Chapter 4

"Where are we going Nana?" Mayu was following the mysterious pink haired child into the forest. The shrubs and branches seemed to arch back as Nana advanced, as if she were pushing back the bushes with a pair of invisible arms.

"We'll be safer here." Nana and Mayu reached a small clearing in the woods. A set of stone stairs followed up to a set of gravestones.

"A cemetery? I dunno Nana, maybe we shouldn't hang around here."

"What's a cemetery?" Nana was confused, not quite familiar with the world outside of her lab. "Never-mind, we should seek shelter from the monsters."

"What monsters!" Mayu shrieked. "Oh my God! Where's Wanta?" Mayu suddenly realised she had lost her friend back at the beach. "We have to go back!"

Nana grabbed her new friend's shoulder. "Are you insane? Lucy is fighting another of my kind down there, I saw you earlier. You would be running back into danger if you go back there."

"B-but Wanta..." Mayu began sobbing. She was never separated from her friend until today. She would be devastated if something were to happen to the poor puppy. "Please we have to-"

"Shhh..." Nana brought a finger to Mayu's lips. "I sense something..." Nana stepped in front of Mayu and scanned her surrounds. Old, cracked stones were placed across the clearing. Some were covered in moss and weeds indicating their age. "I'm sure I hear groaning noises in the bushes."

Mayu could hear them too. "What is it?" Mayu just hoped it wasn't the 'monsters'.

Continued groans, dragging, piercing the air. Mayu's ears were aching. The sound of a dying soul, the pain was unbearable. What could possibly be creating such a noise?

Nana braced herself for the monsters. She could hear them getting closer, they must be only a couple of metres away. Their cries were shaking the very earth.

Suddenly Mayu shuddered when she realised...

The sounds were coming from below the very graves!

"WATCH OUT!" Mayu pushed Nana over before a bony hand could reach her from below. The hand pulled itself up revealing a horrid, undead corpse.

"MONSTERS!" Nana shielded Mayu as she held back the monster's weight. She sliced the monster's arms apart with an invisible cutting force. The monster persisted, snapping it's jaws towards Nana as it lunged forward.

"AGGGHHH!" Mayu stumbled away as more and more dead clawed their way back up from the surface. This is not what is supposed to be...The dead's souls should carry over to the next world...So how could this be happening!

"Mayu Run!" Nana fended off a group of undead. Mayu was astonished at her combat ability. She seemed to magically cut apart these monsters with sheer will. What possible power could Nana possess?

"I can't! I must stay with you!" Mayu pleaded.

"Please run away from this place! I promise I will find you again." Nana continued ripping apart the walking dead. It seemed the only way they truly remained dead was after the head was separated from the body.

Mayu nodded sharply then fled for her dear life into vthe bowels of the forest. Tears stung the corner of her eyes as she brushed her way through the heavy scrub. Unfortunately she didn't have the ability to clear a path of bush like Nana. She held back the pain as her clothes and flesh were being torn by the jagged shrubs.

Nana...Wanta...What is happening? Why can't everything just go back to normal...? Why am I running from monsters? None of this is real...

Mayu kicked her foot against a rock and fell forwards. Her face crashed into a muddy puddle. She was breathing rapidly, her heart was pounding out of it's chest. She heard a footstep nearby. Wiping the dirt out of her face she quickly discovered her horrors had returned.

"NANA!"

…

"Zombies?" Kouta didn't believe the ridiculous term at first.

Bando was wiping his gun. "Don't you get it kid? Those bastards out there are already dead. They got infected after being bitten by one another. It spread like AIDS and now the whole fucking place is crawling with 'em."

"But what could have caused this to happen?" Yuka said.

"Probably some sort of virus or something. That's usually how this sort of shit starts up. Some creep in a white coat sprays a vial of some virus into the air and soon everyone is infected."

"I'm just glad you were there to save us back there. What brought you down here anyway?" Kouta wondered.

"Well I was down here to meet some guys in this offshore research facility. Some crazy chicks with strange powers had just escaped and needed to be eliminated. I'm sure my buddies at the S.A.T should be coming down here with reinforcements soon enough. This shit's bound to be big news."

"What if they don't come? What if we're left for the undead?"

Bando piled a fresh clip of ammunition into his gun. "Well we'll just have to kill as many goddamn zombies as we can until then."

…

The virus had overwhelmed the research facility in no time. Even with the sterile ventilation system and seal-proof doors. The pathogens seemed to find their way into the entire facility. It seemed as if the only ones safe from this virus were the one in total isolation from the general staff – the Diclonius.

Kuruma walked the empty corridors with a gas mask. He held his pistol to his shoulders ready to stop any unwarranted company.

What kind of virus has struck the facility? It is none that I have ever come across before. I'm glad Nana's safe. I hope this has only affected the facility. If I can reach the mainland...

"GRAGH!" An infected person crawled around the corner with savage red eyes. Kurama pierced a bullet into his blood eyes, the only know cure for the disease.

"Dammit..." Kurama discovered four more of his former staff, gnawing and munching away at another man in the next room. He closed the door and moved on, hoping to save his bullets only when necessary.

After passing a few more narrow corridors and walking over a few odd limbs and piles of guts here and there he soon found his way to the large exit door. A helicopter should be there waiting for him.

"Where are you going Kuruma? You have a job here don't you remember?" Kuruma turned to face his boss, looking more sickly and bloodthirsty than the real monsters.

"Chief Kakuzawa." Kuruma spoke bluntly.

"It seems I was gravely mistaken about the Diclonius species." A wrinkly old grin crept up of the Cheif's Director's face. "How marvelous the evolutionary tree has grown..."

"What are you inferring chief?" Kuruma was unsure of his superiors intentions.

"This is evolution in action my dear Kuruma. This virus which has spread across Kamakura. Don't you see? We are witnessing a new age of humanity!"

"I don't think I can agree with you sir. The virus has obviously been created by an employee here under unauthorised conditions and allowed it to spread throughout the compound."

"Ahh! But you see the virus is nothing unlike our human viruses. The pathogen possesses the very cells of its host and alters the genetic code in a way that renders life to once dead tissue."

"I must contact the Military, we will need to seal off this entire island as well as the town."

"I will have none of that my friend..." Kakuzawa seemed to lower his voice like a demon. "You see, this is my species new weapon in eradicating the filthy inferior humans that wlk upon this corrupt earth." The mad old Chief slid of his hair piece to reveal two small bony growths in his hair.

"So you're one of them?" Kuruma was ready to raise his weapon, not content with saving the life of his employer now that he realises he is the very thing he hates the most.

"Hah! You dare to raise your weapon at me? How disrespectful of you Director Kuruma..." Kakuzawa pulled out his own gun and shot Kuruma in the left shoulder.

"Agh!" Kuruma fell to one knee, gripping his bloody shoulder. Kakuzawa slowly paced towards him.

"My son will be making his way here shortly. He is planning on replicating the virus and spreading it to other nearby cities. Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo. I was willing to let you witness this evolution with me but now that I believe I'll leave you here to perish with the other hosts." Kakazawa pressed a code into the control panel. The doors slowly pulled apart revealing the helipad. Kakuzawa's son was was waiting nearby alongside a young woman and another three men.

"Kakuzawa...you...BASTARD!" Kuruma tightened his grip around his arm. Unable to stem the flow of blood.

"Hello Kuruma, how's life been at the research facility?" Kakuzawa junior waved mockingly to his former college classmate. "Do you still treat that Number Seven like your daughter? I'm yet to see the virus' effects on Diclonii, maybe you can offer me a report one day on that. Anyway goodbye for now." As the group made their way into the helicopter Kakuzawa continued waving to his fallen friend as the chopper made it's way across the sea and into safety.

Kuruma limped out to the helipad and fired a few shots, hoping to hit the helicopter but knowing it was useless to waste bullets. Defeated, he slumped to the ground, loosely holding his gun which held only a few more rounds.

Nana...I'm sorry...but I don't think we'll be meeting again...

As the horde of the possessed made their way through the corridors, clawing past the exit. Kuruma threw of his gas mask and made sure his glasses were straight.

"I won't let you parasites take over my body...Kakuzawa, I swear on my life, I will stop you..."