A moment later, everyone heard the plan; they were both surprised and delighted. They had all been trapped in habitual thinking, focusing their attention on the bus driver, which made them feel like they had run out of options. But Tsubasa simply shifted his perspective and came up with a solution.
"Lend me your bow and arrow," Tsubasa said, reaching out to Yukino.
After a slight pause, Yukino unslung the recurve bow from her back and handed it to him.
"Let's repeat the plan one last time. I will tie a fragmentation grenade to an arrow and shoot it. The grenade's explosion will be loud enough to draw half the zombies away... and that will be the best chance to rush onto the school bus!"
Tsubasa paused and looked at Hayato. "Hayama, you lead the team. The moment the explosion erupts, rush forward immediately."
Next, he turned to Kakeru. "Tobe, you and a few baseball club members, keep an eye on your surroundings at all times. If zombies approach, use cold weapons to cut them down. Do not use guns unless absolutely necessary."
Then, Tsubasa swept his gaze over the other students. "The rest of you, follow quietly, do not make any sound to attract the zombies' attention."
Tsubasa issued commands in an orderly manner, earning everyone's recognition and respect.
Moments later, he asked everyone: "Is everyone ready?"
"Ready," Hayato said, gripping the Phoenix Dagger, his palms slick with sweat. He looked up, his expression resolute. This time, he absolutely could not make another mistake.
"3... 2... 1!" Tsubasa's gaze was focused; at this moment, he activated his [Blade Intent].
Instantly, everything before his eyes seemed to slow down, entering bullet time. The grotesque zombies, overturned vehicles, and thick black smoke looked like they had all frozen in his view.
Tsubasa took a deep breath, gripped the hunting bow, tied the grenade on the arrow shaft, and then swiftly pulled the pin from the grenade with his teeth. Right after that, he drew his bow and aimed at the densest group of zombies furthest away.
WHOOSH—!!
The arrow, carrying the grenade, sliced through the air. Under Tsubasa's precise aim, it plunged fiercely into the most densely packed corner of the zombie horde in the distance.
KA-BOOM—!!
Blazing flames erupted, like blooming fireworks. The roar of the grenade shook the ground. Flying debris and rotten flesh, stirred up by the shockwave, scattered.
Hearing such a loud explosion, many zombies simultaneously turned their heads. Their lifeless eyes stared intently at the explosion site, and manic roars squeezed out of their decaying throats.
"RWRRR!!!"
They surged towards the fire like a tide. In just a few seconds, more than half of the horde of zombies surrounding the school bus had retreated.
"Charge!" Hayato clenched the Phoenix Dagger, his knuckles white from the force, and charged madly towards the school bus.
The others followed closely, their footsteps as light as possible, but their hearts pounded uncontrollably in their chests.
On the ground, stained with filthy blood, a few zombie remains were still twitching. Corrosive fluid left disgusting yellowish-green trails on the concrete.
Every step felt like treading on knife edges, yet they dared not stop.
"Excellent, everything is going smoothly!" Hayato, having safely entered the bus compartment, leaned on his knees, panting heavily, his eyes showing excitement and joy. However, just as his gaze swept over the team, and the last few people were about to reach the school bus door... an unforeseen accident suddenly occurred!
In the unnoticed sky above, a zombie vulture suddenly swooped down, fiercely clawing at a young woman named Suzuki at the end of the team.
Suzuki was startled, and although she narrowly dodged the zombie vulture's attack with warnings from those around her, her backpack accidentally hit the nearby trash can with great force.
A crisp 'clang' suddenly pierced the deadly silence. The zombie vulture, failing its attack, prudently chose to leave.
"Oh no!" Yukino, behind Suzuki, suddenly stopped, her face changing drastically as she looked back in fear.
The next second, most of the zombies that had been attracted by the explosion suddenly turned their heads again. Their lifeless eyes fixed on the group.
"RAWRRR!!!!"
Hoarse howls instantly tore through the air. The horde turned again, rushing back towards them at high speed.
Even more terrifying, from deep within the parking lot, a strange, ear-splitting sound suddenly erupted.
Immediately after, an unusually robust, massive dark shadow suddenly burst out from behind a discarded vehicle, charging rapidly.
"Damn it, it's a Charger!" Tsubasa's expression instantly changed. His back was immediately drenched in cold sweat.
He never expected to encounter another Special Infected here.
The Charger wore a pair of overalls. It had a huge body, an enormous right arm, but a very small left arm.
It was covered in purplish-brown rotting flesh, its muscles bulging like steel bars; its thick right arm was strong enough to easily smash car metal. Its skinless head was cocked on its shoulder, its cloudy eyeballs rolled back, and a continuous low growl emanated from its throat.
Each step made small cracks appear in the ground, and it moved with the speed of an out-of-control truck, charging straight for the tail of the team!
Even worse, perhaps hearing the violent commotion here, a wobbly, corpulent figure suddenly emerged from the zombie horde.
"Boomer..." Tsubasa's heart sank more and more, his face incredibly grim.
He hadn't expected two Special Infected to be lurking in this parking lot.
Boomer. This special infected possesses an exceptionally fat and clumsy body, along with terrifying corrosive abilities. Covered in pustules, it can vomit bile onto humans, attracting common infected to swarm the victim.
The Boomer's bloated body did not move quickly, like a balloon filled with corrosive fluid, its skin translucent, revealing the wriggling organs within. Yellowish-green viscous fluid constantly dripped from its mouth, making a sizzling sound as it landed, leaving corrosive marks.
It moved its short, thick limbs, a nauseating gurgle accumulating in its throat, then suddenly looked up and let out a disgusting regurgitation sound.
The next instant, a foul, yellowish-green stream of viscous fluid, like an arrow, suddenly sprayed towards Suzuki, who was about to step onto the bus stairs. There were tens of meters between them, but the bile hit the young woman precisely.
✱✱✱
Translator's Corner:
This chapter has 1059 Words. Other than the word count report, I have nothing else to share! Thanks for reading!