Haruto stared at the corpse of the big zombie, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. He had faced death and survived. He had just been part of a group that had killed something that was far more dangerous than a common zombie.
"I... I did it..." He whispered, his voice trembling. "We did it..."
Kenji clapped him on the shoulder. "We did, son. We did."
Tanaka was leaning on his spear, his chest heaving. He was sweating profusely, his face pale. He looked like he was about to collapse.
Yumi was on her knees. She was clutching her broken knife, her knuckles white.
Marin was wiping the blood off her daggers, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Rei was standing over the corpse of the big zombie, her spear resting on her shoulder.
"Everyone, take a moment to catch your breath, but stay sharp." Tysone reminded everyone as he finally moved from his spot. Saeko followed him, hand on her sheath. The surrounding horde of zombies was taken care of as well. Most of them were probably summoned by the big one that's just been felled—so it stood to reason that evolved zombies could, more or less, lead, or at least influence, the common ones.
Tysone's boots crunched on the asphalt as he walked towards the corpse of the big zombie. He crouched down, his eyes scanning the body for any signs of a core. He found it nestled in its chest. It was black. A little, polished gem. It was bigger than the first evolved zombie they faced and killed in this new apocalyptic world. Bigger, sure, but not by much.
He tilted his head as he put a little strength into his hand and punched through the thickened, zombified skin and the ribcage to get to it. The bones snapped like dry twigs, the flesh and bones giving way with ease under his fist, almost as they were melting away at his touch.
Everyone beheld the scene with bewilderment. As much as everyone knew that Tysone, as the leader, was also at the top of the hierarchy when it came to sheer individual power, they didn't expect that a single fist of his could do a hundred times the damage all of them did, combined.
Tysone then pulled out the black core from its chest, and held it up for everyone to see.
"Another core." Tysone announced, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. "This one's black."
The survivors stared at the object in his hand, their expressions a mixture of awe and fear. This was what gave them strength!
"With this, there's an available spot for another powerhouse in the group. Now, this is just one core. And we didn't come all the way here just for a single core. We still have ample territory to scout and cover." He told them as he rose from his crouch and dusted off his hands. "But this was a good first step. Again, let me congratulate you all for a job well done. Now get back in the truck. We're moving."
The survivors, still reeling from the battle and the display of Tysone's strength, silently obeyed. They moved as one, their movements now more confident, more purposeful. They were no longer just a group of terrified individuals.
"Haruta."
Tysone called out. The frightened teenager jumped at hearing his name and nearly tripped over his own feet to turn around. His eyes were as big as saucers and his face was flushed.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"You did well, but don't get too cocky. And don't lose sight of yourself or your comrades during battle. It'll get you, and everyone else killed. Understand?"
"Yes! I understand!" Haruto stammered, giving Tysone a frantic nod.
"Good. Now get in the truck."
Haruto didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled into the truck, practically falling over himself in his haste.
After everyone had piled back into the truck, Shizuka started the engine and drove them away from the carnage.
Tysone sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the desolate streets.
"Hehehehe..."
Shizuka, all of a sudden, started to laugh in an ambiguous way.
Tysone merely raised an eyebrow at her odd, dreamy behavior. "What?"
"Noooothing~" Shizuka sang, swaying from left to right.
He frowned. "What...?"
She finally turned to look at him. A brief, meaningful, playful, glance. "It's just that Ty-kyun seems like a dad to me now."
"...A dad."
"Yes! A dad! Telling everyone what to do, looking out for them, praising them when they do a good job, scolding them when they do a bad job... It's very... fatherly."
"I am the leader of this group. Of course I'm going to lead them." Tysone countered, though he found her observation somewhat amusing. He really wondered what went through the nurse's head, sometimes. Probably all sorts of pervy thoughts.
He hoped so, at least.
"A dad! A dad! Ty-kyun is a dad!" Shizuka continued, now a giggling mess.
Tysone sighed, running a hand down his face.
He'd gotten used to Shizuka's antics.
"Who's a dad?"
Marin chipped in from the backseat, her curiosity piqued. Her hair was a mess, and she had a smear of zombie blood on her cheek. She still managed to look cute, though. At least, in Tysone's opinion. He glanced at her, then at the rest of the survivors, who were now looking at him with amused expressions.
Shizuka, being the airhead she was, answered her with a cheerful giggle. "Ty-kyun is a dad!"
Marin's eyes widened. A slow, mischievous grin spread across her face. "Daddy Ty, huh?" She purred, her voice a low, suggestive whisper.
Tysone's eye twitched. "Marin, don't you even start."
"I'm just saying... it has a nice ring to it."
"Marin."
"Yes, Daddy Ty?"
He was about to retort, but the look in her eyes—playful, challenging, and a little bit daring—made him pause.
He could feel a certain heat build up in his lower abdomen. He clenched his teeth and squelched the sudden 'need' down. Not because he was disgusted by it, but by the impracticality of sporting a boner in the midst of uncharted, dangerous territory.
"Daddy... Ty?"
Tysone snapped his head towards Saeko, who had a pondering look on her face. Tysone's eyes widened, as the sudden words from Saeko, of all people, threw him for a loop.
Saeko, in turn, offered him a slight, almost imperceptible smile. "It does have a certain... allure." She mused.
Mai, who had been quiet until then, leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. She looked at him, her expression unreadable. "I think I prefer Captain." She said, her voice a low, husky murmur. "But... Daddy has a certain... power to it." She then gave him a slow, deliberate wink.
The rest of the survivors in the truck, who had been listening to the conversation with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment, were now trying their best not to laugh. Takashi, who was sitting next to Rei, was covering his mouth with his hand, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Rei, on the other hand, was glaring at Marin, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.
Haruto was looking anywhere but at him, his face flushed. He was clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.
Tysone sighed, leaning his head back against the seat.
He was surrounded by a bunch of shameless perverts.
He was not going to win this one.
"Okay, okay, that's enough." He said, his voice firm but not unkind. "We have a mission to focus on. Let's keep the chatter to a minimum."
The playful banter died down, but the amused looks lingered. Tysone knew that this was not the last time he would hear the word "Daddy" in this context. He was in for a long ride. A very, very long ride.
It didn't take long before they found another concentrated horde of zombies.
And even from a distance, Tysone could discern an evolved one among them. They were so tall they stood out like a sore thumb.
"Shizuka, park the truck. We have another one."
"Another one!?" Marin's eyes lit up. "Let's go! Let's go!"
Tysone chuckled, shaking his head. "Easy there, tiger. Y'all should worry about the common ones, you look too tired to handle the big one over there."
"We can handle it!" Yumi chirped, her voice full of newfound confidence. She had found a new knife, a sturdy-looking combat knife, from the truck's arsenal. She was now holding it with a firm grip.
"Take it easy for a bit. There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to fight evolved zombies." Tysone told them. "But now that you had your first taste of it, don't go biting more than you can chew. Wait until you're all fully recovered. A single mistake against them can be deadly, let's not take chances, eh?"
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.