Was it a foolish move? Yes. Was it reckless? Absolutely.
But they had a chance if he could draw its attention away, maybe get it to chase him while Kohta made a break for it.
He rolled out of the driver's seat onto the asphalt, moving with a speed that defied his size. He hit the ground running, the halberd in his hand feeling like an extension of his arm.
The creature on the hood of the Mule let out that grinding bone sound again, and launched itself from the truck.
It landed on all fours with a deafening CRACK, the asphalt cracking under the impact.
It was bigger up close, more menacing. The black, leathery skin was stretched over a framework of muscle and bone that looked like it was carved from obsidian. It was a creature built for one thing, and one thing only: killing.
It didn't give Tysone a chance to think.
It lunged.
Tysone sidestepped, the halberd's blade slicing through the air where the creature's head had been a second ago. The creature was impossibly fast.
It spun around, its tail whipping through the air like a scythe. Tysone snapped his head back, underneath the swiping appendage. His eyes tracked the sharp end of it as it nicked some of his hair. Everyone in the truck held their breath as Tysone dodged by mere inches.
Kohta's hands trembled on the wheel.
Saeko, Rei and Takashi sat absolutely still, their gazes fixated on their group leader.
"Tysone..." Rei whispered under her breath, eyes trembling.
The monster let out another spine chilling cry, circling Tysone with rapid steps, its razor-sharp, spiked limbs cutting furrows in the concrete road with its movement. The other creatures, after observing the brief exchange, started to move in.
Then, in a single, coordinated movement, they leaped into the air.
Tysone, who ducked under another tail swipe, twirled on the spot and delivered a roundhouse kick right on the motherfucker's face. The creature staggered back, ten it lunged again, its maw open wide. Tysone met its charge head-on. He didn't try to dodge this time. Instead, he met the creature's lunge with a powerful downward swing of his halberd.
The blade connected with the creature's skull, sinking deep.
Black ichor sprayed, coating Tysone's arm and chest. The creature roared, a mixture of pain and rage. It shook its head, dislodging the blade.
Tysone didn't waste the opportunity. He kicked the creature in the chest, sending it stumbling backward. Just in time as well, for the remaining flock of creatures landed, surrounding him on all sides. "Damn it..." Tysone glanced at the truck, noticing some of the creatures now starting to crawl over its armored frame.
"GO!" He roared, his voice cracking with the strain of his lungs. He swung the halberd in a wide, vicious circle, keeping the encroaching pack at bay. "Kohta, get them out of here! That's an order!"
The creatures on the truck hissed, their attention divided.
They could sense the fear inside the metal box, but the man on the road was the far greater threat.
One by one, the beasts atop the Apocalypse Mule turned their eyeless heads toward Tysone. They leaped off the roof, their claws skidding on the wet asphalt as they joined the circle closing around him.
Kohta slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The truck's engine whined in protest, tires spinning against the slick road before finding traction.
"Forgive me, my liege!" Kohta screamed, tears pricking his eyes as the heavy vehicle lurched forward.
Inside the cab, Saeko pressed her hand against the passenger window, her knuckles white. She didn't look away. Her eyes locked onto Tysone's figure, standing alone in the rain, surrounded by a sea of obsidian monsters. She wanted to open the door. Every fiber of her being screamed to jump out and stand back-to-back with him. But she knew his order was absolute. If she stayed, she couldn't protect the others.
"Kohta." Saeko said, her voice dangerously calm. "Drive."
"...!"
Kohta gulped as he gave her a shaky but determined nod.
The truck barreled past the perimeter of monsters. A few snapped at the tires, but the momentum was too great. The Apocalypse Mule smashed through a line of debris and roared down the street, its taillights fading into the misty gloom.
"We're leaving him!" Rei cried, her voice cracking as she looked back.
"We have to trust him." Takashi said, though he was practically punching the seat in front of him.
Saeko exhaled. "He'll come as soon as he can. We have to be ready." She turned from the window, her face a stoic mask. "But now... we have a different problem." She pointed ahead.
Down the street, a new horde of the common zombies had amassed. A mindless, shuffling wall of decaying flesh. The road was blocked.
Kohta gritted his teeth. "Hold on tight!"
...
Tysone watched them go for a split second, a grim smile touching his lips.
"Good."
He turned back to the pack. There were at least twenty of them now, circling, chattering their teeth with that irritating bone-grinding sound. They must've sensed his power. Did Tysone have a core in his heart, right now? Something that attracted these creatures?
Tysone rolled his shoulders, feeling the heat within him flare up.
The rain hissed as it hit his skin, turning to steam before it could even run down his chest.
"Alright, you ugly bastards." Tysone growled, gripping his halberd with both hands. The metal shaft groaned under his enhanced grip. "You wanted a piece of me? Come and get it."
He didn't wait for them to strike. He attacked.
He launched himself at the nearest creature, the ground cratered under his boot. A small web of cracks that kicked up dust and debris the moment Tysone launched off.
His halberd came up just as he was within rage.
The first swing cleaved a beast in two, torso separating from hips in a shower of ichor.
Tysone spun, using the momentum to bring the axe-head down on another that tried to flank him. The blade crunched through bone, burying itself deep in the creature's spine, almost getting stuck there, if Tysone hadn't slammed his foot on its ribs as leverage and yanked it off.
Those damn things were fast.
Three of them lunged simultaneously. Tysone kicked one out of the air, shattering its ribcage, but another latched onto his arm, its needle-teeth sinking into his bicep.
"Get off!"
Tysone roared, channeling that elusive heat coursing through his veins. A pulse of energy burst from his body. The creature on his arm shrieked, its mouth blistering from the contact, and let go. Tysone grabbed it by the neck and slammed it into the pavement, crushing its skull under his heel.
He slashed left. Right. Forced two of the others to retreat or lose their limbs. Then brought his halberd crashing down on another's skull.
Another leaped to the attack. It landed on top of him. Black claws sliced deep across his side as another's tail attempted to disembowel him, but Tysone swung the halberd like a club and managed to stun it momentarily.
In that precious window of time, he was able to shoulder roll the monster off his back, pivoting as he returned to his feet, cleaving through yet another beast.
Those beasts weren't that strong, individually.
But numbers made a huge difference. And they weren't mindless zombies. If Tysone had to categorize them, they were around Rank 1.
But no evolved type would take an attack from a hundred ordinary zombies without some lasting consequences. Even his reinforced flesh was having a hard time absorbing the blunt attacks.
A sharp crack in the air sounded.
A bolt of pain ran down Tysone's back as he staggered forward, nearly into the embrace of another obsidian creature that leaped at him.
He threw himself on the ground, rolling far enough to escape the jaws snapping shut next to his shoulder.
A tail whipped across his back, tearing through his shirt and scoring his skin. Tysone grunted, spinning around to decapitate the offender. The grotesque head was sent flying in a spray of blood.
He was panting now, the exertion and the constant use of his core's power taking a toll.
But he couldn't stop. Not yet. He had to buy them more distance.
He glanced down the road. The truck was gone. They were safe, at least he hoped so, because he didn't know what awaited the truck in the city, either.
"Just me and you now, I guess..." Tysone muttered to the remaining pack. His eyes, lighter than before, glowed with a faint, almost imperceptible crimson hue.
He tightened his grip on the slick handle of his weapon.
"I'm gonna fuck y'all up."
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.