Rika held her breath as she watched the plume of smoke approaching. From the tall mist, a crimson glow radiated a sinister, ominous aura that threatened every life.
Strength in her body started to wane, and she accidentally dropped the magazine filled with new bullets onto the ground. When it fell, Rika's body dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Although her legs gave up, her two hands fiercely gripped the rifle in her hand. It refused to retreat even in a critical state. However, what could she do when her own head was blank, her brain shut down because too many major events had befallen her.
In the distance, Peter stared in her direction. His mouth flapping open, asking what to do in this situation. As for Abel and Louise, they had to deal with the big primate and had no time to worry about the approaching horde of virus beasts.
No, they were not ignoring it, but averting their gaze from reality, watching the hundreds of enemy reinforcements approaching quickly.
Their expressions twisted, and the thick aura radiating from their bodies faded as their desire to fight faded.
'W-What now!'
Rika's body flinched, trembling when she tried to move. Yet it felt impossible, as if invisible chains entangled her limbs.
'I-If this continues, w-we'll all die!?'
Dread washed over the blood on her face, changing her wrinkled facial expression to flat and pale. Coldness began to consume the warmth in her body, freezing not only her body but her soul as well.
Her gaze shifted down to the barren ground, reflecting the emptiness of her heart. Not just once, but the girl's heart was almost crushed several times in this mission, and finally, it reached the breaking point.
Her fragile heart was already cracked from hearing the news of losing Cain, who chose to isolate himself. And now, her heart was shattered into pieces along with the emotions that supported her consciousness as a whole human.
The fire in her red eyes dimmed, for she was already giving up on everything, and for the last time, her quivering lips scoffed, then whispered.
'...Well, at least that fool won't die alone.'
"What the hell are you doing sitting there? It's dirty. You know that, right?"
In her last reverie, Rika heard a loud voice like a distant echo in her ears. She looked up and saw a figure standing next to her, staring at her, who was sitting weakly.
"Ca, ...in!?"
"Hm? What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"
The grey-haired boy crouched down in front of her. His calm expression brought a little fresh air to the girl who was standing on the edge of the abyss.
The two looked at each other. Unknowingly, Rika's body leaned forward, and she wrapped both her arms around Cain's neck.
'So I'm at the stage of dreaming something before my death arrives, huh? ...Well, it's not a bad dream at least.'
Rika's body, which was hugging Cain, jolted, feeling a strong rejection that shook her consciousness and caused her foggy vision to regain its clarity.
"Hey, why are you acting weird like that?"
In front of her, Cain was clutching both her wrists; the boy's expression was stiff with a slight fire burning his cheeks. However, the most visible thing was a scratch, no, a line like an electrical circuit in crimson color spread from both his eyes. It spread down his cheeks to his neck.
The girl's eyes widened as she saw Cain's right hand, pitch-black, with more crimson lines spreading throughout his body.
'Don't tell me that is a symptom of being infected with the cosmic virus? ...What, could it be that all of this is real and not an illusion?'
"Geez, get a hold of yourself!"
Cain pointed his index finger and poked Rika's forehead so strongly that it jolted her neck back. But because of that, the light in her eyes reignited. Rika blinked while holding her head, then shot a glare at his side.
The boy nodded, his lips lifting in a smile as if he were happy to see the girl's emotion return to her face.
"What was that? Can't you be a little nicer to a girl?"
The statement that came from her pouting lips made the man in front of her chuckle and stand up.
Rika wrinkled her eyebrows as she witnessed the crimson lines on Cain's body pulsating as if alive. She grabbed the boy's black hand and gasped because she felt a hot sensation that even penetrated the armor suit she was wearing.
"C-Cain, w-what happened to you? Don't tell me?"
Her wrist was gripped firmly, sending a hot energy of life that seeped into the girl's body and thawed the ice in her heart.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
Cain released Rika's hand and widened his smile.
"Let's defeat those monsters and go home together."
The red-haired girl just sat, staring blankly at his face. It took a moment before the boy in front of her stood up, then turned around, showing his broad back.
"I entrust my back to you, sniper."
Rika took a cold breath. Her faltered gaze shrank as the amber in her heart lit up by the words that came out of his mouth. She cast her gaze down, snatched the magazine, and shoved it into her rifle in one fell swoop.
The girl pushed the bullet into its long muzzle with a 'crack,' smirking.
"Leave it to me, Captain."
Seeing the sharp glow in the girl's red eyes prompted Cain to nod. He straightened his gaze to witness the battle that was still ongoing.
Abel and Louise were jumping around the battlefield, trying to avoid the attacks and shockwaves generated whenever the iron gorilla launched an attack. On the other side, Peter was still on four, both his palms touching the ground.
However, his fighter's instinct sensed that Peter had something to show, but it wasn't the time yet. Cain and Peter accidentally looked at each other, and a brief moment later, the blue-haired boy grinned, shouting from the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, the leader is back!"
Peter's voice thundered, attracting the attention of the vanguard who were busy dealing with the giant monster.
Louise turned around for a moment, and her smile bloomed like a flower in a desolate land. Unlike her, Abel did nothing and just glared at the enemy in front. But the golden light emitted from his body shone with intensity. Yet behind his calm expression, the blonde boy couldn't help but show his fearless grin like a predator chasing its prey.
"Good grief, they really are a troublesome group."
Cain's black pupils contracted as he activated his eagle eye ability. He narrowed his gaze and saw the figure of the person in the robe standing in the distance; somehow, Cain felt the being was smiling, mocking his current state.
His figure vanished, swallowed by the plume of red dust that was floating into the sky thanks to the presence of hundreds of common-rank virus beasts that were heading this way.
Roar!
As if waiting for this moment, the gorilla let out a roar that shook the land and the air at once. With eagle eyes still active, Cain could see a red dot shining in the gaps between the metal and flesh that wrapped the left chest of the gorilla.
'That's it, huh. Your weak spot.'
The gorilla saw its other small comrades approaching, rather than standing tall like a king. It actually ran towards the horde. Cain narrowed his gaze, a fragment of memories from their first encounter resurfaced.
'So, that was your intention from the start.'
A roar that reverberated across the surrounding area was not a command signal but an invitation to merge and form a larger, stronger body.
'Like hell, I'd let you!'
Cain pulled the katana from its sheath and gripped the hilt tightly. He took a deep breath and let out a shout that attracted the world's attention.
"Limit Break!"
[Corruption 100%! Conditions are already met to unleash the skill.]
[All your parameters will be X5 for the duration: 50 seconds]
A black lightning crackled under his skin before it blasted to the surrounding area, producing a thundering roar that frightened the heavens. Each time the black veins struck the surrounding area, they scorched the land and made the atmosphere whimper in fright.
A black-colored aura danced wildly around his body; the darkness that enveloped his right hand melted and merged with his dimmed katana. With a firm grip, the katana in his hand clattered, as if happy to receive an increase in strength.
His presence muted the battlefield, akin to a war god descending from the sky. Cain placed his katana at his side and prepared his lower stance.
"Let's begin the battle."