Chapter 28: Humbled

As the undead drew closer, Emma's heart raced, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel as she directed the RV away from the encroaching horde. With a determined look, she reached into the inner storage, her hand finding the comforting weight of her sword. With a swift motion, she drew it out, the metal gleaming in the dim light of the vehicle's interior.

Opening her side of the RV door, Emma stepped out onto the rough ground, her senses heightened by the impending danger. She turned to Amy, her expression encouraging. "Come on," she urged, her voice steady and comforting.

Following Emma's lead, Amy also cautiously stepped out of the car. The eerie sound of the approaching undead sent shivers down her spine. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Emma took charge, darting towards the nearest zombie with determination on her face. Amy hurried to keep up, her heart pounding in her chest.

As Emma's blade sliced through the air, cutting down the first zombie in a swift motion, she swiftly turned to face Amy. "Don't follow me. Fight," she instructed, her voice firm.

Amy halted in her tracks, her gaze falling to her trembling hands. She had witnessed Xyla's impressive display of wind manipulation, but Emma didn't have fire powers. Conjuring gusts of wind was going to be useless. Moreover, she doubted her ability to summon tornadoes powerful enough to sweep the zombies away.

Frustration gnawed at her as she wracked her brain for a plan, but her thoughts were a chaotic jumble. She couldn't afford to stand idly by, yet the overwhelming odds left her feeling utterly lost and powerless.

Emma sighed a bit in frustration after seeing Amy just stand there, but she understands how challenging it is to break out of their typical thinking method. With a swift movement, she demonstrated a method herself.

"Look," she yelled over to Amy as she kicked down another zombie's corpse, the impact taking down three more behind it. Emma extended her hands outward, and an impressive sight unfolded before them. Water droplets, like a shimmering veil, began to dance in the air around her, their movements controlled by her gestures.

Hundreds of droplets sparkled in the dim light, all controlled by an unseen force. Then with precision and speed, they shot towards the oncoming horde of zombies like bullets. Each droplet found its mark, piercing through their heads with deadly accuracy, instantly ending their undead existence.

The onslaught took out about half of the group, leaving the other half scrambling in confusion, their remaining numbers racing towards Emma and Amy.

Amy, observing Emma's demonstration, felt a surge of determination. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, drawing upon every ounce of her strength. Leaves stirred around her, not as numerous as Emma's droplets but still alot. With focused intent, she shaped them into a powerful force.

As Emma's water bullets tore through the undead's head, Amy directed her leaf knife towards the approaching zombies. Some struck with precision, similar to Emma's strikes, serving through their neck with lethal accuracy. Others landed more softly, leaving shallow scratches.

Beside her, Emma watched with a mixture of pride and encouragement. While Amy's technique required practice, it showed potential.

With the undead dwindling to around fifty remaining zombies, Emma unleashed a final gesture of water bullets, quickly ending their lives. She turned to Amy, a genuine smile softening her features as she offered a congratulatory clap on the shoulder. "Good job."

All the zombies that had been roaming freely were now dead; only those trapped within the walls of the factory remained. With a graceful sweep of her hands, Emma gathered the lifeless bodies, effortlessly putting them into her inner storage. These corpses would be a good trading fuel for her machine, she hasn't fed it in quite some time.

Beside her, Amy's jaw hung open in astonishment. Where had all the corpses disappeared to? Her gaze shifted to Emma, her admiration for her leader soaring to new heights. In that moment, Emma appeared to Amy as a figure of mystery and power, commanding both awe and respect. Almost like a god.

Emma gazed at Amy and gestured towards a building nearby, her intense mental powers scouring its depths. She senses only a handful of zombies hidden within its rooms through her powers. "Let's go," she declared with determination. The duo operated seamlessly, their motion quick and efficient as they worked through the building.

Amy's previous knowledge of the building's layout guided them effortlessly to important resources. Meanwhile, Emma uses her mental powers to pinpoint the undead, allowing Amy to kill them precisely, practicing her skills with each encounter.

As the evening wore on, the moon casting an eerie glow upon the ground, they cleared each building. With their task accomplished under the rising moon, they returned to the RV.

They peered at the building where the Aries group had gone in, its door stubbornly shut. Emma furrowed her brow, a faint sense of concern flickering in her eyes.

 "Do you think something went wrong?" Amy's voice is filled with worry. "Should we go in and help them?" Considering Xyla's kindness towards them, the thought of offering assistance tugged at Amy's conscience.

With a deep breath, Emma mustered the last strength of her mental energy, seeking into the building's interior. Her senses found no lingering undead threats, and she detected the presence of all five individuals, their energy giving off stable health. She shook her head gently. "No, they'll be fine. Probably just gathering supplies, like us."

Trusting her words, Amy collapsed into the soft leather chair, the exhaustion washing into her bones after the adrenaline rush of the day's events. Her eyelids feel heavy as if weighted down by the weight of the world. Emma, noticing Amy's tiredness, reached over to adjust the seat slightly, offering a small comfort in the form of a more relaxed position. With a soft sigh, Amy leaned back, letting the soft cushion embrace her tired body.

Emma returned her focus to the road ahead, guiding the RV through the winding paths that would lead them back to their forest. The scenery blurred past them, the shadows of the trees dancing in the fading light of dusk.

The Aries Group—————

After thoroughly searching the entire building for supplies, Mila finally took a moment to glance out of the building window. The scene outside caused her eyes to widen in shock. She stood frozen, her gaze locked on something beyond the glass.

Noticing Mila's sudden stillness, Dean walked over to her, curiosity shown on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, following her line of sight to the window.

As Dean peered out of the window, his steps slowed to a halt. The sight beyond held him transfixed, his mind racing to process what he was seeing.

They had not dared to glance outside since they began their task of clearing out the zombies. What met their gaze was unexpected—a scene of eerie peace. The outside world appeared almost untouched, except for a few clear smears of blood staining the ground.

Dean couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief wash over him. It was as if time had rewound itself, offering a glimpse of the peaceful scenery that existed before the apocalypse had released itself onto the earth.

He had braced himself for the worst, expecting to be met with a horde of hungry zombies clawing at the door. After all, he hadn't perceived the two girls as particularly powerful. His mind had given him the two imaginations between the grim possibilities of their death or an escape. But the reality before him wrong his expectations, leaving him grappling with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Xavier approached the pair with a furrowed brow, concern expressed across his features. He gently placed his hands on their shoulders, his touch a comforting feeling against the uncertainty. "What? Did they die or something?" he asked.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the faint sound of their collective breaths. Dean's gesture towards the window spoke volumes, his hands trembling slightly as he pointed towards the sight beyond.

Xavier followed Dean's gaze, his eyes widening in disbelief as he took in the scene outside. The faint light of dusk cast long shadows across the scene, emphasizing the contrast between the peacefulness of the outside world and the chaos they had just gone through inside the factory. Mark and Xyla, their faces filled with astonishment, joined them at the window after gathering the last of the supplies.

The group stood in stunned silence for a while as they comprehended the scene before them. The air seemed to crackle with tension as they grappled with the signs of what they were witnessing. Xyla, her voice barely above a whisper, broke the silence, "They're way stronger than us." Mark nodded in agreement.

They had spent the day fighting to clear out just one building, each step filled with danger and uncertainty. In contrast, the two girls had effortlessly managed to clear multiple buildings within the same timeframe, all while efficiently cleaning out all the corpses littering their path. It was a sharp reminder of the mass difference in their abilities.

"How do you think they did it?" Mila asked, her brow furrowing in curiosity.

Xavier paused, adjusting the weight of the bag on his shoulder, his expression thoughtful. "Who knows," he finally replied, a faint tinge of red coloring his cheeks.

As they began to make their way back to their car, Xavier couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment. He recalled his initial impression of the two girls, dismissing them as a burden. But now, faced with the evidence of their abilities, he couldn't help but feel humbled. They had not only surpassed his expectations but had also proven themselves to be useful allies in their fight for survival if they ever met again. 

Knowing what he was thinking, Mark draped his arm over Xavier's shoulder as they walked, the weight of the supplies they carried reminding them of their mission's success that would have taken way longer without Emma and Amy. "You need to start changing the way you think, dude," Mark advised gently. "The world has its share of evil, but there's no reason to view everyone with suspicion."

Xavier nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground as they walked. However, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "They could have also just shown their abilities first."

Hearing Xavier's muttered words, Mark stopped and turned to him, his expression softening. With a small smile, he reached out and ruffled Xavier's hair like an older brother. "I get it, man. But sometimes, trust comes before proof."

Xavier's features relaxed slightly at Mark's reassurance, though he knew it would take time to fully change his mindset.