Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The other Zombie Kings huddled together, whispering among themselves.

"Can you believe it? Logan actually pulled it off."

"So this is what love across species looks like, huh?"

"Guess when it's real love, race—or, well, species—doesn't matter."

"But… can they even kiss? Or, y'know, do other stuff?"

"No clue. Maybe they'll figure something out eventually."

"..."

Not far off, on a nearby mountaintop, two figures stood silently—Ethan and Mia.

Of course, they had to witness Logan's big confession for themselves.

"He did it," Ethan said, his voice calm.

"Yeah," Mia replied softly. The cold wind at the summit tugged at her hair, sending it dancing in the moonlight. Her bright eyes were fixed on the couple below—Logan and Awan, locked in a tight embrace.

Something about Awan's words earlier had struck a chord with her. They sounded oddly familiar.

"Ethan," Mia called out.

"Hmm?" Ethan turned to look at her, only to find her already staring at him. Their eyes met and held, a quiet intensity passing between them.

They stood together at the peak of the snowy mountain, the full moon hanging behind them like a silent witness. Its pale light bathed them both, casting long shadows across the snow.

Aside from the howling wind, everything was still.

Then, after a long pause, Mia finally spoke. "It's nothing. I'm heading out."

"Oh…" Ethan nodded.

Bathed in moonlight, the girl's silhouette slowly receded into the darkness, until she vanished completely into the night.

Ethan turned his gaze back toward the horizon, already planning his next move.

Now that Logan had confessed and the Northern Front was quiet, it was time. Tomorrow, he'd lead the Zombie Horde across the border into Canada, kicking off a brand-new blood-soaked campaign.

...

After Logan confessed to Awan, it was like a dam broke. He opened up completely, holding nothing back. They poured their hearts out to each other, sharing everything.

For the first time, Logan didn't have to hide who he was. He let it all out—every detail of how he became a zombie, the pain, the transformation, the madness. Awan listened, wide-eyed and fascinated.

To satisfy her curiosity, Logan even dragged Rebar and the others over, turning the whole thing into a kind of undead fashion show. One by one, he introduced the different types of Zombie Kings and zombie beasts, giving a full rundown.

Awan was amazed, gasping and laughing as Logan cracked jokes and explained everything with his usual dry wit. Her laughter rang out like silver bells, light and infectious.

Seeing her so happy, Logan nudged Rebar to step it up.

And so, like reluctant runway models, the zombie warriors strutted back and forth, again and again.

Logan stayed by Awan's side the whole time, the two of them grinning like fools, wrapped in their own little world of joy and affection.

Of course, Rebar and the others were dying inside. These were hardened warriors, built for battle and bloodshed—and here they were, playing dress-up to entertain a girl.

Inwardly, they all muttered the same thing:

"What a clown…"

...

And just like that, a night destined to go down in history quietly came to an end.

The next morning, the sun rose bright and golden, casting its light across the land.

A sleek aircraft roared to life, blue flames bursting from its engines as it shot into the sky like a meteor.

Mia and her team were already on their way back to the shelter.

As Chris had put it:

"Package delivered…"

Meanwhile, Ethan left the town behind, setting off once more. With the undead horde at his back, he crossed the border into Canada—ready to unleash hell all over again.

Along the way, the Zombie Horde tore through everything like a hot knife through butter. Wherever they passed, other creatures scattered and fled.

With the Pied King eliminated, there was barely any resistance. The few scattered zombie factions they encountered were either wiped out or absorbed into the Horde.

They quickly seized control of the former headquarters of the "Zombie King Alliance," a small border town nestled in the snowy Canadian wilderness.

Ethan decided to pause there for now. They'd just crossed into Canada, and it made sense to establish a foothold before pushing deeper.

Soon after, he led several of the major Zombie Kings to a nearby ridge to scout the terrain ahead.

Beyond this town, they were officially out of the Pied King's old territory. What lay ahead belonged to someone else.

Ethan and the others stood atop a snowy slope, eyes scanning the horizon.

Ahead stretched a vast, open plain. In some spots, the snow had already begun to melt, revealing patches of damp, dark earth. The sharp contrast between day and night temperatures had left the ground glittering with frost crystals.

From the distance came the guttural howls of the undead, echoing across the land. Shadows moved restlessly—grotesque, hulking figures wandering the field.

And among them were elite zombies—clearly not just random stragglers. These were stationed here for a reason.

"The Crimson Count's forces knew we were coming. They've already set up defenses," Ethan said coolly.

"Boss, there's a hell of a lot of zombies out there," Bulldozer rumbled, his voice like gravel.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. There's a lot."

"Perfect," Bulldozer grinned, eyes gleaming. "Been a while since I had a proper fight."

Ethan kept his gaze fixed on the field. The Crimson Count's faction called themselves "The Vampire Race." They were infected with a mutated strain of the virus, but they weren't above using regular zombies as cannon fodder.

Just like the Pied King had been.

If the apocalypse had followed its natural course, the Pied King would've crushed the other zombie factions, absorbed their territories, and ruled as a dominant overlord. There would've been no need for alliances.

But the only reason they'd banded together was because of the looming threat of the Crimson Count.

Suddenly, several black specks appeared on the horizon—crows, swooping in fast.

Ethan had sent out a scouting squad of crows earlier to gather intel while they regrouped.

Buddy Crow's crimson eyes glowed as he landed, speaking in his eerie, birdlike voice.

"The zombies are gathering... Massive hordes. And not just from Canada—undead from other countries are pouring in too."

"They're all converging here. We don't know how many... but it's a lot."

"..."

The other Zombie Kings froze, the weight of that intel sinking in.

Big Ears blinked. "Wait, why the hell are zombies from other countries coming here? Are they trying to stop us? What the hell is going on?"

Ethan's voice was calm, but sharp. "Looks like the Mutant Vampire Zombies already know the Pied King is dead. And they've figured out we're coming through this route. So they're rallying the hordes to intercept us."

"Holy shit..." Big Ears muttered, stunned. The scale of it was hard to even imagine.

The Crimson Count's influence stretched across the globe. When he called, the undead answered. So this wasn't just a Canadian problem anymore—they were about to face the Vampire Race's forces from all over.

The total number of zombies? Easily over a million.

"This is next-level... We're talking endgame stuff here."

"Boss, what do we do?" Lil' Shroom asked, toddling up with her usual wide-eyed innocence. "Want me to sneak ahead and scout?"

"No need," Ethan said, shaking his head. "There's nothing to scout."

It was either an endless sea of corpses... or more zombies flooding in by the hour.

"For now, let's focus on finding the stone tablet."

"Right, right!" Big Ears nodded quickly.

He turned around and grabbed Big Chompers—the captured zombie—hauling him up off the ground like a sack of meat.

Then, without warning, he jumped and smacked him hard across the head.

"Talk! Where's the damn tablet?"

...