Yumiel froze for a moment, touching her face. If the disc hadn't missed, it would have gone straight through her head, and she wouldn't have been able to dodge it. Jack's legs weren't done attaching back to his body; he crawled with difficulty toward Yumiel, who was at the back of the chapel.
The sound of footsteps grew closer and heavier. The two remaining humans curled up in a corner of the chapel, the woman clutching her baby tightly, and the man in front of them, protecting them with his body.
« Yumiel, it's him… the hunter. »
Yumiel's hair stood on end, her instinct screaming, her senses on high alert. Her eyes fixed on the entrance of the chapel like a predator waiting to pounce on its prey.
In the pitch-black night, the silhouette of a man appeared. In his long dark tunic and wide-brimmed hat. He stopped at the entrance of the chapel. Then he spoke.
« You're the damn monster. » His deep, slightly hoarse voice carried strength even when he spoke softly.
These were the only words he uttered before sending out a foldable disc that came from his belt. He threw it straight at Jack. The disc unfolded mid-air, looking like a chakram, speeding forward.
Jack couldn't dodge it; his legs weren't fully fused back with his body. As the disc was only a few meters away from Jack, Yumiel intervened, lifting her leg under the disc and kicking it upward, propelling it toward the top of the chapel. The disc pierced through the chapel roof, coming out the other side.
The man walked slowly, entering the chapel. « So there were two monsters. » Walking toward Yumiel and Jack.
Yumiel acted first. Charging straight at the hunter. The hunter struck with his left hand, aiming for Yumiel's face; she dodged easily. After evading the blow, she launched her right fist toward the hunter's face. Jack was focusing on recovering, noticing the scene too late. « NO YUMIEL!! »
The hunter pulled back his left hand at a speed even Yumiel, with her heightened senses, struggled to follow. He blocked her attack and twisted her arm 180 degrees. He followed with a powerful right hook to Yumiel's face. The impact was so strong that bones could be heard cracking, followed by a loud snap. A moment later, he kicked her, throwing Yumiel through the chapel's wood, then the bricks, and finally out the other side, rolling several meters.
Jack was shocked by the scene; he expected this, but not such a one-sided result. The hunter turned his gaze toward Jack, lying down, his legs only seconds away from reattaching.
« Looks like you're the only one left, monster. » Jack smiled.
« You think you can get rid of that damn bat that easily? »
Yumiel burst through the wall, charging straight at the hunter. She grabbed him by the collar, hurling him into the opposite wall. The hunter, slightly dazed, kicked Yumiel, sending her flying back, narrowly missing the three humans curled in the corner, making her crash again through the chapel walls.
Thanks to Yumiel's intervention, Jack now had new legs; he ran to join Yumiel on the other side of the chapel where the hunter had sent her.
« Yumiel, are you okay? » Yumiel glanced at Jack, who was standing on his legs.
« I've known better. I'm really taking a beating, you didn't tell me he was this strong? »
« I tried to warn you. Now's our chance—let's run! » Yumiel didn't listen to Jack. She looked in the hunter's direction, waiting for him to come out while unscrewing her flask.
Jack put his hand on his face and muttered, « Fucking psychopath. »
Still moving with slow confidence and presence, the hunter emerged from one of the holes. « A vampire and a zombie? What a highly unpleasant combo. » Yumiel replied as she saw the three humans fleeing behind him.
« And you, what are you supposed to be? » The hunter remained still for a long moment, staring at Yumiel and Jack. His coat swayed in the cemetery's breeze, revealing a full assortment of weapons strapped to his belt and inside his coat.
« Me? They call me the Hunter. I'm here to exterminate monsters like you, especially night creatures that are hard for some to catch. »
Yumiel snickered. « If you're here to exterminate monsters, then maybe you should go deal with that anti-monster organization. »
« You mean those humans killing other humans, sending them to a certain death by driving them out of their homes? »
Yumiel nodded. « Hmph, yes, you're right, they might be worse than you. But they're still just humans, while you represent a far greater threat. That's why tonight, I will take your lives. »
Grabbing two discs from his belt, he threw them straight at Yumiel and Jack. Yumiel dodged them successfully, but Jack barely avoided his. The hunter took out two pairs of pistols, firing. He aimed only at Jack—he clearly understood that Yumiel could have dodged without any problem.
Jack wasn't slow for a zombie; in fact, his speed was above that of most humans. But still not enough to dodge bullets—he didn't have Yumiel's senses and reflexes.
« Tss, damn corpse, can't he handle anything alone? » Yumiel pulled blood from her flask, creating a crystal wall in front of Jack, shielding him from the bullets. Jack was hit in a few spots, but it didn't stop him from moving.
« Whoa, how did you do that? That's incredible. » Through the crystal wall, they could see the bullets stuck inside. Then they saw the hunter rushing straight toward the wall. Yumiel created a sword with the remaining blood from her flask. Jack was still amazed by the wall. The hunter pulled back his fist, ready to break it.
« WATCH OUT, IDIOT, STAY FOCUSED. »
The hunter shattered Yumiel's wall, then prepared to strike Jack. But things didn't go as expected—Jack turned around. « Ah, I've been waiting for this, bastard! » Jack threw a left hook at incredible speed; the hunter barely managed to defend himself, putting both arms in front of him.
Jack put all his strength into the blow; when it connected, a shockwave burst out. Bones cracking, a dull thud, and then the shockwave launching the hunter several meters away, making him crash into a tombstone.
Yumiel was stunned. This should have been impossible. The reason she or the hunter had enhanced strength was due to improved muscles, tendons, and bones strong enough to support immense pressure. A zombie with human parts shouldn't be able to do that, even after breaking human limits.
« How the hell did you do that? » asked Yumiel, curious and eager to know.
Jack turned toward Yumiel, his left arm completely shattered, tendons torn, joints sticking out. « I don't know, I just hit with all my strength… I guess this is the power of a human arm without limitations? »
Yumiel knew it was impossible—his brain must have reprogrammed parts of his body to reinforce them. If he could also break the limitation, then it would be close to the strength she just witnessed.
In the distance, the hunter got back up. Yumiel took out her magnum and fired straight at him, emptying her magazine. He barely dodged, avoiding shots to vital organs, then pulled a syringe from his coat.
« That old bastard doesn't want to die?! » Yumiel sent her crystal sword flying to impale him.
The hunter stopped the sword with his trembling left hand; the blade pierced through his hand, and he injected himself with the syringe using his right hand.
Yumiel was shocked again. The hunter's wounds were closing by themselves. He tore the blade out of his hand and broke it.
« How can such a thing be possible? Unless his serum contains nano-stem cells… but even then, this regeneration is impossible. Or maybe he's stimulating his body, awakening dormant genes deep within him? » Jack watched Yumiel lost in her intense reasoning.
« Hey, do you always talk that much when it's about science? » At those words, Yumiel wanted to snap back, but the hunter didn't agree, firing at Yumiel and Jack.
Yumiel created a crystal wall from the previously destroyed one and gathered the blood from her broken sword to recreate another. The strength of her power was that no matter how much her crystallized blood was destroyed, she could reassemble it at will. The hunter disappeared from Yumiel's and Jack's sight. Yumiel pushed her senses to their maximum for a few seconds but found nothing. She then lowered them—they were still active but weaker; it consumed too much energy.
« If you have another ability, now's the time, Mr. Zombie. » Yumiel and Jack stood back-to-back, Yumiel transforming her wall into two more swords spinning above her.
« I've got plenty more tricks, but I would need a body and a lot of time. »
The hunter… He lived up to his name, Yumiel thought. Right now, they were cornered. The hunter kept firing or throwing discs from time to time, hiding in the cemetery's fog and exhausting Yumiel, who had to keep her sense open constantly. Jack noticed Yumiel's fatigue.
« You okay? » The three floating swords above them offered wide protection, but to anticipate attacks, she needed that sense.
« Not really, I'm reaching my limit soon. We need to finish this fast. Got an idea? » Jack looked in every direction but couldn't see or sense anything; he had to rely entirely on Yumiel for defense. So he began to move away.
« Hey, if you move away, I won't be able to protect you! »
Jack ignored Yumiel, positioning himself several meters away, yet the hunter continued targeting only Yumiel.
« Yes, keep ignoring me. »
Jack ran to the chapel, a bit further away, leaving Yumiel behind.
« Great, did he abandon me or what? »
Yumiel defended her position while trying to counterattack the hunter. But it was useless. She considered fleeing, but he blocked every exit. Yumiel was currently trapped in a spiderweb. The hunter had set traps all around her position. Sometimes, instead of shooting, he threw pebbles or even tombstones.
« That bastard… what the hell is Jack doing?! »
Minutes passed, and Yumiel grew more exhausted. Due to repeated assaults, some attacks began slipping through her defense. They injured her, but she didn't mind—her body regenerated within seconds. Yet the minutes passed, and still no sign of Jack. Yumiel was severely weakened, barely controlling her swords.
« Against all odds, your friend abandoned you, little vampire. I'll deal with him afterward, don't worry. »
Yumiel didn't think he had abandoned her—he just needed time, she was sure of it. He seemed stupid, but not stupid enough to abandon his only potential ally.
« I can't wait to bathe in your blood. Damn, Hunter. »
« I think madness is taking over you, little vampire. Be grateful—you weren't an easy hunt. »
Several discs flew toward Yumiel; she blocked most of them. But some slipped through, piercing her body. « Arg », the hunter didn't wait, firing bullets at Yumiel, piercing her body. Yumiel sent her swords to counterattack—they were destroyed easily, bare-handed. Disarmed, Yumiel was cornered. Literally—behind her stood an enormous wall of flesh.
Jack stepped in front of her. Yumiel was stunned by his appearance.
A giant colossus, a monstrous silhouette. His massive yet agile body stood on four powerful legs that granted him animalistic stability and an imposing presence. Ready to charge at any moment. His broad, muscular torso sprouted six perfectly articulated, symmetrical arms. His wide, solid back… He no longer looked like Jack the zombie, but like Jack the war machine defying all logic.
« I hope with all that you at least got smarter, » said Yumiel, exhausted, in a sarcastic tone.
« Ahahaha rest now, little bat, I'll take over. »