With a sudden dash forward, I slammed the creature that had just begun to rise—one of the objects of my earlier throw—straight back into its kin lying beneath it.
Yeah, nice try. No getting up for you.
Now then—I needed to kill them in a way that wouldn't absorb their blood. Afterward, their corpses would make excellent trophies for both government agencies. A pretty good recommendation: sure, I hadn't protected the targets, but I had taken down three extremely dangerous monsters alone.
Yes, compared to the feats of someone like Leon—or Claire's brother, Chris—mine would look rather pale. But for a newly founded agency, it was still very impressive.
With a couple of quick strikes, I damaged the lower limbs of the two creatures on top. The third one was buried beneath their bodies, so I simply couldn't reach it. Then I stepped back until there were more than ten meters between us—hoping that distance would help me restrain my ability—and opened aimed fire with my beloved Desert Eagle Long, a weapon I had cherished even back when I was still Vector.
Targeting the weak points and joints of their natural viral armor, I quickly finished off the two with broken limbs, allowing the third to crawl free.
Better if they weren't lying in a neat pile. If they were scattered around, it would look more convincing. Otherwise, someone might think I finished them off after someone else—or that I attacked from an ambush and it wasn't an epic battle but a quiet execution.
Not that quiet killings are bad…
But it's better to build a reputation as a brutal eliminator rather than a sneaky assassin.
The third monster lunged at me. I ducked, letting it fly over me, then straightened and struck upward its belly sweeps above. I followed with a backward kick, sending the upside-down creature flying toward the opposite wall near the entrance.
I spun and fired with both beauties. God, I love my babies… No doubt about it—I definitely have a fetish for knives and pistols!
After making sure the creature was dead and far enough away that its blood wouldn't be drawn toward me, I headed toward the fading silhouettes that still outlined their owners.
They were alive.
But dying.
I wondered how those Hunters had even gotten in here? Then again, surveillance systems underground were worse—and I might not have been the only clever one around. Sigh. So what the hell was I supposed to do with you two?
"Please… help us!" the Japanese girl called out to me.
Oh, did I say that question out loud? And she heard it—even though I'd frozen eleven meters away from them so their blood wouldn't be drawn toward me.
"You can't be saved," I said with a shrug. "Both of you were shredded pretty thoroughly. And considering those were claws—and the strike was more like a five-fingered rake than a blade—you've got no chance. Even the best surgeon wouldn't be able to help you."
"Please… save Yoko. It's too early for her to die." Cindy rasped the words, even now worrying more about her friend. Or maybe she simply managed to keep a cooler head.
What does a cool head have to do with it? The blonde had practically been split apart by that strike, while her friend had only had part of her abdomen ripped open, offering a rather vivid view of her internal organs.
It was amazing they were still alive at all. Although, no, how much time had passed since the attack? Fifteen or twenty seconds? Maybe even less. I had been moving under acceleration, so it could have been even shorter.
Damn it.
I had a bad feeling I was about to say something incredibly stupid. On the other hand, it would prove once again just how damn human I still was! God, how I hate moments like this. On the other hand, both of them would then be under watch—if they agree, of course, since they might refuse. For me it might be irrational—but human psychology works differently. Mine had already undergone certain changes. That much had been inevitable from the very moment Cain—me-Cain—was born.
"There's one way to save you," I rasped, but what did you expect with my voice? "But you yourselves will become immortal beings, with an inner nature no different from those creatures—save that you will retain your mind and outward form."
I paused.
"Though the latter will come with some changes."
What did you expect with a voice like mine?
"I… agree," Cindy said after making up her mind—or maybe just gathering enough strength to answer. Honestly, I still had no idea how she was even alive.
"Me too," the Japanese girl hurried to add, unwilling to lag behind her friend—effectively leaving the decision for both of them on Cindy's shoulders.
I approached carefully.
First, I sank my teeth into the blonde—doing my best not to bite her neck off. Then into Yoko, who shrank back in fear. Heh. Yeah. Not like she could crawl away anyway. She'd only waste the last of her strength trying.
A couple of minutes passed while I sat there, occasionally glancing outside and giving the room a quick inspection to make sure the destruction wasn't visible from the street. And then Cindy opened her eyes. And right after her, her friend of eastern descent.
By the way… Japanese people taste pretty good!…Tch. Look at me, turning into a damn gourmet.
"I'm alive!?" Cindy exclaimed, staring at herself in disbelief as she felt her body.
"From a scientific point of view… not exactly," I snorted. "But you should ask Four Eyes about that. She'll explain it better. For me, it's not exactly a dark forest—but still a forest." I shrugged. Yeah, I do have a bit of a tendency toward dark humor. What can I say? Both Vector and Alex had the same inclination thanks to their line of work.
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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