As the group continued their trek toward Sendai, the atmosphere felt strangely tense. It wasn’t the kind of tension that came from the constant threat of zombies and Aberrants, though those dangers loomed ever present—it was something else. Kazuichi had been unusually quiet.

Jurou, ever perceptive, glanced sideways at him as they walked. "Oi, Kazuichi," he called, raising an eyebrow. "You’ve been more silent than usual today. What’s up?"

The rest of the group turned to look at him too, sensing something was off. Kazuichi’s usually steady and confident demeanor seemed clouded. He shook his head quickly, a forced grin playing on his lips. "I’m fine," he replied, trying to brush it off.

But Ayaka wasn’t convinced. "Doesn’t look like you’re fine," she said, frowning. "You’ve been acting like your head’s somewhere else since we left Kazuichi Stronghold. What’s going on?"

Kazuichi hesitated. His mind was a storm of thoughts, and hiding his electricity and water powers from them only made it worse. He’d been itching to use them in the last battle, and suppressing the urge had made him feel like he was holding back a piece of himself. But that wasn’t the only thing weighing on him.

Himeno. He still hadn’t told Ryota about her. How could he? Ryota had been Himeno’s right-hand man in Yamanashi Stronghold, and he had believed she was gone for so long. Kazuichi knew Ryota deserved to hear the truth, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself. Worse, no one else in the group seemed to have thought to bring it up, leaving Kazuichi to wrestle with the burden alone.

"Seriously, Kazuichi," Arisu pressed. "If something’s wrong, you need to tell us. We’re a team, remember?"

He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "It’s just...complicated," he muttered.

Lea chimed in softly from the back. "You don’t have to carry everything alone, you know."

Before Kazuichi could respond, a sudden thud echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls approaching from ahead. Everyone tensed instantly, weapons drawn as they instinctively dropped into defensive stances.

"What the hell is that sound?" Ayaka hissed, her daggers gleaming in the dim light.

A deep, guttural growl reverberated through the air, and from the shadows ahead, a massive figure emerged. It was an Omega Zombie, but this one was unlike any they had encountered before. Its grotesquely oversized head made it look almost comical at first glance, but the deadly gleam in its bloodshot eyes quickly dispelled any thoughts of humor.

Embedded in the center of its forehead was a massive meteorite ore, glowing faintly with a dark, pulsating energy.

"Shit," Jurou muttered under his breath, stepping forward with his sword ready. "That thing’s got a meteorite ore in its head. It’s going to be tougher than the others."

The Omega Zombie let out a monstrous bellow, its long, decayed arms flailing wildly as it charged toward them with shocking speed. Boom! Boom! Boom! Each of its footsteps made the ground tremble beneath their feet.

"Incoming!" Arisu shouted, leaping to the side just as the zombie crashed into the spot where she had been standing. The impact sent dirt and rocks flying in every direction.

Kazuichi’s heart raced, but his mind was laser-focused. There was no time to think about his powers or Ryota now. They needed to survive.

"Spread out!" he barked, quickly sidestepping another charge from the Omega Zombie. His fists clenched tightly as he looked for an opening.

The Omega Zombie wasn’t just fast; it was intelligent. Kazuichi noticed it was coordinating the smaller Aberrants that had begun pouring in from the trees. As it roared, the Aberrants responded, forming a makeshift formation around the group. They weren’t just mindless drones—they were working together under the Omega’s command.

"This is bad," Lea muttered as she loosed an arrow at one of the Aberrants, her shot landing squarely between its eyes. Thwip! Thud! The creature dropped, but another quickly took its place.

"They’re moving like a damn army!" Jurou growled, cleaving through two Aberrants with a wide swing of his blade. Shunk!

Kazuichi dodged to the right as the Omega Zombie swiped its massive arm toward him. He could feel the wind whip past his face as the attack narrowly missed. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. They needed to take out the Omega, but its meteorite-enhanced strength and coordination with the Aberrants made it a nearly impossible target.

Ayaka darted in and out of the fray, her movements a blur as she sliced at the Aberrants surrounding them. "We’re getting overwhelmed here!" she shouted, sweat dripping down her face as she barely dodged an incoming claw from another Aberrant. Swish! "We need to deal with that Omega, fast!"

Kazuichi’s eyes locked onto the Omega’s glowing meteorite ore. That was the key. "We take out that ore, and it’s done!" he called out, his voice firm despite the chaos.

"How the hell are we supposed to get close enough?" Arisu shouted back, slashing at another Aberrant, her sword flashing in the dim light. Clang! Thunk!

Jurou glanced at Kazuichi, then at the Omega. "I’ll distract it," he said, tightening his grip on his sword. "Kazuichi, get to that ore and smash it."

Kazuichi hesitated for a split second. Could he really do it without using his powers? But there was no time for second-guessing.

"Go!" Jurou yelled, charging at the Omega Zombie with reckless abandon. He swung his sword at its legs, forcing the creature to focus its attention on him. Clang! Clang! His blade bounced off its tough skin, but it did enough to keep the Omega off balance.

Kazuichi took a deep breath, his muscles tensing. He sprinted toward the Omega, dodging the Aberrants and the debris scattered around the battlefield. His heart pounded in his chest, every instinct screaming at him to release his powers, to let the electricity flow through him and end this quickly. But no. He had to do it the old-fashioned way.

As the Omega Zombie roared and swiped at Jurou, Kazuichi leaped onto its back, grabbing hold of its decayed, leathery skin. The creature let out a bellow of rage, thrashing wildly to throw him off, but he held on, climbing toward the meteorite ore lodged in its skull.

"Aaagh!" Kazuichi grunted, pulling himself up with all his strength. The smell of decay filled his nose, but he pushed through, reaching for the glowing ore.

"NOW!" Arisu yelled from below, cutting down another Aberrant as she provided cover.

Kazuichi raised his fist high and brought it down with all his might, aiming directly at the meteorite. CRACK! His knuckles smashed into the hard surface, but it wasn’t enough. The ore pulsed with dark energy, resisting his attack.

"Dammit!" Kazuichi growled, preparing to strike again.

The Omega Zombie roared louder, its movements becoming more erratic as it bucked and flailed, nearly throwing Kazuichi off. Jurou and the others were struggling to keep the Aberrants at bay, but they wouldn’t last much longer.

With a surge of determination, Kazuichi gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the ore once more. CRASH! This time, cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.

The Omega Zombie let out a deafening shriek, its body convulsing violently as the energy from the meteorite began to wane. Kazuichi didn’t let up. He punched again. CRUNCH! The ore shattered into pieces, and with it, the Omega Zombie’s strength collapsed.

The massive creature teetered for a moment, then fell to the ground with a thunderous BOOM that shook the earth. Its head smashed into the dirt, the meteorite shards scattered around its lifeless body.

Panting, Kazuichi slid off the corpse, landing in the dust beside it. He looked up at the others, who had just finished dispatching the remaining Aberrants.

"It’s over," he said, breathless but relieved.

Jurou grinned, wiping the blood from his sword. "Hell of a job, Kazuichi."

Ayaka nodded, catching her breath. "That was close."

Arisu looked at him curiously, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You really held your own out there. But something’s still bugging you, isn’t it?"

Kazuichi glanced down at the ground, his fists still clenched. He couldn’t tell them—not yet. But he knew the time was coming when he’d have to.