Bang!

Thud!

Two figures sprinted along the walls of the street, one in front and one behind.

Saeko Busujima's katana cut through the air with lightning speed, and every zombie that crossed their path was swiftly dispatched. What surprised Megumi Kato the most was that whenever a stray undead lunged at them from the side, a thunderous gunshot would ring out.

The next moment, the zombie's head would explode like a water-filled balloon, splattering blackish-yellow brain matter everywhere.

Yet Saeko seemed completely unfazed, frowning slightly as she gracefully sidestepped the blood and gore. Her pace never slowed, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake.

They turned a corner and came face-to-face with a towering military Humvee. On its roof sat a bespectacled boy with a long-barreled sniper rifle. He looked barely 160cm tall, chubby and round.

By the car stood a twin-tailed girl with glasses, gripping a pistol. Her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously. Several more faces peeked out from the Humvee windows, but none seemed eager to step out.

"What took you so long? You didn't get hurt, did you?" the twin-tailed girl grumbled as she approached, pistol in hand. Only then did Megumi notice the girl's striking figure despite being under 160cm, her curves were impossible to hide even under loose clothing. She raised her chin and eyed Saeko. "Who's she?"

Saeko smiled softly and shook her head, indicating she was fine. Just as she was about to introduce the girl behind her, hurried footsteps echoed from behind, and Tomoya Aki came stumbling into view.

Bent over, hands braced on his knees, Tomoya panted heavily. It was clear he had sprinted the whole way from the second-floor apartment.

"Wait for me!" he gasped, wiping sweat from his brow. Gasping for breath, he looked toward Megumi and asked, "Are you really leaving?"

Megumi glanced at her classmate and nodded slightly.

"Then I'll go with you."

Tomoya glanced nervously at the cautious stares from the others, then looked into Saeko's calm, unreadable eyes. He carefully chose his words. "I've been wanting to leave too. I just didn't have the courage to go alone. Since you're going, maybe we could team up. Watch each other's backs."

After Megumi had left earlier, Tomoya had been on edge. After all, he was the one who brought the two convicts to the group. Even if he wasn't directly responsible for the deaths of classmates and teachers, he still felt like an accomplice.

While the others were still comforting each other after the traumatic event, Tomoya had quietly slipped away, chasing after Megumi.

The trail of zombie corpses and the sight of the armored Humvee only strengthened his resolve, he had to cling to someone powerful.

With a vehicle like that, even a dozen zombies couldn't flip it over. That was real safety.

Tomoya might've been a shut-in, but he wasn't stupid. In fact, he was sharper than most. Why else would he be the only survivor out of a five-person supply group despite being the weakest in combat?

He knew this might be his only shot at survival.

But he also understood that the others didn't know him well. He'd need help to get in. So he turned to Megumi.

"Megumi?" he called again.

Megumi frowned. To be honest, she was deeply disappointed in Tomoya. She didn't want to travel with him. But this wasn't her decision to make. So she turned and looked to Saeko.

Saeko's expression remained composed, but her smile grew faintly tender. Her next words, however, struck Tomoya like a slap.

"You're not coming," she said softly.

"Why not? I'm Megumi's classmate! We're both high school students!"

Tomoya stepped forward, but instantly noticed the others tense up. The guy on the Humvee even raised his sniper rifle, the dark muzzle now aimed squarely at him.

A cold sweat dripped down Tomoya's temple. Their unflinching eyes told him everything one wrong move and they'd pull the trigger.

He suddenly remembered those zombies with their heads completely blown apart. That was definitely this sniper's work.

Saeko brushed aside her wind-blown bangs and said gently, "We can't risk bringing along someone who might open the gates to danger."

"Survival is instinct," she continued. "But some lines should never be crossed."

Tomoya's heartbeat slowed. His eyes widened as he stumbled back.

She knew.

She had been there. She saw everything.

He thought back to the moment he met those prisoners. He remembered what he had done. Her cold, unwavering gaze sent a chill down his spine.

"So you remember now," Saeko said calmly.

She looked away and gripped her katana, then turned to Megumi. "Let's go."

"Okay."

Megumi didn't ask questions. She knew now wasn't the time. She cast one last glance at the frozen Tomoya, then decisively followed Saeko.

"Don't go! Please!"

Tomoya staggered forward, tears welling in his eyes. But no one looked back. Not even Megumi.

"It wasn't my fault… it wasn't my fault… they made me do it…"

His mind spiraled. He couldn't go back. If he returned now, they'd tear him apart literally or figuratively. And these people? They were abandoning him.

Leaving him in the open, where zombies could appear at any moment.

Despair swallowed him whole.

"This wasn't just my fault!"

Tomoya lunged forward, eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse with fury. "You were there! You could've saved us! Why didn't you?! You're so strong, you could've cut them down in seconds why did you just watch?!"

His face twisted with rage. He pointed at Saeko, roaring, "You're a murderer too. You are an accomplice!"

GRAAAHH!

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