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TWD: Zombie System
Breathing techniques in Naruto
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That's brutal," Fox muttered beside me, her voice low but sharp as she glanced at the fallen Grounder. Blood still pooled beneath his head, staining the dirt street.
I turned my head to look at her, meeting her eyes. "It's necessary," I said, my tone firm but loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. "If we didn't do it, then we'd be the ones lying on the ground right now."
The others around us shifted uneasily, their weapons still clutched tight in their hands. Some averted their eyes from the corpses, others lingered on them as if trying to process what just happened.
Roma broke the silence. "Maybe… maybe we should've just let them go," she said hesitantly, her brows furrowed.
Connor scoffed and shook his head. "Let them go? And then what? Wait for them to come back for revenge? You know damn well that's what would happen."
Sterling added with a sigh, "Still… is there really no other way?"
"There is," I cut in, stepping forward so everyone could see me clearly. All eyes turned toward me. "But it won't be easy. If we want another way, we need to get stronger. That's the only path. We can't keep running or hoping our enemies will spare us. We have to become strong enough that no one dares to stand against us."
The group went silent. I scanned their faces. At first, there was hesitation—fear, even. But then, as my words sank in, I began to see something else. Their eyes sharpened. Their grip on their weapons tightened. Determination began to replace doubt.
"That's why we're doing this," I continued, my voice rising, carrying across the ruined street. "To survive. To defend ourselves. To protect the people we care about. Every fight, every kill, every moment we spend pushing ourselves—it's all a necessary step. This isn't about bloodlust. It's about survival."
Fox slowly nodded, her earlier hesitation fading as she exhaled sharply. "Alright," she said, more to herself than anyone else.
"Good," I replied, giving her a short nod before looking at the rest. "Now… loot the bodies."
The group moved in closer. We surrounded the corpses of the two Grounders. Most of their supplies were primitive compared to what we were used to on the Ark—leather scraps, crude bindings, bone charms. Nothing of real use.
But then I saw them—their swords. Forged iron, rough but sharp, far sturdier than anything we had.
"These two swords…" I said, crouching down and gripping them, testing their weight. They felt solid in my hands, deadly with the right skill. "They're mine."
I strapped the swords to my back, feeling their weight settle against me. A reminder of what we'd just done—and of what we still had to do.
Troy broke the silence. "So what now?"
I rose to my feet, meeting each of their gazes. "It's still early. We continue. We'll find more Grounders. Capture some if we can. Test ourselves against them—one on one. Every fight will make us stronger."
The others exchanged looks. Some were wary, but most nodded, their earlier hesitation now burned away by the spark of resolve.
"Alright then," Fox said quietly, gripping her spear tighter. "Let's move."
When night finally came, we had hunted and killed a total of eight people, counting the two from earlier. Some of us got injured in the process, but nothing critical—just cuts and bruises, the kind you'd expect in close combat. What mattered was that we succeeded. The hunt was ours.
Even better, we captured two of them alive. I was the one who managed to knock them out—one man and one woman. Perfect. Their capture would prove useful later. Myles, and Derek were the ones carrying them now, their bodies slung over shoulders like heavy sacks.
We were heading back to our bunker, moving carefully through the forest. Thanks to the markers we had set up earlier, it only took us a few minutes to navigate the way. Eventually, we reached our destination. The group threw the prisoners into one corner of the bunker, tying their hands and feet securely. They weren't hurt badly—just restrained so they wouldn't cause trouble.
The others immediately began preparing food, while I took the chance to check on Charlotte.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I'm still adjusting," she admitted softly.
I gave her a reassuring smile and gently stroked her head. Honestly, I'd started to see her like my own little sister now. At that moment, Fisca walked in and caught sight of me patting Charlotte's head. Her expression shifted, and she suddenly asked, "So… you're into girls?"
"What? What are you even saying?" I replied, caught off guard.
"Nothing," she quickly denied, though I could see a faint blush on her face.
I couldn't help but laugh it off before turning to her. "Anyway, how are you holding up?"
"I think after a few more fights, I'll get used to it," she said with determination.
I nodded, encouraging both of them before finally sitting down to eat. I didn't eat much—just enough to fill my stomach. Tomorrow would be another busy day, and I needed the rest. After finishing my small portion, I laid down and drifted off to sleep.
In the middle of the night—wait, what the…? I jolted awake, my hand buzzing with a sudden sting. The device in my grip had sparked and popped open on its own, fried from the inside. Around me, the others stirred from their sleep, muttering in confusion. Only Connor remained awake at his post, keeping watch over the prisoners.
"The device—it just opened! What the hell happened?" Sterling's panicked voice cut through the dim silence, quickly followed by others asking the same thing.
I stared at the broken piece of tech in my palm, realization dawning on me. Of course… this must be it. Monty's attempt to reach the Ark. His signal must have backfired, causing every device in our hands to fry open.
I clenched my fist around the useless scrap, my mind already racing. If this is the time, then Raven's descent isn't far off. Which means the transmitter…
My chest tightened. That device was the only chance to prevent what I knew was coming—the people up there choosing death so that others could live. I couldn't let that sacrifice happen. Not if I could stop it.
I glanced toward the night sky, determination hardening my resolve. Raven's coming soon. And when she does, I need to get my hands on that transmitter—no matter what.
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