Mutagen

Everyone stared at the sky, not at the monster threatening everyone\'s survival but at the hole in space that appeared out of nowhere and the strange giant flying object that came out of it.

The witnesses were terrified. Another wave of despair came to envelop their hearts. It was the fear of the unknown and the uncertainties it could bring in an already losing battle.

And before their hearts could calm down, another hole in space, much smaller than the previous one, right at the entrance of the bridge by the frontlines.

The soldiers immediately readied their guns. The [Vanguard Soldiers] were the same.

However, what came out of the hole were not monsters but a group of black-clothed and armored people with very familiar emblems on their chests.

And as soldiers, there was no way they would not recognize one of the territorial groups of the Reclaimed City.

The soldiers immediately reported what they were currently seeing to the headquarters. It was all while more people came out of the hole in space.

But soon after the soldiers sent the report, everyone\'s radio, communicators, and even the speakers installed around the restricted island sounded.

It was the voice of the Prime Minister.

"Everyone, my countrymen. We have escaped the undead. We resisted the mutants. And we survived the world\'s change. We have made this place, the Reclaimed City, our new home. We survived."

The people turned their heads at the speakers, listening intently.

"But now, as everyone knows, we are facing another crisis, a worse threat to our survival. We have lost our new homes. We have lost more of our loved ones. All of us here, me, you, the soldiers, everyone listening to this speech, are the only ones left of this city."

The people grasped their fists tight. Out of the hundred thousand people living in the Reclaimed City, all that was left were a few ten thousand that could fit into two large islands.

"We are at our final line of defense. We have no other place to go. We have no place to escape. Our defeat here would declare the fall of this country."

Everyone\'s hearts sank.

"The evil creatures and their machinations. They manipulated our own people and conjured a monster from the past. And against a monster that was the stuff of legends, we, nothing but mere humans, had no chance of winning."

Their hearts sunk even more. Despair was looming over everyone as they lowered their heads.

"But it did not mean that we should wallow in despair. We have nothing more to lose. That is why we should grasp onto hope tighter. We have yet to lose. We still have hope."

Once again, everyone raised their heads, waiting for the Prime Minister to continue.

"The Reclaimed City\'s Protector, Priestess Ise Hikari. She had now returned to the spearhead for the final stretch of this battle."

Murmurs echoed among the people.

"Atop that vessel in the sky, together with our foreign guests and new allies, the Priestess is about to face the monster we struggled to fight."

People stared at the sky, finally realizing what the floating cube that came out of the hole in space might be. Those inside the shelters were a little confused, but those brave went out to see what was in the sky.

"Our honorable soldiers and brave warriors, who are still fighting in the frontlines, hang on tight. It would not be easy, but everyone behind you was counting on your bravery. And my fellow countrymen, I beseech your prayers to support them. Your prayers would help them fight this terrifying battle."

The people gripped their fists once again, but not because of fear and despair. Their hearts began thumping loudly.

"We might not know the result of this fight. But we have yet to lose." 

"There is still hope."

***

"RAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

The soldiers on the frontlines roared. They steeled their hearts. It was the final stretch of this fight.

Everyone in the frontline readied once again. The soldiers, the [Freelancers], there were also the members of territorial groups and even some Priests and Maidens of the Temple. There was also the addition of the Black Lotus and the guests they had brought. They all readied to defend the final bridges from the incoming enemies.

The Yamata-no-Orochi in the sky, the [Miasmic Residues] in front and below the water, the [Infected] to the west, and the [Mechids] to the east. All these enemies might not be working together, but all of them posed a threat to what remained of Japan.

And everyone on the frontline needed to defend against all these threats at once.

It would not be an easy fight.

But as the Prime Minister had said.

"There is still hope."

***

"What a speech..."

Mark said atop The Cube.

The speakers in Ariake were in full volume. That was why Mark and the others who were flying above Toyosu could still hear it clearly.

Such a loud volume should not be advisable in a zombie apocalypse due to obvious reasons. However, the louder the speech, the greater its impact on the hearts of the listeners.

And using the Priestess as the pillar, the Prime Minister managed to raise everyone\'s morale to the maximum.

While the Prime Minister\'s speech was ongoing, Mark and the rest were observing the situation. Atop The Cube, there was Mark, Mei, Spera, Amihan, the Priestess, and the Empress. They all looked around and observed the surroundings in the few moments they had free.

And there was only one word to describe what was happening before them.

It was chaos.

The [Infected] was attacking the Yamata-no-Orochi in any way they possibly could. Whether it be flying or just throwing their kind high up, they were trying to reach the serpent in the sky.

On the other hand, the [Miasmic Residues] had fully conquered the rest of the remaining areas north of Ariake. It caused the arrival of the [Mechids] to be halted by these goo-like creatures, resulting in another ensuing battle.

The chaos allowed The Cube and everyone on it to look around safely, ignored by the enemies. And to say, it was not really a pleasant sight.

They all saw the effect of Gar\'Vlam\'s death, erasing a large chunk of Kachidoki and setting fire to the majority of the Reclaimed City.

While watching the flames below, a large shadow flew from the flaming ruins of Toyosu to The Cube. It was Chaflar with the shrunk Laelaps and Mako on his back.

The large lizard landed atop The Cube. It was amazing that its weight barely shook the hovering vessel.

"You three okay?"

Mark asked as Mako and Laelaps jumped off Chaflar\'s back.

"We are still okay, but your dragon could barely fly."

Mako replied, a little worried about Chaflar.

The two animals met up with Mako during the evacuation. But they ended up getting stuck at the southwest edge of Toyosu when the wave of flames happened. Fighting the [Miasmic Residues] while protecting survivors drained the hell out of the three, but Chalfar had it the worst since he had been flying around since the start of the invasion.

Looking at his two pets, Mark patted their heads.

"Good work, you two."

Mark then turned to Spera.

"Spera, send them back to base. They needed rest."

"Please, send me there instead," Mako interjected, pointing at Ariake. "I\'ll do my best until this ends."

Mark gave Mako a straight look and shrugged. It looked like Mako wanted to help the defense while hiding in the shadows.

"Just don\'t die. We had a deal."

"I know."

Mako nodded. Then, Spera sent the three to their respective destinations.

After the portal closed, the Priestess asked Mark.

"That is Ren-chan\'s assistant, am I right? I thought she was dead?"

It looked like that, despite the armor and helmet covering her appearance, the Priestess still recognized Mako. The Priestess should be wondering why the truth was hidden from Ren and the rest of the Black Lotus.

But then again, Mako betrayed the Black Lotus. Even if a few things she did save Ren from true death, it would not cover that fact. There was no place for a traitor back in their former group.

"We have a deal, so I can\'t just let her die." Mark gave another shrug. "Anyway, chat times over. We\'ve finally been noticed."

Mark turned his head at the Serpent God. The Serpent God was still receiving attacks from both the [Infected] and the Defense Forces, but its attention was already on The Cube.

And it was not only the Serpent God who was paying attention to The Cube. The [Siren of Death] was looking at it too, and it also attracted the attention of some [Mechids].

"We should start. Let\'s take the initi-."

Mark tried to say, but there was no initiative to be taken.

ROOOARR!!!

The Serpent God managed to defend one of its heads and attack The Cube. It spewed a burst of flames. It was not just a fireball but a full-blown breath attack that covered the entirety of The Cube.

Amihan immediately flew forward. Her black hair shone with a green sheen, and the markings on her body glowed emerald green.

A thick wall of wind surged in front of The Cube. It blocked the fire breath attack, not letting it anywhere near the floating vessel.

The Priestess also moved forward. She threw talismans in front of her, creating an elemental pentagram mid-air.

An encantation came out of the Priestess\' mouth. It was a familiar one to Mark, although with different phrases at the end.

As the talisman for the water element dissolved, the Priestess shouted.

"Water, the giver of life! Douse these evil flames!"

However, nothing happened in front of the pentagram. It just vanished without a trace.

But that was when everyone heard a roaring sound coming from below.

Everyone in Ariake felt the ground tremble. Their eyes opened wide when the water between the man-made islands of the Reclaimed City began to rise into a giant wall. 

The wall of water continued to rise, towering several dozen meters like a deadly tidal wave.

It was a scene both mystifying and terrifying.

Then, the Priestess turned to Mark.

"Are there really no survivors left in the northern parts?"

It was a question that Mark replied with an unfortunate nod. The Priestess let out a sad sigh as she finished her attack.

The walls of water shot up to the sky. One large part shot towards the Serpent God and stopped its flaming breath, while the rest of the wall surged into the northern parts of the Reclaimed City like a tsunami.

What the Priestess said was to douse the evil flames. It was not only the attack from the Serpent God but every flame that devastated the Reclaimed City.

The Priestess called forth a new miracle.

Those walls of water surged across the burning ruins, extinguishing every remaining fire and washing away the [Miasmic Residues] roaming the streets.

"Hmmm..." The Empress smiled. "I can\'t let myself get buried just like this."

And the Empress jumped off from The Cube.

It was no suicide attempt, however.

As the Empress fell, bluish flames enveloped her body. The bluish flames then became green, then yellow, and lastly, golden. With every change of color, its size grew.

When the flames landed on the grounds of Toyosu, now submerged in water, it was already the size of a small building.

The golden flames exploded with intensity and began moving back to the sky.

And there, the golden flames died down, revealing a giant figure of a nine-tailed fox with golden fur.

It was the [Manifestation] of the Empress, a form conjured and created by her raw power.

"HMP! FOOO!"

The Empress opened her mouth as she ran in the air. She then retaliated with her own breath of flames, hotter than the Serpent God\'s.

Mark intently watched the Empress perform her [Manifestation]. It was a power of a Deity.

It was something he should be able to do soon.