The morning sun bathed the Hybrid Mountain Stronghold in a soft, golden light, filtering through the high windows of the dormitory where Kazuichi and his group were staying. Kazuichi sat up in bed, still feeling a bit disoriented from the events of the previous night. His body ached, but there was something else—an odd sense of strength that coursed through his veins. He couldn't quite place it, but it was like an energy thrumming just beneath his skin, ready to burst out at any moment.
He rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue. "What a nightmare," he muttered under his breath. The memory of being overwhelmed by zombies, fighting for control over his own body, still lingered in his mind. But the strange calmness that followed, the acceptance of the storm... It was all too surreal.