Zombie Domination-Chapter 45- Scapegoat

The group stepped into the open air under the fading sun. With a flick of his wrist, Julian summoned the modified jeep from his inventory, the engine purring to life like a beast waiting to run.

They all climbed in. Julian took the wheel, Aya beside him, and the others settled into their usual places. The ride was smooth as they made their way toward the mall Clarissa had mentioned earlier, the quiet hum of the engine lulling the city’s dead silence.

Breaking that silence was Veronica’s voice, sharp and mischievous.

"You noticed it, right? That cold-faced Celestia keeps stealing glances at you, Julian."

Emma chimed in immediately, leaning forward from the back seat. "Totally. She was staring at you like you were made of gold."

Julian raised an eyebrow, eyes still on the road. "Really?"

"Yes," they all said at once, in unison.

Veronica sighed dramatically. "You’re completely dense, you know that?"

Clarissa, resting her chin on her hand, smiled gently. "She was staring at you openly, like a girl who’s just realized she’s in love."

Aya, her cheeks slightly pink, nodded repeatedly. "Mhm..."

Emma tilted her head, peering at Julian curiously. "So? What do you think? About Celestia’s feelings."

Julian blinked, puzzled. "What do you mean, what do I think?"

"I mean her feelings!" Emma groaned. "It’s obvious she’s fallen for you. That whole ’cold commander’ thing cracked the moment she saw you."

Veronica crossed her arms. "And I thought you already knew, since you suddenly volunteered to help her."

Julian sighed. "I helped her because I owed her for the information about Aya’s family. That’s it."

"So you really are that oblivious," Veronica muttered under her breath.

Emma leaned back, exasperated. "You’re quick to understand intimate stuff but totally blind when it comes to feelings."

Clarissa placed a hand gently on Julian’s arm. "Please... try to be more aware. You might hurt someone without meaning to."

Aya added in her usual quiet tone, face turning red, "A-and... um... please stop attack me when I’m changing, Julian..."

Julian sighed heavily, rubbing his chin as they continued their bumpy journey through the dead city.

"Fine... I’ll give it some thought. Maybe... maybe I should take the time to understand her better first. She’s not easy to read."

Clarissa nodded in agreement. "That’s a good start."

They arrived at the mall just as the sky began to turn a deeper shade of orange, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. The once-vibrant shopping center now loomed before them like a decaying giant, its glass façade shattered in several places. From the outside, they could already see movement, shambling figures and the distinct, unnerving gait of mutated zombies.

Emma narrowed her eyes and murmured, "There’s a lot of them..."

Julian, surveying the horde with a calm expression, nodded. "Which means this place hasn’t been looted yet."

Veronica scoffed, arms crossed confidently. "Of course not. With that many zombies? No one’s dumb enough to try clearing them out in one day."

Julian turned to Aya. "Scan the upper levels. Let’s see if we have another route."

Aya closed her eyes and activated her skill, [Eagle Eye]. Her pupils shimmered faintly as her vision pierced through layers of the mall.

"There’s a section on the upper floor," she reported. "Fewer zombies up there. Sparse movement. Safer."

Julian nodded. "Good. I’ll sneak in through the top. You all wait here."

Clarissa stepped forward, worry flickering in her eyes. "You’re going in alone?"

Emma frowned. "That’s dangerous, Julian."

"I’ll be fine," Julian said calmly. "I’ll use my shadow to climb and slip in from above. If anything goes wrong, I can teleport straight back."

The girls exchanged reluctant glances but eventually nodded.

"Be careful," Clarissa said softly.

With a faint smile, Julian activated his skill. Shadows curled around his legs like smoke, lifting him effortlessly upward. He scaled the mall wall in silence, becoming one with the dark. Moments later, he reached an open window on the second floor and slipped in.

Inside, the mall was eerily quiet, aside from the occasional groan of nearby undead. Julian moved swiftly through the deserted corridors. A lone zombie staggered toward him, and without hesitation, he drew his katana and sliced it down in a single stroke.

He pressed forward, searching for supplies. Soon he located a few stores that still had intact food stockpiles. One by one, he looted them clean, canned goods, bottled water, even preserved sweets. All went into his inventory.

As he moved past a shattered directory map, his eyes caught the glint of a jewelry store. Without missing a beat, he approached, smashed the glass case with the hilt of his blade, and began scooping up everything inside.

"Here’s hoping no one arrests me," he muttered with a smirk.

He continued to loot, stopping by a hardware store and grabbing any tools or gadgets that looked remotely useful. Then, seeing a clothing store, he emptied the inventory entirely. Let the girls sort it out later, he figured. He didn’t know much about fashion, but they certainly had preferences.

Once satisfied with his haul, Julian took one last look around, then whispered, "[Shadow Return]." The world around him shimmered.

A blink later, he appeared beside the group, shadows flickering as they dissipated around him.

"Julian!" Clarissa gasped in relief.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked.

Julian nodded. "I’m fine. And yes... we’ve got more than enough."

The others visibly relaxed, and Veronica grinned. "Good. Let’s get out of this dump."

------×------

Inside the base, Celestia marched swiftly through the hallways, her footsteps echoing against the worn concrete. One of her subordinates hurried alongside her, clearly distressed.

"Ma’am, a group of armed survivors has arrived at the barricade. They’re demanding to speak with leadership. They claim... someone here stole their food supplies."

Celestia’s expression turned sharp. "How many of them?"

"About fifteen. They’re armed, aggressive, and not listening to reason."

Celestia nodded curtly and picked up her pace. Soon, she emerged into the open entrance of the barricaded supermarket. Outside, dust and wind carried tension in the air. A rugged man stood at the front of the group, a makeshift rifle strapped across his chest and several equally rough-looking followers behind him.

"Where is the one in charge?" he barked. "We need answers, now."

Celestia stepped forward calmly, her silver eyes like sharpened ice. "I’m the one you’re looking for. Lieutenant Celestia Virelle."

The man narrowed his eyes. "We tracked the trail from our outpost. Our food storage was raided, and guess what we found?."

Celestia kept her voice even. "We are also in a food crisis. Whatever you lost, it wasn’t from us. You have no proof."

He stepped closer, eyes flashing with hostility. "I don’t need proof. I need my supplies back."

One of Celestia’s men, a younger soldier, stepped up defensively. "We didn’t find anything there except rotting corpses and a swarm of zombies. We barely got out alive."

But the man wasn’t convinced. "Then let us search your base. If you’re clean, you’ve got nothing to hide."

Celestia’s gaze hardened. "That’s not happening."

The man smirked darkly. "Then you’re hiding something."

At that moment, the civilian leader from earlier, the one who had loudly complained about Celestia’s failures, stepped out from behind the inner gates. Surprisingly, he spoke up in her defense.

"She’s telling the truth," the man said, clearly bitter but honest. "We’ve barely had enough to eat. If you think there’s a stockpile here, you’re wrong."

The aggressive leader looked from him to Celestia, still unconvinced. "I don’t buy it. Search the place."

He turned to his group and barked, "Move in."

But before they could take a single step, threads of shining silver shot out from Celestia’s hands, [Silver Thread], her signature skill. The glowing threads wrapped tightly around the leader’s arms, pinning him in place.

"Step no further," she warned, her voice low and cold. "I’m not going to warn you again."

The man’s face contorted with rage. "So you’re raising your weapons against fellow survivors now? You realize what that means, don’t you?"

"I warned you," she replied icily. "We took nothing from you. You’re looking for a scapegoat, and I won’t let you tear through this place out of paranoia."

"Then you’ve chosen your side," the man snarled.

He turned to his followers. "Kill them all!"

With a savage grin, the man barked, "Let’s tear these bastards apart!"

His men roared in unison, bloodlust surging as they activated their individual skills, glowing veins, hardened skin, bursts of flame and stone erupted amidst the battlefield.

The air crackled with raw power. Celestia’s forces, already fatigued and short on ammunition, were overwhelmed.

The man raised his hand and shouted, "Now... let’s make this more fun."

He activated his own skill, [Lightning].

In an instant, the air split with a deafening crack. Blue-white electricity surged from his body, branching out like a storm from his hands. The bolt struck the ground, exploding into a violent shockwave that sent several of Celestia’s soldiers flying. Screams followed. Their bodies twitched as the current coursed through them, burning and breaking with horrifying speed.

"Holy crap, Boss! That was amazing!" one of his underlings howled with admiration.

Another laughed. "Let’s grab the silver-haired one! I bet she’ll scream real nice."

Hike, bloodied and bruised but still standing, gritted his teeth as he shielded Celestia. "Lieutenant! You have to retreat. Now!"

Celestia, panting and barely holding herself upright, shook her head. "No. I won’t abandon my people."

But before she could respond further, a searing bolt of lightning struck her square in the chest. Her body arched in pain, her silver threads lashing out involuntarily before going limp. She fell to one knee, smoke rising from her armor as her vision blurred.

"Lieutenant!!" her soldiers cried out, terror and desperation etched in their voices.

The lightning-user strode forward with a leisurely gait, his boots crunching over debris and broken glass. He stopped in front of Celestia, looking down at her with a twisted smile.

"You should’ve handed it over," he sneered. "Now look at you. Pathetic. All that pride and rank, reduced to a dog at my feet."

Celestia looked up at him with fury in her pale eyes, her lips bleeding and trembling. Even in pain, her hatred was ice-cold.

"You think you’re strong?" she hissed. "You’re nothing but a coward with a stolen spark."

He chuckled, clearly amused. "Call it what you want, sweetheart. But soon enough, you’ll be mine. I quite like strong women. Especially when they’re on their knees."

The laughter of his men followed, echoing in the devastated courtyard like jackals circling a fallen lioness.

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