Chapter 12: My Prey

"..."

The Zombie watched. Watched as the two sides fought each other.

This was the first time he was seeing the humans truly fight. Back in the city, the zombies didn't really put up much of a fight and were only capable of defeating the humans due to their sheer numbers. But even then, there needed to be more than a dozen of them to kill just a single human.

The Giant Hornet group would have been a better way to learn how the humans fight. But alas, the Zombie only saw them mowing down the zombies like they were nothing.

As for those that the Zombie ate, they didn't really put up much of a fight either. Surprise attacks, then one even betrayed by his own companions and left to die… those were his experiences in fighting with the humans.

And so, the Zombie did as Anna told… watched on the side. After all, the werewolves weren't even paying any attention to him. He just sat near a tree and watched as the group of women began struggling.

"Isa, cast it!"

"I still need time!"

The woman called Isa had the strongest attack amongst the four. She was able to completely obliterate one Werewolf Youngling with a single strike, causing the other beasts to become wary. However, that was it– she didn't attack again.

Instead, she just stood in place– once again summoning sparks between her palms.

As for the two that set up the perimeter, Gab, and Sandie, they were the ones handling the smaller werewolves; making sure that none of them approached Isa as she seemed to be charging up.

And their leader, Anna, was fighting with the 8 ft. tall werewolf. Her arms were covered in flames, but they didn't really seem to be very useful against the werewolf– but she didn't seem to be attacking in the first place. The fires were, however, useful in separating the smaller ones– even isolating some in place as the fire scattered and trapped them in a circle.

The humans were clearly outnumbered at first, but now, they were able to somewhat even the numbers in a way.

Interesting, truly interesting– the Zombie thought.

Despite shouting at each other; with their faces slightly skewed, the group was able to dwindle the numbers of the werewolf to just a single one in a matter of minutes.

They were weaker than the Giant Hornet group, but this group of slayers reminded the Zombie of the zombie hordes. Of course, the horde doesn't really have any other mode of attack other than rush towards the enemy– but one could be said that the horde thinks in one mind, similar to these women.

Sandie and Gab were the main ones to dwindle their numbers.

Anna was responsible for separating them to make sure they did not get overwhelmed.

Then Isa was their support, only attacking those that the others could not see or failed to handle.

So this is how the humans fight, the Zombie thought.

And so, with that, only the biggest werewolf remained.

Anna, Sandie, and Gab surrounded the werewolf. As for Isa, she was standing far away, doing what she had been doing from the start, making sparks with her palms.

"..." It was then that the Zombie saw something interesting. The flames that were wrapped around Anna's arms started to lose their liveliness; no longer dancing with the air, but instead becoming… more solid.

And soon, the flames resembled the blade of the Zombie's halberd. The sparks, the flames… he wondered if he would be able to do the same once he devours more and more creatures.

[Some of the Readers of Fate are telling you that you have 'Summon Flames Lv. 1'.]

"..." The Zombie turned his eyes towards the words that popped up in front of him. Were… the Readers of Fate telling him that it was possible?

"Sandie, pin down its legs!"

The Zombie then completely waved away the words as he continued to watch the fight. Anna rushed towards the Werewolf, and as soon as the beast looked away, Sandie grabbed several… metal stakes from the bag on her waist– stabbing them through the beast's feet and almost causing it to tumble.

Anna used this chance to wave her… flame blade towards the werewolf's chest, but besides letting out a small roar, the attack was not even enough for the beast to drop half a pint of blood.

"Tch, Gab!"

"On it!" Gab, the smallest one of the group, leaped towards the back of the werewolf, climbing on its neck before grabbing two daggers that were hidden on her legs.

But alas, before she could do anything, the werewolf suddenly waved its entire body– the spikes pinning it down to the ground, almost hitting the Zombie as it stabbed through the tree behind him.

As for Gab, she was also thrown away, rolling on the ground several times before recovering herself.

"Everyone okay!?" Anna's eyes did not leave the werewolf as she backed away.

"I'm fine!"

"...Shit."

But as soon as she heard a whisper, she quickly looked towards Sandie… only to see a metal spike penetrated through her left leg.

"Isa!"

"Just… It's not ready!"

"I don't care, do it now!"

"It's not rea–"

And before Isa could finish her words, the werewolf rushed towards the wounded member of their pack.

"Sandie!" Both Anna and Gab rushed towards the werewolf. But alas, before they could even take 3 steps, the beast was already in front of Sandie– its claws, already on their way straight to her plump breasts.

Sandie couldn't really move. A mixture of pain, shock, and adrenaline all seem to be canceling each other out as she just stood there. She could probably evade the attack if she just leaned back and let herself fall, but no.

She just stood there; her eyes, watching as the claws rip apart her clothes– and soon, blood. Everything seemed so slow, it was like time stopped as the claws tore her chest open…

…or so she thought. The next thing she saw was her actually falling back, and soon, black and red filled her eyes; flailing with the wind as a loud clunking whispered into her ears.

"Y… you?" Sandie could only blink a couple of times as her butt finally hit the ground; her head, looking up at the person that saved her life– the stranger with a weird fashion sense.

"T… Thank y–" And before she could even say anything, the Zombie suddenly kicked her away; causing her to roll all the way towards Isa, whose spell was sadly disrupted as she also fell to the ground.

"What did you do!?" Anna screamed as she quickly rushed to help Sandie and Isa; Gab did the same, checking if Sandie's wound was deep. But thankfully, she still had her breasts intact.

"Are you crazy!?"

"A… Anna, stop," Sandie placed her hand on Anna's shoulder, "He… he saved me."

"There are gentler ways to be saved!"

[The Readers of Fate truly want Anna to be eaten.]

"My prey…"

And as soon as the Zombie's somewhat husky voice whispered in the air, the women felt a certain chill suddenly crawling all the way through their bones. Even the werewolf stood in place; seemingly tilting its head in curiosity as its nose wiggled as it stared at the Zombie.

"...They are mine."