The plan was simple: move fast, hit hard, and don't look back.
But nothing in the apocalypse stayed simple for long.
Kenji's hands were slick with blood—some dried, some fresh—as he gripped the crowbar tighter. His breath was steady, but his heart was a storm. Every step toward the main gate felt heavier than the last. Tetsuo hauled a bulging duffel of scavenged supplies behind them. Rei and Akane guarded the rear, weapons drawn, eyes sharp.
Sayaka Ueno walked in the center, swallowed up by Kenji's spare hoodie. Her steps were small. Her eyes never stopped shaking. The tremble in her hands hadn't faded since they'd pulled her from the brink. She was trying to hold it together. But barely.
"Main gate's just down the hall and right," Rei whispered.
Kenji nodded. "Then we're almost out."
Akane chuckled softly, forcing a smile. "After everything, I kinda wanna step outside just to scream."
Tetsuo muttered, "Just don't scream too loud. We've still got company."
The school looked nothing like it had three days ago. The halls reeked of death. Blood painted the walls in streaks. Lockers hung open like metal mouths. Every door was broken. Every classroom a grave.
And then—it hit them.
Silence.
Not the silence of safety, but the wrong kind. That gut-twisting, skin-prickling stillness predators made before the kill.
Sayaka stopped walking. "It's too quiet…"
Kenji felt it too.
"MOVE!" he roared, just as the ceiling collapsed behind them in a spray of dust and bone.
Zombies poured down—like a river of flesh. Former classmates, teachers, twisted limbs and empty eyes. Some wore cheer uniforms. One had a missing jaw. Another dragged a broken limb behind it like dead weight.
Rei screamed, "RUN!"
Kenji grabbed Sayaka's hand—cold, so cold—and pulled her into a sprint. Tetsuo swung wildly, buying seconds. Akane shoved open the gym doors. They tore through like a pack of hunted animals, slamming them shut with a deafening crash.
Breathless. Shaking.
"We're close," Akane gasped, pointing. "There—the fire exit!"
Sayaka choked out a sob of relief. "We… we made it…"
Then she froze.
Her knees buckled.
Kenji turned, heart dropping into ice water. Sayaka clutched her stomach—her hoodie sliding to reveal torn cloth and ripped flesh.
Bite marks. Fresh.
Rei's face went pale. "When did this happen?!"
Sayaka shook her head. "I-I didn't know… they grabbed me… in the library… I thought I was fine…"
"No," Kenji whispered, stepping back. "No, no, no…"
Sayaka's lips trembled. Her veins darkened. Her breathing hitched.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking at him through tears. "I wanted to see my little brother again. I thought—if I made it—maybe he…"
Her voice cracked. Her hands clawed at her chest. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Please. Kenji…"
The others froze. Akane had tears in her eyes. Tetsuo looked away, fists clenched. Rei's hand hovered over her mouth like she was holding in a scream.
Sayaka stared into Kenji's eyes, pleading. "Please don't let me become one of them."
He knelt in front of her.
Her lips trembled into a smile. "Thank you… for saving me. Even if it was just for a little while…"
Kenji gently cupped her cheek.
And she leaned into him like a child seeking warmth.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
The crowbar rose.
And with one, clean motion—
Thud.
Her body fell limp in his arms.
Still.
Silent.
Akane turned away and wept.
Rei was crying openly now, mascara streaked with sweat and sorrow.
Tetsuo punched the wall—once, twice, until his knuckles bled.
Kenji didn't move.
He couldn't.
Only when Rei touched his shoulder did he stir. He laid Sayaka's body down with care. Crossed her arms. Tucked the hoodie gently over her.
Then he stood. Crowbar bloody. Eyes deadened.
"Let's finish this."
Tetsuo kicked open the fire exit. The door groaned, then burst open. Sunlight poured in—golden and warm, but it didn't feel like hope. It felt like a lie.
They ran into the courtyard.
And froze.
The world outside wasn't salvation.
It was hell.
Cars flipped. Smoke rising from the streets. Distant screams. Fires. A city breaking apart at the seams. The sky was full of helicopters and the air was full of death.
Kenji stood at the edge of the world he once knew. The sun stung his eyes. Not from brightness. From grief.
"This isn't the end," he muttered. "It's just level two."
---
[System Update: New Area Unlocked – City Outskirts]
[Lust Meter: 53% | Party Members: 4, formally 5 | Casualties: 1]
[New Objective: Find Shelter. Find Survivors. Survive.]
Behind them, Sayaka's body twitched one last time.
But none of them turned around.
They couldn't afford to look back.
Not anymore.