Chapter 51: The Bridge of No Return (Part I)
The deafening roar of engines shattered the silence.
Two black Jeeps tore across the massive suspension bridge like bullets, their tires screeching against the cracked asphalt as they sped toward the distant skyline.
The morning sun hung low over the horizon, painting the sea beneath the bridge in streaks of crimson and gold.
For a brief moment...
...it almost looked peaceful.
Then the screams came.
Hundreds of them.
No...
Thousands.
The bridge trembled beneath the endless stampede.
Inside the lead Jeep, Tokita rested one arm against the open window, his crimson hair whipping wildly in the wind. His sharp eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, but every few seconds they drifted toward the rearview mirror.
His expression slowly darkened.
"They're gaining."
His calm voice immediately silenced the vehicle.
Natsuki leaned forward from the back seat.
"What?"
Tokita didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he leaned farther outside the window until nearly half his body was exposed to the rushing wind.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"...They're much closer than before."
Behind them...
The highway had disappeared.
It had become a living ocean of flesh.
Hundreds of infected sprinted across the bridge with terrifying speed.
Their shrieks echoed endlessly between the steel cables.
Their bloodshot eyes locked onto the fleeing convoy.
And leading them...
Several creatures raced on all fours.
Their twisted limbs bent unnaturally.
Their claws carved deep trenches into the concrete each time they pushed themselves forward.
They weren't running.
They were hunting.
Nightcrawlers.
Their bodies resembled humans only in the cruelest sense.
Their ribs protruded through pale gray skin.
Their jaws stretched impossibly wide.
Every leap covered nearly ten meters.
Each impact shattered chunks of asphalt beneath them.
They moved...
Like starving cheetahs.
Tokita's eyes shifted higher.
His pupils narrowed.
"...Above us too."
Dark silhouettes circled overhead.
Large wings cut through the morning sky.
At first glance...
They looked like vultures.
Then one folded its wings.
It dove.
Fast.
Too fast.
Its body twisted midair before revealing an unmistakably human face fused into its feather-covered skull.
Its fingers had become hooked talons.
Its mouth split open into rows of jagged teeth.
Its shriek pierced the wind.
Another followed.
Then another.
Nearly ten of them circled the convoy.
Kaito slowly looked through the rear window.
His face paled.
"...Guys..."
Nobody answered.
"...I think we're screwed."
Silence.
Then Mira folded her arms and sighed.
"Oh, would you stop saying that every five minutes?"
Everyone looked at her.
She smiled confidently.
"Did everyone suddenly forget what happened last week?"
Natsuki blinked.
"...Huh?"
Mira pointed toward Tokita.
"We're not the same people anymore."
A smile slowly appeared on Kaito's face.
"...You're right."
He clenched his fist.
A faint distortion shimmered around his fingers before disappearing.
Natsuki cracked his neck.
"Heh..."
"Now we're talking."
The convoy sped forward.
For another thirty seconds...
Nothing happened.
Until...
Nezuko's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"...Wait."
Her voice immediately caught everyone's attention.
"Don't you think..."
She stared through the windshield.
"...they're acting strange?"
Everyone followed her gaze.
The infected weren't chasing randomly anymore.
They were...
Coordinating.
Several Nightcrawlers suddenly broke formation.
Instead of attacking immediately...
They sprinted ahead of the convoy.
"What are they doing?"
Kaito whispered.
Tokita answered instantly.
"They're cutting us off."
The words had barely left his mouth—
A deafening chorus erupted ahead.
The bridge...
Was blocked.
Hundreds...
No...
Nearly a thousand infected flooded the roadway.
Some slammed their bodies against abandoned vehicles.
Others climbed over guardrails.
Their screams shook the air.
Natsuki frowned.
"...Seriously?"
He cracked his knuckles.
"Why don't we just drive through them?"
Aoi didn't even look at him.
"Because we'd lose control."
She pointed ahead.
"They're packed too tightly."
"If the Jeep flips..."
"...we're dead."
Silence.
Tokita slowly released a breath.
Then...
He smiled.
"Looks like we've got no choice."
The two Jeeps screeched sideways before coming to a violent stop.
Dust exploded around them.
The infected roared.
For a heartbeat...
Nobody moved.
Then Aoi pushed open the passenger door.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"...Finally."
She rested one hand on the hilt of her sword.
"I was getting bored."
Natsuki burst into laughter.
"Hell yeah!"
He jumped out before anyone else.
Electricity crackled around his boots.
Tokita stepped out more casually.
He stretched his shoulders.
Then looked toward everyone.
"...Before we start."
Everyone paused.
"I've got a proposal."
Natsuki groaned.
"Seriously?"
Tokita ignored him.
"The person with the highest kill count..."
He reached into the Jeep.
"...gets the last Tres Leches cake."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Even Kaito blinked.
"...The bakery cake?"
Tokita nodded.
"The one we found last week."
Natsuki's eyes widened.
"...No way."
Tokita casually shrugged.
"Highest kill count wins."
Aoi laughed.
"So that's your game?"
"What happens if you win?"
Tokita folded his arms.
"If I win..."
"You all owe me one favor."
Natsuki immediately pointed at him.
"That's cheating!"
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is!"
Mira laughed.
"I don't mind."
Kaito adjusted his gloves.
"I'm in."
Aoi slowly drew her blade.
"...Deal."
Tokita looked toward Nezuko.
She smiled softly.
"I'll try my best."
Tokita nodded.
"Good."
He slowly looked toward the endless sea of infected.
The smile disappeared.
His eyes became cold.
"...Let's begin."
The infected charged.
Natsuki grinned.
"...Maan Tokita,your gonna seriously regret making that bet in the first place!"
A burst of blue lightning exploded beneath his feet.
BOOM!
He vanished.