"What the fuck is that..." Tysone whispered. His heartbeat sped up as if in anticipation or perhaps wariness.
The silhouette gradually became more pronounced in the haze. Step by step. Smoke billowed up with each step that left a scorching footprint upon the grass. Its form was distinctly inhuman, standing about six feet tall with a hulking frame. Thick, knotted muscles were evident beneath the charred, blackened skin that stretched taut across its body.
The figure's eyes glowed red. A hellish shade.
That wasn't really bizarre in Tysone's eyes; he had seen far worse mutations. But what made him do a double take was the flames that wreathed its body and the strange sense of awareness in the thing's movements. Tysone felt a trickle of intimidation. Each new type of zombie posed an unpredictable threat. And this was no different. This was definitely a step up from those Hellhounds.
"That looks like a fire mutant." Tysone muttered, pointing his halberd at it, which was slightly stained by the ash of the hellhounds. The axehead of his halbered was charred black.
As soon as he uttered these words, it stopped, just before it could reach within ten yards.
By the time it had, all the hellhounds had been killed—thankfully those mutts weren't hard to deal with. Trickier than a normal zombie due to the flames, but far less durable than a typical mutation. The only annoyance to their existence was that they didn't drop evolution cores.
However, this one in front of them had it. In fact, its entire torso was hollowed out and twisted like a tree's branches wreathing around the core. Crimson, with a slight glow. Slight enough to be barely noticeable amidst the flames of the mutant.
The core itself wasn't the largest. But it had an eerily similar appearance to the other mutant they fought, back in the city.
Even from afar, they could feel the searing heat emanating from it.
Saeko narrowed her eyes slightly. "This thing..." Her voice trailed off.
"It's different." Marin agreed, shuffling backwards a few steps, and aiming her pistol. Tysone turned towards the pistol in his comrade's trembling hand. Honestly, he doubted a bullet was gonna be of much use in this situation.
"Try shooting it." Tysone said. Marin looked at him, then at the creature, then back at him, and finally nodded.
BANG.
BANG.
The pistol shots rang out in quick succession, and Marin flinched instinctively as she fired, the recoil jerking her arms backward. Her shots seemed to be absorbed or repelled by the flame-covered form, and she cursed under her breath. Her hands trembled slightly as she quickly tried to adjust her aim.
"Get back inside!" Tysone ordered, gesturing with his free hand. Marin and Shizuka wouldn't be of any use in this situation. Marin, even after having been used to the zombies and some mutants, couldn't handle the pressure that came from fighting an unknown mutant like that. As for Shizuka, he doubted she'd even have the balls to do anything other than flee in the truck.
The bullets might have had no effect on the zombie, but they definitely drew its aggro. Tysone could feel the monster's red eyes on him.
His thoughts ran a mile a minute as he crouched into a defensive stance. Did it have a projectile ability? He wouldn't put it past a new mutant. What about physical weaknesses?
The beast charged. Saeko dashed, attempting to slash at it, but was unable to pierce through its physical defenses. Then again, she wasn't one for raw, physical force. She was all speed, grace, and agility. He could bet the flames that covered its body didn't make it any easier. Well, he wouldn't leave Saeko to face the thing alone.
"Takashi!" Tysone's voice was a sharp command, cutting through the roar of the flames and the hiss of the rain. "On its left! Create an opening!"
Takashi didn't hesitate. Gripping his metal bat with both hands, he charged, his expression a grim mask of determination. He wasn't as fast as Saeko or as strong as Tysone, but he was solid, a reliable force of blunt impact.
The fire mutant, its glowing red eyes fixed on the two evolved humans before it, seemed to dismiss Takashi as a lesser threat. It was a fatal mistake. As Saeko darted to the right, her katana a silver flicker probing for weaknesses, Takashi swung his bat in a wide, powerful arc, aiming for the creature's knee.
The impact was met with a dull, heavy thud, like striking a smoldering log. The creature grunted, its leg buckling slightly. It wasn't a crippling blow, but it was enough to stagger it, to break its focus. It turned its burning head, a low growl rumbling in its chest, and swiped a flaming hand at Takashi.
Takashi was already rolling away, the wave of heat washing over him, singeing the fabric of his jacket. "It's tough!" he yelled, scrambling back to his feet. "And hot! Definitely hot!"
"No kidding!" Tysone shouted back, seizing the opening Takashi had created. He lunged, his halberd not aimed to cut, but to thrust. The spear-like tip of the weapon drove forward, aimed directly at the hollowed-out cavity of the creature's torso, right below the crimson core.
The mutant reacted with surprising speed, twisting its body. The halberd tip scraped against the charred, branch-like flesh, unable to get a clean purchase. The creature brought its other arm around, a backhand strike wreathed in fire.
Tysone was forced to pull his weapon back and leap away, the flames licking at his boots.
"Its core is protected!" Saeko called out, her voice taut. She danced at the edge of its reach, her blade testing its defenses. "The flesh around it is like hardened wood. We can't get a clean strike."
The fire mutant let out a guttural roar. It stomped its foot, and a wave of fire erupted from the ground, spreading outwards in a circle. The rain hissed violently as it met the sudden inferno, creating a thick cloud of steam that momentarily obscured everyone's vision.
"Get back!" Tysone yelled, shielding his face with his arm as the heat intensified.
From inside the truck, Marin watched with wide, terrified eyes. "They… they can't get close!"
Shizuka gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white. "Ty-kyun…"
Through the steam, the fire mutant's glowing eyes were like twin beacons of malice. It raised its hands, and the flames covering its body seemed to coalesce, forming two volatile spheres of fire in its palms.
"Fireballs! It's throwing fireballs!" Takashi screamed, diving behind the relative safety of the armored truck's massive tire just as the creature hurled one of the spheres.
The fiery projectile sailed through the air and slammed into the side of the truck with a deafening explosion. The vehicle rocked violently from the impact, and the metal on its side glowed red-hot for a moment before the rain began to cool it.
Tysone's eyes narrowed. The moment the mutant launched those projectiles, he saw how the fire wreathing its body flickered and diminished for a moment, leaving the zombie's body vulnerable to attacks.
This would only be a split second. But that split second was what they needed. Tysone's eyes scanned the mutant's body. "Saeko! Takashi! His fireballs don't last for long! His body will cool down after every time he launches one! That's where we strike!"
Tysone's shout rang clear through the chaos. The team didn't hesitate.
"Understood!" Saeko called, already shifting position, blade poised. Her eyes narrowed with predatory focus.
Takashi wiped sweat and rain from his brow, huffing as he circled left. "Got it. I'll bait the next one."
The mutant wound up again, fire swirling around its hands. Its chest glowed faintly, the core pulsing like a heartbeat.
Takashi sprinted in, waving his arms.
"Hey, over here, fire-face!"
The monster took the bait.
With a roar, it launched the second fireball toward Takashi, who barely dove clear in time. The flaming orb blasted through the air and struck a nearby wall, igniting it instantly.
For just a moment, the flames around the mutant flickered. Its armor of fire dimmed.
Now!
"Now, Saeko!" Tysone lunged in from the right, halberd raised. Saeko was already there, blade flashing. Her katana slashed across the exposed chest, sparks and blackened ichor spraying from the wound.
The creature bellowed in pain, stumbling back—but not falling.
Damn it. Not enough. The zombie quickly recovered, its flames ramping up as it swung its claw at Tysone, who barely dodged the charred nails, but the wave of heat still left a scorch mark on his clothes.
Takashi didn't hesitate, launching his bat from the other side, the metal making impact against the mutant's jaw, though he barely even managed to damage it due to how tough its body was. Saeko flickered to Tysone's side, her katana barely deflecting another swipe from the monster. Her hand trembled as her skin slowly burned. "It's tough!" She bit her lip.
Tysone flexed his muscles and kicked it, knocking its large body away, though this only seemed to further infuriate the monster. He flailed his boot a bit, his nose scrunched as the scent of his burnt shoes reached his nose. His halberd clashed against its flaming claw again, sparks and smoke flying.
Saeko, after recovering, was already on her feet and sprinting forward to get another chance.
Fuck!
"Dodge!"
Before Saeko had any time to register, Tysone was there, pushing her back, causing them both to roll on the ground as the flames almost consumed them both, the force of the blow sending them tumbling away as the rolling heat crashed past them, burning, blazing, devouring.
Tysone gritted his teeth.
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.