Chapter 12: Scream
When the disaster struck, not everyone panicked and were eaten by the zombies.
There were a few places with survivors.
In an ordinary district of Deanfold City, a female priest took charge of a church.
Being a survivor of the initial strike.
There were many who reacted with panic when the disaster struck so suddenly.
St Martha High School had a crowd of students that wanted to act irrationally.
To go find their families and try to save them immediately. Even if it was late.
The teachers didn't allow that.
Using strength to take power over the students and forcibly enforce military law.
It was the only way to lessen casualties.
There was a second method used by the female priest taking charge of the neighbourhood. When the lightning struck and zombies crowded, she spoke:
"Don't fear! Those who follow me will be blessed by the Graces, and those who don't will rot for their foolishness!" The woman immediately went cultist mode.
To her, this was an inevitable outcome.
Those who knew even a little about the Harmonic Theory were prepared for war.
Instead of becoming panicky, those who were still in the church became devout.
Because when you lose everything, the only thing you can rely on is your faith.
Belief that everything will be fine.
The female priest took her son's hand and kept him close. They picked up mops and brooms. Going into the charity kitchen to take out knives and pans.
The believers of the Harmonic Theory within the church became a small army.
They forgot about individuality and acted as a group. Fighting fiercely for survival.
"Mom, is Dad gonna come?" The child asked his mother, who was on the phone.
The person on the other end didn't pick up. She assumed the worst at that point.
Her eyes were red.
"Dad is safe at home. We have to survive long enough to meet him, okay?" Even though she'd given up on hope, the female priest shared this falsehood.
False hopes were a lot better than none.
Her child didn't notice the lack of evidence she gave for her assumption.
He immediately brightened up.
The child help barricade the windows. It hadn't been long since the crowd fought.
Those zombies weren't too strong.
Even civilians like them had their way of dealing with dumb zombies like them.
They weren't born in a battle-centric society for nothing. It was only natural.
The female priest continued to expand her network. Trying to bring people close.
If she had succeeded, then Deanfold City would've seen new light without any help.
Humans were predators when they had a goal and any random tool to work with.
Their numbers kept growing.
However, this also caught the attention of someone who didn't like their actions.
One day, the female priest woke up to hear about a strange force coming close.
"Who are those people?" She thought it was strange these fully black clothed soldiers wore cosplay. It was as if they were wearing a classic werewolf outfit.
Complete with ears and a furry tail.
That was until those weapons made by humans were turned to them instead.
"Run!" Her child, who was playing in the makeshift nursery they made, was the first to cough blood. The woman screamed when noticing his shirt red.
The child had looked down in confusion.
Losing strength in his body.
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!" The female priest lost all reason and charged with a knife.
Bang!
A hole was made through her chest.
She roared. Throwing herself toward the soldiers with all her strength remaining.
Only to hit solid ground.
Bang!
Another bullet hit her kneecap. It put her in so much pain that she couldn't think.
The only thing in her mind were them.
And the sounds they made.
"Hehehehe~ Hehehe~" They laughed like hyenas. Their masks moving vividly.
Revealing their hidden teeth.
After everyone was subdued, they had revealed their true forms to the survivors.
The guns retreated into their flesh as they became wolves. Hungry for a meal.
They preyed on their 'stories'.
The last thing the female priest saw were the wolves dining on her flesh and blood.
Her son's corpse also being their meal.
…..
….
…
..
.
Once they decided to follow the plan Lex came up with, they had became obedient.
Betty searched her systems for the location of the tracker put on Rin, and Ryan decided to follow Lex downstairs to fight against the 'wolves' that entered.
"You're not coming like that." Lex was strict when he pointed at the young man.
"What's wrong?"
"We're going to go silently. Choose one of those blades or stay behind." Lex was not going to bring a liability along. He slapped Ryan's shoulder to prove this.
The moment he did, the katanas Ryan held started to clink on the ground or each other. Making a lot of noise like he was a musical instrument and not a man.
"…" Ryan looked a little embarrassed.
He put the katanas down and did what he was told. Looking at the many options.
He decided to go with the black katana.
"Alright, now get in the domain I'm expanding." Lex used his Illusionary Step.
The range was vague, so the young Hero simply told him to get as close as he could. Didn't want the guy blowing their cover by walking out of his illusion range.
"This seems really interesting, but aren't I a burden?" Ryan DID seem self-aware.
"My technique is more potent when there's more to hide. Just don't get into their direct line of sight." Lex was about to lead him down to not waste any time.
However, he was immediately stopped.
Ryan showed that he wasn't simply luggage for him to carry with him.
The black katana shone.
Despite Ryan's obvious inability to use a blade, his proficiency in Mana was high.
It didn't take long for him to grasp the domain formed by the Illusionary Step. A strong and pure power of darkness emerged from the katana at that moment.
Infusing its properties into the domain.
Lex was surprised to see his domain take on a black tint. A dark fog covered them.
"I applied 'Stealth' to your domain. The visual impairment should be stronger now." Ryan looked much more reliable after that. There were no complaints.
Lex finally started to see him as an equal.
"Alright. Let's go down slowly." Lex tightly held his heavy MagiPistol and MagiBlade.
He started to activate the power of the latter. Allowing him to read the wind.
They made their way downwards while leaving Project Scavenger and Betty.
'I have to be quick.' From what they said earlier, this person called Rin was gone.
Likely having been captured by the enemy, which was the optimistic thought.
He didn't want to think of it further.
'Right, I can act naturally.' Lex cracked his neck and got into a darker mindset.
Throwing away his thoughts about saving people. The thoughts about protecting.
What he needed now was only killing.
The city needed an avenger, and those lost souls in the area needed consoling.
They went to the endlessly long stairway at the side of the building. Unable to stop the sound of the door opening. Ryan and Lex looked over the railing with caution.
Seeing those 'wolves' were tirelessly climbing up. They checked every room.
'Us. Go.' Lex hand signed Ryan in the darkness. Somehow, the guy got it right.
Following instructions without arguing.
'I might have misunderstood him.' When things got serious, the youth was quiet.
Lex found him really similar to himself.
He looked down once again.
The howls of the spirits of those who had died by these wolves hands were loud.
Getting stronger by the minute.
'I first. You second.' This was the best form of cooperation Lex could gesture.
Putting Ryan in charge of finishing enemies he didn't properly eliminate.
He trusted the 'Shaolin Soccer Striker Ace' would be able to keep up with him.
'Time to make some noise.' Lex pointed his gun downwards and focused fiercely.
'Explosive Round.' Lex thought, and the MagiPistol superheated at that moment.
Almost burning his hand.
'Blast Shot.' He manipulated the strength and speed of the bullet being shot down.
Shooting a perfectly vertical slow bomb.
The light from the explosive round both got the wolves to gather up at the stairs.
Howling and making their way right up.
Ryan gave him a look that asked if he was sure about this. The enemy had guns.
And like Lex said before, they were too weak to simply shrug off a rifle's bullets.
Only to find that youth already went.
Riding the railing with his foot and making only a subtle metal sliding noise.
Not enough to notice from far away.
'What a crazy guy…!' Ryan thought before doing the same thing. Riding all the way.
The scenery quickly changed as he made sure to keep within the range of the domain. After all, leaving this would deactivate the buff he'd applied to it.
What would happen to Lex if that happened? From what he said earlier, this kind of fast-paced parkour was too reckless. What if he didn't catch up?
Then he noticed the youth's eyes on the way down. They had a familiar fury.
Lex was truly livid.
The souls attached to these 'wolves' all cried in agony. Crying of an unfair death.
Only one of them was silent.
A priest woman who was coddling a crying child in her arms from the pain.
Lex raised his weapons.
It looked like the wolves had filled up the stairway and were making their path up.
Not stoping for anything.
The light of the explosive round finally reached them. Showing an orderly army.
A black ink appeared out of Lex's hand the closer he got. Using it on his throat.
Taking in a deep breath.
'Red Storm Cursed Breath!' He thought this attack move practiced by himself.
Using his second Mystic Tool to amp it.
A gust of red mist immediately influenced the wolves. They suddenly felt ailments.
Lethargic. Blurry eyes. Distorted and hallucinating senses. Joint degradation.
The stronger the resentment of those they'd devoured, the stronger this ability.
Judgement Day was upon them.
'I will wash away all your sins…' His intent to kill became manifested into reality.
Maybe because they were animals, the soldiers immediately noticed his arrival.
Only being unsure of WHERE he was.
There wasn't even a shadow where they were feeling this sharp and intense gaze.
Lex unsheathed his blade.
The energy sabre of the Wind MagiBlade cut through the closest of the wolves.
Being killed before it could even whine.
The rest had yet to notice. Being wholly enveloped by Lex's enhanced domain.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
It was a total nightmare. The debuffed wolves found themselves being killed.
They were slaughtered one-sidedly.
'This is considered weak?' Ryan thought while not giving much chances to fight.
He was told by Lex earlier that he was apparently 'weak' from not having Stigmata Gifts. This made him expect that the youth would be a supporter.
However, he got it wrong.
Ryan ended up being support.
A vicious and cruel swordsman took on dozens of 'wolves' without any real help.
He used the two MagiTech weapons to their fullest. Cutting down his enemies.
Slicing and putting a hole through them.
Ryan chose to hold back and contacted Betty on his earpiece. He made a call.
"What are the results?" Ryan was watching Lex intently while speaking.
"I found Rin's location. Have you made a dent in their numbers?" Betty calculated.
"…Pretty much." The buff young man looked at the pitiful slaughter occurring.
A loud thud could be heard upstairs along with an engine. Ryan raised his head.
Project Scavenger's motors roared.
It somehow jumped onto the railing and slid its large motorcycle form downwards.
"Lex! Our ride is incoming!" Ryan tried to talk to the dark avenger in his zone.
He shot another wolf and nodded back.
The loud motorcycle quickly came down to where they were. It crashed into the mob of wolves downstairs before they could howl in pain. With bones being crushed upon impact with the wheels.
Lex jumped onto it and latched on.
His newfound comrade also riding the outer layer of the cycle by holding on.
They constantly shifted their positions.
Not letting the wolves use their weapons by attacking before they could shoot.
All until they got to the ground and made their own path by breaking a thick wall.
'…' Lex silently looked at the mother and child spirits still hanging around the wraiths. The woman looked at him, and nodded her head to bud him goodbye.
They might have had a vicious end, but the woman was against seeking his aid.
No child should have to avenge them.
That was the answer spoken by her eyes.
There wasn't even any resentment left in her heart when she saw his willingness.
Her attachments were finally released.
The last thing Lex saw before leaving was the woman's spirit fading from this world.
Her story having finally ended.
The last they saw of those wolves was when seeing the explosive round burst.
An explosion rocked the entire skyscraper. Not enough to destroy it, but enough to make the stairway they just came out of collapse behind them.
Ryan looked at Lex. Wondering just what he was looking back at so emotionally.
They continued towards their destination.
Little did the trio know that in their next operation. One of them would be dying.
And it'd be a brutal death at that.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone