"Is everyone ready?" Haru asked, scanning the faces around him.
They had finished eating just moments ago, regaining some energy after the long hours of tension. Though exhaustion was still etched on most of their features, the time to move had come. No one could stay in this place any longer.
Haru took a deep breath, then spoke in a quiet yet firm tone:
"Remember... we will only help those we can help. We will not endanger ourselves for strangers we have no power to save."
His words were undoubtedly harsh, perhaps painful for some... but the truth was plain for all to see.
In this hell, no one wanted to die before seeing their family, or hearing the voices of their loved ones again.
None of them wished to turn into one of those monsters because of a reckless decision.
Haru continued, outlining the marching order:
"Saeko and I will take the lead.
Komuro, Miyamoto, and Ishii will be responsible for guarding the rear.
As for Hirano and Sora, their task is to protect Shizuka-sensei, Takagi-san... and Utaha-senpai."
His words echoed in the hall for a few short seconds before everyone nodded in agreement, their faces serious, their gazes steady.
No one objected — not because they feared Haru, but because they understood his plan was the most rational among all available options. With so many non-combatants present, there was no room for error.
In the end... everyone knew that one stray bullet, one wrong step, or a moment of hesitation at a critical juncture could be enough to turn someone into a zombie.
And so... there was absolutely no room for not adhering to the plan.
"Let's go," Haru said in a low, decisive voice, tightening the red glove with iron claws firmly on his hand.
He knew full well that he needed every tool he could rely on today.
Wearing the Cross Tail wasn't just a choice... it was the most rational option under these circumstances.
Fighting using the Kagune undoubtedly granted him immense power, but it consumed a terrifying amount of his energy and plunged his body into an insatiable hunger. In a world where the streets were filled with zombies, he couldn't risk losing his focus or self-control.
The threads of the Cross Tail... were a different story.
They weren't as hard to control as he initially thought when he first obtained them. After the System's upgrade, controlling them became extremely easy, as if they were an extension of his own limbs.
More importantly... they were sharp enough to cut through steel like butter.
A silent, deadly, reliable weapon that didn't exhaust his body.
With a final tug on the glove, Haru felt a cold confidence flow through his veins.
He looked at the others, then gave a slight nod.
It was time to move.
The moment the staff room door opened, Saeko shot forward like a leopard freed from its chains.
Just two steps were enough before Mugenjin flashed in her hands, and with one fluid, graceful motion, two zombies were cleaved in half without resistance, while her face remained calm... cold as unyielding ice.
Haru watched her for a moment, then opened the System window in his mind to check his progress on the Kill 1,000 Zombies Quest.
A slight wave of disappointment washed over him when he saw the number still fixed at 215.
It seemed the System... simply... didn't count the zombies killed by Saeko, even if she was affiliated with him.
He sighed lightly, then closed the window in his mind.
It wasn't that important.
After all, he had killed — alone — nearly half of the zombies in the school.
And while the school housed roughly five hundred people among students, teachers, and staff, and subtracting potential survivors... the actual number of zombies hadn't even reached five hundred.
Yet, Haru alone had surpassed that number, an impossible feat for an ordinary person...
And one that wouldn't have been possible without the Kagune.
'Not the time to think about this...'
Haru shook his head to dispel his distraction, then moved his hand nimbly.
From between the fingers of the iron-clawed glove, threads so fine they were barely visible to the naked eye shot out.
They darted with lightning speed towards the remaining zombies in the corridor, and before any of them could make the slightest sound... their heads were rolling on the ground in cold silence.
And so, the path for the group was cleared another step towards survival.
The group soon reached the outdoor staircase leading to the first floor, revealing the school's wide courtyard before them...
And the scene there was far from reassuring.
Dozens of zombies wandered aimlessly, swaying like broken dolls that had lost their strings, dragging their feet on the concrete floor, with nothing in their glassy stares suggesting even a shred of consciousness remained within them.
Saya lowered her voice to the absolute minimum as she spoke, as if any word louder than a whisper might unleash disaster:
"The zombies... just like in the movies. They only have a sense of hearing. Their other senses are practically dead."
She glanced with her eyes towards Haru and the others, then continued:
"I confirmed this earlier when I was with that fat guy. But... don't let this reassure you. Their physical strength is terrifying enough to rip off a metal door easily."
She swallowed lightly, adding in a more serious tone:
"If one of them grabs you... it's the end. Simply."
Silence reigned for a few seconds before gazes turned to Haru, awaiting further instructions.
A mistake here... could mean death for everyone.
When Haru saw the looks directed at him, those looks waiting for a word, a plan, or any decision from him that would save them... he could only sigh inwardly.
He wasn't the ideal leader. He wasn't someone skilled in strategy or calm thinking under pressure.
All he had was his determination to get out of this hell alive... nothing more.
He never expected others to rely on him like this.
He was just doing what he could, trying to keep them alive, nothing more, nothing less.
And deep inside, he knew well...
If his mother wasn't in the picture, if he didn't remember how angry she would be if she learned he had left others to die while he could help them... he would have acted without hesitation.
He would have taken Sora and Shizuka, and left the school alone.
With his current strength, escape wouldn't have been difficult at all.
But that path... was no longer available.
He couldn't bear the thought of angering his mother... not now, not ever.
She was the most precious person in his heart, alongside Sora.
And for the sake of seeing her again, for the sake of hearing her voice, which he missed more than he cared to admit... he had only one path:
Get out of this hell.
And get out fast.
And before he could open his mouth to speak, a loud scream cut through the corridor:
"Kyaa!!"
The group exchanged quick, shocked glances, then directed their gaze down the stairs.
There, right at the entrance to the second floor, a group of two girls and three boys was cornered, while several zombies slowly, lethally approached them, stretching out their arms as if proclaiming a death sentence.
And for a moment... everyone's breath stopped.
...
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