Zombie Domination

The countdown had already begun ticking in Julian's mind. Fifteen seconds. That was all they had.

Joe was still darting forward recklessly, unleashing another barrage of scaled fists against the shimmering barrier that surrounded the Sky Whale. Sparks scattered across the air, useless against the impenetrable shield.

"Oi, keep it distracted!" Julian barked through the comm, his tone sharp but steady.

Leo, wings buzzing like an insect's, chuckled under his breath. "Hah. Shut up. Let's make sure the beast doesn't even glance at the ground."

Julian's gaze swept over the massive creature. The Sky Whale's glowing eyes tracked Joe's movements, building up energy in its maw again, another laser strike about to discharge.

"Ten seconds," Sebas reported, his voice unwavering despite the static crackling in the line.

Julian clenched his fists, lightning surging across his arms, his entire body glowing faintly with the force of compressed gravity. Just a little longer.

"Five seconds."

The air above the battlefield grew heavy, trembling with both the charge of the city's weapon and the Sky Whale's own murderous intent.

Julian exhaled slowly, his gaze locked on the beast.

"Boom..."

The moment the beam cannon roared to life, the entire sky blazed white. A thunderous wave of energy tore upward, straight toward the Sky Whale.

Leo narrowed his eyes, lips curling into a sly smile. "Finally. Let's see if human ingenuity can bite through that thing's skin."

Joe raised his scaled arms in front of him, the shockwave rattling his wings. His grin widened despite the blast burning against his scales. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Julian didn't flinch. He hovered in midair, body rigid, his eyes fixed only on the Sky Whale's barrier. His heart hammered once, twice, as the beam crashed into the translucent shield. Cracks of light spiderwebbed across the massive dome.

For a second, there was silence. Then—

SHRRRAAANG!

The barrier splintered like glass, shards of glowing energy scattering in all directions. The Sky Whale let out a deep, abyssal roar that rattled bones and froze the air itself.

Joe pumped his fist. "Hah! Did you see that!? We cracked it!"

But Leo only smirked darkly. "You celebrate too soon."

Julian's gaze sharpened. The Sky Whale's massive form twisted, its fins cutting through the clouds like blades. Energy gathered once more, not in a beam this time, but a pulsating wave of shock, expanding outward.

"Brace yourselves," Julian warned. His tone was ice. "It's about to retaliate."

The monster opened its maw, and instead of a single laser, a deafening pulse erupted, rippling across the battlefield. The sky itself warped, bending under the pressure.

Julian clenched his jaw. This thing won't die quietly.

Leo's body, armored in his grotesque exoskeleton, lunged forward with a predator's speed. The green toxin orbs pulsed around him, ready to carve into the Sky Whale's exposed flank.

But the air shifted. With a low, resonant hum, countless translucent insects, dragonflies born from the monster's flesh, burst free and swarmed. Their wings shimmered like glass blades, forming a living wall.

"Get out of my way!" Leo snarled, his mandibles grinding as he rammed through, claws slicing. Poison hissed across the swarm, bodies melting, but more immediately filled the gap.

Behind him, Joe's laughter crackled through the earpiece. "Hah! Looks like your siblings don't recognize you, bug-boy!"

Without waiting for an answer, Joe drew in a deep breath. The scales along his neck glowed red as heat gathered in his chest.

Then—FWOOOM!

A blazing sphere of compressed fire tore from his jaws, streaking toward the Sky Whale.

The dragonflies shrieked in unison, abandoning Leo to shield their master. They collided with the inferno midair, sacrificing themselves in a violent bloom of flame and shattered wings. The explosion shook the sky, but when the smoke cleared, the Sky Whale remained untouched.

Leo's slitted eyes narrowed. He had forced his way closer, and in that instant, he saw it, the whale's flesh rippling unnaturally. Not healing passively, but actively commanding its body to regenerate. The dragonflies were no mere shield, they were a distraction, cover for its recovery.

"Clever beast…" Leo muttered, venom dripping from his voice.

He spun, condensed the toxin into a single dense orb, and hurled it with lethal precision at the regenerating mass.

For the first time, the Sky Whale moved. Its colossal body shuddered, and grotesque ridges rose across its flank. Flesh hardened, reshaping itself into a grotesque wall of sinew and bone. The shield snapped into place, intercepting the venom orb.

BOOM!

Green acid splashed, sizzling against the makeshift barrier, but the shield held.

From behind, Julian's cold voice cut through the comms. "Leo. Stop wasting energy. That thing isn't just reacting, it's thinking."

Leo clicked his tongue, his eyes flashing with irritation. "I already know, Smart guy. Don't lecture me." His claws flexed, but his movements slowed as the Sky Whale's core pulsed again, releasing waves of energy.

Before their eyes, the creature's fractured defenses knitted themselves back together. The shimmering barrier re-formed, now thicker, wrapping around its titanic body in concentric layers. The shield solidified with a dull, thunderous hum.

Julian's gaze sharpened, a trace of static running down his arms. "As expected… This won't be easy." His voice was steady, but in his mind, he was already calculating. That monster wasn't just reacting, it was adapting.

Down below, the battlefield had already dissolved into chaos. The ground quaked beneath the clash of steel, bone, and flesh. Division One faced the monstrous figure of Lion, his hulking form commanding an endless tide of zombies. The air stank of rot as the undead swarmed, their screeches drowning out the clang of weapons.

From the command point, Leighton watched the carnage with a grim smile. His eyes flicked briefly to the heavens, where Zero Division's battle with the whale painted streaks of light across the clouds. "So, the fight above has already begun…" he murmured.

Beside him, Vivi clenched her weapon, determination burning in her eyes. "Then we can't afford to fall behind. We hold this ground, no matter what."

Zoe stood silently, her expression calm, almost detached. She gave only the faintest nod, her gaze never leaving the writhing horde before them.

Leighton exhaled slowly, centering himself. His voice carried over the din of battle, calm and resolute. "Listen well! The giant above is not ours to fight. Leave it to them. Our task—" his blade pointed forward, gleaming with power, "—is to crush everything that stands before us."

His soldiers roared in unison, their morale surging under his command.

"Advance," Leighton ordered, his tone as steady as stone.

The ground shook as Division One surged forward, steel clashing against rotten flesh. The battlefield erupted into full-scale war, the cries of the living and the dead rising together in a storm of violence.

The battlefield erupted into screams and steel as the soldiers clashed with the endless swarm of undead. Zoe wasted no time. Her body rippled, bones shifting and muscles swelling as shadow consumed her form. In moments, she was no longer a woman but a towering black wolf, her fur bristling with dark energy.

Her roar split the chaos, deep and primal, reverberating through the battlefield. Soldiers on both sides faltered for a heartbeat at the sheer weight of that sound.

"Miss Zoe seems… rather eager to play," Leighton muttered, lips curling into a faint, wry smile.

Vivi frowned, her grip tightening on her weapon. "Zoe! Don't just charge in alone!"

But Leighton raised a hand, calm as ever. "Let her. A beast's instinct is unerring, it always seeks out the strongest prey. And right now, there's only one opponent worthy of her fangs."

As if to prove his point, Zoe lunged past the frontlines, scattering zombies like straw. Her massive claws glowed faintly with shadow as she raked them across her true target, Lion himself.

The monstrous man bared his teeth, his body wreathed in crackling arcs of electricity. Her claws slashed against his chest, sparks flying, and Lion's bellow shook the air.

"Roaaarrr!" he roared, his palm striking forward with a surge of violent lightning. The energy coursed through Zoe's body, forcing a yelp of pain from her lupine maw. Her form staggered, paws clawing furrows into the ground as she was thrown backward, smoke rising from her singed fur.

The earth cracked beneath the impact.

From the command line, Vivi gasped. "Zoe!"

But Zoe's eyes, glowing crimson through the smoke, narrowed with fury rather than fear. The wolf braced her stance, her growl rumbling low and dangerous.

Lion laughed darkly, sparks dancing along his hulking frame.

Zoe didn't wait. With a burst of shadow, her massive frame blurred and reappeared right in front of Lion. Her jaws snapped open, fangs gleaming like black steel as she lunged for his throat.

His arm shot out, wreathed in lightning, catching her bite mid-air. Zoe's fangs sank into his forearm, but instead of flesh, it was like biting into living thunder. The crackle surged through her, making her whole body spasm. Still, she refused to let go. Her claws dug into the ground, her growl vibrating through his bones.

"Grrrrr!!" Lion sneered. He swung his other arm, smashing her across the side of her head with a thunderous blow. Zoe was hurled into the dirt, skidding and carving a trench across the battlefield.

Soldiers scrambled out of the way, terrified.

From the rear line, Vivi's eyes widened. "Damn it, he'll kill her at this rate!"

But Leighton only narrowed his gaze, calm but razor sharp. "Look closer. She's not backing down."

And true enough, the dust hadn't even settled when Zoe's form shot forward again. Her body, though scorched, shimmered with the pulsating aura of shadow that coiled around her muscles like armor. With a savage howl, she pounced, this time feinting low.

Lion reacted too late. Her claws, dark as night, raked across his side, drawing sparks and blood alike. The beast of thunder staggered a step, his grin widening even as crimson stained his skin.

Lion roared, arcs of electricity flaring higher and higher. His mane of hair stood on end as lightning crawled over his entire body, forming a storm around him.

The ground vibrated as his lightning surged outward, scorching zombies, earth, and soldiers alike. Zoe crouched low, her crimson eyes locked onto him. Despite the burns crawling up her legs, her tail lashed once in defiance.