Chapter 53: Scary as hell

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Scary as hell A blazing fireball slammed into the beast’s eye, scorching and melting flesh, doing more damage than any missile had managed so far. Samuel’s mouth fell open, and he put his binoculars down. "Did these awakeners have this kind of power?" Betty’s head snapped toward the direction of the attack, her brows arching in surprise as she spotted David sprinting toward the massive creature. "Hmph..." Betty let out a soft snort as her katana cleaved through a Grade Three zombie’s neck in a single, fluid motion. ’Does he really think he can take on a Grade Six beast alone?’ She shoved her hand into her pocket, crushing the cores one by one. Crack. Crack. After the last core shattered in her grip, a tingling heat spread through her stomach, rushing into her limbs like a surge of energy. "Hah... finally, Grade Three." THUD. Betty froze as a human head flew past her, slamming onto the road with a sickening sound. Her eyes widened, and she turned stiffly, just in time to see a mangled body collapsing to the ground, torn apart by zombies. "Ugh... don’t look, Betty. Tch." She clenched her jaw and forced her gaze away, swinging her katana in a wide arc. A white slash of energy erupted, cleaving a cluster of zombies clean in half. ROAR! Her head jerked back toward the beast. Shadowy, black tentacles writhed around its massive legs, locking it in place as it struggled violently against their grip. "Brother, NOW!" Ethan’s voice rang out, strained, sweat streaming down his face as he poured everything into restraining the monster. David didn’t hesitate. He dashed up the beast’s leg, leaping from one rotting scale to the next with explosive speed. Reaching its head, he spun in midair and plunged his knife deep into the beast’s eye. The blade detonated in a burst of crimson flames, searing through the socket as a torrent of fire engulfed its face. ROARRRRRRRRRR!!! The beast’s furious bellow shook the earth like a thunderclap. Buildings nearby splintered and crumbled, crashing down in clouds of dust. His massive mouth opened, revealing teeth bigger than boulders and sharp enough to tear anything. "Ughhh, RUN!" Awakeners scattered in panic, abandoning their fights as massive chunks of concrete rained down. Zombies were crushed under the falling debris, their grotesque bodies splattering against the ground, the ground painted green with red and green blood. Betty gritted her teeth, clutching the katana’s hilt so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her eyes widened as a pulsating blue energy circle began forming inside the beast’s gaping maw, glowing brighter with every second. David hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet just as Ethan staggered, his shadowy tentacles unraveling. Sweat poured down Ethan’s temples, his power flickering and weakening. "Why won’t this bastard die ****?" Ethan cursed loudly. The beast roared again, the gathered energy crackling violently within its mouth, then shot forward in a blinding beam that ripped through the air at sonic speed, aimed straight at David. David’s eyes widened as he threw himself to the side, barely dodging the direct blast. "F*ck" The energy beam slammed into the ground beside him with an earth-shattering BOOM, the explosion hurling his body through the air before he crashed violently into a crumbling building. "I... I can’t hold him anymore!" Ethan hissed, his shadowy tentacles snapping out of existence as his power gave way. Betty exhaled sharply, her grip tightening around the katana. ’I’m also in Grade Three now... I can try to stop him.’ She sprinted toward the monstrous beast, its single good eye burning with fury as it locked onto her. Another blinding sphere of blue energy began swirling inside its gaping jaws, crackling with terrifying force. Betty’s face drained of color. The gathered energy surged, releasing a light so intense it seared everyone’s vision. At that instant, she vanished. --- In the safety of her space, Betty’s legs gave out as she collapsed to her knees, her heart pounding in her ears. "That... that bastard is insane," she muttered between shaky breaths. Forcing herself upright, she clenched her fists.’I need to get back before anyone realizes I’m gone.’ --- She reappeared amidst the chaos, her body shimmering behind a layer of defensive energy. Massive slabs of concrete slammed into her shield with deafening cracks, only to shatter into dust upon contact. Betty fixed her gaze on the massive alligator-like beast as the smoke slowly cleared. The monster shook its colossal head, then began lumbering toward the base once more, each step making the ground quake. ROOAAARRRR! A deafening roar erupted, not from the beast, but from somewhere far beyond. It was deeper, louder, and far more terrifying than anything they had heard so far. The creature froze mid-step. Its bloodshot eye flicked toward the source of the sound. Slowly, almost submissively, it lowered its head, letting out a low growl as if in acknowledgment. Betty’s stomach dropped. "W-what... what was that?" she whispered, gulping hard. The beast stood motionless for a long moment before lifting its head again and turning away from the base. Without hesitation, it began trudging toward the distant roar, its massive frame crushing everything in its path. The crawling zombies scattered around it immediately shifted direction as well, trailing behind their leader like an army of death. Betty sank down onto a slab of cracked concrete, chest heaving, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Holy shit... that was scary as hell." In the distance, the soldiers who had been firing from cover lowered their weapons in stunned silence. Military jeeps rumbled onto the scene, their engines loud in the eerie stillness. Without a single order being given, the awakeners silently piled into the vehicles, fear etched on their faces. Betty let out a long sigh as the glowing energy around her faded back into her body. ’Did an even bigger monster just appear? If so... then Grade Nines might start showing up soon. Damn it. The only real safe place is my pocket space; this base isn’t that safe at all.’ She started toward the collapsed building where David had been slammed earlier. "Hey, Ice Bucket... you still alive?" she called out, her voice laced with mild sarcasm. No response. Betty frowned and climbed over the rubble, leaping lightly across broken concrete slabs. Her eyes caught something, a bloodied hand jutting out from beneath the debris. "There you are, huh." She grabbed the hand firmly, then used her other arm to heave chunks of concrete aside, tossing them effortlessly. David finally emerged, his body covered in cuts and bruises, blood seeping from multiple wounds. His gaze was hazy with confusion as he stared at her. "Do... I know you? Where’s that beast?" Betty blinked and casually pointed toward the distance. "Oh, that beast? He’s gone. Guess his superior called him back." David stared at her like she’d just started speaking gibberish. "What the hell are you talking about, lady?" Betty shrugged nonchalantly. "It’s the truth. Another beast roared, and he went running. Guess he’s off to serve his boss now." She extended a hand toward him. With a tired sigh, David grabbed it, and she hauled him up with surprising ease. "Brother... I’m exhausted. That was brutal," Ethan came stumbling over, panting hard. The moment his eyes landed on Betty, he froze, then grinned. "Well, well... who’s this beauty?" He winked playfully. Betty’s expression darkened instantly. She jabbed a finger at him. "You bitch! Don’t wink at me with that ugly face." "Eh?!" Ethan recoiled, stunned, his hand flying to his own face. "Me? Ugly? No girl has ever said that to me!" Betty narrowed her eyes and huffed. "Guess they didn’t want to break your fragile heart, that’s why they stayed quiet." "HAH, guess you just don’t know how to appreciate handsomeness," Ethan muttered under his breath. Before Betty could snap back, a familiar voice called out. "Betty! There you are, we’ve been looking everywhere for you." Hazel appeared, her sharp gaze flicking between them. Ethan’s grin widened as he turned toward her. "Yo, Hazel! Hey, where’s that thin guy? Haven’t seen him for weeks." David, still catching his breath, frowned and glanced around. "Yeah... where is Bennett?" A slow, knowing smirk tugged at Hazel’s lips. She stepped closer to Betty, eyes glinting with amusement. "Wow," she drawled. "You really didn’t recognize him, huh? He’s right here." David blinked, clearly baffled. "Are you... joking?" Ethan’s brows knitted together as he glanced at Betty. His gaze lingered for a second too long before he quickly shook his head, as if dismissing a ridiculous thought. ’No way... that’s impossible.’ Hazel, catching the tiny shake of his head, chuckled darkly. "Oh, you’re thinking exactly what you should be thinking," she said, her tone dripping with implication. Ethan’s jaw dropped he pointed his trembling finger toward Betty. "Nayh, don’t joke around, she didn’t look like that Bennett, and she is she and he is he." David looks at Betty deeply, trying to see similarities in her face. "Is she Bennett’s sister?"