Chapter 7

I stepped back a bit, there's no way... H-How...

It was the Zonbi that I saw eating that human on that faithful day... How is he still alive?! He folded his arms looking at me.

"Well well well! Look who it is!" He said, a string extended towards me, but I reacted quick enough to move my torso to the right, I moved to the side.

"Oh... You're a Zonbi now aren't you. I knew I was attack by a king..." He said as I let out a breath.

"H-How are you still alive?!" I shouted as he dashed towards me.

"Heh, you don't understand Zonbi's at all do you?!" He shouted trying to strike me in the face. I ducked, but he kneed me in the jaw, knocking me back.

I fell to the ground... The only thing saving me right now is my reactive abilities. He came and stompped on my stomach. I coughed up some blood... He leaned down towards me.

He laughed, "Look at you... Think you're tough just because you're a Zonbi." He said, as I clenched my eye. All of a sudden, a kick landed to the guys gut, sending him flying. I looked up, Hiraku...

He helped me up. "Who is this bastard Hooder?" He asked looking towards me.

"Remember when I told you how I became a Zonbi? That's the one I seen eating a human." I explained looking towards the Zonbi. He got in a stance.

"Hooder, you should just run. You have no experience in fighting. So just go!" I blinked a few times, looking towards the Zonbi.

"F-Fine..." I said, taking off running. I should be able to out run it, since I'm faster.

Suddenly, a Thin string passed me, came back and wrapped around my stomach. The string pulled me back to the fight, slamming me into the ground. My eyes widened as a deformed pillar came out of the ground and protected me from the Zonbi. I stood up as more of the pillars came out and trapped me in a small space. I turned towards the battle that was happening.

The string guy jumped into the air as one of Hiraku's pillars raced towards him. The guy extended a string towards Hiraku, as it wrapped around his neck, pulling him towards the string guy. He grunted, as the mouth on his palm extended its tongue at the Zonbi, blocking the attack. The string unwrapped from his neck as he grabbed it, spun it around and threw him towards the ground. He landed and glanced back at me.

He gave me a thumbs up and looked back. The Zonbi dash out of the smoke landing a punch to his face. He then elbowed his chest and then uppercutting him in the jaw causing him to fall to the ground. But before he fell, four strings extended from both arms and both legs, wrapping around his wrists and ankles. The strings disconnected from his body and attached to the ground, keeping Hiraku on the ground. He smirked walking up to him. He got on top of him and began to land many punches to his face.

Dammit! I have to do something!! I drew my fist back and slammed it against one of the pillars causing it to break. People might look at this as being stupid but I view it as being heroic. I clenched my fist as the string zonbi looked towards me. "Hooder! Don't! I have one more trick up my sleeve!" Hiraku shouted as me and the string zonbi looked down at him.

"What?" Yellow electricity sparking around his body. W-What the..? The electricity explosion, blasting me and the Zonbi back.

......

I laid there for a moment before getting back up, to look back at where Hiraku was. My eyes widened as I looked at a weird looking guy. I think it was Hiraku, but his body was mutated. His hair was standing up, black lines racing up his face. He had mouths all over his arms. His fingers were shaped like his deformed pillars. Whoa... I-Is... this his stage one!?

I looked towards the string Zonbi as his eyes were wide aswell. In the blink of a eye, Hiraku was in front of him landing a uppercut to his chin, sending him flying upward. Whoa!! He's fast! He crouched and jumped after him. He spun around and sent a disk made out of his pillars towards him, hitting him in the stomach.

Once he was above him, the mouths on his palms extended their teeth towards him, impaling him in multiple areas. The teeth zipped to the ground causing a huge smoke cloud.

This is kinda awesome, it's like something I'd see in an anime.

Once the smoke cleared, I could tell the zonbi was bleeding out. Hiraku landed on his stomach causing it to spit more blood. He bent down a bit, holding out his hands, showing off his long nails. He shoved his hand into his chest as my eyes widened.

He pulled it out, and he was holdin a red and green heart...! The Zonbi stopped moving... I covered my mouth, I think I might throw up... He tossed the heart to the ground.

I turned around and began to vomit... How could he do that and not throw up...

"Jeez, come on man. It's just a heart." He said as I stood up. I wiped off the last bit of vomit on my mouth, "How could you not throw up after ripping out a Zonbi's heart." I said chuckling.

He looked at me with a serious look as I stopped laughing.

"Hooder. You really need to try training and achieving at least your first stage." He said as my eyes widened.

"W-What?" I asked as his mutated  body began to return to normal.

"I can't keep protecting you. Me and you would've died if I didn't have my first stage." He said placing his hand on my shoulder. "Please man... Train and learn to fight. You can get Mr. Kashikoi to train you about fighting." He explained as I looked down.

"I'll see you later brother." He said turning around and walking away. "Stay safe!" He shouted taking off running.

He has a point... I hate to have people risk their life's just to protect me... But...