The cafeteria lights flickered one more time before finally stabilizing. Kenji sat on a crate, wiping gore off his crowbar with a torn sleeve. Sayaka leaned against him, quiet now—no longer trembling, but not ready to stand alone either. Her lips were bruised from their kiss, her uniform still barely holding together.
Tetsuo lay on the floor, bat beside him, arms crossed behind his head like he wasn't almost eaten ten minutes ago.
Akane paced by the barricade, hair disheveled, jacket open, nothing under it but a school bra barely containing her bounce. She didn't care. She liked the attention.
Rei Kanzaki stood alone near the security monitor, arms crossed under her chest, scanning the feed again and again, as if willing some miracle to appear.
Sin's voice purred into Kenji's mind like hot breath against his ear.
"So… post-fight cooldown? I say you take Sayaka and Akane into the locker room and—"
"Sin," Kenji muttered, "zip it. What's our current mission?"
[Ding!]
Active Objective: Secure the Cafeteria (Phase II)
Status: Progressing
Threat Level: Moderate
Nearby Supplies Detected: Low
Current Survivors: 5
Lust Meter: 66%
System Sync: 14%
Kenji stood. "We're low on food. We can't stay here long if we don't find more supplies."
Rei turned. "Agreed. There's a vending machine cluster near the nurse's office. High chance of rations and bottled water. But it's a risk."
Tetsuo grunted. "So's breathing in this damn place."
Akane smirked. "I vote we go. Better than sitting here waiting for zombie Jesus to come knocking."
Sayaka tugged Kenji's sleeve. "I want to help."
He looked down at her—messy hair, ripped uniform, raw courage in her eyes. She wasn't a fighter. Not yet. But she wanted to be.
He nodded. "Then stick close."
Rei grabbed a spare baton from a rack. "We go quiet. In and out. If something looks off—we don't play hero."
The team moved out, navigating the dark halls like wolves. Blood smeared the walls. Desks overturned. The air hung heavy with rot and that electric, post-sex tension that never quite faded.
They passed the music room.
A sound stopped them cold.
Singing.
Soft. Female. Off-key.
"…hush little baby, don't say a word…"
Sayaka's grip on Kenji tightened. Tetsuo raised his bat. Rei's eyes narrowed.
The door was cracked.
Sin whispered, "Wanna bet it's not human?"
Kenji edged forward and peeked in.
What he saw chilled him.
A girl—early 30s—dressed in a blood-soaked faculty blouse, cradling the half-eaten corpse of a child mannequin, rocking back and forth in a puddle of black ooze.
"She's gone," Rei whispered. "Mentally snapped."
"No," Kenji muttered. "She's not human. Look at her eyes."
They glowed.
Faintly red. Just like the Class B mutants.
Suddenly she stopped rocking.
Her head jerked up—too fast, too sharp.
She saw them.
She shrieked—a broken, shattering wail—and hurled the mannequin like a weapon, smashing the window above the door.
"BACK—!" Kenji shouted.
She leapt forward, screeching, claws where fingers should be.
Kenji met her mid-charge, slamming the crowbar into her ribs. She howled and twisted, slashing his shoulder.
"Kenji!" Sayaka screamed.
Akane tackled the woman-thing from behind, pinning her down. "Do something!"
Rei surged forward, stun rod pulsing. She jabbed it against the monster's skull. It spasmed, screeched—and finally collapsed.
[Ding!]
Kill Confirmed: Mutated Staff - "Lullaby Type"
+12 EXP
System Sync: 17%
New Threat Catalogued: "Lullaby Mutant – Class B"
Behavior: Stealth lure + maternal fixation
Weakness: Electric disruption
Kenji's HP: -9 (Shoulder Gash)
First Aid Recommended
Tetsuo helped Kenji up. "Dude. That's twice now you've almost died this week."
Kenji winced. "It's Monday."
Rei knelt beside him, eyes locked on the bleeding gash. "We need the nurse's office. Now."
Sayaka hovered anxiously, lip trembling again. "Can I help—?"
Akane cut in, eyes glinting. "You're cute when you're useless."
Sayaka snapped, "Better than being a slut in a bra!"
"Enough!" Rei barked. "Save the catfight for when we're not about to get eaten."
Kenji groaned. "Can we please get medical before my arm falls off?"
They reached the nurse's office minutes later.
Kenji sat down on the edge of a cot while Rei disinfected his wound, her fingers cool and practiced.
"You're lucky," she muttered. "Another inch deeper and you'd be minus an arm."
Kenji met her eyes. "Thanks for patching me up. Again."
Her cheeks flushed faintly. "Just… try not to die before I'm ready to lose you."
Akane raised a brow. "Oooh. Is Sensei catching feelings?"
Sayaka sat in the corner, arms crossed, clearly still upset.
Sin chuckled. "Damn. You've got one flirting, one pouting, and one hiding her thirst under a lab coat. Classic harem balance forming."
Kenji ignored him.
For now.
[Ding!]
System Update: Team Status Logged
Rei Kanzaki: High Affection / Sexual Tension: 64%
Akane Miyamoto: Flirty Affection / Sexual Tension: 58%
Sayaka Ueno: Protective Crush / Sexual Tension: 71%
Tetsuo Onizuka: Loyal Bro / Libido: Unknown
New Skill Acquired: Adrenaline Surge (Passive)
Small regen boost after sexual encounters or near-death fights
Recovery Speed: +8%
Kenji flexed his fingers. Pain dulled. His team? Alive. But danger was mounting. Zombies were mutating. The system was growing stronger.
He looked at Rei, Akane, Sayaka, then Tetsuo.
"I don't think this ends anytime soon."
Tetsuo nodded. "Good. I'm not done swinging."
Akane grinned. "I like chaos."
Sayaka hesitated… then took Kenji's hand. "Just don't leave me behind."
He squeezed it.
"Never."
Outside the door, another groan echoed in the dark.
Tomorrow would be bloodier.
But tonight? They were still breathing.
For now.