The screams of battle rang deafeningly along the southern wall. Bara stood in the center of it all, his body covered in dust and the blood of enemies. The flames surrounding him danced wildly, like a living creature hungry for destruction.
His eyes scanned the battlefield sharply. He paid no mind to the ordinary zombies that roared and leapt at him from all directions—he burned them to ashes with a mere flick of his hand. Fire swirled around him, mercilessly incinerating dozens of undead.
"Where are you… strange creature…" he hissed. "Don't hide among this trash."
Suddenly, beyond the rubble strewn with charred corpses, Bara saw it—a zombie with an ordinary build, no bigger than the others, but… still, not attacking, merely watching the battle unfold.
"Found you," Bara grinned. "You're no ordinary zombie."
But as he stepped forward, two massive figures leapt from the left and right.
Zombies with copper-toned bodies, fat and solid like living metal boulders. Their heavy growls echoed:
"GRRHHHH!!"
They blocked Bara's path with their thick, pounding fists. Bara was knocked back, growling as his heels dug into the ground to stop his momentum.
"Tough, huh?" Bara took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Fire surged from his body into his palms, forming a blazing red flare.
"Burning Maw!!"
His fiery fist struck one of the guards in the stomach, unleashing a burst of heat that made its copper flesh blister. The zombie howled, "GRUAGHHHH!!!", its body shaken violently but still standing.
Bara leapt into the air, spun midair, and struck the other zombie's head with fire.
"Scorching Spiral!"
The spinning punch landed hard, causing the second zombie to fall to its knees, its skull glowing red before collapsing in a fiery blaze. One down. Three left.
Bara landed with force, his eyes burning with fury. "One down. You're next."
The second guard lunged again, but Bara was ready. He dodged left and kicked the zombie's knee from the side, toppling it. As the copper body tried to rise, Bara placed his palm on its chest.
"Incinerate Core."
Fire surged like a molten spear, piercing the zombie's chest. A sizzling sound followed as its body convulsed violently before going still, quietly smoldering like embers in a furnace.
Two guards down. Two left.
The third zombie charged from behind. Bara spun and took the hit head-on, blocking it with his burning arm. Blood flowed, but he endured the pain.
"GRRRAAGHHH!!!"
The zombie lashed out, clawing at Bara's face. Bara stepped back briefly, then raised his head. Fire rose from his body to above his head, forming a small vortex.
"Ashstorm Fang!"
He punched the zombie in the gut—a blast of ash and flame erupted from within. The zombie jolted violently, then collapsed with a charred chest, its heart exploded from the inside.
One left.
The fourth zombie, late to attack. Bara stared at it with piercing eyes.
"You're the last. Leave or burn."
It lunged. Bara didn't dodge. He caught the punch with one hand and ignited its body from within. The zombie screeched:
"SKRREEEHHHH!!!"
Within seconds, only a charred skeleton remained.
Four guards down.
From a distance, the skinny zombie—the Overseer—stepped nervously forward. It grinned sharply, then let out a strange cry:
"GHHHHRRRHHHHH!!!"
Instantly, dozens of regular zombies began rushing toward Bara, swarming like ants summoned by their queen.
Bara stood tall. Fire spread at his feet.
"You're just worms. Want to protect your master? Come on."
Zombies came from all directions. But Bara moved swiftly. He kicked, burned, struck. One by one, they were destroyed, their heads exploding in the heat. None lasted more than three seconds.
As the last of the horde turned to ash and fell, only the Overseer remained… standing alone… trembling.
Bara spat on the ground.
"Without your guards, you're nothing."
In a flash, he surged forward, his body a streak of red flame. In an instant, he stood right before the skinny Overseer. His left hand clutched its neck tightly.
The zombie grinned and growled:
"GRHHHH…"
But before it could move, Bara had already raised his right hand. Fire gathered in his palm—forming a blinding light like a miniature sun.
"This is the end."
"Hellblaze Nova."
A blinding red explosion lit up the battlefield. The light forced soldiers on the wall to shield their eyes. The roaring fire scorched the earth, hot winds sweeping in all directions.
When the blaze faded, only a black crater and drifting ashes remained.
Bara stood, breathing heavily. His body was wounded, but he smiled coldly.
"You're nothing without your guards, corpse."
The golden-red sunset split the sky, as if bearing witness to the victory. Bara stood tall, gazing at the battlefield still burning—ready for the next fight.