"I know," the woman said quietly, her jaw tightening as a shiver ran down her spine. "Let’s move. That face... it’s... it creeps me out."
"On your signal," the man replied, his eyes narrowing.
Around them, energy crackled faintly, subtle but ready, as though both of them were holding back the storm that simmered just beneath the surface.
The woman inhaled deeply.
Her fingers brushed against the hilt of a small blade at her side, feeling the pulse of power that flowed through her armor and into her very body.
Then, in one smooth, lightning-fast motion:
Bang!
The ground beneath her feet seemed to vanish as she moved.
Her form blurred, vanishing from the man’s side in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, she reappeared far to the side, landing with a barely audible whisper on a fractured rooftop.
Almost immediately, dozens of palm-sized, crimson energy spheres materialized around her.
They spun in perfect synchrony, each one glowing with raw destructive power, humming like furious bees, their light reflecting off shattered glass and ruined concrete.
She raised her hands, directing them with precise gestures, her every movement a dance of deadly intent.
The spheres shot forward with terrifying speed, streaking through the air like a barrage of scarlet ets aimed at the hovering child above.
The wind from their motion shredded the air, whipping dust, debris, and papers from the ruined streets below into chaotic spirals.
The man watched, calculating, ready to follow, his own aura rising.
He could feel the air distort as her attack cut through it, the immense energy warping the space around her.
Every instinct screamed danger, yet every movement she made was flawless, precise, and lethal.
The child above tilted her head, as though curious, almost amused, at the ining attack.
Her small form shimmered faintly with a strange aura, one that radiated both innocence and lethal intent.
The contrast was disorienting—how could such a young body project such palpable menace?
The hunters knew this fight would not be simple.
The city around them had already been reduced to ruin, but now the sky itself was the battlefield.
Every discarded building, every cracked street, and every shattered vehicle was a potential obstacle, a weapon, or a trap.
The woman’s energy spheres closed in.
The child’s smile widened, just slightly, and a faint red shimmer began to radiate outward from her tiny hands.
The air thickened. Time seemed to stretch.
Boom!
The explosions tore through the air before the energy spheres could reach the child.
The concussive force rattled nearby buildings, sending shattered glass and chunks of concrete raining down into the streets.
Dust and debris swirled in thick, choking clouds, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.
"New food! I’m hungry!" the child shouted, her voice unnaturally loud, echoing in every direction like a distorted chime of madness.
It was a sound both innocent and horrifying, a child’s tone twisted by a malevolent intelligence far beyond her years.
Even seasoned hunters felt a chill crawl down their spines.
The child remained pletely unscathed by the onslaught of energy spheres, though the woman and her panion had anticipated this.
After all, their mission was not to kill, but to capture.
Every movement, every strike, every explosion had been carefully measured—not to destroy, but to manipulate and control.
Even the woman’s initial attack had been deliberate in its restraint.
The barrage of crimson spheres, the blinding explosions, the precise maneuvers—they had all been designed to herd the target, to test it, and to draw it into a trap.
The goal was not devastation, but control; not death, but leverage.
Bang!
Before anyone could react, the child shot downward.
Her body moved impossibly fast, descending like a streak of red and white light.
She arrived within meters of Bella in an instant.
Then, almost mockingly, she froze midair, her tiny form hovering silently, almost taunting her opponents with the impossible control of her movement.
"Oh? Someone’s out here too? Hihihi," the child giggled, her laugh light and playful, yet it carried an undercurrent of pure malice.
"More food, more fun," she added, twisting her head in a motion so unnatural that it defied all human anatomy.
Her eyes locked onto the man who had attempted to stop her, turning fully backward to stare directly at him while her small body remained suspended in midair.
Bella’s heart skipped a beat, though her face remained posed.
This was no ordinary child and no ordinary zombie.
This child was far worse—an ascended variant of the zombies, evolved beyond reason.
Every instinct screamed danger.
"You... want to hold me, boy? Dream on!" the child spat, her voice dripping with cruelty far older than her innocent appearance suggested.
The man staggered backward, clutching his skull as a blinding, stabbing pain ripped through him.
His knees buckled, and he spat blood onto the cracked pavement.
His eyes streamed crimson, and a wave of nausea washed over him.
It felt as though his very skull might shatter under the psychic assault of the child’s gaze.
"Bella! RUN!" he shouted, desperation making his voice crack.
Bella’s lips pressed into a thin line. Panic did not touch her.
Years of training, countless battles, and unflinching discipline kicked in.
Her mind became a razor-sharp focus.
She assessed the child’s position, her careless stance, the aura of her power, and every possible angle of attack.
Whoosh!
Countless red energy spheres erupted around Bella, each the size of a palm, spinning and glowing with deadly intensity.
She gestured sharply, directing them with precision.
They flew like a swarm of meteors toward the hovering child.
Boom!
The spheres collided with the ascended child in a storm of light and explosions.
The shockwave tore through nearby streets, sending debris tumbling into craters in the asphalt.
Dust, smoke, and energy flares filled the air, making the world seem almost unreal.
Yet the child remained suspended, pletely unscathed, tilting her head with a hint of amusement.
Her laughter, light and musical, cut through the chaos:
"You think it’s that easy? Hihihi..."
User Comments
0 comments from readers