As Lexus Luth approached, Yori and the others instinctively began to retreat. However, before they could distance themselves further, Lexus Luth introduced himself to avoid any misunderstandings.
Explaining his reason for coming to Yori Yagasu and his group's headquarters, Lexus revealed that his teammate had been captured by an individual capable of controlling zombies, though he hadn't seen who it was.
While they listened intently to Lexus, the door creaked open slowly.
They caught sight of a crimson hand, which extended toward Lexus. In a flash, Lexus dodged and drew the katana from his back, ready for action.
With remarkable speed, he outmatched the parasite, swiftly slicing through its hand with precision and relentless strikes. Without hesitation, he drove the katana into the hand and brought it to the ground. Then, retrieving his dagger, he opened the door and pointed it menacingly at the immobilized parasite.
The door creaked open wider, releasing a wave of rotten odor that flooded the room. Yori instinctively took a step back.
"Watch out… there's something massive in there," he cautioned, his voice taut with urgency.
Suddenly, the shadows contorted, revealing a hulking figure. It was a colossal, muscle-bound zombie, its veins prominently dark and swollen, with shoulders like a titan poised to demolish anything obstructing its path. Its breath emitted a grating sound, reminiscent of a malfunctioning engine.
Lexus Luth tightened his grip on his weapon.
"…Tch. A brute type."
With a thunderous roar, the creature shook dust from the ceiling.
Yori Yagasu murmured, "It looks like it could bench-press a car…"
Sophia Cherry swallowed hard. "And it seems furious."
Before anyone else had a chance to react, Lexus surged forward like a shard of steel.
"I'll take care of it!"
The beast swung one of its massive arms downward with tremendous force, cracking the floor beneath it.
Lexus slid effortlessly between its legs, his voice steady and sharp.
"Too slow."
With a swift motion, his katana glimmered—
SHHKT!
Both of the beast's feet were sliced off cleanly.
The zombie collapsed but, undeterred, it lunged at him with staggering ferocity, its claws flailing wildly.
"Damn!" Yori shouted. "Lexus, behind you!"
Lexus pivoted just in time, narrowly evading the attack.
"This thing really doesn't know when to quit!"
He retaliated...
SLASH! SLASH!
Both arms sailed away, landing with a wet thud on the ground.
The brute continued to growl, still attempting to crawl towards him, its jaws snapping.
Lexus exhaled, calm but laced with annoyance.
"You're persistent… I'll give you that."
He sprang off the ground, soaring up before bringing his blade down in a precise arc.
KRRRSHH!
The head exploded, crashing to the ground with a final, dull thump.
A moment of silence followed.
Then Yori muttered, "you really don't hold back."
Sophia Cherry let out a shaky laugh. "You almost got flattened!"
Lexus flicked the blood from his katana and sheathed it.
"If I let something like this hit me," he smirked, "I don't deserve the weapon I'm carrying."
Sophia Cherry nodded slowly, a mix of admiration and caution. "Alright, you've earned some respect… but don't ever pull something like that again."
Lexus moved past the fallen zombie, kneeling next to the severed arms as he inspected the flesh.
"This brute didn't turn into this on its own," he said, his tone shifting to serious. "Someone enhanced it. The same individual who took my teammate."
Yori shared a glance with the others.
"So we're up against a parasite controller who can upgrade them…"
Lexus rose, his eyes sharp with resolve.
"And I'm not leaving until we bring that person down."