Rain crashed endlessly across the ruined city while fire illuminated the flooded streets with violent orange light. Smoke rose into the storm-filled sky from destroyed military vehicles while screams, gunfire, and infected roars echoed from every direction. The battlefield had descended into complete chaos now. Soldiers fought desperately against enhanced humans while infected flooded the streets in endless waves beneath the thunderstorm.

And standing in the center of everything—

Was the giant mutation.

The creature towered nearly four meters tall while black armored flesh covered its distorted body like living metal. Multiple twisted arms extended unnaturally from its torso while glowing red veins pulsed beneath its skin. Every breath sounded like grinding bones.

Its eyes remained locked onto Arata, Only Arata.

The system warnings flickered violently before his vision.

[Devourer-Class Mutation Confirmed]

[High Threat Level]

[Warning: Mutation Shows System Attraction Behavior]

Arata’s expression darkened immediately.

"...System attraction?"

Beside him, Elena slowly stepped backward after blocking the creature’s attack moments earlier. Cracks spread across the reinforced gauntlets covering her arms while blood dripped faintly from the corner of her mouth.

Even she looked tense now.

"That thing..." Her red eyes narrowed sharply. "...it hunts evolved hosts."

Yuna immediately looked horrified. "...You’re telling me zombies can become boss monsters now?"

Kaede calmly fired an arrow into the mutation’s shoulder.

The arrow shattered instantly.

"...Correction," Kaede muttered quietly. "Boss monster with armor."

"That somehow made me feel worse."

The mutation suddenly roared violently afterward.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The soundwave alone shattered nearby windows while several infected nearby exploded apart from the pressure.

Then it charged.

The flooded street beneath its feet collapsed instantly as the massive creature rushed directly toward Arata like a living tank.

"MOVE!" Elena shouted immediately.

Arata reacted instantly.

Black energy erupted around him while he dodged sideways moments before the creature smashed through the street behind him violently.

Concrete exploded everywhere.

The Devourer instantly swung another massive arm toward him afterward.

CLANG!!

Arata blocked using his blade.And immediately realized—The creature was stronger than him physically.

The impact launched him across the flooded road hard enough to destroy an abandoned truck.

"ARATA!" Akari screamed immediately.

The mutation turned toward him again while distorted flesh slowly moved around the blade wound across its arm.

Regenerating, Fast, Lucien quietly watched the battle from the rain-covered shadows nearby afterward.

Then softly smiled.

"...Interesting."

Elena immediately noticed his expression. "...You know this thing."

Lucien glanced toward her calmly. "Of course." His golden eyes returned toward the mutation afterward. "Black Flag created the first Devourers."

Silence, Even Reina froze briefly hearing that.

Yuna looked completely done with reality now. "...You people literally create every problem."

"We accelerate evolution."

"You accelerate my headaches."

The mutation suddenly roared again before charging toward Akari this time.

Too fast, Her eyes widened instantly, But before it reached her—Reina intercepted first.

CLANG!!

Both combat blades collided against the giant arm while sparks exploded violently.

Reina gritted her teeth immediately afterward.

"...Okay." She smiled dangerously despite being pushed backward. "This one’s actually ridiculous."

The mutation roared directly into her face before swinging another arm downward.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

Reina barely dodged as the impact destroyed half the flooded street beneath her.

Meanwhile Yuna fired continuously from nearby rooftops while military soldiers launched explosives toward the creature repeatedly.

But nothing worked, Bullets barely slowed it.

Explosions only damaged portions of its armored flesh before regeneration covered the wounds again.

Kaede’s expression slowly darkened while watching carefully.

"...It adapts after every attack."

Elena immediately understood. "...A learning mutation."

Lucien smiled faintly. "Exactly."

Then his eyes shifted toward Arata again.

"And it specifically wants him."

Arata slowly stood from the destroyed truck afterward while blood dripped down one side of his face. Black energy continued flickering around his body violently while the markings across his skin spread slightly farther.

The Devourer instantly noticed him standing again.

Then smiled, Not metaphorically, Actually smiled.A twisted unnatural smile formed across its distorted face.

Everyone froze.

Yuna slowly lowered her rifle slightly. "...Nope." She pointed at the creature immediately. "Zombies are not supposed to smile."

The mutation suddenly changed direction again.Directly toward Arata, The system flickered violently.

[Warning]

[Devourer Responding To Synchronization]

[Danger Level Rising]

Then suddenly—Memories flashed through Arata’s mind again, Laboratory screens.His father shouting desperately.

A file labeled:

"Devourer project"

Arata froze briefly afterward, Lucien noticed immediately.

"...So you remembered something."

The Devourer attacked again instantly.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

Arata barely dodged before the creature’s fist destroyed another building wall completely.

Too powerful, Far beyond ordinary mutations.

Elena immediately shouted toward military forces nearby. "Heavy artillery formation now!"

Several soldiers repositioned rapidly while advanced weapons activated across nearby armored vehicles.

But before they could fire—Lucien suddenly moved, Too fast.

He appeared directly beside one military tank before driving black energy through the armored vehicle instantly.

"Crack"

The entire tank exploded violently.

Chaos erupted again.

Enhanced soldiers rejoined the battlefield immediately while infected flooded through burning streets from every direction.

The rainstorm above intensified further.

Thunder exploded across the sky.

And right in the middle of everything—

Arata’s control kept slipping.

The black energy around him felt stronger now.

Hungrier.

The Devourer roared toward him again afterward.

Not just aggression, Recognition, Like it understood something.

Then suddenly—The creature spoke, One word. Broken, Distorted.

"...Host..."

Silence froze the battlefield instantly, Everyone stared, Even Lucien’s smile disappeared briefly.

Yuna looked absolutely horrified. "...IT TALKS?!"

The Devourer’s glowing eyes remained fixed entirely on Arata.

"...Host..."

Arata’s heartbeat became unstable instantly.

Because somehow—The voice sounded familiar, Like multiple voices mixed together.

Human voices.

The system flickered violently again.

[Memory Restriction Weakening]

Pain exploded through his head afterward.

More fragmented memories surfaced instantly.

Laboratory chambers, Human test subjects screaming, A giant containment tank.

And inside—The same mutation, Smaller, Incomplete, His father arguing desperately with scientists.

"This project is insane!"

Then gunfire. Blood, Darkness.Arata staggered slightly afterward while holding his head.

Akari immediately ran toward him despite the battlefield around them.

"Arata!"

He looked toward her weakly.

"...That thing..." His breathing became unstable. "...it existed before the apocalypse."

Her eyes widened instantly.

Meanwhile Lucien quietly observed him afterward.

"...Excellent."

Elena immediately aimed one pistol toward Lucien again. "What did your organization create?"

Lucien calmly spread one hand. "The future."

"Looks ugly."

The Devourer suddenly roared violently again before smashing through military defenses toward Arata once more.

This time—Arata didn’t dodge.Black energy exploded around him violently instead.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The entire street cracked apart beneath his feet while his eyes darkened completely.

Then he charged forward, Directly at the Devourer, The collision shook nearby buildings instantly, One monster against another.

Arata’s fist smashed into the creature’s armored flesh hard enough to create shockwaves through the rain-covered city.

The Devourer answered with another devastating strike.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

Both were thrown backward through destroyed vehicles and debris.Everyone nearby froze watching the fight.

Because honestly—It no longer looked human, Arata moved faster than before now.

Every strike carried terrifying force while black energy consumed more of his body gradually.

The Devourer roared excitedly while adapting continuously during battle.

They tore through buildings, Destroyed streets, Crushed infected caught between them.Meanwhile Akari stared silently from nearby.Fear slowly appeared inside her chest again.Not because Arata was losing , but Because every second—He looked farther away emotionally.The black markings had spread across half his neck now.His eyes looked emptier, Colder.Lucien quietly stepped beside her afterward beneath the rain.

"You see it now."

Akari instantly turned aggressively. "Get away from me."

But Lucien calmly continued speaking anyway.

"He’s synchronizing too quickly." His golden eyes remained fixed on Arata. "Soon the system will overwrite his emotional restraints completely."

Akari’s expression darkened immediately. "...Shut up."

"You already noticed." Lucien smiled faintly afterward. "Every battle changes him more."

Silence, Because deep down—She knew he wasn’t entirely wrong. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Arata’s personality had been changing gradually ever since the system awakened.

More distant, More reckless, More emotionally numb, Lucien quietly looked toward her afterward.

"That is why you matter."

Akari frowned immediately. "...What?"

"You stabilize him emotionally." Lucien’s voice softened slightly. "Without emotional anchors, synchronized hosts eventually lose themselves completely."

Rain continued falling softly around them.

Then Lucien added quietly:

"If he loses you... he will become unstoppable."

The words sent cold fear through her chest instantly.

Before she could answer—BOOOOOOOOM!!

Another massive shockwave erupted across the battlefield.

Arata had just driven the Devourer through an entire building.

But moments later—The creature emerged again, Still regenerating, Still smiling unnaturally.

Yuna looked emotionally exhausted already. "...Can it just die dramatically already?"

Kaede fired explosive arrows toward the mutation repeatedly. "...Regeneration core likely exists somewhere internal."

Reina wiped blood from her mouth afterward while grinning dangerously. "So we rip it apart until we find it."

Elena immediately turned toward Arata afterward.

"...Listen carefully!"

Arata barely heard her over the roaring battle.

"The core is probably near the chest cavity!" she shouted loudly. "Destroy it completely or the mutation won’t stop regenerating!"

The Devourer instantly attacked again before she could continue.

Arata blocked violently while black energy exploded around both of them.

CRACK!!

The creature’s claws pierced partially into Arata’s shoulder.

Blood splashed across the rain-covered road instantly.

Akari’s face lost color. "ARATA!" But Arata barely reacted to the pain anymore.

That terrified her most.The system warnings intensified rapidly afterward.

[Synchronization Rising]

[Pain Response Suppressed]

[Warning: Emotional Detachment Increasing]

The black energy spread farther across his chest.

And then—Arata smiled slightly, Not normal smile, Battle smile, Empty smile, Lucien noticed instantly.

"...There it is."

Akari’s heartbeat stopped briefly.Because right now—He looked exactly like the monsters around him.

Then suddenly—The little girl from the office building screamed nearby.Everyone turned instantly.

Several infected had broken through military lines near the entrance again.

One infected lunged directly toward the child.

Airi tried reaching her—Too late.

But before the infected touched her—Arata disappeared.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The infected exploded apart instantly.Silence followed briefly afterward.Rain fell softly around the destroyed street.

Arata stood protectively before the little girl while black energy flickered violently around him.

The child trembled fearfully afterward.

But this time—She didn’t look afraid of him.

Instead—She slowly grabbed part of his sleeve.

"...Big brother..."

Silence, Arata froze slightly.The little girl looked up toward him with trembling eyes.

"...Don’t die."

Something inside him cracked softly afterward, Warmth, Small warmth, Human warmth.

The black energy around his body weakened slightly again, Lucien’s eyes narrowed instantly.

"...Interesting."

Akari slowly smiled afterward.Because she understood immediately.

No matter how much the system changed him—Arata still couldn’t ignore people needing him, That part of him remained human.

The Devourer roared furiously afterward before charging again.

But this time—Arata’s eyes looked different.

Still dangerous, Still dark, But focused, Human.

He slowly moved the little girl safely behind him afterward.Then raised his blade toward the giant mutation.

Rain poured heavily around the ruined battlefield while black energy swirled violently beside him.

And quietly—Arata spoke, "...I’m ending this now."