Crack.

The forest ground cracked with the tempo of the roots and vines whipping all over the place. While the vines could only go so far as the clearing, Kazuichi knew that it could reach further since the Zombie Plant wasn’t even trying.

With a bored expression, the singular eye of the Zombie Plant stared at Kazuichi like it was about to step on an ant.

Kazuichi felt like the Zombie Plant didn’t even see them as a threat, but rather, as food for its consumption. Then again, it was strong enough to clear a portion of the forest, as well as defeat the other zombies who were all over the place.

These zombies were then slowly digested, attached to the roots of the Zombie Plant as they became mere extensions of its body. They could hardly be called alive since they were just animated by the Zombie Plant.

"Kazuichi... what do we do?" Tris asked, clutching onto Kazuichi’s shirt while she tried to maintain her composure. She had to set an example for Amaya, and that’s why she suppressed her panic even though it was eating her.

"What else could we do? We’re surrounded." Kazuichi stated the obvious before he urgently grabbed Tris by the hand. "We’re going to push through... if we can’t... then I’m leaving Amaya to you."

Now that Kazuichi thought about it, Tris was still prone to the hypnosis of the Zombie Plant. For a moment, Kazuichi let go of Tris’s hand and tied a wet scarf around her face. "Take care of Amaya, now let’s go."

Breaking into a sprint, Kazuichi slung Amaya on his shoulder while he dragged Tris around. The vines and roots slowly closed in on Kazuichi, prompting him to duck, jump, and parry while he tried to get away from the Zombie Plant.

To his surprise, it was going well. All too well, in fact, that he was getting rather worried. Slowly, the infected who were attached to the roots crawled towards Kazuichi. Even though it was clear that they were about to get away, Kazuichi didn’t relent. He continued running as if his life depended on it.

Almost there!

Huffing, Kazuichi accelerated even faster, dragging Tris while he tried not to fall off balance. They were almost out of the Zombie Plant’s territory.

However, the Zombie Plant was doing the same thing. It was trying to catch Kazuichi as if its life depended on it. Well, since it couldn’t move from its place, it had to hunt with its roots and vines. However, it had already hunted all the wild animals and the zombies in the vicinity. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

That’s why it was experiencing a famine. Not a lot of people would venture into the forest, so they couldn’t get any fresh meat.

But now, an infected stepped into its territory, bringing two uninfected with him. This was the Zombie Plant’s chance to get fresh meat and eat a feast tonight.

Out of desperation, it stretched its roots as far as it could, trying to grab Tris by the ankle.

From the corner of his eyes, Kazuichi saw the vines in slow motion. Without thinking twice, he hurled Tris forward, throwing Amaya at her since he foresaw what would happen next.

The momentum of throwing Tris forward caused him to keel backward, and the roots grabbed hold of his neck instead of Tris’s ankle.

"Gahk~!" Kazuichi let out as the air escaped his lungs. He tried to grab hold of something, but the root just pulled him away.

"KAZUICHI!" Tris screamed, scrambling forward while she tried to reach Kazuichi.

However, Kazuichi let out an intense bloodlust and directed it Kazuichi. Before Tris could think, she froze in place as sheer terror overcame her.

’That should be enough to keep her away. You should take care of your younger sister, you idiot.’ Kazuichi thought to himself.

After all, they just reunited, and they should keep each other safe instead of trying to save someone who wasn’t even their family member— that’s what Kazuichi said to himself. But deep inside he wanted Tris to turn back and save him. For once, he hoped that Tris wouldn’t leave him behind.

They’ve traveled side by side with each other for months, and their bond had grown despite their differences. He was, after all, a Hybrid, and she was an uninfected. But that didn’t stop them from growing closer.

More than anything, he wanted them to be safe, that’s why he released his bloodthirst in the process.

Now... what do we do...

As Kazuichi tried to gain a foothold while he struggled to breathe, he noticed that the Zombie Plant was almost on him. Now that he could see the details of the plant, he wanted to throw up. It was viler than any zombie or hybrid he’d ever encountered. Its stem was like rotten meat, pulsating in an eerie manner.

And its gigantic eye had more veins than a normal eye. And it gazed straight at Kazuichi, right into his very soul.

"Wow, urk~ you’re u-ugly... all. right." Kazuichi managed to speak despite the vine tightly constricting his throat.

Squelch~

The sound of flesh and saliva and everything in between was heard. And now that Kazuichi was right in front of the Zombie Plant, its levels of horridness rose to a new higher level as Kazuichi tried not to throw up.

Right below the singular eye of the Zombie Plant, a mouth opened, and there were thorns on all sides of it like a mouth with thousands of teeth. Inside the mouth was a gaping hole with a tongue that whipped here and there like a separate creature.

"Wow, you’re really ugly," Kazuichi uttered a second time, but he managed to tighten his neck so he spoke without stuttering.

The Zombie Plant lifted him up, intending to eat him whole like the delicacy he was.

Dash!

A figure rushed past the roots and vines, causing Kazuichi to turn his head. To his surprise, Tris was right there, rushing through the clearing as she held a knife in her hand.

"KAZUICHI!" She screamed a second time, glad that Kazuichi was still alive and that she got there just in time