Then he started blasting.

Even though Hybrids were pretty strong, they still weren’t impervious to bullets. In hindsight, Hinokami and his Hybrid army got too overconfident, belittling the small shelter so they strode forward without a second thought.

And because of that, they met a pretty foolish end... or so most of them did.

In an instant, four Hybrids fell down as they got absolutely riddled with bullets. The firing rate of an SMG is pretty ruthless, so the four Hybrids that fell were killed in an instant before they realized what was going on. As for the others, they proceeded to take cover instead of protecting their master.

When the shots were fired, the Hybrids were reduced to their instincts of protecting their own selves before anyone else. Then again, Hinokami couldn’t blame any of them since that was the first thing he instinctually did as well. That didn’t stop him from screaming at his subordinates though.

"YOU USELESS LOT! YOU SHOULD BE COVERING ME!" He let out, shaking his fists the moment he got into cover.

The entrance guard didn’t flinch at all. Although he was just a normal human, he was used to firing SMGs at people. He’s an avid gamer after all, and he specialized in shooting games. On top of all that, he was part of the army, so he had ample experience when it came to handling all sorts of guns.

To him, this apocalypse was something out of a dream, or rather, a nightmare. Nevertheless, he was quick to adapt. That’s why he managed to survive up til now.

With a clean sweep, the entrance guard killed two more Hybrids before they started rethinking their actions. At this point, the residents of the shelter realized that something was going on at the entrance, and they gathered a couple of seconds later, updating themselves regarding the untimely invasion of a formidable stronghold.

To be fair, if Hinokami came to this shelter with the full might of the North Yamanashi Stronghold, he’d have easily won. But no, he just had to underestimate them and now he was suffering greatly because of it. If only he had listened to his subordinates or better yet, took a step back to think, things wouldn’t have ended this way.

Kazuichi wasn’t even present, and he was receiving a one-sided beating from an uninfected that carried a submachine gun. It was by far the most pride-breaking event he had experienced. He was so frustrated that he clenched his teeth so hard that his gums started bleeding.

"Sir, it would be best if we take a strategic retreat. Any more and the other strongholds are bound to catch wind of this." One of the Hybrids called out.

"Sir, we have to go. We can conquer this shelter at another time."

Hinokami flashed a murderous glare at them to shut their mouths. Of course, he knew all too well that he could go back once he regrouped his subordinates. But right now, he wanted to lay waste to this shelter because Kazuichi was right there!

HE WAS RIGHT THERE! RIGHT BEHIND THAT UNINFECTED WITH THE SUBMACHINE GUN!

Screaming in his mind, Hinokami made up his mind to charge forward. There was no going back now! All or nothing!

"AARGHHHH!!!" Hinokami crouched down low before he sprang into action. With his abilities as a Hound, he sprinted on all fours, darting here and there so he wouldn’t get swept by the submachine gun.

Now with adrenaline coursing through his veins, amped by his genuine frustration, he was able to clear the distance in an instant. With a single charge, he was able to plow through the entrance, bringing the entire fence down with him before he decelerated.

"Haah~ haah~" Hinokami’s head was gushing with blood, but that didn’t stop him from creepily smiling before he picked himself up. "You really did give us a hard time there, mister."

His pent-up anger got the better of him, and he aimed at the entrance guard’s throat to slice it up. One slice wouldn’t suffice since he had killed eight of his subordinates with his submachine gun. Then again, he wouldn’t leave him alive so he might as well kill him right then and there.

Thump.

Thump!

THUMP!

At that moment, the entrance guard saw his life flash before his eyes, and he pursed his lips as he accepted his fate. His last memory was that of his wife, who was staying in the shelter waiting for him to get back home after he finished his shift.

’I couldn’t even say goodbye to her. There goes my life acting all cool with my sub and all.’ The entrance guy said in his mind...

... then he tumbled backward. And it wasn’t just once, his entire body tumbled a total of five times before he stopped. Dirt got in his mouth and he started coughing, surprised that he wasn’t dead yet.

Apparently, Kazuichi and his group already heard the commotion, and they got there in time before Hinokami sliced the entrance guy’s neck. The reason why he tumbled backward was that Kazuichi accelerated so fast he tackled Hinokami and sent the entrance guy flying.

"Kazuichi, you finally showed yourself, huh," Hinokami rolled away from his grip and stood up before addressing him.

"What are you doing here? Don’t embarrass yourself any further." Kazuichi let out.

"As if, you’ve embarrassed me enough!" Hinokami screamed before he activated his Blood Art.

As it turned out, he actually had a Blood Art. No wonder he was the stronghold leader of the North Yamanashi Stronghold. Moreover, his Blood Art seemed to resemble Arisu’s, which was pretty convenient for a Hound.

Right now, the existence of the Blood Arts weren’t that widely known, and only a small population of Hybrids have awakened it. That’s why Hinokami was confident that he’d win this time around. ’There was no way someone as plain-looking as him would have a Blood Art. Right?’ He asked himself.

Well, he was about to find out.