Riku let the last line of bodies break and drag itself after the wail of the stolen cruiser. His board glowed a final tally—30MM: 109 | S-8: 24 | FUEL: 54%—and he eased the Ka-50 out of the kill lane with a shallow bank. He'd done what he needed: pulled the river of dead far off the girls' block and chewed down the ones with real legs. The rest would mill, stumble, and scream at sirens until dawn or until something louder invited them elsewhere.
Time to get off the stage.
He nosed the Black Shark back toward the district where the hunt had begun, keeping low along the river road to stop his rotor beat from pouring straight down the grid. As towers grew around him, he walked the throttle gently, every touch deliberate, like a big cat threading a fence line. Two blocks, three—the wharf cranes ghosted past in moonlit bone, then the office stacks softened into the familiar ridge line of the overpass where he'd first called the machine down from a ring of light.
Riku checked his ammo count and fuel one last time. 30MM: 109 | S-8: 24 | Fuel: 54%. That was still plenty, but he didn't want to waste more. The zombies were already far enough from the girls' hiding spot, and most of the sprinters were dead.
"Good enough," he muttered, pulling the Ka-50 around.
He flew back the way he came, engines humming steady. The city below looked quiet now except for the smoke and scattered flames from his earlier strikes. When he reached the overpass where he had first summoned the helicopter, he slowed down and lowered altitude.
The road was empty. No gunfire, no zombies in sight. Just silence and the wind pushing trash across the pavement. Perfect.
He brought the Ka-50 down. The skids touched the cracked concrete with a thud. Riku shut down the weapons systems, keeping his eyes scanning the area for movement. Everything stayed still.
"Alright," he said quietly.
He held his hand out in front of him. A black magic circle spread out beneath the helicopter, glowing faint silver around the edges. Runes spun around the circle, humming as if alive. The Ka-50's body started to fade, the armor plates turning transparent, the rotors slowing down and glowing like ghostly blades.
Piece by piece, the helicopter disappeared into the circle until nothing was left but a faint spark. Then the circle snapped shut and the road was empty again.
[Ka-50 Black Shark has been stored in Inventory.]
Riku lowered his arm, exhaled, and turned toward the slope of the overpass. At the bottom of the ramp, right where he had left it, was the Rezvani. The SUV looked beat up—hood bent, windshield cracked, splashes of dried blood still across the bumper—but it was still there.
"Good to see you again," he muttered as he jogged down the ramp.
He yanked the driver's side door open and slid into the seat. The smell of oil, smoke, and blood still lingered inside. For a second he just sat there, hand on the wheel, catching his breath. Then he turned the key.
The engine coughed hard once, twice… then roared to life. The whole SUV shook, but the sound was steady. Alive.
Riku smirked. "Knew you wouldn't fail me."
He checked the walkie on the dashboard and pressed it. "Suzune, it's me. Bird's down. I'm switching back to wheels. Stay quiet. I'll be there soon."
Suzune's reply came after a pause, her voice hushed. "We're fine. The van hasn't moved. Hana's okay. We'll wait."
"Good. Just sit tight," Riku said.
He put the Rezvani in gear and eased it onto the street. He kept the headlights off, letting the moonlight guide him. The SUV rumbled low, quieter than most vehicles of its size, though its armored frame still groaned with every bump.
The streets were half-blocked with abandoned cars, trash, and broken glass. He drove carefully, weaving where he could, pushing aside lighter debris with the Rezvani's reinforced bumper. Twice, shamblers stumbled into the road, but Riku didn't hesitate. He pressed the gas, and the SUV crushed them under its weight. The bodies crumpled like paper, blood smearing across the asphalt.
He kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting near the rifle in the passenger seat. His eyes flicked constantly between the road and the side streets. He knew zombies reacted to sound, and even though most of them had chased the Ka-50 earlier, stragglers could still be anywhere.
"Almost there," he muttered, turning onto the block where the underground garage sat.
The entrance came into view, a wide ramp that sloped down into shadows. No zombies nearby. No movement at all. Perfect.
Riku pressed the walkie again. "I see the garage. Don't move. I'll come to you."
He flicked the headlights on for just a second to check the ramp—clear—and then killed them again. Slowly, he drove the Rezvani down, the sound of the tires echoing off the concrete walls. The deeper he went, the colder and darker it became.
At the bottom, he spotted the outline of the van parked near a row of abandoned cars. The engine was off, and it was silent inside.
He parked the Rezvani nose-to-nose with the van and cut the engine. The sudden silence pressed heavy.
"Alright," he whispered.
He got out, rifle in hand, and swept the area. The garage smelled like dust and rust. His boots crunched glass, but otherwise, it was dead quiet. He checked behind pillars, under cars, every shadow that could hide movement. Nothing.
Finally, he walked to the van and knocked twice on the metal with his knuckles.
"Open up. It's me."
The side door slid open slowly. Suzune's face peeked out, pale but determined. Behind her, Miko clutched her knees, trembling. Ichika glared like she wanted to punch something, while Hana crawled forward, eyes wide and teary.
"You came back," Hana whispered, her voice small.
Riku reached out and ruffled her hair gently. "I said I would, didn't I?"
The tension in the van broke. Suzune sighed in relief, Miko let out a shaky sob, and even Ichika's glare softened just a little.
"Alright," Riku said, stepping back. "Time to move. Everyone in the Rezvani. Hana first, then Miko, then Ichika. Suzune, you ride up front with me."
They climbed out one by one, moving quickly but quietly. Hana clung to Riku's sleeve until he guided her into the backseat. Miko followed, still shaky, while Ichika slid in with her usual scowl, though she muttered, "About time." Suzune was last, slipping into the passenger seat.
Once the doors were shut, Riku got back behind the wheel. The cabin was cramped but solid, and compared to the van, the Rezvani felt like a fortress.
"Seatbelts," he ordered.
They clicked them in without question.
"Where do we go now?" Suzune asked.
"Somewhere safe," Riku replied.