"No matter what you do, it's useless!"
"What?!"
『Even the Terminator would flinch more than that!』
Jack burst through the flames, charging at me. No way—a dust explosion didn't even faze him?! I fired the shotgun, but he only staggered, shrugging it off.
"Shotguns don't work either?!"
"That girl gave us power, Ethan. It flows through me, always. You get it, don't you? Our family's strength comes from her. I'm immortal!"
A sickening crack-crack-crack echoed from his back as I dove into the rec room, hiding behind the billiard table. Eveline huddled beside me, trembling and clutching her head in fear.
"What's that supposed to mean? You're done for!"
With a roar, Jack sent the door flying horizontally, smashing the billiard table to splinters. I froze in terror.
『This is your fault, Ethan!』
"Eat this!"
I grabbed a chair from the wrecked table and slammed it into Jack's head. It shattered, but he didn't budge.
"You've got some guts, destroying my house piece by piece! Don't move!"
『You'd definitely lose a property damage lawsuit.』
"You're breaking stuff too! Damn it…"
I backed away slowly as Jack swung his spiked roller, cornering me. Something, anything to hit him hard… My right hand, reaching back, brushed something. I glanced—a VCR. Bingo.
"Take this!"
"That's nothing!"
Jack swatted the VCR I yanked free and threw, but it stopped him in his tracks. Now!
"How's this?!"
"What—guuuh?!"
『That's brutal.』
While he was distracted, I hefted the TV and smashed it over his head, screen-first. The still-plugged cord sent electricity surging through him, sparking and crackling as he convulsed and collapsed backward, destroying the bar counter. Finally, he's out.
"Got him!"
『Knowing he won't die makes you way too ruthless.』
"Let's get to the first floor. I want to hit that shadow puzzle, but he'll probably wake up first… Any hiding spots?"
『The hole in the laundry room?』
"Only option, huh?"
I bolted through the broken doorway, down the hall, and descended the stairs to the first floor, sprinting back to the laundry room.
"…We're safe here, right?"
『Probably…?』
"Eveline, you knew Jack was alive, didn't you?"
『I knew, but not when he'd come back, so I was rushing you.』
"I shot his head off. Raccoon City zombies and those Chinese J'avo things die from headshots, don't they?"
『J'avo?』
"Mutant zombie-like things from China in 2013. They grow extra limbs when damaged, or so I heard. BSAA wiped them out. Don't know much else."
『BSAA, huh…』
Eveline gave a cryptic look. Does she know about BSAA? Then Jack's roar echoed again. I checked the map.
"I'll find you, you damn Ethan! When I do, I'll make you a shrike's skewer!"
『What's a shrike's skewer?』
"When a shrike impales its prey on sharp branches or barbed wire. Basically, crucifixion. …No footsteps. He's upstairs?"
『I'll check.』
"Appreciate it."
Eveline floated through the door, her usual scouting routine. Déjà vu, but better safe than sorry. How do I take him down? Fire, headshots, crushing, explosions, electrocution—nothing works. What kills this guy? I leaned against the wall, doing a handstand to think, when Eveline returned.
『I'm back… What are you doing, Ethan?』
"Thought a handstand might spark an idea."
『You're not Dekaranger's Sen-chan… I checked the hall and corridor—Jack's not there.』
"So he's still upstairs. Let's move."
I eased the door open, checking outside, and crept down the corridor, shotgun ready. A deafening crash interrupted as a fist punched through the wall, startling me. Jack emerged, charred and frizzy-haired, crumbling the wall.
"What?!"
『Gah?! He's here?! I hate jump scares!』
"Surprised? Gotta do better than that, Ethan! That broken staircase let me cut you off. No escape!"
"Rotten landlord, huh?!"
I blasted the shotgun into his face, staggering him, then tackled him with my shoulder, knocking him down. I raised my foot over his head.
"Payback for dragging me here!"
"Guh!"
『Getting your head stomped with a grown man's full weight would kill anyone normal.』
"I survived it, so it's fine."
『Uh, sure.』
A sickening crunch rang out, but he'd probably live. I sprinted to the hall, reaching the shadow puzzle. I placed the wooden statuette on the transparent platform, adjusting it to match the eagle silhouette. Somehow, the eagle painting lit up, and with a clunk, the wall slid open, revealing a narrow gap.
"…How does this even work?"
『That Trevor guy must be loaded.』
Muttering, I squeezed through the gap into what looked like the back of the house. A massive hole in the wall led to a room with a deer mount and a fireplace. A lounge? There was a fridge, a desk, and a sofa too.
『Cute deer!』
"A double-headed crow carving on that door… ugh, and… psychostimulants?"
I picked up a pill bottle from the desk. The label claimed it mixed stimulants to heighten senses, revealing hidden objects. Sounds sketchy.
『That's obviously dangerous. Don't take it.』
"Yeah, just extra weight."
Eveline's genuine concern made me return it. She's really looking out for me. Why?
"Houseplant's got an herb, and the fridge has first-aid fluid… good for bullets or healing. I'll take 'em."
『Does cooling the fluid do anything special?』
"No clue. I'm not a science guy."
『Self-proclaimed systems engineer, huh?』
"It's not self-proclaimed! I'm just a tech guy."
An exposed toilet in the corner had nothing. Weird room. I moved to the next door, hoping it led to the basement. Worst case, I'll blast the lock.
『Ethan, look.』
"Photos…? A bunch of them. All victims of these freaks?"
『Not a good vibe, huh?』
"Nah, I'm thinking I'll kick Jack in the nuts for each one."
『Give the guy a break!』
"Kidding."
My eyes caught a whiteboard with a crude drawing of a girl, a house, and a butterfly, labeled "Mia." A kid's drawing? No, it said Mia.
『D-don't stare!』
"You drew this?"
『I was a kid, okay?! Kids scribble everywhere! Rosemary's the same—』
"Rosemary?"
『…Forget it.』
Eveline, red-faced and steaming with embarrassment, floated uselessly. I grabbed a memo from the whiteboard.
"'6/14: Traveling couple. Husband turned, 12th success. Wife failed, disposed.' '7/7: Three college girls. All rotted. Lucas, you idiot.' '8/13: Homeless old man. Turned in three days, 13th success.' …I saw something like this in that wrecked house. With the deputy, that's a lot of victims."
And probably all failures, based on Zoe's words. What's this "turning" they succeeded at? Eveline's no help, floating along. I opened the next door and froze. The room wasn't dark—it was black. Mold?
"What…?"
『Ugh… Ethan, get ready!』
"For what—"
As Eveline shouted, I raised the shotgun, and it appeared. A humanoid mass of black, vine-like tendrils, with dark holes for eyes, sharp claws, and jagged teeth—a grotesque monster.
"Gah!"
I fired, missing, and retreated to the previous room. The open door let it follow. Scanning frantically, I spotted the whiteboard and toppled it onto the charging creature, pinning it.
"Gieee!"
"Scared me, you bastard!"
I stomped through the whiteboard, crushing its head. The monster went still.
"Phew… what the hell was that?"
『A Molded. …Ethan, do you even need a gun?』
"You saying I'm a bad shot? I'm no mercenary."
『Civilian…?』
"What's that look?"
『Eek!』
I swiped my hand through her smug face as punishment. Monsters like this and the Bakers? Damn it all.
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