While Ultimate Swampfire was fighting with the Red Margwa, Saya led the group of girls through the chaos toward the garage. The air was thick with tension and the groans of approaching zombies.
"James changed into another monster," Rei observed. She raised her gun and fired, the bullet piercing a zombie's skull with a sharp crack.
"Alien, but yes," Lois corrected, her gaze sharp as she took aim. Another shot rang out, and a zombie crumpled to the ground, its head a ruined mess.
"That one seemed different from the others," Jasmine noted, her tone thoughtful as she fired her weapon. "He has many forms," she added. She thought about the Vampire form who had saved her.
Shizuka's eyes sparkled. "I wanted to see the dog again," she said, almost pouting. "I was hoping to pet him," she added.
Saya sighed. "That dog didn't exactly look pet-friendly," she remarked.
Saeko, wielding Slasher, cleaved through the neck of a zombie. She smiled, the thrill of battle evident in her eyes. "We need to reach the Humvee," she urged, her voice firm.
"She's right," Saya agreed, urgency lacing her words. "We have to keep moving," she added.
Lois, still scanning for threats, fired another precise shot, dropping a zombie that had strayed too close. "Are we getting close?" she asked.
"Yes," Saya confirmed, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
Jasmine, steadying her aim with her Red Hawk, squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew true, striking a zombie in the chest and sending it sprawling to the ground. "Nice shot," Shizuka said.
"Thank you," Jasmine replied. The girls pushed through to the garage on the west side of the house.
They finally reached the garage, their path littered with the fallen remnants of their battle. As they approached, a fresh wave of zombies lurched toward them. Their groans echoing through the concrete structure.
Rei looked around. "Cover me," she said, raising her weapon. Without hesitation, Lois stepped up beside her.
Rei squeezed the trigger. She fired a series of precise shots. Each bullet found its mark, dropping the zombies one by one. She aimed for the heads. Lois, beside her, was equally composed. Her shots hit their targets. One by one zombies started to drop. "On your left," she called out, alerting Rei to a pair of zombies staggering out from behind a parked car. With a quick adjustment, Rei pivoted and took them down. The zombies fell in rapid succession.
In the brief moments between shots, Saya kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Saeko kept Slasher close by, striking any zombies that got too close.
As the last zombie crumpled to the ground, Rei and Lois exchanged a quick glance, a silent confirmation of their success. "Clear," Rei announced as she lowered her gun, her gaze sweeping the now-quiet garage. The garage was small with tools everywhere. She looked at the Humvee.
Lois nodded, her eyes scanning the area one final time to ensure there were no more threats. They saw a man on the ground with large bite marks. Shizuka looked at the man. "Poor soul," she remarked.
"Let's get to the Humvee," Saya urged.
At that moment, they all could feel the ground shaking. "What is that?" Jasmine asked.
"It's coming from outside," Saeko said as she sprinted outside. She saw a grotesque creature with two heads and several tentacles. There was a horde of zombies around it. Rei and Lois followed suit.
"Not this one," Rei said, as she took a step back. She looked frightened.
As the Margwa loomed ominously in their path, Saeko's voice cut. "Rei, don't let fear control you!" she shouted, her tone urgent, "Think about Takashi and how he died. Let that anger fuel you. Think of James!" she added. Lois, sensing Rei's struggle, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and nodded firmly.
Rei blinked, the fog of fear lifting from her mind. She clenched her jaw, channeling the sorrow and rage into a single purpose. "Let's take him out," she said.
Saya stepped forward, gripping the Ray Gun. "We have to. It's blocking our way," she said, her gaze fixed on the grotesque creature.
Rei and Lois raised their M4Ws, their fingers tightening on the triggers. "Unload on it!" Lois commanded. They opened fire, the rapid staccato of gunfire echoing through the air. Bullets riddled the Margwa, forcing it to stagger backwards under the relentless assault.
Saya joined in, her Ray Gun humming as it unleashed powerful red beams. The rays struck the Margwa, causing it to recoil further. But the Margwa was unphased. Its glowing mouths snapped open, and fired twin yellow beams of energy straight at them.
"Get out of the way!" Lois shouted. They all scattered, diving to the sides as the deadly beams scorched the ground where they had stood moments before.
Breathing heavily, Saya looked back at the garage, her heart pounding. They had barely avoided disaster. "We need to keep it away from the garage," she urged.
Lois nodded. "We need to draw it away," Lois said. Rei and Lois reloaded their weapon.
The Margwa lunged towards them with a guttural roar. Saeko, clutching Slasher tightly, sprinted to meet the monstrous creature head-on. The Margwa's massive tentacle-like arm whipped through the air. Saeko ducked under the attack with feline grace and retaliated, slicing the tentacle. Margwa swung its other tentacle at Saeko. She acted swiftly, using the swinging tentacle as a springboard. She pressed her foot against it and launched herself into the air, somersaulting gracefully before landing solidly on her feet.
Meanwhile, Lois and Rei flanked the Margwa, positioning themselves on either side of the monster. They unleashed a hail of bullets from their M4Ws, the rounds pinging off the creature's thick, armored hide with little effect. Frustration set in as the Margwa seemed unfazed by their barrage. The creature turned its ferocious gaze towards Lois, its mouths glowing brighter before it unleashed two beams of searing yellow energy.
Lois dived to the side just in time to avoid the deadly blasts. The beams struck the ground where she had stood moments before, scorching the earth. "Damn, that was close," she muttered, quickly regaining her footing.
Rei, switched to her under-barrel attachment. She aimed carefully and fired a powerful shotgun shell at the Margwa, hoping the increased firepower would penetrate its tough exterior. The blast hit its mark, but the creature's hide was too resilient; the shell barely made a dent.
"That didn't work either," Rei said in frustration. The Margwa charged towards Rei. The earth trembled under its massive weight.
Rei's heart pounded as the monstrous beast bore down on her. At the last moment, she leapt into the air, narrowly escaping as the Margwa's tentacles crashed into the ground where she had been standing, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. The force of the impact left a crater. "Ouch, that thing is annoying," Rei commented.
"We need to find its weak spot!" Saeko shouted as she ran towards the Margwa.
Saya thought weak spot. She thought it usually has 3 mouths but one was missing for this one. However, she thought the skin was tough. She then realised, "Its mouth is its weak spot, when it opens its mouth to fire that beam, that when we shoot him in the mouth," Saya shouted.
Lois thought that made sense. "Yes, she is right," Lois agreed. "Aim for his mouth," she added.
Rei and Saeko nodded. Saeko slashed the monster with Slasher. It made a mark on his thick skin. The monster slammed down on the ground. Saeko jumped away. The monster opened its mouth and was about to fire its yellow beam at Saeko.
Lois, eyes narrowed in concentration, switched to her under-barrel attachment. She launched a grenade towards the Margwa, the explosive projectile whistling through the air. Simultaneously, Rei adjusted her grip and fired a powerful shotgun shell from her own under-barrel attachment. The heavy round flew, aimed directly at the Margwa. Saya, gripping her Ray Gun tightly, targeted the Margwa's gaping mouths. Her finger squeezed the trigger, sending a concentrated beam of red energy streaking through the air.
Their attacks converged in a synchronized assault. The grenade exploded upon impact, the blast sending shockwaves rippling through the Margwa's thick hide. Almost simultaneously, Rei's shotgun shell struck home. Saya's Ray Gun beam hit the monster's mouth. The combined force of their assault resulted in a deafening explosion. The Margwa reeled, both of its mouths struck directly by the onslaught. The creature let out a pained, guttural roar as the blasts erupted against its flesh, the force causing it to stagger backward. Smoke and debris filled the air, obscuring the creature as it struggled to regain its balance. But the damage was too severe. With a final, shuddering groan, the Margwa's legs gave way, and it collapsed heavily to the ground, its monstrous bulk sending tremors through the earth upon impact.
The girls stood breathless, their weapons still poised as they watched the Margwa fall. The monster lay motionless.
"We got it," Lois breathed.
Rei nodded, lowering her weapon slightly. "We did," she agreed, her eyes still fixed on the fallen beast.
Saya, wiping sweat from her brow. "It's down," she confirmed.
"Keep your guard up," Lois stated. Suddenly, two small yellow creatures crawled out from the Margwa's back.
Saeko`s keen eyes locked onto the bugs, and without hesitation, she swung Slasher. The blade sliced through the air and cleaved the first bug in half.
Jasmine, who had been near the garage fending off the last straggling zombies, noticed the commotion and swiftly aimed her weapon. In one smooth motion, she fired a clean shot, the bullet piercing through the second bug. It let out a faint, high-pitched screech before crumpling to the ground, lifeless.
Good work," Lois praised.
At that moment, the sound of an engine roaring to life caught their attention. Shizuka had put the Humvee in gear and was now steering it out of the garage. "Let's go!" Shizuka shouted from the open window. Rei, Saeko, Lois, Jasmine and Saya all looked at each other and nodded.