."

———

Meanwhile...

Cassie found herself bound to a tree, captured by Brian for his grand plan to trap the fearsome boss.

As she struggled against her restraints, Brian lounged atop the tree, seemingly unconcerned.

"Stop exerting yourself, my dear. You'll only mar that delicate skin of yours," Brian lazily remarked, an air of nonchalance about him.

"If my friends discover what you've done to me, you'll meet a fate worse than death, multiple times over," Cassie retorted, gritting her teeth as she continued her futile struggle.

Thud.

"Oh, come on, my beauty... a simple kiss and I'll release you," Brian grinned, jumping down from the tree and caressing Cassie's cheek.

Cassie regarded him for a moment, acknowledging his handsome facade, though nowhere near the allure of Michaelangelo and Ronnie.

"Alright, then...come closer," Cassie replied, playing along with his game, her mind working to outwit him.

As Brian cautiously approached Cassie, she unleashed an unexpected display of power.

In an instant, flames erupted from her mouth, fiery tongues aimed to engulf Brian's head.

However, Brian anticipated the attack and swiftly dodged, narrowly avoiding the scorching blast.

Instead, the unfortunate tree behind him took the brunt of the flames, quickly becoming engulfed in a blazing inferno.

With a playful smirk, Brian couldn't help but remark, "Wow... you're hot," his words tinged with both admiration and humor.

Leaping back up onto the tree's branches, he continued, "Thanks for setting the flames anyway. It's bound to draw the attention of our boss, bringing us closer to our ultimate objective."

In the face of danger and the unpredictability of Cassie's powers, Brian maintained his cool composure, recognizing the potential advantage their fiery encounter presented.

———

Ronnie's vision slowly cleared, and amidst the eclipse skies, he couldn't help but question if he had entered the realm of heaven.

"I must be dreaming, no way this is heaven. I've done too much wrong without seeking forgiveness," Ronnie muttered to himself.

"Well, that's a new speech, buddy," came a familiar voice. It was Michael, leaping down from the high branches of a tree.

"Mickey?" Ronnie whispered, gradually recognizing his best friend. In a surge of joy, he called out Michael's name and embraced him tightly.

"Mickey...!!! Oh, my friend, I knew you wouldn't abandon me, my fella. Thank you, my fella," Ronnie exclaimed with gratitude.

"Easy there, Ron. Keep your voice down. We're still in the game," Michael cautioned.

-[Safe zone will collapse in five minutes]

"You've been sleeping for hours. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were dead," Michael informed him.

Suddenly, realization struck Ronnie. "Wait, where are the zombies? What about the wolf?" he urgently questioned.

"Well... you see, the wolf seemed to prefer the taste of zombies over humans, so it let us go and devoured them all," Michael explained with a hint of disbelief.

"No way... that's impossible," Ronnie gasped.

-[Safe zone will collapse in one minute]

"We need to get out of here. The safe zone is just inches away," Michael pointed towards the blue boundary.

"Well, this time, I'm driving... and you better drive faster. I keep telling you to watch more of 'Fast and Furious,' but you prefer 'Transporter' and 'Baby Driver,'" Ronnie teased, catching the key thrown by Michael with skill.

Michael let out a smile and thought to himself, "Don't listen to him. 'Transporter' is way better than 'Tokyo Drift'."

———

From her bound position, Cass watched in awe as trees toppled like ants, her captor's mischievous plan attracting the colossal boss.

"Brian... Brian, it's coming! You have to release me!" Cass pleaded urgently.

Thud...!

Brian, observing the falling trees with a smile, turned his gaze towards Cass, expression gleaming with amusement.

"The titan approaches," he whispered, relishing the growing chaos.