Terror Infinity Side B

Chapter 32, H.O.T.D 2

The Z3 was in possession of an abnormal level of high intelligence for its species and sought after new knowledge ever since it had evolved into a commander type Z3, yet till now it never knew of the concepts of shame, humiliation and regret, and wished it never knew such feelings right now. The Z3 was still connected to the minds of its legion of zombies had just discovered the truth of Team Japan's bluff. The rock wall surrounding his army lost it extreme sturdyness which had troubled him before. In addition the silver monster wolf that was Aqua had finally ceased it's rampage of destruction and retreated. Through the eyes of the zombies the Z3 even saw an exhausted Aqua unable to even walk own her own being escorted away by hundreds of soldiers who were sent in to rescue her after the "Silver Fang" transformation ceased. It had finally learned at that point he was tricked. 

The Z3's maggot infested eyes turned bloody red as it knew that the forces which he had thought had checkmated him, the powerful rock wall trapping the zombie legion and the brutal monster which tore apart all those who came close to it, were short lived and were never capable of wiping out the million strong zombie legion. It was all a scare tactic to force the Z3 to abandon its large army, and it had worked wonderfully. The Z3 had chosen to escape the rock wall and silver monster wolf at all cost and was only able to bring with him as few as a seven thousand zombies. Furthermore to hide where it was escaping the Z3 further more split his forces into two, one with four thousand zombies marching towards the mountain range to the north and three thousand zombies marching back towards the west they came invading Tokonosu City from. 

The Z3 dearly wished to turn back now and regroup with the majority of its army back in the city, but that was impossible. Both separated and fleeing groups were being chased by thousands of soldiers fully armed and dangerous, and without the vast superiority of far greater numbers than the human side it was plain suicide to challenge them. Especially against a human army equipped with magic bullets and heavy weaponry. It was also not a option to rely on the hundreads thousand of zombie back in the city. Saya and Takashi as the new leaders of Tokonosu City were personally overseeing the complete genocide of all undead and without the evolved zombies who were the elites of the army who had fled with the Z3, they had no means of resisting. No matter what plan the Z3 came up with there was no stopping the inevitable. This legion of the undead which was once 3 million strong was just destined to fall this day. 

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- POINT CASUALTIES: ONE MEMBER OF TEAM KENYA DIED. TEAM JAPAN +1 TEAM POINT AND TEAM KENYA -1 TEAM POINT. 

TEAM JAPAN TEAM POINTS: +2.

TEAM KENYA TEAM POINTS: -2. 

TOTALS WILL BE MULTIPLIED BY 2000 BY THE END OF A TEAM'S MISSION AND DISTRIBUTED TO EACH LIVING MEMBER. MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS WITH NEGATIVE POINTS AT THE END WILL BE ERASED.

- POINT CASUALTIES: ONE MEMBER OF TEAM KENYA DIED. TEAM JAPAN +0 TEAM POINTS AND TEAM KENYA -1 TEAM POINT. 

TEAM JAPAN TEAM POINTS: +2.

TEAM KENYA TEAM POINTS: -3. 

TOTALS WILL BE MULTIPLIED BY 2000 BY THE END OF A TEAM'S MISSION AND DISTRIBUTED TO EACH LIVING MEMBER. MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS WITH NEGATIVE POINTS AT THE END WILL BE ERASED.

(Author: "The second notification is correct with the +0")

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Shin: "Is that it there?"

Shin made a observation as he looked into the distance. 

A few hours had passed since the Z3 from Tokonosu City and the humans side gave chase to eliminate the threat once and for all. Shin, Hikari, Shuai, and 1000 soldiers were chasing after the escaping 3 thousand zombies traveling west. Zombies were normally slow and his side should have caught up hours ago as they were traveling by car, but the Z3 was traveling along with a vast number of evolved zombies and continued to use stalling tactics to slow down the army chasing after it them. Throwing away the weaker normal zombies to keep their chasers occupied, assigning H1 types at key points to act as snipers, and picking up passing undead to strengthen its forces were amongst its many tactics. The Z3 was desperate to survive and used every means in its vast intelligence to escape, but ultimately failed. 

The 1000 magic bullet wielding soldiers gun downed all those who dared to approach and utilizing her Persona Adrasteia, Hikari was able to spot the H1 snipers and keep track on the escaping zombies. They were held up time and time again like the Z3 desired, but not nearly as long as he desired to as he was unable to escape the pursuing army. In the end the Z3 had to make a even more desperate move when the humans finally caught up. The Z3 just barely had 2000 zombies by its side, and taking only 300 zombies with him he sicced the rest on the pursuers and began to flee again. They only numbered 1700 zombies and were up against a army which had slain millions of their kind, yet as the vast majority of them were the evolved L1, L2, S1, S2, and Hunter Type 1 they had more than enough battle potential to stall the 1000 soldiers for a good amount of time. 

Shin watched as the the 1000 soldiers desperately fight off the the evolved zombies, and in the distance spotted a tall zombie towering over others that he had seen before running away. A L3 Evolved Zombie, but more importantly Shin caught with his enhanced vision something riding on the L3's shoulders. Actually two things. One was someone wearing heavy clothing revealing no skin and the other was a short and pale and naked skin humanoid with worms and maggots bursting out of his eyes. 

Shin: "The clothed one can be a member of Team Kenya, but the gross one is definitely the Z3 we're looking for! It doesn't match the description from the books, but it's too eye catching to be anything else! Hikari, do you see Badru around anywhere?"

Hikari: "...No. Like every other time you asked it's no. I can't even feel the the person near the Z3 at all with my scans, just visually see him. If he ran away I wouldn't be able to track by him just like the Z3. Badru can either be hiding somewhere nearby, or could be in the group Jin and the others are chasing."

Shin: "I doubt he is in the other group. All of us heard the notifications a few minutes ago. No one has died on our side and Team Kenya has suffered two deaths, one for some reason not because of us. If Aqua or I am not present deaths would be unavoidable for Team Japan. That's the only flaw to Jin's plan to chase down the Z3 and Team Kenya, but he accepted this risk without telling anyone to chase after the Z3. Well, I knew it as well, but missing the Z3 by moving as one group was too high a risk when three members would be erased if we failed to kill the Z3, so I didn't say anything. Hikari, Badru may be nearby watching us, so keep alert at all times."

Shuai: "Alright, but what about the Z3? Its running away as we speak and the roads are blocked by powerful THEM we can't just cut through to follow."

Shin: "...Hikari, can you use the "Psyche Force Diffusion Plates+1" from here to take control of THEM?"

Hikari: "Yes and no. I can probably take control of the ones here, but not those fleeing with the Z3. I need to be closer. Also long as the Z3 is alive and well to fight against me for control I won't be able to maintain control for very long."

Shin: "How long exactly?"

Hikari: "About 2-3 seconds. Maybe a full eight seconds if I use both plates that I have. It isn't worth it to take control of THEM here for such a short time. They wouldn't catch up to the Z3 before it regains back its control and it'll take at least 1 minute if I order THEM all to kill each other to clear a path for all of us."

Absorbing what Hikari just finished explaining Shin entered the Third Stage to simulate Saki as he considered his options. This was his best and perhaps only chance to kill the Z3 and spare three members of his team from randomly dying from the mission penalty, yet the uncertainty of Badru being nearby and hiding himself was troubling. He was too big of a existence to ignore for any reason or amount of time. He was a foe who required both himself, Takashi, and three other powerful fighters to barely match, and now he only had Hikari and Shuai with him, excluding the 1000 soldiers preoccupied with dealing with the horde of evolved zombies. Shin with an apathetic expression turned to Hikari and spoke with a voice void of warmth.

Shin: "Hikari, how long can you maintain control of THEM if the Z3 is no longer alive and can no longer interfere with you?"

Hikari: "A good amount of time actual. With the buff from a Psyche Force Diffusion Plates+1 and Soul Link with a minor mind control power, I can take control of over 1000 THEM for a full two minutes. They don't have high Mental Capacity or high defense against Psyche Force without the link with the Z3."

Shin: "...Okay. Here's the plan. Hikari, wait till we get close to the Z3 to use one of the plates to kill the Z3. Shuai, support the soldiers fighting the evolved THEM with Gnome, but hide underground. Your still recovering from using your new ability. You have the mercenary soul and the D tier sci-fi gun, so even without Over Soul you have great combat ability against such mindless zombies, but under no circumstances are you to personally join the battle. Team Kenya's leader is hiding somewhere, and if I leave your side you won't last five second against the man. If he makes an appearance burrow deeper into the earth and run. Even if it means abandoning us, but if it's possible try to save Hikari who's the core of our team. Now, there is almost a 100% probability that no member of Team Kenya or other threat to us are targeting our Human Creations back in the city hiding in the bomb shelter, so I'll summon Grim Ash to support you and the 1000 soldiers. Hikari, climb onto my back and then apply magic buffs to the three of us and Grim Ash. Using Void Movement, we will chase after the Z3 to complete the main mission! Recall Grim Ash! Summon Grim Ash!"

Over the spiritual link between familiar and master, Shin recalled Grim Ash back in the city to the underworld. Then as Hikari climbed onto Shin's back as instructed he stretched out his left hand and the space distorted in front of them. A image of a dark cave appeared and stepping out of the cave was Grim Ash with its Barbatos Mace raised high and it's eyes shinning with burning undead flames. Grim Ash was always silent, yet even without a word between master and servant Shin could tell the demonic skeleton was ready and eagerly for battle.

Listening to Jin's suggestion Shin had allowed Grim Ash to go out at night to hunt zombies to acquire combat experience and steal the bones of the defeated to grow stronger. He had even had the demon skeleton take the body of dozens of powerful Evolvers and as well as the body belonging to a member of Team Kenya, yet since the war with the zombie legion began Shin had ordered his demonic skeleton to guard Komaru and other non combat personnel of Team Japan at all times. As a result Grim Ash who had gotten a taste of combat was forced to hold back its desire for more exhilarating battles and showing off it's recent growth.

Shin: "Sorry for keeping you coped up for the last few days. As a reward for diligently protecting Komaru and the rest you can go all out! Support the soldiers here to eliminating THEM and leave no undead left standing!"

Grim Ash: "!!!"

Not needing another word from its master, Grim Ash shoot forward with the speed of a bullet and began to rampage over the zombies. The 1000 soldiers shooting magic bullets and enhancers attacking the zombies were fighting with everything they had and although they were winning they were taking losses, yet after Grim Ash joined the fray countless zombies were pulverized and blown away into the air by the bone covered Barbatos Mace. As a result a lot of focus of the zombie were turned the demonic skeleton and lessened the burden of the soldiers. Grim Ash's opponents were L1, L2, S1, S2, and Hunter Type 1, as well as hundreds of normal zombies, yet unconcerned the demonic skeleton attacked one undead after the next.

Shin was not there to witness just when it happened, but watching him now he saw that Grim Ash had vastly improved itself since the first day of the mission. It wasn't something as small as stats gained from absorbing the bones of those he vanished, but technique and combat experience. Grim Ash despite its frightening appearance of a walking skeleton equipped in armor and weapons covered in bone, was basically a newborn. A young demonic skeleton of the underworld to be exact who only experienced battle after making a contract with Shin just recently.

As such Grim Ash was still in a growth phase of absorbing new information and experiences, and thanks to the many battles with zombies it went through during the night the demonic skeleton had become vastly stronger as a warrior. Grim Ash twirled the Barbatos Mace with extreme speed striking the heads and knees of the agility type zombies when some closed in a whirlwind of death kept them at bay. Grim Ash strengthened it's arms with Undead Strength and over powered the weaker power type zombies and made use of his own superior speed and battle technique just developed to overwhelm the stronger power types. Side stepping to the side Grim Ash avoided the speeding bullet tongue lashes of Hunters and leaped forward to crush their skulls before their tongues could retract.

Shin was supposed to be chasing after the Z3, but the spectacular performance of Grim Ash made him pause for a full thirty second before he snapped back into reality. Fully convinced Grim Ash could take care of the zombies with the support of Shuai and the soldiers, Shin waited for Hikari to apply her magic buffs and jumped into the air with her clinging to his back and repeatedly kicked the air with Void Movement to fly over the zombies. A few H1 saw him speeding off after their leader and shoot car sized fireballs at him, but unfortunately for them Shin entered the First Stage, and kicking the air he slipped past the volley of fireballs through the gaps.

The H1 continued to launch fireballs to shoot him down, but Hikari support fire from Hikari's last DRAGOON picked off the snipers one after the other. Still, the H1 who knew nothing of fear never tired to run or hide from the remote beam and further increased the intensity of fireballs raining down on the two. The intensity grow so great that Shin was forced to lower his altitude to avoid the sights of the far off H1 sniping at him as he flew in the air.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Shin: (They have a annoyingly good attack range and I can't keep using Void Movement forever. I would have to come back down to the ground eventually no matter what. Still, I'm thankful for the soldiers of the city for reducing their numbers to the hundreds from the thousands there were before. If there were still tens of thousand H1 types present and I had to chase after the Z3 for a long time I would have been caught by their fireballs sooner or later no matter how hard I tired to evade.)

Shin had such thoughts and then landed onto ground, renewing his chase after the Z3 on foot. The H1 types stationed on rooftops rained down fireballs at him, but using Instant Movement Shin jumped well out the way before they came close. Void Movement was more convenient at getting around obstructions and avoiding ground combatants, yet Shin was most at ease and agile on land. No matter how many times the H1's launched fireballs at him all it took was a simple kick wearing boots of Legacy with Instant Movement to escape all harm.

There were of course evolved zombies left behind by the Z3 to hinder Shin and Hikari, but Shin prioritizing evasion above all else slipped past them, and then just watched with a smile as the fireballs chasing after him smash and explode onto the evolved zombies littering the streets. It was all to easy to avoid the evolved zombies on the ground and the fireballs. Especially with Hikari relaying information to him viva Soul Link. The H1 were still hard to pinpoint on her scans without a support type Persona which needed one to be stationary to activate, yet the fireballs were clear as day through Psyche Force Scan and Hikari relayed the information to him.

After a while of running the attacks of the H1 types stopped. As Shin carrying Hikari chased after the Z3 they had finally escaped out of their attack range at last. The H1 were now climbing onto the backs of S types and Hunter types to chase after the humans, but they were moving too fast on foot and by the time they did catch up they would certainly catch up to the Z3 by then. Shin knew this as well. He was closing the distance between the target and could see the Z3 in the distance two miles ahead. 

The Z3 turned to look back towards the humans and along with the member of Team Kenya by his side they jumped off the shoulders of the L3 they were riding on and onto the backs of two Hunter Type 1. As for the L3 it turned back towards the two humans chasing after them. Grotesque slimy tentacles burst out of its skin and the L3 jumped a distance of 200 meters over and over again to close in on the two and would arrive in less then thirty seconds.

Shin: "I bet you wish you could have just escaped underground, but Shuai prevents you from doing so, so your just throwing away the L3 to kill or delay us!"

Hikari: "Hey! How can you be so calm!? Last time it took you some effort to kill one, right? I'm also here, but neither the DRAGOON or my Defensive Force Field is going to help you against such a powerhouse."

Shin: "Ah, don't worry about this guy."

Shin came to a complete and abrupt stop to Hikari's surprise. She had assumed Shin would challenge the L3 up close and was now thinking he wanted to have Hikari jump off his back to deal with the L3, yet he didn't tell her to let go but rather hold on to tighter. Hikari didn't understand what was going on till she saw Shin raise his right hand with his palm facing the L3.

Shin: (I learned a lesson from fighting Badru. Never let your guard down and always fight with your all in critically important battles. This is not the time and place to hold back and I've already experienced the power of the L3. That's why...just die!)

Shin entered both the Second and Third Stages of the Genetic Constraint. Muscles on his body expanded as he took a firm stance and gripped his right wrist with his left hand. With the Third Stage Shin simulated the magic genius of Team Japan to grasp the flow of magic power of the Fire Bolt spell and altered it. Sparks burst in front his extended palm and a bullet was forming from scarlet lightning shaped flames. It took eight seconds for the bullet to stabilize, yet Shin waited another two seconds to allow the L3 to jump into the air to minimize any chance of the attack being evaded.

Shin: "Not like it's possible to avoid! Scarlet Bullet!"

With a loud bang the scarlet bullet flew off and the recoil knocked back Shin and Hikari clinging to his back over thirty meters. The scarlet bullet flew towards L3 at blinding speeds towards it's chest. The L3 only had time to raise it's right arm to stop the bullet. The L3 held the strongest defense out of all the evolved zombies and not one of its kind had ever suffered a death from a single blow to date, yet here and now, on contact with the scarlet bullet it pierced straight through its tough armor like skin and flesh. Almost instantly a grand scarlet bolt of lightning detonated, blowing off the whole right side of the L3. In just a single attack the greatly feared L3 was rendered to pieces and the residual scarlet flames burned the body of the undead and the organism within to charcoal.

- SIDE QUEST REWARD 4, EVOLUTION TYPE 3 ZOMBIE. ONE L3 TYPE ZOMBIE KILLED. THE WHOLE TEAM IS REWARDED 500 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!

Hikari recovering from the recoil looked on at the devastation left by Shin's original technique and was in awe. She saw that Shin's right arm was swelled from the recoil, yet seeing it visibly beginning to heal thanks to his mutation she only had positive feelings at this time.

Hikari: "Amazing... When you give Fire Bolt both destructive power and piercing potential it ends up like this. I feel it has a much higher value than how Jin said it did if it can instantly kill a L3. But Shin, why didn't you let me off just now? I'm not hurt, but I'm not so physically enhanced as you and might have passed out from the shock. There are also no THEM around and are all escaping with the Z3."

Shin: "Well, isn't that suspicious in itself, Hikari? The Z3 knew I, or our comrades killed more than one L3 to date. It should have known that it couldn't hold us back for long. Wasting such a high combat potential to just gain at most a minute to get away is foolish and the Z3 we've been fighting is all but that. That's why I also used my non dominant hand-"

In the middle of conversing with Hikari still clinging to his back, Shin still in Unlocked Mode sensed danger and long since prepared leaped out of the way with Instant Movement. Then where he just stood was drenched in a green saliva out of nowhere that sizzled and burned deep onto the ground. They were standing on a cement street of a modern city, yet the green saliva melted, no ate away and left a five meter radius and deep crater in the road. Shin looked around after jumping away, yet he couldn't perfectly see the assassins aiming for his life.

They were moving on four legs and were faster than the S2 he had come up against, and were only a level or two slower than the S3 he had heard about, yet he was able to peak a glimpse at them. Their bodies were covered in strange mucus and had long tails. Their four legs also had sharp claws extending from their feet digging deep into the earth each time they moved.

Shin was in the Second Stage which not only increased his power and speed, but reaction time and precision, yet no matter how hard he tired to follow their movement he couldn't fully grasp these beast with their irregular movements, but from his knowledge of God and Devil World it was obvious who they were.

Hunter Type 2 and two of them at that!

Shin SL: (Because I was suspecting this was a trap! Hikari, don't bother with the DRAGOON. Hunters are already cunning and too fast for you to hit them, but I'll leave defense to you!)

Hikari SL: (Okay!)

Shin was speaking calmly enough through his mind to Hikari, yet on the outside he was fighting in a fierce frenzy like a mad warrior. The two Hunter Type 2 were ghostly fast and sneaky as assassins when they moved around from place to place as shadowy blurs doing everything they could to stay out his line of sight. This was the most troublesome enemy to deal with when he had to worry about Hikari who's clinging to his back. Hikari was on the small side and weighted little to someone with his stats and enhancements, yet he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart feeling the eyes of the two Hunter Type 2 looking onto not him, but Hikari.

Shin: (Did they immediately pick up from my movements that I was prioritizing Hikari's safety on my back? They discovered that she was either important to me, or important to the battle. Whatever the case they are too dangerous to play around with for long!)

Shin had no intention of entering into a drawn out battle, yet feeling that the longer this battle waged on for the more trouble he would find himself in against such cunning foes. Shin took out two submachine guns from his subspace belt and sprayed bullets all around. In addition he entered the Third Stage once more to copy Saki's dual wielding gun style. He had done his research in the Terminal Lobby after practicing with the Third Stage and discovered Saki's fighting style is based on the principles of Gunkata.

Based on meaning it was incomplete and his own simulation of Saki was a far cry from the real Gunkata which through various positions one could theoretically reach every blind angle and also increase the damage of bullets by 20%, yet the Third Stage's further increase of reaction time and the weapons in his hands made his makeshift gunplay plenty lethal.

The two Hunter Type 2 were moving like specters and avoid almost all the bullets Shin shot out, yet a few nicked them causing minor wounds, yet these wounds burned and deepened. Shin wasn't firing the cheap lowest grade magic bullets which the soldiers of Tokonosu City were using over the course of the battle, but intermediate grade magic bullets from infinite ammo guns exclusive to Team Japan and the Walking Dead Unit. The Hunters Type 2 didn't hold the massive defense of those like the L3 Power Type, so they were vulnerable to bullets and magic bullets if they were to hit.

Shin: (Now they won't mess around and tormented me anymore with their agility, and will now close in!)

Shih used the threat of the intermediate grade magic bullets to scare the two Hunter Type 2 to close and rather than prey on him from a distance, and it worked. Still, they didn't abandon their wits when they did so and coordinated their attacks. One of the Hunter Type 2 spat out a volley of globs of green acid at Shin while the other pounced on him from behind without a care since mucus covering their bodies protected them for their own acid attacks.

If Shin were to avoid the acid of one Hunter Type 2, the other Hunter Type 2 would chase after him through the volley of acid and tear him to pieces, and if Shin were to challenge this Hunter Type 2 behind him it would hold Shin down and drown him in approaching acid attacks coming from the front. It was a good enough plan for the Hunter Type 2's which had an attack Shin couldn't endure and wasn't fast enough to lose a waiting Hunter Type 2 who had both speed and an immunity to their own acid attacks, but Shin was not alone.

A transparent shield materialized and blocked the volley of acid globs from the front. The Defensive Force Field a second later began to melt almost immediately from the powerful acid, yet allowed Shin a opening to charge through the volley front the front. Shin retrieved the Z-Saber from the Na Ring and kicked the ground with Instant Movement, charging through a small gap in the acid volley to come face to face with one of the Hunter Type 2. This Hunter Type 2 was alarmed, but not overwhelmed and shot out its tongue when Shin was no closer than two meters.

The Tongue of a Hunter Type 1 was covered in sharp teeth and had the speed of a gun crushing the brains and chest cavities of strong men in one shot, yet the tongue attack of a Hunter Type 2 was comparable to a anti-material rifle in speed and power and could easily penetrate through armored vehicles. Even with Silver Dragon Scales could not Shin hope to defend, or avoid with Instant Movement as such a close distance, yet he never thought of defense or avoiding the attack as he swung his sword forward shinning with a scarlet light.

Shin: (Z-Element Sword, Flame&Thunder! Third Stage!)

The tongue attack of the Hunter Type 2 was impossible to perceive normally, especially up close, but seeing beyond sight and taking in the surroundings in one glance, Shin raised his sword. Charged with the elemental power of Fire Bolt and entering Third Stage to simulate Kisara, Shin swung Z-Saber at lightning speed slashing through the tongue of the Hunter Type 2 and all the way to its head. The Hunter Type slipped its head to the side to avoid death and the beast's left cheek and shoulder were slashed through. The Hunter Type 2 who valued it's life rejoiced having survived, but this was short lived as a scarlet flames and electricity ignited from its flesh and consumed the beast.

- SIDE QUEST REWARD 4, EVOLUTION TYPE 3 ZOMBIE. ONE HUNTER TYPE 2 TYPE ZOMBIE KILLED. THE WHOLE TEAM IS REWARDED 500 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!

Shin: (Z-Element Sword, Flame&Thunder. The piercing power to ignore defense is below the Darkness element form, but Flame&Thunder has a higher destructive power and carries Fire Bolt’s advantage over flesh body enemies. Only a graze is enough to ignite and kill off anything other than the L3!)

Shin once more proved the power of the new Z-Element Sword with the remaining Hunter Type 2. In the time it took for Shin to kill its companion the Hunter Type 2 shot out a glob of acid at Shin's back and lunged forward as well. Even if a shield were to appear the beast would just smash through transparent shield weakened by the acid with it's tonge and tear both Shin and Hikari clinging to his back apart once it closes in, yet things didn't work out as it envisioned.

Shin simply waved the Z-Element Sword at the acid and it evaporated in mid air. It was anticlimactic and then a repeat of its fellow undead's death played out, but with less excitement. The Hunter type 2 shot out its deadly tongue and Shin intercepted the tongue with the Z-Element Sword cutting it and the main body of the Hunter Type 2 in half, and with the corpse falling to the ground was ignited in scarlet flames and lighting. On closer examination the corpse had tentacles bursting out and thrashing about, yet were all too soon incinerated along with the corpse.

- SIDE QUEST REWARD 4, EVOLUTION TYPE 3 ZOMBIE. ONE HUNTER TYPE 2 TYPE ZOMBIE KILLED. THE WHOLE TEAM IS REWARDED 500 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!

Shin: "That was intense. Without Kisara's insight and predictions from her Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu training I could not have dealt with those two so... Hikari? Are you okay? I was going a bit fast just now."

Hikari: "...If I hadn't entered the First Stage or had my enhancements... I would have broken my neck or bit my tongue off. Shin, just how did Komaru not die when you carried her from that first day?"

Shin: "Well, I wasn't going all out like I did just now. Also... she was born with a larger shock absorbing cushion than you, Hikari. Only Aqua has a better absorbing model."

Hikari: "Shock absorbing cushion? Just what is... No, this isn't the time. We can discuss your worthlessness as boyfriend material later, otaku. The Z3 is just up ahead!"

Shin ignored the looming danger he felt in his heart and rushed forward and jumped into the skies with Void Movement. Not even a minute had a passed since the L3 and two Hunter Type 2 ambushed them, so the Z3 hadn't gotten far. The Z3 was rising on the back of a Hunter Type 1 and surrounded itself with many evolved zombies as well as a member of Team Kenya, but he did not feel secured in the least. He had no more L3, S3, or Hunter Type 2 at its disposal and the failed ambush to kill the pursuers were the last of its elite forces. There was still Badru of Team Kenya who he had found to be more formidable than any of its elite zombies forces, yet when the humans had caught up to them Badru disappeared without a trace or word to anyone.

The Z3 had great intelligence and had the potential to learn of human knowledge and feelings to grow and perhaps reign over all life on the planet, but this growing feeling of humiliation, fear, and uncertainty made it wish it were just another mindless zombie... till it found one of the sources of its heartache. Flying towards the Z3 and it's horde of 300 evolved zombies with Void Movement was Shin and on his back was Hikari.

Shin was closing in to the horde and held in Hikari's hand was a metal plate of unknown origins. Hikari was not yet in range to make use of the plate, so Shin was taking them closer while keeping an eye out for ambushes from H1's or Team Kenya.

That was when Shin felt extreme bloodlust from within the horde. The Z3 commander zombie’s eyes turned bloodshot recalling the damage Shin and his group had caused to its once mighty forces and stared at Shin with eyes filled with unbridled fury it never knew it had in him. No matter what it took the Z3 wanted at least Shin dead and to devour his flesh, so he can at least compensate it with his evolved blood and flesh.

The Z3 ordered the horde to stop and turn around and then it focused its mind, launching a mental attack at both Shin and Hikari. A dense wave of terrifying spiritual power discharged towards the two just before Hikari was in range to make her move with the plates.

The mind blast was a AOE attack which couldn't distinguish friend from foe and hit various S1, S2, L1 L2, and Hunters head on, and their head exploded from the impact of the spiritual blast. For those with low Mental Capacity this was the result of a powerful spiritual attack to cripple the mind, but thankfully both Shin and Hikari had enhanced this stat and avoided instant death. Shin had even unlocked the Third Stage of absolute control of the mind and Hikari was a Psyche Force and Persona user, so their mental defenses were very strong. Even so, they were not spared and felt as if their heads were hit repeatedly by a metal baseball bat and almost passed out on the spot.

Shin couldn't maintain a complex technique like Void Movement and the two fell to the ground. Thankfully he managed to land on his feet to absorb the fall, but he was still groggy on his feet. Pleased with Shin's weakened state the Z3 ordered his minions forward and to bring him his body after tearing off his arms and legs, and the member of Team Kenya by his side, Hanif, he took out a strange book to summon dozens of strange demons, but startling it by standing up first after the spiritual blast was Hikari.

In one hand was the Psyche Force Diffusion Plates+1 and the other was her SEES Evoker gun. She placed the muzzle of the Evoker to her temple and pulled the trigger, and appearing from within a blinding blue light and flame surrounding her was her Perosna Adrasteia. Hikari's Persona boosted Psyche Force to its highest level, and next her Psyche Force entered the plate through her arm and she could feel the increase immediately. These plates were the keys to using mind control and combined with her Perosna and Soul Link, Hikari temporarily acquired power ten times greater than the average Psyche Force user. Hikari could even now sensed the flames of psyche force (spirits) of those around her.

Those like Shin, the Z3 commander, and the member of Team Kenya Hanif were still too enhanced to take over, yet her main targets were not so fortunate. She ordered her own psyche force to surround the weaker flames of the all the evolved zombies present. They were all connected by a line to the Z3, but in this moment the lines were severed to the Z3's shock.

As for Hikari it gave her the unusual feeling of having a uncountable number of bodies. This contradiction was difficult to describe in words and following this feeling she gained full control of the horde of zombies which were once the Z3's. The Z3 commander tried to reestablish it's link that through force. The Z3 was by all means the more powerful of the two of them and Hikari's control was only a momentary one, yet that was all she needed. Before the link could be reestablished the fangs of a Hunter bit into Z3's neck and then a S2 ripped out still beating rotten heart.

Hanif by the Z3's side was left speechless at the sight, but was then thrown off the back of the Hunter it was ridding. The Hunter bared it's fangs at him, yet a demon came to his rescue and killed it, but unfortunately Hikari didn't spare him and ordered all the evolved zombies to kill him. There was nothing for Hanif to do but scream madly as all his demons were torn apart in front of him and zombies piled on top of him tearing him apart limb from limb.

- SIDE QUEST REWARD 6, KILL THE ZOMBIE LEADER. 4000 POINTS AND C RANK REWARD ACQUIRED! EVERY OTHER MEMBER 2000 POINTS AND TWO D RANK REWARDS ACQUIRED!

- SIDE QUEST REWARD 9, ENEMY TEAM KILL - 7000 POINTS AND B RANK REWARD ACQUIRED!

- POINT CASUALTIES: ONE MEMBER OF TEAM KENYA DIED. TEAM JAPAN +1 TEAM POINTS AND TEAM KENYA -1 TEAM POINT.

TEAM JAPAN TEAM POINTS: +3.

TEAM KENYA TEAM POINTS: -4.

TOTALS WILL BE MULTIPLIED BY 2000 BY THE END OF A TEAM'S MISSION AND DISTRIBUTED TO EACH LIVING MEMBER. MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS WITH NEGATIVE POINTS AT THE END WILL BE ERASED.

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- "CHANGE OF MISSION! VARIANT Z3 COMMANDER HAS BEEN KILLED. MISSION WILL COME TO A CLOSE IN 10 MINUTES AND ALL PLAYERS WILL RETURN TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TERMINAL LOBBIES. THIS EXCLUDES PLAYERS IN THE NEGATIVE OR FACING A PENALTY TO BE ERASED."

Hikari watched the carnage with a pale face, unable to enjoy her rewards and then gave one last command for all the zombie to kill one another till none were left. Hikari knew that these evolved zombies could have come in handy, yet this was not just a emotional decision to discard them. The short clash of Psyche Force with the Z3 had drained her, so before she couldn't control them anymore and have them return to uncontrollable and flesh seeking undead, she chose to get rid of them and get the few hundred points for doing so. As soon as no zombie was left standing after the order to kill one another, the Psyche Force Diffusion Plates+1 in her hand shattered and turned to dust.

Shin by her side had recovered somewhat from the mental blast and had prepared to run or charge towards the enemy, but seeing as Hikari had everything covered he just watched from the sidelines till it was over. Off to the side he saw the book that was in Hanif's possession, walked over and picked it up. As he originally suspected about Team Kenya's summoner, he was using the spell book and Noble Phantasm of the Caster of Fate Zero, "Prelati's Spellbook: Text of the Sunken Spiraled City". It was a powerful demonic spell book in both the right or wrong hands able to potentially summon endless demons, yet there was hardly anything left of the book that was ripped a part. Although it should have been a quest item there was no notification from God when he touched it.

Shin: (Not that I want such a disgusting spell book. Kind of glad I don't have to worry about Jin getting his hands on this as well. Now that's a Bad End flag as clear as day.)

Once things settled down Shin approached Hikari about her rewards and regrouping with Shuai and the soldiers, but off into the distance way they came from a loud explosion was heard. A expression of panic took over Shin's face and while ordering Hikari to look up ahead with her scans, he picked her up and rushed back to their comrades.

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- POINT CASUALTIES: ONE MEMBER OF TEAM JAPAN DIED. TEAM JAPAN -1 TEAM POINT AND TEAM KENYA +1 TEAM POINT.

TEAM JAPAN TEAM POINTS: +2.

TEAM KENYA TEAM POINTS: -3.

TOTALS WILL BE MULTIPLIED BY 2000 BY THE END OF A TEAM'S MISSION AND DISTRIBUTED TO EACH LIVING MEMBER. MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS WITH NEGATIVE POINTS AT THE END WILL BE ERASED.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Authors Note:

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