Everyone was already heading toward the designated center point, but the primary issue remained the sheer scale of the geography. Even within the triangle formed by the three major cities, there was still a vast amount of open space for them to cover, much of it rugged and difficult terrain.
However, there was one singular, grim landmark that all of them could somewhat follow, the literal trail of the Gluttons. From every side, they could see the feral werewolves sprinting through the fields, all drawn by the same psychic pull toward their creator.
However, every single one of the three separate groups would soon divert their planned routes and shift their full attention. A new text message had just arrived, pinging simultaneously on their devices. It was ing from Luzen, the scout who had stayed behind to track Unzoku. They now all knew the exact location of the enemy: Tower Land.
Inside their large vehicle, the atmosphere was thick with tension as the minibus sped down the highway, the engine roaring as the driver pushed it to the limit.
“Wait, there’s a petrol station that’s around one mile away from the theme park entrance,” Kai said, tapping on a digital map. “Get everyone to meet up there first. We need a staging ground.”
“Shouldn’t we just head straight to the park itself?” Innu suggested, his hands gripping the back of the seat in front of him. “From the sound of what Lupus said in his report, it looks like Unzoku is going to go pletely crazy if we don’t get there quickly. Every second we wait is another Glutton he consumes.”
“Rushing in blindly is exactly the type of thing that will lead to our deaths,” Kai replied, his voice calm but firm. “Unzoku is incredibly powerful, and right now, he has a large, mindless army at his beck and call. Although he might be feasting on them now to recover his strength, at any moment he could change the order and have them turn their teeth on us.
“We don’t want to lose anyone today. This is our chance to take him out once and for all, so we should all go in together as a unified unit. Even if it takes just a little bit more time to coordinate, I’m going to gamble that our bined strength is more powerful than a fractured, hurried assault.”
Gary wasn't against the idea. Although he had improved significantly in recent months, he knew he was facing a monster that existed on a different level. He had quite a few last resorts to consider. He had the special effect of the war hammer, which granted him a power boost based on the total number of werewolves in his pack. Since they had recently added the survivors from Lupus’s pack to their numbers, it meant he would also gain their strength as well, amplifying his own physical limits. Whether that count included the elite strike force members or not was hard to say, but the potential was staggering.
Then there was his special form, the one with strictly limited uses. That really was a final resort due to the devastating toll it took on his body afterward. But before he reached that point, he had his True Alpha form, a transformation that could only be activated in proximity to Xin. For that reason alone, it was best that they met up and consolidated their forces.
They eventually reached the petrol station Kai had suggested. They were the first of the allied groups to arrive at the rendezvous point. As they pulled up into the empty car park, they could see that there wasn't a single worker present. The glass on the front of the shop had been pletely destroyed, shards littering the pavement.
“The Gluttons came through here,” Austin noted, stepping out of the van and looking at the carnage. “They either did it on the way past, or the poor guy inside was already taken out before they arrived. Don’t think about it too much, Gary. Do what you can to prepare. In fact, if you need energy for the fight, just go in that shop and take whatever you can find.”
It really wasn't a bad idea, so Gary decided to follow the advice. He walked into the ransacked store, headed straight for the meat section, and started to chow down on whatever he could find to replenish his stamina. While Gary was inside eating, the others waiting outside were quite surprised at what they were seeing on the horizon.
Too many to count black-colored SUV vehicles were driving down the highway in a long, disciplined line. There had to be at least a hundred cars in the convoy. They pulled into the petrol station area, and as the doors opened, Xin stepped out, along with the other core leaders by her side. Even Marcus had arrived, looking ready for war.
“What is this?” Kai asked, stunned by the sheer number of reinforcements.
Seeing the motion from inside the shop, Gary quickly rushed out, wiping his mouth. He ignored the long line of cars and focused mostly on Xin; his heart finally settled when he could see for himself that she was fine and uninjured.
“This is our chance to take him out, right?” Xin said, her eyes determined. “He’s going to use everything he can. He’ll use any allies or pawns he has left, so I decided to bring every one of us. I've brought all the Altereds and the skilled Altered hunters led by Blake, along with all of the Werewolves currently in Slough.
“Our primary focus is Unzoku, but if he’s going to use his army of Gluttons as a shield, then we will need this kind of help to break through. And besides, if everyone is here to attack Unzoku, then in a way, the city is safe. What are the vampires going to attack if there’s no one left worth attacking?”
Marcus stood with his arms folded, nodding in silent agreement with her strategy.
“That’s good,” a voice said from behind them. A figure dropped down from the roof of the petrol station, and they could see it was Luzen. Thankfully, he was just fine and hadn't been injured during his scouting mission.
“With how many Gluttons there are gathered in that park, we’re going to at least need this many people to hold them off while the core team takes down Unzoku.”
They all nodded, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Now, they were just waiting for one more group, or at least one more person, to plete the alliance. That’s when a loud, rhythmic sound began cutting through the air, vibrating in their chests.
“Freaking hell,” Innu asked, shielding his eyes as he looked up. “Is that a helicopter?”
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