"How many of these food pills are there?" Black Flame's voice cut through the dimly lit room, the metallic echo of his armor underscoring the gravity of his question.

"Approximately two trillion," Klade responded, his robotic voice unwavering, precise.

Black Flame's heart pounded in his chest. Two trillion? If this were true... humanity's survival might not be as impossible as it once seemed. A glimmer of hope flashed in his heart, despite the grim world they now lived in.

"That's incredible," Black Flame said. "Now I won't have to worry about feeding the people I save. But what about water? How much drinkable water do we have?" His tone was serious, knowing that water was an even more pressing issue in this apocalyptic world.

Klade's red eyes flickered, his robotic faceplate unmoving. "Master Flame, I regret to inform you that there isn't enough drinkable water for all survivors," he said gravely, fully aware of the importance of Black Flame's inquiry.

Black Flame's brow furrowed, his mind racing. "Hmm... if that's the case, I need to readjust my plans."

"However," Klade continued, his voice cutting through the tension, "we have water purifiers. Theoretically, we can provide as much water as needed, as long as we have a source to purify."

Black Flame's shoulders relaxed slightly at this news. "That's a relief."

He glanced at the dimly glowing time display on his helmet. "It's already past 2 a.m.? I need to get a move on. I'll explore the Base later." He turned his gaze toward Klade, adding, "Oh, Klade, I have a guest with me. She's sleeping on the first floor. If she wakes up, give her some food pills, and water."

"I will do as you command, Master Flame," Klade responded, bowing his mechanical head slightly, the servos in his joints whirring softly.

"Good." Black Flame gave a sharp nod before turning on his heel and heading toward the elevator. The quiet hum of the machinery accompanied him as he pressed the button for the first floor. Moments later, the doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the dimly lit hallway.

He walked forward, attempting to move silently out of respect for Alice, but his metal boots made soft thunk sounds with every step.

Black Flame stopped at the door, his gaze at Alice. She was sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. Her face, peaceful and relaxed, was framed by pink strands of hair splayed across the pillow. Despite the harsh conditions of their world, in sleep, she looked serene.

Snore~

Her snores, while loud, were oddly endearing.

'She truly is beautiful,' he mused. 'And her ability to survive is impressive. Even surrounded by thousands of zombies and Variants, she managed to hide and deceive their senses. But there are more pressing matters at hand.'

Unlike the dense, clueless protagonists of his favorite anime, Black Flame understood the situation, but he was a man on a mission.

Creak He pushed the door open gently and stepped out into the night.

The island was shrouded in darkness, the oppressive silence of the apocalypse hanging in the air.

'Faraday, activate Night Vision,' he commanded internally.

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[Understood,] came Faraday's response.

At once, Black Flame's vision shifted. The world that had been dark moments ago was now bathed in sharp, green-tinted clarity. The trees, the rocks, and even the faint rustling of distant leaves became visible to him.

'Not bad,' Black Flame thought, impressed by the upgrade.

"Faraday, activate Rocket Boots," he ordered next.

[Understood,] Faraday replied without hesitation.

With a sudden burst of flames, the soles of Black Flame's boots ignited, sending him skyward in a fiery arc. The ground shrank beneath him as the wind whipped around his armored form.

Fussh! The sound of his ascent echoed across the island as he climbed higher into the sky.

"Flying truly is something else," he muttered, enjoying the sensation. Up here, above the desolate remnants of the world, he felt untouchable, powerful.

"Faraday, how far to our next destination?" Black Flame asked, his voice calm despite the turbulent air around him.

[35 minutes, heading west,] Faraday answered, tone mechanical and efficient.

"Good," Black Flame murmured, adjusting his trajectory.

Thirty-five minutes later, Black Flame hovered in the air, gazing down at two smaller islands below him. The ocean shimmered in the faint starlight, creating an eerie, peaceful backdrop to the ruined world. The islands were smaller than the one he had just cleared, but Faraday's warning echoed in his mind.

[Do not underestimate these islands simply because they are smaller. Their zombie populations might still be dangerous,] Faraday cautioned.

"I know, I know. But which one should I tackle first?" Black Flame muttered to himself.

[The decision is yours,] Faraday replied, leaving the choice up to him.

Black Flame answered. "I know exactly how to decide."

[And how would that be?] Faraday asked, its tone skeptical.

"By the greatest decision-making method ever!" Black Flame said with enthusiasm as he pointed his finger dramatically.

"Eeny, meeny, miney, moe!" His voice rang out into the empty sky as he pointed to the island on the right. "That one! The one on the right!"

[.....] Faraday remained silent, unimpressed.

"Faraday, activate Claw Hand," Black Flame ordered, descending rapidly toward the chosen island.

[....]

"Faraday? I said, activate Claw Hand!"

[Ah... yes... Activating,] Faraday responded.

Shing! The sharp claws extended from Black Flame's gauntlets as he landed on the ground with a solid thud.

'Faraday, activate Sensor and Holographic Mode,' Black Flame said.

[Understood,] Faraday complied, projecting a detailed holographic map of the island in front of Black Flame's eyes. The display revealed clusters of green dots converging near a cave—hundreds, maybe thousands of them.

"So that's where they're gathering," Black Flame muttered, eyeing the holographic map with interest. He had seen this before—a swarm of zombies pooling around something important. Except back then, it was him they surrounded.

"Faraday, activate Rocket Boots," he ordered, his focus narrowing on the cave.

[Understood.]

FUUSSHH! He shot forward, his boots blazing as he zoomed toward the cave.

Just outside the cave,

"Take that, you shit-eaters!" a young blonde man shouted, his voice strained with desperation as he fired wildly at the incoming horde.

"Max! There are too many! We're running out of ammo!" another man with brown hair yelled over the gunfire.

"I know, Leo! But we have to hold them off! If we run out of bullets, we'll fight them with sticks and stones if we have to!" Max shouted back, panic edging his voice.

"Goddammit! What did we do to deserve this?!" Leo cried out, his fear and frustration spilling over.

Suddenly, the relentless sound of gunfire stopped.

"Huh? The bullets... why aren't they coming out?" Leo asked, still pulling the trigger on his empty gun.

"C-crap!" Max cursed, realizing they were out of ammunition.

Then, without warning—

Whzzz! Thak! Thak!

A red laser beam sliced through the cave, obliterating the approaching zombies. In an instant, over 1,500 of them dropped to the ground, dead.

"W-what the...?" Max stammered, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"How...?" Leo whispered, equally stunned.

Heavy metallic footsteps echoed, drawing their attention. They turned to see a towering figure clad in black armor with red accents, claws protruding from its knuckles, and glowing red lenses casting an ominous light in the dark cave.

"Get inside. This isn't a place for kids," the figure said, his voice deep and commanding.

"Y-yes, sir!" Leo stammered, not daring to argue.

"I-I mean, who are you?" Max asked hesitantly, his voice trembling.

"Black Flame," came the cold, unwavering reply.

Without another word, Black Flame turned to face the oncoming zombies and Variants surging toward him.

WHZZZ!

Another laser beam cut through the horde, and 1,000 more fell dead in seconds.