The night's sky descended!
Ayato and the others were getting closer and closer to The Hive.
Saeko's smile grew brighter and brighter.
The day had been too wonderful. She had finally been able to kill to her heart's content.
Ayato, meanwhile, kept fulfilling his duties as Master.
'Mm, everyone feels different.'
"Replenishing... such a miraculous power."
Alice ran a finger over her thin lips.
She had been fighting for a long time, yet she felt energetic and not tired at all.
"Of course. Master's replenishing is the best."
Shizuuka clenched her small fist, looking proud. "That night, I was completely out of energy, but after Master's replenishing, I perked right up."
"???" xN
'Woman, do you even know what you're saying?'
'Damn!'
'Was she showing off?'
Rei didn't know why, but she felt oddly irritated.
She needed to find a chance to 'offer' herself too.
"Wait, something is approaching fast."
Saeko, clearing the path at the front, became serious. "Its aura is strong. Even stronger than the Lickers."
Jill and the others also tensed up.
They sensed something too.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ground ahead shook. A hulking behemoth, more than 3 meters tall, with bulging muscles, appeared in their sight.
It held a rocket launcher in one hand and a special rotary machine gun in the other.
"That's a Nemesis. Umbrella's killing machine."
Seeing the Nemesis appear, Alice tensed up, then immediately relaxed.
After all...
Compared to her Master, this thing was nothing.
…
Meanwhile,
At Umbrella's temporary base on the outskirts, Cain was watching the live feed.
He had waited this long for this big show.
"Sir, don't you find their behavior a bit odd?"
One of the monitors had a strange expression. "Apart from Alice, why aren't the others even trying to hide from the Nemesis with its heavy weapons?"
"And they're all far too calm."
"Oh?"
Cain frowned. "Pull up their files. I want to know exactly who they are."
"Sir, we found them."
An operator fiddled with a computer and quickly spoke. "One is an elite from a special tactical rescue team, one is a teacher from Fujimi Academy, two are students, but the last one... I'm sorry, sir, there's no information on him at all."
"Judging by his clothes, he's a student. Nothing to worry about."
Cain shook his head. "Order the Nemesis to attack."
"Yes."
"Hahaha, come on, let me see, between you and Alice, who is the most perfect..."
Boom!
A bolt of lightning appeared on the screen.
The Nemesis's massive body instantly turned to charcoal and fell limply to the ground.
The entire monitoring room fell into dead silence.
Including Cain and the operators, everyone's eyes grew wider and wider, as if they had seen a ghost.
'What did we just see?'
'Lightning had struck the Nemesis dead?'
'Is it magic? Or esper ability?'
'That man had just waved his hand... How did he do it?'
Everyone's brain had crashed.
Because everything that just happened was completely beyond their understanding.
"Could it be... someone has perfectly merged with the virus, creating a new evolved form?"
One person spoke in disbelief. "But how is that possible? In such a short time?"
"Hahaha, whatever it is, I must have him."
Cain laughed loudly. "Quick, prepare a helicopter. Deploy all tactical teams."
'Lightning!'
'Someone could actually use lightning!'
'With this sample, my position in the Umbrella Corporation would definitely advance further.'
Cain screamed wildly in his heart.
…
"By the way, his name seems to be Matt. Sorry, Little Alice, I accidentally killed your acquaintance."
"Matt?"
Alice was confused. "Who is he? I don't know him."
"Oh, never mind if you don't."
Ayato shrugged.
Well,
He gave up hoping for the so-called 'plot'.
Which was fine by him.
…
Half an hour later.
The Hive finally appeared before them.
The entire building was like an iron bucket, completely sealed off.
"Here, take these, Rei."
Ayato waved his hand casually. A large number of flesh buds were wrapped in a ball of air.
"You and Alice go into The Hive, find those frozen executives. You know the procedure."
He had no interest in what came next.
Since he had servants, he didn't need to do the hard work himself.
Besides, with the power of the blessing, they couldn't possibly encounter any danger.
"Yes!"
Rei nodded.
Kill one to warn the hundred.
The obedient ones get kept.
Master had demonstrated it once. She knew the drill well.
"Alice, which way?"
"Follow me."
After exchanging a few words, Rei and Alice disappeared into The Hive in the distance.
Whup whup! Whup whup!
Just then, the roar of helicopter rotors grew from distant to near.
Dozens of heavily armed helicopters descended from the sky.
Members of Umbrella's tactical teams slid down ropes, landing all around.
The dark muzzles of their guns were aimed squarely at Ayato and the others.
"Haha, even though Alice isn't here, it doesn't matter anymore."
Cain walked out from the crowd, his eyes burning as he looked at Ayato. "As long as we have you, Alice's value is nothing."
"Tell me, how did you do it? How can you use the power of lightning?"
"I see. Ants on the ground covet power that doesn't belong to them."
Ayato smiled. "If you were a beautiful girl, I might be in a good mood and tell you."
"But unfortunately, I have zero interest in men."
"Is that so?"
Cain spread his hands. "I'm the opposite. I'm only interested in you, as a man."
"Open fire. Kill everyone except this man. No mercy."