The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the crumbling skyline of Chiba, where buildings jutted into the air like broken teeth. The streets, once teeming with life, now lay eerily silent, the only sound being the distant, hollow groans of the undead echoing through the desolation.
Hiroyuki moved cautiously, his heart pounding as he surveyed the abandoned landscape. It had been a grueling day since their military vehicles had sputtered to a halt, the last vestiges of fuel finally giving out. Now, he and his weary squad, along with their four new charges, were forced to trek on foot towards the nearest military outpost near Lake Kasumigaura, just north of the Inzai region. The weight of their situation pressed heavily on him; they were likely labeled as rogue soldiers, yet Hiroyuki held onto a glimmer of hope that his contact at the base would provide them sanctuary.
In the days leading up to the breakdown, their convoy had made impressive progress, weaving through the city's jagged streets. With the infected hordes roaming the streets, their advance had slowed, but the squad's rigorous training enabled them to navigate the perilous terrain with a blend of determination and caution. Each time they encountered an obstacle, they responded with practiced efficiency, keeping risks minimal.
Hiroyuki took a moment to gather himself, nodding with quiet determination as he confirmed that the path ahead was clear of any lurking threats. A glance over his shoulder revealed Komachi, Saki, and Taishi, the latter shouldering Keika.
"All clear. " Hiroyuki said and motioned for the rest of his squad to move. Saki and Taishi nodded, leaving Komachi to gaze at Hiroyuki with a cold stare.
Hiroyuki quickly looked away from Komachi, focusing instead on the steadfast faces of his fellow soldiers and comrades—men who had discarded promising careers, trading them for the perilous path of following him into Hell.
These were not just soldiers. They were good men.
Hirouki's second-in-command was Yuichi, a man known for his razor-sharp instincts and lightning-fast reflexes. He moved with silent efficiency, a product of years of training, scanning every shadow and crevice for the faintest sign of movement. His eyes narrowed as he registered every flicker of potential danger.
On either side of him stood Akayuki and Yasushi, weapons poised and ready, their expressions chiseled from stone—resolve etched in the lines around their eyes.
Mikio, ever the astute observer, lingered at the rear, ensuring the group pressed forward without anyone falling behind. He frequently glanced back for any of the undead.
Lastly, there was Naoki. Despite his young age, he exhibited a remarkable bravery that belied his years. His keen mind was constantly at work, assessing their route with a level of acuity that often left the older soldiers in quiet admiration.
Hiroyuki couldn't imagine a better team to have at his back as they navigated through this hellscape, braving the apocalypse together.
x x x
Saki felt numb.
She didn't know what to do or think. So, she numbly followed the JSDF soldiers who had rescued them through the city.
"Run! Go! Go now!"
Why had she just stood there?
Maybe if she had stepped in to help Hachiman fight off those undead monsters, he wouldn't have been bitten.
Maybe he would still be alive if she had simply taken action—anything other than just standing there frozen. Useless.
"Saki! Please!"
His voice echoed in her mind, especially the way he said her name and how he pleaded with her to take Komachi and run.
Saki would never forget the desperate look in his sharp eyes as he was held down by the infected.
The sight of the undead teeth ripping his flesh off his body was burned into her psyche.
That would be another memory she wouldn't forget.
"...Thank you! I love you, Kawasaki!"
Similarly to another memory that lingered in her mind, the day Hachiman had randomly confessed his feelings to her and then run away, leaving her a blushing and confused mess.
Ever since that moment, she had paid close attention to him—something she had never done before. While Saki had initially found him and his two clubmates annoying for inserting themselves into her life, she had to admit that their support had eased some of her burdens.
However, that was where their relationship should have ended, as mere acquaintances.
"I love you, Kawasaki!"
Why had he said that?
Hachiman never approached her again or spoke about his sudden confession. Was he shy? Did those words just slip out? Or was he playing a joke on her?
Even so, Saki couldn't forget his confession. It was the first time anyone outside her family had ever told her they loved her.
As a result, despite herself, Saki slowly began to develop a fondness for her dead-eyed classmate.
The crack of a gun echoed in her ears.
The crack of the gunshot resounded through the park as Hachiman's head snapped, and blood splattered under him. His body lay still as the JSDF soldier holstered his gun and walked towards them with a blank expression.
Whatever feelings she may or may not have had didn't matter anymore.
It didn't matter because Hachiman Hikigaya was dead.
"Komachi-Chan. Here, please eat."
Saki looked up from her meal, one of the soldiers called it an MRE, and observed her brother as he tried to persuade Komachi to eat. It was nighttime, and they had set up camp inside a small department store. Half of the soldiers were on watch while the other half were eating. She was certain they had names, but she didn't feel inclined to learn them.
"…leave me alone," Komachi said, her food untouched at her feet.
Taishi grimaced and continued to try to convince Komachi to eat, but the last remaining Hikigaya refused to listen.
"Saki! Please!"
Hachiman's voice screamed inside her.
Saki stood up, leaving her untouched food beside Keika as the younger girl ate.
"Sachan?" Keika said as she watched her sister walk towards Komachi and Taishi.
What am I doing? Saki thought as she walked over to Komach and her brother. Hikigaya didn't die just so I could cry and wallow.
She stopped in front of Komachi, kneeling down to meet her gaze. For a brief moment, it almost felt as if Hachiman's own eyes were looking back at her. Shaking off the thought, Saki took a deep breath and placed her hands on Komachi's shoulders.
"Komachi-san," Saki said, her tone steady. "You're not alone in this world. From now on, you're part of my family. No matter what happens, I'll take care of you. I know I can never replace Hikigaya, but I will do everything in my power to protect you in his place… I owe him that much and more. So please… eat. You can't give up here; you need your strength."
"Saki-san… my Onii-chan is dead," Komachi replied in a dull tone. "My parents… might be dead too. I left Kamakura alone to starve… Everyone I loved is gone now. I… don't want to keep going. There's no reason for me to stay strong. So please… leave me alone."
Saki's resolve nearly crumbled at Komachi's lifeless stare. But she wouldn't let the younger girl give up. She couldn't fail Hachiman again.
"Never! I'll never do that!" Saki yelled, causing nearby soldiers to look at her. Taishi walked over to Keika and held her hand. "You have to live! Hikigaya gave up his life so that you could live! I won't let you give up; I'll die before that happens!" Tears streamed down Saki's face as her eyes burned with emotion. The image of Hachiman's bloodied corpse burned itself into her mind. "So please… live. If not for yourself, then for him."
Komachi shook her head and hugged herself tightly. Sobs broke free as the girl began to cry. "How can I? He died because of me! If I hadn't fallen like an idiot, my Onii-chan would still be alive! He's dead because of me! It's my fault! All my fault. My fault…"
"No, it's not!" Saki cried, pulling Komachi into her chest. "He died because he wanted to save you! Because he wanted you to live! Don't throw away his sacrifice! Otherwise, I won't forgive you!" Saki urged, her voice filled with desperation. "So please… don't give up."
The two girls held onto each other and wept softly, their growing bond a source of strength in the midst of their sorrow. The soldiers who had been eating their meals quietly moved away, giving them a moment of privacy and respect.
"I miss him, Saki-San… I miss him so much," Komachi whispered, her voice trembling but warm with emotion.
Saki nodded, gently running her fingers through Komachi's hair. "I know… I-I miss him too. But we need to be strong for him, remember? That's what he would want."
"I don't know if I can…. B-but I'll try," Komachi replied, a flicker of determination lighting her eyes.
Saki smiled softly and let Komachi go. She picked up the untouched MRE and held it out to Komachi, encouraging her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Komachi accepted the food, her resolve growing as she began to eat.
"Saki-San," Komachi said after swallowing, her voice steady. "You should eat too. What you said to me… it applies to you, too."
Saki blinked away her tears and nodded. She walked back to her small collapsible chair, picked up her own food, and took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her hands gripped her chopsticks tightly, but as she watched Komachi eat, Hachiman's voice slowly dulled in her mind.
I promise you, Hikigaya… I'll protect her.
Taking a deep breath, Saki began to eat.
x x x
Tamanawa hugged his knees, staring blankly ahead. The soft sobs of Haru and Ryoko filled the small apartment where they had all crammed together to hide.
He glanced at his remaining classmates, and his heart ached.
In the chaos that had followed the exploding bridges and the tsunami of the undead, Tamanawa lost six of his classmates. Kazuma and Kohaku, two of his underclassmen; Yasuhiro, Masa, and Keiichi, three of his student council members and close friends; and, most devastating of all to Tamanawa, Kaori, the girl he had fallen in love with.
They had all died at the hands of those vicious creatures, torn apart and consumed while trying to escape. Tamanawa could still vividly recall how the Lickers slaughtered Kazuma, Yasuhiro, and Kohaku. The ease with which those creatures killed his classmates was horrifying. Witnessing such violence and gore inflicted on living people was far worse than anything he had ever imagined.
And so, he ran.
He fled like a coward while one of the Lickers turned its gaze toward the girl he loved. Looking at the creature fixated on Kaori was unbearable, so he looked away. He couldn't bear to watch her die. And so, he ran, leaving her behind.
As he sprinted through the shopping district with his remaining classmates trailing behind him like lost lambs, Tamanawa was gripped by panic.
He didn't know what to do.
He didn't know where to go.
In his panic, Tamanawa ran up to several locked storefronts, banging on their doors and shutters. He screamed for help, but either no one was inside, or they ignored him. He moved from door to door, calling out for assistance. Unfortunately, this only delayed him and his group enough for the horde to catch up.
As they tried to flee, Keiichi and Masa were grabbed by several of the undead. They screamed for help, but Tamanawa chose to ignore them and seized the opportunity to escape while the undead focused on devouring and tearing them apart.
They continued to run until Shin darted into an apartment building and found an unlocked door. They all rushed inside just as the wave of undead reached their location. Inside, they endured the torment of hearing the wails of the undead echoing around them, feeling the ground tremble beneath them as the relentless hordes passed by.
Once the coast was clear, they remained in the apartment for days, subsisting on the remnants of the food they had taken while maintaining a heavy silence as they waited.
Despite his fear, Tamanawa realized that they would eventually run out of food.
Someone had to take action.
"Geh," Tamanawa hissed slightly, pressing a hand to his chest.
"Tamanawa-kun?" Chika said from across the room, her eyes heavy with fatigue and her hair disheveled. She had taken Kaori's loss particularly hard. "Are you okay?"
"I thought your chest pains had stopped last week," Shin remarked, walking away from the window he had been staring out of. He pulled a small white pill bottle from his pocket. "We found some pain meds yesterday; you should take some."
Tamanawa nodded and caught the bottle that Shin tossed to him. "Thank you. And yes, I thought they were gone too. It must be all this running we've been doing. I'm sure it will pass soon."
"That's good. That's good…" Chika nodded, hugging her knees tightly. "What are we going to do now?"
Chika's question captured everyone's attention. It was the same question they had all been asking each other, but no one dared to voice it.
Simultaneously, they all turned to Tamanawa.
Tamanawa swallowed the lump in his throat and turned away from their expectant gazes. After taking a deep breath that sent a sharp pain through his lungs, he stood up and coughed.
"Our goal to find the JSDF remains the same. They're our best shot at surviving this mess. Those explosions prove that the JSDF is in the area. We just have to find them. So, as soon as the sun comes up and the area is safe for us to move, we'll leave this apartment and begin searching for them," Tamanawa said.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Mamoru nodded, and everyone else did the same.
"Hey… do you think those Sobu bastards all died?" Shin asked without any concern.
"Probably. They were much closer to those monsters than we were," Mamoru replied. "I knew following them would only lead to trouble. Just look at how things ended up. It's all their fault!"
"Y-yeah. It's their fault that Kaori is dead," Chika muttered, glaring into the space in front of her. "I hope they're all dead."
Tamanawa blinked at his classmates' reactions and looked away. They continued to badmouth everyone from Sobu, pouring all the blame onto them.
But Tamanawa knew the truth.
They had ended up in this situation because of his decisions.
If he had chosen to stay with the Sobu group and not separate from them, they would all have been inside the building while the monsters ran past them toward the distant explosions.
No one would have died.
Kaori would still be alive.
She would still be with him.
But she had died. All because of him.
Tamanawa stood up and walked away from the group, his heart clenching in pain and heartbreak as he felt the weight of his failures begin to suffocate him.
I'm sorry, Kaori-chan. I failed you, but as student council president, I promise I'll do everything I can to help everyone else get out of this alive. Tamanawa thought.