As Erza's group retreated, Zack stood his ground, determined to hold the line against the relentless wave of undead. The Vulcan's thunderous roar echoed through the street, each burst of fire carving fiery paths through the advancing horde. Spent bullet casings rained down around him, piling up like a miniature hill at his feet. His bullets tore through the zombies, shredding them to pieces, with each shot punching through several bodies at once. Smoke and the stench of gore thickened the air as the battlefield became a gruesome mess of shattered limbs and mangled corpses.
"Ego, I'm almost out of ammo!" Zack shouted over the chaos, glancing at the dwindling rounds in the massive magazine strapped to his back. Even with his custom modifications to expand its capacity, the Vulcan's insatiable appetite for bullets left him with only minutes of firepower. Fortunately, he had designed the magazine to be quickly detachable for reloading.
"Reinforcements are en route, sir!" Ego's calm voice replied through his helmet. Almost on cue, a transport helicopter appeared over the skyline, its rotors slicing through the air. The cargo hold carried nine mechanical dogs, fifteen spiders, and crates filled with fresh ammunition. Five of the spiders had been stationed at the Mansion to guard it, leaving the rest for frontline deployment.
Zack's HUD lit up with a notification of an incoming signal on an unfamiliar frequency. "Sir, someone is trying to connect. Should I patch it through?" Ego prompted.
"Yes, let's hear it," Zack said, and a steady, authoritative voice crackled through his earpiece.
"This is Antonny, captain of the air force," the man introduced himself without hesitation. "I'm launching an artillery strike fifty meters ahead of your position. Clear the area—three seconds!"
Zack's sharp ears picked up the low hum of incoming jets. Within moments, the ground erupted as a barrage of 30mm rounds slammed into the street. The shells exploded on impact, sending zombies flying in all directions, creating a brief but welcome break in the endless horde. The road ahead was left cratered and smoldering, the remains of the zombies scattered in every direction.
"Now that's firepower," Zack muttered with a hint of admiration, watching the devastation. Keying his comms, he responded, "Antonny, you focus on the main horde. I'll handle things here."
"You sure you can manage on your own?" Antonny asked, his tone tinged with genuine concern, recognizing a kindred spirit in Zack.
"I've got backup," Zack replied confidently, just as the transport helicopter hovered closer, lowering its cargo for deployment.
"Alright then, good luck. Stay safe!" Antonny signed off, veering his jet toward the main horde, readying for another bombing run.
Zack exhaled, knowing the small reprieve was over. The wave they'd faced so far was just the beginning. Turning back to the battlefield, he barked, "Ego, keep tabs on Antonny's position and give me updates."
Suddenly, a shadow darted across his vision. A Hunter—one of the swift, lethal variants of the undead—was charging at him from a nearby building. Without even turning, Zack's shoulder-mounted Gatling gun whirred to life, tracking the creature with precision. The gun unleashed a rapid burst of fire, tearing the Hunter apart mid-leap, its shredded remains collapsing into the street below.
"Threat neutralized," Ego confirmed as Zack engaged his suit's propellers, lifting him into the air. From above, he could see Erza rallying her survivors at a construction site, attempting to fortify their position with makeshift defenses.
It was a futile effort in Zack's eyes. Against an endless horde of a million zombies, a few barricades and scattered weapons wouldn't last. Even a fully equipped military unit would struggle without heavy support. Landing near her, Zack wasted no time. "Get your people underground," he ordered. "This base is mine now. I'll hold them off."
Erza hesitated, staring at him in disbelief. "But… can you handle them alone?"
Before Zack could answer, the sound of the helicopter overhead silenced her. The rear hatch opened, and one by one, his mechanical reinforcements dropped down with heavy thuds, shaking the ground.
"Activate combat mode," Zack commanded. The mechanical dogs' blue eyes flickered to a menacing red as they sprang into action. One climbed a sentry tower, anchoring itself with claws digging into the wood for stability. The survivors manning the tower stumbled back in fear, nearly falling off in their panic, but the mechanical dog paid them no mind. Its focus was singular: eliminating the enemy.
A heavy machine gun mounted on the dog's back came to life, unleashing a torrent of bullets into the approaching horde. The remaining dogs quickly spread out, taking strategic positions on the scaffolding, transforming the construction site into a fortress of automated firepower. Their collective gunfire lit up the battlefield, mowing down zombies by the dozens.
Meanwhile, the spider drones scuttled to the perimeter, positioning themselves along the walls. Unlike the dogs, they waited silently, ready to engage once the first wave of ammunition ran dry.
"Sir, this should buy us some time," Ego reported. "Antonny's bombing run has started."
"Good," Zack said, stepping into the helicopter's cargo hold to reload. He swapped out his equipment, securing a bomb-loading compartment to his back. Then, without hesitation, he leapt from the chopper. The suit's propellers roared to life, propelling him into a controlled dive.
The powerful thrust sent him hurtling downward, breaking the sound barrier with a series of sonic booms. Below, the zombies turned their decayed heads skyward, roaring and reaching out as Zack shot past them. He ignored them—these were only the vanguard. The true swarm was still gathering behind.
Farther away, Antonny and his jets were hard at work. Flying low over the densest part of the horde, Antonny barked orders to his team. "Prepare to drop wind-corrected bomb dispensers on my mark!"
He pressed the launch button, releasing two glide-guided missiles. Their stabilizers unfolded mid-flight, guiding them directly into the center of the mass. A split second before hitting the ground, the missiles detonated, releasing a wave of scorching heat that obliterated everything within a dozen meters. Limbs and chunks of flesh were thrown into the air, raining down like gruesome confetti.
"Deploying cluster bombs!" Antonny's co-pilot, Cole, announced. The bombers flying behind released their payloads—rectangular canisters scattering hundreds of bomblets over the horde. The ground was consumed in a chain of explosions, flames spreading like wildfire. Tens of thousands of zombies were incinerated, their remains reduced to ash. Even the mutated ones didn't stand a chance, succumbing to the relentless blaze.
The bombardment wiped out hundreds of thousands in one run—a stark reminder of the overwhelming power of military force. But even this was just a drop in the ocean. The horde was still coming.