A tall blonde man, his chiseled features partially obscured by sleek sunglasses, stood confidently in the center of a sprawling white room that radiated an eerie, sterile ambiance. The walls were lined with cutting-edge technology, including dozens of massive, high-resolution monitors that flickered with the latest updates from around the globe. A sly smirk curled at the corners of his lips as he surveyed the chaotic scenes playing out on the screens before him, each one a window into the turmoil gripping the world.
On every monitor, pandemonium reigned supreme. In major cities across the globe, the streets were filled with terror as countless infected prowled, their bodies mangled and grotesque. The sounds of screams and sirens mingled in the air as civilians, eyes wide with fear, sprinted for their lives, desperately trying to escape the relentless onslaught of the bloodthirsty mobs.
One particular screen caught the blonde man's attention. It displayed a live feed from the United Kingdom, where a battalion of soldiers pressed forward with grim determination. They fired their weapons with precision, their faces set as they confronted a massive horde of infected.
The creatures lunged forward, their eyes glowing an ominous shade of red, filled with a primal rage that sent shivers down the soldier's very souls. Blood streamed down the infected's faces as they crashed against the barriers set by the soldiers. Using their numbers, the infected pushed aside the barriers and rushed the soldiers, causing them to fall back.
One of the soldiers stopped running and began to unload all of his ammunition from his assault rifle with a look of desperation. A few of the undead fell from their heads, being blown to pieces by the soldiers' gunfire. The soldier screamed as his firearm continued to spray hot lead.
The assault rifle clicked as the weapon's magazine finally ran empty. The soldier panicked to reload his gun, but screamed when several of the infected tackled him to the ground. One of the infected yelled at the man's face, and a strong torrent of blood was thrown up by the undead, filling the soldier's mouth with the blood red liquid and bile. Blood and gore flew through the air as the group of infected tore the soldier's face apart.
With the soldier now dead and motionless, the infected lost interest and pursued their fellow infected, leaving the mutilated remains of the soldier behind. Twenty seconds later, the lifeless soldier jerked several times before leaping to his feet. His eyes glowed blood red as he yelled in rage. He then turned on his heel and joined the rest of the horde.
"Incredible," exclaimed the blonde-haired man, Albert Wesker, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and triumph. "The spread of the infection has far surpassed our calculations."
Albert turned his gaze to an old man seated in a wheelchair across the brightly lit room. The frail figure of the man contrasted sharply with the intensity of Wesker's presence. Deep lines etched across the old man's face told stories of experience, wisdom, and a life spent witnessing the evolution of bioweaponry. The older man's eyes trembled in horror as he watched a group of the undead rip a woman to pieces.
"Don't you think... Spencer?" Albert said.
"No… this isn't what I wanted." Oswell E. Spencer said.
Dr. Oswell E. Spencer is a British aristocrat and billionaire whose influence spans multiple fields. He was a renowned virologist and a prominent eugenicist, known for his controversial views on human genetics. As one of the founding figures of Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, he played a pivotal role in the company's rise to power within the bioweapons industry. However, time and Spencer's declining health had left him a shell of his former self.
Dr. Oswell sat in a sleek, high-tech wheelchair, surrounded by an array of life support devices that monitored his vital signs and assisted with his many physical ailments. "We've unleashed Hell on earth, Wesker!" he declared, his voice laced with frustration and a hint of resignation. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, a poignant reminder of the catastrophic consequences of his life's work.
"Is that how you see it? It seems that your mind is truly declining. No, Spencer. This! This is the next step towards pushing humanity to evolve! What you see before you is the beginning of the new world!" Albert said, spreading his arms wide.
"Tell me, Spencer. In your current state, can you feel the weight of our triumph? No? Very well then. Let me remind you," Albert said, a grin spreading across his face as he knelt before Oswall. "What you see behind me are the results of over ten years of strategic planning, deception, and patience. In that time, we've carefully planted our agents into several of the world's most powerful militaries and governments. From there, it was time to begin our true mission."
Standing tall, Albert turned back to the various screens. "The true brilliance of our plan hinged on the subtlety with which we distributed our viruses upon the world, unlike in Raccon City, Senegal, and Tall Oaks. When we subjected only those locations to the virus, we decided it was time to infect the entire world at once. Ensuring that our friends don't have the chance to get in our way like always."
"But how would we accomplish such a feat? The answer was simple. So simple it was almost laughable. We give everyone a cold," Albert laughed. "Engineering a new, stronger strain of the flu and releasing it to the public was simple. As the death toll rose and fear spread across the masses, it came as no surprise that everyone jumped at the mention of a possible vaccine. A vaccine developed by our new shadow company, Gentek. Little did the people of the world know that within those vials that promised their health sat their very end."
Albert walked over to a large white table where a tray with several red vials sat on top of a steel tray. Grabbing one, Albert smiled as the liquid almost seemed to respond to him. "Although it would have been ideal to contaminate every single dose of the vaccine to ensure a full worldwide spread, we wisely chose to play it safe by only contaminating one in every thousand doses. With the BSAA or the DSO snooping around, it wouldn't have been long before they uncovered our plans. Especially with Redfield and Kennedy on high alert for any possible signs of our movement. However, in the end, our patience has borne the richest of fruits."
Dr. Oswell looked at Albert with utter terror and slowly wheeled away. But before the old man could make it too far, Albert seemingly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the wheelchair's push bars. "That dementia of yours is screwing with your head. This is what you wanted, Spencer. This was the very reason you built Umbrella! Remember!"
Albert looked out at the smoldering ruins of the once-great cities, a hint of excitement dancing in his eyes. "This monumental achievement is just the beginning. Watch Spencer and give witness as my horsemen will soon emerge from the ashes of the old world, ready to serve under me as the new god of this transformed realm."
Albert grinned before walking away, leaving Dr. Oswall alone in the room. The horrified expression on Dr. Oswall's face slowly gave way to glee as he stared up at the various screens. His eyes seemed to change as his mind shifted.
"Don't disappoint me now," Albert said as he left the room.
x x x
It took us another thirty agonizing minutes to reach the sports equipment room after locating Haruno. Hayato once more took the lead, his posture tense and alert as he scanned our surroundings with every cautious step. Yamato brought up the rear, glancing over his shoulder every few moments, clearly on high alert for any lurking infected that might try to ambush us from behind.
In the center of our small formation was Haruno, who moved with careful, deliberate grace despite the blood and gore around us. On her feet were a pair of bloodied indoor shoes taken from the same headless corpse we came across earlier. It wouldn't have done her any good if she stepped on broken glass while barefoot.
I fell into step right behind her, doing my best to keep my pace steady while trying to ignore the gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach. Even though we had already passed through the same path, each step forward felt like we were walking on a razor's edge; one wrong move, and all the infected around us would charge and rip us apart. Still, in the end, we all made it to the room safely.
After taking a short break, we looked out the window to ensure the area was clear. Noticing no infected in sight, Yamato moved in first and began climbing the rope, followed closely by Hayama. Once they were inside, Hayato scanned the area again and signaled for Haruno to move. However, instead of jumping out the window to start climbing, she turned to me.
"Now that we're back, I assume you'll be leaving to find your sister?" Haruno said softly.
"I am," I replied. Haruno sighed and looked up at the window. Yukino, Yui, and Iroha were looking down at us with relief. On Yukino's expression, tears could be seen twinkling in the moonlight.
Haruno smiled and waved at them, her eyes resting on her sister with relief. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that your plan is incredibly dangerous. Suicidal even. Frankly, I think you should rethink it. Still, I doubt there's anything I can say to change your mind, but I'll say this anyway: when you find your sister, please make sure to come back to us, okay?" Haruno said sincerely.
I frowned and turned away, but after a moment, I nodded. It was odd to see the older Yukinoshita being so sincere and honest. Who would have guessed that it would take an apocalyptic event to make her open up about her true thoughts and feelings? "Okay. Once I find Komachi, I'll come back."
"Good. That's good to hear. You can't just leave Yukino-chan like that; otherwise, I won't forgive you," Haruno joked.
x x x
"Split up? Are you serious?" Meguri asked.
Once we returned to the room and the Yukinoshita sisters had their heartfelt reunion, we all gathered around to share Haruno's ideas about our potential paths forward.
As we presented the various options, the atmosphere in the home economics room shifted dramatically. A wave of reactions surged through the group, as each person responded in their own way. Most of the faces around us reflected concern and trepidation, with wide eyes filled with uncertainty about what lay ahead. Some whispered anxiously to one another, while others sat in stunned silence, processing the implications of Haruno's proposals.
Overall, it was clear that fear and skepticism dominated the discussion.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse to leave! I still believe that we will be saved! I'm sure the Prime Minister has mobilized the JSDF to find and rescue every citizen in trouble," Tamanawa said, accompanying his words with annoying hand gestures. "Going out there will only put us all in danger. Therefore, I propose we all stay where we are! Where it's safe!"
"Is that so? Tell me, what will you do when all the food runs out? How about when the water is eventually shut off? The same goes for electricity. With society descending into chaos, it's only a matter of time before those services are cut off. What about when someone needs to use the restroom? Have you considered all of that?" Haruno said in a serious tone.
"That's…" Tamanawa stuttered and looked around the room.
"A-actually, I really need to use the toilet," Kaori whispered, her face flushed red.
I sighed and glanced at the workstations where several baked goods from today's event were displayed. There were also numerous bars and bags of chocolate. While not nutritious, the sweets would provide us with something to eat. Given the number of people here, I'd estimate that the food supply would last about three days.
The sinks would supply plenty of water, but as Haruno pointed out, for how long? With survival on everyone's mind, it will only be a matter of time before everything, including the internet, becomes inaccessible due to poor management of these services.
"Haruno-san is right," Hayato said as he washed his face. He shut off the faucet and looked over at Tamanawa. "With this many people, our supplies will run out quickly. We have to move somewhere with better, sustainable shelter and food. Otherwise… we won't make it."
"But those things are everywhere! How can we travel to a new location without being attacked or k-killed?" Chika asked, her hand being held by Kaori.
"There's a sports equipment room down on the ground floor," Yamato said. "Once you climb down, everyone should grab something to defend themselves with."
"Defend ourselves?" Mamoru said in disbelief. "Y-you expect us to fight those things?!"
"It's either that or be torn apart," I said as I zipped up my backpack after checking the supplies I had gathered. I set it down and looked at Mamoru and the rest of the Kaihin Council members and students. "All our lives, we were told to avoid violence and use diplomacy to resolve our issues. But in this new world, where the undead walk among us, we have to change. We have to fight, even if it terrifies us to our core."
"Adapt or die," Iroha said with a frown. "Is that what you're saying, Senpai?"
"Yeah... That's right," I said. "We're all on our own. Nobody is coming to help us. You would think the JSDF would be out in full force right now trying to stop those things, but they're not. At least, not anywhere near here."
"You think the military was the first to fall?" Yukino said with a thoughtful look, her hand clenched tightly around Haruno's.
"No, that's probably not it. They probably have the JSDF stationed around government buildings or the Prime Minister's cabinet staff." I said.
"What good does speculating on whether the JSDF is still around or not?" Hina said with a tired voice. She had removed her glasses and was rubbing her eyes. She looked exhausted. Yumiko hugged her from where they sat on the floor. "We can't count on them… We have to save ourselves."
"Hina's right," Hayato said as he looked over to Haruno. "So… got any ideas on where we can go?"
We spent the next thirty minutes discussing the best possible locations for us to move to.
The options included shelters, government buildings, and recreation centers. I pointed out that if we considered these locations, there was a strong chance that others would think the same way. This meant that any of these places could be crowded with survivors or overrun by the undead.
From there, we brainstormed other potential destinations, but our ideas were limited and impractical. Some suggested that each of us should try to head home, but that idea was quickly dismissed. There were too many of us to travel safely through Chiba with all the infected lurking in the streets, and it would take too long to stop at each person's house individually.
Tamanawa even proposed that we all venture out on our own, but Haruno shut that down immediately, insisting that we needed to stick together. If even one of those creatures managed to grab you, you'd be dead without help. It simply was too risky.
After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that everyone would head to Haruno's family home. With her and Yukino's father serving in the Japanese National Diet, their family was well-off. The Yukinoshita home was large and well-secured, making it a suitable place for everyone to stay while we figured out our next steps. However, since the Yukinoshita home was quite far away, around eight miles or so, the journey on foot could take several days. Perhaps even more when you take avoiding the infected into account.
With the destination decided, everyone began packing anything that would help on our journey. Before that, it was agreed that everyone would get a full night's rest before starting the trek the following day. As for Kawasaki and me, we wanted to leave that same night to head toward our siblings. While Saki and I were eager to leave immediately, Haruno had managed to convince us, mainly me, to rest. Feeling fatigued from the day's events, I found myself agreeing. Seeing how tired I was, Saki sighed and agreed as well.
This was how I found myself leaning against one of the workstations, my dark blue sweater keeping me warm as the chilly night air blew in through the broken window. It was past midnight, and almost everyone had fallen asleep. The low moans and sporadic growls out in the hall prevented several of us from sleeping.
As I sat alone, the images of the day's events, all the bloodshed and gore, played through my mind. Causing me to worry about Komachi even more.
Lifting my phone, I saw several missed outgoing calls I made to my parents. No matter how many times I called or texted, they never replied.
They're probably dead. I thought with a grimace. No, I can't think like that. Dad is pretty reliable. I'm sure he realized what was going on and went to save Mom.
Off in the distance, a scream pierced the skies. No doubt, someone must have fallen prey to the infected.
"Hikki. Can't sleep?"
I looked up and saw Yui looking down at me.
"Yeah," I said tiredly. "I can't rest without being sure Komachi is safe."
Nodding, Yui kneeled and sat beside me. She wrapped her arms around herself as the late-night cold blew in from the broken window.
"Yeah, I can imagine," Yui whispered, her voice barely audible. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned against my shoulder. I felt a rush of warmth at her closeness. "You were so brave today, Hikki. I really believe that if it wasn't for you, things could have turned out so much worse."
I shook my head, brushing off her praise. "No, I'm sure someone else would have stepped up," I replied.
Yui smiled softly, resting her head against me. My heart fluttered as I turned to quickly glance at Yukino and Haruno, both of them sleeping soundly together. Yukino leaned against her sister, their intertwined hands painting a picture of fragile safety amidst chaos.
"Maybe," Yui murmured, her voice trembling a bit. "But, Hikki... I have to be honest. I'm scared. I've never felt this scared before. When you left to go find Haruno-san, I was terrified that... that something could have happened to you. That I would never get to see you again."
"Yuigahama," I started, trying to find the right words, but the weight of her expression silenced me.
She sat up a bit, her eyes searching mine. "If I could, I'd help you go find Komachi-Chan. But… I think I'd only get in the way. It's selfish of me to do this right now, but can I ask you something?" she asked, her voice quavering.
"...what?" I replied.
"Please don't die," she whispered. "Please come back to Yukinon and me."
I felt a lump form in my throat, unable to respond as I leaned back against the table, gripping my phone so tightly that I could feel it creaking under the pressure.
"I'll... do my best," I finally managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Yui nodded, leaning her head back on my shoulder, and I could feel her gradually relax as if my presence alone could shield her from the fear that haunted us both. Before long, I realized she had fallen asleep, her breaths evening out next to me.
As I sat there, the weight of exhaustion began to settle in. Despite the distant moans of the infected echoing around us, I felt a profound sense of peace envelop me. With her beside me, I finally allowed myself to drift into sleep.
x x x
I slipped my metal bat into the modified holster in my backpack, which I made by ripping a hole in its side and modifying it with some duct tape. I looked back and saw Saki wrapping Keika's jacket tightly around her. It was morning, and it was time for us all to head out to our destinations. Everyone had started preparing for the upcoming journey. Whether it be by packing whatever essentials we could find in the home economics into their school bags or calming their shaking nerves.
"Hikki," Yui said as she walked over to me. She gripped the straps of her book bag tightly. "Please be careful, okay?"
"Hikigaya-kun, I..." Yukino said, her hands clenching beside her. In the end, she shook her head and smiled at me. "As Yuigahama-san said, please be careful. We'll be waiting for you and Komachi."
"Don't forget the address. Once you two are done, meet us there," Haruno said as she looked at Saki and me.
"Senpai!" Iroha rushed up beside me. "You better be careful, you hear me! Don't think just because the world is ending that you'll get out of your responsibilities! What you said to me still counts!"
I smiled at the four and gave them a reassuring nod. I then turned to everyone else, Yoshiteru, Saika, Meguri, Yumiko, Hina, Hayama, and the others in the room.
I wasn't naive enough to believe that everyone would reach their destinations safely. I was certain there would be some casualties. Hell, several casualties.
Yet, deep down, I hoped that those I had come to know would make it—that they would be safe.
As I stood in front of the people I've come to care about, I couldn't shake the thought that this might be the last time I see any of them. Whether it was because they fell victim to the undead or because I met my own end, the uncertainty weighed heavily on me.
"I'll... see you all again. Be careful," I said to everyone, glancing back at Saki and Keika as they stood by the window. Saki nodded at me, and I nodded back. It was time to leave.
"Hikigaya," Hayato said as he walked up to me. "Good luck out there."
"Yeah, same to you," I said, shaking his hand. After a moment of hesitation, my voice lowered so only he could hear me. "Please take care of them."
Hayato blinked, surprised. Slowly, a determined expression overcame him. "I will."
After saying our goodbyes, Saki, Keika, and I rappelled down the rope once we confirmed the area was clear of the infected. Once on the ground, I looked back one last time at Yukino, Yui, Iroha, and Haruno. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned and left the community center grounds.
With Saki and Keika beside me, we began our journey to the Mihama Cultural Hall.