TAKE THE RISK
Ezzy makes her way into the mall building and spots Frank rushing towards her from the hallway of stores. Frank informs her that he and Megan witnessed everything that had happened to Ezzy and her group through the body cameras. Ezzy immediately demands that Frank inform Mai to send reinforcements to the prison. However, Frank explains that Mai and Xai went on a mission to find Adam. Confusion fills the air as the entire mall begins to shake.
Suddenly, Stella and a few of her men are seen running towards the garage. Frank and Ezzy quickly return to Mai's room, where they find Megan in a state of shock watching the computer screens. Together, they observe the screens, displaying Mai's perspective as she falls into a crater with other many unconscious zombies. Without hesitation, Frank dashes out of the room and reaches the garage, only to find Stella and her men preparing the armored van. Despite Frank's attempt to enter the van, he is stopped by Stella's men. Stella drives off, but Frank manages to break free and escape from the garage, determined to save Mai.
Meanwhile, Stella picks up Xai, Mai, and Adam as they drive through the town. However, their path is blocked by a massive wall of giant cards. Stella abruptly stops the van, and Mai spots a zombie with a deck of cards as it's head, perched atop a nearby building. The Card zombie throws cards from its head, which transform into larger cards made of human flesh. Stella maneuvers the van, avoiding the giant cards while searching for another way out. Eventually, she drives the van into an intersection, only to discover that thousands of zombies are approaching from the left, right, and road ahead.
In the rearview mirror, Stella spots the Card zombie behind the van, drawing a card from its head. The card hovers in its palm, spinning rapidly. The Card zombie prepares to throw the card, but Frank intervenes, crashing into the zombie from behind with a bike. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Stella reverses the van as Frank wrestles with the Card zombie. As the van passes by, Frank catches a glimpse of Mai looking back at him. A smile spreads across his face, but his moment of joy is abruptly interrupted when he is forcefully thrown away by the Card zombie. Mai urges Stella to go back for Frank, Stella remains determined to escape, believing that Frank's sacrifice provided them with a chance to survive.
Frank navigates through a back alley, dodging the onslaught of Cards. Seeking cover, he jumps into a trash dumpster, narrowly avoiding a giant card that slices the dumpster in half. Emerging from the dumpster, Frank discovers a flare in a trash bag he had grabbed. He shoots the flare into the Card zombie's chest, momentarily stunning it. Frank then flees, but the horde of zombies blocks his path out of the alley. Spotting a ladder, Frank climbs to the roof, takes a deep breath, and reminds himself that if Ezzy could do it, so could he. He runs and jumps to another roof, rolling upon landing. Overwhelmed with joy, Frank realizes he has successfully saved Mai.
Suddenly, he hears the rhythmic footsteps of a dancing zombie. Turning to face her, he watches as she elegantly ballet dances nearby, paying him no attention. Intrigued, Frank observes her. The tranquility is interrupted when giant cards come hurtling towards them. Frank narrowly avoids the cards, but they crash into the roof, capturing the attention of the dancing zombie. She gazes at the Card zombie, who lands on the roof. The dancing zombie gracefully moves towards the Card zombie, effortlessly slicing the card he throws with her spinning skirt. With a powerful kick, she sends the Card zombie flying into a distant town building, returning to her dance as if nothing happened. Amazed by this spectacle, Frank applauds, and the dancing zombie bows before jumping off the roof. Frank watches her land softly on the sidewalk and dance her way through the crowd of a thousand zombies.
Returning his attention to his predicament, Frank realizes that the rooftop door has been locked. He ascends to a higher floor on the roof, where he discovers a lifeless body holding a bag in a pool of dried blood. Searching through the bag, he finds a couple of cans of tomato food, a sleeping bag, and a key. The deceased person's other hand points in a specific direction. Following the indicated path, Frank spots an office trailer on the adjacent roof. However, the gap between the roofs is too far to jump. Fortunately, he notices a rope connecting the two roofs. Steeling himself, Frank puts on the bag, hangs upside down, and pulls himself across the rope towards the other roof. With caution, he avoids attracting the attention of the oblivious zombies below.
As he nears the other building, the one he came from collapses and is destroyed. Holding onto the rope tightly, Frank hits the side of the building before noticing the heavily damaged Card zombie searching for him amid the wreckage. The Card zombie eventually spots the dancing zombie, and they resume their battle, allowing Frank to go unnoticed. He climbs up the rope and onto the roof, using the key to unlock the office trailer for temporary shelter. Inside, Frank finds a table with several water jugs. Overwhelmed with relief, he falls to his knees, grateful that he will survive to reunite with Mai once again.
Rune, Simbad, Agustin, Will, and Kiren find themselves confined in prison cells. Suddenly, a police zombie approaches Will's cell and drags him away. Passing by Simbad and Rune's cell, Rune signals Simbad, who attempts to use his magic to lift the zombie's keys. The keys move slightly but then come to a halt, disappointing them. Kiren speaks up, reassuring the group that they need not worry because Ezzy and the others will come to their rescue. From the cell ahead of Kiren, a figure emerges, claiming that their hopes are futile and that they are all destined to die. Simbad recognizes the person as Michael, a member of the initial scouting team sent to this place.
Curious about what happened to the others, Simbad questions Michael, who reveals that they are all dead. Their resistance led to severe punishment, and he believes he will be the last to face death because he didn't much during their capture. Overwhelmed with emotion, Michael regrets not taking the risk to fight back, imagining how things might have been different or how he could have died honorably. Kiren encourages Michael not to lose hope, assuring him that they will be rescued. Agustin interjects, explaining that Cameda plans to execute them all. Will had informed Agustin that Cameda was deeply affected by the flaws in the criminal justice system, and now he seeks vengeance by inflicting the same pain upon their people back at base.
Shortly after, Will is brought before Cameda, who engages in a discussion. Will pleads with Cameda to release the others, believing that Cameda is capable of better. Cameda, with a sinister smile and shining eyes, retorts loudly, stating that since the justice system failed to save his loved one, he sees no reason to do the same for others. Will argues that Cameda should rise above such darkness, not wanting others to endure the same pain. Cameda smirks and reveals his desire for humanity to suffer his pain, hoping for a strong individual to emerge and confront the corrupt justice system. Will comprehends Cameda's motivations, realizing that he is orchestrating all of this in search of a beacon of hope that he himself could not become. Cameda stands up and declares his intention to wage war against the rest of the world, asserting that the one who brings him down will be humanity's symbol of hope. Will is left speechless, unable to find the right words to respond.
Back at the Mall building, Mai rushes through the mall's stores, carrying Adam on her back, until she reaches Barbra, who is tending to Leona. Desperate for help, Mai pleads with Barbra to heal Adam, emphasizing their need for him. Barbra gazes at Adam's emotionless face before placing her hand on his forehead, radiating with magic. Struggling, Barbra eventually stops and reveals that this patient is the most severe case she has ever encountered. His mind is entwined with magical emotions, plunging him into a profound darkness rarely reached even by humans.
Mai pleads with Barbra once more, explaining that Adam represents their only hope in the battle against the Riders. Suddenly, Megan and Ezzy join them, observing as Barbra channels her magic. However, despite their efforts, Adam remains in distress. He catches sight of Leona's face, which resembles that of Lia, triggering an emotional outburst. Falling to the floor, Adam attempts to crawl away, haunted by memories of Sam kissing Lia.
Barbra and Mai try to calm him down but are unable to as the mall trembles with magic. Megan rushes to Leona, lifting her away from Adam's presence. In the chaos, Barbra and Mai are struck by Adam's leaking magic, causing them to fall from the impact. Meanwhile, Adam screams, and the mall shakes even more, inciting panic among the people inside.
In his frenzied state, Adam notices a knife hanging from Mai's waist and seizes it, attempting to harm himself. Ezzy, Megan, and Mai intervene, bravely blocking the knife's path as it pierces through their hands, ultimately halting right in front of Adam's eyes. Astonished by their intervention, Adam releases his grip on the knife and gazes at his companions.
Megan urges him not to harm himself, emphasizing that he must continue living. Ezzy echoes this sentiment, reminding Adam of her reason to live. Mai also speaks up, expressing that they cannot bear to witness his self-destruction, as they all rely on him. Magic begins to flicker on Adam's forehead, his shining eyes fading into normalcy before he collapses, unconscious.
Xai and Rex arrive on the scene, with Rex calmly removing the knife from their injured hands, while Xai swiftly tends to Mai and Megan's wounds. Ezzy walks down the hallway, holding her bleeding hand up to the sunlight, stating aloud that these wounds symbolize their unwavering determination to keep fighting. She emphasizes that the three of them have become like sisters, united in their resolve to save Adam, whose role is pivotal to their victory. Mai raises her wounded hand, proclaiming their certainty of triumph. Megan raises her injured hand as well, affirming their commitment to saving everyone. Barbra takes charge of Adam, promising to do her utmost to save him.
The next morning, Rune and the rest of the group find themselves lined up outside the prison, along with four other captured individuals. A human flesh prison bus arrives, its door opening for them to board. However, Cameda steps out and prevents Rune from entering, declaring that they have unfinished business. Cameda leads Rune back inside the prison, leaving the rest of the group astonished.
Meanwhile, the prison bus proceeds to Old Berry town. Cameda brings Rune to an area surrounded by fences, where several police zombies emerge from the prison, carrying Rune's Butcher blade. Rune notices that the prison now has less human flesh covering it than before. One of the police zombies removes Rune's handcuffs, leaving him confused. Cameda explains that Will managed to convince him that Rune can be a beacon of hope for humanity, and their battle is not yet over. Cameda tosses Rune his weapon, which he catches. Drawing his baton, Cameda charges it with lightning magic, challenging Rune to prove himself. Determined, Rune states that although he has failed in the past but this time he won't give up easily. They both assume their stances, preparing for the confrontation.
Back on the prison bus in Old Berry town, Michael expresses his worry while Kiren tries to calm him down, reminding him that being scared won't improve the situation. As the bus comes to a stop due to a fallen light pole blocking the way, the zombie driver scans the area while the police zombies disembark to remove the obstacle. Gradually, smoke envelops the surroundings, and an armored van emerges, crashing into the bus and a nearby building.
Inside the prison bus, Michael notices a crack in the human flesh structure and takes the opportunity to rip it open and escape along with Simbad and Agustin. However, Kiren struggles to get out as the human flesh vines comes out of the seats around the bus, pulling him back inside and sealing the crack. Stella and her men exit the van, engaging the police zombies with their rifles. The zombies conjure human flesh riot shields to shield themselves from the gunfire. Michael reunites with Mai, relieved to see her, and is about to confess his love when he spots Simbad and Agustin rushing past them, but he realizes that Kiren is missing.
Turning back, Michael sees Kiren entangled in human flesh vines inside the bus. Though conflicted, Michael takes a deep breath and struggles to make the decision to go back for him. However, Megan appears and throws a grenade near the bus, causing an explosion that destroys the side of the bus. Kiren continues to struggle as Megan cuts the vines, as Mai is pulling Kiren. Both Mai and Megan notice the approaching zombies and urge each other to hurry. Michael is torn, but he hears his name from behind as Simbad and Agustin call out to him from another armored van. Xai and the others also beckon him to join them. Glancing back at Mai and Megan trying to free Kiren while many zombies approaches them, Michael takes a risk and runs toward them.
Megan and Mai are focused on freeing Kiren when a zombie approaches Mai, ready to bite her. Michael intervenes, using his arm to block the bite and splattering blood onto Mai's face. He pushes Mai into Megan's arms as they fall, but the vines suddenly grab Kiren and Michael, pulling them back into the bus. Megan and Mai retreat, overwhelmed by the increasing number of zombies. Stella and her men quickly return to the van, picking up Mai and Megan. The human flesh bus fully repairs itself as the vines retreat into the seats. Michael covers the bite mark on his arm with his hand, while the other prisoners on the bus panic, claiming that he will soon turn into a zombie. Apologizing for being unable to save Kiren, Michael acknowledges that he was able to protect the love of his life, Mai. He watches as the police zombies shoot human flesh bullets at the escaping armored vans. The zombie driver fixes his broken jaw and resumes driving. Kiren takes a deep breath, apologizing for his slow escape, which resulted in his bite. Reflecting on his usual aversion to risks, Michael acknowledges that this is the first time he has taken a significant risk to protect others and now faces the consequences, looking at his bite wound.