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Chapter 8 - FIGHT ON OR GIVE UP

Before current time at the mall's weapons room, Will is discussing their plans with the rest of the group. He suggests getting themselves captured by the police zombies to create a major problem, which would eventually attract the Commander zombie. Simbad expresses his approval of the plan and mentions that he and Rune have been needing to reawaken their magic powers. Kiren is confused and asks how they will accomplish that. Simbad explains that they need to be in a situation where they get into a tough magically fight. Simbad then says that only Rex knows about their magic as it is kept a secret among the berry community.

In the present, the police zombie handcuffs the entire Berry team while a police human flesh van arrives. As the group lines up to enter the van, Rune notices a swat car approaching, with swat zombies preparing to retrieve the dropped weapons. Ezzy refuses to give up and headbutts a police officer, allowing Rune to reawaken a bit of his magic to make his butcher blade fly out of the police zombie's hands and cut down several others. Rune breaks free from his handcuffs and defeats a couple of police zombies with his punches. However, he realizes that the human flesh handcuffs around his wrist are tightening, but manages to break free and release Kiren and Ezzy. Agustin slips out of his handcuffs and frees Will from his restraints.

Simbad reawakens his magic a bit and uses his magic to make small rocks float in the air, piercing through the skulls and chests of many zombie police officers. The police zombies retaliate by using batons to beat up Kiren and Ezzy. Rune catches his butcher blade and starts cutting down police zombies around Kiren and Ezzy. Concerned for Kiren's safety, Ezzy pulls him out of danger. Agustin grabs his two daggers from the ground and slashes the heads off many police zombies. Will tries to grab his rifle, but a police zombie hits him away with a baton. Agustin comes to Will's defense. Ezzy retrieves her rifle from the ground and starts shooting at the police zombies. Meanwhile, Kiren notices that the police zombies are wielding human flesh guns and shoots back while taking cover. Ezzy dodges the bullets and reloads her rifle to continue firing at the police zombies.

Rune frees Simbad as he retrieves his katana from the ground, engaging in a fight against the swat police zombies. Rune join in the fight with Simbad and displays great strength as he cuts through their human flesh riot shields. Will falls to the ground with a nosebleed and sees the human flesh covering the prison starting to move. He realizes that the plan is working. The human flesh forms a ball and shoots toward the ongoing battle. Rune informs everyone that the main boss has arrived. The human flesh ball transforms into a heavily geared police commander zombie. The other police and swat zombies stop and back away from the battle as the commander zombie approaches Will.

Will gets up and admits that indeed his friend, Cameda, has turned into a zombie. Cameda, the commander zombie, acknowledges that it has been a while since he last saw Will. Will expresses his desire to stop fighting and save his friend Cameda. However, Cameda laughs and claims that they have already committed a crime and murdered many of his fellow police officers. Will argues back, urging Cameda to regain his humanity and not let the zombie brain take over. Cameda retorts that Will doesn't understand and asserts that he is free to act in the name of justice, his own justice.

Rune senses that talking will not work with the zombies and declares that they need to prepare for the fight of their lives. Ezzy throws Kiren his rifle, urging him to fight. Kiren readies his rifle, taking aim at the approaching zombies. Will pleads with Cameda, expressing his reluctance to fight and his desire to save his friend. Cameda looks at Will and claims that he is already free. He orders the other police zombies to arrest everyone or kill them if they fight back. Cameda continues laughing as the police and swat zombies swarm the group. The team defends themselves, fighting back and killing as many zombies as they can, but they soon realize that the waves of police zombies are endless.

Simbad looks toward the prison and notices that the human flesh around it is creating more police zombies. He informs the group that they are facing an unlimited army. Rune continues fighting, with sparks of magic surrounding his blade. He remarks that his magic powers are not fully awakened and that he needs to be more in danger. Rune charges at Cameda, but the commander zombie blocks his blade strike with his bare hands and releases a lightning shock onto the blade, electrocuting Rune in the process.

Agustin pushes Kiren and Ezzy back, suggesting that they need to escape and inform Rex. Reluctantly, Ezzy agrees, realizing that they are losing the battle, and they retreat while being chased by the swat zombies. Will, losing his will to fight and saddened by Cameda's madness, throws down his rifle. The police zombies handcuff him, and Kiren offers to stay back and buy some time for Ezzy to escape. Ezzy looks back at Kiren as he shoots at the swat zombies holding out their shields. She then runs off, leaving Kiren overwhelmed by the swat zombies.

Rune continues his fight against Cameda, clashing weapons with great force. Cameda delivers another lightning shock, sending Rune flying to the ground. Cameda points out something behind Rune, and when Rune turns around, he sees everyone in handcuffs with guns pointed at their heads. Cameda states that they can either die here or go to prison for a fair trial. Resigned, Rune drops his weapon and surrenders, choosing to save his allies from certain death. Cameda laughs as the police zombie puts them all in the police van, driving them away toward the human flesh-covered prison.

Meanwhile at the same time Adam continues walking through the forest lost in his thoughts, he accidentally walks into an electrical fence. Unfazed by the shock, he pushes through, breaking the fence. As he looks up, he sees the cabin in front of him, and his eyes begins to fill with rage. Adam approaches the window and sees Lia sitting down while Sam kisses her. The rage intensifies, causing Adam to clench his teeth so tightly that they begin to crack. Memories of Sam's betrayal, the videos from Conor's photo, and the moments of his deceased daughter flood Adam's mind. He tightly grips his bat, bending it slightly, but his anger subsides for a brief moment when he notices Lia's growing stomach, indicating she is still pregnant. However, he questions if the child is even his.

In that moment, an arrow pierces through the back of Adam's head, tearing into his right eye. With the arrow lodged in his eye, Adam turns around to see Conor perched in a tree, the one who shot the arrow. Conflicting emotions surge within Adam as he realizes his own son has attacked him. Conor is confused, as the man in front of him resembles his father. Adam quickly runs away in the speed of light. Sam emerges from the cabin, wondering what happened. Conor, emotional but composed, brushes it off as an animal disturbance.

Adam races through the forest, crying and descending into madness. In his distress, he removes the arrow from his eye, confirming that it was indeed Conor's arrow. Unable to control his emotions, Adam continues running, eventually passing Mai and Xai and crashing through the walls of Old Berry town. Mai and Xai, on their way to the cabin, witness Adam's dramatic entrance and see him fleeing into the town. Excited, Mai recognizes Adam and eagerly follows him, urging Xai to join her. They enter the town and stealthily avoid numerous zombies. While observing the Dog zombie, they hide in a motel room to evade its keen sense of smell. Xai questions the riskiness of their actions and suggests returning, believing their father's magic may not be enough to save them this time. However, Mai insists they will be fine, trusting her research.

As they observe the Dog zombies approaches, Mai and Xai prepare their guns. The Dog zombie and other zombies bang against the door, but Mai and Xai shoot through it, killing the zombies and hitting the Dog zombie in the heart, causing it to retreat in pain. However, the commotion attracts more zombies, and the two siblings struggle to hold them off. The bed they use as a barricade starts to break, and zombie arms reach through the cracks. Nearby, Adam is also under attack from zombies. Overwhelmed with emotions, he slams his bat into the ground, creating a shockwave that results in blood pouring all over the place. The bed collapses, sending body parts flying into the room, and Mai and Xai wipe the blood from their faces, bewildered by what just happened.

Leaving the motel, they witness Adam killing numerous zombies with his bat, his screams filled with intense emotions. Mai excitedly records the scene with her handheld camera. They continue to observe as Adam becomes overwhelmed by a horde of a hundred zombies, but to their surprise, many of the zombies begins to drop dead. Mai explains that Megan's information was accurate; Adam's blood is poisonous to all Stars. She suggests that they should help him, but Xai questions her sanity. Mai argues that they need Adam on their side to win the war against the Riders, as their insider revealed that the Riders also have an A-Star fighting for them. Mai notices Adam finishing off the last remaining zombie and falling to his knees in tears. She tries to approach him, but Xai pulls her back, narrowly avoiding a swing of Adam's bat. Mai reassures Adam that they are not zombies and that his friends need his help. However, Adam disregards her and leaps away to another part of the town to confront more zombies. Xai insists that Adam won't listen and warns that they are putting themselves in further danger.

Mai runs after Adam, killing zombies along the way with her knife. Xai attempts to follow and assist her but gets interrupted by a group of L-Stars, whom he fights off. As Xai tries to reach Mai, he sees her fall and numerous zombies pounce on her. In shock, he calls out her name, but his view is blocked by another zombie. Xai defeats the zombie, only to witness blood and body parts splatter in the air as Mai miraculously gets up and continues running toward Adam. Confused by what just happened, Xai glimpses a shadowy figure throughout the town, wreaking havoc and killing zombies.

Meanwhile, Adam encounters a bull zombie charging at him. He swings his bat, striking the bull zombie's head and sending it flying into the sky, causing his bat to break. Simultaneously, he gets stabbed in the stomach by a Chainsaw zombie, whose arms emerge from his stomach, wielding a chainsaw. Using his strength, Adam breaks the chainsaw arms with his own and smashes the Chain zombie's head. The chainsaw zombie staggers back, now headless, and Adam punches it away, sending it crashing through several buildings. The bull zombie falls back onto the street, and Adam crushes its head under his foot, creating a small crater. He then furiously digs out the bull zombie's heart, crushing it, and gazes at the setting sun, still shedding tears. Upon hearing Mai calling out his name, Adam is flooded with memories of the past when he first met a younger Lia, who would constantly call out his name. In a powerful scream, Adam releases a shockwave infused with magic, creating a larger crater and rendering everyone within a 100-meter radius unconscious. Mai and many zombies falls into the crater, knocked out, while Xai collapses onto the streets.

Moments later, Xai regains consciousness and makes his way to the crater, where he finds numerous zombie bodies piled up. Calling out for Mai, she awakens amidst the heap of knocked-out zombies. Amidst the chaos, Mai notices a persistent zombie attempting to navigate through the bodies towards her. Overwhelmed by Adam's cries, she starts digging her way through the incapacitated zombies to reach him. Reaching Adam's side at the center of the zombie pile, Mai extends her hand, assuring him that everything is under control. Slowly, the surrounding zombies begin to regain consciousness. Having been informed by Megan about Adam's situation, Mai understands the hardships he has endured, particularly at the cabin. She assures him of her unwavering support and holds onto his arm. Adam softly questions why he must suffer in this lifetime. Mai comforts him, expressing her belief that things will eventually improve and emphasizing her willingness to share in his pain. Adam gazes at Mai, struck by her beauty, but their moment is abruptly interrupted as they are forcefully pulled out of the zombie pile.

While Mai lands safely on the street, Adam crashes through the streets, his vision fixated on a shadowy arm impaling his chest. Looking up, he sees a figure looming over him, questioning him "Why is she willing to do so much for him". Adam then questions how much longer will he endure his suffering. In a small burst of rage, he delivers a powerful punch to the Shadow figure, sending it hurtling through numerous town buildings, crashing through the town wall, demolishing trees in the forest, and finally plunging into the depths of a lake. Adam, consumed by memories of Conor's arrow piercing his head, experiences a severe mental breakdown. Mai and Xai then witnesses Adam collapsing to his knees as his body begins to shrink, transforming into a younger version of himself(11). Embracing Adam tightly, Mai holds him close while he remains engulfed in tears as Xai sees the zombies around them gradually awakening. They suddenly hear the sound of an approaching vehicle as Stella drives up in the armored van, swiftly picking them up and speeding back to the base.