Meenda Kinamu, a beautiful twenty-one-year-old woman of Korean and Latin descent, was a teenage pop sensation, famously dubbed the "Miracle Girl" by the mainstream media.A solo artist with a unique, angelic voice and electrifying dance moves that captivated audiences of all ages, she skyrocketed to fame even before finishing high school, amassing tens of millions of Ether in wealth.Her latest single—Heart Snatcher, according to Google's clumsy translation—was exploding across the charts.
Two days ago, Dandelion, the spoiled son of a major energy tycoon on Ether, had invited her and four of her closest friends to a private party on his island estate.He even sent a yacht to pick them up.
At first, everything seemed perfect—until Dandelion got high and started making aggressive advances toward Meenda.Sensing danger, she and her friends escaped, stealing a supply boat docked nearby.
One of her friends' boyfriends—a flamboyant young man—knew how to operate a boat engine but had no idea how to navigate.They drifted blindly in the dark ocean, going in circles, until the fuel ran out.For nearly two full days, they floated helplessly across open water, completely unaware that a zombie outbreak had already engulfed the mainland.When they finally washed ashore during the day, they were lucky to avoid the undead—only to run straight into Amun's thugs.
Meenda was no stranger to the lecherous stares of male fans who asked for autographs and handshake events.Those glances always made her feel stripped bare—but nothing like the pure, predatory malice now burning in the eyes of these gun-wielding men.
Their leering was not just lustful—it was violent.It made her stomach churn with terror, like she was a slab of meat under the eyes of a pack of starving wolves.She struggled not to cry as the men barked crude laughter at her fear.
Meenda knew that one of her friends had found a revolver in the supply boat's storage room—but she never imagined he would actually fire it.
Cupid Palés, a broad-shouldered young Latino, made a split-second decision.As soon as his boyfriend's feet hit the sand, Cupid drew the revolver and fired at Amun's men, sacrificing himself to buy his friends a chance to escape.
Gunfire erupted around them like a hailstorm of death.The three survivors bolted in different directions—Meenda ran straight toward where Gantzuke lay hidden behind the rocks, without thinking, driven only by instinct.
All she remembered was Cupid shouting "RUN!"Then, gunshots.Then, more shouting.
"Take them alive! That one's going to Amun!"The snarled order chased after her like a monster in the night.
Meenda had never been much of a runner.She didn't train.But she had danced—hard—for years.Her legs were strong, and adrenaline fueled her now.
"Help! Help!" she screamed, her voice shrill with desperate hope, when she saw a man lying on the sand ahead."Gah!"The next thing she saw made her almost wet herself—in fact, a little did leak out, though she was too scared to notice.
The man was grappling with a monster.Something half-buried under an overturned boat had latched onto his steel leg like an ex-lover refusing to let go, sinking its rotten fangs deep into his calf like a starving hunting dog.