Marianne and Ashivra stood atop of the Super Tortoise. The air was thick with the groans of the undead.
"We're surrounded," Ashivra muttered.
"There are a lot of them," Marianne agreed as she looked around and saw the horde closing in.
Inside the cockpit of Lexie, Saphir's voice crackled over the radio. "We can take them," she said.
Marianne's lips curved into a confident smile. "Of course we can. Super Tortoise and Lexie are strong, stronger than they realize," she said.
Ashivra glanced at her. "What exactly can they do?" she asked. She had never seen them in action.
"You'll see," Saphir replied coolly. She moved to the back and looked down. She gripped the controls, aimed the cannon, and fired.
A searing beam of light tore across the battlefield. It struck the ground in front of the zombie. The explosion ripped through the ground and sent shockwaves outward. Dozens of zombies were hurled into the air, their bodies came crashing down with sickening thuds. Some groaned.
"What was that," Bao shouted. His eyes were wide.
"They fired something," Nin stammered.
"That thing, what is it?" Spider Monkey muttered.
Ashivra's eyes widened. "That was powerful," she said.
Gyoro's jaw clenched. "Get them," he barked.
"But," one of the zombies whimpered as he slowly got up.
Marianne's expression hardened. "Yes, it was powerful. But Super Tortoise can do even more." She raised her hand. "Turtle Rain," she said as steam hissed from the armored plating of Super Tortoise as its launchers aligned. A barrage of missiles streaked into the sky. It arced downward before slamming into the ground. The battlefield erupted in a chain of fiery explosions. The shockwaves scattered zombies like ragdolls.
"They're firing at us," one zombie screamed before being engulfed in the blast.
Bao rolled aside as he barely avoided the firestorm. "That was close," he said.
Nin scrambled to his feet, panting. "Too close," he added.
From inside Lexie, Saphir narrowed his eyes, watching the three smaller zombies weaving through the chaos with. "Marianne, Ashivra… those three. They're different. I think they're the special ones," she said.
"You're right," Marianne said as she looked at the zombies. They looked like dolls.
"I've got the salt bag," Ashivra said as she opened the bag.
"Then let's take one," Marianne commanded. She raised her hand again. "Turtle Grab," she said as Super Tortoise's massive claw hissed with steam. It shot forward like a piston.
"It's coming straight for us," Gyoro said
The claw clamped down on Bao, pinning him in its crushing grip.
"It got me," Bao cried as it thrashed helplessly.
The claw squeezed tighter, forcing his mouth open. Ashivra tossed a cube of salt into Bao's mouth. He gagged, his body convulsing violently. Then, with a guttural scream, a black shadow ripped free from his body, writhing upward into the air.
"His shadow," Gyoro gasped in horror.
"They took it," another zombie shouted.
Ashivra's eyes gleamed. She spread her wings wide. "We'll take them all back," she said.
She dashed forward and seized Nin. She held him in her hand and squeezed his body. His mouth was forced open, and she pressed another cube of salt inside.
Nin's body convulsed, his eyes rolled back as his shadow tore free.
Marianne clenched her fists, her voice steady. "One by one… we'll reclaim every shadow," she said. "Just as our Captain ordered," she added.
"Get away from me," Gyoro said.
At that moment, Saphir opened the door. She jumped forward. "Bleu Formidable," Saphir said as unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes and struck the zombies. They got hit by the spears and went flying back.
"Stop her," Gyoro said as he panicked.
Saphir strode forward and with a swift thrust, she drove the blade into Gyoro's chest. His eyes bulged, his mouth falling open in a strangled gasp.
She flicked her wrist and tossed a cube of salt straight into his gaping mouth. Gyoro convulsed violently, his body trembling as a black shadow ripped free.
"They, they took him out," one zombie stammered in horror.
"Run," another shrieked.
Spider Monkey's eyes darted nervously. "We need to report back now," he said.
The remaining zombies broke into a panicked retreat. They stumbled over each other as they fled into the darkness.
Ashivra spread her wings. "Should we go after them?" she asked.
Saphir shook her head as she lowered her spear with a smile on her face. "No. I don't think so," she said.
"They're not special," Marianne added.
Saphir looked around. "We should keep moving," she said.
The three of them nodded.
Meanwhile, Raki looked at the Penguin Zombie Duo. One was a one-eyed penguin with blonde hair and a scar over his left eye. He wore a newsboy cap and a red bowtie. The other was a penguin with what appear to be human lips stitched onto where his beak should be.
"That other one is fighting there," the one-eyed penguin said.
"You can take her," the second penguin said.
Raki smiled. "You both are annoying," she said as she started to transform. Her body grew feathers, her hands changed into large wings. She grew taller. Her feet became like a crow. She had a long tail. Her head changed into a rooster. Raki had turned into a two-legged dragon, with a rooster's head.
"What is that?" one-eyed penguin asked.
"It is a monster," the second one added.
"Petrifying Gaze," Raki whispered as her eyes glowed with an eerie light as she fixed her stare on the Penguin Zombie Duo.
The two creatures froze mid-step. Their eyes locked with hers and in an instant, their bodies stiffened. Stone crept across their forms like a spreading curse and hardened their feathers, beaks, and claws until they stood as statues.
Raki's lips curved into a cold smile. She strode forward and raised her foot and smashed the two petrified penguins into shards. The fragments scattered across the ground. A dark wisp of energy tore free from the broken statue and vanished into the air.
Raki then transformed back. She thought that was easy.
At that moment, Robin walked towards her. "They were cute," she remarked.
"More like monsters," Raki responded.
"Four down," Robin said.
"And many to go," Raki replied.