Part Five
The fifth part begins in a gymnasium where Zero is training alone. Suddenly, Rio enters to train as well and is surprised to find Zero there. Rio feels embarrassed because he has never spoken to Zero before. Rio starts training, and the silence in the hall is deafening...
Suddenly, Zero breaks the silence and asks, "How was the Absolute Mutant mission?"
Rio replies, "It was difficult."
Zero asks him, "So, how do you see the rest of the Nova? Are they good?"
Rio says, "They still haven’t gotten to know me well."
The silence remains heavy between them until Jack enters, laughing. "I didn't expect to see either of you here! It seems you're trying to get to know each other better!" Then he adds seriously: "Anyway, the Director says the mission to rescue the scientists will begin in a week, and everyone must leave tomorrow. We’ve discovered their location; they are in a city crawling with mutants—at least a hundred of them."
Rio and Zero are shocked by the massive number. Rio asks, "Our numbers are few, how will we face that many?"
Jack replies, "I forgot to tell you, ten other Nova leaders will join us in this mission."
Rio is surprised, "How is that possible? I didn't know there were others besides us!"
Jack smiles and says, "We aren't the only city; there are several cities under the Nova name."
Rio is amazed. Then Zero says, "It’s time for my training session with the half-mutants, I must leave."
Rio asks, "Can I go with you? I want to see the training."
Zero replies, "Alright."
Rio follows Zero to a massive training ground where Lizzy and the rest of the half-mutants are waiting. Zero announces that training will begin, and it consists of a combat session. Rio is shocked to see that Zero will fight them all unarmed.
Zack begins the attack, but Zero evades every move and delivers a powerful punch that sends Zack flying. Nia tries to bind Zero with her special ropes, but he dodges everything and knocks her down. Mark tries to attack from behind, but Zero moves with incredible speed and defeats him. Only Lizzy remains; she transforms into her half-form and attacks with great speed. Zero finds it difficult to dodge her strikes, but he manages to land a blow on her face, and she falls.
Zero says, "We will continue training later; take a rest."
Afterward, the other Nova members arrive for training, including Ashel, who was looking for Rio.
Ashel asks Rio, "What are you doing here?"
Rio replies, "I was watching Zero’s training."
Ashel looks at everyone and says, "Since we are all here, how about a group training session?"
Everyone agrees, and a massive group battle begins.
After the training ends, Lizzy and Mark go to speak with Lloyd, who now knows they are in the Nova city. Later, Jack arrives with food, and everyone begins to eat.
Jack says he wants to celebrate the new member, Rio. Rio feels shy and thanks him. Ricks laughs and says, "We’re celebrating the rudest person here!"
Rio asks, "Why do you say that?"
Ricks replies, "Because you speak rudely to me."
Rio says, "I’m not rude! On the contrary, I’m kind. Isn't that right, Lizzy?"
Lizzy says, "Of course... remember when you shot me?"
Rio is shocked and says, "That was in the past, now we are in the present!"
Everyone looks at Rio with disdain, leaving him feeling frustrated.
Suddenly, some soldiers appear and say that Director Susan wants to see them all. They go to her and notice the arrival of the other Nova leaders.
Susan says, "The mission is approaching, and you must be ready. We will head to the Mutant City and split into teams. Each team will consist of three Nova leaders and some soldiers. The scientists are in the city center, but we cannot approach by aircraft because there are four giants surrounding the city."
The meeting ends, and Susan adds, "Jack is no longer ranked as the second strongest Nova."
Jack is shocked: "Then who will be the second?"
She replies, "It’s Kaito."
We learn that Kaito is one of the most important members in the Nova cities; his superpower involves sharp claws that can discharge electricity. Kaito mocks Jack, saying, "It's been a long time."
Jack gets angry and asks why, to which Susan replies, "You are very negligent compared to Kaito."
Everyone departs.
The Mutant City
Far from the Nova city, we see what is happening in the Mutant City. Jeff tells Frank that if he meets Rio, he must transport him to a nearby warehouse.
Days later, the day of the mission begins. The planes and soldiers are prepared. Rio is surprised to find that his team includes a man named Brock, whose weapon is a sniper rifle with homing bullets, and a woman named Mina, whose weapon is a short sword that leaves explosive wounds.
The helicopters take off. Upon arrival, they see the four giants surrounding the city. One giant tries to attack the helicopters, but Zero jumps out and cuts off its hand. The giant retaliates, but Ashel appears and helps Zero kill it.
The other planes successfully enter. Fighting breaks out inside the city as teams scatter to find the scientists.
In one of the helicopters, a box opens and Lizzy and the other half-mutants climb out. We learn that Susan had forbidden them from participating, but they decided to go secretly. Jack is surprised by their presence, but there is no time to argue as thousands of mutants appear from all sides. An epic battle begins.
Rio and his team advance toward the center of the city, but Frank appears and teleports them to different locations. Rio finds himself in an old warehouse with four mutants and Jeff sitting on a chair.
Jeff says, "I haven't seen you in a while."
Back to Zero and Ashel, who have succeeded in killing the giants. Zero says, "I have a bad feeling, as if there is someone I shouldn't see."
Ashel replies, "Don't worry about it; we need to provide support for the rest."
Meanwhile, Mina and a group of soldiers are fighting a high-tier mutant who controls fire. He burns all the soldiers, but Mina survives, furious. She tells him, "I will cut you into pieces."
The mutant smiles mockingly, "Go back to the kitchen and chop some carrots."
Enraged, Mina engages him in combat. The mutant burns Mina’s face, but she suddenly triggers the explosions in his wounds, destroying part of his body. He tries to blow himself up in anger, but she escapes at the last second.
We move to Kaito, who is sitting atop a mountain of mutant corpses with Jack and Ricks. Kaito says, "We didn't find the scientists here."
Jack replies, "Because you're an idiot."
Kaito sneers, "I understand you're very jealous of me."
Jack snaps, "I am not jealous of you!"
Suddenly, a powerful mutant appears, and Kaito feels a sense of dread. Ricks tries to attack, but the mutant blocks the blow with a sword made of blood. He attacks Jack, then stands behind him and asks, "Who is the strongest among you?"
Kaito says, "I am the strongest."
The mutant attacks; his name is Cron, and he has the power to control blood. The three try to defeat him but to no avail. Kaito activates his full power and knocks Cron into a building, but Cron strikes back with a giant blood sword, inflicting a deep wound on Kaito. Jack and Ricks are also injured.
Cron says mockingly, "You are weak and pathetic."
He raises his sword to kill Kaito, but Zero appears and blocks the attack. Cron looks at Zero, smiling: "I haven't seen you in a long time, Rakan."
Zero is shocked that this mutant knows his real name. Cron asks, "Don't you recognize your big brother?"
Zero is stunned.
Zero’s Past
His real name is Rakan, from a noble family known for being expert swordsmen. Zero was the youngest and weakest, and they all hated him. However, he trained until he surpassed his older brother, Cron. Everyone began to love him, and he started participating in fencing tournaments instead of his brother. This made Cron hate him. Later, Cron was infected by the virus, transformed, and killed the entire family. Zero escaped, joined Nova, and became a leader.
The Present
Cron says to Zero, "It’s time for revenge!"
Zero replies, "Let’s turn a new leaf."
Cron gets angry and attacks, saying, "Less talk, more fighting!" A destructive battle begins that shakes the city. Eventually, Zero releases his full power and cuts Cron in half. Before dying, Cron sees the necklace around Zero’s neck and remembers he gave it to him as a birthday gift.
Cron asks, "Why do you still keep it?"
Zero says, "Because it’s from you. I saw you as my idol."
Tears fill Cron’s eyes as he says, "I’m sorry for everything." Then he dies.
Zero feels profound sadness but continues his search for the scientists.
Meanwhile, Rio was fighting mutants around Jeff. Jeff says, "I feel like you aren't the Rio I used to know."
Rio asks, "What are you talking about?"
Jeff says, "If you were the old Rio, you would have defeated them easily."
Rio reflects and realizes he has changed a lot. He was hiding behind the Plague Doctor mask to distance himself from people so he wouldn't get attached and watch them die. But inside, he wants to know the people around him better. He takes off the mask and smiles: "Maybe you're right."
He then kills all the mutants and tells Jeff, "Stop sitting there like a child and come fight me." Jeff smiles.
The two begin to fight—a destructive battle that ends with them exhausted and laughing. Jeff says, "That was fun."
Rio says, "I knew you weren't with the mutants."
Jeff says, "I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly."
Rio replies, "I’m not an idiot like you."
They decide to go help the others.
Elsewhere, Lizzy and the half-mutants are fighting. Lizzy says, "We will show everyone that we are useful!" But a mutant with rope-like hands appears. Lizzy tries to fully transform, but she loses control and cuts the mutant in half with one blow. Then she starts attacking her friends. Zack tries to stop her, and Nia binds her with ropes until she calms down and returns to normal. Mark says, "Don't ever fully transform again."
Some soldiers find the scientists and move them to helicopters, but suddenly a massive train with hands and eyes appears. We learn this is the power of Eliot, a physical-tier mutant who can graft flesh into objects and bring them to life. Eliot moves the train to block the exit from the city. He says to Frank, "I will begin the plan."
The ground shakes, and the city turns into a giant mouth attempting to swallow everyone! But Ashel hears a sound from the sewers; he descends and finds the "heart" of the city guarded by two mutants. He kills them and attacks the heart despite spikes piercing his body. He destroys it, and everything returns to normal. However, Ashel dies from blood loss.
The news reaches the city, and everyone is struck with grief, especially Rio.
As for Eliot, he decides to flee after obtaining a red substance capable of turning anyone into a mutant. He tries to call Frank, but there is no answer. Suddenly, Zero appears and says, "Your assistant is currently unavailable."
Then Jack and the rest of the Nova appear and surround him. Zero says, "So, you are the mastermind behind all of this!"
Eliot replies mockingly, "In the flesh!"
Eliot says to Jeff, "So, you are a traitor."
Jeff replies, "Yes."
Eliot smiles: "It’s a good thing I made a plan in case this happened."
Suddenly, in a shocking scene, a gunshot pierces Rio’s head. He falls down dead.
Everyone is traumatized, and a new wave of mutants begins to attack. Zero orders everyone to retreat, and they narrowly escape to the Nova city, burdened with sorrow.
In the ruined city, Eliot stands over Rio’s body and muses, "Can mutation bring people back to life?" He pours some of the red liquid into Rio’s mouth, but nothing happens. He turns to walk away, but freezes in his tracks when he sees the heads of the mutants nearby have been severed.
Then, he sees a hand emerging from Rio’s mouth...
And Rio was smiling a terrifying smile.
End of Part Five.
Thank you for reading.