With Chris's shout, Lilith, perched on a container, shoved it down. The unsteady Nemesis couldn't dodge. Tendrils burst from its back, twisting into a thick rope, bracing against the falling container. Chris and Li Yexing emerged, firing at its face. The Nemesis buckled, the container crashing onto it, pinning it down. As it struggled to rise, Norman stepped forward with his HK-416, expressionless, and fired a grenade from the underbarrel launcher at its head.
The explosion rocked the tight space, the grenade hitting the Nemesis's head dead-on.
"Not so tough," Norman said.
"Did we get it?" Chris asked, eyeing the burning container.
Li Yexing shook his head. "No way it's that easy."
"T-Lilith—!!"
A beastly roar echoed through the warehouse, chilling even Chris, who stepped back.
With a terrifying bellow, the burning container lifted. A flaming, skeletal monster emerged, its chest skin charred and split, its face half-missing, ghastly. It tore off its bent machine gun, ignoring Li Yexing's group, and locked onto Lilith atop the container.
"Run!" Li Yexing yelled. Lilith bolted. The flaming Nemesis wouldn't let her go. Tendrils shot toward her. Li Yexing fired, severing several, blood spraying as they screeched and retracted. The Nemesis, unfazed, leapt after her.
"Goddamn freak!" Li Yexing cursed, chasing the sound of Lilith and the Nemesis. He couldn't climb the containers, relying on noise to track them. Chris and Norman followed.
"Watch the tripwires!" Chris shouted. Li Yexing, frantic, slid under one at a corner, making Chris and Norman sweat.
The plan was shot. Their grenades and tripwires were meant for simple traps, but now they hindered Li Yexing's rush to Lilith.
Another roar. Li Yexing saw the Nemesis on a container, ripping off its metal plates and straps. Tendrils writhed in and out of its body, rioting. Its muscles bulged, tearing its pants and inflating its upper body like a grotesque balloon. Its fire-damaged head split into a gaping maw of jagged teeth, tendrils lashing like tongues. Its left arm mutated, muscles shredding skin into a claw dragging on the ground. The right arm shriveled, balanced by tendrils wrapping it to match the left. In moments, the two-meter BOW became a three-meter, top-heavy abomination.
"T-Lilith@$%#%$#...&%$...*!!"
A distorted, barely intelligible roar erupted from its mutated mouth.
This was the Nemesis's power release, distinct from a Tyrant's.
Chris stared, shock overwhelming him. Norman's face darkened. Li Yexing gritted his teeth as the monster crouched and lunged like a predatory fish at Lilith. She couldn't dodge, and it slammed her waist, both BOWs crashing through containers, collapsing them.
"Lilith!!" Li Yexing screamed, running toward the wreckage. The monster rose, shoving containers aside. In Li Yexing's furious glare, its tendril-wrapped right arm hoisted Lilith, snake-like tendrils binding her body and neck. She struggled, tearing at them, but new ones replaced the ripped ones.
"You bastard, I'll kill you!!" Li Yexing roared, firing his AR-15, bullets bursting blood on the Nemesis. It didn't flinch. Out of ammo, he dropped the rifle, drew his dagger, and leapt onto the mutated arm, stabbing wildly.
"Let her go!!" he bellowed. Two tendrils whipped his chest, sending him flying. Pain seared, breath failing, but he stood, charging again.
Eyes bloodshot, he leapt, dagger raised. "Let her go, you bastard!!"
He froze midair.
Why… stopped? Dammit, I need to save Lilith! She needs me! Lilith… why that look?
Following her horrified gaze, he saw the Nemesis's tendril piercing his abdomen.
So that's it. Just the gut. I can still… still…
Blood gushed from his mouth. Darkness crept in. He swung his dagger at the monster's arm, but it fell as his vision blackened.
The tendril flung him like a ragdoll. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he reached for his Glock, vision fading. Lilith's tears streamed as she watched.
Don't… cry… I'll save you… soon…
He drew the Glock, aimed at the monster's arm, and fired once.
Darkness took him. Lilith's cries and Chris's shouts faded. He tried to rise, but warmth left him.
I'm… dying… Not like this…
I promised… to walk with her…
Sorry… Lilith… sorry…
Lilith's cries stopped like a paused tape.
Tearfully, she stared at Li Yexing, thrown to the ground, struggling to draw his gun, then still in a pool of blood.
"Li!" Chris shouted, rushing forward, but Norman grabbed him. Chris glared. Norman said flatly, "He's done."
The mutated Nemesis tightened its grip. Lilith stopped fighting, sparking its rage. Its suppressed savagery surged, craving her struggle, but she stared lifelessly at Li Yexing's body.
Disappointed, it wanted to crush her, but the NE-Alpha parasite obeyed orders. A hunter, it had its prey. Now, it would return her.
Norman couldn't stop Chris, who ran to Li Yexing. Norman shook his head, ready to bolt.
Then, the lifeless Lilith moved.
She turned, staring at the Nemesis. Her red eyes burned like fire.
She unleashed a piercing scream, soul-shaking. Chris stumbled, staring. The scream was a roar, a wail, raw and chilling. Black and red veins snaked under her skin, climbing her neck to her cheeks. Her eyes glowed red. A heartbeat—real or not—grew louder. The tendrils binding her exploded, blood and flesh spraying. The Nemesis howled, retreating, its severed tendrils writhing.
Freed, Lilith landed steadily. Her arms had mutated, sleeves torn, flesh ripped, fingers now sharp claws glinting coldly. She looked up, expressionless, and charged like a cannonball.
Caught off-guard, the Nemesis took the hit. Lilith's claws stabbed its chest, tearing a blood mist. It screamed, swinging its tendril-hammer arm at her abdomen. She flew back but adjusted midair, landing and rushing again. The Nemesis swung its giant claw, ripping her chest, but she didn't flinch, closing in, claws shredding its flesh in a frenzied dance.
Chris watched, stunned. Years fighting BOWs, but this was new—BOW versus BOW, no skill, just brutal mutual destruction. Even beasts fought smarter.
He realized Lilith was a true monster.
The fight raged, viruses regenerating both. Lilith, emotionless, charged repeatedly, taking hits, then tearing into the Nemesis, its blood soaking her. Her mind faded, killing instinct taking over.
Her face twisted, savage, smiling.
Lilith's agility overwhelmed the Nemesis's bulky frame. It couldn't counter her. Every tendril was sliced or torn. Its regeneration couldn't match her destruction.
Chaos reigned. Norman vanished. Chris eyed his gun and the battling monsters, admitting he was outmatched. As they fought, he moved to drag Li Yexing away. But Lilith screamed, charging him.
He raised his gun, but she was too fast. Her claw swung down. Time slowed. Her blood-red eyes locked on him, teeth bared like she'd devour him.
Like a guard dog protecting her master.
Fitting for Roples' mad dog's girl.
Resigned to death, Chris waited. But the Nemesis's claw pierced Lilith's abdomen from behind, blood spraying onto Chris's face…
Chris hated to admit it, but his plan was a mess from the start. Beyond the warehouse ambush, everything derailed. Li Yexing was down, Lilith mutated, Norman gone.
The Nemesis raised Lilith on its claw, her blood streaming down its arm. She thrashed, roaring like a beast.