At Fujimi High School there were still more students trying to survive outside of Allen's group and Teshima's.
"Hurry, let's go to the gym; it should be empty at this time of day!" shouted a long-haired boy, accompanied by six other students, four boys and two girls.
"No, we should get out of here, Genji," said a frightened girl.
"Don't you see it's impossible?"
Once the panic broke out, all the students entered a collective hysteria. No way could end well. The entrance became a nightmarish scene and a massive massacre.
The world became overrun with cannibalistic walkers!
A situation where the world had shattered, where rules, laws, and morals were thrown aside. In the middle of that human stampede, many students didn't die by zombies but by their own classmates—and that was only the beginning. There were betrayals, where lifelong friends used each other as bait to survive, where boyfriends sacrificed their girlfriends to save themselves.
As the Joker once said: in their final moments, people show you who they really are.
The Apocalypse had begun, and everyone was doing whatever they could to survive, unleashing the worst of human nature. But others proved to have a heart that did not fall into madness and depravity like Allen's group.
This group of students was smarter than the rest and didn't follow the crowd. They sought refuge in the gym. Something that undoubtedly saved them from hell—for now.
Once inside the gym, they closed the door and waited while the deafening screams filled the school.
"And we'll just stay here?" asked a scared boy while scrolling through social media, watching Tokyo burn.
"No, no, no, this has to be a joke! It's a dream, it has to be!"
One girl couldn't take it anymore and burst into a panic attack.
"Shut up! Do you want to get us killed?!" A burly boy stepped up to the girl, but Genji stopped him.
"Don't. She's scared."
"You think I'm not?! Just because she's a girl, we're supposed to treat her like some kind of special case?! For God's sake, people are eating people!"
Genji didn't know how to respond to that. The world was collapsing, no doubt about it, but even so, he didn't believe they should act as if nothing mattered anymore. However, that was just his own belief, not something he could force onto others.
"Just let it go this time, please" Genji replied.
"Tsk."
Seeing the fearless look in Genji's eyes, the burly boy stepped back.
"Just this time."
With that, a fight was avoided. Genji turned toward the girl who was having a panic attack and crouched down.
"Don't worry, even if everything seems lost, we'll be fine..."
The girl blushed and nodded. Somehow, she felt better after Genji's words.
This group seemed promising, because they had a young man with leadership qualities capable of keeping order and controlling the most problematic members.
So then... how did it come to this?
....
Genji's POV
"AHHH!"
"NOO!"
Huh?
Why am I on the floor?
Why is everyone looking at me with such horror?
The last thing I remember is that some time had passed and the screams in the school had started to die down.
I remember we started arguing about what our next move should be.
I remember we all agreed we couldn't stay in the gym because we had no food or water, so we had to escape.
I remember that, but I also remember hearing a terrifying scream of panic. Then I looked up and I saw it.
Something attacked me... What was that?
From the floor, I looked at my companions, who were all paralyzed.
No wonder...
"R... ru...n," I wanted to say, but only a bubble of blood came out. My whole mouth was full of that metallic taste.
"GaaAaahh."
I can see it clearly now. There's a creature on top of me. It has a human shape but doesn't look like a zombie. It's large, with pale skin covered in red patches, ribs jutting out from its chest, hands like claws, and pupils that glow like merciless dots. But the most terrifying part is its mouth—its jaw is split open down the middle, peeling outward to reveal a writhing tongue and jagged teeth.
This thing wasn't a zombie. I've never seen a demon, but I imagine one would look like this.
Now I remember...
This is the end. The creature dropped on me and immediately bit off one of my arms, then tore open my stomach. I tried to fight back, but it ripped off my other arm. Then it began to eat me. Right now I can feel my organs being pulled out of my abdomen.
I don't know if it's because of the shock and adrenaline, but I barely feel pain—still, it's terrifying.
"What is that?!"
"No, Genji-kun!"
"Run!"
It's a shame. Even though they could still react, I'm afraid we have no hope.
"AHHH!"
As expected, the creature stopped eating me and turned toward the others. With a single leap, it reached one of them and tore his head off. Such terrifying strength.
The monster pounced on a girl and ripped her throat out in one bite.
The same guy who argued with me earlier hit it with a bat, but it didn't even scratch the thing. The creature turned and struck him so hard that it sent him flying into the wall.
Then it attacked the rest. We were nothing but toys. With a single bite, a limb was torn off. Nobody escaped.
"Don't come near me!"
"Help me, Genji-kun!"
I closed my eyes, unable to watch what was happening. My companions' screams hurt more than my wounds. Just as I began to lose consciousness, something rolled toward me. When I opened my eyes, I saw it was the head of the girl I had comforted earlier.
I couldn't stop my tears. Why? Why is life so unfair? Our group could have survived. Weren't zombies supposed to be slow and clumsy? Why does a monster like this even exist?!
It's unfair...
My mind faded away with one last thought.
Humanity will be extinguished...
(End of POV)
Fate did not smile upon Genji and his group. If only they had survived fifteen more minutes, their destiny might have been different. But nothing could be done now. This is the story of many who die simply for being unlucky.
....
....
....
The place was drenched in blood and scattered body parts, leaving behind a sickening atmosphere.
"What is this?"
When Allen had seen the school's hallways, there had been blood and corpses, but nothing like this. This scene went beyond simply killing and eating. Whatever had been here, as if in some profane ritual, had decorated the gym with death, splattering the walls with blood and covering the floor with the remains of the unfortunate who had entered. More than feeding, it looked like whoever did this acted out of violence, savagery, and cruelty.
Allen soon heard the sound of bones cracking coming from the storage room. There was no need to think much—it was obvious this was the work of a mutant zombie. A dangerous enemy. He couldn't waste a minute, so he took the initiative to move forward.
On the floor were streaks of blood forming red trails, as if someone had dragged something inside. But soon the sounds went silent, and that could only mean one thing: whatever was in there already knew Allen was here.
Soon, a scream from the depths and the stomping of a beast charged at Allen.
Allen cracked his neck, "Come on!"
He used his knife and met the first strike of a claw head-on. Looking at the monster, he couldn't help but feel chills—not from fear, but from realizing this thing was not something an ordinary person could ever stand against. If his companions, aside from Saeko, had encountered this, their fate would be the same as the ones now painted across the walls and floor.
Allen became more serious, tensing his muscles, gathering strength, and pushing the creature back. The thing opened its jaw vertically and let out a screech, but didn't attack immediately—as if it were evaluating Allen.
Maybe thinking this human was different. He didn't turn into mincemeat from a single blow. He wasn't ripped apart with a single bite.
'No.' Allen, seeing those eyes, found no trace of reasoning—only instinct. A killing urge comparable to a beast in a blood frenzy. But that didn't make him retreat. He tightened his grip on his combat knife and motioned with his hand, taunting the monster.
"You're an ugly bastard."
The creature roared, making the walls tremble.
....
Outside the gym, when everyone heard the first scream, they panicked—including Saeko—but she immediately tried to rush inside. However, she couldn't, as the first zombies of the horde were already approaching.
"Let's trust him," said Rei, her expression worried but her eyes never straying from the wall of the undead in front of them. Their bodies were incomplete, but that didn't stop them from lunging forward.
Common zombies weren't a problem when there were only a few, but there were too many. At this point, everyone believed they should run, yet none of them wanted to abandon Allen. After all, he had helped them, saved them.
"Hold the line!" Saya shouted. "If we can't at least buy him a minute, then we might as well kill ourselves to avoid being a burden!"
Saya stepped forward, holding a mop. Maybe she couldn't kill zombies with it, but she could use it to keep them away so the others could strike.
Saeko smiled faintly, her gaze sharpening. How could I expect to defeat him, if I can't even handle a few zombies while he's fighting God knows what inside?
Saeko's aura shifted—colder, sharper, more dangerous. It was so overwhelming that it frightened a few of the students they had just rescued. In the past, Saeko would have hidden her true self to fit in with society. But now? None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was not disappointing Allen, who had entrusted this place to her.
Saeko dashed forward with greater speed than she had shown before. Spinning on her heel, she swung her bokken, striking five zombies at once. The sight left everyone speechless. They all knew Saeko was a kendo prodigy, but none had ever seen her display such strength.
It made sense, though. In competitions, kendo was just a sport—she would never strike with lethal force. But now? None of that mattered. Now, she could unleash her instincts.
Saeko's cheeks flushed red as she smiled, because she knew that even at her full strength, she still wasn't at Allen's level. And that made her happy. It meant she wasn't a monster after all, like she once thought. At the very least, she knew Allen wouldn't reject her. He must have realized her true nature by now, yet he had said nothing.
Rei was momentarily surprised by Saeko's power, but she clenched her teeth and charged forward as well. She refused to lose to her.
Hirano decided there was no point in holding back his ammo anymore. His bullets tore down multiple zombies. By now, the group had resolved to stand firm, trusting that Allen would return.
....
Allen leaned his head back as a claw missed his face by an inch. Without breaking his flow, he shifted onto his left leg and kicked the monster away.
In less than thirty seconds, Allen had traded multiple blows with the mutant zombie, leaving it with countless cuts across its body. Yet, thanks to its tough muscles and hide, Allen hadn't been able to land a decisive strike.
I need a better weapon if I want to finish this fast.
The longer this dragged on, the greater the risk his group would be wiped out by the horde. Allen had made his decision.
The zombie roared again and lunged at him. Without hesitation, Allen hurled his knife straight into its eye, halting the attack as it howled in pain.
"GaAAahHhH!"
Allen used that moment of distraction to sprint toward the storage room, which, according to his minimap, was where the supply crates were located.
Dropping your weapon in a fight like this would normally be suicide, but he had gambled with two goals: first, to buy himself time to reach the crates, and second, because this wasn't a video game—he wasn't obligated to kill the boss to get the rewards.
Inside, he found a grotesque mound of human body parts stacked up, almost as if the monster had built a nest out of corpses.
"Lucifer, you've got terrible taste."
He ignored it and turned his attention to the corner, where two crates rested.
[Supply Crate – General: Tier 2, Cost 14 – 01]
[Supply Crate – Weapons: Tier 2, Cost 13 – 01]
Allen's eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, Allen approached and opened both crates. It was obvious these required points, credits, or tokens—whatever they were called. Regular and special, most likely. Luckily, Allen had already killed two mutants before coming here, or else he wouldn't have had enough to unlock both.
When the crates opened, Allen quickly glanced inside. His expression turned sharp, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
....
Outside the storage room, the monster had already pulled the knife from its eye. Fueled by pure instinct, it searched for Allen with bloodlust. It didn't take long before it sensed him inside and charged toward the storage room—once meant for sports balls and gym equipment, now filled with butchered remains.
That place, meant to be a safe in the future, could not be defiled by a hunk of flesh!
"GAAHHHH!"
With a thunderous roar, the monster barreled toward the room. But this time was different...
The metal door burst outward, slamming into the zombie and knocking it back. Before it could react, Allen leaped forward, wielding an iron pipe in both hands.
The zombie, incapable of rational thought, didn't even try to defend itself. Allen's strike smashed into its face, shattering several bones. He didn't stop—swing after swing, the monster bled. It tried to counterattack, but its claw was blocked by the weight of Allen's pipe, followed by another devastating blow to the head.
The brutal assault cracked its bones. The monster staggered, but still tried to rise. It was resilient—too resilient. But Allen would not allow this thing to continue existing.
This wasn't a knife anymore. This was a heavy iron pipe. And every strike landed like being hit by a car. After the fifth blow, the zombie stumbled and finally collapsed.
"Die!" Allen roared, delivering a final strike that smashed its skull to pieces.
Allen didn't waste time. He ate an energy bar to recover his stamina and immediately left the gym.
Outside was pure pandemonium. A wave of zombies is trying to get out of the building. Saeko and Rei fought on the front line, while behind them stood Kazu, the two rescued male students, and—surprisingly—Saya, who was also striking at the zombies.
Hirano held the center, his shots saving allies whenever they were in danger. Even Kyoko and Shizuka threw cell phones to distract and scatter parts of the horde—an unexpectedly effective tactic.
Allen smiled, resting the iron bar on his shoulder. "You're all doing fine... and here I was, worrying."
"Allen!" Shizuka ran to him and hugged him tightly, not caring that he was drenched in blood.
"Are you okay?!" Kyoko cried out in fear.
"Don't worry. It's not my blood." Allen gave Shizuka a playful smack on the butt, even as she clung to him.
"Kyaa~" Shizuka squealed, blushing furiously before puffing her cheeks. "Allen-kun, that's not fair~"
"Sorry, but I need to clear the path."
Saya, Rei, and Saeko glanced at Allen. It was obvious he had fought some kind of monster, judging by his state.
"Don't worry, I'll open the way!" Saeko shouted, but Allen only chuckled and stepped forward. Everyone wanted to stop him, but they noticed he was carrying a briefcase.
Shizuka, still flustered from his earlier slap, blinked in confusion. She could've sworn Allen hadn't been carrying that before.
Ignoring their protests, Allen opened the case. Inside was a backpack-like device with two tanks strapped to it. He put it on, and everyone's eyes widened in disbelief at what it was.
"Everyone, step aside!" Allen grinned.
Saeko and Rei quickly moved behind him. The others followed. Allen laughed, staring at the ocean of corpses before him.
"Sorry... the buffet's closed."
He grabbed the weapon's nozzle and fired without hesitation.
A blazing torrent of fire burst out, incinerating the zombies in an instant.
It was a goddamn flamethrower!
Those who had heard Allen's story couldn't even comprehend why he would hide a flamethrower in a school. What kind of situation called for that?!
Nobody could accept it, but one thing was clear: the zombies that once seemed like certain death were now reduced to ash, one after another. Lacking self-preservation, they didn't even attempt to flee—they simply burned.
– Tier 1: 102
– Tier 2: 00
– Tier 3: 01
Allen smirked as he saw his normal kill counter pass one hundred. As expected, the creature he'd just fought had been a Tier 3 monster.
He knew it had been risky to fight it without the proper weapon, but it had been worth it. Two Tier 2 supply crates were no small reward.
As the fire spread, everyone stared in stunned silence. The scene was surreal—but the stench of burning flesh quickly made them nauseous.
After a moment, Allen stopped firing. He turned to the group with a half-smile. "That's it. Time to run."
Allen's grin contrasted with the massacre he had just unleashed, but nobody dared object. Through the wall of fire, more zombies could already be seen staggering forward.
Everyone bolted for the parking lot—unaware that two other groups of survivors were also heading there.
====
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