…Two Days Ago…
Yukino watched as Hachiman, Saki, and Keika disappeared from around the corner of the Community Center building, her stomach twisting. She jumped slightly as Yui grabbed her hand.
"It's going to be okay, Yukinon. We have to believe in Hikki," Yui said with a smile.
Yukino frowned as she gazed back at the last place she had seen Hachiman. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and returned Yui's smile.
"Yes… Yes, you're right," Yukino said, gripping Yui's hand firmly.
In the center of the room, Haruno watched her sister with a sad smile. Turning to the window, she couldn't shake the feeling that she might never see Hachiman again. Shaking her head, Haruno rejected that thought and regained her focus.
"Everyone!" Haruno called out, making sure not to speak too loudly to avoid agitating the infected outside. "Before we move out, we need to divide everyone here into three groups. I would have preferred five groups due to the large number of people here, but that would make it harder for us to keep track of each other. Still, having a large group can come with benefits. There is strength in numbers, after all."
"Um, how should we decide who goes where?" Saika asked nervously.
"I say we separate by school," Shin, another member of Kaihin's Student Council, said. "This way, there will be better group cohesion."
"That's a great idea!" Tamanawa said. "This will bring us to two groups instead of three!"
"Yeah! That's right!" Kaori nodded.
"No," Haruno said quickly. "If you haven't noticed, excluding me, there are twelve students from Kaihin and fourteen from Sobu. The reason we're splitting into three groups is to move more easily through the city without attracting too much attention. We need to have an even number of members in each group. If the majority of you want to stay together, you'll have to give up three of your classmates to balance the numbers. Is that what you want?"
Tamanawa blinked and looked over his classmates, who were all on one side of the room. "But that's…"
"Kazuma, Akiko, Maki," Mamoru called out, turning to a disheveled boy with brown hair, a girl with glasses and short hair, and another girl with blue highlights. All three jumped in surprise. "You three will be joining one of the Sobu groups. This will significantly increase everyone's chances of success."
"That's right," Yasuhiro nodded. "While we're saddened to break up our school group, we think you three should join Sobu."
"Huh! Don't we get to talk about this?" Kazuma said, clearly nervous about being separated from his classmates.
"T-that's right! I don't want to go with them!" Akiko cried.
"You can't just tell us what to do, Mamoru!" Maki glared at her student council president. "Say something, Tamanawa!"
"It'll be alright!" Tamanawa spoke up, his hands shifting in the air. "You three are still our precious classmates. But for now, until we reach our goal, you all will be representing Kaihin's best to everyone in Sobu. Don't worry, I'm confident that nothing will go awry, and we'll all meet each other soon!"
Kazuma stared at Tamanawa with disbelief, the tension in the room rising. Maki shook her head, angry and feeling betrayed. "You son of a-"
"Enough," Haruno declared firmly. "If this is how you all intend to proceed, then so be it. These aren't the even numbers I wanted, but we'll find a way to make it work. I'll assign the other two groups, and you three will join the one with the fewest members." She fixed her gaze on Kazuma, cutting him off before he could speak. "This is not open for discussion."
Kazuma and Akiko nodded, unable to speak back to someone older and well-composed. Maki, while not happy, relented. Her eyes were glaring over at her classmates, some of whom withered under her gaze.
"That was… cutthroat," Iroha said. Her comment caused several of Kaihin's students to look away, clearly uncomfortable. Even so, no one wanted to speak out for fear of being switched out.
Kaori, whose natural disposition had always been to uplift spirits and bring a sense of warmth to her peers, felt a wave of shame wash over her. Why hadn't she spoken up? The thought gnawed at her as several low, inhuman growls erupted from the other side of the wall, sending a shiver down her spine. All her hesitation faded into the recesses of her mind, replaced by a singular, frantic thought.
I don't want to die. Kaori tightened her grip on the fabric of her skirt, her knuckles pale from the strain of her anxiety.
Yukino observed the fragile dynamics unfolding around her, her expression clouded with disappointment. Although having three students from Kaihin amongst them shouldn't be considered a death sentence, she could sense the underlying current of fear driving Tamanawa and the others. It was unsettling to think that they were perhaps subconsciously viewing this decision as dire. Their base human survival instincts were evident, manifesting in a desperate willingness to sacrifice one another in the face of potential danger—an act of cowardice draped in the guise of self-preservation.
This is human nature at its finest. Yukino thought. We sacrifice whoever we can to save ourselves.
What would Hikigaya-kun have done? Yukino thought sadly.
x x x
Hayato leaned around the corner of the building, his sharp gaze sweeping over the bloodied streets. He spotted a few scattered infected, their mangled forms shuffling mindlessly down the road. He turned back to his group, raising his fingers to signal silently. Five infected, he signaled. Haruno caught his glance and nodded, her expression serious as she observed the makeshift weapons fashioned from sports gear that everyone clutched tightly in their hands.
Taking a steadying breath, Hayato launched himself across the street with a mix of speed and stealth, his heart pounding in his chest. Once he reached the safety of the parallel alleyway, he paused to double-check his surroundings, scanning for any sign of the undead. The coast appeared clear, and with a subtle wave, he beckoned the others to follow.
"Go," Haruno urged gently, pressing her palm against Yukino's back. The younger Yukinoshita, her eyes wide with a mix of determination and fear, nodded and dashed across the street. Yui followed closely behind with Yumiko right behind her, their breaths coming in quick bursts as the group scrambled to safety. One after another, every member of Group A—Yukino, Yui, Hayato, Yumiko, Hina, Saika, Iroha, Zaimokuza, and Haruno—crossed without incident, hearts racing and nerves taut.
As the last member of her group, Haruno turned back, offering a reassuring nod to Meguri and Yamato, the leaders of Group B. This team consisted of Yamato, Meguri, Shiro, Eiji, Ayaka, Miho, Kazuma, Akiko, and Maki. One by one, they emerged into the alley, their faces etched with tension, anxiety in their wide eyes, acutely aware of the danger that lingered just a few feet away.
With both Group A and Group B successfully across, Hayato and Yamato took one more sweeping glance at the area. They exchanged a knowing nod with Haruno, signaling her to give the go-ahead to Tamanawa.
Standing at the edge of the street, Tamanawa swallowed hard, the lump in his throat growing as he peered into the chaotic street. Five infected wandered aimlessly down the road, and a shiver coursed through him at the sight. Mustering every ounce of courage, he propelled himself forward, sprinting across the pavement as adrenaline surged through his veins.
Once he reached safety, Kaori followed closely behind, her heart racing as she turned back to glance at her group, the members of Group C: Chika, Mamoru, Yasuhiro, Keiichi, Masa, Shin, Haru, Ryoko, Kohaku, Tamanawa, and herself.
Their faces showed the strain of their ordeal, with shaky expressions and beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads after trudging through the streets of Chiba for over two exhausting hours. Kaori felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her; they had traveled so far without alerting any infected individuals. This was largely due to the careful guidance of Haruno and Hayato, who had led them away from busy thoroughfares and into concealed back roads and shadowy alleys, ensuring their safety—at least for the time being.
"Okay, come on," Haruno whispered, motioning for the rest of Group C to cross. Eventually, they all did, leaving the five undead none the wiser.
"We haven't made much progress, even after two hours," Yukino said, slightly out of breath, her terrible stamina at work. "This is proving to be very difficult."
"There are too many people for us to move any faster," Hina added, sweat beading on her forehead despite the chill in the air.
"Why does your house have to be so far away?" Yumiko complained, but her heart wasn't in it. "At this rate, we'll never make it before it gets dark."
"We most likely won't," Hayato said as he walked up to them. "Eventually, we'll need to find a place to stay for the night."
"Maybe we can find a convenience store," Saika suggested. "That way, we can all get something to eat."
"That's a great idea, Sai-chan!" Yui said with a smile.
"Finding a convenience store for food is a smart idea," Haruno said as she stepped closer to the group. "However, I want to stress that it isn't the best option for a place to spend the night. We should prioritize finding a safe shelter near either a convenience store or a supermarket. This way, we can secure a safe place to sleep and have easy access to gather some supplies."
"Then it's settled. We'll continue onward while keeping an eye out for any stores," Hayato said, turning to everyone. "Does anyone have any issues with that plan?"
No one spoke up, feeling satisfied with the plan. Most were eager to grab something to eat and get off the streets.
"Great. Let's keep moving, then," Haruno said.
x x x
Nightfall descended much faster than anyone had anticipated, casting a heavy blanket of darkness over the infected-ridden streets. The air was thick with an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant echo of the undead's labored breaths.
Exhaustion weighed down on everyone's limbs, hunger gnawed at their stomachs, and a chill of terror coursed through their veins as any movement in the night set a wave of fear down their spines. So, when they finally spotted the neon sign of a 7/11 ahead, an involuntary wave of relief washed over them, and they let out an almost silent cheer.
However, that fleeting jubilation quickly evaporated upon closer inspection. The sight that greeted them was enough to drain the color from their faces—seven infected figures staggered around the store, their soulless eyes glinting in the dim light. A few were slumped against the storefront, while others meandered aimlessly inside, casting eerie shadows that danced along the broken aisles.
"N-no way," Chika stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, a tremor lacing her words. Panic flickered in her eyes as she clutched her jacket tightly around her body. "What do we do?!"
Yoshiteru, his voice barely audible, murmured, "D-do we try to look for another store?" His gaze darted anxiously from the horde of infected to the darkened street behind them, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach.
"There are too many of those things," Tamanawa replied, his grip on the shinai firm yet trembling. His knuckles were white, and sweat beaded on his brow as he stared at the scene before them, fear gnawing at the edges of his resolve.
A heavy silence enveloped the ruined clothing shop where they had sought refuge. They exchanged worried glances, the gravity of their situation settling over them like a looming shadow, as they struggled to devise a plan amid overwhelming dread.
"…we're going to have to fight," Yamato said, glancing around the dark streets. "It's too dark to keep moving. We've already had too many close calls. We have no choice but to take these things out if we want that food."
"There's no way! Don't you remember how relentless those creatures are?" Mamoru hissed. "We can't stop them!"
"That's not entirely true," Yukino interjected, capturing everyone's attention. "Before he left, Hikigaya-kun told me this: aim for the head."
"Aim for the head?" Yui echoed, surprised.
"Are you saying that the head is their weak spot?" Meguri asked.
"Yes. When Hikigaya-kun was searching for Nee-San, he noticed several headless corpses with bite marks that weren't moving. It seems that whatever this infection is doing to people, it doesn't make them completely unstoppable," Yukino explained.
"Now that you mention it, we did come across several headless corpses and some with damaged skulls," Hayato added. "While most of their heads were intact, it seems that if their brains are damaged enough, they'll die. Or at least, stop moving."
"Then that means we can do it! As long as we can damage their brains, we'll be able to clear a path to the convenience store!" Yui said, relief evident on her face.
"Yes, you're right, Gahama-chan," Haruno smiled. "Okay, this is what we'll do. We're going to split up. One team will search for a place for all of us to rest for tonight while the other handles the infected and gathers supplies and food."
"And how do you expect that to work out?" Tamanawa snapped, his voice rising with anger. The mental and physical exhaustion of the day weighed heavily on him. "Are you really going to play God and decide who goes out there to risk their lives? I refuse to fight those things! Your little theory could be nothing more than a fantasy! What if those undead that were lying still were just waiting? What if they're playing dead, waiting for some fool to wander too close for a sneak attack?"
"Tamanawa-san is absolutely right!" Keiichi interjected, his tone sharp and urgent. "You may think you can split us into groups, but there's no way we're going to let you choose who gets thrown into the fire! We're not a bunch of pawns for you to sacrifice!"
The tension in the store thickened, and every student on the Kaihin side exchanged fiery glances, their resolve hardening against the looming threat ahead.
"I'll go," Hayama declared, breaking the tension, his eyes fierce and unhesitating.
"Me too," Yamato replied, gripping his weapon with unwavering determination.
"M-me too," Saika interjected, surprising everyone around him. "I wasn't of much help before, but now I'll do anything I can to make a difference."
"Sai-Chan," Yui said, her voice filled with admiration.
"I'll join you," Oka stated firmly, his bat held high, a fierce grin on his face. "I can't let you all outshine me."
Yamato chuckled, slapping Oka on the shoulder in camaraderie.
"I'll go too," Maki asserted, her piercing gaze fixed on Tamanawa and the rest. "Not everyone in Kaihin is a coward."
"I will also volunteer," Meguri announced, gripping her bow tightly, a quiver of wooden arrows slung across her back. "It's about time I pulled my weight around here."
Hayato stepped forward. "This number should be enough. The more people, the more chances of us making a mistake. We'll handle it."
"Hayato! Are you really sure? This is dangerous!" Yumiko said, grabbing his jacket with concern etched on her face.
"It's alright, Yumiko. Trust me," he replied, flashing his ever-charming smile, which managed to ease her worry just a bit.
"I-if you're positive," Yumiko stammered, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Just… promise to be careful, okay?"
"Are you certain?" Yukino questioned, her brow furrowed. "Your chances of success could increase with more people fighting."
"I'm confident in our abilities. With our skills, we can get through this," Hayato asserted, his voice steady. "We're all athletes here; even Shiromeguri-senpai has a background in the archery club. We can rely on each other."
"Alright, if you're that confident, then we'll trust you all to get it done," Haruno said, a proud smile curling her lips as she looked at Hayato. "You've grown, Hayato."
Hayato blinked at the unexpected compliment, his cheeks taking on a red hue.
"We should hurry and find a shelter. In case something goes wrong, they'll need to run to safety," Yukino said.
"I think I saw one of those maid cafes on the second floor down the block. Maybe that could work?" Iroha suggested, pointing eastward.
"That could be worth checking out. Okay, let's get moving," Haruno nodded, turning to Hayato and the rest of the attack team. "Once we find shelter, we'll send someone to let you know where it is. After that, you'll know where to run to if something goes wrong. Just hold off on attacking until then, okay?"
"You got it," Yamato replied, glancing over at the Kaihin group with a look of disgust.
Tamanawa bristled but said nothing as he followed Haruno, relieved to be heading off to safety. With the majority of the group now gone, Hayato took a deep breath and turned to those who remained.
"While we wait, let's go ahead and prepare a strategy for our attack."
////
Group Compositions
(16) Sobu - (14) Kaihin
Group A (9) [Sobu Group]
Yukino, Yui, Hayato, Yumiko, Hina,
Saika, Iroha, Haruno, Zaimokuza,
Group B (9) [Sobu+Kaihin Group]
Yamato, Meguri, Shiro, Eiji, Ayaka,
Miho, Kazuma [K], Akiko [K], Maki [K]
Group C (11) [Kaihin Group]
Kaori, Chika, Tamanawa, Mamoru, Yasuhiro,
Keiichi, Masa, Shin, Haru, Ryoko,
Kohaku