Chapter 30: Beyond Limits
The fight dragged on, and Fin's dagger took a beating. The zombie went berserk, its vines thickening, body hardening like steel.
It swung the axe faster, a blur of death. Fin blocked a strike, but the impact snapped his dagger's blade in half. He stared at the broken hilt, then tossed it aside.
"Guess we're doing this the hard way."
The zombie roared, charging with new speed. He ducked a swing, but the axe grazed his arm, tearing through what was left of his suit. Blood dripped, and he stumbled, overwhelmed.
It was too fast now, too strong. Another swing sent him crashing into a wall, pain flaring in his side.
"Fuck, you're a monster," he spat, pushing up. The bloodrush kept him going, but for how long. He threw a punch, mana surging into his fist, and slammed it into the zombie's chest.
It barely flinched, but he felt a spark—its mana, raw and chaotic, brushing against his own.
The zombie swung again, and Fin rolled under it, popping up to land a glowing punch to its jaw. Its head snapped back, and he grinned.
"Oh, you felt that, huh?" He dodged another wild swing, weaving around its attacks. Each miss made it angrier, faster, but Fin kept moving, fists flying.
"Talk to me, big guy!" he shouted, slamming a punch into its gut. "What's got you so pissed?" No answer, just a guttural snarl as it grabbed him and threw him across the room.
He hit the floor hard, rolling into a pile of rubble, but sprang up laughing. "That all you got?"
The fight stretched on—ten minutes, twenty, maybe an hour. Time blurred as they traded blows. Fin's punches cracked vines, drew green blood, but his arms grew heavy, his breaths ragged.