Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System-Chapter 33: Stage Two: Brute

*** Roulan ***

The bastard was slowing down.

Every breath came in rasps, its shoulders heaving. My swings were starting to register now—tiny cracks along its thick wrists, bruised veins pulsing just beneath its flabby hide. Its movements weren't as sharp anymore. I circled to its blind side, dragging one tonfa along the ground like a blade ready to gut it.

It lunged at me like a clumsy giant.

I ducked, rolled past its side and gathered momentum before smacking it right in the base of the spine with all my weight behind it.

Crack!

It staggered forward, arms windmilling.

Yes. Yes, that was it. The spine. That was the spot.

I pressed in, breathing hard, vision darkening at the edges. My whole body was screaming, but this was my shot. Two more hits. Maybe three.... No, that was unrealistic, but I couldn't give up here.

"Time to go down, you ugly fat freak."

I sprinted for the back of its knees, both tonfa raised like clubs—

Then it stopped moving.

Mid-lurch, it just froze—back hunched, stomach rising and falling in jagged rhythms. A wet gurgle escaped its throat. Its jaw sagged open, oozing that black sludge all over its chest.

I paused.

What...?

Then the tearing started.

Ripppppppp!

Its skin split like wet paper.

The bloated bulk of its body sloughed off in glistening sheets, muscles underneath pulsing, shifting, thinning. What stood up was not fat. Not even close.

Its shoulders reformed with a pop-pop-pop, jagged bones snapping into alignment. Veins like black wire stretched across a taut, glistening torso. Its limbs were lean now, tight and deadly, each finger ending in a curved claw. It reared its head back, and for the first time, it howled—not just noise.

Mockery.

It was smiling.

My feet moved before my brain did.

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Back. Retreat. Find cover. Regroup. This thing wasn't a fat zombie anymore. This was the Stage Two that John told me about, similar to that fast green zombie.

A dangerous threat... like a raging brute

Too strong. Too durable. Too smart.

Terrified, unable to control my actions, I dived behind the van where John was perched. My back slammed into the side panel, lungs burning, hands trembling.

Help...

Help...

Help Me!!

"Hey—" I glanced up, my voice trembling.

The horrific atmosphere of this monster numbed my mind and logic, but he didn't move. John was still crouched and frozen in place.

But—

His fingers were twitching now.

His nails dug into the roof like claws. His breathing deep and powerful breaths with a long and almost feral exhalation.

"John... whatever the hell you're doing—hurry the f—ck up."

A hiss of movement to my right.

The creature vanished from view.

"Shit—"

I twisted left just in time as it appeared beside me, its claws raking the van. I flung a tonfa up just in time to block its swipe—it threw me like a ragdoll across the pavement. My arm was torn by the sharp gravel and broken road. A rock or something tore in my shoulder before I landed in a heap by a broken dumpster.

Blood smeared the corner of my lips.

I coughed, tried to rise—my legs wobbled.

The Brute sauntered toward me, elongated tongue slithering across its jagged teeth. Its hands spread open like it wanted to hug me. Embrace me.

Rip me in two before eating my innards.

"God... damn it." I slumped to one knee, both arms barely holding steady. "Not here... not now..."

The Brute raised its claws.

Then froze.

A shadow fell across us both.

Clang!

John appeared in my sight, and he tossed a small object that burst into smoke, wrapping around the zombie, causing it to thrash around wildly.

"Run to your apartment! Leave it to me!"

I saw John's figure flickering through the smoke, the zombie groaning like an angry cat. He stood with a straight back, eyes glowing a faint gold. Steam rose from his skin in visible coils and something deep inside me flinched just looking at him.

My heart started pounding, and I could feel my cheeks becoming hot.

He didn't look human anymore.

Not entirely.

"Hey, beautiful," John said softly. His voice sounded deeper now—gravel mixed with fire. "Run!"

Not concerned for himself, once again he paid attention to me, his eyes watching as I fled... a cowardly police officer running for her life. Yet I couldn't forget that irritatingly handsome smirk. It made me want to punch him.

Clack! 

Inside the apartment doors, I watched through the door, amongst the messy envelopes and broken lights.

Meanwhile, on top of the van, as the smoke vanished, John extended his arm to the zombie before curling his fingers.

"Come get some, fatty."

However, contrary to what I expected, the zombie didn't attack.

It just stared at him in silence before lifting both arms and slamming down onto its chest like a pair of drums. A low thud echoed with each blow before the brute started shrieking like an angry ape.

The moment I thought it might be afraid vanished when I could hear the low groans appearing from the building behind me, and zombies started crawling through the halls as if called by the brute's loud noise.

"Damn it—"

John's expression soured as the zombies appeared one by one.

Then, as if he remembered something, he turned to me.

"Take care." He mouthed through the glass, and behind him, I could see a swarm of zombies in the dozens rushing from every path. Despite my mind wanting to help, the zombies behind me and the terrifying brute caused my body to hesitate.

What could I do?

I was barely useful before.

I could only watch as he leaped down from the van, his feet kicking up sparks that ignited the van's roof. He attacked with a spear held tight and lunged towards the brute.

"How can you be so fearless..."

No, that wasn't what I should focus on right now. I should deal with the zombies behind me so he can rest after he wins.

'After he wins?'

It looked like despite the brute, causing me to feel so small and weak.

Yet, I believed that John could win, even against the odds... his image seemed to grow whenever I looked at him.

"There is always time to redeem myself while we both survive!"