The young woman with long, straight, light blue hair walked through the halls with her razor in hand, meditating on the consequences of having saved the protagonist's first love.
The most worrying thing was: would the protagonist continue to be interested in male protagonists? Yes or no?
She didn't know. According to the information she'd recently received, Rina, the protagonist, had never been able to forget Riku, her first love. She always remembered him. The mysterious informant even mentioned that, in a chapter narrated by Rina herself, she had said that if she had the chance to revive Riku, she would do it without a second thought and give everything for him.
By now, it was clear that Rina loved Riku far more than the male leads. So much so that, even after his death, she remembered him and never stopped loving him until the end of her days.
Therefore, if he had never died, Rina would never have even looked at the male leads. She wouldn't have even given them a chance, because she would have remained in love with Riku Yoshida until her last breath.
And now that Riku Yoshida was still alive and hadn't died like in the novel, Rina's future love interests would most likely consider him a threat and try to kill him.
Her thoughts and worries faded as she realized she was approaching a classroom. It was the third classroom she'd checked that day. As she approached, the first thing she noticed was a puddle of water covering the entire entrance and extending into the classroom.
She slowly approached the classroom. Inside, there was even more water on the floor, but that didn't compare to the disturbing scene she witnessed: a male teacher eating another female teacher.
And not in the way she would have preferred, or at least not in the way that it looked terrifying.
The teacher was literally devouring the teacher. He was a zombie eating the guts of the teacher's corpse, missing an arm, both eyes, and with her stomach completely ripped open.
The zombie seemed to notice her presence, as it looked at her and quickly lunged at her. Although Yuika was prepared for such a situation, this time the speed with which the zombie attacked her took her by surprise, as it was faster than the previous ones she had encountered.
The zombie knocked her to the ground, crushing her with its weight as it tried to bite her face. As it fell, Yuika lost her grip on her knife, which slipped from her hand.
Yuika groaned in frustration as she felt the corpse's cold skin crushing her, its yellowish teeth inches from her neck. With a swift movement, she placed her hand on the zombie's forehead and pushed with all her might, desperate to keep it away and prevent it from biting her.
"Damn it!" he growled, his hands shaking from the effort. The zombie was stronger than he'd imagined.
Somehow, she managed to push him to the ground, giving her enough time to grab her knife again, which was at her side. By then, the zombie had gotten up and attacked her a second time, but Yuika was already prepared. This time, she was the one who knocked him down, landing on top of him.
However, the zombie was incredibly strong and writhed under her weight, struggling to break free. It opened its grotesque jaw and tried to bite her again, its head jerking violently in search of any part of her body it could reach.
Yuika gritted her teeth, her heart racing and her muscles burning with exertion. She gripped the knife in both hands, pointing it straight at the zombie's skull as she struggled with it. The undead tried to raise its stiff arms, but she reacted faster, using her weight to immobilize it completely.
"Stay still, you bastard!" he growled, beads of sweat running down his forehead.
The zombie let out a guttural growl, and its teeth ground together as it tried to reach her face. Yuika knew she couldn't hold it like that for much longer; her arms were shaking, and the pressure of the dead body beneath hers was wearing on her.
Without wasting another second, she raised the knife and plunged it into the middle of the zombie's forehead with a sickening sound. The creature thrashed violently, convulsing for a few seconds, but Yuika pushed the blade harder until she felt it hit something hard.
The zombie finally fell dead..
Yuika remained on top of the body for a few more seconds, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly with adrenaline. She pulled the knife from the skull with a sharp jerk, wiping the blade clean on the corpse's soiled clothing.
He was about to get up when he saw something shining in the wound in the center of the zombie's forehead, right where he had stabbed it earlier....
Yuika narrowed her eyes, feeling a mixture of curiosity and caution.
What was that?
Something glowed dimly from the open wound in the zombie's skull, a bright flash that didn't belong to any normal organic structure.
Intrigued, Yuika frowned and leaned closer to inspect the shiny object. The light flickered faintly inside the hole left by the razor. She hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity won. Carefully, she inserted her fingers into the wound and felt something cold and hard.
"What the hell is this?" she whispered to herself as she pulled out the object.
It was a small crystal, the size of a marble, somewhere between white and transparent in color, emitting a faint glow. As he held it between his fingers, a strange sensation ran through his body, as if something inside the crystal was vibrating in sync with his breathing.
Yuika turned it over in her hands, but couldn't determine what it was or why it was embedded in the zombie's brain. However, her instinct told her it wasn't something common.
Perhaps this crystal had something to do with the zombie's abnormal speed and strength.
It was at that moment that he remembered that, in the novel "A Love Worth Killing For," that is, in this world, there is a way for people with superpowers to advance through the levels. Superpowers are divided into levels, and each higher level is stronger than the one before it.
As they progress, they become stronger, more agile, and acquire new abilities related to the power they awakened.
They advance in level after consuming enough zombie cores to achieve a breakthrough. That small crystal he found inside the zombie's head was a level 1 core. Perhaps that's why this zombie was stronger and faster than the previous ones he'd faced, since the others didn't have any cores at all.
Now that he knew this information about the cores, he began to worry for their safety, as he didn't expect the zombies to start mutating so quickly.
Besides, she didn't know if she would awaken some power or remain a useless human, without any special abilities. If that happened, it would be the worst, since people without powers would just be toys and entertainment for superpowers in the future; at least, that's how it was written in the novel.
In a zombie apocalypse, where zombies become increasingly powerful, the only thing humanity can do is match their strength. The weakest would have only two options: be toys of the powerful or become food for the zombies.
So for now, he decided to save the core in case it awakened some power to consume it...
Once that was done, Yuika set the zombie aside, stood up, and began looking around the room, realizing it was a staff room. In the center was a long table with several chairs around it, littered with scattered papers. On one side of the room was a filing cabinet, and against one wall was a small automatic coffee maker next to a side table with disposable cups.
The opposite wall was occupied by a series of lockers, possibly where each teacher kept their personal belongings. On top of some were forgotten jackets or books stacked haphazardly. A large corkboard on the wall had papers pinned with colored pushpins: event announcements, meeting schedules, and handwritten notes.
There were also two water dispensers, one on each side of the wall: one on the left and one on the right. However, the dispenser on the left side was overturned on the floor, its bottle broken and water spilling all over the floor. The dispenser on the right side was still intact, although, despite being in good condition, it was slowly dripping water as something was pressing the power button: it was a hand, or rather, part of an arm hanging over the button.
Next to the dispenser on the right side was a vending machine, and a little further on, in a corner, was a small refrigerator with a compact microwave next to it.
At least now she knew where one of the corpse's missing arms was. Chances are the teacher had been trying to drink water when she was attacked by a zombie.
But most importantly, there was still water left in the bottle in the dispenser on the right side, exactly what I needed...
Yuika moved toward the dispenser, but stopped when she felt something brush against her feet. She looked down and saw that the teacher's corpse had transformed into a zombie. Armless, it was propelling itself like a worm, trying to bite her.
Yuika reacted quickly, kicking her hard to push her away. Then, without hesitation, she plunged the knife into her eye, stopping her completely.
"It's not normal for them to mutate so quickly," he thought, cleaning his knife again. The situation was more dangerous than he had anticipated. Every minute that passed increased the risks.
Finally, he reached the dispenser. He removed his hand from the button and grabbed one of the disposable cups. He filled the cup with water and drank it in one gulp. The cold liquid ran down his throat, restoring some mental clarity.
There was now only a quarter of the 20-liter bottle of water left.
"At least something useful..." he muttered as he put the glass aside.
But he knew he couldn't stay there for long. Danger was everywhere, and the zombies would only get stronger.
The truth was that the situation was escalating dangerously, and with every passing minute, the risks increased.
At that moment, she once again experienced that strange sensation of drinking water: the fatigue and tiredness vanished completely. Even the hunger that had been plaguing her vanished. On the contrary, she felt stronger and full of energy, as if her body had regained all its vitality with just a sip. It was as if the water had magical properties... Well, not exactly magical, because if it did, Riku would have noticed it too.
Still, the water seemed to affect her differently, strengthening her body and restoring her energy. Why only her? What made her different?
He didn't have an answer yet, but he would make sure to find out.
He turned his gaze to the small refrigerator and began to search through it. Upon opening it, he realized how little, if any, useful items were inside: he found only three sandwiches in packaging that, at first glance, seemed edible. He also saw a couple of lunch containers, some half-eaten and labeled with names. However, the strong smell emanating from them was nauseating, indicating that the food was likely rotten.
The stench had contaminated the inside of the refrigerator, even permeating the sandwiches, although they didn't seem completely spoiled yet. The only thing that was saved were the energy drinks, which were intact and ready to drink.
Unfortunately, there were only two bottles of energy drink. She took them and placed them on the table, ready to put them in her backpack as soon as she found something to eat.
Finally, he stopped rummaging through the small refrigerator when he couldn't find anything else edible. He shifted his gaze to the nearby vending machine and decided to take a closer look. He carefully examined the products behind the glass: bottles of water, soda, canned juice, chocolate bars, packages of cookies, and a few bags of potato chips.
Just what I needed
Yuika felt in her uniform pockets, but didn't find any coins.
"Great... just when I need a coin," he muttered sarcastically.
He leaned toward the machine's panel and pressed several buttons at random to see if, by chance, any drinks or food would fall out without having to pay. The machine didn't even make a sound. He tried to push the slot where the items were collected, but it was stuck.
He kicked the sides of the vending machine several times, hoping something would come out, but nothing happened. Gradually, he began to despair, let out a sigh of frustration, and began examining his remaining options.
He realized that the only option left was to break the glass of the machine.
He tried to break it, but that proved easier said than done, as the glass was quite durable. It wasn't damaged by his blows or when he stabbed it with his knife; he only managed to get a small scratch.
Anger and helplessness began to flood her, building up like a storm inside her.
Yuika clenched her fists tightly, feeling her nails dig into her palms as she struggled to control her emotions. She knew losing control wouldn't help her at all, but the frustration of being surrounded by danger and unable to obtain even a simple snack was overwhelming her.
While Yuika remained oblivious, the water scattered on the floor began to flow behind her, creating a wave. Consumed by frustration, she vented her anger by hitting the glass of the vending machine with both hands. Although she knew it would achieve nothing, she did it anyway. Unexpectedly, the water, as if synchronized with her emotions, hit the glass with such force that it completely shattered.
Yuika recoiled in astonishment as the vending machine's glass shattered, scattering pieces across the floor. Her heart raced, and her eyes widened as she stared at the water that had washed over the glass just as she'd taken her frustration out on the machine.
"What... what was that?" she whispered, her breath coming in short bursts, looking around to make sure nothing else was out of the ordinary.
The water, now calm, lay at her feet, but the evidence was there: the broken glass and the scattered produce on the floor. Had it been her anger? Was the water connected to her emotions?
She didn't know, but what was clear was that she'd felt a strange connection with the liquid. Something she couldn't explain, but recognized as a direct link between her emotional state and the water surrounding her.
Had a power awakened?
But if she had truly awakened an ability, why hadn't she shown any symptoms? According to the novel "A Love Worth Killing For," before awakening a power, people would suffer body aches, headaches, cramps, and high fever.
Or maybe she had? She remembered fainting and how, after drinking water, her fatigue disappeared. She felt a connection to the water, as if she were bonded to it.
But it was one thing to assume he had power over water, and quite another to actually prove it. If he truly possessed that ability, he had to learn to control it.
He took a deep breath and raised a hand, observing his fingers with a mixture of wonder and caution. How far did this connection with water go?
In front of her, the spilled puddle still spread across the floor. Yuika closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensation she had experienced moments before, when the water seemed to respond to her anger.
At first, nothing happened. The water remained still. But little by little, Yuika felt a slight tingling in her fingers, as if something inside her was beginning to stir. She opened her eyes just in time to see the puddle begin to move, forming small eddies around her.
"It can't be..." she whispered, astonished.
The water moved at her will, without her explicitly asking for it. She was connected to it.
Determined to try further, she reached out toward the puddle, without touching it, and visualized the water rising like an extension of her own will. The liquid responded immediately, rising in a thin column that floated before her eyes.
Yuika felt a surge of excitement at the sheer ease of manipulating it. She moved her hand to the right, and the column followed. Then she moved it to the left, and the water obeyed. Finally, she made a gesture as if throwing something, and the liquid shot out toward the wall, splashing everywhere.
He breathed heavily, his heart racing.
I had done it.
He had awakened a power, and it was related to water.
He wasn't just surviving this apocalypse anymore; he now had a powerful tool at his disposal. Water was everywhere, and if he could harness it, his chances of survival would increase exponentially.
— No way, I've awakened the superpower of water! I'm not useless anymore, yay! — she commented excitedly to herself.
The zombie apocalypse wasn't the only drastic change in her life. Now, Yuika had a new ability. She knew it was dangerous, but it could also be her best defense in this chaotic world.
In a good mood, he set about taking several things out of the vending machine and putting them in his backpack, including the two energy bottles he'd left on the table. Once he'd put everything away, he checked the lockers for anything useful and only found a jacket lying on top of one of them. Finally, he prepared to leave the room, but not before taking several sips of water from the still-working dispenser.
With renewed determination, Yuika left the room, her mind filled with questions, but with one clear certainty: the water was on her side.
He headed to the last room he hadn't yet checked in that hallway, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything useful, just tables, chairs, and a pile of papers. Since there was nothing he could use or eat, he decided to keep going until, at the end of the hallway, he came across some stairs leading down to the ground floor.
Upon reaching the stairs, Yuika slowly went down, keeping her knife ready in case another zombie appeared, but she stopped just one step away from finishing going down when she heard several grunts. She poked her head out and saw a scene that made her stop in her tracks.
In the downstairs lobby there were over two dozen zombies, all wandering around everywhere, even at the main entrance.
That meant the only escape route was blocked by too many zombies.
Shit
Yuika realized she couldn't take on so many zombies at once. Even with her newfound power over water, she knew she still didn't have the skill or control to wield it with the precision she would need in a confrontation of that magnitude.
If she couldn't go out alone, she would certainly not go out with a group where one member was injured (Riku), and another would probably scream in fear (Aika) or yell at her. None of them seemed capable of helping in a battle. While Riku might try to help, he was injured, and if he pushed himself too hard, his wound might reopen. Besides, she knew that wound would take at least a week to heal, if not longer.
Aware that he was unable to leave through the main entrance, he realized he had to find another escape route.
To do this, I should talk to Rina and her friends to see if any of them knew of any way out other than the main entrance, and even better, if it didn't involve going down to the ground floor.
So he turned around to go back to them....
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When an unknown girl tells him in his dream about how Rina never forgot Riku
Yuika: What about the protagonists?
Unknown girl: They are always second-rate food (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
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Yuika's frustration at not being able to get food from the vending machine
Yuika: Why don't you just come out?! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
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When Yuika realizes her connection to water
Yuika: I've awakened the superpower of water! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
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When you face an armless zombie
Yuika: Really? A worm zombie? (;¬´¬)