(Prominis 22, 58 / 11:04PM)

  A couple of days after The Array.

  (Loraine’s thoughts) It was my fault…

  Hurdling herself in a bunch of bnkets, she quickly took in the other world she resided in.

  In this world, she escaped from all responsibilities and consequences that should’ve dawned upon her, her feelings letting loose as she wept her sorrows away. The humidity within these bnket walls caused her body to heat up, creating a rainstorm of emotions inside her mind.

  (Loraine’s thoughts) I got Ryan killed…

  Curdling herself into a ball, she put her knees straight toward her stomach, her hands tightening the grip on them as she wailed.

  Not bothering to peek her head open through the covers, her eyes remained reddened, followed by her cheeks being stained from the many tears that were wept.

  (Loraine’s thoughts) If only … if only…

  A huge pound came from the other end of the room, causing Loraine to not even bother to look.

  Her nostrils fring upward, allowed mucus to reach the top end of her lip, causing her to bite the inside of her cheeks.

  (Loraine’s thoughts) If only I wasn’t born.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  (Libertatem 1, 59 / 4:50AM)

  (Benn, Loraine, Eren, and Ada)

  (Benn) Oh man…

  As the three adults and one child saw the horde of zompires approach them slowly, they took in the fresh uniforms that they were cdded into.

  Taking a step back, all of them had their weapons on standby, as Benn, Eren, and Ada put their hands onto their hips or back as they caressed the metal of their guns. With all of them seeing the unholy sight in front of them, they all swayed their heads from side to side, their mouths slightly agape with some of their teeth sticking out.

  Eren dropped down to his knees, pcing both of his palms onto the many shards of wood, stone, and gss that pricked his skin.

  (Agent Eren) Oh … oh…

  His fingers gripped the asphalt as his nails were sharpened by the cement. Not bothering to look at Ada or the others, his nose started to sniffle, causing Ada to look down at him.

  With her right hand, she grabbed a hold of his left shoulder, pulling him up as she tightened her fingers onto his suit.

  (Agent Ada) Get your act together! Do you wanna be dinner for those bastards!?

  (Agent Eren) But—

  (Agent Ada) They’re not human anymore! If we leave them like that, you’ll know what they’re capable of!

  His face stiffening up, he arched his head back as he held in the mucus from leaving his nose.

  Pcing his hands motionless to gravity, he turned his head toward the zompire ptoon. His right hand trembling, he pced his left hand onto his right wrist, his fingernails digging themselves tightly onto his skin.

  (Agent Eren) T-Then what do we do to them…?

  (Agent Ada) We have no choice, Eren.

  (Benn) She’s right.

  Both agents turned their attention toward the shark-human that now wielded a heavy-weight machine gun, having both of his hands gripping the gun with ease.

  Eren, who puckered up his lips into his mouth, used the right sleeve of his suit to wipe away the lingering water from the corners of his eyes. Clearing his throat, he straightened his back as he put both of his feet together close by, his eyes unwavering at Benn.

  (Agent Eren) Then … What do you propose we should do?

  (Benn) You guys are going to deal with the horde. Me and Loraine will deal with the lich.

  (Agent Ada) Who decided that?

  Ada took a step forward toward where Benn stood, pcing her hands on her waist as she kept her head straight. Her face scrunching up, she sharpened her eyes at the shark-human in front of her, clicking her tongue as she clenched up her body.

  Benn, who noticed the negative demeanor of Ada in an instant, only stared at her with his hands and arms to his sides.

  (Benn) I decided that. Me and Loraine have blessings, you guys don’t.

  (Agent Ada) So you think you’re better than us Sharky?

  (Benn) I’ll let you decide that.

  (Agent Ada) What did you say?

  (Agent Eren) Enough Ada! He’s right. So we have to do what we are told…

  Pcing his right hand onto her right shoulder, he gripped the edges of her suit as the fabric glistened through his fingernails.

  Her head turning toward the pony-tailed silver-haired agent, she continued to have that gre on her face, her eyes staring right into his gray pupils. Rolling her eyes, she took a step back as she let go of her waist, turning her hands into fists as she looked away from him.

  (Agent Ada) Tch … Fine! As long as we do this, I don’t have to be near that Sharky!

  Ada stomped her way toward the front of the zompire horde that continued to slowly grovel their way towards them, their feet dragging along the pavement. Seeing the unusual behavior from the undead, Ada rubbed her pointer finger with her thumb, her fingernail scratching away the skin of her finger.

  (Agent Ada’s thoughts) Why are they walking so slowly? It looks as if they are under someone’s control.

  Stopping to the right of her, Eren took in the sight of the undead with his own eyes, letting out a sigh as he soon opened up his all-bck suit. His suit opened wide, and he pced his right hand into his suit’s pocket, scouring through the inside as his fingers traced along a metal that he was most familiar with.

  His lips forming a smile, he pulled out a light-sized sniper rifle, the barrel of the sniper having a suppressor as he wielded it with his right hand.

  (Agent Eren) So how are we doing this?

  For Ada, she pced her left hand into her bck pants pocket, pulling out a Mauser pistol as it was coated in brown paint. The leather grip glued onto her left palm, and she turned her head toward the agent next to her, her cold frown continuing to remain on her face.

  (Agent Ada) Same as always. Shoot and run, and don’t leave any behind.

  (Agent Eren) Got it, ma’am.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  Both Benn and Loraine ignored the two agents that were dealing with the zompire horde.

  Pedro, who was standing still with his palms opened wide against the air, had with him an abundance of white gas clouds circling his wrists. Seeing this, both Benn and Loraine took a step back as Loraine then emitted a piece of nylon rope from her right hand, holding it with her callused fingers.

  (Pedro) Are you ready to rock and roll? I ain’t going to go down that easy.

  (Loraine) David kicked your butt!

  (Pedro) And unfortunately, he won’t be able to save you this time.

  The cloud that circuted his arms and wrists then spewed out toward them.

  Having no choice but to widen their eyes, they both lunged to opposite sides of one another, making them separated from their little group. Pedro, who continued to spew out the deadly oxygen cloud, turned his hands toward the girl as he noticed the rope that she held in her hand.

  (Pedro’s thoughts) Got to take her out. She’s a real pain in the ass if I leave her alone.

  Extending his left hand onto Benn, the gust of white gas that resembled a normal cloud barreled again at him, leaving Benn with no option but to dodge and run. Meanwhile for Loraine, the cloud of pure oxygen managed to barely scrape her right arm, feeling the burning sensation of the gas hitting her elbow.

  Pulling back her right arm, she continued to run as she avoided the incoming barrage of deadly clouds, feeling the spiritual evilness emitting from the gas. Thrusting her rope forth, Pedro raised his right eyebrow high, leading to him lunging to the left as he narrowly avoided the rope.

  (Pedro) That annoying girl… I hope whatever happens it won’t backfire.

  Stopping his attacks on Benn, he focused his undivided attention on Loraine, causing her to let down a bead of sweat from her forehead. Pulling back the rope, she wielded it with both of her hands, clenching her teeth as she focused her attention on the lich.

  Putting his right hand and palm onto the dusted and ash-ridden floor, his fingers felt the graze of the sharp ashes that fell from the sky. Crouching down, he put his left hand onto his knee, his face and body making a stance like he was an Olympic athlete starting a rey race.

  His own bare feet clenching down onto the sharp gss and wood, his heels started to pour out tar that was trapped from within. Tilting his head upward yet despite his body on the verge of racing, he then lifted his own feet off the ground, leaving him to barrel his body at the poor girl.

  (Pedro) I ain’t backing down now!

  Seeing the putrid and foul face coming closer and closer toward her face, Loraine put away her nylon rope as it was gobbled up by her right hand. Quickly, she used her left hand to pull out a Swiss army knife, the weapon that she used during The Array.

  His fist made headway right toward her right cheekbone, Loraine felt the impact upon the lich’s pump, feeling the air around him thicken with blood.

  But fortunately for her…

  (Loraine’s thoughts) W-what…

  Her body was lifted from the ground, her feet dangling as she widened her eyes at the sudden jump.

  Her arms being carried up, she turned her head upward to find many bck flying creatures digging their cws into the edges of her shoulders and neck. Their feathers fluffing through the wind, she slowed her breath down as she noticed the bck iris from the big birds alone, as the only person that could use that was…

  (Loraine) Benn…

  Looking down toward the shark-human, her eyes softened at the man below her, his eyes remaining shut as he continued to point his gun at the lich. Having his finger on the trigger, he then started to fire many rounds toward the undead, the bullets trying to lodge into the dodging lich.

  While the three birds looked down toward the ground, moving Loraine away as she then tugged her shoulders and head.

  (Loraine) I want to fight!

  Her hands were enclosed into fists, and her body tightened as the birds flew her away more and more from the area.

  To retaliate, Loraine moved her head close toward the rge bird’s feet that flew, opening her mouth wide as she bared her sharp and rigid teeth. With no avail, she had no choice but to succumb to Benn’s wishes, her eyes letting out a few tears as she then was pulled back toward the ground.

  Unfortunately for Benn though, Pedro didn’t hesitate to strike back, as Benn still shot his machine gun with his eyes closed.

  (Pedro) Well … looks like I’m going to have to kill him first.

  Pushing his heels off of the ground, he then pulled back his hands as clouds of gas formed once again all around his arms. Extending both of his hands, the clouds that were well-ventited around him opened fire right onto the vulnerable Benn, who despite shooting his weapon, had his feet on the ground.

  Unable to coordinate the movement of his legs because of the movement of the big bck vultures that held Loraine, one of the vulture’s eyes widened.

  (Benn’s thoughts) What should I do now?

  Setting Loraine down many feet away from the fight taking pce, the five vultures noticed the beam of gas coming right toward the shark-human.

  Fpping their wings, they used them to push the air, gliding through the wind as they replicated the speed of a bullet. And as Benn’s perspective was in the eyes of the middle vulture of the group, the middle vulture turned his head toward either side of its comrades.

  Seeing that the vultures were all eyeing the same lich in front of them, all four vultures that followed the leader smacked their beaks, as their legs and cws shook with intensity.

  (Benn’s thoughts) Am I going to make it?

  Unfortunately, the vultures weren’t fast enough to reach Benn on time.

  As the white beam of deadly gas smmed across his entire body.

  Raising his right arm and hand upward, he couldn’t breathe inside of the deadly gas, allowing himself to be swallowed up. His skin burning from the gas cloud, Benn’s right hand then slowly came back toward him in the gas, his lungs burning up from the inside out.

  (Benn’s thoughts) Ack! Ah!

  With his eyes closed, Benn turned his head around the deadly cloud and he then changed his vision back toward himself.

  Opening his eyes, the pain then started to double more as some of his senses were on hyperdrive. Because of this, Benn arched his head back, gritting his teeth as it started to chip away the enamel of his teeth.

  Pedro however, continued to blow the deadly gas of air into his direction.

  (Pedro) Sorry, but a fight’s a fight.

  His legs were unable to push his body forward, his arms unable to keep him from falling, Benn remained still as both of his hands dropped his gun. The metal nded on the asphalt, it cracked as bits of cracks formed along the pavement, but Benn kept his face straight in the direction of the gas.

  Barely able to enclose his hands into fists, Benn managed to curl up his fingers so that his nails were punching the skin of his palm. Not knowing when the gas may stop, Benn’s eyes started to water from not just the toxic cloud, but—

  (Benn’s thoughts) At least I protected Loraine…

  Pedro pulled back his hands, the cloud of gas ceasing its deadly air.

  In front of him was nothing more than a shark-human breathing through his open wide mouth, his throat parched with his chest slowly upheaving. Followed by the way his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his feet were the only ones that kept him standing.

  With his right hand, Pedro scratched underneath his chin, his fingernails creating scratch marks that left red scars on his pale skin.

  (Pedro) Are you still standing? I guess killing you with oxygen isn’t going to be a walk in the park huh?

  As soon as he started to slowly walk toward the unconscious yet standing shark-human…

  A small nylon rope wrapped over his waist, stabbing the insides of his lower abdomen as the tightness began to crawl up beside him.

  Turning his head to the left of him, Pedro then noticed a teenage girl holding a nylon rope with her right hand. The girl tightened her grip on the rope with her curled-up fingers, she didn’t convey a smile or a goofy face, but rather…

  (Loraine) You’re dead…

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  Still being squeezed around his lower abdomen, Pedro let out a small breathless chuckle escape from his mouth, causing Loraine to squeeze the nylon rope tighter.

  Opening his mouth wide, Pedro widened his eyes as he saw the sharpened eyes of Loraine, the crevices of her eyelids being snted toward the center of her nose. Focusing her divided attention on the lich, she then started to slowly walk toward him, the rope that was around Pedro feeling as if a thousand needles were pricking him all at once.

  Or rather…

  (Pedro) Ow! What the hell are you using with that rope!?

  His eyes gncing down onto the nylon rope, he noticed that the side that he was being squeezed against had many spikes ced onto the rope. A hissing sound came out from his mouth, he closed his eyes as he arched his head back, and his breathing was hitched into his throat.

  Not only did the spikes stab him, but they also emitted another gas simir to oxygen, the gas punching through inside his gut.

  As for Loraine, she then managed to stand right on top of him, her left hand occupied with a small metal object. Gripping the helm of her Swiss army knife with her left hand, she only gred at the lich below him, the tilt of her knife trembling around the smoke-filled air.

  (Loraine) You kidnapped Boris… and you hurt my friends…

  Raising her left hand high, the tilt of the bde reflected against herself, the small bde not noticeable as she put her left foot an inch back.

  Thrusting her left hand toward the center of his chest, she aimed right where his heart was, not daring to look around her as her pupils shrunk. Gritting her teeth, the tip of the bde dug itself onto the side of Pedro’s left chest, the bde digging into where his heart was located.

  (Loraine) So now you’re going to die.

  Pushing the small pocket knife deep into the depths of his chest, the only thing that she could conjure up was a simple angry hum from her throat. Her vocals collided against one another, and she released another high-pitched shriek as her mouth was trapping the voice from within her.

  Bck tar spurred out of his chest, flinching his body upward due to the bde going through him.

  (Pedro’s thoughts) Damn, this bitch!

  (Loraine) You’re going to die…

  Jabbing the single bde into his chest even further, her body hunched forward as she tightened the rope evermore, allowing bck tar to escape from his stomach.

  Unable to notice around her, drool started to drip down from her lips, her breathing erratic as her nostrils fred up fanatically. The entire bde was swept under his chest, and only the grip remained on the outside surface.

  (Loraine) Die.

  Despite feeling as if her head might explode, she pushed the bde into the very depths of his soul, her hands feeling as if they might shut down.

  Coughing out tar from the corners of his mouth, tar was spttered all around his face, his nostrils being assaulted by the horrible smell that even he was repulsed by.

  (Loraine) Die!

  Exerting all her inner strength onto a single push, the whole grip of the army knife was lodged shut inside of his chest, not letting the edge of the grip breathe through the surface.

  With her entire knife submerged in the bleeding tar, Loraine still pushed the knife through, the corners of her eyes rolling down tears that stayed along her cheekbones.

  (Loraine) DIE!!

  Loraine had her entire hand on his left side of his chest.

  The tip of the bde reaching the cement below, Loraine widened her eyes as she then pulled back her hand, the nerves that she ignored pstering onto her like a nagging adult. Seeing that her left hand was being steamed and burnt, she let out a sniffle from her nostrils, her chest going up and down rapidly.

  Noticing that the rope that bound him was now inside of his waist, she quickly pulled out the rope as he noticed that his eyes were staring up at the sky.

  (Loraine’s thoughts) He’s dead … he’s dead now … right?

  (Pedro) cough cough … Guess I can’t regenerate anymore huh…

  Slowly arching his head up, tar drooled from all over his chest and stomach, reaching into his crotch and left leg as sweat formed on the top of his head.

  Having his frail and bony hands tracing the stone cobbles and wood that were ced all around the street, he pushed his butt off the ground as he pced his right hand onto the left side of his chest. With his eyes and face being pushed down, he stared into the teenage girl’s face, seeing her pigtails as well as her sharpened face.

  (Pedro) You …

  With his left hand, he extended it outward as he pointed toward her, spreading his feet apart as he created a stance simir to a pose of a certain show…

  His knees were on the verge of buckling, his heels still gripped the cement that was beneath him, his bare feet and toes stabbing the stone.

  The corners of his lips turning his smile into a frown, he sharpened his eyes as more tar dripped from the corners of his lips and nose.

  (Pedro) I’ll kill you … cough … you damn weirdo…