Chapter 28

Angel's life span was rapidly dwindling. he had calculated that the minimum strength he could muster to kill the zombies cost him one year per shot. When his sword broke, its blade embedded in a tree while decapitating a corpse, he was left with no choice but to switch to a bow.

As the bowstring twanged, shots were fired, and arrows of ethereal light, resembling bolts of lightning, streaked through the air. They crackled, a testament to their supernatural power, as they sliced through the forest's dense atmosphere. These arrows found their mark in the bodies of the zombies, causing them to erupt into flames for a fleeting moment before they fell lifeless once more.

"None of the corpses are fresh," he thought, "which means they haven't yet come into contact with civilians." Angel extended his hand, searching for the spear he had used five years on . His bow, showing signs of wear from constant use, caused him to notice the drawstring weakening.

Amidst the sparking and tree-cracking sounds in the forest, Angel made a decision. "I need to go and retrieve him, bring him back here," he said. "I trust Reze to handle the zombie devil while I deal with this, but if news leaks that the bomb girl is here, we might have to contend with a military invasion, with the Soviets eager to reclaim her." Angel's thin eyebrows furrowed with concern as he tightened his grip on the newly formed spear.

He charged forward, his feet seemingly floating above the ground. His body contorted until he was flying parallel to the earth, the spear's tip connecting with the approaching zombie horde. One of them didn't burst into flames; instead, its arms twisted and broke as it desperately tried to draw closer to Angel, lured by the foul stench of rotting flesh. Angel's eyes blazed with a fiery intensity, and the corpse impaled on his spear slowly began to turn into ash.

Angel heard a cracking noise behind him. The small opening of trees where he had landed was now surrounded by the undead. He could fly out through the top, but if he didn't confront them here, they would keep moving towards the civilians. He couldn't explain why he cared so much about those people. He clenched his teeth, determination filling his eyes. "I have to funnel all of them here, like a drain."

He could sense the undead starting to close in on him. A few emerged from the tree line, two behind him and one in front. The one in front fell to the ground and began to move like a wild beast. Angel hesitated before hurling the spear. Meanwhile, one of the creatures behind him clawed at his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Turning around, he held the spear with one hand and thrust it into the head of the creature that had grabbed him.

Then, he quickly pivoted to the beast-like zombie, barely managing to stab it through the stomach as it leaped into the air. Angel couldn't concentrate, his eyes flickering. The zombie began striding down the length of the spear, swinging its arms, and gashes and cuts from its disgusting fingernails began to open on Angel's face. As if things weren't bad enough, he felt a hand grip his ankle.

"Five years!" The spear Angel held suddenly transformed, vanishing into thin air. The zombie fell to the ground, momentarily stunned, while Angel swiftly reached for his knee weapon. The sword gleamed as he took it as a sign that it had finished manifesting. With precision, he stabbed it downward into the back of the zombie.

Angel's eyes flashed repeatedly, and burning smoke began to rise from the zombie's hollow ribcage. He then tore the sword out from the creature's back and used it to pierce the one whose teeth were perilously close to being lodged in his ankle.

Angel bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. He couldn't understand why he felt so weakened, but he suspected it might be due to his recovery from the bullet wound. He hadn't shared the details with any of the nurses, but he vividly remembered the sting of something like this before—the Poison Devil.

He scowled at the memory of the third zombie, the one that had poisoned him. He turned back around, sword still in hand, only to find that the zombie had vanished. They had turned their backs to him, an eerie sign. He strained his senses, trying to smell if a devil might be lurking nearby, but the overpowering stench of rotten blood masked other scents, such as the telltale scent of fire. Frowning, Angel shot up into the air.

Massive plumes of smoke shrouded the town in every direction, swirling upward and spreading rapidly from one particular area. Angel contemplated, "Maybe the sparks from Denji and that strange guy clashing kicked them up?" But then he shook his head, realizing it had happened too quickly. "Something's going on here. Perhaps Reze chased the Zombie Devil into the forest?"

He strained his ears, but there were no sounds of explosions. It seemed unlikely. Then, his attention was drawn to an old woman with grey hair and a ponytail running out of the forest, accompanied by a group of girls. "I have to ensure the zombies don't reach the city. If people are in the forest, they could get caught up in this chaos!" Angel decided, and with determination, he flew towards the fire.

"Where the hell is Denji?"

Kobeni glanced back at the tiki bar, wearing a pineapple hat that a local had given her. They thought her hair tied up resembled the leaves of a pineapple, and she had accepted the hat with gratitude. Little did she realize until later that they might have been making fun of her.

"I hate to interrupt, but it's time to get to work," Kobeni said, looking at one of the seats. Another version of herself sat there, with chalk-white skin and striking orange and blue eyes. "He's here; it's time for you to get to work."

Reze observed as Kobeni rose from the campfire circle, and she followed suit. A few teenagers seemed disappointed, realizing that they were likely just chatting with Kobeni in hopes of flirting. Kobeni, in a trance, moved off to the darker side of the beach, her eyes distant.

"Kobeni, what's happening?" Reze reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Kobeni turned back to her with a determined expression, a side of her Reze had never seen before in the usually skittish girl.

"Reze, there's a devil nearby. We need to kill it; it's approaching quickly," Kobeni explained urgently. "It's the Zombie Devil, and it's coming from the north. Currently, there's a swarm of zombies heading for the town, but Angel is handling it. There haven't been any civilian casualties yet."

Kobeni continued walking towards the far side of the beach, and Reze couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't I go with you then?" Kobeni didn't stop but replied, "I thought that was your plan?" She pulled a knife from a strap hidden under her shirt.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Mr. Kishimoto couldn't quite comprehend why, but he had a feeling that the young lad was getting himself into a challenging situation with the red-haired girl.