Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”You think I’m an idiot? You run faster than a damn rabbit! If I let you go, you’d be gone without a trace,” Bighead growled.

”Come on, man! Me? Run? I’m the mighty boss of Rancho Cucamonga — when have I ever run from anything? You think I’m scared of you?” Big Ears shot back, but deep down he was getting nervous. Since when did Bighead get so sharp? He used to fall for that trick every time.

”Oh, not scared, huh? Good. Then today, I’m gonna show you just how scary I can be!” Bighead snarled, lunging at Big Ears with both claws aiming straight for his face.

Big Ears flinched, quickly throwing his arms out to block, shoving Bighead back with all his strength.

No way around it now—a fight was inevitable. He’d have to trade a few blows.

”Iron Lock!” Big Ears shouted, locking his hands into a grappling move.

Bighead felt the resistance and immediately grabbed onto Big Ears’ shoulders, using the exact same technique. For a moment, the two were locked in a dead heat, neither gaining the upper hand.

”You gotta be kidding me—you know this move too?” Big Ears blurted out, shocked. Without missing a beat, he switched tactics.

”Palm Thrust!”

...

The two zombies rolled and wrestled across the dirt, kicking up clouds of dust, looking absolutely pathetic. They were pretty evenly matched, trading blows back and forth without either side dominating.

Meanwhile, not far away—

A group of humans had shown up, led by Mia, with Sean, Robert, and the others close behind.

Their mission tonight was simple: clear out the surrounding zombies.

They’d heard the sounds of zombies roaring and dogs barking earlier, so they’d rushed over to check it out.

”Zombies fighting each other?” Jenny squinted into the distance. Thick black mist was billowing up ahead, like a jet engine blasting through the streets, swallowing everything in its path.

Through the haze, she could just barely make out zombie figures, snarling and howling as they chased after something.

”What the hell are they chasing? Whatever it is, it’s fast as hell,” Jenny said, frowning.

”It’s Mist,” Mia said calmly, her eyes locked on the scene ahead.

She remembered Mist clearly. Last time, when she and Ethan had gone to raid supplies from the Black Hand Legion’s city, they’d run into the Mist Zombie King. Hard to forget a guy like that—he was basically the king of running away. A master of escape.

”Looks like he hasn’t changed a bit,” Chris muttered. ”Even after making it all the way to L.A., he’s still doing what he does best—running for his life.”

It was obvious what was happening: the zombies from San Diego were hunting down Ethan’s people.

”Let’s go! We’ll take care of the ones chasing from behind!” Mia ordered.

”Got it,” Chris replied.

Without wasting a second, they sprinted straight into the black mist, their figures quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Inside the thick fog, Diesel was leading a pack of elite zombies, chasing after Mist and his crew under Bighead’s orders.

”Man, that guy’s fast!”

”Bighead said not a single one gets away tonight! Move it!”

”Woof! Woof woof woof!”

...

These zombies were no joke—handpicked elites, tearing through the streets at full speed, hot on Mist’s trail.

But suddenly, deep in the darkness ahead, a flash of lightning-like light cut through the mist—a katana sweeping in a wide arc, slicing the blackness apart.

”Huh?”

One of the zombies’ blood-red eyes widened in shock. It sensed the danger instantly, but with the momentum of its sprint, it couldn’t stop in time.

All it heard was a sharp metallic screech—the sound of steel grinding against bone—and then the world spun out of control. In its final moment of consciousness, it saw its own headless body collapsing to the ground.

”Raaaargh—!”

The rest of the zombies, startled by the sudden attack, let out furious howls.

”There’s human scent in the mist!”

”Where?!”

”...”

”Blood Burst!”

Just as the zombies were panicking, a low, cold voice rang out.

The two zombies closest to the sound froze mid-step, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Their veins bulged grotesquely, writhing under their skin like snakes about to burst.

BOOM! BOOM!

In the next instant, the two zombies exploded into clouds of blood mist, their remains scattering into the air.

The zombies behind them recoiled in shock, frozen in place.

”Ugh... woof!” Diesel bared his fangs, letting out a low, uneasy growl.

Then, from the darkness, Mia and her team emerged, stepping into view.

”Kill them all!” Mia ordered, her voice cold and sharp.

”With pleasure,” Chris grinned, gripping his machete as flames roared to life along the blade, wrapping it in searing heat.

”Holy shit!”

The zombies panicked, realizing they’d walked right into an ambush. But being zombies, fear only made them more vicious. They roared and charged forward in a frenzy.

Mia swung her katana with deadly precision, while the others unleashed their powers. Against a small horde like this, it was no contest—like slicing through butter. Zombies dropped left and right, torn apart with brutal efficiency.

...

Meanwhile, back on the other side—

Bighead and Big Ears were still locked in a messy brawl, both looking worse for wear.

Big Ears had a nasty gash on his forehead, dark blood trickling down his face.

Suddenly, from the direction of the black mist, the sounds of zombie roars and agonized wails echoed through the night, one after another.

Bighead’s face lit up with a wicked grin. ”Heh heh, sounds like my boys caught your little buddies!”

”No way,” Big Ears said, frowning. He knew Mist and Shrimpy’s escape skills too well. No way those two would get caught by a bunch of grunts.

Bighead sneered. ”Didn’t you hear them screaming just now?”

But before he could finish gloating, the howls shifted—sharp, pitiful yelps, like a dog crying out in pain.

Bighead’s grin froze on his face.

Something felt... off.

He recognized that sound. It was Diesel.

”Hmph!” Big Ears snorted, suddenly looking smug.

”Who’s getting caught now, huh?”

Bighead’s brow furrowed deep. He lifted his head, staring into the mist, a creeping sense of dread gnawing at him. A wave of killing intent was rolling toward them, thick and suffocating, like a storm about to break.

As the black mist slowly thinned, shadowy figures began to emerge, their outlines growing sharper with every step.

Mia and her team came into full view, their faces cold and merciless, their eyes burning with lethal intent. Blood dripped from the blades of their weapons, still fresh and steaming.

They moved with grim purpose, like executioners walking out of hell itself.

BGM: Boom... Boom... Boom...

”Mama...” Bighead’s face went slack with terror. His heart shot up into his throat, pounding so hard he thought it might burst. Death was coming for him—he could feel it.s?! Where the hell did they come from?!

And not just any humans—these ones were bad news. Real bad.

Without a second thought, Bighead shoved Big Ears aside and bolted, scrambling to get away as fast as he could.

”Trying to run?” Chris smirked, his palm flaring with heat. With a flick of his wrist, a dragon of fire roared to life and shot forward.

Bighead barely made it a few steps before the flames engulfed him, setting him ablaze in an instant.

”RAAAAAARGH—!”

His screams tore through the night, raw and agonized. He dropped to the ground, thrashing and rolling, trying to put out the fire, but only managed to tumble down the other side of the dirt slope, disappearing with a series of painful thuds.

”Brutal...” Big Ears muttered, a chill running down his spine. He turned to look at Mia and the others, squinting. They looked... kinda familiar.

”Wait a sec... you guys raided my territory back in Rancho Cucamonga for supplies, didn’t you?”

...