Rowan entered the village with determination etched into his face. With everything at stake, failure wasn't an option. He couldn't hold back. Not now. Every trick he knew, every skill he'd honed—it all had to come into play. As he crossed the threshold into the eerie stillness of the settlement, the cawing of crows echoed overhead, mingling with the distant sounds of the Ganados working.
Keeping low, Rowan moved behind a large rock, crouching for cover as he surveyed the area. The village was just as rundown and isolated as in the game—wooden shacks weathered by time, dirt paths winding between livestock pens, and that unmistakable firepit in the center. He caught sight of the villagers dragging the second cop toward it. Moments later, just like in Resident Evil 4, they set him ablaze. The man's agonized screams pierced the air.
Rowan winced. He didn't even know the guy, but that... that wasn't a way anyone deserved to die.
"Sorry, man," he muttered under his breath. "Wish I could've done something."
But there was no time to mourn. He had to act. He began strategizing.
"Silent takedowns first," he thought. "Make my way to the big house near the firepit. It's the best defensive position. Plus, there's a shotgun inside that takes the same shells as Skullcracker... and if the layout's the same, there should be a grenade in the cabinet. Grab those fast and hold out."
"No pressure, right?" Rowan whispered with a smirk. "Can't afford to mess this up. If I'm gonna experience Yukikaze's first time, it's gonna be as the one doing the taking. Not whatever sick sh*t Sora has in mind. And she calls me the pervert—she's way worse."
Suddenly, a system notification popped up before his eyes:
> 'Oh, just for that...'
A Ganado materialized in front of him, as if teleported from thin air.
"¡Un forastero!" the villager shouted.
Rowan's eyes widened. "Oh, sh*t—so much for stealth!"
He lunged forward, delivering a brutal spin-kick to the man's chest that sent him sprawling. Before the Ganado could recover, Rowan stabbed him in the throat, ending it quick. No time to waste.
He sprinted toward the big house, shoving aside anyone in his way. Slamming the door shut behind him, he barricaded the entrance and a nearby window, just as the villagers began to converge.
Upstairs, he grabbed the shotgun off the wall, ejecting the shells into his hand and pocketing them for Skullcracker. He then shattered the glass on the cabinet and yanked out the grenade.
"Thanks for the freebies," he muttered, pulling the pin and tossing it out the far window into the crowd. The explosion rocked the village, sending limbs and tools flying.
A ladder suddenly thudded against the window frame. Rowan rushed over, just in time to shove it back and knock the climbing Ganado to the ground. But instead of dropping the ladder, he hoisted it inside, spinning and jamming it straight into the gut of a Ganado who'd broken in from another window. With a sharp kick, he snapped a rung from the ladder, driving it like a stake through the man's chest.
Downstairs, the front door splintered open. Ganados poured in.
Rowan repositioned at the top of the stairs, holding the ladder like a battering ram. As the lead villager approached, he shoved it forward, sending several of them tumbling back in a heap.
No time to gloat. Rowan sprinted to the opposite window, jumped, and landed in a roll, springing up just as a Ganado charged. He pulled out Skullcracker and fired.
Boom. A headless body hit the dirt.
"¡Detrás de ti, imbécil!" came a shout from behind.
"I know, idiota," Rowan said in flawless Spanish, already turning. He fired over his shoulder, Skullcracker roaring as it blew a hole through his attacker's stomach.
More came. He switched to the Sentinel Nine, and began picking them off with precision. One, two, three headshots dropped them instantly. A fourth got too close—Rowan shot him in the knee, then lunged in and buried his knife into the side of the man's head.
But then… everything changed.
The remaining Ganados suddenly stopped. They formed a wide circle around him, murmuring in unison.
"Morir es vivir… morir es vivir…"
(To die is to live…)
A chill ran down Rowan's spine.
"Well. That's new," he muttered.
Then he heard it: the unmistakable roar of a chainsaw.
The circle parted.
Dr. Salvador stepped into view, towering and ominous, his sack-covered head twitching, chainsaw revving madly. The villagers closed the circle once more behind him.
The message was clear: only one would walk away.
"Fine by me," Rowan said, eyes narrowing. "Let's do this."
The fight began.
Salvador charged, chainsaw raised. Rowan rolled aside as the deadly teeth slashed through the air where he'd just been. Again and again the chainsaw came down, but Rowan was faster, ducking, dodging, moving like a blur.
He saw an opening.
Three shots from the Sentinel Nine slammed into Salvador's thigh. It slowed him, but didn't stagger him. The monster didn't even flinch.
Rowan moved in close, switching to Skullcracker. He fired point-blank, nearly destroying the man's leg. Salvador fell to one knee.
Rowan didn't hesitate.
He pressed the barrel against the bag-covered head and pulled the trigger. Point-blank. Execution-style.
The body slumped forward.
But the villagers kept chanting.
Their circle closed in again, tighter this time.
Rowan, panting, reloaded. "You guys really don't know when to quit, huh—?"
DONG.
The church bell rang.
The villagers froze. Then, like sleepwalkers, they dropped their weapons and turned away, silently shuffling toward the church.
As the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind them, silence returned to the village.
Rowan lowered his weapons and exhaled deeply.
"I never thought I'd say this… but thank Don for bingo."