“Damn it! Damn it! Why is this happening!” The two zombies with half a mind ran as fast as they could. They listened to their Master and went after the humans while the others went after other targets. When defeated, they came running back here, hoping to ask their master for help. Though he was nowhere to be seen, and that monster had come back for them.

“Tsunoda! Tsunoda!! Stopp!!!” Yuuki screamed, feeling her knees buckle, hearing the footsteps from around the corner.

She raised her eyes, seeing him throw a handless zombie in front of their eyes, “No! Why are you there!”

Her eyes shivered, seeing his foot, then those snow-white hair, along with those demonic crystal blue eyes which sent a shiver down her spine. She fell on the ground, “Why…why are you here!! You shouldn’t be here!”

“Hey, have you have read a manga or saw an anime?”

“Yuuki! Get up!” Tsunoda moved backwards ready to run out of this in fear when a bullet struck the ground beneath him. He turned and jumped back, falling beside Yuuki, “damn it!!!”

“No matter which manga you read with the male protagonist with black hair. There is always that scene where they take this dagger, flash past the enemy and slash their neck,” Aurum placed the katana on the zombies neck.

“Have you ever wondered how they do that? Zombies don’t bleed like that. Yet, there is so much blood. I can cut the flesh, but bones degrade the blade. Then I saw Saeko. So flawlessly cutting the head off. Do you think I can do that with this?”

He held the katana with both hands, rather than form, he tried putting the force behind his slice, cutting through the dead. There was the grating sound bones scratching against them. The head fell off, the coagulated blood splashed, hitting his chest like stones. He clicked his tongue, “Strength alone doesn’t do it. What do you think?”

“Why…what do you want!” Tsunoda screamed, “we didn’t do anything to you!”

Aurum chuckled, scratching the back of his ear, “Haha, you aren’t serious. You guys are bringing an army of zombies to my home. Doesn’t matter. Zombies were scary because they couldn’t think or feel anything. When they do…they do not differ from humans. Fear is a great motivator for them,” Aurum smiled at them.

“Say, would you mind telling me where your bitch of a boss is?”

“Hahah hahaha!! Hahahahaha! Fuck you! Fuck off! Kill me!!! Just kill me!!” Tsunoda screamed, laughing madly, “It is already too late!! WE know all about your traps!! You are no match for us!! BY THE TIME YOU GET BACK THEY WILL ALL BE DEAD!!! DEAD!!!”

Aurum shifted his katana from his shoulder to the floor, and Tsunoda flinch. Yuuki pulled away from him, thinking the demon would cut them. Instead, he stood there, watching them.

“You don’t believe me?! I am telling you! Everyone you love is already dead! That girlfriend of yours! They will play with her as they please!!

Yuuki looked at him, feeling her body stiffen. Aurum turned his head to her, watching her eyes quiver in fear. He watched them, raising his eyebrows, "go on. Try to provoke me more. Don't tell me your imagination is already running dry."

"Go to hell! Go to hell! Fuck off!"

"What a foul mouth you have," Aurum picked up the katana, swinging it around, "Right, we were on the topic of the manga. So, like you, a third class villain tries to provoke the protagonist, and the protagonist is dumb enough to get provoked and kill him in anger. Now, why that scene? Is that their way of showing that protagonist has feelings? He cares about his woman? If so, then he can go and take them on a date, but no, he's too dense to even know how they feel!"

"Dude, you have issues," Rika's voice came out from his walkie-talkie.

Aurum took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck, "Read too many cheap mangas with no logic. Anyway, my point is...if I don't kill you, then what are you going to do? You are too much of a coward to attack me. You run outside and Rika will shoot your legs off. Making my job easier. As for my loved ones..."

"Let me help you not worry about them. You see, there are three traps. One that are visible by afar. To test if another zombie with intelligence or mostly a human is trying to attack. Then the invisible ones, like thin wire, hidden grenades, aimed cross bows, pits, trees that could fall on you, chemical traps, and on and on. Then there are the secret traps that only the core members know."

"You already gave away that someone told you about traps or you wouldn't be so confident. Unless you are dumb and think that only the visible ones are traps. Then you are going to get wiped out right away. Then the amount of traps you know about would let them know that there is a traitor."

"If there is a traitor in the core division, then a few selected people like Mr and Mrs Takagi, Kiriko, Saeko, and one who no one would expect. Shizuka, who have a Deus ex machina activation code and boom, there goes your whole army," Aurum rubbed his chin, "Not only we could get outstanding experience. We will know who all the traitors are. Maybe we should be sending you gift card."

"You gave codes to Shizuka?"

"No one would suspect her, right?" Aurum chuckled, hearing Rika's amazed voice.

"We'd be lucky if she remembers it."

Aurum scratched his cheeks. He poked Tsunoda with the katana, "Hey, you. Why are you silent. Forgot your lines or something. Laugh for me."

"Pffff," Rika laughed on the other side of the walkie-talkie, "You are crazy. Just end them and let's go."

"You end them," Aurum sulked, "my blade is going to--"

BANG BANG

Rika fired two shots, causing them heads to explode, and he fell backwards to dodge the coagulated blood, "I wasn't serious!"

"You are a child," Rika walked to the garage door, "We should go back and check. They were lying to get a rise out of you, right?"

"No, they were telling the truth," Aurum got on his feet. He swiped the blade clean with his fingers, narrowing his crystal blue eyes, "that Tsunoda guy had triple the brain activity than when I last saw him. His boss, or whatever they are into was probably watching. Not just here...maybe also on Saeko's, Rei's, Takagi's side. We have a traitor in our midst and this Boss's power is more than mind control."

"Do you mean they are attacking? No... that guy was in this guy's head?"

"I don't know," Aurum scratched his head, "Look. I bluffed. See. If he was listening, and you were him, then what would be your mindset? I'll make it easy. Something like confidence in your power? No one knows you being there? You learn an important source of information about a trap that could take you out."

"So, he will definitely go after the secret trap."

"Babe, secret trap. Like, secret is right there in the title."

"You know what I mean," Rika shook her head. She closed her eyes, thinking about it, "Uh...he will look for the traitor for information?"

"The traitor doesn't have it because there is nothing like that. Among all the targets, Shizuka is the easiest one and the only one there. Though she is most protected. If I were in that position, then I would stop and attack all the key figures that are outside, and then take my time, let the traitor take control. Not that I am saying they are as smart as me...and he is a coward."

Aurum groaned, struggling, "Normally a coward wouldn't be able to call my bluff...but he is hiding and sending his minions. He might actually gain some stupid courage...what should I do? Reinforce those outside the Estate or reinforce the Estate?"

“Do you want help?”

“No,” Aurum instinctively said, realising that was not where the voice came from. He turned to look towards the wall, seeing the blonde man lean against the wall, his arms crossed, “And you can help how? Last time I remembered. You were a ghost?”

The blonde boy pointed towards Aurum, “You already did it once. When you made Red Queen make a clone from my blood. You are in my body, remember. They are still not strong enough…but if you give my blood to one those enhanced zombies. I can use them for an hour or two. Maybe.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Out of the kindness of my heart?”

“And people say that I am sarcastic,” Aurum laughingly held his chin, “an Enhanced Zombie. Is it?”

“Are you talking to yourself?” Rika cast a worried gaze towards him.

“Yeah, talking to myself. Don’t worry,” Aurum patted her shoulder, “Saeko should already be making her way towards The Spear Unit. You make your way towards the Takagi’s. See that they reach home safely.  I’ll be on a hunt.”

“Aurum! Aurum! You there?!”

Aurum paused in the middle of the motion, taking the walkie-talkie, “Kohta? What?”

“The Zombies are retreating!!”

“What about outposts?”

“From everywhere!!”

“That coward,” Aurum rubbed his forehead.

“Isn’t this better?”

“Hm,” Aurum raised his eyes, seeing the blonde guy.

“A small elite force. Go destroy them.”

“I don’t attack when I don’t have the home advantage. Time to make sure that I am going to come out alive,” Aurum pressed his palm on his stomach, feeling his stomach roll.

“Something feels wrong,” Aurum took a deep breath.

“Why won’t it? You got played.”

Aurum turned his head to look the man in red coat, staring at the damn book he had been staring for 15 years. At times, he thought that Genesis did that to look cool and nothing else, “Got played?”

“Have you ever asked the simple question? Why did the traitor betray you lot?”

“Why…? Why…?” Aurum drew a blank when the pieces started to fit together for him. He covered his face with both hands, “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Kohta! Where are the survivors right now!”

“They are on their way to the Evacuation Point? Why?”

“No! Fuck! All of this was bait! We fucked up!”