The city was a graveyard. Shattered glass crunched beneath Imura's boots as he led the way through the silent streets. Behind him, Saya clung to the hem of his jacket, her steps unsteady. Her clothes were splattered with dried blood, her eyes still swollen from crying.
He hadn't spoken a word since leaving the scene. He didn't need to.
Every so often, Saya opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, her fear choking her into silence.
Finally, she whispered, "Why… why did you save me?"
Imura stopped walking. Slowly, he turned, meeting her gaze with eyes as sharp as knives.
"Do I need a reason?"
Saya flinched, gripping her bat tighter.
Imura smirked faintly. "You're alive because I let you live. Don't mistake that for kindness. You're here because you might be useful. Nothing more."
Her lips trembled, but she nodded. "I… I understand."
They pushed on until they found shelter in a half-collapsed apartment building. The lobby was wrecked, but it offered cover. Imura motioned for his clones to sweep the rooms, their silent forms moving with mechanical precision.
Saya watched with wide eyes as three more versions of him moved about, dragging debris aside and killing a stray zombie lurking in the corner.
"H-how…?" she breathed.
Imura ignored her question, settling against a cracked wall and pulling up his system interface.
[Status]Name: ImuraTalent: SSS-Rank CloneLevel: 5Clones Active: 3 (Max: 3)EXP: 278/300
Just a little more until Level 6.
His lips curled.
The clones returned, and the room fell quiet again. Saya sat across from him, her knees hugged to her chest. She kept stealing glances at him, her lips pressing together whenever she caught his eye.
Finally, she broke the silence. "Those men… the ones with me…"
Imura didn't look up. "What about them?"
Her voice cracked. "You could've saved them, couldn't you?"
Imura chuckled darkly. "Could I? Yes. Did I? No."
Her fists clenched. "Why?"
"Because they were useless," Imura said flatly. "Weak. Panicked. Liabilities. Keeping them alive would've been a burden."
Saya's breath hitched. She stared at him, horror flashing across her face.
"Don't look at me like that," Imura said, his tone sharp. "The only reason you're not zombie food is because I decided you weren't a burden. Prove me wrong, and I'll leave you behind too."
Tears welled in her eyes. But instead of arguing, she lowered her head and whispered, "I… I'll do whatever it takes. Just… don't abandon me."
Imura studied her for a moment, then smirked. "Good answer."
Night fell. The city outside groaned with distant moans and the echo of something large moving in the shadows.
Inside the broken apartment, Imura leaned against the wall, eyes half-closed. His clones stood watch like statues, their silent presence unnerving Saya.
She sat curled up on the floor, staring at him through the dim light.
Finally, she whispered, "Imura… thank you."
He opened one eye. "For what?"
"For saving me," she said softly. "Even if you don't care why… even if you only see me as 'useful'… I'm still alive because of you. That's enough."
Imura's lips quirked. Not gratitude. Not trust. Dependency. That was even better.
The system pulsed.
[Bond Established: Saya → Dependent Affection][Future Growth Potential Detected.]
Imura chuckled under his breath. This world really was his playground.
The night was long. Every groan of the undead outside echoed through the crumbling apartment walls, and every crash in the distance made Saya flinch.
Imura didn't flinch. He leaned back against the wall, crowbar across his knees, clones stationed like sentinels at the doors and windows. His expression was calm, eyes half-lidded, but he wasn't asleep. He didn't trust the dark.
And rightly so.
It was past midnight when it happened.
A low thud against the wall. Then another. Then a sound that didn't belong to any ordinary zombie.
A guttural hiss.
Imura's eyes snapped open. "Clones. On guard."
The doubles straightened, their movements sharp, their crowbars ready.
Saya stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily. "W-what is it…?"
The wall cracked. Dust fell from the ceiling. A shape pressed against the weakened concrete, snarling.
Imura rose to his feet, calm and deliberate. "Another mutant."
The wall gave way with a deafening crash.
It was massive—easily two meters tall, its flesh bloated and mottled with black veins. Its mouth stretched too wide, filled with jagged teeth that dripped with saliva. Its limbs were long and twisted, clawed hands dragging along the floor.
Saya screamed, scrambling back against the far wall.
The mutant's head snapped toward her, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. It lunged—
—but Imura's clones intercepted it, slamming their weapons into its ribs. The beast shrieked, swinging one massive arm and swatting a clone into the wall hard enough to make it flicker and vanish.
Imura grinned. "Finally, some real experience."
He surged forward, crowbar whistling through the air as it smashed into the mutant's jaw. Bone cracked, black blood spraying. The beast staggered but didn't fall.
It lashed out again, claws slicing across the room. Imura ducked under, his second clone taking the blow instead, body dispersing into light.
Two left.
"Imura!" Saya cried, trembling so hard she could barely breathe. "W-we have to run!"
"Run?" Imura's laugh was sharp, mocking. "This thing's worth more to me dead than you can imagine."
He dashed forward again, his remaining clones flanking the beast. Together they struck—crowbars pounding into its chest and legs while Imura himself leapt onto its back, driving his weapon down into its spine.
The mutant roared, thrashing wildly. One claw ripped through another clone, leaving Imura with just one.
But that was enough.
"Hold it still!" Imura barked.
The last clone grabbed the mutant's arm, anchoring it for just a moment—long enough for Imura to slam his crowbar into the side of its skull with a brutal crunch.
Again.
And again.
Bone gave way. Black ichor sprayed. With a final shriek, the mutant collapsed, twitching once before falling still.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Imura stood over the corpse, chest heaving, crowbar dripping with foul liquid. His lone clone dissolved into light, leaving him alone once more.
The system chimed.
[Mutant Defeated: +500 EXP][Level Up!][Imura – Level 6][Clone Limit Increased: 3 → 4]
Imura's grin widened. "Four now… not bad."
He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his sleeve, then finally glanced at Saya.
She was curled up in the corner, tears streaming down her cheeks, shaking like a leaf.
When his gaze met hers, she froze, terror and awe warring in her eyes.
He stepped toward her slowly, each footstep heavy in the silence. She pressed herself further against the wall, as if she feared he'd turn his crowbar on her next.
But he stopped a few feet away, crouching down just enough to meet her wide eyes.
"Remember this, Saya," he said coldly. "The only reason you're alive is because I choose for you to be alive. Out there? You wouldn't last five seconds without me."
Her lips trembled. "…I know."
Imura smirked. "Good."
The system pulsed again.
[Bond Progression: Saya → Fearful Dependency ↑]
Imura leaned back against the wall, crowbar resting on his shoulder. "Get used to it. Stick close, do what I say, and maybe you'll keep breathing."
Saya lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll… do whatever you want."
Imura's grin widened. Exactly as it should be.