"Okay. Go."
Meguri nodded and drew back her bow, her muscles tensing. With careful aim, she released the arrow and watched it soar down the street toward a parked van a block away. The sharp tip of the arrow struck the driver's side window, shattering the glass. Instantly, a loud alarm blared, drawing the attention of the horde.
Roars and growls echoed through the street as the legion of infected rushed toward the car, attacking it. While the majority of the blind undead moved toward the sound, a small minority of the red-eyed infected remained in place, uninterested in the noise after seeing no live prey.
"It's about what we expected," Haruno said before turning to Miho, who was standing at the entrance of the room with a tense expression. "Tell them to proceed."
"Right."
Miho took a deep breath, looked down the staircase, and raised her arms over her head, forming a triangle. Below, Ayaka nodded and signaled to the waiting group in front of the building's entrance.
"That's the signal. Let's move," Shizuka whispered as she raised an old steel pipe. Her pistol was tucked away in her waistband.
Saika, Yoshiteru, Oka, Hayama, Eiji, and Yamato all nodded, each wielding their own makeshift weapons. Hayama slowly and carefully opened the door. Outside, the immediate area in front of the building where they had taken refuge for over two days was clear. However, a few red-eyed infected could be seen nearby.
One wrong move, one careless noise, and they would be immediately discovered and chased.
One by one, everyone moved outside, following Shizuka's lead. As they crossed the street to the alleyway, Shizuka looked up at the window where Meguri was stationed and gave her a thumbs-up.
Meguri nodded and raised her bow. This time, she spotted an expensive red sports car down the street, about 150 meters away. She had never hit a target from that distance before and hesitated.
"You can do it, Meguri-senpai!" Yui whispered from beside Yukino, where they stood beside Meguri. "We believe in you!"
"That's correct. Trust in your skills," Yukino whispered, her blue eyes staring at Meguri with complete confidence.
Meguri nodded and took a deep breath. Slowly, her nerves settled as she assessed the situation. Finally, she released the arrow. It sliced through the air in a slight arc, heading straight for the sports car.
Everyone behind Meguri watched with bated breath as the arrow appeared to go off course. However, after a gentle gust of wind pushed it to the right, it struck true, breaking the car's back window and triggering its anti-theft alarm to blare loudly.
"You did, Shiromeguri-senpai!" Iroha cheered silently.
Below, the infected reacted and ran down the street toward the new, louder sound with a frenzied hunger. Noticing the movement, Shizuka nodded to everyone behind her, signaling them to move. The group advanced like a pack of wolves, navigating from building to building and alleyway to alleyway down the block.
As a frequent visitor to the area, Eiji guided Shizuka to the nearest grocery store. Along the way, they encountered a few stragglers among the undead, but with quick and coordinated attacks, Hayama and Yamato successfully took them down silently.
"Damn... that's impressive," Oka whispered, with Yoshiteru nodding beside him. Saika turned to them, raising a finger to his lips and shooting them a warning glare.
After another hour of careful movement, the group finally reached the local grocery store. They paused at the corner of the intersection and examined the area carefully.
"I'm seeing eight of them," Shizuka said.
"Yeah, same," Yamato nodded. "They're all the blind type too."
"Any sign of those monsters?" Hayama said as he scanned the walls and rooftops around them.
"N-no. I don't see any of them," Yoshiteru muttered.
"Great. Oka, Eiji, are you two ready?" Shizuka said, turning to the young man. Oka grinned and pulled off his backpack, and pulled out a ceramic plate.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Oka nodded and handed two plates to Eiji. "Yeah, we got this," Eiji said.
Without a word, the two broke away from the group with their plates. Once they were far enough from the street, Eiji and Oka launched the plates like frisbees into the distance. The crack of the ceramic alerted the infected, causing them to move away from the front of the grocery store.
Not wasting a single moment, the group advanced toward the store. They waited for Oka and Eiji to return, and then Hayama and Yamato pushed open one of the now immobile sliding automatic doors. Shizuka entered first, her pistol raised and her eyes scanning the aisles and racks. However, due to the lack of power, visibility was low as darkness enveloped most of the store.
"I don't see any of them," Shizuka said once everyone was inside. The sliding door was closed halfway to prevent any infected from following and to provide a quick escape if necessary. "But that doesn't mean anything. Move in pairs. Watch each other's backs, and assume there could be one hiding around the corner. Got it? Good. Now let's grab some food."
The group was divided into pairs: Saika with Yoshiteru, Hayama with Yamato, and Oka with Eiji, leaving Shizuka alone to monitor the entrance in case any infected returned to the front of the building.
"Ugh, it really smells in here," Oka whispered, wrinkling his nose as he and Eiji navigated through the dimly lit deli section using the light of his cell phone to navigate through the store. The air was thick with the pungent odor of decay, clinging to the shelves lined with meats and vegetables, now wilting and spoiled.
Eiji nodded gravely, his expression solemn. "Without power to keep everything cold, it's all starting to rot," he explained, glancing around the disarrayed aisles. "We need to stick to non-perishables and dehydrated food if we want to last."
Meanwhile, Hayama and Yamato were in another aisle, their hands deftly filling a hefty duffel bag with an assortment of canned goods—tuna, chicken, and vegetables packed tightly together, the metallic clink adding a subtle rhythm to their hurried quest.
Yamato peered at one of the tuna cans, his brow furrowed in thought. "I wonder if the girls will actually like canned tuna," he mused aloud, his voice laced with uncertainty. "Personally, I've never been a big fan of it."
Hayama shot him an amused smile, a flicker of light breaking through his otherwise gloomy demeanor. "We don't have much choice right now. Canned food will last us a long time without spoiling, so it's practical," he replied, his tone reassuring. Then, with a hint of concern, he asked, "How's your arm feeling?"
"Better," Yamato replied, flexing his arm gingerly. "The cut has scabbed over nicely. Should be fine in a few days."
Not far away, Saika and Yoshiteru were bent over, stuffing their bags with water bottles and small pouches of juice. The sound of their efforts mixed with the quiet tension hovering in the air.
"I can't help but wonder how my partner is faring out there," Yoshiteru said, securing another bottle with a determined grip. "It feels surreal that he and Kawasaki-San are traversing this hellscape all on their own."
Saika looked at him, his tone laden with empathy. "Your partner? Do you mean Hachiman?" he inquired, his eyes wide with concern. "I… I'm sure he's managing. Let's hope he's far away from all those explosions."
Yoshiteru nodded slowly, a frown forming on his face as he contemplated their situation. "Yes, hopefully so. But should we grab some soda too?"
At the entrance, Shizuka stood alert, her eyes scanning the streets outside before shifting her attention to the store. She noticed a stand displaying several small items for sale, including a box for a flashlight. Quickly, she opened it, took out a box of batteries, and inserted them into the flashlight. After clicking it on, she used the light to examine the store.
It was then that her stomach dropped.
All across the ceiling, mangled and torn bodies could be seen sticking out of the ceiling fixtures and pipes. Strung up and displayed like sick trophies. But the brutalized bodies weren't what stole Shizuka's attention.
There, perched on the surface of the ceiling of the store like a spider, was a Licker.
x x x
"Yukinon," Yui said as she helped Yukino gather any useful supplies from the building and place them on the center table of the room, just like everyone else. "I feel like I haven't done much to help the group. I'm starting to feel a little… useless."
"You shouldn't think that way, Yuigahama-san," Yukino replied, looking up from the map in her hand. Several marks were visible on it, along with a large 'X' across the river. "The situation we're in is perilous. We need to be careful and let those with the skills best suited to the situation take action. Back in the Community Center, you acted when I couldn't. You have so much more to offer than I do."
"Huh? But Yukinon, you helped create the plan to get us all food and to find a way across the river! You're way more useful than I am!" Yui exclaimed.
"No, thinking and creating a plan is easy compared to what Hayama-kun, Hiratsuka-sensei, and the others are doing. They're risking their lives right now for our sake. It's vexing." Yukino glared at her hands. "If it weren't for my stamina, I'd be there to help... But as I am, I'd only be a burden."
"Yukinon…" Yui whispered. She moved closer and carefully placed her hand on Yukino's. Yukino looked up to see Yui smiling warmly at her. "You're not a burden. You're my friend. Without you or Hikki, I don't think I'd have the strength to keep going."
"Yuigahama-San." Yukino breathed.
"Yui," Yui said quickly, her other hand now gently holding Yukino's. "Yukinon, can you call me Yui? Please?"
Yukino gazed at their intertwined hands, feeling a warm tingle in her cheeks. She realized she had never called anyone by their first name before; she had always used last names and formal titles. Turning back to Yui, her very first real friend, Yukino swallowed hard. She knew she had no reason to refuse Yui's request, especially after all they had been through together.
"Okay… Y-Yui-san," Yukino smiled. "Then you may call me Yukino as well."
Yui smiled happily and nodded. "Okay! But I honestly prefer Yukinon! It's cuter!"
Yukino chuckled lightly. "Then do as you please, Yui-san. Now then, let's continue to pack. We have to be ready to move once everyone returns."
"Mhm!"
x x x
Shizuka stood frozen, a cold fear coursing through her veins as she gazed up at the Licker. Its grotesque form loomed menacingly above, glistening with saliva and twitching with predatory hunger. With trembling hands, she turned her flashlight off and raised her pistol, the barrel shaking as she aimed it at the abomination.
Her heart raced, pounding like a drum in her ears, and every nerve in her body screamed at her to shout for her students to run—shout that a monster was here, just waiting to pounce. But one slip of her voice would shatter the fragile silence and provoke the beast. She tightened her grip on the weapon, desperation clawing at her insides.
I have to draw it away from them. Shizuka thought fiercely, determination battling with fear. No matter what happens to me, they must escape!
Inching toward the sliding door, Shizuka felt a heavy dread settle in her body as she carefully pushed it open. The creaking sound of the door felt too loud in the silence, and she shuddered, half-expecting the creature to lunge at her. She steeled herself; she would shoot it, lead it outside, and then run—far away, far from her students.
Just as the door cracked open wide enough for her to slip through, she glanced back, and her heart sank into her stomach. Hayato and Yamato were approaching, oblivious to the lurking danger, their heavy duffel bags swaying at their sides.
"We saw a light. Did you find a flashlight, Hiratsuka-sensei?" Hayato whispered. At that moment, Saika, Yoshiteru, Oka, and Eiji were trudging back toward the front of the store, unaware of the grave peril that awaited them.
Panic surged within her, and Shizuka raised a hand, frantically waving it in a desperate shushing motion. But as Hayato set down his duffel bag, the sound of clinking cans echoed through the stillness like a death knell.
"Sen... sei?" Hayato's voice wavered, his head tilting up just in time to meet the ghastly gaze of the Licker, which now fixed its attention on him, eyes gleaming with malice. The creature hissed, a chilling sound that vibrated through the air, and time seemed to stand still as Shizuka's heart plummeted.
Shizuka quickly raised her pistol and fired several shots, but the Licker had already leaped, evading the majority of her shots. However, one of her bullets hit the Licker in the brain, causing it to turn slightly. Nevertheless, it swung its sharp claws at its target, and Hayato gasped in pain.
Blood splattered across the ground as an arm and intestines flopped onto the floor. Everyone gasped in shock and fear, and they all finally saw the Licker sliding down the aisle with fresh blood trailing below its feet.
"Ya-Yamato?" Hayato muttered in shock and despair as he sat on the ground from where Yamato pushed him. "W-why?"
Standing in his place, Yamato coughed up a thick stream of blood, his body trembling as he sank slowly to his knees. "I couldn't save Tobe…" His voice was weak and strained, weighed down by an unbearable burden of remorse. "But I'm happy… so happy I could save y-you." As the words faded from his lips, he drew in a shuddering breath, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears before he fell face-first into his own blood, a heartbreaking stillness enveloping him. He didn't move again.
"Yamato!" Hayato and Oka's voices broke like glass, echoing out in anguished disbelief, their hearts shattering at the sight of their friend, lifeless and lost.
The Licker hissed menacingly at their cries, its predatory instincts flaring as it lunged toward Hayato. But just then, two more bullets struck its skull, momentarily stunning it.
Shizuka yanked Hayato to his feet, her hands trembling as she gripped the duffel bag overflowing with canned foods. The bag was stained crimson, and a chill ran down her spine as she grimaced, shoving Hayato forward and out of the store. "We have to go! Now! Everyone, move!" With her last bullet, Shizuka shot another round at the Licker's brain. Staggering it.
Her gunshot shattered the stunned silence, and the group surged into motion, each person driven by desperation. Eiji struggled to drag the distraught Oka by his arm, the young man's eyes glued to his best friend's lifeless body, tears streaming down his cheeks like a broken dam.
Once outside, Saika and Yoshiteru hastily pushed the sliding door shut, their hearts racing as they barely managed to contain the horrific weight of the Licker's body crashing against it, cracking the glass with a sickening crunch. Regardless, another blow would shatter the glass. The air was thick with the groans and moans of the undead, a reminder that they weren't safe yet; the sounds of gunfire and frantic shouting drew them closer to the abyss.
"We have to go!" Shizuka's voice cracked as she seized Hayato by the collar, her eyes fierce yet vulnerable. His face was a mask of pain, confusion swirling in his unfocused gaze. "Hayato! H-He's gone! But we're still alive! We must move, now!"
Hayato's heart twisted as he absorbed her words—shock and anger warred within him. The grief felt like a weight suffocating him, but as he looked into Shizuka's frantic eyes, he forced himself to push the sorrow aside.
He had to be strong. They all needed him to be strong.
"Okay," he barely whispered, the weight of reality settling heavily on his shoulders. "Let's go."
They turned, sprinting down the alleyway, but Hayato couldn't shake the haunting image of Yamato, his friend, frozen in a final, grotesque pose with his body mangled and lifeless. The anguish clawed at his insides.
I'm sorry, Yamato. It should have been me. Hayama thought with agony.
Two agonizing hours later, they stumbled back into the safety of the office building. They regrouped with the others, but instead of relief at having food, a suffocating despair loomed over them. Silence enveloped the group, each face a picture of grief and distress as they struggled with the unbearable loss of their classmate and friend.