Bab 72: Surprise Attack

Upon closer inspection, Kazuichi and the others realized that the monster was an infected. Not only did it have a great resemblance to Aberrants, but it also looked like it was about to bite someone's head off, literally. The monster had rocky spikes on its back, and its appendages were akin to tree stumps due to their sheer size.

"What is that thing?" Sano whispered as he leaned to the side. Just like Kazuichi and everyone else, Sano stared at the gargantuan aberration as it slowly made its way through the city.

Fortunately, the monster didn't seem to notice the party. With every step, the ground rumbled, and a steady groan could be heard coming out of its mouth. It certainly seemed dangerous, but as long as they didn't rile it up, they were fairly certain that they won't have to deal with it.

"That's the biggest Aberrant I've ever seen. How did it even get that big?" The party's leader asked, looking over his shoulder to see whether someone in the group was aware of the phenomenon. Receiving a couple of headshakes, the party's leader disappointingly turned his head so he could continue observing the monster.

"An Omega Zombie. I'm naming it Omega." Sano muttered to himself. He didn't receive any approving nods from the group, but he continued calling the monster Omega anyways. Then again, the monster did resemble an Omega due to how sizeable it was.

For a good couple of minutes, the entire group was frozen in place. Their party's leader was the first one to snap out of their daze, though, and he told everyone that they had to keep moving. Deep inside, all of them were scared out of their wits. However, they have no choice but to push forward. Either they accomplish their mission, or they die trying.

Well, not all of them were willing to die for the Scarlet Blood Stronghold. Although, one could tell that their party's leader was willing to sacrifice his life. It was clearly written in his eyes, and no one could deny the choking aura he exuded.

"Are you all right?" Kazuichi asked Amaya. Without waiting for an answer, though, he picked her up and balanced her on his shoulders. It only took him one glance to realize that Amaya was having a hard time keeping up with the group. Furthermore, judging from the dark circles under his eyes, Kazuichi concluded that she was having a hard time sleeping. "You don't have to push yourself, Amaya. You have to rest as much as you can. Besides, we know that your special ability is always effective, even when you're asleep."

A part of Kazuichi urged him to get away from Amaya as much as he could. This was probably due to her being a Canary. Even with all that warning, though, Kazuichi still carried her.

Meanwhile, Tris was dumbfounded that her younger sister willingly let Kazuichi pick her up. From as far as she could remember, her sister didn't want anyone carrying her, especially when it was Tris who tried picking her up. In fact, her sister always tried to act as if she was old enough to take care of herself. She was mild-mannered, though, so if someone were to really assist her, she would succumb to the offer.

The group continued traversing through the city, careful with each and every step. The last thing they wanted was an Omega following their trail; that's why they tried to maintain as low of a profile as possible. Their steps became more calculated the further they got into the city. Some of them occasionally forgot to breathe due to how tense the situation was. One wrong move and they would head straight to their graves.

Once they were by the center of the next city over, they heaved a sigh of relief. They managed to infiltrate the city without alerting the Omega. That feat was enough cause for a celebration. Nevertheless, they were just getting started. Avoiding the Omega was one thing; subjugating an entire nest of Aberrants was another.

Right in front of them was an abandoned apartment complex. Based on what they heard from the scouts, the apartment complex was a literal hotspot for Aberrants. There were rumors that the Aberrants located here were on another level.

"They're faster than your regular Aberrants... also, their movements are erratic. They are very proficient in darting all over the place. One moment, they're in front of you; the next moment, they're behind you. That's all the information we have regarding these guys. Honestly, I don't believe this information... but it would be foolish of us if we were to disregard it." The party's leader explained in a hushed tone.

"If worse comes to worst, we're going to rely on the little girl to get us out of there. She's a last resort, and personally, I would prefer if we didn't rely on her. But then again, we have no choice but to do so since the nights could get especially dangerous. Remember, the Aberrants weren't the only threats around here."

With resolute nods, the group mentally prepared themselves for the upcoming subjugation. Some of them started unsheathing their weapons and balancing them on their hands. Others muttered a silent prayer while doing some impulsive rituals. The party's leader didn't interrupt any of them. After all, the more prepared they were, the better.

es passed, and the group was finally ready to move inside. "All of us, let's get out of here alive." The party's leader called out, smiling. Raising his hand, he signaled for everyone to start moving toward the abandoned apartment complex. It was time for subjugation.

"Everyone, keep your guard up. We never know when these Aberrants may appea—" The party's leader didn't even finish his sentence. One moment, he was walking in the lead, perfectly fine. The next moment, his head slid from his neck, and a spray of blood erupted from where his head once was.

Fwooosh~!

A resounding shriek was heard, and then the Aberrant showed itself in front of the party.