I woke up well before sunrise. Barely three hours had passed since I'd fallen asleep, nestled between the warm, powerful flanks of my beasts. Yet I felt strangely refreshed, revitalized — as if my body had drawn energy from the earth itself during my rest.
Around me, the gray light of dawn timidly crept over the horizon, revealing the scorched ruins of the hospital and the lingering dust in the air. A sharp stench of burnt flesh and molten metal still hung — a bitter reminder of last night's chaos.
I rose slowly, gently moving the paw of one of the lionesses resting against my chest. Leo, the largest of the males, sat nearby, his fangs still stained with dried blood, eyes half-closed but always alert. The two other lions had crimson muzzles and scraps of flesh stuck between their teeth. More corpses than before — Ganados, or what was left of them. My beasts hadn't slept. They had stood watch all night.
I laid a hand on my favorite lioness's head, gently stroking between her ears as she purred with a low, rumbling growl."Good girl… you kept the den safe."I caressed her fur affectionately before turning to the others."And you guys…" I said with a half-smile. "I told you to stand guard, not host a buffet. But I guess you earned your breakfast."
Leo let out a guttural growl, almost amused, and rubbed his massive head against my leg like an oversized, satisfied cat. I returned the gesture with a firm hug, wrapping an arm around his neck and patting his flank. The other two got their share of vigorous, respectful pats.
"Excellent work, champions. You've earned your rest," I said, dismissing them back into the Factory. Moments later, only silence remained — strange, heavy, almost threatening. Too calm for an island that had just seen war.
Squinting, I looked up at the pale morning sky. A sea breeze had risen, cool and light. I summoned an Aquila, one of my giant winged raptors, which materialized with a beat of dark feathers, its talons sinking slightly into the still-warm ground.
"Come on, buddy. Time to finish this sect."
I leapt onto the Aquila's back. Its claws dug into the damp rock as it spread its black wings with a deep, steady rustle. It climbed with a powerful gust, lifting me above the war-torn landscape I had carved with my bio-weapons.
The day began to break, coloring the sea in shades of orange and the mountains in golden hues. From the sky, I could see the remnants of chaos. The bodies of my giant worms lay gutted, twisted, charred at the entrance of what looked like a metallurgical plant, dark and still smoking. A dozen Eliminator corpses were scattered nearby, riddled with bullets or slashed open. Their sacrifices had carved a bloody path to this facility.
I directed the Aquila to descend. It landed with a controlled beat of its wings, thirty meters from the gaping entrance. I gently patted its scaly neck."Rest now. You've earned it."It vanished into a black mist, returning to the Factory.
Then, I summoned four leeches and let them merge in pairs. Their gooey flesh twisted in spirals, fusing into two dark, solid, living daggers, pulsing with primal energy. Though small, these blades were far more efficient than a giant, mindless beast — their hardening ability surpassed even that of my vines.
I entered the factory quickly. The atmosphere was dense. The floor vibrated faintly beneath my steps, as if something massive moved deep below. The walls were lined with rusted pipes, torn cables, and deep claw marks. Everything was quiet… too quiet.
Suddenly, something grabbed my throat violently, knocking the breath from my lungs. I was slammed against the wall, but I saw nothing. Just a shimmer in the air, a barely perceptible blur.Optical camouflage...
I reacted instinctively. I raised both daggers and stabbed upward. A shrill, inhuman scream echoed as a Novistador materialized in front of me, its multiple eyes widening in shock. Its segmented, chitinous insect body trembled as black blood dripped from its mandibles."You're ugly, and unlucky on top of that."
I disarmed it with my tendrils, binding it mid-fall before transferring it to the Factory for analysis. Another new species for my bestiary—and I wasn't stopping there.
As I moved through the corridors, more Novistadors emerged, nearly impossible to detect. Even when ready, I could only sense them at the last second, just as their claws sliced the air. But it made no difference—on contact, I captured them instantly. Their camouflage was useless against my biological systems.
I descended a flight of corroded metal stairs, skirted several charred generators, and finally reached an underground chapel, dimly lit by flickering red light.The place was a fusion of fanatical religion and twisted technology: cables snaked from the walls to power molten metal chandeliers, and an enormous icon of Saddler loomed over a bloodstained altar.
In front of me stood three figures: two in crimson robes, motionless like statues, and a third, frailer one in violet robes, pale skin, and eyes drowning in arrogance.
I froze."You Saddler?" I asked sharply, anger vibrating in my voice.
The man raised his head slightly, a thin, icy smile on his lips."I must admit, you've exceeded my expectations, Mr. King. I knew you were… special. But I never imagined you'd become such a scourge. You've decimated my troops, wrecked my installations, captured my creatures..." He spread his arms theatrically. "…and yet, here you are, alone, armed with nothing but your arrogance."
"That's all I need. I'm here to take back my daughter."
At those words, Saddler's smirk widened. He slowly stepped aside, revealing Lisa standing behind him. Still. Limp arms. Lifeless eyes. Her posture chilled me to the bone."Sweetheart... Daddy's here!!" I cried, throat tight, dropping my daggers. A surge of emotion tore through me—hope, rage, fear. It was her. Standing tall, eyes distant... But something was wrong.
I ran forward, boots echoing through the chapel laced with Illuminados symbols, while Saddler and his two red-robed acolytes calmly stepped aside as if offering me the path.But my instincts screamed. Something was off. Lisa slowly raised her eyes to meet mine.
They were red. Bright red. Alive.
Before I could react, she grabbed me violently. Her grip crushed the air from my lungs. I felt my ribs strain under the force. She was stronger. Far stronger. And worse… I couldn't transfer her to the Factory. My system rejected her. She had become something else—a unique Ganados variant, beyond my control.
Saddler, still in his melodramatic pose, clasped his hands together with serene satisfaction."You may have won some battles, Mr. King. But this battlefield… this is my domain. And you've walked right into my web."
A metallic groan echoed through the structure.
Wall panels slid open on both sides, revealing dozens of Ganados, heavily armed, all aiming their rifles and automatics at me. Their eyes shone with the same sick red glow as Lisa's. They awaited the order.
Saddler sneered, basking in his supposed victory."It's unfortunate I have so few men left on this island because of you... But fortunately, once I bring you into Los Illuminados, I'll gain access to your generous funds… and your precious technologies."His voice dripped with arrogance, as if the outcome was already sealed.
"Don't count on it, bastard!" I spat, holding Lisa tight, tears of pain and fury welling in my eyes. I looked at her one last time, heart breaking."I'm sorry, baby girl..."
I tightened our embrace with my dorsal tendrils, which wrapped around us like an organic cocoon.Then I unleashed chaos.
Hundreds of tiny birds burst from my back, scattering like a living explosion. They filled the chamber with deafening noise, diving at eyes, faces, and gun barrels, throwing the enemy's aim into disarray.
At the same time, I released five Gunters—my hybrid monsters with inhuman speed. They tore into the enemy ranks like rabid wolves. Screams and gunfire filled the air.
In the confusion, a G-Tyrant—my monstrous clone of Tintin—appeared at my signal. It charged toward me, scooping Lisa and me up in one mighty motion. Lisa thrashed, her frenzied gaze flickering with flashes of lucidity—as if her true self was fighting the control within.
"KKKIIIINNNNNGGGGG! COME BACK HERE!" Saddler bellowed, his voice deepening with rage.
"Hold on!" I shouted, arms wrapped tightly around her trembling torso as the Tyrant sprinted with us toward the exit.
Once outside, the Tyrant hurled me into the air, and an Aquila burst through the clouds to catch us mid-flight. Its talons gripped us effortlessly, lifting us above the chaos and screams, the sea soon appearing on the horizon.
At a safe distance, I released Lisa into the air. She plummeted like a stone, and I deployed twenty Aquamoths—giant fish—to intercept her. Their mission was simple: prevent her from drowning or reaching any shore while I dealt with Saddler.
"Stay safe, my daughter... Daddy's going to take out the trash."
I turned the Aquila around and skimmed back toward the island. Upon arrival, dawn bathed the ruins in golden light—and hell awaited me at the factory entrance.
A colossal creature, over fifty meters tall, was ravaging the metal structures. Its body resembled a mutant spider, each muscular leg capable of crushing an armored vehicle. Mandibles opened and closed beneath a barely human head. Around its swollen thorax, a torn mauve robe still hung, a grotesque remnant of its former identity.
"Saddler..."
His voice was now a primal rumble.
His chitinous legs, bristling with spikes, tore through walls like wet paper. He trampled his own soldiers' corpses, demolishing metal buildings in a blind frenzy, like an enraged god razing his own temple. The Tyrant I'd left as backup attempted a frontal attack, but Saddler impaled it with a single leg, lifting the massive creature off the ground before hurling it against a silo, which collapsed under the impact.
I dismounted the Aquila, the air thick with ash and tension. My anger vibrated within me. Each step I took toward the beast resonated as a promise of death.
"You want to play, Saddler? Fine... I'll show you just how special I am."
I released my two Nemeses, fully regenerated from their battle with Salazar. Massive and unflinching, they charged without hesitation, initiating a clash of titans. The ground trembled beneath their assaults. Saddler defended himself with supernatural agility, partially dodging the initial blows, but his mandibles only inflicted superficial wounds on my monsters' dense flesh. The giant arachnid's legs were broken one by one, snapping like branches under the brutal pressure of tyrannical fists.
I watched the scene, arms crossed, calm, almost detached. Victory seemed inevitable.
But a noise pulled me from my concentration: heavy, irregular footsteps approached. The previously defeated Tyrant was walking toward me again, battered but functional, holding a young woman by the hair. She struggled furiously, legs flailing in the air.
"¡Déjame ir, estúpido monstruo!" she screamed in Spanish, eyes blazing with rage and fear.
"Put her down... but hold her firmly," I ordered, turning toward her, assessing her with a cold gaze.
She stared back immediately, features tense. She was barely twenty, maybe nineteen, fair-skinned, with tousled brown hair and intense, almost luminous green eyes. Her face, even distorted by panic, betrayed a certain delicacy. She wore light military attire, likely stolen or adapted, stained with dried blood and dust.
"Bastard! Why did you kill my men?! They were just selling weapons to take down Saddler!" she hissed in perfect English, her slight Hispanic accent revealing her origin.
I raised an eyebrow, indifferent to her anger. "To me, you and him… you're the same species." I took a step to the side, pointing at Saddler behind her—being methodically dismantled by my Nemeses, his bestial screams drowned in the roar of destruction.
"So unless you want the same thing to happen to you…" I paused, locking eyes with her. "…you'd better surrender."
Her eyes widened in horror. In seconds, the defiance on her face melted into pure terror. She watched Saddler's flesh being torn apart, his legs lying on the ground like severed trunks, and one of my monsters slamming him against a container like a worthless insect.
She trembled.
Then she broke.
"I surrender! Please!" she cried out through tears. "I'm just the daughter of one of the researchers working on the Plagas! He's the one who… who injected me with a weakened clone of a Queen… to hide me…"
Her legs gave out, and the Tyrant gently held her up, as if it understood. Her voice was broken, pleading, desperate.
I stared at her for a long moment, torn between fury, protective instinct, and growing unease. She wasn't a threat. She was a victim. A survivor.
I sighed, slowly lowering my hand.
And for the first time in a long while… I almost felt like the villain.
My eyes settled on the girl, still suspended in the Tyrant's grip. She'd stopped struggling, her shoulders shaking with violent sobs. A kid ripped from her life, turned into a lab rat.
I raised my hand gently.
"Easy… I'll send you somewhere safe. We'll talk after."
She nodded weakly, unable to speak. The Tyrant released her carefully, and with a simple gesture, I transferred her to the factory. She didn't resist. Her surrender was genuine.
I stepped toward the still-smoking arena where my Nemeses now stood idle, arms hanging, facing Saddler's mutilated body. He lay on the ground, half his thorax crushed, a chitinous leg severed nearby. Black ichor oozed from his mouth, and his eyes—clouded with pain—still tried to understand.
"How… is this… possible…" he rasped, his breath fractured.
I leaned in without a word and grabbed a patch of skin on his deformed head. He weighed nothing compared to my anger. I didn't answer him. He didn't deserve words.
I transferred him to the factory. That would be a problem for later.
For now… someone else needed saving.
I soared over the sea for a few minutes on the back of an Aquila. The morning wind whipped my skin, the sun now fully risen. And there, above the waves, my school of Aquamoths floated, their fins gently rippling.
Lisa was on the one in the center of their formation.
Soaked, shivering, her hair plastered to her face, arms wrapped around her knees. She cried silently, her head buried between her arms. But as I approached, her tear-streaked eyes looked up. A second of stunned disbelief. And then…
"Dad?..."
Her voice was broken, hoarse with emotion and exhaustion. I made the eagle descend, then leapt down, landing on my knees on the aquatic beast's back, and grabbed her without hesitation, nearly crushing her in my arms.
"It's over, sweetheart… It's over. Daddy's here. I'm here."
I felt her tense at first… then melt into my embrace. Her arms clung around my neck, her nails digging into my skin like she feared I'd vanish again. Her sobs intensified—uncontrollable—and I didn't stop her.
I rested my forehead against hers, closing my eyes for a moment."We'll go home… just the two of us. I'm going to heal you, I promise."She nodded against my shoulder, unable to speak, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
I stayed like that for a long time, gently rocking her, until her sobs softened and a calmer breathing replaced the cries.
Finally, I sat upright, still holding her close, and signaled the Aquamoth to turn back.The island drew nearer — ravaged, smoldering — but in that moment, my entire world had narrowed down to her.
Lisa.And nothing else mattered.
(Author's note: And that's it for the conclusion of RE4 — at least for the combat portion. Personally, I find Saddler rather weak, or at least less impressive than Salazar, which is why I upgraded Salazar. Feel free to check out my YouTube channel "Geomichi506" — I've uploaded a few tracks related to this fanfic.)