Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan stepped forward slowly.

The young man in front of him didn’t notice a thing and kept shoving vegetables into his mouth like there was no tomorrow.

Well, in a world like this, getting one last good meal before dying could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Ethan swung his blade toward the back of the man’s neck. The sharp edge sliced through effortlessly, producing a sickening sound of metal grinding against flesh and bone.

The young man’s head dropped to the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop. His eyes were still wide open, and a few sprigs of cilantro were still clenched between his teeth.

Warm blood splattered onto the surrounding vegetables, making the leaves tremble slightly.

”Huh?” A few of his companions, who had been happily munching away nearby, turned their heads at the sound. Their faces froze in shock, and they stood rooted to the spot.

A half-bitten green onion fell from one of their mouths.

”That’s enough. Too much onion ruins the flavor,” Ethan muttered as he stepped forward, his blade sweeping in a wide arc.

The two men in front of him, both B-rank Awakeners, didn’t even have time to react before their heads hit the ground, rolling to a stop near the scattered vegetables.

Outside the greenhouse, Kaito furrowed his brow. He had caught the faintest sound from within and sniffed the air, detecting a trace of blood.

Kaito was an A+ rank water-element Awakener, a skilled fighter within the Takahashi Family.

”Wait…” Kaito raised a hand, signaling the family members behind him, who were busy gathering supplies. His expression turned cautious.

”There’s something in the greenhouse.”

”Brother, isn’t it just our people in there?” a young girl beside him asked.

Kaito shook his head. ”Their presence… it’s gone.”

”What?” The group around him exchanged uneasy glances, their thoughts drifting to the family members who had vanished earlier. Could the culprit behind it all be inside?

”What should we do?” the girl asked anxiously.

”Stay calm. Don’t panic,” Kaito said firmly. ”We’ll go in and see what kind of monster we’re dealing with. And we’ll bring our people back.”

”As expected of you, brother…” The girl clenched her fists, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Kaito Takahashi was considered a rising star within the Takahashi Family. With his A+ rank abilities, he was second only to Ryuji Takahashi and carried significant authority.

The girl was his cousin, but their bond had long since surpassed mere familial ties.

Kaito gestured to the group, and they moved into formation, spreading out in a fan shape to surround the greenhouse. Their footsteps were light, making no sound as they approached.

Everyone was on edge, their senses tuned to any noise coming from inside.

Kaito made another hand signal.

Two members of the group moved in tandem, positioning themselves on either side of the greenhouse entrance. Pressing their ears to the plastic sheeting, they listened carefully but heard nothing.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded in silent agreement.

Then, with a sudden motion, they yanked the greenhouse’s curtain aside.

Their eyes scanned the interior. All they saw were scattered vegetable leaves and some cultivation equipment. Not a single person was in sight.

But the faint metallic tang of blood lingered in the air.

”No one?” The two looked at each other, puzzled.

And that’s when they felt it—a presence closing in. A chilling sense of danger crept up their spines, making their hair stand on end.

Ethan’s figure materialized behind them, his movements silent and deliberate.

A wave of killing intent radiated from him, freezing the two in place. It felt as though they had been plunged into an icy abyss. Instinctively, they turned their heads.

But all they saw was the flash of a blade.

The Tachi sliced through the air, its edge gleaming coldly as it reached their necks.

They didn’t even have time to scream. A sharp chill spread across their throats, and darkness consumed their vision as they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

”There… there he is!”

”What kind of monster is this?!”

”I don’t know…”

”Attack! Now!”

The group behind them finally spotted Ethan. Energy surged around them as they activated their Awakener abilities. Ice shards, fireballs, and other attacks tore through the air, all aimed directly at him.

But the truth was, they hadn’t discovered Ethan. He had allowed them to see him.

There was no need to hide from these small fry. He could take them out in the open without breaking a sweat.

Ethan’s eyes glowed red, a sinister light flickering within them.

The terrifying Domain of the Dead spread outward, its oppressive force crashing over the area like a storm.

Several of the attackers were caught within its range. Their bodies convulsed, bones cracking audibly.

One by one, they crumpled to the ground, completely incapacitated.

”Fall back!” someone shouted, their voice trembling with fear. The remaining fighters’ eyes were wide with terror, as if they were staring into an endless sea of blood, surging toward them. They knew that if they were swallowed by it, there would be no escape—only death.

But their movements were too slow. The Domain of the Dead pressed down relentlessly, and a few more were crushed under its overwhelming force.

”Kaito! What do we do now?” The young girl clung to Kaito’s back, her face pale with fear as she watched their comrades collapse one by one.

Kaito’s brows furrowed deeply, his expression dark enough to drip water. The scene before him brought to mind the descriptions from the Zombie King’s dossier.

This guy… this monster in front of them… could very well be the Zombie King, the target of their mission.

The Zombie King, a being with the power of an Absolute Domain. He could move undetected, ignore terrain, and was practically invincible.

”I’ll take you on myself!” Kaito growled through gritted teeth, his energy surging as a faint blue aura began to radiate from his body.

”Water Style: Water Tornado Jutsu!” he roared, unleashing a torrent of water energy. The water swirled and twisted, forming a massive tornado that roared like a dragon as it gained speed and power.

The sheer force of the water element surged forward, seemingly unstoppable.

But the gap between Kaito and Ethan was far too great. The moment the water tornado touched the Domain of the Dead, it shattered instantly, dissipating like mist in the wind. It didn’t stand a chance.

”Boom!”

A dull thud echoed as Kaito was sent flying backward, his body tracing a helpless arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

His eyes were shut tight, blood streaming from his nose, ears, and mouth. His body lay motionless, teetering on the edge of death.

”Brother!” The girl’s scream pierced the air as she rushed to his side. She dropped to her knees, frantically checking his injuries, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

”Brother, wake up… please, wake up! Don’t leave me… please…”

Ethan tilted his head slightly, watching the scene with cold detachment. Then, in a flash, he moved past her.

The sound of a head hitting the ground echoed softly.

The warehouse fell silent once more.

...

Outside, hundreds of Awakeners were still combing the area, searching for any trace of their target. The search party had pushed further and further back, but so far, they had found nothing.

Ryuji’s eyes darted nervously, his anxiety growing with each passing moment.

Where was Kaito? Why hadn’t he returned yet?

And worse, Genesis Biotech’s people were closing in on the warehouse. If they found anything incriminating, it would be game over. Not only would their reputation be ruined, but their partnership with Genesis Biotech would be terminated on the spot.

Ryuji’s mind raced. He needed to come up with a way to stop them.

He quickly stepped to the front of the group, addressing the lead Awakener. ”Based on my experience, the Zombie King has to be nearby. There’s no way he’s further back. We should focus our search up ahead.”

The lead Awakener, a man named Jacob Turner, raised an eyebrow. Jacob was one of the remaining members of the Bernardino Four Riders and the de facto leader of the camp. ”The Zombie King is unpredictable. He could be anywhere,” Jacob replied flatly.

Ryuji frowned. ”Trust me, no one knows the Zombie King better than I do.”

”Oh, yeah? The last guy who said that is six feet under,” Jacob shot back, clearly unimpressed. Without waiting for further argument, he led a group of several hundred Awakeners straight into the warehouse.

The moment they entered, they noticed signs of recent activity. A barrel of water had been opened and partially emptied. The greenhouse door was ajar.

Ryuji’s heart sank. This was bad. If Genesis Biotech found out what had happened here, it wouldn’t just be a matter of losing face—they’d lose everything.

”Search the area,” Jacob ordered.

The Awakeners spread out, conducting a thorough sweep of the warehouse.

Ryuji grew increasingly tense, his guilt gnawing at him. His foot tapped nervously against the ground as he tried to think of an excuse, something to say if they uncovered the truth.

But then, one of the search teams came running back. ”Report! There’s no one in the warehouse!”

”What?” Ryuji’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he was completely thrown off. But then, his mind started racing again.

Something about this didn’t add up.

Something was very, very wrong....