The thunderous crack of a gunshot shattered Leon's slumber. He sat bolt upright on his futon, his heart pounding. He looked over at Sara's futon. It was vacant.
Sara!
More gunfire resounded through the small hotel. Leon bounded to his feet, both guns in hand. He darted out of the room and down the stairs as quickly as he could.
The sound of shattering glass and distant screams mingled with inhuman snarls halted Leon in his headlong rush. He peered over the stair railing. The left side of the hall had been plunged into darkness; only a single flashlight beam penetrated the gloom.
"Get outta there!" the bearer of the light shouted.
Leon instantly recognized Jake's voice.
"What the hell is going on?!" Sara's panicked voice demanded.
"Damned if I know!" Jake snapped.
Leon caught sight of a shuffling movement coming from the opposite end of the hall which was still dimly lit. A strange, deformed figure was increasing its pace as it approached Jake and Sara, whom he had not yet seen.
Without hesitation, Leon vaulted over the railing as the creature passed beneath him. The monster bellowed as Leon landed on top of it. It growled something in Japanese, snarling bestially. Leon silenced it with a single shot to its head. Blood sprayed across the floor and onto the dingy walls.
Jake spun about, shining his light on Leon as he rose to face him.
"Leon!" Sara exclaimed, rushing out from behind Jake.
"Looks like I dropped in just in time," Leon said. He coughed as a strong, pungent odor hit him. "Agh, what the hell is that smell?"
"Nice timing, Hero. Some asshole's tossing some really nasty gas bombs. I got one in my room, and I ran out to find this going on," Jake said, indicating the scene.
"Shit. The gas must be laced with some kind of virus," Leon concluded. He was reminded instantly of Tatchi, China, where a deliberately fired missile released viral gas, infecting thousands.
Leon turned to Sara. Even in the dim lighting, he perceived that her face looked pale and frightened. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, but it's happening again," she said, a note of concern in her voice. "The powers I had on Halcyon Isle… they're manifesting again."
Leon's brow furrowed deeply at that.
"Powers?" queried Jake suspiciously.
A loud explosion outside made them forget everything else.
Leon bolted ahead of his companions, heading for the security door. He glanced hastily at the clerk's desk as he shoved the door open. The worn chair was empty; the clerk was nowhere to be seen.
The trio ran into the lobby, transfixed momentarily by the sight. The front window was shattered by the explosion's impact, glass strewn everywhere. Outside the window was a raging inferno. The izakaya was ablaze, the flames spreading rapidly to the dilapidated buildings around it. People ran wildly through the streets, screaming and crying, pursued by horrific-looking creatures.
The monsters stood at an alarming height of seven feet, their bodies slick with their own blood, the flesh having torn open during mutation. The angry, brilliant flames illumined their horrendous faces which had elongated into canine-like snouts. Their mouths were open in savage snarls, baring razor-sharp teeth. They looked like humanoid foxes.
A man burst out of the conflagrant izakaya, shouting hysterically in Japanese. He made a mad dash for the hotel.
Leon ran to the door and flung it open. "Get in! Hurry!" he shouted. He recognized the man as the hotel clerk.
Several monsters gave pursuit, drawn to the clerk's frantic shouts. Leon fired quick headshots to three of the creatures. "Run!" he urged the clerk.
"Watashi o sukutte kudasai! Kitsune no akuma kara watashi o sukutte kudasai!" (Save me! Save me from the devil foxes!) the clerk cried.
He was within a foot of the hotel's threshold when a creature suddenly tackled him to the ground and worried him violently.
"No!" Leon exclaimed.
The monster ceased the vicious tearing of its victim to look at Leon with glowing green eyes, fresh blood streaming from its mouth.
Enraged, Leon shot it directly between the eyes. As the beast collapsed onto its mauled victim, Leon slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Oh, God…" Sara said sorrowfully.
"Door won't hold those things back for long," Leon said. "We gotta get out of here."
"Yeah, no shit," Jake said. "We'd better find another exit; it's not looking good out that way."
"We've gotta get the rest of our gear," Sara said. "But how do we get out of this town?"
"Got a ride bought and paid for," Jake replied. He turned and leaped over the clerk's desk, disappearing into the tiny office for a moment. He emerged holding a set of keys.
"I paid $150 American for a ride to Fukushū. One way or another, I'm getting it."
"That's compassionate," Sara remarked, frowning.
"Hey, I choose life, babe," Jake replied sharply.
The sound of ferocious snarling interrupted the exchange. One of the creatures was forcing its way through the broken window. A gunshot from Leon took it down.
"Let's move… now!" he shouted.
The three of them hurried back through the security door only to run into four more of the fox mutations.
Infuriated by the turn of events, Leon moved at lightning speed. He took the monster down with a shot to the throat. Another one charged at him from the left. Turning swiftly, he dealt it a powerful side kick that sent it reeling into the wall. As it lay stunned, Leon finished it off with a quick shot.
Jake struck his attacker with a punch that was almost inhumanly powerful. The creature growled in anger and surprise. Jake followed up his strike, seizing its neck, and snapping it with an abrupt twist.
Sara cried out in alarm, but she recovered swiftly. She pistol-whipped the last monster across the face before firing a round directly into its mouth as it roared in pain.
Seeing the immediate threat cleared, Leon made for the stairs. "We can escape through the window in our room," he said. "It's only two stories."
"Go on ahead. I gotta get my stuff. I'll meet you up there," Jake said.
"Watch yourself," Leon answered.
Bobbing his head in reply, Jake disappeared into the shadows.
Leon and Sara jogged up the steps and back into their room.
They geared up hastily, tossing equipment to one another as they donned their holsters and packs.
Presently, Jake burst into the room, fully equipped and sporting black leather gloves. "Bastards are swarming in through the lobby window," he reported.
"This is where we cut out," Leon said. "I'll take point. Jake, you mind bringing up the rear?"
"Sure, what the hell? Fun's fun, right?" Jake answered.
Without further delay, Leon climbed out the window. Upon landing, he looked around cursorily for immediate danger. Satisfied the area was clear, he signaled to Sara to descend.
Anxiety etched on her face, she climbed down carefully, dropping unsteadily to her feet. Leon quickly grabbed her to steady her then pulled her back to make way for Jake's descent. Glancing aside, he saw the shadows of approaching creatures.
"Jake, hurry up!" he shouted. "We've got company down here!"
Jake leaped forward to make his exit, but was suddenly caught from behind by one of the beasts. He quickly shook it off with a smart blow to its head with his elbow then jumped out.
Jake landed on the ground roughly, swearing angrily as he started to his feet.
The monster roared and sprung after him, but Sara instantly put a stop to it with a single gunshot. The creature landed dead where Jake had been lying just seconds before.
"Nice," Leon remarked approvingly.
"Not bad for a rookie, huh?" Sara said, smiling nervously.
Leon smiled back and nodded encouragingly before turning to Jake. "Where's our ride?"
"This way!" Jake answered. He led the way around to the side of the hotel where an old, beat-up pickup truck was parked.
"That's our ride? It's a rust bucket! How do you know it even runs?" exclaimed Sara.
"Now's the time to find out," Jake replied. He tugged at the truck door only to find it locked. "Aw, shit…"
Leon's jaw tightened anxiously as the sounds of growling and snarling grew louder. He glanced toward the main road to see an approaching group of the bioweapon mutants.
"Damn… There didn't seem to be this many people before the infection hit! Jake, c'mon; they're getting close!" Leon pressed.
Jake was patting himself frantically. "I don't have the keys! I must've dropped them when I fell!"
"Hold those things off; I'll find them!" Sara said. She dashed away, returning to the hotel rear.
"Sara, wait!" Leon called after her.
But she ran on without checking her speed.
"Keep 'em back!" Leon told Jake before sprinting after her.
"No shit!" Jake returned as he opened fire on an incoming pair of monsters.
"Sara! Where are you?" Leon shouted, searching for her through the alternate flicker of firelight and shadow.
He caught sight of her quickly. She was kneeling on the ground, clawing and sifting through the dirt desperately by the light of her earmount flashlight.
"I found them!" she declared triumphantly, holding the keys up for Leon to see.
At that moment, a creature came bounding around the corner on all fours, charging straight at Sara.
"Look out!" Leon exclaimed. He stood poised to shoot, but Sara stood directly in his line of fire.
She turned to face the monster with a sharp gasp. She managed to duck and roll aside just as it pounced.
The creature doubled back, scrabbling furiously as it prepared to attack her again. Leon immediately drew his knife and flung it at the beast.
The blade struck the brute directly in the skull. It fell prostrate before Sara, its blood pooling at her feet.
She looked up at Leon wide-eyed for a moment before reaching over the corpse to retrieve the knife. After two hard tugs, it came free with a spurt of dark blood.
Leon reached her in three strides and helped her to her feet, his expression severe. "Always be aware of your surroundings," he chided her.
Sara nodded disconcertedly, returning the bloodied weapon to Leon.
He took it and quickly wiped off the gore on his pants before sheathing it. The pair then rushed back to the pickup truck where Jake was just finishing off another monster, smashing its face against the tailgate of the truck.
"Tell me you got good news!" Jake said, casting the vile corpse aside.
"Got 'em!" Sara replied. She zipped past him and climbed into the truck.
Jake frowned in displeasure, but he hopped into the truck bed.
"She's got this, believe me," Leon said, catching Jake's expression. He jumped in, guns ready.
"Hang on!" Sara called from the cab.
The tires screeched shrilly as Sara peeled off.
Leon stood beside Jake, swaying with impressive balance as the truck moved on with surprising speed despite its appearance. The savage monsters pursued the vehicle, snapping and snarling.
Two of the fox-like brutes leaped onto the tailgate and scrambled into the truck bed. Firing simultaneously, Leon and Jake shot them down.
As Sara took a sharp curve, managing to keep excellent control of the vehicle despite its breakneck speed, a creature leaped at Leon, blindsiding him.
Leon hit the truck bed floor, his guns flying out of his grasp. He grappled with the monster fiercely, staring into its gaping maw. As he thrashed about beneath it, a gunshot rang out close beside him. The creature went limp, collapsing onto Leon heavily, its blood gushing from the side of its head.
Panting, Leon shoved the deadweight aside and glanced at Jake.
"You're welcome," Jake deadpanned, replacing his magazine.
Leon climbed to his feet unsteadily, prepared to take up the fight again, but they had pulled out of Kuraishi and were leaving its mutated terrors behind. The enraged beasts had ceased the chase, glaring at the departing truck with smoldering green eyes.
"Looks like we're losing them," Leon declared.
"Guys?!" Sara shouted warningly from the cab.
Leon turned to face forward. His eyes widened. "Ah, hell…"
The dull beams of the truck's headlights fell over a dark military-grade Jeep, cruising ahead of them. It gained velocity as Sara raced on, increasing the distance between the two vehicles.
A male figure clad in black stood in the Jeep's bed, peering at them from behind a featureless black mask. He held an RPG aimed right at the pickup.
"Brace yourselves!" Sara yelled.
"Shit!" Jake exclaimed.
Both men dropped to the bed floor, preparing themselves for what was coming next.
The man fired the rocket just as Sara maneuvered the truck into a hard left turn. Leon and Jake were jostled into each other, grunting and swearing as they hit the side panels with bone-jarring impact.
The grenade sailed past the pickup, missing it by mere inches. Sara managed to correct her course, swerving back onto the road.
Feeling the vehicle regain control, Leon rose. He leaned against the cab and aimed his gun at the Jeep. "Keep it steady!" he called to Sara.
"Sure; no problem!" she answered dryly.
Leon sought out the Jeep's tires through the pickup's weak lighting and fired a shot. The bullet hit its mark, blowing out the tire.
The Jeep swerved, but regained its course. Instead of checking its speed, it raced on. The dark figure onboard reached behind his back and drew something. Leon squinted in an effort to see the object. He realized with a jolt that it was a hand grenade.
"Grenade!" shouted Jake who had gotten to his feet beside Leon.
"Oh, my God!" Sara exclaimed.
Time seemed to stop as the man flung the grenade and it rolled toward the pickup.
Sara veered sharply to the right even as the grenade hit the ground. The pickup sheared aside unstably, pitching dangerously as the grenade went off.
Everything became a whirl of fire and thunder as the explosion catapulted the truck halfway into the air. The next instant, the vehicle overturned and the scene closed abruptly, vanishing into a black void.