The ground didn’t just tremble—it pulsed. Each step from the approaching shapes carried weight that traveled through the broken street and into the base walls, a low, crushing rhythm that made the scale of what was coming impossible to ignore. Arata Kurozawa stood at the front line, his posture unchanged, but his focus sharpened beyond anything before. This wasn’t a coordinated wave. This wasn’t a command unit. This was force. Raw, overwhelming, designed to break structure rather than test it.

The first of them stepped fully into view.

Massive.

Distorted beyond anything they had seen so far.

Its body swollen with unnatural density, limbs thick and uneven, movement slower than standard infected—but each step carried crushing power. Its skin looked hardened, layered, as if repeated damage had forced it to evolve into something built purely for endurance.

Behind it—Another And another , Three, No—Four.

Reina’s breath slowed further as she aligned her weapon. "...High durability," she said. "Standard fire won’t be enough." Miyu’s voice came from above, sharper than ever. "Movement speed low. Impact force extremely high. Do not engage directly without coordination." Yuna’s grin widened slowly, her grip tightening around her bat. "...So we break them properly."

Airi stood behind the line, her heart pounding harder now, but her stance didn’t collapse. She could feel the difference immediately. These weren’t enemies you outmaneuvered easily. These were enemies that punished mistakes.

Above them, Kaede had already taken position. Her silhouette barely visible against the broken structure, her rifle steady, her breathing controlled. She didn’t ask. She didn’t announce. She simply aligned her shot.

The first heavy unit moved closer, Then—It charged, Not fast, But unstoppable.

Each step crushed debris beneath it, its path direct, its intent simple—destroy whatever stood in front of it.

"Now," Arata said.

Reina fired first, her shots striking the creature’s upper body, testing resistance. The bullets hit—but barely slowed it. The impact was absorbed, the creature pushing forward without hesitation.

"...Confirmed," Reina said. "Minimal effect."

Yuna didn’t wait.

She moved forward, her steps quick, closing the distance before the creature could build full momentum. Her bat swung hard, striking its leg with full force.

The impact echoed, But instead of breaking—It held.

The creature barely shifted.

Yuna’s grin sharpened. "...Yeah," she muttered. "You’re tough."

The counter came immediately, A massive swing.

Slow—But heavy.

Yuna jumped back just in time, the force of the impact slamming into the ground where she had stood, cracking concrete and sending debris outward.

"Don’t take that head-on," Miyu called. "You won’t survive direct hits."

Arata moved Faster.

He closed in from the side, his strike aimed at a joint, targeting structural weakness instead of raw durability. This time—The impact mattered.

The creature staggered slightly, Not much, But enough.

Kaede fired.

The shot cut through the air with perfect timing, striking the same weakened point Arata had targeted. The combination forced the creature to shift weight abruptly, its movement destabilizing.

Yuna saw it instantly.

"...That’s it."

She moved again, her strike landing in the same area, reinforcing the damage instead of spreading it.

The creature faltered.

Not collapsing—But slowing.

Reina adjusted her aim, focusing fire on the damaged point, each shot precise, controlled, building pressure instead of wasting it.

Miyu’s voice sharpened. "Focus single target. Don’t split damage. Break one before engaging others."

The strategy aligned instantly, Arata continued striking the same point.

Yuna followed, Reina reinforced, Kaede supported.

The first heavy unit began to break, Slowly, Deliberately.

Until—Its leg gave out.

The massive body collapsed to one side, its movement losing balance completely.

"Finish it," Arata said.

No hesitation.

The final sequence came clean, Coordinated, Precise.

The creature stopped moving.

Dead ?

But—There was no time to process it, Because the others were already advancing, Two from the left, One from the right.

And one—Still pushing center.

"...Great," Yuna muttered. "More."

Reina shifted position immediately, her voice calm but firm. "We can’t handle them all at once like that. We split control." Miyu responded instantly. "Agreed. Arata and Yuna take center. Reina and Kaede handle right. Left side—delay, don’t engage fully."

Airi stepped forward slightly. "...I’ll support left," she said.

Reina glanced at her, Then nodded.

"Stay behind cover."

Airi didn’t hesitate, "Okay." she said . The next clash began immediately.

Arata moved toward the central unit again, his approach direct but controlled, drawing its focus away from the base. Yuna followed, her strikes heavier now, her movements sharper, adapting to the slower but more dangerous rhythm of these enemies.

To the right, Reina adjusted her position, her shots precise, working in sync with Kaede above. Each time Reina forced movement, Kaede punished it. Each time Kaede created an opening, Reina reinforced it.

No wasted motion, No overlap, Just efficiency, Yuna noticed, Even in the middle of battle.

"...She’s good," she muttered.

Arata didn’t respond.

But he had already understood that.

On the left side, Airi stayed behind partial cover, her eyes locked on the advancing unit. It moved slower—but directly toward the base wall.

She didn’t panic, She waited, Watched.

Then—Acted.

She grabbed a metal rod again, throwing it toward the creature’s face—not to damage, but to disrupt vision. The creature reacted slightly, its attention shifting for just a moment.

That moment—Was enough.

One of the survivors used the opening to pull back, Reposition, Delay.

Airi stepped back again, Not engaging directly, But not passive either, She was learning, Adapting.

Becoming part of the system, The battle intensified.

The second heavy unit began to show cracks under combined pressure from Reina and Kaede. Each shot was placed perfectly, each movement forced, each weakness exploited.

Kaede didn’t speak, But her presence was undeniable, Every shot mattered, Every decision precise.

From below, Yuna smirked slightly despite the situation. "...Yeah," she said quietly. "You’re not just watching anymore."

Kaede didn’t respond, But her next shot came faster, Sharper, Deadlier.

The right-side unit collapsed, One more down.

But the center—Still held, The largest one, The strongest.

It pushed forward despite damage, its movements slower now but still relentless.

Arata stepped forward again, Closer, More dangerous.

Yuna followed, No hesitation.

This one wouldn’t fall easily, But neither would they.

Because now—They weren’t fighting separately, They were fighting together.

Even Kaede, Even Airi, Even the base itself.

The pressure reached its peak, The final clash began.

And this time—There would be no holding back, Only victory—Or collapse.