38 Infernos

"Oh, it's on now" There was no time to shorten my sleeves, but it was enough for me to produce my own battle tempo—my first ravage fight against these foul zombies; and of course, with mutated ones.

I reckon that I have a combat knife hidden on my boots, so I retracted them and began wielding it elegantly. It was more or less sharpened enough to easily penetrate a silver ore. Apart from my blade, I still have 3 bullets ready; if everything would turn south.

However, I pondered to my thought whether these items are enough to create a chance for me to withdraw; even so to defeat them? That would be an impressive feat.

Well, there's only one way to find out.

"Let's dance!" On my call, the zombie's charges forth, arms straight forward with their enormous black claws. The regular zombies purely relies on their brute strength, with its additional perks of being unable to feel pain. However, the 3 inferno zombies—is what I'm going to call them, stood still as it studies my every movement. If my guess would hit the nail, I'll be probably dealing with—

Without letting me finish my sentence, a round ball of fire, with the size of a bowling ball, flew over from the horizons, and marked me as its target. From the nick of time, I rolled my body over to the right and dodge the soaring ember. Although I had evaded their primary attack, the fireball itself had left a small wild-fire near the circle of the weeds. Annoyed, the 2 infernos readied their next attack, while the other marches forward, together with the horde.

"Great! Now I have to deal with wizards." I heave out a sigh and prepared my body once more; this time, oughting to be serious. Despite not having any experience in close-quarter fighting's, let alone zombies, Uncle Paul and Venice had taught me a lot from the previous training days. With the use of those abundant lessons I've received, this could be perfect chance to prove my capabilities of surviving on my own.

Once again, 2 fireballs launches straight at me in a linear manner. Its velocity was quick like a bullet, with nothing on its way that are able to block it. Humans are highly incapable of seeing the speediest frames from the naked eye, but somehow—

The world around me slowed momentarily, but I on the other hand was adroit enough to move at my regular pace. It was quite certain that these abilities that I have obtained are out of this world, and impossible to grasp. Even so, I had no time to dawdle around, thus I resumed my focus on the battlefield.

The 14 squadron of zombies were the first victims slain by my hand. The whole thing wasn't even worth my time, as I quickly slice their neck and ended their undead lives.

One by one, they fell onto the ground, and only 13 infected had remained; including the infernos. The fiery zombies never grew tired of firing their blazing cannon ball towards me—so I used their afire weapon against them; by grabbing one of the undead's decapitated body and used them as a shield. Once their rotten skin had fully bursts into flames, I tossed them to the nearest zombies and amusingly watch them turn ablaze. My actions had created a domino effect, where the flames continuously burns the other. Eventually, all of the regular zombies turned into ruins; but the three weirdoes silently remained.

"Oops—I forgot, their element was fire!!" The idea of them being immune from their own element had never crossed my mind, and that mistake graved my life.

"Then I have to cut you myself!" Once more, I readied my knife and soon dashed forward as I aimed straight for their necks. However, the temperature from the surroundings had push me back.

"That's strange. I swear this uniform was meant to have any sort of heat resistance?"

No—it did absorbed the warmth, evident from the small burnt scars painted at the bottom of my cape. If I had worn nothing and fought these zombies barely, the same way as I did from before, I might've been engulfed by their flames, similar from the nearby village. I was fortunate enough to be well-equipped against these horrid foes.

Now, how am I be able to strike their heads without getting humanly barbequed?

"Hey! Do you have any sort of weakness, mate?" I shouted, hoping to get some fruitful answers from them, while buying enough time for me think of a plan.

Much to my surprise, their faces curled up a grin, as they steadily walked towards my direction. Both of their hands charges up a vast ball of fire coated with blue and orange hues. If I can clearly recall my science knowledge—

BLUE WOULD BE THE HOTTEST! I gulped.

It was inappropriate for me to praise these monsters from their alluring efforts.

"niku…"

"Sono tori desu….Nii-san"

"Do you understand me?" I called out once more, whilst being wary from their actions.

For once I had thought that the organs of these zombies had been mercilessly gotten rid of—whether it was from their rotten abilities or their DNA mutations. However, my theory had proven me wrong.

"Wakaran…"

"Onaka…ga akimashita…."

These zombies are capable to speak, similar to humans. The fear of getting lured inside their trap with the use of their vocals might become a possibility; if they have the capacity to adapt to their hunting capabilities.

"Ore ga…koroshite…onegai…"

"Ore mo…itai…Ikitakunai"

Despite being unable to understand their mother tongue, the tone of their voice and their trembling body language was enough for me to understand.

"I can help you"

They were in dire need of help. A vaccine that the world even desires. Innocent lives had relentlessly been taken away…more or so…from their loved ones.

These people, despite getting killed from their zombification's, were once a human being. They had dreams, a significant other, and a place to call home. But now that we're here, billions of lives had suffered and account such great loss and opportunities. I wouldn't care more or less of what would become to the world, as long as I could keep on living.

But seeing someone suffering in front of me…how could I not help them?

I tried conversing for more, hoping to get a good judgement out from them.

Yet, every step they make withered the ground and set them ablaze. I wouldn't doubt it if the ground had turned into lava.

"AARGH"

"KOROSHI TE YARU!!!"

The two of them leapt like a frog while firing consecutive fire bullets at a time. Playing their games, I dash forward and evaded most of the molten rocks heading on my way. Eventually, gravity played its part as I saw both of them landing on the ground, creating a miniature fissure underneath their feet.

"I hate to break it to you but, the shows over" I hastily turned around and slid myself to for a break, and aim straight for each of their heads.

The 2 bullets landed on the centre of their skulls, shattering it like it was nothing but glass. I assume that their undead souls had been thoroughly escaped out of their body.

Soon after, their lifeless vessel slowly falls off on the muddy ground. Even the fire, which was keeping them alive, was now unlit after their demise.

"SHIT! THERE WERE THREE OF THEM!" I soon remembered the other individual, who had joined the group of zombies.

He had similar characteristics of the regular ones, despite being an inferno. However, the burns from the ground were directed towards north, where…

"The children!"

It was heading for the survivors!

With no time to spare, I swiftly followed the molten footprints, and hoped for the best

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"T-TASKUTE! B-B-B-BAKEMONO! KOROSANAIDE KUDASAI"

I heard a screeching voice of a girl, paired with the nearby waterfalls; where the enlarge footsteps had guided me in. They were trapped from the thunderous stream, underneath the tallest mountain. A river of some sort had turned into an obstacle for them to run away.

Similar from the two infernos I had fought, his face curls up a smile, and soon started to laugh.

"BAKA MONO! Temee ga ore wa kara nogareru koto ga dekiru to omoimasu ka? (do you think you can escape from me)?

Now that I've remembered, their language was similar to…Japanase (?). I wasn't able to decipher the meaning behind their messages, but I think the words that are told indicated 'death' towards these poor children.

"Hey, dumbass! You ain't a paedophile now, aren't you? Bullying those kids just because you're… more peculiar than the others?"

I stepped foot and revealed myself behind the bushes and the trees, and directed my gun towards my target, with my combat knife intact hidden abaft my back.

"Kono abazure wa itte imasu ka? Yūkigāreba utte, īkagen'ni shite"

I only have 1 chance to land this bullet onto its sturdy cranium, and screwing this up will cost us our lives.

"Just a random question Mr. Zombie, why does your kind prefers to be decapitated just so to be killed? Well, you don't have to answer that—it's not like you'll...YOU'LL LIVE ANYWAYS"

Mimicking the two (inferno) zombies I had withstand, I hastily jumped and ascended above the ground, and flipped my whole body unto a nearby stone. Using the force of my feet from my landing, I sprung once more, and bended the weight of my upper body, which allowed me to faint the aim of my gun.

Confused, the zombie responded from my acrobatic expeditions and began aimlessly firing multiple shots of fireballs to my after image. Fortunately enough, its rampage enabled me to further closen our gap, allowing me to throw my combat knife from a short distance (15 foot), from where I've landed.

The blade smoothly impaled the abdomen of the zombie, which bent the whole upper body from the force of the impact.

Using this chance, I hurriedly knelt down on my right knee and closed my non dominant eye (it makes it easier for me to aim), as I directed my barrel unto the flat surface of its rotten head.

"This one's for you, Veronica"