Beta read by Shigiya, Gamercrusher55 and Darklord331
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-Tokonosu Water Treatment Plant-
(A few days before)
The sun glared down like a furnace, its blazing rays slicing through the humid air of the City of Tokonosu. Between the rising moisture and the stifling heat, working outdoors near the industrial piping of the municipal water treatment facility felt like slow torture.
"I'm going to die out here… And those tight-fisted assholes won't even give us hazard pay for it," muttered Yashiro, a stocky, slightly overweight man in his mid-forties. Sweat streamed down his brow and down his already sweat soaked shirt, despite the ragged cloth he used to wipe it every few minutes. The smell of metal, algae, and treated water wafted around him as he sighed and looked across the basin.
"Hey, newbie! How long's it gonna take with those checks?" he called out, raising his voice to compete with the low rumble of pumps and turbines echoing through the facility.
Across the reservoir, standing near one of the metal grates that fed into the primary filtering system, a younger worker raised his voice in response. "Almost done! Filter's running clean, and the boiler's fine—no faults detected!"
Yashiro rolled his eyes so hard it was audible in his groan. He waved a hand in frustration, nearly losing grip of the clipboard he was half-heartedly using for checklists.
"You idiot! We're not here to run diagnostics on the machinery! We were sent to inspect for blockages, not busted boilers! Check the fucking pipes!" he barked. The younger man froze for a second, clearly flustered, before hastily bowing in apology and scurrying off toward the maintenance hatch near the canal's intake system. The metal walkway rattled beneath his boots as he moved.
Yashiro muttered under his breath and leaned against a rusted railing. The whole job was a waste of a Saturday morning. He had hoped to be done by noon, just in time to hit his favorite ramen joint and wash it down with an ice-cold beer. Now he'd be lucky to finish before sundown.
Minutes dragged by, the only sounds were the low hum of filtration pumps and the rhythmic clatter of water running through sluice gates. Eventually, Yashiro's foot began tapping impatiently, his box of cigarettes having already run empty by now, further increasing his irritation.
"Pah! What's taking so long? I need to finish this before lunch, damn it. If you keep dragging your feet, I'll tell the manager to send someone who can actually—"
"AAAHHH!"
The scream echoed so suddenly from within the lower canal chamber that the middle-aged man nearly stumbled backward into the reservoir behind him.
"What the hell? You find a snake or something?!" he shouted, already hurrying across the catwalk. His boots thudded against the steel with each step as he made his way to the source of the noise, silently praying it wasn't a serious problem. If a filtration blade had snapped, or worse, a pressure valve had failed, he'd be stuck dealing with contractors and repairs for the rest of the day.
As he reached the grated platform near the intake tunnel, he spotted the younger worker, Kazuki, half-submerged at the edge of the canal. His pants were soaked, one leg wedged into a narrow intake chute while the rest of his body lay awkwardly sprawled backward in the water. He wasn't moving.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing?! You tripped over your own legs or what?!"
Kazuki slowly looked up, pale and visibly shaken. His lips trembled as he pointed toward the half-submerged pipe just beyond him. The pipe was one of several intake tubes running from the lower aqueduct system, each lined with a mesh filter and flow regulator valve.
But this one was different.
From where Yashiro stood, he could already tell something wasn't right. The water around that particular pipe wasn't flowing, it was churning. Almost like something inside was stirring, it was unnatural. The mesh grate had buckled inward, crushed at the center.
"So, what's down there? I can't get a good look," He shouted. The latter, seeing him approach, raised his trembling hands and pointed toward the canal without saying a word.
"What?" He called out, but got no answer, just that same vacant stare. The kid was still frozen, eyes locked ahead in wide-eyed horror. From where Yashiro stood, the angle made it hard to see what was in the water. He had no intention of soaking himself just to humor a rookie's breakdown.
"Just tell me what's down there! If you got scared by a dead rat or a clump of rotting leaves, then get used to it! Stuff like that turns up in the filters all the time out here. If you can't get over it, I swear I'll have you clean up the latrines of the construction down the street."
He tried to keep his voice firm, figuring a little tough talk along with the threat of cleaning up the toilets for an entire day might snap the newbie out of it. But there was no reaction. The kid didn't even blink. He just kept staring, frozen in place like a statue.
With a low groan, Yashiro cursed under his breath and started to descend toward the canal himself. The metal ladder bolted to the concrete edge groaned as he stepped onto it.
"Damn it, this was supposed to be a routine inspection and a quick cleanup. Now I've got to fill out reports, call maintenance, maybe even draft a—wah!"
The metal gave way beneath his foot with a sharp metallic crack.
"Ah! A-ah!"
One of the lower rungs snapped clean off. Yashiro tumbled backwards into the canal with a harsh splash, hitting the water hip-first and completely soaking his uniform. The water was cold, and the impact knocked the wind out of him.
"Ow, ow, ow... damn it, I think I cracked my spine," he muttered, groaning as he rolled over onto his hands and knees. The back of his vest clung to him, drenched and heavy with murky canal water.
He pushed himself upright and waded toward the younger man, swearing the whole way. But when he finally reached him and opened his mouth to shout.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Did you seriously stop working just… be… cause…oh."
Slowly but surely, his voice trailed off until both turned completely quiet at that very moment.
There, just past the safety grates that kept large debris from entering the treatment intakes, something floated against the bars. Not a tangle of dead branches. Not sludge. Not an animal carcass.
A body.
The intense odor of rotting flesh eventually reached his nose.
It was half-submerged, limbs slack, face turned away beneath the waterline. Bits of dried plant matter clung to it, and the current had tangled its hair in the grate's iron mesh. But even in that condition, the outline of a jacket was quite popular with the kids these days. The type of shoes and several other clothing reminded him remember the same taste his son and his friends had.
Even with the disfigured face, it wasn't hard to realize that this was a kid.
"Shit," he muttered silently, all of the previous anger vanishing with a heavy feeling settling in his heart. His pulse thundered in his ears. Panic. Disgust. Confusion. They all tangled together in a mess of disbelief. The smell hit once again, decay and chemicals swirling together, and he recoiled instinctively, gagging and stumbling back a step.
"Okay… hah… okay, get a grip," he said aloud, then turned and smacked the rookie across the back of the head. Patting his shoulders, understanding the boy's reaction, and wanting to bring the latter to his senses. The younger man jolted, as if returning to reality. His eyes turned to Yashiro, still stunned, waiting for orders.
"Stop gawking and call emergency services!" Yashiro barked. "Wait, no. First, shut down the pumps. Turn off the entire filtration line. If people find out we've had a corpse in the system, they'll riot. Thank god this reservoir only supplies the west district, even the boiler was not working properly last we checked… fuck! Don't utter a word to anyone about that part! We'll be in serious trouble if anyone finds out!"
He paused, sucking in a breath and trying to keep his voice steady.
"Shut it down and call it in as an emergency. Then run a full isolation protocol. I don't want even a drop of this water moving anywhere until we know exactly how long that body's been in there. Got it? Go!"
The young man nodded, snapping out of his shock. He stumbled twice in the shallows before scrambling up the ladder, heading for the main control panel at the top of the basin stairs.
Yashiro turned back toward the canal. The corpse still floated there, pinned by the current against the grate, motionless. The jacket tugged faintly with each surge of water.
Whatever had happened, it hadn't been an accident. Seeing the boy's shaken reaction, he couldn't help but feel a sting of disappointment settle in his chest.
"With nerves like that, he won't last a year before turning in his resignation," he muttered to himself.
It wasn't the first time he'd come across something like this. A corpse turning up in a canal was unpleasant, sure, but not unheard of. In fact, it had happened once before, years ago, and that incident had been quietly buried by the authorities before a single headline could be printed. This one wouldn't be any different.
He sighed heavily, rubbing his sore lower back.
"There goes my day. A kid, no less. Maybe this place really is getting too dangerous."
Grumbling, he reached for the long metal pole propped near the wall and stepped cautiously toward the grate. Using the pole like a shepherd's crook, he nudged the body free from the iron bars, taking care not to let it snag. The limbs shifted sluggishly as he pulled, the water releasing it inch by inch until the corpse drifted toward the concrete slope.
He wrinkled his nose, the odor was truly putrid the closer it got. Maggots already feasting upon the flesh, the slightest touch from the pipe upon the skin peeling away made him shudder. He grabbed a wad of tissue from his jacket pocket and held it between his hand and the stick as he guided the bloated figure toward the edge. Sucking up his guts before using his hands to pull the body upon solid ground.
"Ugh… God, it stinks," he muttered, swatting away flies as they began to gather above the exposed torso. The body, now half on the bank, oozed an acrid stench that burned at the back of his throat.
Satisfied that it was no longer blocking the filtration gate, the man stepped away and sat heavily on the retaining wall, wincing at the dull ache flaring up in his spine.
"That fall really did mess up my back," he muttered, his vision becoming slightly hazy along with black spots on his vision. It felt like his consciousness slip till he shook that feeling away and managed to regain some energy. "Damn, that must be the adrenaline wearing off… I think?"
He glanced down and frowned. A dark smear marked the sleeve of his work shirt. When he rolled it up, he found a cut on his forearm, thin but bleeding steadily. Droplets of the canal's water passed across the wood and mixed with his blood.
"Must've scraped it on the broken rung," he murmured. He wiped it once with the clean side of the tissue, watching the blood bead up again. "Great. Just what I needed."
He pulled a strip of gauze from his utility pouch and pressed it against the wound, already thinking about when he'd last had a tetanus shot.
"Better get it checked out. Last thing I need is to end up in a hospital over a rusty ladder."
He sat in silence for a moment, staring out at the quiet ripple of the water. The body lay motionless a few feet away, still dripping, the flies now swarming. The whole scene was quiet, too quiet, like the reservoir itself was holding its breath — especially after the sound of the machine running disappeared.
"Who the hell beat this kid up this bad? Probably another gang-related crime."
{Break}
(Present)
-Tokonosu,Fujimi High School-
"Hah, what a day."
Things couldn't have felt any duller for the black-haired student perched near the edge of the school's rooftop.
The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, yet the world looked muted, as if someone had taken a paintbrush soaked in grey and smeared it across the horizon. Even the wind that lazily blew across the school grounds, brushing past his cheek and rustling his collar, did little to soothe his mind. It was supposed to feel freeing, peaceful even, but today was just too damn dull.
That bothered him, he could not explain exactly what it was causing him to feel as such but it sucked either way.
"You cannot be serious right now."
The sharp voice rang behind him, slightly strained with irritation. Feminine, assertive, unmistakable.
Takashi didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He would've recognized that voice in a crowded hall full of shouting students. But he turned anyway, partly because he knew ignoring her would only make things worse, and partly because some instinct has gotten used to focusing on the girl when she's angry.
"Ah… Takagi," he said, voice low, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in an attempt to force a smile upon facing the twin-tailed girl. It was a weak smile, and by the way her brow furrowed even more tightly, it clearly hadn't helped.
"Are you an idiot?" she snapped, planting her hands on her hips with the sort of theatrical annoyance only she could pull off without sounding truly angry.
There it was. She was mad.
"You keep running off to spots like this whenever you're feeling down, but now you're doing it while skipping class? That's next-level dumb, even for you."
Despite the sting in her words, Takashi didn't feel hurt. If anything, her scolding felt weirdly familiar. Reassuring. It was how she always talked when she was worried about something, even if she'd never admit it outright. Oh well, he had grown used to it by now, this being a recurring exchange from the moment they were kids.
"I just came to get some fresh air," he said plainly, his voice even.
Saya groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on. You use that excuse every time. We're in school, not some high-end resort where you can wander out whenever you feel like it."
He exhaled through his nose, frustration knitting his eyebrows together as he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What's it to you if I skip class? You're here too, aren't you? That means you're skipping just the same."
He shot a quick glance towards the ground. The bell had rung a while ago, and class had no doubt already started. Attendance sheets were being passed around. Yet here she was, standing right in front of him with that ever-judging expression. She didn't even try to deny it. Instead, she gave a small, confident shrug and lifted her chin like a lawyer delivering a flawless rebuttal.
"That's because I'm smart."
Of course it was.
"I can skip whenever I want and still keep my grades up, and the teachers would not really care. That's the difference. You, on the other hand, probably got in here by sheer dumb luck. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if whoever reviewed your application left their glasses at home that day. That's the only way I can make sense of you being accepted."
The boy scoffed softly and crossed his arms.
"It wasn't that bad."
His tone was a little stiff, clearly defensive.
"And that was more than a year ago. We're in our second year now. Maybe you should let it go."
Though as he said it, the truth quietly stirred beneath the surface. He had wondered the same thing once or twice. Back in middle school, his grades had been average at best. Slightly above average if he was being generous. Nothing that screamed elite student material. And yet, here he was. Somehow, against all odds, he'd managed to land a spot at one of the most respected schools in the city.
He hadn't applied on a whim. There had been two reasons behind his decision, and both meant a lot to him at the time. First, the reputation of the school itself, graduating from here opened doors once he graduates. Real doors. University prospects. Career pathways. It was the sort of place parents dreamed about sending their kids to. And second, his friends. Almost all of them had been aiming for this school. When acceptance letters started arriving and his friends began celebrating, the thought of being left behind, alone and surrounded by strangers in some random school, had scared him more than he ever let on.
So he applied. And somehow, he got in.
But he had a sneaking suspicion that the girl now standing in front of him had something to do with that. Her parents had the influence to make such a thing happen, and his mom just so happened to be very good friends with Saya's mother—probably asking for a favor.
"Why are you here again?" he asked, not with suspicion, but genuine curiosity.
"It's because I hate stupid people like you."
The words were delivered with such blunt force that Takashi blinked. It wasn't just the honesty that caught him off guard, but the sheer lack of hesitation in her tone, like she hadn't even considered softening the blow.
"I only stop hating idiots when they learn from their mistakes," she went on, folding her arms across her chest. "If someone is willing to reflect, improve, and understand where they went wrong, then maybe there's hope. But if that same idiot starts skipping classes like a brainless delinquent, then they just get dumber. And I hate dumb people."
So that was it. She hated that he'd been skipping class. A simpler explanation would've done just fine. He vaguely remembered Igou once joking that she was the very definition of a tsundere, sharp-tongued, stubborn, and incapable of saying anything directly without lacing it with venom.
"I'll make sure to attend class next time," he muttered with a shrug, clearly hoping she'd accept the statement and leave him alone already.
But she didn't.
"It's because of Rei, isn't it?"
His entire body stiffened the moment the name left her mouth. A tight knot twisted in his chest, and his eyes instinctively shifted toward the sky. Anywhere but her face. He didn't want her to see the way his expression changed.
"Don't even try to lie to me," she said sharply, stepping forward. "I hate liars ten times more than I hate idiots."
He had no answer. His voice caught in his throat, and for a long moment, silence returned between them. But inside his head, memories unspooled like a reel of film he couldn't stop.
That morning, he'd arrived at school earlier than usual. Igou had been with him, chatting idly as they climbed the stairs together. They'd even made plans to hang out after class, a rare occurrence, given how packed their schedules had become lately. He'd also hoped to find some way to make things right with Rei after what had happened between them. He'd even practiced what to say.
But when they reached the classroom, and the door creaked open, his feet stopped cold.
There they were. Ray and Cu. Sitting together with both their heads resting against the table. Close enough for their actions to be viewed as an intimate one.
Their chairs were turned slightly, their faces close…. too close. From where he stood, it looked like they were about to kiss, right there in plain view, with half the class watching like it was no big deal. The sight punched him square in the chest, a sharp, squeezing pain he hadn't expected. Not like this. Not with them.
Before he realized it, he had already walked away, his back to the room, leaving Igou behind. Maybe his friend understood. Maybe he didn't. But Igou had known about his feelings for Rei for years, and he also had a sneaking suspicion that the guy also felt the same way for Rei as well. There had never been a need to say it aloud.
"Things are a bit rough between us," he admitted at last, voice quieter now.
Saya tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"We got into an argument recently," he continued, "and I just… I don't think it's a good idea for me to talk to her right now. I don't want to make her uncomfortable."
"You suck at lying," she cut in flatly.
He winced.
"Since when do you back off from someone just because of an argument? That's never been your style. You don't need to tell me anything, everyone's already talking about it. You're just jealous because she's dating someone else now. Someone who isn't you."
"…"
Damn it.
Why was it that when it came to matters like this, Saya suddenly became sharper than anyone else? The same girl who could pass math class with top grades but was absolutely blind when it came to making friends, could now read him like an open book?
"Why should I be mad about that?" he said at last. "It's not like I get to choose who she goes out with. I'm not that kind of guy, and you know it."
He wasn't even sure if he was saying it to her or trying to convince himself.
"Tch. Getting all gloomy just because your crush dumped you and decided to go with a guy she met five minutes ago."
"I wasn't dumped," he muttered.
The look she gave him in return made it clear she wasn't buying it.
"In any case," he went on, rubbing the back of his neck, "I think I just got too cautious. Ended up saying something I shouldn't have. It didn't sit well with Rei. Things got worse after that."
There was a pause.
"Do you… Know anything about Cu?"
"Cu?" A puzzled expression appeared on her face as she tried to recall something about him. "I think I talked to him once at the entrance because he was blocking my way. But other than that, I've never talked with him. I don't have the time to hang around with the new kid just because he's a foreigner. I've got more important things to worry about, and just hearing about him, looking at him from afar, I can tell we won't mix well!"
Takashi nodded. He knew full well the kind of person Saya was, and given how Igou described Cu… it was hard to imagine these two getting along if they were to meet. "I can see that. Honestly, maybe I just got kind of caught off guard by his forwardness when we first met. I ended up jumping to conclusions, maybe I shouldn't have done that, and ended up saying some stupid things to Rei. Even Igou likes him, so I don't think he's a bad guy."
In such a situation, the best move was for him to approach the guy and apologize if he learned about what happened between him and Rei. He didn't want to cause any misunderstandings or bad blood between them, but Takashi wasn't sure if he even wanted to approach him today, or even tomorrow. He just wanted to step away from this entire situation and get lost in his thoughts. Saya, noticing his expression, rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm not interested in any of your little love stories. You handle it yourself," she said, turning to walk away. But before she could take a step, both of them heard someone running and loud huffs coming from above the stairs.
"There you are!" Igou's voice called out from above, looking down at them with a face flushed with sweat, as if he had just run a marathon. Surprised by his appearance, Takashi wondered if everyone had been ditching classes lately. But since his friend looked so hurried to find him, maybe something had happened in class.
"Sorry, I left my phone on silent," Takashi apologized.
"It's alright. How's it going, Takagi? Still shouting at Takashi, I see." The brown haired guy greeted Saya as he came down the stairs, but the girl just gave a loud humph and ignored him. As if already used to her behavior, he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he turned to Takashi, his face serious.
"I don't know exactly what's happening, but we need to go find Saeko Busujima. You tag along too since you're here, Takagi."
"Why the hell should I be tagging along with you idiots?" Saya shot back, her voice laced with annoyance. "I don't want to be seen hanging around with delinquents like you, skipping class just to peep on Saeko! Also, what's with you? Did Kyoko-sensei threaten to expel Takashi for not attending class or something? And why meet Busujima?"
Saya asked a series of questions, mirroring Takashi's own thoughts. He was surprised to see his friend looking so serious. Was something actually going on? To their surprise, Igou just shrugged, giving them no confident look.
"Look, I'm not sure what's going on exactly, but Cu seemed pretty serious when he told me to do this. You know that guy; he's always smiling. For him to suddenly make that face... I'm kind of worried. He told me to find you and head to Saeko's class. Rei will be tagging along, along with a couple of other girls."
"I'm not interested," Saya said with a scowl, though her face immediately changed when she noticed something on the school grounds near the entrance. "Hey, what's going on down there?" she asked, pointing at the crowd gathered around the gate.
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Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The rhythmic sound of something or someone banging against the school gates caught the attention of several people. Takashi, Igou, Saya, the others, and a few of the teachers, who had been notified of the strange commotion outside, turned their attention toward the noise. A few teachers immediately set off to investigate, with Kyoko leading the charge. Her brows furrowed in irritation, and from the looks of it, the culprit appeared to be just another drunk fool causing trouble.
"These people just never learn. This is the second time we've dealt with a case like this, and the authorities are doing nothing about it," she muttered, pushing her glasses up with a dainty motion while her other arm went under her chest involuntarily pushing up her breasts. A few of the teachers around her, who were not distracted by the sight, shared her sentiments, nodding in agreement as they walked toward the main entrance. The gym teacher, Teshima, leading the way, couldn't resist adding his own two cents while carefully trying to style his greasy hair.
"You've said it perfectly, Hayashi-san! Leave this to me, I'll handle it without any issues!" he said with a grin, flexing his arm in front of the woman. His gesture was clearly meant to impress, though it didn't seem to have much of an effect. Even Kyoko's eyes only lingered on his arm for a moment before an unexpected thought crept into her mind.
'His muscles... they're much smaller and less defined than Seth's…'
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she was horrified. Her face turned crimson, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tried to regain control of her thoughts. 'W-What the hell am I thinking!? This is not the moment to be thinking about such things! A woman my age... what would Caitlin think if she knew about this? It's her fault for not teaching her son some manners around ladies, he's too relaxed around women!'
She quickly summoned a few excuses in her head to block out the errant thoughts, trying to regain her rationality. Taking a deep breath, she smiled politely, though there was a slight edge of forced politeness in it.
"I'm happy to know we can rely on you, Tejima."
Her words seemed to have the desired effect, boosting his confidence. As they grew closer to the source of the noise, Kyoko finally got a good look at the man banging his head against the gate. Her eyes widened as she noticed something alarming: his skin was an unnatural shade of pale, far too sickly looking for someone who was merely drunk.
"My goodness, is he drunk or on drugs?" she muttered aloud. Stepping forward, she called out to the man. "Can you hear me, sir? You're causing a ruckus at Fujimi Academy, and such behavior will not be tolerated. Please cease at once and walk away. We won't notify the authorities if you leave peacefully, but remember, there are children studying here, and your actions are disgraceful to both yourself and them!"
She hoped a shred of humility would shine through, that the man would come to his senses and stop causing trouble. But unfortunately, he ignored her entirely, continuing to bang his head against the gate with a low grunt. Kyoko sighed, exasperated.
"My goodness, first Wakisaka is absent from his post today, and now this…"
The bald chemistry teacher, walking behind her, hummed in agreement.
"It's quite strange for Wakisaka to be absent. The man is very strict about his schedules; he would still attend class with a broken leg if he had to."
Kyoko nodded, her concern growing. "Indeed. He's a serious and hard-working colleague. I've worked alongside him for a year, and for him to suddenly go completely silent is... Worrying."
She turned to the chemistry teacher with a worried expression. "Have you heard anything about him?"
The old bald man shook his head. "I tried calling his number multiple times, but it didn't go through. I even called the landlord of the apartment building where he's staying. According to her, he hasn't come back since yesterday."
That caused a raised eyebrow from the gym teacher, who found the news worrisome indeed. Yet, the gym teacher simply coughed. "You're all overthinking this. Knowing that bastard, he probably just went gambling or drinking last night and passed out drunk somewhere on the streets. We did get our paychecks a few days ago, after all."
Kyoko frowned. "Please do not speak of your colleague like that. We mustn't make assumptions in case something bad really did happen to him. But, for now, we'll save such talks for later. Let's deal with this first."
"Yes, yes, just let me handle it," Tejima grinned, his tone almost carefree. "This guy's too blacked-out drunk or high to hear anyone. With people like this, you need to use some force to jostle their brain back awake."
With that, he grabbed the man's suit through the gate, roughly shaking him and pulling his face closer to the bars. His actions startled Kyoko, who looked at him with a worried expression.
"Please, don't hurt him, Tejima! We don't want any unnecessary trouble."
Instead of listening to her, the gym teacher only smirked. "You don't need to worry. This guy's too drunk to resist my strength! Heck, even if he weren't, with that scrawny build, I doubt he could do much."
Kyoko, however, was concerned about the legal ramifications of this situation. She feared the man might pursue a lawsuit against the school, seeking compensation. As she tried to warn him, her eyes suddenly caught something on the ground near the gates. Rolling around, leaving a red trace behind, were human fingers. They seemed to have belonged to a woman, long, well-maintained nails unmistakable. And they look far to real to be fake.
"—!"
A chill ran down her spine, and a sense of dread filled her heart. Something wasn't right, not with this man nor the situation unfolding in front of her. Her instincts screamed that danger was close, and as her gaze shifted to the man, she noticed blood streaming from his mouth.
"Oh no, watch ou—!" Her words were cut short when, in the next moment, a blur of blue appeared beside her.
The gym teacher screamed in shock as his body was sent flying backward, landing hard behind Kyoko.
"What the hell was that? Who pulled me?!" he shouted, confusion and panic in his voice.
All of them turned, and that was when they noticed the presence of another figure standing between them and the man still banging his head against the gate.
"S-Seth?"
{Break}
(A few minutes earlier)
There was no time to waste, the moment Cu spotted the horde. Not a ragtag group of stragglers, nor the scattered dozen he'd dispatched days prior. This… this was different. An entire army of the dead, stretching like a writhing blanket across the far end of the city, their numbers thick as locusts and just as ruinous. The sheer scale of it made his breath catch for half a second, but only for half. He could already feel the rhythm of the fight coming for him like a war drum beating from the horizon.
Whatever plans he'd cobbled together for the next few days were now worth less than the dust at his boots. Preparation would have to wait. Survival was the only plan now.
From his perch atop the rooftop, Cu's keen eyes swept across the landscape. He could see smoke already curling between buildings, a black ribbon twisting into the amber sky. He reached for his phone, thumb jabbing at the screen with practiced speed. The line failed once. Twice. He hissed a curse under his breath, a habit as natural to him as breathing, and tried again.
Finally, the other side picked up!
Faint gunshots bled through the speaker.
"Shit, boss!" came Yoshito's, cracking with panic. "It's worse than I thought! These fucking zombies are already in the city! It's a massacre here!"
Cu didn't answer immediately. He listened. Not to the words, but to what lived beneath them. The shots weren't close. The voice was muffled, wind whipping faintly across the mic. No sound of heavy breathing, no desperate footsteps. The lad wasn't running. Probably inside a vehicle.
"Stay calm," he said, voice low and firm, hoping the latter would listen. "The second you lose yer head, you've already lost the fight."
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"Where are you? Who've you got with you?"
"Red light district, Higashinakano street! I think? Ye-yeah, th-that's the one with the old combini I showed yo-you before!" the man replied, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice. "Had to detour. The military blocked off the main roads! I barely got my sister from school and grabbed my grandparents on the way!"
Military?
Cu's brows drew together. That didn't sit right. Not one bit. From what Saeko had told him and what he'd seen for himself, there was no garrison here. Just the police. No army lads are stationed this close to the edge of nowhere. For the military to be here already? They'd known. Someone high up knew this was coming and kept their mouths shut, or perhaps they rushed her from the surrounding towns after those fell.
But he couldn't afford to chase that line of thought now.
"Good," Cu said, his tone sharp. "Don't waste a minute. Bring them to Fujimi."
"What? Fujimi?" the man shot back, bewildered. "Wouldn't it be safer if I just drove out? Got away from all of this? I got a full tank of gas, and the closest town is like three hours away!"
Cu heard the shift instantly. The voice was cracking. Frantic.
"Shit, man, my friends are still on the other side of town! I've tried callin' but no one's answering! My girlfriend's not picking up either! I don't know what to do, man, this is getting too much! I-I-I can save them! Maybe? This is bullsh—"
"Focus!" he barked. "You listen to me now. Yer family is all that matters. Not your friends, not your pretty little bird for now, not what-ifs or could've-beens. Just the ones in that car with you! They are not helpless ducks; just believe that they also might very well still be alive right now. We will figure something out together later!"
He let that settle, like a stone dropped in water. Saving his friends was admirable, for all the fear in his tone the guy sure was willing to take a light threatening risk for them.
"Don't even think about leaving the city. The only road out's already swarmin' with the dead. Even if you crash through the first few, their bodies alone will ruin your tin can bit by bit until it won't move an inch. And when it dies, you'll be out there with nothin' between you and the rotters."
Had the guy been driving a tank or a heavy vehicle with hardened defense on the outside then that was a different case. That current car of his was only working through hopes and dreams — any impact against a handful of people let alone a horde would break it down long before it ran out a gas!
"Got it. Fujimi, right? I'll take the south road, sh-shouldn't be too busy at this hour. I'll b-be there in five minutes..."
"What about the order I made?"
"I've got it. It's in the car, my sister's holding it!"
"Good. Just make it quickly. Don't stop to help anyone. Not a friend, not someone you know, not even family. If they matter more to you than the ones already in the car, then you'll be risking all their lives. Just get here. I'll handle the rest."
With that, he ended the call and moved into action. There was no time to waste. Rather than take the stairs, he leapt straight from the rooftop, his coat flaring behind him as he dropped through open air.
"Right. Think this through," he muttered under his breath, his boots slamming onto the ground below. "The military's already involved. That should keep those things back for a while. But if more waves show up..."
He didn't finish the thought. Modern weaponry was leagues ahead of anything from his time. People didn't rely on swords or spears anymore; they had machines that could carve holes clean through concrete with a pull of a finger. Still, he didn't trust them. Not completely. If these soldiers were really organized, then why hadn't they moved to evacuate people sooner? Why had they failed in other towns?
"Either they're idiots... or too damn confident in their ability to suppress and contain this. Or the infection somehow started to spread amongst them without being bitten."
He didn't finish that line of thinking. He hoped it wasn't the third option.
As he neared the school gates, his pace slowed, eyes narrowing. One undead. Alone. Standing just before the entrance.
Teachers stood around it, murmuring, seemingly oblivious to the reek of blood and iron in the air. His gut twisted. They didn't even realise what they were looking at.
He watched, dumbfounded, as the gym teacher, the same fool who'd once tried to bench press in front of the girls' volleyball team, stormed forward. The man grabbed the undead by the collar, yanking it forward and slamming its face into the gate as if he were reprimanding a student.
"Idiot!"
Cu didn't hesitate. Magical energy surged through his limbs like wildfire. The ground cracked under his feet as he launched forward in a blur, just as the undead's jaws parted, fangs snapping open. One second more and they'd have been buried in the teacher's forearm.
Cu grabbed the man by the shoulders and yanked him back, just as the creature's teeth clamped shut with a sound like steel snapping bone.
"S-Seth?"
Kyoko called out to him. Uncertain. Hesitant. But he didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the creature.
"Still fresh," he muttered to himself, body coiled in readiness. "Not like the kid at the temple. No signs of decay... this one's recent. Less than a day old."
He leaned in slightly, a slight fragrance reaching his nose despite the heavy stench of iron in the air. 'Cologne? Strong. Still hasn't faded. He must've been on his way to work. Suit's clean, shoes are polished. Was probably alive just hours ago…'
For all he knew, the transformation might've happened less than an hour ago.
The incubation period varied wildly, some turned in minutes, like the passengers on the bus. Others, like Wakisaka, had endured the infection for days before succumbing. There was no rhythm, no pattern. Or maybe it depended on how severe the bite was.
"What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing outside of your classes? Explain yourself!"
The gym teacher's loud voice reached his ears, the guy sounding pissed off as hell. He stormed forward, red-faced and furious, clearly still reeling from having been tossed aside like a bag of rice.
He seized Cu by the shoulders, intending to whip him around and demand an answer.
"Eh?"
The teacher's bark turned into a puzzled grunt as his hands pressed uselessly against the blue-haired boy's unmoving frame. The man might as well have been trying to drag a stone pillar from its foundation. Cu didn't budge. Not an inch, still looking at the walking corpse in front of him and going so far as to pick some of the fingers on the ground and looking at them closely. "Probably had a meal before coming here or maybe the one that bit him in the first place."
Teshima's face grew furious red, getting ignored so blatantly only to then feel the person in front of him shift.
"AH!"
This time, it was a yelp as Cu turned around quickly and gripped the teacher's arm, scanning him from shoulder to fingertips. His sharp eyes traced every part, every fold of fabric, every hint of exposed skin. If even the smallest scratch had broken the surface, he would see it. He had no intention of letting a single infected person walk back into that school.
The intensity of his gaze made the older man freeze in place. He didn't understand why.
"A-Are you even listening to me? Release my hand before I report you to the dean and have you suspended!"
"Sorry teach, I was just making sure my fifth favourite teacher doesn't end up as a zombie. Go to the gymnasium," Cu said firmly at the end, looking especially at Kyoko to carry out his words. "Get every student there. Every single one. Don't leave anyone out, treat this as an emergency cause it really is one.."
He let go of the man without another word and stepped toward the gate, where the undead kept reaching through the bars. Its hands scraped at the air, fingers curling as if trying to grab hold of something just out of reach.
"Look out! Something's wrong with that man, Cu!"
Kyoko's voice came from behind. She rushed forward, reaching out to pull him away, but he raised his hand and stopped her with a simple gesture and flashed her his usual smile.
"Appreciate the concern, teach. But unfortunately, you're the one who needs to stay back," he said. "You don't want to get bitten. That's how it starts. This poor bastard here is a zombie, and more of those things are coming… thousands maybe. So I'll have to make sure the gate does not break."
People around them hesitated, eyes darting between him and the creature at the gate. No one spoke, but their faces said enough, most of them didn't believe a word he was saying.
He held a sigh, scratching his hair. Of course, they didn't understand. Most of them had probably never even seen a dead body, let alone one that was still moving.
"This handsome guy here is already gone," Cu said, his tone clear. "I don't know the details, whether or not it's just biting. Best we treat their blood, their spit, anything like that, that can infect you. And once it does, you're done. You'll end up walking around like this, looking for people to attack, to eat."
He expected disbelief, and that's what he got. Tejima especially didn't even bother to hide his scowl.
"Hey, kid. I don't know what kind of prank you think this is, or what kind of stuff you're used to pulling in France or whatever, but this isn't going to fly here. Quit trying to mak—"
Cu exhaled sharply and turned his back on him. This was going to be a headache, part of him really just wanted to smack the guy to the head and just be done with it. Buthe knew he needed patience, as any normal person would have a hard time believing in zombies.
Then came a sound, clean, sharp, unmistakable. A snap, followed by a wet, tearing noise that made a few of the onlookers flinch. Blood sprayed across the pavement from behind the gate, spilling in thick streaks between the bars.
Something hit the ground near Tejima's feet with a dull thump. An arm. Severed at the elbow, twitching slightly.
"Hyaaaaaa!" Kyoko shreeked, falling onto her butt and crawling backwards. Her reaction made him flinch as he felt bad for his action, but hopefully, the shock would make them understand what he was trying to convey. Not like he had a spear to pierce the guy's heart and prove to them that it's a zombie…
"He's not alive," Cu said, holding up the rest of the limb. "Didn't even flinch when it got torn off. That's not normal. That's not human."
The creature behind the gate didn't even slow down. It kept reaching through the bars with the one arm it had left, mouth opening and closing without a sound.
The gym teacher didn't yell like his colleague; instead remained frozen there. His face turned a pale, sickly grey as he stared at the twitching limb. Then he bent over, gagged, and vomited onto the concrete.
Cu glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah. Thought you might."
Before anyone could say anything else, a new sound started creeping in from the street. Soft at first. Barely noticeable. But growing steadily, shuffling footsteps, slow and uncoordinated. Groaning. The kind that didn't belong to anyone healthy.
They started to appear. First, a few. Then more. Bodies in cop uniforms, regular civilians… and even some children amongst them. 'A few familiar faces, that's the traffic cop working near the mayor's place… I heard there was supposed to be a protest there today. Prime area for a single zombie to cause chaos and start biting. So that area is gone.'
Faces slack, skin pale or grey, and blood oozing from open wounds on their bodies. Missing chunks of flesh, their entire bodies coated in red, with some even having their organs out. Many of them were dragging themselves forward with dull, aimless focus.
"AAAH!"
Some of the teachers finally started to realize the gravity of the situation, rushing away from the gates with shaking legs. Tejima is the only one who managed to stay in place, funnily enough. "T-This can't be real. This c-can't be real! Zombies can't exist, it's fiction!"
"Well, unfortunately, that's not the case anymore," the Heroic Spirit answered, "Hm?"
Looking upwards, all of them saw several helicopters flying through the air, heading deeper into the city. 'Now, where are those heading? Is there a base in that direction? Best to keep that in mind.' He counted the number of zombies in front of the gates quickly. Two dozen, maybe more. It wasn't a swarm yet, but it would be if more kept coming.
'The body has not decomposed for too long, they probably can still see and recognise those unlike them. Noise should also be a factor; the longer we stay here and make noise, the more of them will appear.' Making sure that the gate would not just give out, he swiftly added a temporary solution consisting of reinforcing the entire thing using his runes.
The people behind him were far too frightened by the horde to notice his use of runecraft. Thankfully this was the only entrance and the walls were pretty high, these guys did not give him the impression that they could climb across walls… at least not yet.
"This isn't the main road," he said, mostly to himself. "That's probably why there aren't any more here already. It gives us a bit of breathing room. But not much. Alright then."
Turning back toward the teachers and finding them still rooted to the spot like dazed cattle, Cu let out a sharp breath through his nose. He gave a quick flick of his fingers to snap their attention back to him.
"What are you lot staring at? I already told you, get every student to the gymnasium. All of them. If we stay put and keep drawing attention to ourselves, more of those things will show up. So move quietly and quickly. We'll explain once everyone's in place."
He pointed a firm finger toward the school, his tone cutting through the confusion like a blade. "And if any of you still have your phones, try to call for help. Just don't coun' on getting an answer but it doesn't hurt to keep trying."
There was a moment's pause, a shuffling uncertainty, until one of the teachers glanced back at the gate and caught sight of the twitching, half-rotted hands clawing between the bars. That did the trick. The group jolted into action, heels clicking and shoes skidding as they scrambled toward the school. Tejima lingered a moment longer, staring in hollow disbelief at the scene beyond the gates, then finally turned and broke into a run after the others.
That left Cu alone with Kyoko, who still sat on the ground, legs folded awkwardly beneath her, eyes wide with lingering horror as several arms continued trying to get a hold of him.
He walked over and dropped to a crouch beside her, careful not to make any sudden movements. Her eyes flicked to the blood splattered on the pavement, and she flinched, visibly recoiling. His voice softened.
"Can you walk?"
No reply. Her gaze remained distant, unfocused. She looked right through him. Cu sighed under his breath and gave a crooked, apologetic smile.
"Alright. Sorry about this."
With a swift but gentle motion, he reached out and cupped her cheeks in both hands. Her skin was soft, too soft, and he pinched it lightly, tugging her face into an exaggerated expression, pulling at her cheeks until they puffed out in a silly, slack-jawed grimace. "I know a few men who would take the opportunity and steal a kiss from a red-head like you."
"—!"
Her reaction came like the crack of a spark.
"S-Shtop!"
She swatted his hands away with a glare that was half fury, half humiliation. But the fear was returning already as she looked at the shambling dead once again, fast as ever, he could see it creeping back behind her eyes.
Without hesitation, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close into a steadying hug. His voice came low and quiet, breath brushing against her ear.
"Calm down. Deep breaths, alright? I know this is terrifying, and I really wish you didn't have to see any of it… But you've got to hold it together. Right now, the students need you. You're their teacher. If they see someone they trust fall apart, they're going to follow. We can't afford that."
He could feel her heart hammering against his chest, her breathing shallow and uneven. But she didn't pull away.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then slowly, the tension began to melt from her limbs.
"I… I don't think I can walk yet," she whispered. Her voice was muffled against his chest, small and trembling.
"It's alright. You will. Let's just get away from here for now. They might lose interest if we're out of sight."
She didn't argue.
Without another word, Cu shifted his grip and scooped her up into a princess carry. She was light, surprisingly so. He broke into a run, boots pounding the pavement, eyes scanning the grounds as he made for the school. His gaze flicked briefly toward the stairwell where he'd last seen Takashi and that twin-tailed pink-haired girl. They were gone now. Most likely already with Saeko.
As they neared the gymnasium, Kyoko stirred. Her arms tightened around his neck for balance, and then, tentatively, she moved one leg, then the other. Enough control had returned for her to walk again.
He let her down gently. She took a shaky step forward, then paused and sucked in a deep breath, forcing calm into her features. The sight before them wasn't encouraging; dozens of students milling about, confusion painted on every face. Some were trying to make phone calls with trembling fingers, only to hear nothing on the other end. A few had already turned pale, their expressions twisted with fear. He figured they must have seen something through the windows.
"What are we going to do?" Kyoko murmured, her voice just loud enough for him to hear. "Why haven't the police shown up!? Can we really keep everyone safe here?"
He didn't answer her right away. Instead, he reached out, took her by the chin, and gently tilted her face up until their eyes met.
"Do you trust me?"
She blinked, startled into silence by the intensity in his gaze. Whatever she had been about to say vanished, caught in her throat.
She didn't speak again. But she didn't look away, either.
"..."
"Alright," he muttered under his breath, "perhaps not the best question to be asking right now..."
Of course, she was worried about him, too. He leaned closer, voice dropping to a hushed whisper meant only for her.
"Listen... you probably won't believe anything I say. Not until you see it for yourself. So I'll prove it. With action." His eyes held steady on hers, calm but burning with purpose. "As long as I'm here, I swear on my life, none of these lads or lasses are going to end up like the ones outside. I'll keep 'em safe. I'll bring them somewhere less dangerous. Just trust me. And if the police haven't intervened yet... we need to be ready for the worst."
His words sat with her in silence for a few seconds more, then Kyoko, lips trembling faintly, gave a slow nod.
Without wasting a moment, he made his way toward the front of the gymnasium, heading up onto the stage. His boots echoed against the polished wooden floor. A few students threw him puzzled glances, whispering amongst themselves about who he was and what he was doing. He ignored them all.
He stood, waiting.
Then came a swish of motion, and a figure leapt onto the stage beside him. Her long violet hair cut through the air like a banner, her sharp eyes focused as she approached with purpose. Saeko met his gaze directly and spoke low but firmly.
"Looks like we'll need to change the plan."
She glanced over her shoulder toward the crowd. Behind her, Rei, Igou, and several others followed, all with puzzled expressions. Fumiko and Momo stood next to one another, both of the girls looking at him for answers. They, too, had yet to be told the truth.
"I didn't say anything to them yet," Saeko murmured.
"Yeah, I figured," he replied quietly. "They'll learn it at the same time as everyone else. As for what I said before..." He let his voice trail off.
Initially, he had assumed the problem would be manageable, a few waves of those things breaking through the outer edges of the town, maybe converging in one or two places. It would've been messy, sure, but he'd thought he could handle it. Whether armed with a spear or not, he had planned to take care of the threat with Saeko's help, clearing the infestation while setting up a network of bounded fields around the city. With her family's aid, they could've turned this place into a fortress.
'Given the chaos, the infection started from inside the city already. Even if I had closed off the place, I would still need to find those who are going to change inside the city. Covering so much ground is impossible, let alone finding these people without any reliable method.'
But now... he had grossly miscalculated. Time was no longer a luxury they had.
His eyes narrowed. The priority had shifted; protecting these people was no longer a side task.
"Any word from your folks?" he asked quietly.
Saeko shook her head. He frowned at that.
"I saw several helicopters earlier," he added. "Not sure if you caught them."
She did.
"Apache helicopters. That means this involves the US military, not just local forces." He exhaled sharply.
Right then, Igou approached. His expression was uneasy, his steps uncertain.
"What the hell was that outside?" he asked, voice pitched somewhere between confusion and dread.
So they had seen it.
Steeling himself, he gave the man a silent nod, then turned away from the group and stepped closer to the edge of the stage. The gymnasium had grown louder as more students arrived, voices blending into one another with murmurs and uncertainty.
But when Tejima gave him a nod and closed the heavy doors behind the last of them, the room gradually began to settle.
He took a deep breath.
"Everyone! Eyes up here! I have something important to say!"
His voice rang out like a bell, cutting through the chatter. All heads turned. Conversations ceased. The silence that followed was absolute.
"Some of you have already guessed. Others are still confused. So I won't waste time sugarcoating it." His voice remained firm, commanding. "There's a virus or curse. It's spreading fast. The city's been overrun."
He paused just a moment before adding, grimly, "With the undead, you might be more familiar with the term zombies."
The word hung in the air like a thunderclap. A ripple of disbelief moved through the crowd. Some students laughed nervously, thinking it was some sort of prank. Others, the ones who had seen the carnage at the gates, including Takashi, Rei, Saya and Igou, wore expressions of cold horror.
He didn't have to continue, because at that very moment, several of them pulled out their phones, flipping them open and scrolling desperately through feeds and messages. No signal. No answers.
But the news had already arrived.
Saeko stepped forward, holding a remote in her hand. With a click, the gymnasium's wall-mounted television came to life.
The screen flickered for a second, then displayed a live news broadcast.
A woman stood in the middle of a bloodied intersection, trembling. Her face was pale, eyes wide with terror. Around her, bodies lay crumpled, red pools spreading beneath them. Police officers were shouting, trying to push back something just out of frame. Gunfire echoed faintly in the background.
No one in the gymnasium said a word.
The truth, now impossible to deny, stared every one of them in the face.
[The riot has been a disaster! The mayor has retreated under heavy guard, and—wait, we're getting reports that people are behaving erratically. Some are... biting. Showing feral aggression!] The newscaster's voice rose in pitch, panic edging each word. [Emergency services are on site, transporting victims to local hospitals. The police have been authorized to use minimal force until—behind you! No—Noooo!]
The camera lurched.
The screen jolted as the footage tumbled, the lens cracking upon impact with the concrete. A chaotic rustling followed, then a raw, chilling groan that vibrated with hunger. The sound of flesh being torn filled the speakers, wet and unmistakable, before the feed abruptly cut out—replaced by static, then the polished interior of a news studio.
A different anchor sat frozen in front of the camera, eyes flitting toward the crew behind it with a visible alarm. He adjusted his tie, cleared his throat, and tried to maintain composure.
[It appears we are experiencing technical difficulties. Due to the sudden events and rising confusion across the city, we strongly advise all citizens to remain indoors and—"]
Click.
The remote clicked again, and the screen switched to another channel, this one already mid-broadcast.
A street, once vibrant, now looked like a war zone. Corpses lay strewn across the pavement, lifeless and bloodied, while some were moving or hunched over and feasting on the corpses, as sirens wailed in the distance. Officers were shouting and firing desperately toward something off-camera. The cameraman began backing away, breathing heavily, the picture jittering as he turned to run; only for the footage to cut to black, replaced by buzzing static and strange, warbled gibberish crawling across the screen.
Another click. Then another.
Each news station echoed the same nightmare: panicked anchors, blood-slicked streets, desperate police skirmishes, and footage that ended in screams or static.
The laughter in the gymnasium died as swiftly as the broadcasts.
Just moments ago, students had snickered, nudging each other and rolling their eyes. Now, one by one, their faces drained of colour. Phones were clenched tightly. Jaws went slack. A murmur spread as they scrolled through the live footage, news apps, and endless social posts, each confirming the same story.
No one was laughing now.
"They can't be serious. What the hell is happening out there?" a student near the back blurted out, voice trembling.
"Did you see that guy in the background? He got up with a hole in his chest!" another shouted, practically hysterical. "How the hell is something like that still alive?"
"It can't be real… it has to be some sort of disease, right?" a girl said, backing toward the wall, eyes darting to the locked doors. "What if it's already here? In the school?!"
"My parents… I need to talk to my parents!" a boy yelled, clutching his phone to his ear. "They're not answering! It just keeps ringing!"
"The police lines aren't working either," someone else added, holding up their phone. "All I get is a busy tone or nothing at all."
"My sister's still in school!" another panicked voice rose above the others. "I need to get to her!"
"Are you insane? Did you not just see what's going on out there?" a taller student snapped, gripping the edge of a desk. "You'll get yourself killed!"
"This is the government's fault!" someone near the exit barked. "They must've screwed something up and fled, leaving us to rot in the fallout!"
"We need to leave! I'm not staying here!"
Panic ignited like dry straw. The crowd swelled toward the exit, several students already tugging at the doors, fists pounding, nails clawing at the handles. Cries rang out. Others burst into sobs, huddled near the gymnasium walls, desperately redialing numbers that wouldn't answer. Voices layered over each other, rising like waves before a storm, until a single sound shattered the chaos.
BAM!
A thunderous clang echoed overhead, the sharp note of metal groaning under stress. The ceiling beams vibrated violently, drawing every head upward, silencing the room in a breath.
All eyes shifted to the podium.
Cu was leaning against a bent steel beam, one leg raised and braced as he hissed under his breath.
"Hsss… that hurt more than I thought," he muttered with a bitter chuckle. "It'll heal."
Then he straightened, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"Well, finally got your attention again," he said dryly. "Hopefully, you guys understand that I wasn't joking."
A hush spread across the gym like a fog, uneasy and heavy.
"The school's surrounded. Whatever those things are, they're already here. So, unless you want to walk straight into a crowd of walking corpses, stop trying to open those doors and moving to those bloody gates," he continued. "The police? Probably not coming any time soon. You saw the broadcasts. They're busy enough out there and getting overwhelmed by the minute. The more people get bitten, the more these things show up."
He stepped forward, taking a seat at the edge and massaging the back of his neck.
"Just from the footage alone, it's obvious they didn't know how to kill them. Shooting center mass. Chest. Stomach. All useless. Only the head seems to stop them. Should've been obvious, really."
The students stared, quiet now, stunned and shaken.
"I know many of you are scared. Some of you are panicking because you can't reach your parents or friends — I'm in the same boat as you. And yeah, you've seen the streets on your phones. It's chaos. But listen, just because you can't get through doesn't mean they're all dead. The police must have evacuated some people by now. There's a chance your families are still alive."
He let his gaze move over them, and less than a handful of them seemed to truly believe his last words.
"So instead of rushing out there blindly with no weapon, no plan, and no idea how to kill these things, think. Calm down. Focus on saving yourselves first."
That seemed to settle a portion of the room. A few students wiped at their faces. Others gripped their phones less tightly. Then a small hand rose up among the crowd.
It was Kohta.
"So what are we supposed to do?" the boy asked. His voice didn't shake. Somehow, in all this madness, he looked absolutely calm.
Cu gave a small nod of approval.
"Well, first things first, don't get bitten," he said. "Beyond that, we need to secure this place. Make sure nothing gets inside. One of them gets in and bites someone, and that's it. The panic alone will kill us faster than the virus. From the looks of it, once someone's infected, they turn within minutes. Sometimes seconds."
"We'll need to find a way to communicate with the outside world," came a clearer voice. It was Kyoko. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady now, her usual composure returning. "The phone lines are busy. I've tried calling everywhere, and nothing goes through. But oddly, anything outside the city… it just cuts off. It's like there's something jamming it."
She folded her arms and looked at the students with her usual strict face.
"Our goal should be to contact anyone out there who's established a safe zone, likely the military. If they've gathered survivors, your families may already be with them. So rather than jumping to assumptions, think logically for a second."
Her words seemed to ripple through the group like warm air, calming the panic she couldn't fully erase but could at least control. He watched her, nodding faintly. He was grateful. Even when he had said those things, most did not listen or believe him. For he was just another student in their eyes, no authority, no reason to be trusted.
But Kyoko was different. A teacher. Respected. Her voice carried weight, and people followed weight.
Another figure stepped forward. Shido. That damn calculated smile never left his face, not even now.
"While we are here, we must support one another," he said smoothly, addressing the room like a practiced speaker. "Encourage each other. Look after your classmates, your teachers. If any of you feel lost or frightened, my door is always open. I'm happy to listen."
He gestured toward Tejima, who stood nearby like a stone sentinel.
"Tejima and I will gather supplies from the cafeteria. Rations, water, whatever we can find. We'll distribute them to everyone as we wait for help to arrive."
Help?
Cu exhaled through his nose.
That part? He didn't believe it.
Not really.
Deep down, he had little faith anyone was coming to rescue them. If they wanted to survive, they would have to make the first move themselves. And that meant organizing, planning, and moving as a unit. Which, considering the size of the group, would be a fuckin' nightmare.
Still…
He remembered the school buses. At least they had that.
Fujimi Academy, being the elite institution it was, didn't accept many students. Maybe twenty-five per grade, four classes each. Barely three hundred in total. Some classes had even been merged this year, Kyoko had mentioned, due to low enrollment.
Though Shido was not done with his speech.
"To make sure everything goes smoothly, we can carefully help each other and get out of the situation alive — we need a leader!" He explained out loud to come up, getting many to whisper amongst them and having the Irishman squint his eyes. "That is why I propose that later on we all make a vote! After the students gathered their energy with a bit of rest!"
Actually… Having a leader in such moments was not a bad idea. But he was not a fool to not notice Shido's goal here, the guy definitely was up to something. A small part of him wanted for the guy to try something funny, thus giving him a reason to act, but for now, he kept his silence.
Compared to Kotomine, this guy did not make him nearly as worried with whatever schemes were going on in his head.
…
With that said, in the class now more than before, he walked outside the gym, where silence graced him. He noticed how the number of zombies around the gates decreased after a while, but some persistent ones still continued to cling to it. "Hm, reinforcing the gates is only temporary, if we stay here for a while longer, I'll need to find a way to make it more sturdy without relying on runes alone."
A few seconds later. Footsteps rushed from behind and immediately wrapped her hands around him, her entire body sticking to him as he immediately felt the slight shiver coming from Rei.
"I tried calling for my father, b-but… sniff… I don't know what happened to dad but I hope that he's still alive. Same with mom."
He comforted the girl by patting her arms, "That old man of yours is not someone who'll just lay down and die. Knowing him, he must still be alive. A tough guy like him can survive this mess, I'm sure he is just as eager to see you as you are to see him. He'll survive."
"Yeah… also Cu, about Shido… I don't trust him."
Oh, him.
"I know, I'll be keeping my eye on him."
They stayed there for a moment till he felt eyes on him, looking behind to find Fumiko and Momo curiously looking over. But before he could say anything, his phone rang and the Irishman immediately picked it up, knowing who it was calling him.
But upon putting the phone to his ears, his face changed.
"B-Boss! I need your help! The car stopped working! Please save us! N-Near the bridge! I-I'm over there!" Yoshito's panicked pleas came from the other side before the line got cut as banging and cries sounded out.
"W-What's going on?" Rei asked, noticing the change in his demeanor.
"I'll have to make a little trip outside. Someone I know is in trouble." The girl's eyes widened in disbelief before a flash of disbelief crossed the orange-haired face.
"You can't be serious!"
At the corner of his eyes, he saw several others walking out, having most likely heard his conversation with Igou, Takashi, Saeko, and, surprisingly, Kohta being amongst them. Saeko walked ahead, as if he had already made a decision concerning them. She muttered with a small smile on her face, "So, when are we leaving?"
He raised an eyebrow.
We?
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.