The rolling eyeball stopped. Both parties bolstered and madly dash towards each other.

Maximo pointed his horns towards the incoming zombie. Maximo planned to ram his sharp horn towards the zombie yet again.

The ten-meter distance got reduced into one meter instantly.

Nile readied himself for the incoming impact. He knows what Maximo will do, and he will not make the same mistake twice.

Nile made a pose with his right hand holding the Katana. He raised the Katana on the shoulder level and pulled his arm backward.

As Nile prepared himself to thrust the Katana forward, he waited for the moment when the collision between Maximo and the Straw-Hat zombie occurred.

Unfortunately, what he anticipated never happened.

As when Maximo and the Straw-Hat zombie are about to collide, the straw-hat zombie suddenly steps aside, avoiding Maximo's sharp horns.

The zombie used the scythe to stab Maximo right under its right ear. Fortunately, Maximo's skin is quite tough as it mutated into a metalized one. It also helped that the scythe is not sharp enough and is already rusting. The rusted scythe that the zombie used got a crack in the middle.

Metal colliding metal.

The rusted scythe versus the Mutated skin of Maximo. There is no further explanation needed, as we already knew what would happen.

Nile instantly saw the opportunity and thrust his Katana towards the zombie. He targeted the zombie's head.

The head is where the Apocalypse Virus resided. The Apocalypse Virus is the one controlling the zombie's body. The moment the Apocalypse Virus dies, this battle will be over immediately.

The Apocalypse Virus knew which part of the body it should protect most. As soon as it realizes the impending danger that the Katana and its wielder possesses, it does not hesitate to use the scythe to deflect the Katana from below.

The Katana of Liberation is one of the top ten lists of the most expensive weapons at the Level One° store in the System. It has a superior metal quality. It was sharp and had the ability to make the killed zombie feel liberated.

The zombie using the scythe to deflect the sharp Katana is wishful thinking. The scythe was already rusted. The metal used to forge the scythe is even an inferior one. The scythe even cracked and could not pierce Maximo's skin. How much more would it fare with the Katana of Liberation?

The moment it makes contact with the sharp blade of the Katana, it gets sliced like butter getting cut by a hot knife.

Unfortunately for Nile, the zombie's strength is on another level. Even though the scythe got sliced in half, it still served its purpose in deflecting the Katana upward a little changing its angle. It was possible because of the zombie's raw strength.

The little tilt upward is all the Straw-Hat zombie needs to duck and dodge the incoming lethal strike.

Maximo changed its direction and it was now facing the Straw-Hat zombie again. As usual, it rammed its head towards the zombie.

As the zombie had just only ducked earlier, Maximo's attack connected, and the straw-hat zombie got hit in the head.

Unfortunately, it did not get pierced by Maximo's horn as it was only hit with Maximo's forehead.

The straw-hat zombie retreated because of the impact.

Nile realizes that riding on Maximo while fighting was harder than he thought as he was restricted because of his position.

When the straw-hat zombie's figure retreated, Nile jumped off of Maximo's back willingly and followed the zombie as he thrust his Katana forward.

The zombie dodges sideways and using its spare hand; it delivers a punch on Nile's ribs.

It connected, and the impact made Nile grunt. Nile's body raises in the air a little because of that punch. Even with the protection of the clothes, being hit by that punch still pained Nile.

Nile twisted his Katana and swiped it diagonally. The zombie's straw-hat and scalp got cut as the zombie got late on dodging the strike.

Nile is elated and instantly twists his Katana again. This time, the sharp edge of the blade is facing upwards. He gathered his strength and made a swiping upward motion.

Sensing the danger, the zombie leaned backward before it retreated a few steps back as it stared at Nile and Maximo. A dark-red line appeared on the zombie's chin until the eyebrow. Fortunately for the zombie, it sensed the danger and was able to avoid its head getting sliced in half.

The straw-hat fell off from the zombie's head, a portion of the zombie's scalp got cut earlier. The zombie's brain is visible on that part.

Maximo came to Nile's side. It was 'mooing', and it was letting out hot air on its nose. It was ready to make a charge again. Nile patted Maximo's shoulder, encouraging it.

Nile did not know why, but it seems that Maximo gets agitated easily if there is a zombie around it. Maybe it has grudges or maybe the zombies are just the animal's natural enemy?

As Nile and Maximo eyed the straw-hat zombie, the zombie is also doing the same thing.

The Apocalypse Virus inside the zombie's head is confused at this moment. It was clearly superior in strength. But why does it appear to lose with that fight earlier?

The zombie tilted its head sideways. It was observing the human and the carabao on its front. It stared at the human's eyes. Based on the retained memories, those eyes are what they called as lazy and uninterested.

But deep down, also because of the retained memory, the Apocalypse Virus seems to have sensed a trace of danger on that eye.

Confused by what it felt, the zombie let out a deafening roar. Its head is covered with dark-red blood all over, because of the wound on its face and the missing scalp.

Disinclined, the zombie madly rushes at the duo again.

Maximo did the same the moment it saw the zombie's movement.

Nile made a taunting gesture using his free hand. "Come!"

Nile observed the zombie from the start and he noticed a subtle change in the zombie's expression earlier. Nile did not know what it was, but it was definitely there.

Nile followed on Maximo's back.

The zombie did not dodge Maximo's attack this time. It grabbed Maximo's horn and forcefully stopped Maximo's inertia.

When Maximo's body could no longer move, it let go on one of the horns and made a punch on Maximo's neck.

Maximo grunted because of that. The zombie's punch really packed a lot. Unlike Nile, who had the protection of the clothes as well as his superior constitution, Maximo only has its tough skin to depend on.

With the zombie's superior strength, Maximo clearly felt the damage it generated. It even made Maximo almost faint.

Just like what had happened before when it was fighting the zombie on the sugar-cane plantation. Maximo only uses one attack, and if ever it got tied with that attack, it left weak spots open all over.

Before the zombie could deliver another blow towards Maximo, Nile arrived at the zombie's side. Using his Katana, Nile made a slash that came from above.

The zombie sensed the danger again, but unfortunately, Nile is quite close.

In instinct, the straw-hat zombie uses its arm as a way to stop the Katana of Liberation descent.