After their brutal fight with Vexar, the battle was still raging. Vexar, bloodied but unfazed, smirked at them. "Now I understand why you were all targeted," he said before vanishing and reappearing, moving at the speed of light. In an instant, he struck each of them with powerful blows, his movements too fast to follow. The air crackled with energy as he summoned a massive magnetic field, pulling everyone into his gravitational grasp.
Despite their exhaustion, Aoi, Fyodor, Akito, and Muscle knew they had to finish the fight quickly. Vexar was getting angrier, and his attacks were becoming deadlier. With a roar of determination, Aoi unleashed a Sonic Strike, Fyodor followed with a Thunder Strike infused with a strength spell, and Muscle activated Zero Knuckle 100%, his most devastating move. Their attacks combined in perfect synchronization, hitting Vexar at the exact same moment.
Vexar staggered back, blood dripping from his mouth. His smirk faded. "Just… give up," he muttered, before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. They had won.
With Vexar finally dead, they wasted no time and rushed into the high-security Zenith Laboratory, hoping to find something—anything—that could help them cure the zombie virus. Fyodor carried the injured Akito on his back as they searched every corner of the lab. But despite their efforts, there was nothing—no files, no computers, no visible research on the virus. It was as if someone had erased all traces of it.
Akito, still in pain, gritted his teeth. "Staying here for too long isn't safe. There could be reinforcements coming."
They continued searching, eventually stumbling upon an entire section of books, written in an unfamiliar alien language. They couldn't read a single word. Knowing they might hold crucial information, they grabbed the books and prepared to leave.
As they were about to exit, they found something even more horrifying—humans, trapped inside containment pods, their bodies experimented on. Their eyes were filled with terror, but they were still alive. Without hesitation, they broke open the pods, freeing the captives. Some were too weak to move, but one of them, a middle-aged man, spoke up.
"I was experimented on…" he said weakly. "They gave me some kind of cure. I had a high fever, and they… they cured it instantly."
Everyone exchanged glances. This was it! If they could find that cure, they might have a way to stop the zombie virus. They frantically searched the lab again, and after several tense minutes, they finally found a small cubical vial labeled with alien symbols.
"Let's test it," Aoi suggested.
Akito, who was still in critical condition, volunteered to try it. He swallowed the liquid, and within seconds, his broken bones healed completely. His fever disappeared, and the wounds on his body closed up—but his muscles ached badly, and he could barely stand.
"It… works," Akito muttered, wincing in pain. "But it's not perfect."
Despite the side effects, it was a breakthrough. They now had a possible cure for the virus, but they needed more information to understand how it worked. With the freed humans in tow, they made their way down the lab's bloodstained staircases, moving carefully under flickering, broken lights.
By the time they reached the city center, it was already midnight. Meanwhile, back at their base, Hikaru and Leon were discussing the alien invasion.
"It doesn't make sense," Hikaru said, crossing his arms. "Why did they release the zombie virus first, instead of attacking us directly?"
Leon, staring at the sky, sighed. "Because they fear you."
Hikaru frowned. "Fear us? We're weaker than them. Their technology is light-years ahead of ours."
Leon shook his head. "You humans don't understand your own potential. Do you know what our greatest fear is?"
Hikaru remained silent, waiting for the answer.
Leon turned to face him. "Your nukes. Even with all our advancements, we've never been able to create weapons as destructive as nuclear bombs. That's why we chose to weaken you with the zombie virus first. It wasn't just about war—it was about survival."