Jack stilled his quivering legs and his trembling hands. The Crave took control of his body, granting him an even greater portion of superhuman strength. Yet he clung to his mind — the little bits of his mind that remained.

The yellow glow in his eyes pulsed like the beating heart he lacked. "Fifteen pulses," Jack whispered, his voice barely audible. The countdown had begun. Fifteen pulses was the approximate time it took to turn a man.

There was something supernatural about being a zombie. Something that pushed the human body beyond its natural abilities while in a state that straddled the border of life itself.

"Fourteen." Jack's yellow eyes pulsed brighter. He salivated at the thought of consuming his man's flesh, far more than that of any of the other assailants.

Grunting, he sidestepped as the first of the three ninja's swiped. A skilled fighter should be able to take an unaware zombie's head in a single swipe. But a wary, cautious zombie that moved at superhuman speed?

"He's saying something," the first ninja said. "Muttering to himself."

"Thirteen," Jack grunted, right before he lunged, taking a bite out of the man's throat. Rot, that tasted good.

"He's counting," the second ninja said as he took a step back, eyes wide with shock at seeing his companion's trachea ripped clean out. "B-but to what?"

"Twelve," Jack said, blood dripping down his chin.

"Til I turn, you idiot," the red ninja said. His tone was commanding as was his stature. His spiked shoulder blades and muscular build gave him a dominant appearance.

"Right," the other man said, firming his grip on his blade.

"Stay back," the red ninja said. "He's mine. Besides, I'll need you to finish me before I turn." He turned to face Jack.

Rot, Jack thought. This man, dressed in red, was no ordinary ninja. Ruin.

The red ninja lunged at Jack, sprinting at him at full speed.

Rot, Jack needed to think or he'd soon lose his head. The man had already demonstrated exceptional skill with a sword. Draw him in, he thought to himself. "Eleven."

"You were once the best of us, Hiroku," the ninja said.

Keep him distracted, Jack thought. Away from the group. Wait til he turns. He dove to the side, rolling and then picking himself back up. "Who is Hiroku?" Jack said.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"You," the ninja said. "Are Hiroku. His corpse anyway. I am sorry for what we did to you. It was unfair to betray you in such a cruel way."

Ten, Jack thought. He ran into the woods but remained within sight. If the ninja followed, they'd be 100 meters distant from the main fight.

"You trained us to deal without mercy, Hiroku," the red ninja said. "We only did what you taught us to do." He walked briskly toward Jack, bringing them a modicum of privacy as they distanced themselves from rest of the clan.

"I am not Hiroku," Jack said in a deep, raspy voice. "I am Jack." Nine. His eyes pulsed.

"You speak well for one of the Turned," the ninja said, pulling off his mask. He had black hair and deep scars lining his cheeks. The man's lips curled upward. "Jack? Not sure I like that."

"Eight," he said.

"I want you to know," the ninja said. "I came for you because I could not bear the thought of you continuing like this, teacher."

"Jack," Jack said, correcting him. Seven.

"Did you get that name from an Imperial medal or dead soldier?" the ninja said. "We killed the Imperials, remember? Now you think you are one of them because you've forgotten your own name." He tightened his grip around the hilt of his blade and slashed.

Jack winced as he ducked, dodging the blow. As a matter of fact, he did get the name off something that seemed Imperial. A shiny medal of some sort that he was holding in his pocket after he turned. Where it came from he had no idea. He had no idea who Imperials were. But it didn't matter. Jack was his name and he liked it. "Six," he said.

"You would be proud of us, Hiroku," the ninja said, lips forming a line. "Kitashi's Shogunate is strong. We rule with an iron fist. No one questions us."

Five, Jack thought. Almost there. The Crave was intense now, more than it had ever been. Something about this man made him want to eat him alive.

Another slash and this time Jack jumped backward to avoid the blow.

"Four," the ninja said. "I can keep count too, you know." He quickened the pace.

Rot, he was onto the plan.

The red ninja sprinted forward, the dexterity of his coordination would be too much for Jack to handle. "Three," he said, preparing his arms for the killing strike.

Jack watched as a small stream of blood ran down the hilt of the ninja's blade. Sweet sweet blood. Its source was the small slice from the infested shuriken. The man's hands were already gray, black bulging veins spreading the disease throughout his body.

"Two," the ninja whispered. "Shall we wait until the final moment?" He closed in on Jack, backing him against a large oak tree. There would be no escape now for either of them. The ninja's neck had already become discolored, dark veins grasping at his face like the claws of a predator on its prey.

At that moment, the Crave's hold of Jack took on a life of its own. It couldn't let him be decapitated in the face of such a delicious meal, could he? A sweet, vengeful meal.

The red ninja stepped forward, swiping his blade in a would-be killing stroke. But Jack was too fast.

He'd never felt the Crave like this before.

In the blink of an eye, he'd ducked underneath the ninja's blow, lunged forward, and bit down hard on the neck of his victim.

The red ninja's eyes widened in shock, blood gurgling through his mouth as Jack consumed his flesh. The fact that they were distant from the rest of the group mean there would be no one to bother him. Even the man's companion seemed to have abandoned the fight.

"My name," he said, peering downward. "Is Jack."

[http://www.atticusandrews.com/wp-content/uploads/DALL·E-2023-01-23-21.41.22-zombie-ninja-with-glowing-yellow-eyes-digital-art.png]