章 74: Assimilation

Kazuichi managed to grab it by the neck, swinging it hard on the ground and slamming his other hand on its face. A disgusting squelching sound was heard as his fist dug deep into the Aberrant's face, and Kazuichi let out a 'blergh' as he pulled his hand out.

"Look out!" Sano screamed as another Aberrant leaped out of the darkened gap. Just like the first one, it was shrieking, screaming its lungs out as it aimed to bite Kazuichi on the shoulder.

With his dirtied and bloodied fist, Kazuichi swung hard on the Aberrant as it got within arm's range. Since his foot was firmly planted on the ground, his strike packed more punch than ever. Once the attack connected, the Aberrant's head exploded due to the impact, and its body limply flailed in the air before it stacked on top of the other dead Aberrant.

"That was clo—" Kazuichi almost heaved a sigh of relief when another Aberrant appeared. To his surprise, however, the Aberrant managed to sneak behind him, delivering a painful bite on his shoulder before it shrieked as a sign of victory.

Seeing that Kazuichi was bitten, Sano moved instinctively as he tried to repel the Aberrant. Thanks to his abilities as a Hound Hybrid, he managed to clear the distance between them in mere seconds. But as soon as he got there, the Aberrant had already leaped out of harm's way, shrieking at him as if to insult him for his mediocre speed. Sano growled, his throat letting out a raspy sound as he expressed his anger at the Aberrant.

But the Aberrant had done its duties, or so that's what everyone assumed since it immediately retreated as soon as it bit Kazuichi. "Tsk, I was so close... that Aberrant was too fast. I'm a Hound, and yet I couldn't catch up to it." Sano muttered to himself, punching the ground in annoyance as he clicked his tongue.

"Kazuichi!" Meanwhile, Tris ran up to Kazuichi, concernedly examining the bite wound on his shoulder. She could only imagine how much virus had gone through the wound, and based on Kazuichi's pained expression, she could tell that he was suffering.

And Kazuichi was suffering, and his pained demeanor didn't even come close to expressing the excruciating pain he felt. The moment he was bitten, he instantly felt the different kind of virus in his system. His head started hurting as a throbbing headache plagued him, and for a couple of seconds, his body froze up due to the shock.

"Are you all right?" Tris asked. She realized that she shouldn't go near Kazuichi since there was a good chance that he wouldn't be able to control himself at the sight of an uninfected.

"Yep, I'm all right. I just need to rest for a moment." Kazuichi let out even though he wasn't sure when his body would unfreeze. "For now, all of you should get out of here. I can't move my body, and I don't think you'd be able to defend me while I'm in this state. These Aberrants are strong, far more formidable than any we've ever seen."

"Don't worry, big brother," Amaya let out after overhearing their conversation. Since her older sister and Kazuichi were talking, she decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Before Tris could say anything, Amaya seated herself beside Kazuichi. "I'm a Canary, so no zombie will go near where I stay, right?" She continued.

Kazuichi forced a smile on his face. The throbbing headache had aggravated, and it took every cell of his being to remain conscious. With every shred of his willpower, he decided to fight off his waning consciousness. Deep within, he assumed that he would completely turn into a mindless zombie if he were to lose consciousness; that's why he decided to fight it off until the bitter end.

"You're right, Amaya." Kazuichi forced the words out of his mouth. It became more difficult for him to talk. "But Aberrants are different, they can adapt. You remember what happened back at the abandoned mall, right? Those Aberrants became immune to you being a Canary, and they managed to attack. These Aberrants are no different."

Hearing Kazuichi's explanation, Amaya shifted a little bit as she uneasily looked around. But after contemplating it, she decided to stay. "I'm not going anywhere. If I stay here, I'm sure you will protect me, big brother." Amaya continued.

As for Tris, she also sat beside Kazuichi. Even though they were out in the open, and they could feel the heavy stares of the Aberrants from afar, they decided to stay, notwithstanding the risks involved. Even the party of the uninfected didn't retreat. They knew that Kazuichi is the only one standing between the Aberrants and the Scarlet Blood Shelter. If he's staying, then there was no way they would retreat.

"Can you fight the virus? Tell us if you can't control yourself anymore. We'll figure out a way to bring you back." Tris said, scooting nearer to Kazuichi to assure him that she wasn't scared.

Doing so gave Kazuichi unnecessary pressure, though, and Kazuichi knew that he shouldn't lose control no matter what.

Currently, the Aberrants were circling the group. Despite their limited thinking capacity, they were aware that Kazuichi should've turned right about now. Even though Kazuichi is a Hybrid, he should've been susceptible to their evolved strain of the virus, and he should've turned into an Aberrant just like them. And yet, Kazuichi was holding on, which left the Aberrants confused.

This was the first time something like this happened, that's why the Aberrants waited for a couple of seconds more, thinking that doing so would allow the virus in Kazuichi's system to kick in. They grew impatient, and with another shriek, they started charging at the group, their claws at the ready.

At the same time, Kazuichi felt his headache dissipating. To his relief, his body had fought off the virus, and he was able to assimilate with it without losing control of his mind. A smile appeared on his face. He had survived another bite.