Chance decided everything for me. The handsome Black guy stumbled, and his older companion rushed to help the poor man. But Thanatos seized that moment of hesitation and closed the distance between them. One grab with his enormous paw and a squeeze of his fist—that was all the monster needed to end the life of one of the survivors.
A strangled cry of "No!" came from the office blonde. Despair spread across the face of the second man in their group, though he still stepped in front of the women to shield them. The second blonde's attempts to fire at the indestructible hulk… all in vain. The Tyrant's hide let the bullets through, but they lodged uselessly in the muscle tissue. The Japanese woman supported her friend, yet Thanatos didn't care—he was already raising his massive paw over the unfortunate guard.
I jumped from the roof and landed between the Tyrant and his victim, facing the former. I managed not only to take the proper stance but to block the downward strike. My legs sank ankle-deep into the asphalt. Behind me, I heard the guard's muffled gasp.
"Another one…" muttered the croupier, who had stopped shooting.
"We're doomed," the Japanese woman echoed, reinforcing her companion's "cheerful" outlook.
"Tch. And where, exactly, is your fighting spirit? Would I have bothered saving you just to kill you myself?!" My nerves were fraying! I was sick of everyone seeing only a monster in me—even if that's exactly what I was. How miserable it is for a monster to possess a human mind!
"It talks!" the rescued guard blurted out.
"Not it—he! And weren't you in a hurry? Then get moving, preferably fast. And I'm going to have a little fun here," I replied without turning around.
"Thank you," the Japanese woman and the office blonde said in unison, though only the Japanese woman added, as I've come to appreciate about that tactful nation, "Can we help?"
"No, you'd only get in the way. And I don't know if you're aware, but in about four hours this city is going to go up in flames. Do you really have time to linger?" I was skepticism incarnate at that moment, and the survivors nearly choked on air at my words.
"How do you know?" The office blonde suddenly stirred, her eyes shining with the same kind of gleam in her eyes akin to the way Yamata looks at new specimens. This girl craved more information from me. Professional habit, perhaps? Was she a journalist or something?
"I used to be part of Umbrella's forces before they turned me into this for failing a mission. So I've got certain bits of information. I preserved my mind by sheer miracle. As for the score I have to settle with the corporation—I'll modestly keep silent about that." I snorted. If I'd guessed her profession correctly, Umbrella might soon find life becoming even more "interesting" than it already was.
"And yeah—get the hell out of here!" I reminded them of the situation, kicking the Tyrant away with a sharp strike.
But he sprang back like a grasshopper. Definitely several ranks more agile than his kin. Interesting. I slipped beneath him, grabbed the passing bulk by the leg, and with a single jerk rose to my feet, slamming him face-first into the asphalt. I leapt on top of him and began methodically raking him with my claws, pinning him with my legs so he couldn't throw me off or rise. The survivors hurried onward, glancing back from time to time.
Share your genes with me, Thanatos!
Measured blows from my clawed hands tore nearly chunks of flesh from the Tyrant's body. And although he showed no signs of dying, yet his blood flowed into me just as swiftly. At one point, twisting in a way no living human ever could, he freed his lone arm and flung me aside.
I slipped into acceleration. The new strike from the rapidly lunging Thanatos was deflected with my left hand, while my right came crashing down on the head of the charging mass. With a low growl, the monster leapt back—but taught by bitter experience, I was already surging forward at full speed. Slamming into him and knocking him down in the finest rugby style, I carried the monster through the wall of a building across the street, our bodies smashing straight through it.
I threw him down again—onto parquet flooring this time; it seemed to have been a kitchen before our arrival. Settling on top, I gouged out his eyes and began breaking his ribcage, inside which his heart was already visible. One final wrench, and my jaws closed around the most vital part of the Tyrant's body, ending his life and flooding me with blood.
That was that. I hope you'll give me much, Thanatos. It's surprising I defeated you so quickly. Then again, within me dominate the skills, patterns, and instincts of Vector. And he's trained to fight with standard techniques, and instead of relying on the claws other infected use by instinct, my reflexes push me to strike with my fists. This time, though, I acted consciously. Either I've finally fully assimilated all those skills and can control my own reflexes—or I'm sliding in the opposite direction, devolving into the state of mindless beasts ruled entirely by instinct. I don't even know whether I should rejoice at the former or search for a way out of the latter.
I rose and brushed myself off. I had a window of several hours now. How best to use it? Hurry to the plant, where Nemesis should reach its final stage—though with Yamata's help, the city's special task force operative ought to handle it—or go after that group of survivors?
Nothing but questions.
Fine. I'll head to the plant. If those survivors move in the right direction, they'll make it out of the city. If not—well, that'll be their fate.
(End of Chapter)
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