Zombie Domination

The sky whale's massive body convulsed, then its maw split wide. A guttural roar shook the heavens, and in an instant the temperature plummeted, ice crystals spiraling out like a blizzard dragged from another world. The beast exhaled, and a torrent of jagged ice lances speared downward, tearing holes through the clouds, each one sharp enough to gut a fortress.

"Move!" Julian barked, his shadows coiling into shields around him. The first barrage shattered against them, but each hit sent shudders down his spine, the sheer force threatening to break through.

Joe snarled, flames detonating around him in violent bursts, vaporizing the ice mid-air, but the whale wasn't done. From its cracked carapace, glowing lines surged with eerie light, and a second roar ripped the skies apart. Its eye glowed like a dying star, then a beam of concentrated energy burst forth, a colossal laser that carved through the storm itself.

"Are you kidding me?!" Leo twisted in midair, the beam grazing past, searing half his wing into smoke. Still, he chuckled darkly. "That's one hell of a sunburn."

The laser slammed into the ocean far below, parting the waters like a divine blade. The shockwave alone nearly hurled them from the sky.

Joe wiped blood from his mouth, flames flickering weakly for a moment before he reignited them with sheer stubborn will. "Julian! Leo! We don't hold back, Kill him!"

Julian's eyes narrowed, lightning snaking over his arms as shadows writhed at his feet. "Agreed. We go all in."

Leo, despite his scorched body, grinned with venomous calm. "Heh…I'm fed up with looking at it."

And once again, they surged forward together, fire against the blizzard, lightning against the laser, blades and wings slashing through the storm, as the sky itself split apart from the collision.

They fought like demons unleashed.

Julian's blades of lightning and shadow carved open streaks along the whale's armored hide, while Joe's firestorm roared bright enough to turn night into day. Leo, torn and battered, still struck with insectoid precision, his claws raking through the beast's flesh, forcing blood to rain from the heavens.

The whale shrieked, an ear-splitting, otherworldly cry and its eyes glowed with murderous rage. In a flash, its chest split open, energy gathering into a core as massive as a collapsing star.

"Brace yourselves!" Julian shouted.

Too late. The whale unleashed a beam wider than a fortress wall. Joe barely had time to throw up a wall of flame before the light swallowed him whole. The inferno shattered instantly. His scream tore through the comms as his body was hurled backward, seared and broken.

"Joe!" Julian surged forward, shadows lashing out, wrapping around his ally. He slammed barrier after barrier in front of them, lightning reinforcing every wall, yet the laser carved through each like paper. The force drove him down, his bones rattling, blood gushing from his mouth as he tried to shield them both.

The beam closed in, mere heartbeats away from ending them—

—when the world twisted.

A metallic hum reverberated across the battlefield. The light bent. The laser wrenched violently upward, warping like metal under pressure. Shards of ice and fire flared wildly as the sky whale roared in confusion.

Then—

CRASH!

A colossal strike of magnetic force slammed into its body, tearing chunks of armor off its side and hurling the beast off balance. The beam sputtered out mid-roar, the whale thrashing violently in the air.

Julian, panting, looked up through bloodied eyes.

Floating above the shattered sky was a figure, cloaked in sparks of magnetic energy, hands raised like a puppeteer pulling at the very metal veins of the world. Their presence was undeniable, calm, resolute, and radiating overwhelming pressure.

"Who—?" Joe coughed, barely conscious, his body trembling.

The newcomer's voice echoed through the comms.

"S-sorry guys i'm late..."

Julian's gaze narrowed the moment he recognized the familiar magnetic current twisting the battlefield. His chest rose and fell heavily, blood dripping from his lips, but his voice carried sharp irritation.

"About damn time," he growled through the comms. "You're late."

Above them, the figure straightened, or rather tried to. Rafael hovered awkwardly in the air, magnetic sparks still crackling at his fingertips. He bowed his head quickly, then again, then again, as if apologizing mid-flight.

"S-sorry! I was… preparing myself mentally first!" Rafael stammered, bobbing nervously as though even the sky disapproved of his delay.

Leo, still carving into the whale's hide with insectoid ferocity, clicked his mandibles in frustration. "Less talking, more killing. You want to be useful? Prove it."

"R-right! On it!" Rafael yelped. His panic snapped into frantic action, metallic force surged outward, a field of distorted gravity crushing chunks of the whale's ice armor. Sparks rained like shattered stars as his magnetism twisted the beast's natural defenses against itself.

Joe, half-crouched and still steaming from his near-death, let out a hoarse laugh. "Well, well. Finally decided to do something useful, huh?"

Julian exhaled heavily, dragging blood off his chin with the back of his hand. His shadows writhed, his eyes burning with tired anger.

"Too late for 'useful,'" he muttered coldly. "But fine, don't slow us down."

The sky whale bellowed, its body writhing against the combined onslaught. Yet in that storm of chaos, Rafael's frantic energy slammed again and again, each strike messy but undeniable, forcing cracks to spread wider across its scales.

The steel lances Rafael hurled embedded themselves into the whale's hide, forcing it to let out another pained, thunderous cry. But instead of praise, silence met him, followed by Leo's dry laugh over the comms.

"Took you long enough to be useful. Don't stop now. You're finally earning your spot."

Rafael's throat tightened. He swallowed, nodding too many times in the air as if trying to convince himself he belonged. "Y-Yeah… I'll keep it up! I can… I can do this." His voice cracked again, betraying the fear in his chest.

Julian, meanwhile, had already pulled a sleek vial of violet liquid from his inventory. He popped the cork and downed it, grimacing as warmth surged through his veins. Then, without missing a beat, he pulled out two more and called through the comms.

"Leo. Joe. Fall back to me, now."

Leo disengaged with a sharp click of his mandibles, wings buzzing as he retreated toward Julian. Joe, smoldering with fire still dancing off his wounds, flew back as well. Julian tossed them both a potion.

"Drink. We'll recover while the coward—" Julian's eyes flicked at Rafael, his tone sharp like a blade, "—buys us time. He's the only one with energy left to spare since he hasn't actually fought until now."

Leo barked a laugh, nodding. "For once, Deaw, I agree. He's fresh meat, might as well throw him to the grinder."

Rafael's stomach dropped. His hands trembled as the magnetic field around him rippled erratically. "W-Wait, you want me to—alone? I-I can't—"

Julian cut him off coldly. "You can, and you will. Stop shaking. Your job is simple, stall that monster. Hold it in place. We'll be back in once we're recharged."

The sky whale's body glowed with dangerous light, gathering another blast. Rafael's eyes widened, panic clawing at his chest. He gulped, nodded too quickly again, and forced his hands forward.

"O-Okay… okay! I'll— I'll hold it! J-Just don't take too long!"

Magnetic energy erupted, chains of twisted metal pulling tight around the whale's massive frame. Rafael's terrified voice cracked through the comms, a plea wrapped in desperation.

"D-Don't leave me hanging here!"

The whale's chest expanded, a glowing core forming inside its maw. Rafael's entire body shook as magnetic currents whipped around him, bending scraps of broken weapons and debris into a crude shield wall. Sparks arced across the air while he screamed through clenched teeth, "Hhhhrgh, damn it, MOVE!"

Behind him, Leo tilted his head, wiping blood from his jaw as the potion's effects stitched his wounds back together. He gave Julian a side glance.

"You've got these lying around like candy, don't you? How deep's your stash, Deaw?"

Julian shook his head, voice low but firm. "That was the last one. From here on out, every hit counts. We don't get a second chance, no extra lives in this game."

Leo clicked his tongue but didn't argue. He couldn't tell whether Julian was lying or not.

Meanwhile, Joe, flames roaring back across his arms, stared at Rafael's trembling figure as the magnetic shield strained under the whale's energy. A manic grin spread across his face, fire dancing dangerously at the corners of his mouth.

"HAHA! Look at him!" Joe shouted over the comms. "The coward's finally standing his ground! Hey, Rafael, you're actually getting brave!"

Rafael's whole body quivered, sweat dripping down his temple as the shield groaned under the pressure. His voice cracked out, strained but defiant.

"I-I'm not brave… I'm just not… letting you guys die!"

The whale's beam slammed into his barrier, the sky flashing white. Rafael roared in fear and fury, forcing every drop of magnetic energy he had into the shield. The blast shook the air, but somehow, just barely, it held.