The voices of two students coming from below distracted Allen for a moment. Still, he turned his attention back to the fires in the distance. He was about to pull out his phone to check the news, but then remembered he had left it in the classroom.
Allen had gotten used to always keeping his belongings in his inventory, so forgetting something like this was nothing unusual.
He went down to the next floor. Before returning to his classroom for his phone, it was better to recover Hayabusa.
These actions seemed strange for the people in his Chat who couldn't communicate with him. But some could understand the reasoning behind it.
At this moment, Allen couldn't teleport or even fly. That's why Hayabusa was so important. The motorcycle was a means of transportation that could be summoned anywhere. It was a priority, and of course, it was also the simplest way to get Daichi Teshima to let him in, which was why Allen had agreed to lend it to him for a while.
....
The conversation between the boy and girl continued, ignoring the fact that Allen was about to reach them.
"Are you sad because your childhood friend rejected you?"
"..."
"Tsk..."
As he reached the second floor, Allen saw a boy with black hair and brown eyes. He wore the school uniform, but underneath had a red t-shirt.
[Takashi Komuro]
The two exchanged glances, but with different reactions. While Takashi looked surprised for a moment and then frowned, Allen stayed silent, a little interested. But despite the tag that appeared above his head, Allen decided to prioritize Hayabusa—not without first giving the girl a look.
She was a cute girl with pink hair tied back in pigtails, amber-colored eyes, glasses, and a shocked expression as she looked at Allen. She wore the Fujimi uniform and had a voluptuous figure, as expected, since all women with tags had been like that until now.
[Saya Takagi]
Allen smiled faintly. "You two should be in class. It's not good to skip if you want to graduate with honors."
After his random comment, Allen started heading down to the first floor.
"Wait!" Saya shouted, pointing her finger at him. "You have no right to say that, you skip half the classes yourself, Allen Walker!"
Allen stopped and turned to look at her. Since he had already gone down several steps, he saw Saya from below, which made her grin and show a fang with a sense of superiority.
For his part, Allen had a view of the white panties beneath her skirt. Of course, he didn't react like a pervert. He kept his serious expression, simply wondering why this girl seemed to have some sort of hostility toward him. It was different from Saeko, who wanted to defeat him. Saya, on the other hand, looked like an elementary school kid whose sandcastle had just been crushed by him.
"What's wrong, Allen Walker? Did I intimidate you so much you can't answer anymore?" Saya, believing she had the advantage, began to act even more smug.
Allen felt like he had run into the most troublesome girl of all. So he did the smartest thing he could: he turned around and kept going down.
"Wh-!"
Saya, who had her arms crossed like some video game villain, was shocked at being completely ignored. Then her face turned red with embarrassment. Somehow, Allen had humiliated her without saying a word.
"Wait!" Saya ignored Takashi and ran after Allen.
Takashi watched Saya's back but said nothing, though his fists were clenched. After taking a breath, he calmed down.
"..."
....
Allen kept walking once he reached the first floor, heading toward the parking lot next to the entrance.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Saya asked irritably.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Allen said without looking at her.
He regretted using those stairs. Just one glance had been enough for him to realize he had run into a tsundere—and not only that, but an arrogant one, the last boss of troublesome girls.
"Hmph!" Saya puffed up her cheeks, but then changed tactics and smiled proudly. "You think you're very smart, but no matter how good your grades are, you're light-years away from a genius like me!"
Allen had a feeling that if he didn't deal with this, Saya wouldn't leave him alone. So he made a decision and turned around.
"Hey, why are you following me?" Allen asked, raising an eyebrow. "Could it be that you like me?"
Saya tripped and almost fell, but ended up crashing against Allen's chest. Her face instantly turned red as she got scared and angry at the same time. She stumbled back and landed on her butt.
"Are you okay?"
Allen extended his hand to help her up, but Saya turned her face away, blushing, and pouted.
"I don't need your help..."
"I see..." Allen turned around and was about to leave, but Saya's hand grabbed his pants.
"What?"
Allen looked back to see Saya still sitting on the floor. Her panties were showing, but her face was hidden.
"Please..." the girl said.
Allen was surprised. It was no small thing—a genius tsundere was the worst possible combination, because she wasn't just moody and rude, she was arrogant too. Or at least, that's how it should have been. But this time, she had used a "please."
Feeling this strange change in her, Allen extended his hand once more. This time Saya took it, and as if being pulled out of the abyss (A/N: maybe that last part was exaggerated), she stood up.
Allen walked with Saya through the parking lot until they reached his motorcycle. Along the way, they talked a little, and Saya understood why Allen seemed different from how she remembered him.
"No way! You have amnesia?!" Saya pointed at Allen dramatically.
"Yeah. And stop pointing at people, it's rude..."
"Sorry." Saya lowered her finger, feeling awkward. "I feel sorry for what you're going through... Since I'm a genius, I can imagine what it's like to wake up one day without even knowing who you are..."
Allen watched the girl holding her own arm.
"Saya, what kind of relationship do we have?"
"Huh?! Relationship?!" Saya blushed bright red. "We don't have any kind of relationship!"
"Oh, really? I thought you were my girlfriend or something. You seem pretty attached to me."
"Hmph, idiot. We're rivals! Since you arrived, you've always had the second-best grade..."
"Then what's the problem?"
Saya realized she had to remember something unpleasant. She didn't want to say it, but when Allen stared directly at her, she gave in.
"The truth is... on the first exams, you beat me... That's why I dedicated myself to surpassing you ever since!"
"Then I don't see the need for you to be so hostile. You already proved you're superior to me."
Allen proceeded to check on Hayabusa. As he had warned Teshima, if the bike had even a single scratch, he'd pay dearly.
Saya clenched her teeth. One of the biggest problems with a tsundere is that they often lie and don't know how to be honest.
Saya had only been defeated once in exams. She was so used to being first that she didn't even bother aiming for a perfect score—just enough to stay number one.
Unfortunately, that came back to bite her.
Everything changed when Allen showed up. It was the first time she had ever been beaten. Saya still remembered coming home that day and showing her grades to her parents. They didn't scold her or anything, but she felt like she had disappointed them.
With a new determination for the next exams, Saya got serious. Not only did she score the highest in the school, but she also ranked first in all of Tokyo.
Saya had been praised as a genius since childhood, always number one, always winning, always recognized. But when she finally found a rival, she realized she actually liked being defeated—because thanks to that, she was able to reach a new level. However, when she went to brag in front of her rival, he didn't even care.
Saya was stunned. For her, Allen had become a rival. For him, she didn't even exist.
That was a harsh blow. Even a genius, beautiful, and rich girl like her couldn't get the slightest bit of attention from someone she had acknowledged as her equal.
That's why every time she saw Allen, she acted like a "bitch." But this time, it was different. When Saya saw Allen's outstretched hand, she felt, for the first time, that he had truly seen her. And she couldn't stop her chest from feeling warm.
Right now, Saya didn't even know what was happening to her. But she couldn't take her eyes off Allen.
'I see... I never hated him...' Saya thought, feeling like she'd been tricked by her own mind.
Allen finished checking Hayabusa and stood up.
'Now how do I get this girl to leave first?'
Allen couldn't put his motorcycle in Storage in front of Saya.
....
*Clank*
"...?"
The clear sound of a blow caught Allen and Saya's attention.
*Clank*
At the entrance, visible from where they stood, a man was banging his head against the gate. It was strange, since he looked like an ordinary salaryman, and it being one o'clock in the afternoon, it seemed strange to think that he was just drunk.
"A drunk? A delinquent? Someone with mental problems?" Despite her attitude, Saya was a little scared. Like most people in Japan, she was used to a peaceful life where the worst dangers were juvenile delinquents or grumpy bosses.
But this didn't apply to Allen. Having lived through countless dangerous situations, he instantly felt something was wrong.
"Saya, go back. I'll go see what's happening…"
"Huh? What are you saying? That's a job for the teachers!" Saya grabbed Allen's hand to stop him, but he just smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry…"
Saya was momentarily dazed as her heart started racing again. Though not entirely convinced, she let Allen go, but not without pressing her lips together and saying,
"I'm going too…"
"…" Allen chuckled under his breath and stopped her.
At the entrance, the banging continued, but as expected, more people noticed. A group of teachers, including Kyoko and Teshima, decided to go confront the suspicious man.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Kyoko scolded.
"Haha, don't worry, Hayashi-sensei, I'll handle this," said Teshima, showing why he was the P.E. teacher.
"Teshima-sensei, violence isn't the answer…" Kyoko said.
"Don't worry," Teshima smiled. He reached the gate, stuck his hand through, grabbed the man by the neck, and slammed him against the bars without losing momentum. "You bastard, what do you think you're doing?!"
"Teshima-sensei!" Kyoko exclaimed. Common sense dictated that in this kind of situation, they should call the police, but Teshima tried to handle it himself.
Meanwhile, inside the man's body, something reacted. A large number of his cells were already dead, but some had been altered by… something. This something spread through his system like a parasite, twisting what was once a human being into something else.
Something that craved only one thing… to eat.
In an instant, the man grabbed Teshima's arm, opened his mouth, and prepared to tear into him, to skin him, to devour him—like an instinct, like an obsession, like a monster.
Teshima saw it all in slow motion. His instincts screamed that this was beyond common sense, that something truly unnatural was happening—but it was too late.
The teeth were an inch away from biting him.
Is this my end?
At that moment, a figure appeared beside him and struck the monster's face, sending it flying.
Teshima fell on his back, gasping. For some reason, he felt he had narrowly escaped certain death. Looking up at his savior, he saw Allen standing there. He wanted to ask something, but then noticed something that gave him chills—this young man was smiling.
"I already know what this world is…"
"Allen-kun?!" Kyoko rushed over, worried and confused. She couldn't understand what she had just seen—the man had tried to bite Teshima.
"Impossible…" Saya, who had run after Allen, was also in shock. Her mind couldn't process what her eyes had witnessed.
The man Allen had sent flying halfway across the street twitched and slowly stood up.
His skin was pale gray, lifeless. His veins were black as if his blood had clotted. His eyes were white, without pupils. His jaw was broken, hanging crookedly to the right from Allen's punch. Yet he showed no pain, no discomfort. Instead, he staggered, and once on his feet, lunged at the gate again.
That was no longer a human!
Everyone present came to the same conclusion. Still, the human mind is curious—when faced with the impossible, it seeks excuses not to accept it as real. Only when there is no other option does acceptance come. And so, even in that situation, everyone stared at the creature… the monster… the zombie.
Everyone except one person: Allen. That bastard had already accepted reality, and his mind was racing to organize his next actions.
That's the difference between mere intelligence and an adaptable mind.
While Saya Takagi's head was full of questions like What's happening? What is that thing? How is this possible? Is it really a zombie? Allen's mind discarded all useless thoughts and focused on the practical.
A zombie apocalypse—and now what?
*...*
"...!" Even without super-hearing, Allen caught the rigid sound of an engine in the distance. Without hesitation, he grabbed Teshima by the collar and threw him back toward the other teachers. Then he scooped up Kyoko and Saya, who were closest, and ran.
"Allen-kun?!"
"What are you doing?!"
At that moment, a bus plowed into the zombie and then crashed into the wall, shattering the entrance.
Allen saw everything in slow motion inside the bus. It was hell—people screaming as they were devoured, the windows smeared with blood amid cries of terror.
When it crashed, the driver was hurled through the windshield and landed not far from Allen and the teachers.
"No!" Kyoko screamed.
The other teachers were so terrified they could barely move.
"We need to call the police…" muttered the history teacher.
"We have to help him!" another teacher said.
"No!" Allen cut him off, clicking his tongue. "We need to get out of here!"
The bus, full of screams, slowly fell silent. Allen knew exactly what was about to happen.
"But…"
Saya still couldn't process the situation, so Allen forced her to look at him.
"Saya, drop all unnecessary thoughts! It doesn't matter! Do you hear me? It doesn't matter the 'what,' the 'why,' or the 'how.' The only thing that matters is what you're going to do!"
Saya felt jolted as if shocked with electricity, and her mind cleared. Seeing this, Allen nodded.
"Zombies. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, that's the reality. Think of it like Dawn of the Dead and act accordingly. If you do, maybe you'll have a chance."
Allen stopped talking and ran back into the school. Saya immediately felt chills and ran after him. Kyoko, who had been frozen in fear, also followed, realizing that if she didn't, she'd die. Teshima, who had been seconds away from death, looked at their backs. He felt the impulse to follow but turned to the two remaining teachers, who were still stunned.
"Moriyama-sensei, Sigita-sensei, we need to go!"
"What are you saying? Can't you see there's been an accident?! We have to help them, or the school board will fire us!"
Teshima watched in shock as one teacher approached the driver lying on the ground. The other rushed to the bus door, trying to open it.
Teshima was in disbelief at their actions, and the outcome was exactly as expected.
The driver lifted his face, a shard of glass sticking out of one eye, and without mercy sank his teeth into the teacher's neck, tearing into him.
At the same time, the bus door gave way. The second teacher smiled—only to be greeted by a mouth that mercilessly tore off part of his face. He fell on his back, and soon, dozens of zombies poured out, devouring him alive.
"AHHHHH!"
"AAAHHHH!"
Both teachers screamed in agony.
Teshima, who had first thought of helping them, stepped back. For a moment, he froze. Then Allen's words rang in his mind—if he didn't adapt to reality, it would be his end. And so, he ran. He did it miserably. Despite his strength, despite being bigger than most, he ran like a frightened child.
But that was fine. Running away is not something to brag about, but there's no shame in surviving—or at least trying to.
…
Allen entered the main building.
"Kyoko, how many entrances does the school have from the outside?"
Kyoko, still in shock, answered automatically, "Four. The main one, a rear entrance, the cafeteria delivery door, and the vehicle gate"
At first, Allen thought about sealing off the school. After all, it was safer to stay here than to run into the streets where millions of people might be panicking, slowly turning into murderous cannibals. But now that the main entrance was broken, even if he wiped out the zombies, he couldn't seal it. And there was still the risk of others coming through the remaining entrances.
"Saya, how many students are here?"
"Huh?" Called by name, Saya was still shaken, but forced herself to focus. She had to. "Around a thousand students."
"Counting absentees and suspensions, 993," Kyoko added behind them.
Allen nodded. His first plan was no longer feasible, especially now. Once the news spread, the students would become a problem—wanting to run home, or worse, mass panic could break out.
"We're leaving Fujimi…"
Allen decided instantly. Saya at first didn't understand, but her being a genius wasn't a lie. Despite her fragile mind and huge ego, she grasped Allen's reasoning. She couldn't help but admire him—while she was still trying to comprehend, Allen had already taken his first action.
"As expected of my rival," Saya muttered.
Kyoko noticed her blushing at Allen and, strangely, this brief interaction helped calm her down.
Allen himself felt calmer now. He was still worried about the problems ahead, but with the situation clear, his mind relaxed. He even took the time to check the system notifications, which had chimed three times since the first zombie appeared.
It's time to start surviving in hell… Allen thought.
====
A/N: Tsunderes can be annoying, but they're also some of the easiest female characters to fall in love with. 🍷🗿
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