Blade light flashed like the moon—gone in an instant.
The heavy serpent head, weighing dozens of kilos, crashed down. Its crimson pupils still burned with dying malice as dark green blood hissed against the metal floor, corrosive smoke rising.
Zeroy flicked her blade clean, eyes cold as she turned to the four serpents that remained.
Each was a high-level zombie worth ten Points. She had never seen them before. Only by storming the secret bases had she finally encountered them.
They were nothing like ordinary zombies—engineered bioweapons of the company.
Some spat acid, some bore claws that tore human flesh with ease, and some had colossal size. All were faster and stronger than both humans and zombies, and all obeyed orders. Their forms were varied, unmistakably distinct from common fodder.
The great serpent she had just slain was one such high-level zombie, designated in the files as The Tower, one of the Tarot series.
Its body was armored in scales impervious to rifle fire, its only weakness the exposed tissues inside its maw. And there were five serpents total—together forming the full Tower.
The files had listed further abilities in dense jargon and data.
But…
She hadn't bothered to understand. Better to ask her Striker Blade.
Whatever the jargon, it died to a single swing.
To ordinary survivors, such weapons were terrifying—walls would never hold them back. Regardless, to Zeroy, they were little different from regular zombies.
Beheaded, they died.
Still, they offered many Points. Setting aside their threat to humanity, she almost liked them.
Since killing people gave no Points. Only killing zombies did.
She had butchered bases and cut down countless humans—yet gained nothing. Not even those who had created zombies rewarded her.
Fortunately, these bases brimmed with high-level zombies. Their Point yield matched the pace of her slaughters outside.
Thus, the last hours hadn't been for nothing.
"..."
With the fall of the remaining serpents, the base's last bioweapons were gone.
Her radar showed fewer than ten red dots clustered together—at the base's deepest core.
She already knew who they were from the system files. One was her target: a man named Wilson.
Minutes later, she cut her way down. Every defense activated: sealed gates, laser halls, auto-turrets, gas, fire. The deepest core was fortress within fortress.
But it made no difference. She carved through all.
…
Wilson had activated maximum security. Not even a fly could enter now. Elite modified soldiers stood guard.
Yet unease gnawed at him.
The cameras had shown her… that human-shaped monster. It had killed everyone, destroyed all bioweapons. Nothing could stop it. Walls were torn asunder like paper.
He doubted even now if his defenses would hold.
He dared not flee. Somehow, it always found its prey. Escape was useless.
"Reinforcements! How long until they arrive, you useless fools?!"
His voice cracked with fear as sweat ran down his face, staining his tailored suit. A bulletproof vest beneath brought only hollow comfort.
"First reinforcements in five minutes, sir. Please endure."
"Damn it! Faster!"
Wilson nearly crushed his comm unit, eyes fixed on the blank screens. The monster's approach had been the last they showed. Now—blackness, silence, punctuated by explosions. The beast was breaching.
"Five minutes… only five minutes…"
He muttered, convincing himself. Ten billion dollars' worth of fortress, cutting-edge defenses. Surely it could last five minutes. Surely.
Another explosion, nearer—right outside.
His breath caught. He refused to consider the thought: that reinforcements would only add more heads to her harvest, powerless to alter the end.
"No! I can't wait!"
Like a caged beast, Wilson paced before grabbing the comm again, voice ragged. "Three minutes! No—one! Reinforcements in one minute, whatever it takes!"
He could not wait five.
Suddenly, then—
Metal shrieked. Two strokes rang out.
"...?"
Wilson froze, lifting his gaze. His pupils shrank.
The alloy wall, strong enough to withstand missiles, bore a perfect cross-cut. The surfaces gleamed smooth as mirrors. Light leaked through the gap, outlining a blood-soaked figure.
She stood outside, dripping scarlet onto the floor. Her emerald eyes, devoid of human warmth, peered through the slit—fixed upon him.
In that instant, Wilson's soul was dragged into hell.
He saw a world filled with gore. The sky ran scarlet with blood. Heads piled like mountains stretching to the horizon. His own among them—tiny, insignificant.
"..."
The comm slipped from his numb hands, clattering on the floor.
...
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