"What the hell?" Private First Class Hiroyuki Okumura muttered under his breath as he witnessed a flaming truck hurtling down the streets several miles away using his binoculars, its tires screeching against the pavement near the Mihama Cultural Hall.
Thick plumes of black smoke rose from the vehicle as it drove down the street at full speed. Hiroyuki's gaze followed the truck's chaotic path as it barreled through a horde of infected, their grotesque forms stumbling and clawing at the air in futile pursuit.
With a deafening roar, the truck collided with several abandoned vehicles, the impact sending a shockwave that reverberated through the ground. In an instant, a fireball erupted from the wreckage, illuminating the slowly darkening sky and sending the infected who had been chasing the truck flying backward like rag dolls caught in a violent wind.
Hiroyuki quickly traced the route the truck had come from, his eyes narrowing. In the distance, he discerned the figures of three individuals emerging from the chaos: a teenage boy with black hair and a girl with long hair, both running as the girl's hair whipped in the wind. Clinging to the girl's back was a small child, her face hidden in the girl's long hair. The trio dashed across the street despite the nearby infected, their movements fast and frantic as they approached the Cultural Hall.
Without hesitation, they leaped through the jagged opening of a broken window, their silhouettes framed against the fading light, vanishing into the building.
"...kids?" Hiroyuki said, his chest tightening. He raised his radio, his gas mask hanging on his chest. "Sergeant, I have eyes on three civilians across the bridge near the Mihama Cultural Hall. Requesting permission to extract them."
"Negative, Okumura. Remember your orders. Maintain focus on your mission and secure those explosives," Sergeant Yuichi Kido replied sharply, his tone unwavering.
"Sir, with all due respect, they're just children out here. There's a swarm of infected! I'm asking for authorization to lead a small team to extract them. We still have time—"
"Listen closely, Private. You are fully aware of our orders. No one is permitted to cross those bridges except our personnel. Those civilians are not our concern. Fall in line and execute your assigned task," Yuichi commanded. "Kido out."
Hiroyuki clenched his jaw as his Sergeant's words echoed in his ears. Behind him, his fellow soldiers stood, their faces betraying a mix of uncertainty and defeat, gas masks resting against their chests.
"Hiroyuki-san, there's nothing we can do," one soldier said, his voice tinged with resignation. "We can't help them."
"When I enlisted, I believed I was making a meaningful choice—to protect our beloved Japan and its people," Hiroyuki declared, his spirit igniting with a fierce conviction. "And now they want us to destroy our own home while turning our backs on the very lives we swore to defend? You know what I say? To hell with those orders!"
"That's a dangerous road, Senpai," another soldier warned, perched on the edge of an artillery tow truck, concern etched into his brow. "You could face a court-martial for disobeying."
"Then so be it," Hiroyuki replied, fire in his eyes. "At least I'll be able to look in the mirror and know I stood for what was right." He turned to face his comrades, conviction radiating from him. "I won't ask any of you to follow me, but I will not stand by while innocent lives are lost. I'm going to save those kids."
"Hiro-kun, there's no way we're letting you go alone!" one soldier shouted, determination sparking in his voice.
"That's right! We're with you all the way!" another chimed in, solidarity swelling within the group.
Hiroyuki's heart soared as he looked around at his platoon, each of them ready to stand shoulder to shoulder for this mission. Their unity ignited a flame of hope amidst despair. After drawing a deep, steadying breath, he nodded resolutely.
"Okay, let's go get those kids."
x x x
My plan was simple yet reckless. The truck at the top of the road was our only chance to clear the undead-ridden road ahead and create a large enough distraction.
Using an idea I remembered from watching an American movie I once watched with Komachi, I carefully slipped a long piece of cloth into the gas tank of the truck. I rigged the gas pedal with several heavy bricks and tied the steering wheel down using some rope, ensuring the vehicle would drive itself straight into the main parking lot of the Cultural Hall, away from the building.
Once everything was ready, I ignited the cloth on fire using a lighter I found at the pharmacy. I didn't stop there; I also used some lighter fluid to ignite the truck's cabin in case the fuel tank didn't explode.
From our safe spot beside the apartment buildings, we watched as the truck careened forward, its tires screeching against the cracked asphalt. The sight was surreal as the flaming truck barreled through the horde, crashing into the undead like a bowling ball striking down a set of pins. Bodies flew in all directions, and a cloud of dust and debris erupted into the air, mingling with the distant groans of the fallen. When the truck collided with several vehicles, a massive explosion shook the street.
"That was impressive," Saki remarked as we entered the building, a small smile flickering across her lips as we made our way toward the winding staircase at the end of the brightly lit hallway. "I can't believe your plan actually worked."
"Yeah... me either," I replied, a mix of disbelief and exhilaration washing over me. Hopefully, I wouldn't be held responsible for that if the world ever put itself back together.
"Before my phone died, Komachi told me that she and the bu-Taishi were hiding in a storage room on the west side of the second floor," I said as we ran up the stairs. Seeing a map on the wall, I quickly found our position. "It must be this way."
We paused in a corridor, taking a moment to look left and right for any infected. Satisfied that the coast was clear, we cautiously continued westward through the building. So far, we'd been fortunate — there hadn't been any signs of the infected lurking on the second floor. It seemed my plan had worked a little too well, not that I was complaining.
After what felt like an eternity of moving through the stark, eerily silent hallways, we finally reached our destination: a door marked with a faded 'Storage Room' sign.
"This must be it," I said.
Saki released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her expression shifting from tension to relief. She carefully set Keika down; the little girl looked up with wide eyes, mirroring Saki's anticipation. Without waiting a moment longer, Saki darted to the door and knocked quickly, her knuckles rapping against the wood with a sense of urgency.
"Taishi! Taishi, are you in there?!" Saki called, her voice laced with a mix of urgency and hope. We could hear a muffled response from behind the door, accompanied by the quick patter of feet and the rustling of objects. After what felt like an eternity, the door finally swung open, revealing Taishi, who beamed with joy at the sight of his sister and Keika.
"Nee-san!" Taishi exclaimed, his face lighting up as he dashed into Saki's embrace, wrapping his arms around her tightly. The moment felt magical, and in an instant, Keika couldn't contain her emotions either. She rushed forward, joining the comforting embrace of her brother and sister. Turning past them, I saw Komachi staring at me with tears running down her face.
"O-Onii-chan... I was so scared," she said, using the sleeves of a jacket I didn't recognize to wipe away her tears, but it only left them streaked across her face. My heart ached for her, and without hesitation, I stepped toward her, wrapping my arms around her in a tight, reassuring hug.
I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the warmth of her small frame against me, and I could feel my throat tighten as her quiet sobs filled the space between us.
"It's okay, Komachi... I'm here now," I whispered gently, as if my presence alone could shield her from the fears that had gripped her. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
x x x
Saki and I settled onto a couple of sturdy boxes in the dimly lit storage room. From our seats, we observed Komachi, Taishi, and Keika happily devouring the food we had brought from the pharmacy. The three of them were smiling and laughing, almost as if Hell itself wasn't outside. It was a heartening sight.
"Thank you, Hikigaya." Saki's voice pulled me from my thoughts, drawing my gaze to her. She was looking at me earnestly, her expression softening in the light.
"For what?" I replied, leaning back against the stack of boxes.
"For helping me get to my brother... I don't think I could have gotten here alone, so... thank you. I owe you one." Saki's words tumbled out, sincere. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and placed her hand over mine, her touch warm and surprisingly gentle.
I could feel my cheeks start to heat up, a flush creeping across my skin as her fingers delicately squeezed my hand. Her usually confident demeanor was momentarily replaced by vulnerability as she struggled to maintain eye contact, her gaze darting to the floor.
"Ah... don't mention it," I mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant, though my heart was racing at the unexpected closeness. The warmth of her hand lingered even after she slowly withdrew it.
"W-well, once they get their fill of food. We should get out of here. That explosion won't keep the infected distracted forever," Saki said as she stood up, slightly red-faced. I nodded and stood up as well.
"Y-yeah. You're right."
While I would have preferred to spend the rest of the evening resting, Saki had a valid point. My earlier distraction would only hold off the infected for so long, and it would also attract more of the undead to the building. The last thing we needed was to be surrounded and trapped. I walked over to the window and spotted Masago Central Park in the distance. The area surrounding the park had few infected, just two or three stragglers wandering about. After surveying the area, I developed a solid plan.
I turned to everyone and explained it. Once we stepped outside, we were to move along the stranded cars on the left side of the southern parking lot, then run towards the park. From there, we would travel through the dense trees on the left and exit on the other side. From there, we would return to the pharmacy from before and rest for the night before making our way to the address Haruno had given me.
It was a simple plan. But far from easy, given the infected. When I was done, no one objected, trusting my judgment. Before we left the room, I paused and looked at Komachi and Taishi.
"When we leave the building, you must do everything we say. Understood? Stay close, stay silent, and stay alert," I said in a serious tone. Komachi and Taishi exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Onii-chan."
"You got, Onii-san."
I furrowed my brows at what Taishi called me, but I decided to let it slide for now. Gripping my bat firmly, I focused on the task at hand as we stepped out of the storage room. With Taishi's arrival, the dynamics shifted; he had instinctively taken on the responsibility of carrying Keika while Saki stepped in to guard our rear, her spear poised and ready.
We moved swiftly and silently down the staircase. My heart raced as we navigated the maze of hallways. As we were about to reach the door that would let us out, we encountered a lone infected in our way.
Komachi and Taishi froze at the sight of the bloodied woman, their eyes wide with fear. Gripping my bat, I moved forward. Komachi tried to stop me, but I motioned for her to stop. Once close enough, I brought my bat down on the undead's skull, caving it in. Komachi and Taishi stared at the undead corpse, waiting for it to move. Seeing it stay still, the two turned to me.
"When it comes to stopping these things, go for the head," I said.
"Onii-san... you're amazing," Taishi muttered, wide-eyed with Komachi nodding beside him.
Yeah! That was impressive, Oniichan-Chan!"
"Uh, no. Let's just keep moving," I said awkwardly and continued on.
As we reached the double doors that led outside, Saki and I peered through the glass. "Damn... there are more of them out there," Saki said, grimacing at the sight of four infected individuals blocking our path. I nodded and turned to Komachi and Taishi.
"We're going to clear a path. No matter what happens, stay close and keep moving, okay?" I said. Komachi looked scared but nodded in agreement. Taishi was also frightened, but he forced a brave expression. I turned to Saki.
"Ready?"
"Let's do this."
We unlocked and opened the doors slowly. After gathering ourselves, we began running towards the park. Due to the loud latching noises of the double doors closing, the four infected out back turned toward us and started growling. I cursed to myself and watched them shambling towards us.
As I was about to engage the closest one, I saw movement from the corner of my eye.
From around the corner of the far-end side of the Culture Hall building, over a dozen infected ran out, their forms bloodied.
However, what I saw next terrified me to my core.
"Their eyes... they're… tracking us," I said in a breath as I watched the horde's red eyes glaring at us. "They can see."
"Kawasaki!" I hissed just loud enough for her to hear me. She turned to where I pointed, and all the color on her face drained away at the sight of the incoming undead. "Those can see!"
"W-what?" She whispered in shock.
Two of the closest infected lunged at me, but I quickly dashed to the right. The infected, a now bloodied firefighter, crashed into one of its brethren, what used to be a young woman, sending them to the ground. I reared my weapon back and slammed it down onto the infected woman's head. As she flopped to the floor, the man jumped over her corpse with his hands outstretched, eager to rip me apart.
I lifted my left leg and kicked his chest, sending him to the ground. I stepped back and reared my bat behind me. The man's neck snapped from the impact, but he lived on. Rearing my arms back once more, I caved the infected's skull in with one clean hit.
Off behind me, Saki swung her spear to the left and slammed it across an infected's eyes. Blood and gore flew through the air as Saki pulled the spear back and rammed its pointed end through the man's skull. She turned her head and saw the other infected man open his bloodied jaw wide; he made a beeline towards her as he released a guttural growl.
Saki pulled out her spear and held it in front of her, her stance as solid as a rock. The portly infected rammed straight into the weapon, causing one end to explode out of his stomach and out the back, but instead of stopping, the infected man pressed forward, reaching for Saki. Stunned by the undead's relentlessness, she hesitated to act. Unlike me, Saki hadn't faced the infected as much on our way to the Cultural Hall and hadn't yet developed the instincts needed to stop them mercilessly in their tracks.
"Onee-san!" Taishi yelled in fright.
I dashed towards Saki and the infected at full speed. I slid to a stop behind the man and slammed my bat into the side of his head. The right side of the undead's head splintered loudly as bone and blood splattered on the ground. Saki pulled out her spear from his stomach and jammed it into the man's left eye. Her weapon exited out of the undead skull with a bloody squelch.
"Onii-chan! Saki-san!" Komachi yelled as she ran towards us, with Taishi and Keika following her. "L-look!"
We turned our heads, our hearts racing and stomachs dropping, as we spotted over a dozen frenzied infected from before. They weren't just running; they were hurtling toward us with frantic speed, limbs flailing and mouths agape, hungry for anything in their path. Their glowing red eyes, wild and empty, glinted with a terrifying madness as they closed the distance between us.
"Run!" I yelled, and we all ran as fast as we could to the park.