I wiped the blood from my mouth and signaled my men. "Come in."
The door opened, and my gut twisted—Brick and Slade, bound and wrecked. Behind them, a kid held a scythe to their backs, the twins dangling in his other hand like they weighed nothing.
"Brick. Slade... Explain."
Silence.
Their heads sank in shame.
My gaze shifted. "And you… who the hell are you, kid? What the chert did you do to my men?"
These maniacs… I told them both to wait for the kid. What the hell just happened at the entrance?
...
[ MC POV ]
As I stepped into the room, my eyes swept over the group I'd saved—nine men, three women, and the four unlucky fools I still held. Sixteen in total. Every detail accounted for.
A burly older man's voice cut through the air. Judging by its weight, he was their captain. I stayed silent, watching, curious what kind of people they really were.
"Brick. Slade… explain," he said.
The two I held lowered their heads, bruised and battered, shame etched across their faces.
Idiots. They'd pulled guns on me, tried to interrogate me as if I owed them answers—after I'd just saved them. A lesson had been necessary.
The captain's eyes locked onto mine, cold and sharp. "And you… who the hell are you, kid? What the chert did you do to my men?"
I met his stare without flinching, calm and cold. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is how easily your men die if I choose it."
That stirred the hornet's nest.
"This little shit—who the fuck is he?!" One man snarled.
"Just try it, kid!" another barked.
"Say the order, Pops—I'll put this brat down where he stands!" a large, black muscular man growled, veins bulging in his arms.
Then the old captain's voice rang louder than them all: "ENOUGH!"
Silence slammed down on the room. They stood stiff, like children caught misbehaving. I almost laughed. What was he, Whitebeard?
The old man sighed. "What do you want, kid?"
I tilted my head, replying faintly, "You all… drop your weapons."
His men began to protest, but the old man's glare silenced them. "Stop. Do as he says. But if we throw them down, do you swear to release my men?"
I gave a single nod.
Weapons clattered to the floor, one after another. Only then did I release Brick and Slade, shoving the twins toward them, no longer my responsibility.
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Now what, kid?"
I lifted my scythe, its edge gleaming as I pointed it at the group. "Now… strip. All of you."
Shock rippled through them. They stood frozen like statues.
The captain gave a rough cough. "W-What did you just say?"
I gave him a flat look. "Are you deaf? I said I need to see if anyone here has been bitten."
A flush crept up his weathered face before he barked, "Alright, boys. You heard him. Strip."
One by one, their tactical gear hit the floor. I inspected them carefully—no bites, no scratches. But my eyes caught on a man who hadn't moved.
"Why aren't you stripping?" I asked sharply.
The captain tried to intervene. "Kid, wait. Let him be… it's his wife—"
"Strip," I cut him off coldly, stepping forward, pressing the scythe close to the man's neck.
He raised his head slowly, eyes hollow. His voice was broken. "Just kill me… I want to be with my wife." Tears streamed down his face.
I followed his gaze to the bed. A woman lay there, pale, sweat-soaked.
"What happened to her?" I asked, calmer now.
He trembled, choking back sobs. "She… she's been bit…"
I exhaled, resting the scythe on my shoulder. "Get up. I'll cure her."
The room erupted in stunned silence.
The old captain stepped forward, his tone firm. "Kid, you know the truth as well as we do. A bite means death. Don't feed him false hope."
I met his eyes without flinching. "I'm not joking. I have a cure."
Disbelief and shock painted every face in the room.
One of the men—Kevin—snapped in rage. "Enough of this crap! You think we're fools?! Even Dr. Candace Jenner couldn't find a cure!"
I turned my calm gaze on him. "So because she failed, no one else can succeed? That logic is pathetic."
I gestured toward the twins. "Examine them yourself. They were bitten… until I drove the vaccine into their neck. Now they live."
The old captain gave a quick nod, and the young medic hurried forward. After inspecting their bodies, he looked back wide-eyed. "Pops… it's true. Their skin's still warm, eyes clear. No sign of turning."
The captain staggered, disbelief written across his face. "W-what…?"
I ignored him, fixing my eyes back on the Caucasian man's kneeling at his wife's side. "So—will you strip, or do you want your wife to die?"
The man's body shook, eyes burning red as he locked onto me. "Please… save her. I'll do anything—anything you want."
I gave a small nod. "Sure."
I approached the bed, checked the woman's condition. She was right at the edge—another hour and she'd have turned.
Summoning the vial from my pocket, I snapped the cover off and injected it straight into her neck.
Gasps filled the room as I turned back to the man. "It's done. Now… strip."
Numb, he scrambled to his feet and tore off his gear without hesitation.
I checked his body—he was clean, unbitten. He thanked me, then quickly rushed to his wife, clutching her and sobbing.
My eyes shifted back to the old captain, who was still frozen, his gaze lingering too long on the woman's body. then flicked up to me.
"J-just… what the hell are you, kid?" he muttered, shaken.
I met his gaze coldly. "That's not important. What matters is—I just saved your people's asses. Don't forget it."