Chapter 109: A Farewell Between Life and Death

Whenever a disaster strikes a region, government agencies dispatch a series of personnel to the area for rescue operations. In the United States, in particular, there are departments specifically established to handle such emergencies.

At this moment, in the makeshift tents on the outskirts of Raccoon City, it looked as if these departments were conducting their business. Yet, shockingly and lamentably, the equipment and personnel stationed there belonged entirely to the Umbrella Corporation. Although these capitalists wielded vast amounts of wealth, power, and resources, it was rare to see them step out from the shadows and reveal such blatant control.

Inside one of the tents, the Umbrella executives who had been monitoring the Nemesis operation stared at each other in utter bewilderment.

"Did I see that wrong?" Major asked, frowning at the person next to him.

The computer operator replied blankly, "Uh, it must be that Nemesis wasn't paying attention. That has to be it!"

"Exactly," a special forces operative nearby insisted with conviction. "Even a specially trained soldier couldn't possibly restrain Nemesis through sheer force alone!"

"Instruct Nemesis not to worry about the civilian; his target is Alice!" Major said in a low, stern voice.

"Understood!"

Inside Raccoon City, beneath an overpass, Alice rushed forward at high speed, shouting, "Get out of here, Jack! I'll deal with him!"

"No, you run, Alice! I'll hold him off—don't worry about me!" Jack’s face was filled with terror and panic, yet his words remained resolute. His arms were locked tightly around Nemesis, his face flushed red as if he were exerting every ounce of his strength.

"You idiot!" Alice felt deeply moved. In such a situation, she was even less likely to abandon Jack and flee.

A moment later, Alice charged in, launching a side kick that sent Nemesis staggering. At the same time, Jack seemed to lose his strength and collapsed to the ground.

Ignoring Jack, Nemesis turned his gaze toward Alice and pulled the trigger of his Gatling-like weapon without hesitation. The gun rotated and spat out countless bullets, kicking up clouds of dust and smoke. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder.

If it weren't for Jack being a burden, Alice would not have chosen to fight Nemesis, as it was a waste of time and unnecessary. But now, she had no choice. She leaped to evade, found cover behind an abandoned car, and began returning fire with her shotgun while shouting, "Leave this place, Jack! I’m ordering you to leave!"

"Do you remember what I said? I will protect you with my life!" Jack shouted emotionally, his voice tragic and heroic. "I have lost all my family in this world; now you are the only one left. I will not go on living alone!"

Jack's performance was a complete success. Amidst his shouting, he pulled out a handgun and fired wildly at Nemesis.

The bullets struck Nemesis's body; although they caused a few bloody holes, they did nothing to diminish his combat effectiveness. However, as if by sheer blind luck, the weapon in Nemesis's hand was knocked away.

Alice did not notice that the gun in Jack's hand was not one of the ordinary firearms they had scavenged from the gun shop earlier.

"Run, Alice, run!" The next moment, Jack lunged forward again, wrapping his arms tightly around Nemesis.

Alice had intended to grab Jack and leave—her strength was more than enough to carry a person to safety—but now, she had to risk her life against Nemesis once more. Fortunately, Nemesis was now unarmed, allowing Alice to engage him in hand-to-hand combat.

Both of them were bio-weapons. Alice’s physical attributes were well-rounded, with excellent strength and agility. Nemesis had superior raw power, but he lacked agility and appeared somewhat cumbersome.

As Alice and Nemesis clashed, Jack lay slumped to the side, panting and calling out.

Suddenly, Alice made a mistake and was grabbed by the neck by Nemesis, lifted high into the air. Alice struggled in agony, slamming her forehead into him with all her might. She ended up bleeding profusely, while Nemesis merely swayed slightly.

Jack made his move then, firing his gun repeatedly at Nemesis. The immense impact forced Nemesis to loosen his grip, and Alice fell to the ground.

"Go!" Alice’s recovery was remarkable. She did not want to fight Nemesis to the death; she jumped up, intent on grabbing Jack and escaping. But Jack’s speed surprisingly surpassed Alice’s, and he threw himself at Nemesis once again, pinning him down.

...

Back in the tent on the outskirts of Raccoon City, Major darkened his expression and looked at the computer operator. "You just said Nemesis wasn't paying attention, and that’s why he was held by this civilian?"

"Uh..." The operator paused for a moment before hurriedly saying, "Sir, I am sending the command now for Nemesis to kill the civilian!"

"Should have done that sooner! Kill that pest first, then finish the fight with Alice!" Major said coldly.

...

Nemesis hesitated for a split second. Having previously focused entirely on Alice, he now looked down at Jack and raised his thick, elephant-like leg, preparing to kick Jack away. Before the blow could land, Jack threw himself backward more than a meter, collapsing to the ground. Alice, left with no other choice, charged back toward Nemesis.

However, Nemesis ignored Alice this time, instead pursuing Jack.

"He's... he's going to kill me!" Jack cried out in terror, scrambling to his feet in a panic. Suddenly, a look of tragic heroism crossed his face. "Alice, this is your chance! Run! I'll draw him away!"

As he spoke, Jack scrambled away on his hands and knees, stumbling into the distance.

"You idiot!" Alice felt a surge of anger, but she had no choice but to follow Nemesis in pursuit of Jack.

Before long, Jack reached the riverside. Nemesis and Alice, locked in their struggle, arrived shortly after. This time, Alice was the one tightly holding Nemesis, shouting for Jack to leave.

"No, there must be a way!" Jack cried out in a panic, fumbling through his pockets. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he pulled out a hand grenade.

"Don't, you idiot!" Alice screamed when she saw what he was doing.

Taking advantage of Alice’s distraction, Nemesis elbowed her aside and charged toward Jack.

"Alice, remember, keep living! For me, and for humanity!" Jack flashed a brilliant smile. At that moment, he seemed to shine like the sun, making everything around him pale in comparison.

The next moment, he hugged Nemesis tightly, pulled the pin on the grenade, and dove into the river.

"No! No!" Alice scrambled up frantically, rushing forward with every ounce of her strength. But it was too late. In Alice’s eyes, the image of Jack’s smile remained—so radiant, like a child rewarded with a piece of candy.

"Bang!" A flash of fire and smoke erupted, and the shockwave sent Alice crashing to the ground.

As the explosion faded, the river surface returned to silence. Both Jack and Nemesis had vanished.

Alice lay motionless on the riverbank, her face streaked with tears. "No!" She roared at the sky. After a long while, her expression hardened. A look of fierce hatred burned in her eyes as she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Umbrella!"