Haruto stood in the control room, his eyes locked on the massive screen displaying the live feed from the battlefield. The scene unfolding before him was nothing short of breathtaking—a chaotic dance of destruction, led by a man who moved like a force of nature.
Jin, the captain of the squad, was a whirlwind of raw power. His sleek black suit gleamed under the dim sunlight as he tore through the horde of infected with his bare hands. His movements were fluid, almost poetic, as if he were performing a deadly ballet. Every punch, every kick, was executed with such precision and force that it left Haruto speechless.
"Who… who is that?" Haruto asked, his voice trembling with awe.
Sakura, standing beside him, crossed her arms and smirked. "That's Jin. The strongest of us all. The suit amplifies his abilities, but Jin… he's on a whole different level."
Haruto couldn't look away. Jin's confidence was palpable, even through the screen. He moved with a swagger, his every action dripping with pride. The infected lunged at him from all sides, their grotesque forms oozing purple slime, but Jin didn't flinch. He grinned, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
"Is that all you've got?" Jin taunted, his voice carrying a playful arrogance. He ducked under a swinging arm, grabbed the infected by its wrist, and twisted with a sickening crack. With a single motion, he hurled the creature into a group of others, sending them sprawling like bowling pins. "Come on, give me a real challenge!"
Haruto's jaw dropped. "He's… talking to them?"
"That's just Jin," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "Prideful, cocky, but he backs it up. Every. Single. Time."
The fight escalated. Jin leaped into the air, his suit's enhancements propelling him high above the battlefield. For a moment, he seemed to hang in the air, silhouetted against the sky, before coming down like a meteor. His fist slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent the infected flying in all directions. The pavement cracked beneath him, dust and debris swirling around his figure.
"How is this even possible?" Haruto muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "The suit makes us stronger, but… this is insane."
Sakura chuckled. "Jin's always been like that. The suit just amplifies what's already there. He's in a league of his own."
As Jin landed, he spun around, his movements a blur. He grabbed an infected by the head, his fingers digging into its slime-covered face, and slammed it into the ground with enough force to crater the pavement. Another infected lunged at him from behind, but Jin didn't even turn around. He kicked backward, his foot connecting with the creature's chest and sending it flying into a nearby wall. The impact was so powerful that the wall crumbled on impact.
"Pathetic," Jin muttered, brushing off his hands as if he'd just finished a light workout. "You call this a fight?"
The infected, seemingly undeterred by their fallen comrades, surged forward in greater numbers. Jin's grin widened. "Finally, a challenge!"
He charged into the horde, his fists moving like pistons. Each punch landed with a thunderous crack, sending infected flying in every direction. One creature managed to grab his arm, but Jin simply yanked it free and delivered an uppercut so powerful that the infected's head snapped back, its body lifting off the ground before crumpling into a heap.
Haruto watched in awe as Jin's movements became even more exaggerated, almost theatrical. He leaped onto the roof of a nearby car, using it as a springboard to launch himself into the air. As he descended, he spun like a top, his legs extended in a devastating roundhouse kick that cleared a wide arc of infected. The car beneath him groaned under the force, its roof caving in.
"He's… he's unstoppable," Haruto whispered.
"That's Jin for you," Sakura said, her tone a mix of admiration and exasperation. "He loves showing off."
Just then, another figure entered the frame. This one was smaller, less imposing, but moved with a quiet confidence. He carried a shotgun, its barrel smoking from recent use. His shots were precise, each one taking down an infected with deadly accuracy.
"Makami!" Jin called out, his tone warm and familiar. "Took you long enough!"
The smaller man—Makami—grinned and shrugged. "Someone's gotta clean up after you, Jin. You're making a mess out here."
Haruto tilted his head. "Who's that?"
"Makami," Sakura explained. "Jin's best friend. They've known each other forever. Wherever Jin goes, Makami's not far behind. They're inseparable."
Haruto watched as the two interacted. Jin's prideful demeanor melted away whenever he spoke to Makami. They moved together like a well-oiled machine, Jin tearing through the infected with his bare hands while Makami provided cover with his shotgun. Despite their differences in strength, they complemented each other perfectly.
"They've been through a lot together," Sakura continued. "When the outbreak started, they fought their way here side by side. Jin could've left Makami behind—he's fast enough to outrun anything—but he never would. That's just how they are."
Haruto felt a pang of envy. He had never had a bond like that with anyone. Even before the world fell apart, his illness had isolated him. Watching Jin and Makami, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have someone who had your back no matter what.
As the battle on the screen began to wind down, a thick cloud of smoke rolled in, obscuring the camera's view. Doctor Ashita, who had been quietly observing from the corner of the room, suddenly leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.
"Wait," he said, his voice tense. "There's something in the smoke."
Haruto squinted at the screen. At first, he couldn't see anything. But then, a figure emerged—a human figure, running frantically. Unlike the infected, who moved with jerky, unnatural motions, this person ran with purpose, their movements desperate but coordinated.
"Jin," Doctor Ashita said, activating the communication system. "There's someone coming through the smoke. Don't shoot. I think it's a human."
Jin's voice crackled over the comms. "A human? Out here? You sure about that, Doc?"
"Positive," Doctor Ashita replied. "Proceed with caution."
The figure stumbled out of the smoke, collapsing to their knees. It was a girl, her clothes tattered and her face streaked with dirt and tears. She raised her hands in surrender, her voice trembling as she cried out.
"Please… help me…"
Haruto's breath caught in his throat. The girl looked exhausted, her body frail and malnourished. She had clearly been through hell, but there was a spark of life in her eyes—something the infected lacked.
Jin and Makami approached her cautiously, their weapons lowered but still at the ready. Jin knelt down, his usual bravado replaced by a rare moment of seriousness.
"Hey," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You're safe now. We've got you.