Tsunoda had been carried away by anger.
He was a troublesome and aggressive guy, raised on the streets as a gang member. He often got into fights and solved everything with violence. However, Tsunoda was only brave when facing other people, not zombies. His fists couldn't kill the undead, his words couldn't threaten them, and his appearance didn't intimidate them.
To these cannibalistic creatures, Tsunoda was nothing but meat.
Because of this, Tsunoda didn't face the zombies but instead hid alongside Shido. He decided to trust this teacher because he seemed smarter than him, and if survival was possible, then it was worth the gamble.
Now that he had the chance to prove his worth, he tried. After all, his opponents weren't killing machines but humans. Humans could feel fear, they could be intimidated—against them, his fists still worked.
Grave mistake!
The moment Allen grabbed his face, Tsunoda realized he had screwed up. He tried to fight back, grabbing Allen's arm, but no matter how much strength he used, he couldn't break free.
"Looks like I need to give you a dose of reality..."
"...!"
Tsunoda was about the same height as Allen and even bulkier. Logically, Tsunoda should have been stronger than Allen. And yet, he couldn't break free.
"I get it, you're scared, you've been through a lot. It's natural to want to get out of the city, since in movies that's always what the protagonists try, and in fact it's the right move—sure, if you're willing to leave your loved ones to their fate."
Allen began to lift Tsunoda with just one hand.
Tsunoda and all of Shido's followers, including himself, were left speechless. How much did Tsunoda weigh?! How could he lift him like that?!
"But this bus belongs to us. We lost two people to get it. You don't have a say here... also, I promised to help my companions in exchange for their help."
Allen's gaze turned dangerous, frightening Tsunoda. He had seen Allen's strength—if Allen wanted to crush his head, what could stop him?
"If you want, I'll drop you off somewhere without zombies. I can even help you find another vehicle. But... before that, you need to understand your mistake and show a bit of basic respect."
Allen threw Tsunoda toward Shido. He was crushed under the weight and fell painfully, twisting his ankle.
"Ahh!"
"Koichi Shido, you're a despicable man. Using these kids' weaknesses to build a little obedient entourage—what was your plan? A cult? Is that what you wanted?" Allen mocked.
Hearing those words, Shido grew desperate. He had to speak, had to regain the initiative, control the conversation; otherwise, his whole plan would go to hell.
"Listen... h—" Allen rolled his shoulder for a moment, feeling stiffness. His muscles were still tense from the previous effort. Not only had he just fought a mutant zombie and a horde, but now he had to deal with a bunch of dumb brats.
Allen's gaze swept over the students who had been supporting Shido. They were trembling, convinced they were about to be killed.
"Because you've been through hell and you're afraid, I'll overlook your actions this time. But there won't be a second chance."
"Ugh!..." Shido wanted to speak, but the pain and Tsunoda's weight stopped him. The students, pale as death, were filled with despair. They had followed the wrong person, and now they were paying the price.
"I'll be honest with you—you're going to die..." Allen's words were cold and merciless. "At least, that will be your fate if you keep walking this path."
"You think someone's going to hand you all the answers? That's just by following someone, you'll be safe? There's no such thing!" Allen's voice rose, slamming into them like a hammer. "If you want to survive, it only depends on you! Don't turn away from reality! No sweet words will make the death that blankets this world disappear!"
No one responded, but it was obvious that Allen's words had awakened them from their slumber.
"You can leave with Shido, or you can stay, and I'll drop you off with other survivors—or anywhere else you choose. Don't worry, I won't throw you to the zombies just because you acted like fanatics."
Hearing that Allen wouldn't kill them, many of them let out sighs of relief, though the fear of him remained. However, the oppressive pressure of his presence faded, replaced by a calm yet still imposing aura, and in his eyes, unexpectedly, there was a trace of compassion.
"This world is very sad. No one knows how long they'll live. There's no safe place, no right answer. Just don't put your trust in bastards. At the very least, live with the minimum of decency in this apocalypse. Don't do something that forces me to stain my hands."
Everyone felt a jolt of electricity. Not just Shido's group, but Allen's and Teshima's as well.
In this world, teenage boys and girls feel powerless. The girls—except for Rei and Saeko—especially felt weak before this new reality, and so they put all their hopes into anyone who could offer them shelter and food. At the same time, the boys would be tempted to commit crimes now that there was no police, no law. Allen warned them that if they did, and if they ever crossed paths with him again, he would have to kill them.
Shido froze. He had been wrong—never in his life had he misjudged someone so badly. Allen wasn't an introverted student, wasn't just a young man with brute strength, and wasn't someone he could manipulate. No. Shido realized Allen had seen through him from the very beginning and treated him like a clown.
Now everything was lost. These students would no longer obey him. No longer be swayed by sweet words.
'Damn him!'
Tsunoda sat on the ground, not getting up, remaining on his knees. Then, after a moment, he did something that left everyone speechless—he lowered his head and slammed it against the floor.
"I'm so sorry... I... I'm just scared."
Allen stayed silent for a moment before speaking calmly. "That's a first step. Like I said, I won't throw you to the zombies. Just behave, and you'll make it to a place with more survivors."
Allen turned to face his own group, but Tsunoda spoke again.
"Excuse me... could I be accepted into your group?"
Allen glanced sideways at Hirano, who had clenched his fists. Startled, he pretended innocence.
"I don't know. First, you'd need to reform yourself, prove that I can trust you... And besides, you'll have to apologize to someone and earn their forgiveness."
Indeed, Tsunoda was an idiot, a thug, a bastard—but if he managed to change, maybe there was a chance for him to be accepted. Of course, this applied to anyone from Shido's group, since, in truth, they hadn't done anything unforgivable. They had only believed in Shido.
"But don't expect too much. After all, I need to prioritize those who trusted me from the very beginning."
Hirano's eyes welled up with tears before he set his gaze firmly.
"Count me in, boss!"
Allen chuckled under his breath. Hirano had been calling him that, and he found it amusing.
"Kohta Hirano..." muttered Tsunoda. He then lowered his head, remembering all the times he had bullied Hirano, mocked him, even hit him. Tsunoda knew it was unlikely that Allen's group would accept him. The same went for Imamura—but unlike Tsunoda, Imamura had a different thought. He didn't want to be anywhere near Allen, and the moment he had a chance, he would leave.
As for the rest of Shido's students, they felt strange, as if they had just awakened from a dream. Looking at Shido on the floor clutching his ankle, they wondered why they had followed him in the first place.
....
"That was amazing. I'm sure my father would like you," Saeko said with a smile and a meaningful look, her eyes fixed on Allen. In them, there was something Allen had seen in a few girls like Sue, but he decided not to think about it.
"We'll see about that," Allen replied evasively. But that only made Saeko smile more brightly.
"It's incredible how you broke Shido's spell. I expected nothing less from my rival!" She smiled proudly.
Allen reached out and patted Saya's head, freezing her in place.
"What are you doing?!" Saya smacked his hand away, her whole face crimson.
"Sorry, I just felt the impulse to do it."
Saya opened and closed her mouth, unable to come up with a response to such a shameless declaration.
"Thank you, for teaching that bastard a lesson~" Rei hugged Allen with a wide smile on her face, her eyes shining as if she had finally cast off a heavy burden.
Allen stroked her head; he couldn't help it, it's a habit he has. "Don't worry about it,"
Takashi watched in silence. He knew he had no right. He never believed Shido was such a bastard, and because of that, he had lost Rei. Of course, he wouldn't give up easily. At the very least, he wanted to repair his relationship with her.
As for Hisashi, he watched Rei without changing expression. What could he say? He had the chance to be Rei's hero, but he hadn't taken it.
Allen, noticing the stares of the two boys full of jealousy, just raised an eyebrow. From his point of view, these two had had a whole decade to win Rei's heart. The fact that they hadn't—what did that have to do with him?
Allen had never planned on seducing any girl. He didn't even really understand how this world worked. But if these two kept glaring at him with jealousy, well, maybe he'd give them a real reason to be jealous.
"Ugh..." Shido's groan drew some attention.
Shizuka looked at Allen with doubt in her eyes, as if asking for permission.
"I'm your leader, not your owner. If you want to help him, go ahead. I've already decided to let him live, after all... though whether he makes use of that chance is up to him."
Shido trembled under Allen's gaze, not daring to say a word.
Shizuka hesitated for a moment but decided to help him anyway. After all, she was a nurse.
Kneeling with a first-aid kit, Shizuka's expression turned unusually cold as she spoke quietly. "Shido-sensei, if you ever do anything against our group, I won't treat you again."
"..." Shido couldn't say a word.
Just like Allen said, he didn't stop Shizuka from tending to Shido's ankle. But once she finished, she stood up without giving him a second glance. Even the indulgent Shizuka had been angered by this bastard.
Allen kills when necessary, but he doesn't go around slaughtering everyone who poses the slightest threat. Perhaps there was a time when he would have killed Shido without hesitation, but after everything he has lived through, he ultimately chose a less bloodstained path. Of course, this only applied because Shido hadn't yet tried anything against him—it all depended on whether or not Shido made that mistake.
Shido managed to recover enough strength to stand, though his ankle was injured, making running impossible and even walking difficult.
'This is bad, this is really bad! REALLY BAD!'
In the middle of an apocalypse, an incapacitating injury without a shelter was practically a death sentence. Until he healed, Shido was condemned to rely on the will of others to survive.
His thoughts became chaotic, hatred mixing with fear until he couldn't think clearly. But worst of all was the fact that Allen didn't even bother finishing him off, as if anything Shido might attempt would be utterly useless.
'I can't survive like this!' Shido sat down silently, lowering his head, not daring to provoke anyone else. With that, the last shred of faith the students had in him completely vanished.
'It's all up to you…' Allen thought. The moment Shido acted, he would kill him. But if Shido behaved, he would at least let him live.
Another reason Allen let them live was that Shido likely wouldn't survive much longer anyway. If there were only slow and clumsy zombies, Shido could easily create his degenerate little sect, but in a world where zombies could endanger even Allen, what chance did someone who relied only on his tongue have?
....
For now, Shido had been reduced to a pathetic sack of impotence. That allowed Allen to redirect his attention to more important matters.
"Teshima, we need food for three days. Take Hisashi and Takashi with you, and you can bring a couple of students to help carry it."
"Only for a few days?" Teshima crossed his arms with a frown. "With enough help, we could empty the store."
"Help? That's true, we'd be wasting manpower otherwise." Rei smirked maliciously at Shido's students.
"Not necessary," Allen replied.
Saya puffed out her chest. She understood Allen's reasoning. "Teshima-sensei, we don't know the extent of the infection. There could be evacuations or the Defense Force might be preparing to act. Even if not, we still don't know if we can cross the bridge with the bus."
On the news, they had seen police blocking off the bridge leading to downtown.
Saeko touched her chin. "I see. If that's the case, this bus may have an expiration date."
There was no point in filling the bus with food if they might be forced to abandon it.
"Exactly. Don't think too far ahead. For now, food and medicine are everywhere. The important thing is to get to Saya's mansion, but first we need to find a place to spend the night."
"Ah, a friend's house is nearby! We could go there~" Shizuka chimed in cheerfully, looking at Allen as if expecting praise.
"That sounds good, but is it big enough?"
Including Shido's students, their group was quite large.
"Mmm… thinking about it, maybe not," Shizuka pouted, disappointed. But Allen stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Still, thank you, Shizuka."
Her face lit up before she hugged Allen tightly.
"Hey, let him go!" Saya shouted.
"What are you thinking, Shizuka-sensei?" Rei also grew irritated.
"Such shameful behavior, Marikawa-sensei," Kyoko said coldly, adjusting her glasses.
"..." Saeko only stared at Shizuka in silence.
"Eh? I don't want to~" Shizuka pouted again, refusing to let Allen go.
Allen watched Shizuka's childish behavior, unsure what to think. "You're strangely stubborn sometimes."
"Hehe, that's right~"
"That wasn't a compliment," Allen said with a sweat drop on his cheek. "Besides, doesn't the blood bother you?"
Allen was stained with blood all over his clothes, which should have been unpleasant. Yet neither Rei nor Shizuka showed the slightest discomfort being close to him.
Shizuka looked up at him. "I don't know how to explain it, but it doesn't bother me~"
"That's enough." Saeko stepped in and pulled Shizuka away from Allen.
Allen laughed at the scene, then noticed everyone's stares. Anyone else would have been embarrassed, but Allen lacked two things: fear and shame. So instead, he smiled.
"Stop wasting time. Saeko, Rei—you're coming with me to check something out. The rest stay on the bus, with Saya in charge and Hirano as the main combat force."
Allen walked up to Hirano and whispered, "If you see any suspicious movement, don't hesitate."
Allen's gaze was serious, and Hirano understood.
"I won't let you down, boss!"
"That's reassuring." Allen turned back to the group. "Listen, if a mutant shows up, don't fight it. Don't play heroes. Don't hesitate—just run. We'll regroup at the Takagi house."
The atmosphere froze around Allen's group. They had relaxed, but forgotten the existence of mutant zombies. Allen had only told them about the first and the third—no one else had seen them—but that was enough to leave them terrified for life.
Saya grabbed Allen's sleeve but didn't try to stop him. "Be careful."
"Yeah, don't worry." Allen smiled confidently.
...
The group split up. Teshima was only going one street away, so he shouldn't run into much trouble.
Meanwhile, Allen, Saeko, and Rei advanced through an alley. The sun was beginning to tilt westward—a bad sign. Checking her phone, Rei saw it was already four in the afternoon. That left them with only a few hours of daylight.
"Allen, do you think there are more zombies like those?"
"There will be. And a lot of them. That's why I want a shelter, even if only temporary."
So far, mutant zombies had only appeared near the supply crates, but that could change. With that in mind, Allen didn't sugarcoat the situation—they were in danger and needed to be prepared.
Looking at Rei and Saeko, Allen felt the urgency to get them proper weapons. They couldn't fight mutants with sticks. But more than that, Allen wanted more healing items.
Thanks to the green herb from the supply crate, Saya was still alive. Allen didn't want to face nightfall without at least some type of healing on him. That was even more important than weapons.
With that in mind, Allen quickened his pace. On his minimap, three points of interest had appeared when he was riding his motorcycle. Now that he was on foot, the range was smaller, but luckily he already knew where to look.
He watched as something like a green wave appeared on the minimap, growing stronger as they approached.
Once the trio crossed the alley, they reached an empty street with a burning car and a couple of zombies wandering.
Allen focused on the house in front of him—a three-story building with a spacious yard and a double garage.
It was much larger than the neighboring homes. He approached the gate, made of steel with concrete walls. This place would definitely withstand a zombie invasion.
"Something about this place?" Saeko asked, noticing the change in Allen's expression, as if he remembered it.
"Rei, it's a really big house. Not even my father could afford it… Don't tell me you're some kind of rich young master like Saya?"
"I don't know." Allen shrugged. "One day I woke up in a tiny apartment without knowing left from right, so who knows? Maybe I'm a prince or something."
Realizing her words, Rei regretted them. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Doesn't bother me much."
Allen approached the house that appeared marked on his minimap. Once close enough, the signal disappeared and a floating label appeared in front of him.
[Building Type – Common Shelter, Tier 2]
– Ownership cost: 1500
– Rental cost: 15
[Congratulations, you've found your first shelter]
Allen smirked sarcastically. 'Welcome back, old times.'
[Sorry, Host. As much as I want to help you, your deal with Lucifer prevents it. However, I can still talk about shelters.]
'Any advantage to them?'
Allen had his doubts. A shelter seemed far too expensive, and he wasn't sure if he would return to this place. Renting it seemed like the better option.
[Yes. You can clean it and use it as a normal house without buying it. But if you pay rent, you can activate things like running water, electricity, and more—regardless of the world's state.]
Loss of electricity and water was one of the main problems in an apocalypse. Having access to them was invaluable.
'And if I buy it?'
[Host, you'll have access to much more—things I can't talk about—but I can guarantee you won't need to worry about mutants spawning inside at three in the morning.]
'I see… The advantages are incredible, but the cost is steep… for now, I'll just rent it.'
Even if Allen remembered nothing about zombies, he didn't need further explanation of what "cleaning" the place meant.
"Wait here…" Allen ordered, and proceeded to open the door.
These shelters were something special for Allen; the others couldn't open them even if they wanted to..
"Not this time," Saeko said firmly. "Trust me. I didn't come to be protected by you. I want to fight at your side."
"Me too. I want to help," Rei added with determination.
Allen smiled. "All right, let's go together. But if there are mutants, they're mine…"
The two girls smiled before following Allen inside the large house, which felt cold and dangerous.
None of them knew that shelters are an oasis, but to get them, you must be prepared to die.
In the basement of the house lay a creature, surrounded by corpses, torn apart, with a strong smell of blood.
The few recognizable faces had terrified looks, as if the last thing they had seen was the most terrifying creature that could possibly exist.
That thing was motionless, as if waiting for the slightest sign of life to wake up and unleash all its brutality.
For Allen, these monsters are unknown, but for the Chat, they have a name that causes panic just to hear it.
====
A/N: I'm sure many of you had already figured out what kind of zombie was in the gym.
If you want to read more, there are up to ten chapters ahead on Patreon.
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