Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Before starting our event, several measures were placed just in case something happened like my team guarding our gear in our vehicles, doubling despite the attendance because of Morales' team addition, stationing medical staff throughout different places in case of emergencies, garrisoning soldiers a few blocks away for an early warning system, prohibiting the use of booze during the event, monitoring our surveillance cameras, flying the drones around constantly, and etc.

In short, we could run wild without worrying too much because of the measures we put in place.

As soon as the next challenger came up, there was a hint of nervousness in his expression and it seemed that his hands were a little clammy. Despite that, he introduced himself to me, giving me a short handshake and a small bow.

"Nice to meet you, sir, I'm Romeo Vargas."

"Sky Ishiyama."

"Ah- no need to, I'm a… I'm a fan..."

'Oh no...'

"FIGHT~!!!"

I thought he was just a masochist wanting to get hit but he actually put up a brave fight. He took the initiative by rushing ahead yet putting up a solid guard and the fight took longer than expected. The first two fights didn't even last a minute but we were already in the two-minute mark.

'Are they stalling just to make me tired? Hmm...'

I already had an inkling but I gave him an unpassable opening.

I just lowered my left fist guarding my face as I rushed in and he took it by letting out a right hook. His fist was balled-up tight and he took a step forward to apply more power to his counter. It came at the right angle as it sliced the air but I spun counterclockwise, delivering a devastating elbow to his temple.

I felt the impact and the resistance of his head as it blew to the side, and I was about to mount him and rain down punches if I didn't notice that his eyes had already rolled over. Our medical staff immediately tended to him and it was decided that it would be better if he took the night off.

His counter would've been perfect if I wasn't faster than him.

Everyone was still enjoying the fights as the cheers and trash-talking never ceased but when I got to my 9th bout, I was already itching for a much better fighter. If they were really aiming to tire me out and hope to win everything by not going at it head-on, I would resort to more drastic measures.

The freebies were fine but they wouldn't measure up to the rewards compared to the finale.

'Let's try and lure out the elites by making the regular ones forfeit...'

The 10th soldier who went up in the ring seemed to be exuding the same aura as Brian but he was a little older and he seemed to be looking down on the ones that came before me. He had this mischievous look and silly grin he was carrying but noticing the scars on his face and knuckles told me that he was in more streetfights compared to the actual battlefield.

'Probably a guy that went to the military seeking for benefits...'

"Jerry… Ocampo." he introduced himself.

"Wear gloves." I reminded him, pointing at the box of gym equipment we prepared for them.

"That's for pussies."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Real men don't wear it on the battlefield."

"Ah~ Let me change then." I walked to the box to remove my gloves but to his surprise, I wore even thicker gloves not for MMA but for boxing instead.

"You're gonna die." Bing chuckled at Jerry before starting the fight.

"What?"

"FIGHT~!!!"

As soon as Bing gave the signal, I was the one who dashed forward to deliver a quick jab to test his reaction time. He quickly tilted his head before jumping back but as soon as he got his bearings, he dashed forward and swung overhead with his righ hand. I just stepped to the right to avoid it and I delivered a left hook to his abdomen.

I felt some resistance but he quickly turned to throw a jab towards my face but his fingers suddenly extended, aiming to gouge my eye out.

That was when I jumped forward while I tucked my head low as I slammed against his chin. Our bodies were so close to each other but I pivoted first with my large toes as I turned my waist to deliver a body blow to his sides. He instantly felt it but I threw another one at the same spot, making his body buckle.

As soon as his face drooped down, I delivered an uppercut right in his face before I sent a left hook right when his head blew back. He tried to throw a hail mary punch but I met it with my right fist as well at full power. I could swear I heard a crunch because Bing grimaced from hearing it and I was sure that I broke his knuckles.

A piercing shriek came after that and I saw his ring finger and index finger bent on the opposite side.

"FUCK!!!" Jerry screamed curses but he immediately snapped them back while I was waiting on what he would do next.

His expression was different now and he actually dashed first. He was so pissed that he didn't even notice that his nose was bleeding and he was missing a tooth. His fists were balled so tight it seemed like he couldn't wait to sink one right in my smug face.

'That's what I'm talking about!'

He started throwing punches one after the other in a fit of rage but to give props, I met each of them like he was punching a mirror and he bore through the pain. He was gritting his teeth so hard as blood was coming out of his nose and as soon as his rush was over, his knuckles were swollen and it looked much worse compared to earlier.

"I told you to wear gloves..." I snarkily commented.

"I… I give up..." Jerry just looked at his hands before putting them down.

"Have them looked at." I mentioned before he jumped down the ring.

Cheers and applause erupted as I walked back to change my gloves back. Blood was present on the gloves I just used to fight Jerry but I set them to the side, facing the next soldier that wanted to take a shot at me. I thought he would forfeit immediately but he just wore the same open-fingered gloves and walked up to the ring.

'Do I need to be more… convincing? Hmmm… Well, they're soldiers… they don't scare easily...'

I started to seemingly take them down violently with a lack of finesse compared to the earlier rounds and the crowd, especially the president loved it. It was because normal fights on TV before this zombie shit happened, were just more focused on technique and scoring points compared to an actual brawl.

The quick fights went on for a while and instead of just beating them up senseless, I actually gave them a short review after each fight. I spotted a few unpolished gems in the rough and I would start hovering above their heads like a demon because I have a few plans of taking them away from Morales' grasp.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"IN THE BLUE CORNER~~~!!!"

"FUCK HIM!!!"

"GO FOR HIS GUT!!!"

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"THE WINNER FOR HIS 19TH CONSECUTIVE FIGHT~~~~"

The bouts continued on and I was still waiting for them to come up. However, something different happened.

After my 25th fight, a substitution happened. The president called me over and then the crowd went wild as soon as she stepped on the ring. She had an amazing physique which was also surprisingly flexible and she had blond hair that was starting to grow longer, compared to the first time I met her.

"Rest a bit, my soldiers are a little wary of you. They're just afraid to get called out when they forfeit." Rod said to me, smoking a cigar.

"And you sent her?" I replied, feigning worry.

"Psh! Oscar already told me she's could go toe to toe with you. Besides, Morales and Artem are ready to fuck each other up. Let's just spice up the ring before they come out. I wanted to send the big guy- Mikhail was it but they might get scared even more."

"Oh? They are? It's fine then."

Tatiana went up to the ring and beat the shit out of several guys that I was supposed to beat the shit out of. She was more brutal compared to the way I fought Morales' soldiers and the ones that were on our side received even more beatings. However, the fucking idiots actually enjoyed getting hit and step on by Tatiana as some of them were blissfully getting hit on purpose.

She did the same amount of rounds as me and no one managed to touch her.

It was then that the time for the final fight and the whole place was waiting in anticipation.