On the other side—
Just as the monster girl Lisa and Javier believed they had dealt with the big boss Wesker, the decisive battle between Jill, Rebecca, and the others against the T-002 Tyrant was reaching its climax.
"Bang-bang-bang—!!!"
A barrage of chaotic gunshots rang out. Handguns and shotguns delivered combined suppression fire, pushing the T-002 Tyrant into retreat. The S.T.A.R.S. members had expected the ugly monster to be much tougher, but the actual fight felt surprisingly manageable.
Of course, this was thanks to that little brat, Rebecca.
The other S.T.A.R.S. members had no experience fighting a Tyrant, but Rebecca was an exception. She, Javier, and Billy Coen had faced the T-001 Prototype Tyrant in the basement of the Executive Training Facility. Therefore, Rebecca understood Tyrants better than anyone else.
"..."
"Its heart is already damaged and it's bleeding heavily. Ignore its upper body for now and concentrate fire on its legs! No matter how fast or powerful it is, it's useless if it can't reach us!"
Rebecca was employing a Crowd Control combat strategy. She fired frantically with her trench warfare artifact, the M1897 Trench Gun, and the 1887 Demon Slayer Shotgun. The spent shotgun shells clattered as she fired non-stop, even as the barrels glowed and smoked. She simultaneously issued commands to the other S.T.A.R.S. members.
Rebecca had completely adopted this strategy after seeing Javier and Billy Coen use it against the Hunters. Whether they were Berserk Zombies, Hunters, or Tyrants, they all shared a common trait: they were fast and strong, but low in intelligence, never dodging and always tanking damage—behaving exactly like wild beasts.
The best way for a hunter to hunt prey, without a doubt, is the bleed-out kill. When an instant kill is impossible, a hunter typically aims arrows or rounds at the prey's lungs. This prevents a desperate counterattack and allows safe tracking by following the blood trail. If the lungs are hit, survival is unlikely; frothy blood continuously flows from the wound, causing the prey to struggle for breath, grow weak, and eventually collapse from respiratory distress and massive blood loss, ready for the hunter's final blow.
Rebecca's strategy of focusing fire to break the T-002 Tyrant's legs followed the same principle. This monster was tough to kill, but if its legs were broken, its great speed and power could no longer be utilized, rendering it useless.
Seeing this, Jill, Barry, and Chris obediently focused their fire on the T-002 Tyrant's legs. Chris's M500 Revolver fired first, followed by Barry's Colt .44 Magnum, and Jill's modified shotgun salvaged from the deceased Richard.
Coupled with Rebecca's M1897 and 1887, they achieved a full-bore offensive, forming a dense network of suppressive fire that the T-002 Tyrant could not break through. It momentarily crossed its arms to shield its head from the overwhelming rain of bullets, but it left one crucial area exposed: its legs! Furthermore, Rebecca and the others never intended to target its head anyway.
The next moment,
"Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang—!!!"
"Pooch...!"
To the T-002 Tyrant's shock, the concentrated torrent of bullets was unleashed directly onto its thighs. The intense fire instantly shredded the Tyrant's flesh armor, exposing the pale bone underneath. By the time the T-002 Tyrant reacted and tried to squat to protect its legs, it was too late.
"Snap—!"
The tough leg bone was instantly broken. The muscles and flesh of the thick thigh were utterly destroyed by the bullets, and the leg collapsed beneath it. Losing its balance, the T-002 Tyrant crashed to the ground.
"Roar! Roar! Roar—!!!"
The now one-legged T-002 Tyrant bellowed in rage, trying desperately to get up and counterattack. But Rebecca and the others wouldn't give it the chance; they struck while the iron was hot. The four rushed forward, surrounding the T-002 Tyrant and renewing their suppressive fire, paralyzing the monster once again.
At this moment, Barry took the opportunity to dismantle laboratory equipment, tearing out a thick electrical cable and throwing it over the T-002 Tyrant's body. He then shot the cable, exposing the conductive copper wires. Seeing the timing was right, Chris yanked down the main power switch!
"Pooch..."
"Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle—!!!"
Sparks and electricity instantly erupted. Smoke billowed from the cable as a powerful current surged through the T-002 Tyrant's colossal body. Its massive frame began to tremble violently. As the intense blue current ravaged it, a foul, scorched odor filled the air. Unable to withstand the high voltage, the T-002 Tyrant's body began to spontaneously combust. Flames rapidly spread across its flesh.
The T-002 Tyrant instantly fell silent, seemingly dead!
"Hold fire...!"
"Is it dead...?"
"It's completely charred and self-immolating. If it weren't dead, it wouldn't be able to endure the burning and would be struggling in agony. It must be dead."
After a while, Chris pulled the switch back up, and the lab fell dark again. Looking at the self-immolating T-002 Tyrant, Rebecca and the others exchanged dubious glances. They weren't sure the Tyrant was truly gone, but the consuming flames were real. If it were faking, it couldn't tolerate the heat and should be fighting back. It had to be dead.
However, they didn't have time to dwell on the T-002 Tyrant's status, because at that moment, a very familiar danger alarm blared through the underground tunnel laboratory. Red lights flashed wildly, and an air raid-like siren wailed:
"Doo-doo-doo...!!!"
"Doo-doo-doo...!!!"
"Doo-doo-doo...!!!"
"Attention, attention, attention. All personnel in the underground tunnel laboratory, the base has initiated the self-destruct sequence. The self-destruct countdown will begin in five minutes. All research personnel are requested to cooperate and evacuate in an orderly manner. Repeating: The base will self-destruct in five minutes. All research personnel are requested to cooperate and evacuate in an orderly manner."
Hearing the familiar electronic female voice, Rebecca and the others completely abandoned the question of the T-002 Tyrant's death. They exchanged looks and chose to evacuate. After collecting evidence of the Umbrella Corporation's bio-weapon research, Rebecca and Jill took the lead, while Barry and Chris carried the unconscious Captain Enrico and followed.
With that, the remaining members of the S.T.A.R.S. team began their withdrawal from the mansion.
At the end of the underground tunnel, Rebecca and the others found a working elevator. Using it, they could reach the surface. As the elevator ascended, the previously malfunctioning radio suddenly regained a signal.
"Static..."
"Hiss-hiss-hiss..."
"Hello! Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all, please answer! This is Brad. Brad Vickers, Alpha Team's pilot. Can anyone hear my voice? Captain Wesker, Chris, Barry, Jill, Joseph, are you still alive? Please, if you hear my voice, answer!"
As the group rode the elevator, a male voice crackled from the radio on Jill's shoulder—it was the pilot, Brad Vickers. The fearful pilot had fled at the sight of the first Doberman Zombie and drove away in the helicopter right at the start. Later, Brad felt incredibly cowardly for abandoning his teammates. To make amends, he had flown the helicopter back to Raccoon City Police Department to pick up more weapons for support.
But now, Brad was anxious because he couldn't reach any of the Alpha Team members. He didn't want his cowardice to result in the death of the entire Alpha Team; he knew he would be tormented by guilt for the rest of his life.
For the escaping Jill and the others, this was an absolute lifesaver.
"Brad! You're alive...!!!"
"This is Jill! This is Jill, listen to me... We're still alive. Barry, Chris, several Bravo Team members and I are alive. The situation is urgent, the mansion is about to blow up, and we're trapped inside. We have to escape quickly. We are currently taking the elevator up to the mansion's rooftop."
"It's wide open up there, suitable for a landing. Can you fly the helicopter over the mansion and be ready to pick us up?!"
Jill, clinging to this straw of hope, shouted into the radio. The pilot Brad was ecstatic to get a response. He hadn't expected anyone from S.T.A.R.S. to still be alive, which meant he wouldn't be labeled a coward and a deserter.
"N-No problem!!!"
"Hey, that's great! I'll park the helicopter over the mansion immediately. When you reach the roof, remember to fire a signal shot to alert me. I will get all of you safely out of this hellhole!"
After giving the instructions, the eyes of Jill, Barry, and Chris sparkled with excitement. They were saved! They hadn't expected the cowardly Brad to actually return with the helicopter. This meant they could finally escape before the mansion self-destructed.
However, among the group, only Rebecca looked serious.
They had forgotten one person: Rebecca still hadn't seen Javier return. Although the self-destruct alarm was blaring everywhere and Javier could use the chance to escape, Rebecca was worried that he had run into trouble while pursuing Wesker or had been injured in the fight. This made Rebecca uneasy, and her steps were hesitant as they left the underground lab.
"Whirrr—!"
After dozens of seconds, the tunnel elevator successfully delivered Jill and the others to the top floor. Climbing the final stairs, Jill, who was leading the group, didn't hesitate and kicked open the rusted iron door.
"Bang!"
"Clang—!!!"
The door was kicked down onto the floor.
A faint ray of morning sun slowly shone down on them. Although clouds still covered the sky, they couldn't block the light of the dawn. Yes, it was morning. After a full ten hours of rescue operations, they had finally escaped the confinement of the mansion.
"We're saved...!"
"Yes, we're saved. I never realized how wonderful it would be to see the sun rise tomorrow."
Looking at the gentle morning sunlight spilling onto the mansion roof, the S.T.A.R.S. members couldn't help but sigh. Undoubtedly, this mission was the most dangerous, most thrilling, and most unforgettable memory of their lives.
But a warm, happy ending rarely comes so easily—
Just as Jill and the others were still marveling at the complexity of their experience, a massive roar suddenly erupted, like a bomb exploding. The piercing sound spread all the way to the mansion roof, right beneath their feet.
"Boom————!!"
"Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble——————!!!"
The rooftop floor suddenly exploded, revealing a gigantic hole. Dust and debris sprayed out. Looking down, the enormous hole was pitch-black. It wasn't just a simple breakage; it spanned multiple layers, punching straight through the floor of the underground lab, the main hall, the second floor, the third floor, and finally the rooftop—an enormous vertical tunnel of destruction. This was terrifying. Who could possess such immense power to punch through four or five thick, reinforced floors at once...?
"Bang...!"
In the next second, a massive black shadow leaped out of the exploded hole with incredible speed. Before they could react, the gigantic shadow stood before Jill and the others. Looking up, they saw it was the T-002 Tyrant, which had not been fully destroyed!!!
How was this possible? This monster should have been dead!
This was the question haunting the S.T.A.R.S. members. In fact, the T-002 Tyrant had not been fully killed by the high-voltage electricity; instead, the shock had triggered an internal power limiter release. With the suppression removed, it naturally erupted into this new form. Its muscles had practically doubled in size, forming thick armor, its skin was steaming, and it had turned blood red. The T-002 Tyrant had undoubtedly entered a berserk state!