"I really didn't expect you to be this strong, big guy…"
Claire couldn't help but marvel as Duanmu Huai walked back to them, unscathed. She shone her flashlight around his body, checking him over with disbelief.
"You're not even hurt??"
Claire knew exactly how terrifying these monsters were. They weren't just hard to kill — anyone scratched or bitten by them would get infected and turn into one of the undead. That was why Marvin refused to come along with them. And that monster earlier had been horrifying, all claws and teeth. She didn't even dare imagine what would happen if it had managed to grab him.
She had thought Duanmu Huai would at least be injured after such a brutal fight, but as she looked closer, she found not even a scratch. His muscles gleamed under the light, firm and unmarred, not even the skin broken.
Of course, Duanmu Huai already had an explanation prepared.
"Oh, that's only natural. I know kung fu."
"Kung fu??"
Hearing that, Claire blinked and tilted her head up to look at him. Because Duanmu Huai was bald and towering, she always had to look up when speaking to him, so she hadn't looked closely before. Now that she did, she realized his features were distinctly Eastern.
"You know kung fu? You mean kung fu can actually do something like this?"
"Of course. I've mastered one of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts — the Golden Bell Shield. It hardens my skin through inner energy until it's like iron, impervious to blades or bullets. Forget that monster's claws and teeth — even bullets can't hurt me."
Since no one here would call him out on it, Duanmu Huai simply made things up as he pleased. After all, to these foreigners, kung fu was practically mystical — walking on walls, crossing rivers on reeds, those were all things they'd accept without question. What was a bulletproof body compared to that?
Sure enough, after hearing his nonsense, both Claire and the blonde girl looked utterly convinced. They really did seem to think kung fu was some kind of superpower.
Then the little blonde girl peered curiously up at him.
"Then, mister, is the reason you look so scary also because of kung fu?"
"…That's right."
Duanmu Huai was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"People who practice that kung fu must have really miserable lives…"
…Thank you so much for that.
Feeling the child's pure, pitying gaze, Duanmu Huai silently turned away.
Sometimes, innocence can cut deeper than any blade.
If he hadn't already built up resistance from being roasted by his own dolls so many times, he might've actually fainted from sheer frustration.
After defeating the monster, the trio continued forward. The girl introduced herself as Sherry — she was here looking for her parents.
Seeing this pitiful little girl, Claire's maternal instincts flared up. She held Sherry's hand as they walked and gently chatted with her.
"What's your mother like?"
"She works for the Umbrella Corporation. She's been developing a new medicine."
"Umbrella? That big pharmaceutical company?"
"Yes. My mom's always working. I hardly ever get to see her…"
"Mm…"
Hearing that, Claire reached out and stroked Sherry's hair.
"I hope you get to see her soon. What about your father?"
"My dad…"
At that, Sherry hesitated. Her eyes flicked toward Duanmu Huai walking ahead before she finally spoke.
"He worked with my mom, but… he's gone now."
And he had just died, too.
"Oh…"
Claire froze for a moment, then nodded softly.
"My parents are gone too. It's just me and my brother now…"
"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to remind you of something sad…"
"It's fine."
"Alright, we're almost there."
Duanmu Huai cut into the awkward conversation. If you can't chat properly, then just don't. What's the point of making each other sad?
Luckily, before things could get more uncomfortable, they had reached the end of the underground tunnel. Crawling out through a maintenance hatch, the three emerged into another area — though it was a tight squeeze for Duanmu Huai, who almost got stuck halfway out.
"I'm never crawling through one of these damned holes again."
Hauling himself out, Duanmu Huai grumbled. His size was a constant nuisance — most places weren't built for someone his size. If he were any broader, he'd have needed to smash his way through instead. Honestly, if I could choose, I'd rather just blast through the front door than crawl through a sewer again.
As he got to his feet, Duanmu Huai looked around. They seemed to be in an underground parking lot near the police station, but the exit was locked tight. Claire and Sherry checked the door and frowned at the red indicator light.
"Damn it, needs a keycard. What do we do now…"
"Let me try."
Duanmu Huai stepped forward, ready to rip the door open, when a voice suddenly called out behind them.
"Sherry?"
The three turned. A middle-aged, overweight man in a police uniform was approaching from the other side. He stared at Sherry and spoke in a falsely gentle tone.
"What a brave little girl. Running around out here in all this chaos…"
Then, without warning, he raised his gun and aimed it at Claire.
"On your knees! Hands on your head!"
"What are you doing—"
Claire gasped, startled, but before she could move, Duanmu Huai strode forward from the shadows, placing himself between them. His glare landed on the fat officer like a hammer. The man's face went pale the instant he saw him. Trembling, he pointed the gun at Duanmu Huai, eyes bulging in terror.
"W-What are you?! Don't come any closer! I'll shoot, I swear!"
He shouted and pulled the trigger — but in his panic, his shot went wide. Claire and Sherry screamed and ducked down, covering their heads. The officer, eyes wide with fear, stared at Duanmu Huai's face. Then suddenly, his face turned blue, his mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. Dropping his gun, he clutched his chest—then collapsed to the floor.
[Target has entered Fear Aura range]
[Target performing Will check — check failed]
[Target has died suddenly]
"…"
Ignoring the glowing system prompts in front of him, Duanmu Huai turned back toward the two stunned girls, spreading his hands innocently.
"You both saw it. I didn't do anything."
The fat man was dead — there was no changing that. And honestly, there wasn't anything Duanmu Huai could do about it. He really hadn't touched the guy. Serves him right for being both hostile and weak-willed. See? Sherry and Claire are fine, but this idiot drops dead on the spot?
Oh well. He really was a dead fat man now.
After finding the parking lot's keycard on the corpse, the three opened the gate and finally left the area.
Now came the question of where to go next.
Claire had come here looking for her brother, but since she'd learned he was away on vacation, she had no real goal anymore. Sherry, on the other hand, still wanted to find her mother. She knew a route leading to Umbrella's underground facility, so after some discussion, Duanmu Huai and Claire decided to accompany her — even if Duanmu Huai had had enough of crawling through damn sewers.
Once they had settled on a destination, the three set off, heading toward the path that would take them to Umbrella's labs.
By now it was late at night. Rain poured down from the dark sky, and the streets crawled with zombies.
Some of them were especially dangerous — for instance…
"Woof! Woof woof!!"
Two zombie dogs leapt effortlessly over a chain-link fence, lunging straight at Duanmu Huai with snapping jaws. In an instant, two massive hands shot out, grabbing both hounds by the head and slamming their skulls together. Their heads burst and fused into a single pulpy mess.
"Annoying mutts."
Duanmu Huai tossed the mangled corpses aside and kept walking.
"Thank you, big guy… um, mister…"
Peeking out from behind Claire, Sherry whispered shyly. She knew full well that without this terrifyingly strong man, she and Claire would never have survived long enough to reach the underground facility.
"You're welcome. And don't call me 'mister.' I'm not even twenty-five yet."
"Eh?!"
Both Claire and Sherry stared at him, wide-eyed.
"You're that young? I thought—"
"Thought what?"
"Nothing…"
"Forget it."
Duanmu Huai couldn't be bothered to dig into whatever Claire meant. Still…
This damn weather. Not having any clothes is really inconvenient…
Claire and Sherry had found raincoats in a nearby store, but nothing in his size existed for someone like Duanmu Huai.
"Whatever. Let's just get there already. How far is it?"
"Uh… just across that street…"
As Sherry pointed ahead, she suddenly froze.
"What's wrong, Sherry?"
Noticing her tension, Claire asked, but the girl only shook her head nervously, staring into the distance.
"T-That… what is that…"
"Hm?"
Following her gaze, Duanmu Huai and Claire looked ahead. Under the dim glow of a streetlight, a tall, dark figure emerged from the other side of the street. He was bald like Duanmu Huai, towering, dressed in a long black coat — and his eyes held no color at all.
That was… the Tyrant.
Thud… thud… thud…
The Tyrant seemed to notice them as well. It turned toward them and began to stride forward — faster, and faster, until it broke into a run.
"Big guy!"
"I know! Leave it to me — get to cover!"
Duanmu Huai clenched his fists, his eyes glowing as he glared at the approaching figure.
It wasn't that he had anything against the Tyrant itself. It was just that…
Finally… I can get something to wear!
(End of Chapter)