Hound of the Dead Chapter 30: True Bloodlust (Patreon)

Not beta read yet.

Longer than usual chap, took longer than I anticipated. Next update is Fate Coiling Sword and Snafu

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-Tokonosu-

The mall's empty hallways had become a disorganised mess of wooden crates, cardboard boxes, discarded furniture, and various supplies piled against the walls. Some of the items had been dragged into makeshift barricades, while others lay scattered across the floor as though people had hurriedly searched through them before abandoning the area. 

Blood stained the tiles in several places, leaving dark smears across the passageways and large patches of red that made the entire place look as though someone had painted the floor with it. A few bodies lay among the wreckage, their clothes soaked crimson and their limbs twisted. The metallic smell in the air was almost overwhelming, mixing with the unpleasant stench of the dead.

“Urgh….” 

Takashi grimaced as he walked through the hallway, raising one hand to cover his nose. 

None of this was anything unfamiliar, he killed plenty of zombies, but the sight of the aftermath still made his stomach churn. ‘I really got too comfortable at the Takagi estate… I thought seeing those creatures at the school's entrance killing some unfortunate people would have desensitized me. Hah…’ 

The estate had offered a degree of safety that made it easier to forget what the outside world had become. Here, walking on puddles of blood and the remains of people who had not turned was quite disturbing to say the least.

"Hey, Takashi. You doing okay?"

A hand tapped his shoulder as Igou walked beside him. The young man lowered his hand from his face and gave his friend a slow nod.

"I'm fine. I just need some time to get used to this again."

"Can't blame you for that." Igou glanced towards the bodies scattered throughout the hallway, examining them with a troubled expression. "Some of these people were still human when they died. At least, judging by their appearances, they hadn't turned into zombies yet. It's strange, isn't it? Seeing a dead zombie doesn't bother me nearly as much as seeing a dead person. Both are technically dead.”

“I feel the same.” 

He had expected some remark about the condition of the mall or the smell, but not that. Nevertheless, after giving the matter some thought, Igou had a point. 

Killing zombies had become easier with each passing encounter, and seeing their corpses no longer affected him as much as it once had. He still understood the danger they posed, but the creatures had gradually become something he could deal with without allowing his emotions to get in the way. 

Ordinary human corpses, however… Those hit differently. Even when they lay motionless on the floor just like any other undead corpse — something just felt off. 

“I can't find the proper words to describe this feeling. I guess… no, nevermind.”

"Maybe there's another way to look at it," Igou mumbled absentmindedly. "The people who died before turning into zombies might have had a better fate. At least they didn't have to spend the rest of their lives as one of those things. We still don't know whether zombies retain any consciousness, or if they're aware of what they're doing but simply can't control themselves. Imagine being trapped inside your own body, unable to stop yourself from attacking other people. That would be a terrible way to live."

“Heh, so we see ourselves as their saviors?"

Igou shrugged, “That's one way to look at it.”

“You are very optimistic with these thoughts.” 

"Of course! Optimism is an important and rather rare quality during times like these. Someone has to keep everyone's spirits up, and I'm more than happy to do my part." 

A cheerful grin was plastered on the brown haired boy's face before he turned his attention towards the far end of the hallway, where Shizuka was helping a group of civilians gather their belongings. 

Ordinary people who had sought shelter inside the mall were now being escorted towards a safer area, away from the bloodstained passages and the mess left behind by the fighting. 

“Dwindling supplies, a forceful takeover of leadership, another takeover and now an army of undead waiting outside… all of this in less than twenty four hours. These people are quite unlucky.” 

Takashi nodded. 

"I recognise some of them, but I don't know whether they'll remember me. I certainly never imagined that the next time we'd meet would be during an apocalypse."

"Life has a funny way of surprising people," 

"That's certainly true." Igou watched the group for another moment before turning back towards his companion. "By the way, where's Shizuka? I thought we were supposed to keep an eye on her and that friend of hers."

The two exchanged a look before beginning to search the surrounding area. Cu had specifically asked them to keep an eye on the nurse, and neither wanted to explain why they had lost track of her if something went wrong. After checking the nearby corridors and looking past the makeshift barricades, they finally heard familiar voices coming from one of the adjoining areas. 

“Juuuuusht… l-let me gfooo…” 

“No~! You're bound to this place until you're better!” 

“Shizuuuuuka…”

“Ah, you can grope my chest if that will calm you down, Rika~!” 

The sound of an irritated woman complaining was followed by Shizuka's considerably less concerned response, prompting the pair to head in that direction.

"I really don't understand why he's scared of that woman," Igou admitted as they approached. “I know she accidentally injected him with a dangerous concoction one time, but it was just an accident.” 

“He did mention that she almost suffocated him too and busted his head at first.” 

“Sheesh.”

“I know.” Takashi couldn't help smiling, the idea of someone like Cu being afraid of Shizuka was rather amusing. A surprisingly clumsy and absent-minded woman triumphing against a man who could use magic and kill dozens of zombies without breaking much of a sweat. 

"Maybe there's just been a misunderstanding between you two," he suggested. "It's not as though she's actually tried to kill you, right?"

"Then again, trying to stop someone with a needle containing enough anaesthetic to knock out an elephant… or was it a whale? Can't remember, either way, is pretty scary.”

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you have a poin—”

“—Shizsukkkah!” 

Their conversation ended as they reached the adjoining area and found Rika barely sitting up, looking more agitated. Although she appeared to have regained consciousness, her movements remained sluggish, and she had difficulty keeping her head upright. The blonde nurse stood nearby as she supported her friend.

"Whaaat the shell did you imject me withsh?!" The purple haired woman demanded, her words slurring as she struggled to sit up properly. "My head's shpinnin'... I cam barely even talk shtraight!"

"Hehehe, it's strong, right?" Shizuka beamed at her. "I'm glad there weren't any side effects on a regular person… I was afraid your heart would have stopped beating.”

"Firsh… firsh… ahem! First of all, that was scary and don't even do that again. Sh-second of all, that doesn't answer my question!"

"Oh my~! Looks like the effects are wearing off sooner than I imagined. Well, it's one of my new creations. Don't worry, it's super diluted, so it won't kill you!"

“Jeez… How the hell is that supposed to make me feel better? Hah, you really haven't changed much, Shizuka.”

"But I made it to help people!" Shizuka puffed out her cheeks. "Why is everyone so scared of my medicine? I've put a lot of effort into making it!"

"The elephant part sounds scary and the fact that you stuck it in me and I still can't move my legs. And while we're on the subject of helping people, you two!” She pointed at both Takashi and Igou, the former seeing a slight shake within her fingers. 

“Help me by not letting that friend of yours face that death sentence outside on his own!"

"Don't worry! Cu will be fine!"

“Eh?” 

He could already see the pure disbelief on her face. 

"How can you even say that…”

"He knows magic, remember? He'll be able to handle himself!"

Rika stared at her in disbelief, her mouth falling open before she dragged a hand down her face. "Are you fucking kidding me? Magic? I know you aren't that dumb and I'll just treat this as a joke. You can't just let a kid run off into danger because you think he can do a few tricks!"

"But I've seen him do it!"

"I'm talking about the fact that he could get himself killed!"

“Why don't you believe me? I've never lied to you before!” Shizuka shook her head, genuinely appearing unable to understand why her friend was so concerned. "But he won't. Cu is strong, and he knows what he's doing. Besides, he wouldn't have gone out there if he didn't think he could handle it."

"That doesn't mean he's invincible.”

"Nobody said he was.” 

"You certainly act like it!"

The argument continued, with Rika growing increasingly frustrated as Shizuka answered every warning with another cheerful reassurance. No matter how much the former tried to explain the danger of letting Cu face this disaster, the nurse refused to accept that anything might go wrong. Eventually, Rika appeared to run out of energy to argue, slumping back against her seat and massaging her forehead as though she regretted waking up in the first place.

Takashi and Igou exchanged a glance before turning their attention towards the pair. Neither seemed particularly inclined to interrupt their argument, especially when Rika looked as though she might start throwing things if Shizuka said another word about magic. Unfortunately, their attempt to remain unnoticed didn't last long.

"Oh, you two!" Shizuka waved enthusiastically when she finally noticed them. "Come here! I need your help!"

The pair approached, though Igou's expression suggested he would rather have been anywhere else. Shizuka, apparently oblivious to his reluctance, pointed towards the adjoining food court, where several civilians had gathered after being escorted away from the worst of the mess.

"Some of the people inside the mall have injuries that need attention. Could you both help me check them? We should clean and bandage any open wounds as quickly as possible. If they become infected, things could get much worse."

Takashi nodded. Her reasoning made sense. They couldn't afford to ignore even minor injuries, particularly with the danger posed by the infected. Although they still didn't know every detail about how the disease spread, the possibility that contaminated blood could enter an open wound was enough to justify taking precautions. Even if the risk of infection wasn't as high as a bite, they had no reason to gamble with anyone's life.

"Sure. We'll take care of it."

The two were about to leave when Rika suddenly spoke up again.

"Wait!"

Both stopped and looked back. The woman was forcing herself to remain upright despite her lingering dizziness.

“You're both friends of his, right? Then maybe you'll listen to reason, unlike this airhead over here."

"Hey!" Shizuka protested, looking genuinely offended. "Who are you calling an airhead?!"

Ignoring the nurse's complaints, Rika continued. "Listen, I don't know what you've seen or what you think you can do, but you need to get your group out of here. Take the others with you, including Asami, and leave this place before it's too late. The horde heading towards the mall is enormous. Even an army battalion would struggle to deal with that many zombies, and you're talking about a bunch of students trying to fight them.”

Neither immediately responded. Takashi couldn't blame her skepticism, even he would have had a similar response in her stead had he not seen the things accomplished by their Irish classmate. 

But then again, he was not invincible… nor was he a god.

"You have a point," he admitted, looking back at her. “But, we do plan on helping me, it's not like we will even allow him to handle all of this alone.” 

“Adding more to Takashi’s words. We've seen how large the horde is, and there is a plan. It's not like we will party inside her while Cu is keeping us safe out there.”

Rika stared at them as though they had both lost their minds.

"Support? Are you idiots? There's only so much ammunition you can carry, and you don't have enough bullets to kill that entire horde even if you take out what's in my car. What happens when you run out? Do you expect to hit every single zombie with perfect accuracy until then? Stop being so stubborn and leave while you still can!"

Her voice grew louder with every sentence. She wasn't even asking them to take her along. Instead, she wanted them to get everyone else to safety, apparently willing to remain behind herself if that was what it took to convince them to leave. Takashi found himself reconsidering his initial impression of her. Had this conversation happened only a few days earlier, he would probably have agreed with her outright. Staying behind to fight such an enormous horde would have seemed like suicide, and he wouldn't have imagined that a group of students could survive it.

Yet a great deal had happened since then. Cu's abilities had changed his understanding of what was possible, and watching the young man deal with zombies had gradually reduced the fear he felt whenever facing them. That didn't mean he considered the horde harmless, but he had more reason to trust Cu's judgement than he would have before.

"I know you probably won't believe what I'm about to tell you… but we trust Cu. If he says we'll be safe, then we'll be safe. He understands the danger we're facing better than anyone, and Rei and Saeko are out there helping him too."

Rika's face looked like it was going to blow up in frustration. Her attention snapped towards Shizuka, and the look she gave the nurse could have melted steel.

"What the hell did you give them? What kind of brainwashing tonic did you use on these students? Why is everyone talking like they've lost their minds?!"

"Why would I give them anything like that?!" Shizuka shot back, placing her hands on her hips. "I already told you that we'll be fine! This isn't the first time we've had to deal with a group of zombies!"

"You're impossible…”

The two resumed their argument, each becoming more irritated as the other refused to back down. Takashi resisted the urge to laugh, before collecting a few medical supplies and heading towards the food court. 

Trying to convince Rika would be impossible, no matter what they say. 

Rather than wasting time on that, he figured it would be best to focus on other matters first. Several civilians had gathered near the food court's central seating area, where the tables had been pushed aside to create more room. Some sat against the walls with makeshift bandages wrapped around their arms and legs, while others helped elderly people remain comfortable on the available chairs. A few appeared to have suffered only minor cuts and bruises, but others needed more immediate attention. 

"If anyone is injured or needs medical attention, please step forward!" Igou called out, raising his voice enough to reach the people gathered at the far end of the food court. "We'll do what we can to help you, but we need you to tell us where you're hurt so we can prioritise the more serious injuries."

"We're helping Rika with this, so please cooperate with us," Takashi added, placing a medical kit on one of the tables. "The faster we get everyone checked, the sooner we can make sure nobody's injuries get worse. If you have an open wound, please let us know immediately."

Their words encouraged several civilians to approach. One man had a deep cut along his forearm, while an elderly woman complained of pain in her ankle after falling during the earlier commotion — thankfully it was not fractured. Another individual had a wound on his shoulder that required cleaning and bandaging, and a younger man had a deep blue bruise on his face after getting hit by one of Shimada’s men. Takashi worked through them one at a time, helping clean the wounds and securing bandages while Igou checked the available medical supplies and assisted those who needed more attention.

Both of them also made sure to look out for any possible bite wounds.

Despite their efforts, it soon became clear that the supplies they had gathered would not be enough for everyone. Some of the elderly civilians needed specific medication that couldn't be found in the medical kits, while others required more thorough treatment than they could provide with their limited equipment. After finishing another bandage, Takashi glanced towards Igou, his expression growing more resigned.

"Yeah, this isn't going to be enough," he muttered, examining what remained in the medical kit. "We can handle the cuts and bruises, but some of these people need medicine we don't have.”

"I figured as much." Igou checked the contents of another kit before closing it. "Unfortunately, we can't do much about that right now. We still need to deal with the trouble outside, especially after all the noise from the explosion."

Takashi followed his gaze towards the adjoining area before realising that someone was conspicuously absent from the work they were doing. "We could get through all of this much faster if a certain someone would actually help us."

Igou followed his line of sight, and the two soon spotted Miku lounging on a reclining sofa inside the nearby furniture store. She had settled herself comfortably against the cushions, casually filing her nails as though she were spending an ordinary afternoon at home rather than waiting inside a mall surrounded by the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. The contrast between her relaxed behaviour and the exhausting work everyone else was doing irritated Takashi more than he cared to admit.

“Hah…” Taking a deep breath to keep himself from losing his temper, he walked over to her. "Hey, it would be nice if you could give us a hand. There are plenty of injured people who need help, and we could get through them much faster with another person."

It was strange speaking to her, he hadn't really conversed with the girl much since the beginning and just let the others handle her. She was pretty enthusiastic in the car on the way here, yet her current nonchalant behavior was quite odd.

“Oh, it's you, Komuro.” Without even looking up from her nails, Miku replied, "From where I'm sitting, it looks like you're handling everything quite well on your own."

Takashi took another breath, reminding himself that picking a fight with her wouldn't help anyone. "Look, I know you're officially part of our group, and you already helped us earlier when we needed to get inside. I'm not asking you to take responsibility for everyone here. But we have other things to do, and there are people who could use your help."

"Absolutely not." The immediate refusal left him staring at her. "I'm not going to spend my time treating a bunch of strangers. I did all that effort to take care of those idiots back at the mansion just to get out of this very same scenario, idiot." She looked up from her nails with an expression of disgust. "I've had more than enough of that sort of thing after everything I went through. Do you have any idea how irritating it would be to spend the entire day looking after these people? First, they'll ask for help with their cuts, then they'll complain about their headaches, and before long, I'll be expected to help them with everything else. I wouldn't be surprised if someone asked me to change their adult diapers next!"

“...”

He genuinely struggled to find an answer. She had delivered the entire complaint without the slightest hesitation. Considering the effort she had made to get herself accepted, he had expected her to show at least some willingness to cooperate with the others. Instead, she seemed perfectly content to sit around while everyone else worked.

"So you're just going to let these people suffer when you could help them?"

Miku stopped filing her nails and looked directly at him. Their eyes met for a moment before she set the file aside and rose from the sofa. Walking towards the two young men, she stopped in front of them and placed a hand on her waist.

"No, I don't care whether anyone in this place survives or not. Half the world's population could die tomorrow, and it wouldn't make the slightest difference to me. I have my own problems to worry about, and I'm not going to waste my time pretending that I care about strangers simply because you think I should."

Well wasn't she a bright personality…

"You're certainly choosing a dangerous way to express yourself, Miku. Why did we even bother bringing someone like you along?"

"Because I'm useful. I can be a great distraction, use me as bait if you wish.” The girl came closer, closing the space between them enough that a slight floral fragrance filled his nose. Her finger slightly pulled on her uniform to showcase her prominent cleavage without shame. “This body of mine can offer comfort beyond your imagination.”

Her sultry voice coupled with that hazy look in her eyes were indeed a terrifying combination. “We didn't interact much back in school, but I have a faint memory of you two hanging out with Miyamoto Rei. Fufufu~ now she's in the embrace of someone else, it must be quite frustrating, right? How about I'll let you have one night with me?”

“...”

Takashi's mind blanked for a moment, her approach was far too aggressive. Even her hands roamed across his body without reservation. “I would guess there is a lot of pent up frustration within you. I can feel it. How cute~!” 

There was a strange sensation, her voice sounded almost hypnotic. An allure that was hard to ignore, her lips presented so closely that even slight movement ahead would press them against his. Seeing her face this close, it was no wonder why so many boys back at school were wrapped around her finger, she truly was beautiful. 

A vixen through and through.

Her thighs gently brushed against his, the sensation of those voluptuous chest pressing against him was enough to make his blood boil.

She brought her mouth near his ears, one of her hands pressing against his stomach gently as it glinded downwards sensually. “You must hate it, just imagine your crush sleeping with another man. Shouting his name while getting rammed from behind, her insides getting reshaped to suit him. Part of you must hate it, why not just release all that frustration somewhere else?” 

“...Shut up.” 

“How long did you know her for? Since middle school? Elementary? Heeeeeh, I heard from others that you've known each other for a while. How sad, all these years of pursuing her and you lost against a guy who only met her a few months ago. Makes you wonder if she even liked you at all or perhaps, didn't see you as a man.” 

Her hot breath blew against his ear, goosebumps spread across his body as for a moment he—

“Takashi!”

“—!” 

Igou’s voice echoed across his ears, enough to snap him back to reality and realize Miku’s action as her hands grabbed something from his side. The orange haired girl pulled away while holding a handgun. 

“Tada~! That was easier than I imagined.” 

Both immediately tensed, their eyes moving to the weapon. "G-Give that back!" Takashi demanded, reaching towards the weapon, only for her to take a step back. 

"See? I can be useful in other ways, with me here… one doesn't always need to resort to violence.” 

“H-Hand it over.” He repeated, feeling his face heat up from embarrassment at how easily he got duped. His simmering anger threatened to burst out at any moment, but he knew he had to keep his cool. "Dont… don't try to distract me with Rei. Being able to steal a gun without anyone noticing doesn't mean you're good at combat… And the way you're holding it tells me you don't have much experience using one, either. Do you even know how to handle that thing properly?”

"Tch! You are just as much a newbie using these as I am, at least I got shot and am more familiar with it."

“That's not how it works.” 

“Alright, I won't meddle with your non-existent love triangle.” Miku folded her arms. "Listen, I'm good at seducing people, showing off my assets, and making others fall for me. That's what I'm good at. I'm not going to join your group only to end up doing the same kind of work I was forced to do before, looking after a bunch of people who can't take care of themselves. I can learn to shoot or keep an eye on these idiots, that's it."

Takashi looked towards Igou, uncertain how they ought to respond. He wasn't even sure he could respond at the moment, her prior words still lingering in his mind. 

‘Focus… Rei already made her choice. No point in getting mad about that. I… I moved past that point… I moved on… no point thinking about it.’ He hated how much her words affected him… and how a small part couldn't help but agree. Anyways, he didn't particularly like her attitude.

Still, it became apparent that forcing her to perform medical work against her will wouldn't accomplish much, and they couldn't afford to waste time arguing. 

“Igou…

“Don't ask me, I'm half the mind to slap her right now.” 

“...”

Right, those words would have also affected Igou as well. After all, his affection for Rei was not a secret to him.

Takashi was about to respond when a loud bang echoed from outside the mall. 

“Hm?” Both men immediately turned towards the sound, their expressions changing as the noise reverberated through the building.

"It's started," Igou muttered, his attention fixed on the direction of the entrance. “Damn it, I thought we would have had more time.” 

Despite everything he had told Rika, Takashi couldn't deny the apprehension rising inside him. He trusted Cu, and he had seen enough of the young man's abilities to believe he could handle himself. Even so, knowing that an enormous horde of zombies was approaching made it difficult to ignore the possibility that something might go wrong. His gaze shifted towards Miku, who stood watching him with an impatient expression, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Fine. I don't care what you do, just don't get in our way… and never try that earlier stunt of yours again."

The orange haired girl merely smiled, visibly satisfied with his answer. "Good. Then let's stop wasting time."

Takashi watched her start towards the stairs, with one final look towards the injured civilians, the two followed her upstairs, heading towards the rooftop where the shooting had already begun.

As they climbed the stairs, Igou moved closer to Takashi and lowered his voice, making sure Miku couldn't overhear their conversation. "Are you sure we should trust her?”

"Not really, but best to keep an eye on her. Besides, she might be more useful than we expect and we make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

“Somehow, I get the feeling that it  will be more difficult than dealing with the zombies."

He couldn't argue with that assessment. Miku had already demonstrated a remarkable talent for getting under his skin, and he had little confidence that she would suddenly become cooperative. With that settled, the two continued climbing, Miku following close behind as the sounds of gunfire grew louder with each step.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The moment they reached the rooftop, reality before them made Takashi stop in his tracks. Hundreds upon hundreds of undead crowded the street beyond the mall, their decaying bodies pressing against one another as they advanced towards the building. The horde stretched far into the distance, with more undead emerging from the surrounding streets and joining the mass. 

Their collective groans rose above the noise of the gunfire, creating a dreadful chorus that seemed to fill the entire area. Some stumbled over the bodies scattered across the road, while others simply trampled their fallen companions beneath their feet, driven forward by the creatures pushing behind them.

"Holy shit! That's way more than I expected!" Igou exclaimed, his eyes widening as he tried to estimate their numbers. "There are even more of them than the ones that attacked the Takagi estate!"

Another gunshot rang out from nearby, drawing his attention towards Kohta, who had positioned himself behind a collection of crates and other makeshift cover along with Asami. The young man had a sniper rifle braced against his shoulder, carefully aiming at the approaching undead before squeezing the trigger. 

CHK!

The gun nut immediately worked the rifle's action and prepared another shot, his attention fixed on the approaching targets. Several other firearms lay beside him, along with ammunition boxes and equipment they had gathered from Rika's car and from their own collection. Asami crouched nearby, watching the advancing horde with visible anxiety.

Yet it wasn't the sight of the zombies that held Takashi's attention for long. Looking beyond the barricades, he finally spotted Cu fighting alongside Rei and Saeko near the front of the mall. The blue-haired young man had positioned himself ahead of the two girls, using his spear to cut down the undead before they could get close enough to threaten the building. Rei fought beside him with her own weapon, thrusting its point into the heads of zombies that approached from the sides, while Saeko moved through the gaps between them with her sword.

"Shit, I should go down there!" Takashi exclaimed, already taking a step towards the stairs. Seeing his friends fighting so close to the horde made it difficult to remain where he was, especially when the sheer number of enemies threatened to overwhelm them. "We can't just leave them to handle all of this themselves!"

"Hold on!" Igou caught his arm before he could go any farther. "Look over there first!"

Following the direction of his friend's hand, Takashi noticed something strange surrounding the mall. A faint, translucent layer of energy shimmered around the building, barely visible against the surrounding scenery. It formed a broad barrier that extended around the structure, its surface occasionally flickering whenever a zombie attempted to pass through it. The sight left him staring in confusion, struggling to understand what he was looking at.

"What the hell is that?"

"Must be one of his spells," Igou replied, watching the barrier with interest. "I think it's blocking the surroundings."

As if to confirm his suspicion, an undead approached from behind the building attempted to push its way through the invisible boundary. Its outstretched arms struck the barrier, and the creature recoiled as though it had collided with a solid wall. It tried again, clawing at the air in front of it, but the barrier refused to yield. Eventually, the undead creature began wandering along the boundary, unable to enter the protected area.

He frowned as he studied the arrangement. The barrier seemed to cover almost the entire mall, but there was a section near the entrance where the energy did not extend in the same way. That opening led towards the area where Cu and the others were fighting, leaving a route through which the zombies could reach them.

"Wait a minute. Is he trying to funnel all of them towards that opening?"

"Looks that way."

"But why not close the entire barrier? Wouldn't that be safer?" Takashi asked, unable to understand why Cu would leave such an obvious gap when the spell seemed capable of keeping the zombies out. He knew very little about magic, and the rules governing that man's abilities remained largely a mystery to him. Still, he couldn't imagine the other boy would choose to leave such a vulnerable opening without a good reason. Cu had already demonstrated that he was capable of dealing with the undead, so there had to be something behind his decision.

“Huh!?”

Before either could discuss the matter further, Miku finally caught up with them and looked out over the rooftop's edge. The moment she saw the enormous horde, the confidence she had displayed downstairs disappeared from her face. Her eyes widened, and she instinctively took a step back as she tried to comprehend the sheer number of zombies filling the streets below.

"What the hell is this?!” Her gaze darted between the horde, the gunmen, and the three figures fighting near the entrance. "And what is that thing surrounding the mall?”

“Magic.” Igou added dryly. 

“You mean everything that stupid nurse was spouting was the truth!? Just what kind of people have I gotten involved with?!"

Neither he nor Igou paid her much attention. 

"Didn't you say you wanted to help us before coming here? If you're not prepared to fight, then go back downstairs and help Shizuka with the injured. Your choice, just don't stay here and be a hindrance, or else we'll just send you back.”

“You…”

Miku's expression tightened at the remark, but she didn't immediately respond. For all her earlier bravado, the sight of hundreds… nearing thousands of zombies approaching the building had clearly shaken her. Takashi couldn't entirely blame her, nor did he pity her after what she said earlier. 

He wanted nothing more than to just get rid of her. Nevertheless, they couldn't afford to waste time arguing with her. With a final glance towards the battle, he followed Igou towards Kohta's position.

"Mind if I borrow one of those?" Takashi asked, pointing towards the weapons arranged beside the sniper rifle.

Kohta glanced up from his scope, uncertainty crossing his face. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. If you miss, you might hit one of them."

"He's right," Igou added as he approached. "We need to be careful about where we shoot. Rei and Saeko are already fighting near the entrance, and we don't want to hit either of them by mistake."

"I understand that much. I'm not planning to shoot at anything near their position."

He crouched beside the weapons and examined the available firearms. They had managed to collect several guns from Rika's car, but their supply of ammunition remained limited. Even with Kohta's sniper rifle and the other weapons, they couldn't hope to kill every undead here. 

"We'll focus on the ones that get past Cu and move towards Rei and Saeko," he explained. "He's too far away for us to help directly, but we can at least keep the zombies from surrounding the girls. If any of them get too close to Rei and Saeko, we'll leave those targets to them and focus on the ones farther away."

Kohta considered the suggestion before reluctantly nodding. "All right, but make sure you know what you're doing. Aim for those on the right side, since they're the farthest away from the girls. If any of them get within ten metres of Rei and Saeko, forget about taking the shot and let me handle it. You don't want a stray bullet hitting one of our friends."

He reached over and handed Takashi a firearm before pointing towards another weapon beside him. "There's a scope here. I didn't have time to calibrate it but it should be okay for this close of a distance. And keep both eyes open when you're aiming. Don't make the mistake of closing one eye and losing track of everything around you."

"Got it."

Igou picked up another gun as well and checked its magazine before positioning himself beside him. 

BANG!

Takashi's first shot struck a zombie in the upper chest rather than the head, throwing the creature backwards and causing it to stumble into the undead behind it. Although the bullet hadn't killed the target, the impact disrupted the group advancing around it, buying Rei a few extra seconds to deal with the ones already within reach.

BANG! BANG!

The next two shots found their marks. One dropped after a bullet pierced its forehead, while another collapsed when Igou's shot struck the side of its head. They continued firing, alternating between aiming through the scopes and tracking the advancing targets with their eyes whenever the horde shifted. 

More of them continued emerging from the streets, filling the gaps left by those who had fallen. They had already numbered in the hundreds when they arrived, yet their numbers kept increasing as creatures from farther away joined the advance. Soon, the street beyond the mall appeared almost completely covered by moving bodies, with the undead pressing forward over the remains of their fallen companions.

“This is ridiculous!” 

Takashi gritted his teeth and fired again, trying to keep his attention on those approaching Rei's position. A runner suddenly broke away from the mass, sprinting past the slower undead with its arms stretched out in front of it. The creature's speed made it difficult to track, and for a moment, he feared it would reach the girl before anyone could stop it.

BANG!

His bullet struck the runner in the stomach, tearing through its torso and knocking it off balance. The creature crashed onto the road, its legs kicking as it tried to regain its footing. Before it could rise, Rei darted forward and drove her spear through its head, ending its movements with a final thrust.

The girl glanced towards the rooftop and gave him a thumbs-up, acknowledging the assistance. 

“...”

Takashi couldn't help smiling at the sight, a small measure of relief easing the tension in his chest. At that instant, his heart fluttered briefly at that smile, it had been a while since she showed something like that to him…

However, the moment quickly passed as another group of undead pushed towards the entrance.

"Focus," he muttered to himself, adjusting his aim before firing again.

The battle continued as the gunshots echoed across the street. He worked through his ammunition as quickly as he could while Igou did the same beside him, Kohta remained focused on the targets visible through his scope, carefully choosing his shots and eliminating those that posed the greatest danger. 

Despite their efforts, the number of approaching undead only increased. The fallen bodies began piling up near the entrance, creating uneven heaps that some zombies stumbled over while others climbed across them without hesitation. The stench of blood and decay grew stronger, and the constant noise of gunfire made it difficult to hear anything beyond the immediate area.

Takashi kept firing, his eyes repeatedly shifting towards Rei and Saeko. The two girls continued fighting near the entrance, each dealing with the zombies that managed to reach them. Yet even from the rooftop, he could see that maintaining their positions was becoming increasingly difficult. Every time one zombie fell, another took its place, forcing the girls to keep moving and preventing them from catching their breath.

"There's just too many of them!" Asami exclaimed, her voice rising above the gunfire as she watched ahead with a pair of binoculars.

"I know!" Kohta responded, never taking his attention away from the scope. "Just keep your eyes on the ones that get through! We can't let them reach the others!"

Takashi fired again, but the sight of the ever-growing horde left him increasingly uneasy. Their ammunition was running low, and even if they continued hitting their targets, they couldn't hope to kill every zombie approaching the mall. He checked his remaining bullets before looking towards Igou, whose expression had grown more serious as he examined the dwindling supply of ammunition beside them.

They were running out, and if the situation continued to deteriorate, they would have to consider abandoning the rooftop and retreating inside.

"Asami, go downstairs and find Shizuka," Takashi instructed, keeping his eyes on the battle as he checked his remaining ammunition. "Tell her to get everyone ready to leave. We've already prepared the car, so if things get any worse, we need to be able to move immediately."

Kohta stared at him. "You're serious?"

"I'm thinking about making sure we have a way out if we need one. There's no point pretending we can fight forever when we're running out of bullets."

Igou glanced towards the horde, then back at his friend. "Are you sure about this? If we leave, what happens to Cu and the others?"

"I'm just saying this as a precaution, Rei and Saeko are close enough for us to pick them up. As for Cu… we'll figure something out if it comes to that. We can't just push through them like before, the wall of corpses and their numbers will damage even this car. For now, just go and make sure everyone's prepared."

“...”

“...”

After a moment's hesitation, Asami nodded and hurried towards the stairs. Takashi watched her disappear before returning his attention to the battle, although the thought of retreating left him feeling uneasy. He trusted Cu, and the latter had done more than enough to prove that he could handle himself. Even so, there was a limit to what any person could accomplish, and the sheer number of zombies approaching the mall made it difficult to ignore the possibility that even Cu might eventually be overwhelmed.

The blue-haired man, however, showed no indication that he intended to retreat even as minutes turned into almost an hour.

"Shit," Igou muttered beside him. "I knew he could use magic, but this is ridiculous. I doubt magic does this much. Are we sure that guy is even human?”

Takashi could only nod. He had no answer for that question.

As for Rei and Saeko, although both girls continued fighting, the effects of the prolonged battle had begun to show. Rei's attacks were becoming less forceful, and she occasionally had to adjust her footing after thrusting her spear at a zombie. Saeko was faring somewhat better, but even her movements had begun to slow as she cut through the approaching undead. Neither of them had the opportunity to rest, and every second they spent fighting left them with less energy to deal with the next wave.

Takashi glanced at the ammunition beside him. Only a handful of bullets remained, and the empty casings scattered around their position served as a reminder of how much they had already used.

"How long have we been doing this?" he asked, looking towards Igou.

"Almost an hour."

"An hour?" He repeated, turning his attention back to the entrance. The thought that Rei and Saeko had been fighting for nearly an hour without a proper break made his stomach tighten. "We can't keep doing this. We're almost out of ammunition, and those two are getting exhausted. We need to go down there and help them."

Igou looked towards the stairs, then back at the battle. "I agree. There's no point staying up here once we've run out of bullets."

Takashi rose to his feet and hurried towards the rooftop's edge. And took a deep breath, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted towards the blue-haired fighter.

"Cu! WE NEED TO RETREAT!"

His voice was almost swallowed by the gunfire and the groans of the approaching undead, but he hoped the other boy would hear him. They couldn't continue fighting like this indefinitely. Even if Cu could deal with the horde by himself, Rei and Saeko were reaching their limits, and Takashi refused to stand by and watch them collapse while he remained safely on the rooftop.

For a moment, the Irishman appeared to have noticed him. Takashi watched in disbelief as the blue-haired boy turned towards them and gave them a cheerful wave, accompanied by a smile. Almost as though he wanted to reassure them that everything was fine and that they had nothing to worry about.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GUY THINKING?!" He shouted, unable to believe what he had just seen.

Before he could call out again, movement near the entrance caught his attention. Rei staggered as she tried to move towards another approaching zombie, her legs finally giving way beneath her. Saeko managed to remain upright for another moment before she too collapsed, unable to continue fighting after exhausting herself against the seemingly endless horde.

"Rei!"

{Break}

"Gah... haaah... haaah..."

Her lungs burned as if she was breathing fire.

Rei struggled to draw enough air as she tightened her grip around her spear. Sweat trickled down her face, and her arms ached from the repeated thrusts she had made throughout the battle. Even lifting her weapon had begun to take more effort than it should have, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down while these undeads continued approaching.

“Ha!” 

Another undead creature lurched towards her with its arms stretched out, its open mouth revealing rows of bloodied teeth. She thrust her spear forward, driving its point through the creature's head. The zombie dropped at her feet, but before she could pull her weapon free, another approached from the side.

Even killing a single one began to feel tedious. The next second, her body twisted and the girl swung the spear across another face, cutting the head in half. Her hair swayed across her shoulders, while the hem of her skirt shifted with the turn. 

"Come on! Just keep moving!"

Her arms were beginning to feel numb, and the soreness spreading through her hands made every strike more difficult. Nevertheless, she continued thrusting her spear into the heads of the zombies that approached, doing her best to keep them from getting too close. One fell after she pierced its eye, while another collapsed when the weapon entered through its open mouth. A third stumbled towards her with one side of its face badly damaged, forcing Rei to step back before she could drive the spear through its skull.

The number of them had begun to decrease, but that did little to ease her concern. She knew there were still plenty of them behind the fallen bodies, and every time she glanced towards Cu, she saw more of the undead advancing towards him.

“Aaaaaaaaeeeeeergh!” 

A shrill screech came from behind, a runner having squeezed through the other undead and heading straight towards her.

"Ah!"

Those things moved so fast that for a brief moment, she did not know how to counter it while also dealing against another undead beside her. Its speed made it difficult to react, and she barely had time to brace herself before the creature was upon her. 

Psht!

Though before it could reach her, a fully metallic spear shot through its chest from the side.

The weapon pierced the runner and pulled it backwards, dragging the creature away from her. The undead stumbled, its feet scraping across the pavement before it collapsed among the bodies.

For a moment, Rei gazed towards Cu. Even in the middle of his own fight… he kept looking out for them.

"Shit, focus!" she muttered, slapping herself several times in anger. She couldn't afford to rely on him to watch her back every time those things got too close. 

With that thought in mind, she resumed fighting, thrusting her spear towards the next zombie that approached. Its head snapped backwards as the weapon pierced through its skull, and she pulled the spear free before turning to strike another. The repeated movements were beginning to take their toll, however, and a sharp ache spread through her fingers whenever she tightened her grip.

“Hah… hah… hah…” 

Rei glanced down at her hand for a brief moment. Her fingers were trembling from the strain, and the soreness in her palm made it difficult to hold the weapon as firmly as she wanted.

A short distance away, Saeko continued cutting through the undead with her sword. Unlike Rei, whose attacks relied on thrusting her spear into the zombies' heads, she moved between the approaching creatures and used the length of her blade to keep them at a distance. When three zombies crowded around her, she stepped forward and swung her sword in a single sweeping motion.

The blade passed through their necks, decapitating all three before their bodies had time to fall. The girl continued moving without pausing, cutting down another zombie that approached from her left before turning to face two more coming from the opposite direction. Her movements were graceful and efficient, each strike aimed at a vulnerable part of the undead rather than wasting effort on unnecessary attacks.

“...”

The fact that Saeko was this gifted was no secret to Rei, but seeing the sheer gap even after she trained with Cu all this time. Even with the exhaustion beginning to affect them both, the other girl seemed to have a much better grasp of how to handle herself in combat.

'She's really good.'

The admiration lasted only a moment before she noticed Saeko's shoulders rising and falling more heavily as she caught her breath. “At least you're a human.” Those words came out before she could stop them, with the swordswoman having heard them and staring back.

“I'll take that as a compliment.” Her voice sounded steady, which kind of annoyed Rei who kept gasping for air. “You're not doing bad yourself.”

“Hah… yeah, I guess so.” Despite those words, Rei knew Saeko was beginning to show signs of fatigue. The battle had continued for far too long, and neither of them had been given the opportunity to rest.

If Saeko could keep fighting despite her exhaustion, then she had to do the same. She couldn't simply stop and leave Cu to deal with everything on his own.

The two girls continued fighting as the zombies pressed towards them, trying to eliminate as many as they could before the horde became impossible to contain. Her breathing grew heavier, her legs began to ache, and her arms no longer responded as quickly as she wanted.

“Hah… hah… just how many of them are there!? Did the whole town march all the way here!?” 

“S-Seems like it.” 

Her vision blurred briefly from exhaustion, forcing her to blink several times before she could focus again. The undead continued advancing, and she knew that if she allowed herself to collapse, it would force Cu to take over.

But as the battle dragged on, the number of zombies reaching their position gradually began to decrease. “Uh… are there less of them coming here?” She asked herself, only to be stunned when observing the outside of the barrier. “What…”

A sea of moving corpses, her hope had been crushed from this sight. Their numbers were not decreasing at all, it was just Cu kept killing them faster, leaving fewer creatures for Rei and Saeko to handle. 

“If only I could…” 

He mentioned several times that it was unlikely for them to learn magic just because they did not posseess… what was it? Conduits? No, Magic Circuits if she recalled correctly. 

It irked her, not because she lacked the means to be more powerful. But because it made her feel useless in moments like these. ‘But he did not say it was impossible. Maybe there is a way? There has to be something.’ 

Shaking her head from these thoughts, she took advantage of the brief reprieve to draw a deeper breath, then glanced towards the blue-haired boy, who was still fighting as though he had barely begun.

“He can't hold on like this forever, let's move forward.”

She trudged towards him, hoping to help ease up more of his burden. But before she could take more than a few steps, however, a hand suddenly closed around hers.

"Don't go any farther."

Saeko moved to stop her before she could get any closer.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"You're not going to help him like this. You'll only get in his way."

Rei's expression twisted with frustration. "What do you mean, I'll get in his way? We have to help him! He's fighting all of those things by himself!"

"And you can barely walk, let alone fight." Saeko's gaze dropped briefly towards Rei's trembling hands before returning to her face. "Look at yourself. You're exhausted, and if you push yourself any further, you'll collapse before you can even reach him. And he'll be forced to protect you, don't be stupid.”

She kept hold of Rei's hand, refusing to let her pull away and charge towards the horde. Before Rei could argue again, the entrance to the mall opened.

"Rei! Saeko!" 

“Takashi?” 

“Quickly!” The boy called as he hurried towards them. "Let's get you back inside!"

He reached Rei first and tried to support her by the arm, intending to help her walk towards the entrance. She immediately pushed him away, refusing to accept his assistance.

"I'm not going back inside yet!”

"You're in no condition to help anyone!" Takashi retorted, catching her again when she nearly stumbled. "You can barely stand, and you won't do him any good if you collapse out here. At least let us get you somewhere safe so you can recover!"

She tried, really tried to resist, but her legs had already begun to give out beneath her. Lacking the strength to fight Takashi off, Saeko was no better off. Despite her protests, the two girls were eventually guided back through inside, away from the carnage.

.

.

.

As soon as they were inside, Rei leaned against the nearest wall, struggling to catch her breath. Her legs felt as though they might give way at any moment, and the floor beneath her seemed to shift whenever she tried to look up. 

“Urgh!” Her body shivered, fighting the urge to vomit.

"You pushed yourself too hard," he told her again. “It's a miracle that you didn't get injured, still, best to let Shizuka check up on you.”

She barely registered his words. Her head was spinning, and even his voice seemed distant, as though he were speaking from somewhere far away. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady herself, but the dizziness only made her feel worse.

Seconds turned into minutes, her heartbeat finally showing some signs of calming down after drinking a bottle of water.

When she finally looked to the side, Rei noticed Saeko sitting nearby while Shizuka tended to her. The nurse had brought over a cooling pad rested against her head and another had been placed near her limbs to help her recover while also cleaning some of the blood.

"Rei, you need to wash off too," Shizuka said as she approached. "We don't want to take any chances with infections, especially after you've been fighting out there for so long."

She helped clean some of the blood from her face, allowing herself a brief moment to recover while the nurse examined her for injuries.

Shizuka soon turned her attention to Takashi and Igou. “I need some more medical supplies, I left some towels soaked in antiseptic and alcohol — bring those over. I need to gather other materials too, so I'll go and get them as well. But one of you should also stay here and keep an eye on them in case they need anything."

With that, she hurried away, leaving Takashi to watch over the exhausted girls.

Rei remained against the wall, trying to regain enough strength to stand without feeling as though she might collapse. Saeko sat nearby, her breathing gradually settling as she began recovering some stamina. For a short while, neither girl spoke. The sounds of the battle outside continued to reach them through the entrance, reminding them that Cu was still fighting.

Eventually, Saeko broke the silence.

"I… wasn't much of a help either it seems."

“No, you did better than me.” The entire time, she kept watch and the number of kills easily went to the swordswoman. “I doubt it would have been any different if I wasn't present.”

“It would.” 

“Eh?” 

“Don't sell yourself short, Rei.” Saeko’s hand came to gently pat her own. “You had my back. I didn't need to worry about looking behind every time.” 

Did she? That was… hard to believe, everything was but a blur and it honestly felt like Saeko was the one protecting her at times. “Sorry, I'll have to doubt your words… and… tch, we can't just stay here.” 

“You won't be of any help to him at this moment. But of course, I doubt you'll listen to me if I tell you to not go out there again.” 

Rei clenched her teeth and looked away,

"Of course I won't listen," she muttered, gripping the bottle in her hands. "I can't just sit here and leave him to deal with everything by himself. I want to help him, even if it's only a little."

“...”

Her gaze shifted towards Saeko, searching the other girl's face for an answer. "I know that… I know that you care about him. I don't know to what extent and I honestly don’t like the idea of it. He's mine… but, I do know you wouldn't be heartless enough to just stay here.”

“...”

Again, the other said nothing. 

Wanting to say more, Rei tried yet her eyelids grew heavier as she couldn't stop herself from letting her consciousness drift away for a certain time. No matter how hard she tried to fight back, it was a losing battle.

…

Crash!

A tremendous tremor shook the area beyond the entrance.

“Ah!” 

Rei jerked upright, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she looked towards the opening. A flash of light illuminated the street outside, followed by a heavy rumble that seemed to travel through the building. The impact was powerful enough to make dust fall from above.

"What was that?!" Takashi exclaimed, moving towards the entrance to get a better look.

Beyond the barrier, the battle appeared to have grown even more chaotic. Cu fought farther into the horde, his figure partly obscured by the growing piles of corpses around him. More undead continued to press towards his position, and the destruction caused by the explosion had done little to stop their advance.

Igou stared out at the scene, his expression turning increasingly troubled. "This is crazy. I've never seen so many of those things in one place, and I'm pretty sure some of them are different from the others."

Saeko narrowed her eyes as she followed his gaze. "Different? You mean there are more variants?"

"Looks that way. And I don't know why they'd start appearing now, of all times."

The possibility left Rei even more worried. If new kinds of zombies were joining the horde, then the situation might be worse than they had first realised. She tried to look past the piles of bodies and find Cu, but the distance and the sheer number of corpses piled up made it difficult to see what was happening.

"Where is he?" she asked, leaning forward despite the dizziness that still troubled her. "I can't see him properly!"

“He's still fighting. I can see him moving around out there."

Rei strained to look beyond the barrier. For a brief moment, she caught sight of his figure moving through the horde, striking down another group before disappearing behind the growing mass of bodies. She couldn't make out every movement, but the sounds of destruction and the continued explosions made it clear that the fight was far from over.

Then she heard it.

Snap!

The sound was distinct even amid the chaos and the noise of the horde. It wasn't the sound of a gunshot or an explosion, but something breaking under immense pressure… high pitched enough that it reached the mall. Rei's eyes widened as she searched for its source, her attention immediately drawn towards the area where Cu had been fighting.

Only for everyone to see a twirling object in the air fall right near the barricaded entrance…

A spear head that had snapped cleanly from the rest of the shaft. 

“No…”

Her gaze finally settled on the silver spear he had carried since the beginning.

The weapon had been used several times throughout the battle, piercing heads and cutting through their bodies whenever Cu attacked. It had been one of the few things she had come to associate with him, a familiar sight whenever she looked towards the blue-haired boy in the middle of the horde. 

In a way, every time he used it made her feel safer than even being surrounded by armed soldiers. 

Now, it broke.

“No… no…” 

For a moment, Rei couldn't understand what she was seeing. She stared at the destroyed weapon, her mind struggling to accept that the spear which had survived so many battles had finally snapped. Cu appeared to be staring at the broken pieces as well, momentarily caught off guard by what had happened.

That brief hesitation ended up being a mistake.

“NO!” 

She screeched right as the undead surrounding him immediately surged forward, their bodies piling onto him from every direction. One grabbed at his arm while another threw itself against his back, and within seconds, the horde had swallowed his figure beneath a mass of grasping hands and decaying bodies.

"Cu!"

A scream tore from her throat before she could think. She stood, ignoring the pain in her legs and the dizziness threatening to make her fall, and rushed towards the entrance.

"Wait! It's too dangerous!" Igou shouted as she passed him.

The girl didn't stop. Shoving past him and forcing her way through the opening Her heart hammered against her chest, and she screamed his name again as she ran, no longer caring how many undead stood between them.

"Cu! Cu!"

Her eyes searched frantically for any sign of him. She grabbed a length of rebar lying nearby and held it in front of her, prepared to use it as a weapon if she needed to force her way through the horde. 

“Ah!” 

Only for her to nearly trip as her foot struck a body, but a hand managed to firmly grab onto her. Dark purple strands appeared near her vision, helping her up as she stared at Saeko in surprise. 

“I never said I wouldn't run over to help him earlier, didn't I?”

There was so much she wanted to say, leaving that to the side. She rushed over with greater haste, but before she could get any farther, her body slammed into something invisible.

Pa!

"Ugh!"

The impact threw her backwards, and she fell onto the ground, landing painfully before rolling onto her side. For a moment, she could only stare in confusion at the empty space in front of her. Then she pushed herself up and reached out, her hand striking the same unseen barrier that had stopped the zombies from entering the mall.

"No… Why did… Cu! Open it!"

She pressed both hands against the invisible wall, feeling along its surface as though she might find a way through. The opening Cu had left in the barrier was gone. He had closed it, leaving himself on the other side with the entire horde.

"No! Open it! WHY DID YOU CLOSE IT!? OPEN IT!”

Clenched fists struck the barrier again and again, using whatever she had around to break it but ultimately ending up failing. Not giving up, she kept hitting it again and again as she desperately searched for a way to break through. Each blow bounced away without leaving so much as a mark. Frustration and fear overwhelmed her as she raised the metal bar once more and brought it down against the invisible surface with all the strength she could muster.

Pa!

The rebar created a spark, nothing more.

"Why!?!"

Tears blurred her vision as she looked towards the horde, unable to see him beneath the mass of undead. 

‘If he dies… if he died then what will I—’

“Rei.”

“Huh?” 

Saeko called out her name right as the ground began to shake.

A deep rumble rose from beyond the barrier, growing louder until the pavement beneath Rei's feet trembled. She froze and looked towards the horde as a burst of fire erupted from the mass of zombies, engulfing the creatures.

“Wah!”

The two jumped backwards due to pure instinct alone, even with the barrier, goosebumps spread across their bodies. The flames towered over them unlike anything seen earlier, spreading across the street, illuminating the piles of corpses and sending the nearest undead stumbling away from the sudden blaze before turning into ashes.

For a moment, Rei could only stare at the inferno.

Then something emerged from the flames.

A hand holding onto a head it crushed in an instant.

Except the figure that stepped out of the burning mass hardly resembled the boy she knew. His body was covered in blood that began to steam away, and his crimson eyes burned with an animalistic rage. 

“Aaaaargh!”

Whatever restraint he had shown throughout the battle appeared to have vanished, leaving behind a creature whose fury was directed entirely at the undead surrounding him.

Like a bloodthirsty beast, he charged straight into the horde and began tearing the undead apart with his bare hands.

One creature lunged towards him, but he seized it by the head and crushed its skull in his grip once again, grey matter, blood and bone fragments coating his hand. Another grabbed at his shoulder, only for him to catch it by the neck and wrench it away, ripping through the flesh before throwing the ruined body into the advancing mass. When several of them crowded around him, he drove his way through them, smashing their heads with his fists and tearing their limbs away whenever they tried to hold him back.

“...”

Rei stared, unable to move as the brutal sight.

He had fought with his spear before, and she had watched him cut down countless zombies throughout the battle. Those were already what she considered extreme sights that initially made her stomach twist, yet it did not hold a candle to what was going on in front. 

There was no technique, no thought put behind his moves nor experience. He moved no differently to an animal, attacking anything that approached him, ripping through the undead with such force that their bodies were thrown across the street. 

Rain of blood and flesh filled the area, pieces of guts stuck to his forearm as he literally began tearing their front. Fingers digging into flesh and bone until an entire section of ribcages would be pulled out at once with the lungs still moving within.

“A-Ah… urgh!” 

Nausea overtook her senses, she gagged but nothing but water came out of her mouth. 

Even Saeko remained frozen in place, Rei seeing her grow pale… an expression she hasn't ever seen on that face. 

The cycle continued, undead were torn apart from their chest, others had their head crushed beneath his foot. When a creature clung to his back, he reached behind himself, seized it, and pulled it away with enough force to skin the rotten skin off.

“Cough! Cough!” She recoiled in disgust when she could no longer see Cu’s face, nothing human remained. 

For the first time, her fear of these zombies had shifted away and towards the figure standing in their midst. Even though the creature fighting out there was Cu, the same person who had smiled and waved at them only moments earlier, now not a trace of him remained. 

“▂▃A-Aaa▃▄▄rgh▅▅!”

The sound that came out of his mouth could no longer be even called human as well.

He continued tearing through the horde, his hands moving from one zombie to the next as the bodies accumulated around him. At some point even beginning to use his body as a battering ram, turning several of these creatures into meat paste against the barrier. 

“Hya!” 

Rei flinched backwards, remains scattered across the road and for a brief moment she genuinely wondered if this wasn't hell. Even the creatures that managed to grab hold of him failed to slow him down, some limbs even when torn off continued to hold onto him.

At one point, one of them stumbled close enough for him to seize its throat with his teeth, ripping into its flesh before throwing the ruined creature aside. 

“Cu…” her hands trembled as she watched him continue his rampage.

The mass of undead began to break apart under his attacks, bringing down the remaining bodies but the numbers did not diminish.

"Cu…"

Rei could barely whisper his name. She wanted to call out to him, to make him look at her… just to see if he was still in there somewhere. Yet everything before her left her unable to do anything but watch.

The destruction spread beyond the zombies themselves. Cu seized a nearby car and hurled it into the mass of undead, sending the vehicle crashing through their ranks. The impact knocked down several creatures and destroyed the closest house. 

"Cu! It's me, Rei! Look at me! CU!"

This time, her voice was louder.

“—?”

For a brief moment, his movements faltered. His crimson eyes shifted towards the barrier, and Rei caught sight of something changing in his expression. “Come back inside! We… we can figure out another plan! Please! Come back!” 

Their eyes met.

Rei felt a surge of relief at the brief recognition, but before she could call out again, he turned away. “Huh?”

Much to her confusion, he seized a giant rock and used the blood on his hand to write something on it before tossing it sailed through the air until it landed near the barrier.

"What… is he doing?" she whispered, unable to understand why he was throwing the objects.

More rocks sailed through the air and landed at various points around the mall. Each impact shook the ground, and the faint glow on their surfaces grew brighter as they settled into place. Rei recognised the strange pattern on them, remembering the rocks that she and Saeko had placed around the place earlier.

The stones were responding to one another.

A faint shimmer spread from the newly placed rocks towards the existing ones, linking them together as the barrier around the mall began to change. Rei watched as the glow spread across its surface, the energy flickering before gradually becoming less visible.

At the same time, the noise of the battle began to fade.

The explosions and the sounds of destruction that had filled the street moments earlier grew quieter, until Rei could no longer hear the fighting beyond the barrier. 

She stared at the altered barrier, bewildered by what she was witnessing. Opening her mouth to call out to him again, but even her own voice seemed unable to reach beyond the invisible boundary. It was as if all sounds got erased from both sides, not even the heat of the flames touched her skin.

"Cu? Can you hear me?! Cu!” 

She couldn't see anything, hear anything or even smell anything from the other side.

Until a shadow reached before the barrier and the space opened right before her as a roaring sound of an explosive fire could be heard from the other side. 

Her arms along with Saeko's reached ahead just in time to catch a figure falling towards them. 

“Ah!”

He was heavy, reeked and was covered in guts and blood. But neither of the girls budged. 

“Hah… I really underestimated them. Almost lost myself there, hahaha… it's been a while.” His voice reached her ears, sounding a bit raspy but no longer the same as that terrifying image from earlier. Even holding a hint of amusement and bitterness she heard plenty of times with Cu. “That distraction should keep them occupied for a bit, as for this barrier… hah, we'll have to find another solution.” 

So he said, but she didn't care. 

“I'm glad you're back, you dummy.” 

Rei whispered to his ears, finally letting herself relax and soon close her eyes.