CHAPTER 601: FIGHTING TO THE DEATH

Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, the lights in the room went out, plunging everything into darkness. His instincts kicked in, but Han Xin remained still, his eyes adjusting to the dim space.

Suddenly, a flash erupted from within the room. Han Xin’s reflexes were swift. He shifted the muzzle of his rifle, homing in on the figure that caught his sight. He squeezed the trigger, and the shot rang out, piercing the silence.

The glass shattered with a crisp sound, startling Peng Xiu. Han Xin felt extremely frustrated seeing that he hadn’t struck her where he wanted. The tough glass had altered its trajectory, and instead of hitting her head, the bullet grazed her arm. After this blunder he knew she would be more cautious. This left him no choice but to go and back Xiang Yu up.

Peng Xiu cried in pain, her instinct to hide away from the windows overtaking her as she cursed under her breath. The cool wind rushed into the room, sweeping away some of the tension.

Frantically, she fumbled in her pocket and pulled out her device, intent on unleashing the horde of zombies outside to create chaos and cover her escape. But as her finger pressed the button, a frown creased her face.

"What the fucking hell?" she muttered, pressing it again and again, growing more frustrated with each attempt. A notification bubble from the device kept insisting there was an interruption.

Suddenly, Xiang Yu seized a nearby couch and hurled it at Peng Xiu with a force that defied human ability. The heavy furniture flew through the air, landing squarely on her, pinning her down. As she struggled to push it off, he rushed forward, his movements a blur of speed and power.

With one swift swing, he struck her, sending her body crashing against the wall with a loud bang. Pain flickered across her face, and blood pooled at the corner of her lips, giving her the appearance of a fierce fiend.

Xiang Yu lunged again the murderous intent around him unmistakable. But Peng Xiu, recovering quickly, raised her device, a wicked smile creeping onto her face. "Ah ah ah ahh," she warned, "I will release them. Take one more step, and I will—"

Before she could complete her threat, Xiang Yu dashed forward. Peng Xiu immediately pressed the button to unleash the zombies, but nothing happened. She pressed it again and again, frustration growing with each failed attempt.

Xiang Yu closed the distance quickly, gripping her neck with his powerful hand. The device slipped from her grasp, sliding towards the shattered window. It teetered on the edge, threatening to fall.

"St-stop!" she gasped, her eyes wide with fear as he tightened his grip. But Xiang Yu was unrelenting, strangling her as she fought back. Their strengths were almost evenly matched, a fierce struggle of wills.

With a swift motion, Peng Xiu broke free, pushing him away and creating a distance between them. Both of them had awakened powers and evenly matched hence the fight was bloody and fierce.

Xiang Yu felt himself pushed out of the window, the world spinning as he plunged through the air. But just as quickly, he soared back inside, as if propelled by a force beyond nature. He lunged at Peng Xiu, the momentum of his return adding power to his strike.

They collided at the edge of the shattered window, their bodies moving like lightning, the wind whipping around them, growing stronger with each passing moment. The chaos of their battle sent shards of glass sparkling through the air.

On the ground, the device lay precariously close to the edge. With a small nudge from the wind, it shifted, teetering before finally falling off the ledge. As it dropped, the signal that had been cut off suddenly reconnected mid-fall, a green notification bubble blinking to life before it shattered on the pavement startling people walking on the streets.

The closed zombie cells in the distance began to open, the doors sweeping wide, releasing the hordes within. They rushed out, ravenous and chaotic, but Xiang Yu had no idea of the looming disaster. His focus was solely on the fight at hand, and Peng Xiu felt the tide turn against her.

Realising she was at a disadvantage, she shifted her tactic, a sly grin creeping across her face. She began to manoeuvre Xiang Yu step by step, leading him carefully toward a trap door hidden beneath a layer of debris.

"Just a little closer," she whispered, taunting him as she danced around the room, keeping him engaged.

As Xiang Yu pushed forward, his instincts alert, he reached for her, determined to end the standoff. In that split second, she made her move. With a swift motion, she opened the trap door beneath them.

Xiang Yu’s eyes widened in realisation as the door swung open, revealing a dark abyss below. He tried to pull back, but it was too late. The ground gave way beneath him, and he felt himself falling.

He plunged through the trap door as his hand reached out, grabbing Peng Xiu’s arm as he fell. The sudden tug caught her off guard, and she was dragged along.

She hit the ground hard, the weight of Xiang Yu driving her down. But the chaos around them deepened. The horde of zombies that had surged up to the fresh meat that had fell from the sky, their ravenous growls filling the air. As they climbed up, they pulled at Xiang Yu, yanking both him and Peng Xiu down.

"Let go of me you fucking bastard!" Peng Xiu yelled, her voice a mix of anger and panic.

"Why sister? We might as well go down together," Xiang Yu shot back, a grim determination in his voice. "Just like how we came into the world."

Pain shot through Peng Xiu from the bullet wound in her shoulder. She gritted her teeth, fighting through the agony. Desperate, she looked around for anything to beat Xiang Yu with. Suddenly she spotted her gun. It lay just a few inches beyond her reach. With determination, she stretched out her fingertips, straining to grab it.