Chapter 2 - Meeting of the Dead

Takashi Komuro swallowed a mouthful of water, then sighed. It was lukewarm, not nearly cold enough to be very refreshing, but it was better than nothing. Takashi set the bottle aside. He was parched, and physically exhausted. Just how many undead had he and his companions smashed their way through in the past hour? Real, undead zombies. He almost couldn't believe it. He'd killed classmates, teachers, and friends. How many people had he killed? The teachers he used to see every morning, friends with whom he spent so many days with, all the memories and all these souls - knowing that each and every one of them is no longer human. How much more of this torture could Takashi endure? He was certain that he would never forget this day as long as he lived, no matter how much he wanted to.

He was the only person that he knew of who had witnessed the beginning of it all.

Takashi wondered if things would've been different if that hotshot PE teacher hadn't gotten worked up and reached through the gates to grab that strange man; the man who would change all their worlds with a single bite. However, pondering on that was pointless now. This was happening, and it was happening now, the past was the past. What mattered was that they were relatively safe, he and Rei were okay for right now; Hisashi, too.

Takashi glanced at his classmates, Hisashi Igou and Rei Miyamoto. As usual, Rei was all over Hisashi, her hands on his chest and her tits on his arm. Rei's pretty face was overly pale; she was desperate for there to be some rhyme and reason to all this. She was losing her shit, and with good reason. The trio's 011 calls didn't connect, and when Takashi's call finally went through with Rei's father, a police officer, the man hadn't been able to hear them. Even worse, his own words were being cut off. Takashi could make out a syllable or word here and there, but not nearly enough to make sense of what he was saying.

But Rei had calmed down a little, just knowing her dad wasn't one of them. Hisashi's parents didn't answer, and Takashi didn't bother calling. Not because he didn't want to, or because he hated his family - but because he didn't want to know right now. He wasn't ready for it, he had to keep his shit together and if he called and it didn't connect… he'd lose it. His mother worked at a school just like this, she was there right now. The infection was spreading at an incredibly rapid rate, even with teens and adults who have a far better chance of running away and defending themselves. His mother was at an elementary school, and more than that she didn't believe in violence in any form. He doubted she'd be willing to defend herself against her students. The thought of those kids turning into monsters, biting and tearing apart his mother…

Tears bit at Takashi's eyes. He wasn't gonna pretend he knew what was going on. That everything would be alright. Hisashi could act cool, calm, and collected if he wanted but this was the end of the world, there was no point. They'd all seen the movies, played the games, read the comics. It had spread through the school and infected almost everyone in an hour. Even now, from their vantage point on the rooftop, Takashi could see huge plumes of smoke rising across the entire city. It wasn't just Fujimi Academy that was affected, this was large-scale. Even now, they weren't safe. The trio was trapped on the roof, with a small horde of undead so close by their raspy, hungry moans were audible, blocked only by their makeshift barricade.

"Thank god you're okay, Hisashi…" Rei murmured as she stared up at Hisashi with those beautiful brown eyes of hers, starstruck. The weak sunlight glinted off her pretty brown hair. Takashi had to look away. She had no right being so beautiful. It killed him to see her hanging off of that guy like an accessory, it always had. "I-If Wakisaka-sensei had gotten through your shirt, if he'd bitten you…"

"Let's not think about that right now… Hey, thank Takashi for his quick thinking, if he hadn't bashed Wakisaka's head in before his teeth broke skin...I'd probably be one of Them." Hisashi gazed over the railing, pointing down at the undead that slowly dragged themselves around the school courtyard, looking for their next victim. Hisashi put an arm around Rei, and they turned toward Takashi.

The thing about Hisashi is that he's such a nice guy it's impossible to dislike him.

Takashi shrugged. "It's no problem, man. No one should be one of them." Not even you. Takashi averted his gaze, fists clenched. He'd saved Hisashi's life, sure, but truth be told when he came and grabbed Rei from class he'd hoped the goody-two-shoes side of Hisashi would prevent him from leaving class with them. That it would just be Takashi and Rei, as it always should have been.

Rei beamed. "I guess you can be cool sometimes, Takashi," she admitted, tucking some of her brown hair behind her ear. His heart fluttered in his chest, even from such a back-handed compliment.

Suddenly, the wind started to pick up, until all three of the trio's hair was blowing wildly, their uniforms flapping against their bodies. Takashi forced himself up as he heard a loud whirring noise, glancing toward the source of the sound. His eyes widened. Three massive military-grade helicopters were blitzing through the air, grown men in full gear sitting within with powerful firepower in hand.

Rei began to leap up and down, throwing her arms up. "H-Hey! We're down here! Please! Please help us!" A large swathe of undead came to the roof, drawn by the sound of the choppers. But the military, whoever they were; American or Japanese forces, were not there to rescue them. They flew by, uncaring, as students below were devoured in plain sight and as Rei begged to be rescued.

"This is really serious," Takashi muttered.

Hisashi nodded. "They don't care about what's going on here. They're letting it happen."

Rei burst into tears. "W-Why? They've given up on us! They're just going to let everyone die?"

Hisashi and Takashi glanced at each other, expressions grave. Hisashi put a comforting arm around Rei, but stayed quiet. Takashi understood he was going to have to be the one to break the bad news to Rei. "Rei, they've given up on us, but we're not going to die. We're gonna get the hell out of here. We just need a plan."

Rei wiped away her tears, shaking her head. "It's just all so horrible."

Hisashi smiled sadly. "It is… but we're still alive. And that's what matters. Now, let's figure out how we're getting out of here."


I called my mother. She picked up on the first ring. Her shrill voice was tinged with desperation as she spoke: "Ichiro-kun!? Ichiro-kun is that you!?" I was relieved to hear her voice, even panicked as it was. Saeko-senpai and the others glanced over as her voice flooded in the air. I put it on speaker phone. Maybe my mum had information for us, she had more access to the outside world afterall.

"Yea, it's Ichiro" I grinned, trying to reassure her by playing it cool. "Not going to scold me for having my phone out at school?"

"Your father came home drunk again, Ichiro-kun! He… he's not acting like himself. He was trying to kill me, the neighbors came over when they heard me screaming, they helped me… he's locked up in the basement now, but something horrible is going on. I think he's sick, are you safe?"

My knuckles went white around my cell. Kyoko-sensei stood up, and came to my side. She put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off angrily. I didn't want her affection after earlier, and I definitely didn't want to be calmed down right now. One thought was racing through my head in that moment: Of course that bastard would go out and get himself infected. The piece of shit scumbag.

"Did he manage to bite you mom?"

Her next words made my blood run cold.

"Yes, but I'm okay! It's not a serious wound and besides, Watamoto-san from next door is a doctor, he bandaged it up and everything, so don't worry. It's your dad I'm concerned about, I think he might be on drugs. I-I've never seen him like this, but I-I don't want you worried about that. I'm just so glad that you're okay. I heard on the news- there are riots going on all over the city, people are going crazy. Is it happening at your school?"

But her words were reaching deaf ears. I stared senselessly out into that beautiful blue sky, as my phone slipped from my grasp. It bounced when it hit the ground but I could care less.

She'd been bitten. Mom had been bitten. Mom …

"Ichiro-kun," Kyoko-sensei whispered, grasping my arm. "It'll be okay."

"Ichiro-kun? Ichiro-kun?" My mother's voice echoed from my cell.

I stared at my phone like it was the enemy. It felt like my entire world had been crushed. I'd only ever wanted to protect that woman. I was going to rescue her. I was going to bring the others with me, pick her up, and I was going to keep her safe. But she'd been bitten before I even got the chance. It was ridiculous to blame myself, but I found my mind racing and coming to all kinds of disgusting conclusions. If I'd left school immediately I could've saved her, and if I'd rescued her from dad years ago he never would've bitten her, it was all senseless.

No one said anything. They just stared at me with wide, pity-filled eyes. Only Saeko kept her expression neutral, unreadable. She was just observing with that calm, blue gaze.

I picked up my phone from the floor. Forced the chaotic miasma of emotions inside me to settle, for just a moment. "Mom. I love you."

There was brief silence from the other end. "I love you too, Ichiro. More than you could ever know."

"I'm sorry, mom…"

She laughed softly. "What are you apologizing for, silly boy?"

Wet, hot streams leaked down my cheeks unbidden. "I'm sorry for being weak. For not protecting you from dad. I'm sorry for-

"Shhh! Shhhh, Ichiro. Don't be so silly, you are not weak. And you never have been...so don't ever, ever blame yourself... You did keep me safe. You're the only thing that kept me going throughout all that pain, throughout all that suffering...I could've left you two, I had so many opportunities to do so. But your father would've never let me take you…. That's why I stayed. And I'd make that decision a thousand times over. Any pain was worth it for you. I love you, Ichiro. So much, you know that right? You've become such a strong handsome young man, and I'm so happy you're my son. So please stop blaming yourself. Always look forward, only pain exists in the past..."

"...I-I understand," I whispered. But I didn't. How could I look forward? The future seemed horrible, black, and bleak.

"Is everything okay at your school? You seem off… is something going on, Ichiro?"

"Mom… I-I have to tell you something. A horrible thing happened. It's really bad. You..." I choked up. How was I supposed to tell my mom that a mere bite marked the end of her life? That in who knows how long she'd be a flesh-eating monster, terrorizing neighbor and stranger alike. How could I possibly explain that? The answer was simple, I couldn't. As if reading my thoughts, Kyoko-sensei stuck her hand out. Her own brown eyes were wet with tears, her face beyond pale.

Guilt flooded me when I realized I was relieved that she was going to be the one to deliver the bad news, that she was taking the responsibility from me. "Mom… I have to go now, but… Hayashi-sensei wants to speak to you."

"Oh, she's there right now? I'd love to talk to her, put her on!"

She was so bright and optimistic, even when she was scared. "Goodbye, mom."

Maybe she knew something was horribly wrong. Maybe she knew what the bite meant, and she didn't even need me to say a word. Who knows? But her voice was different, filled with a potent sorrow. Maybe she was just unconsciously reflecting back the emotions I was sending her way. "Goodbye, Ichiro. Mommy loves you, please be safe. Come home right away, okay?"

I nodded. "Of course… I-I'll be home soon." I handed Kyoko the phone and stood up, walking across the room. I rested my head against the wall, trying to make sense of it all. Why was this happening? Why did mom have to get bitten? Why couldn't I see her one last time?! I didn't want to deal with this. Any of it.

The gung ho energy I'd mustered up earlier left me, leaving me feeling weak and deflated. All I could think about was my mom. Would she realize it when the sickness begins to take over her body? Was the process a painful one? Would she watch the news and see for herself how this world we all knew and took for granted, defined by strict laws of nature, lawfulness, and logic- was being completely torn apart?

"Damn it!" I snarled, slamming my fist into the wall.

I flinched when Saeko-senpai grabbed my shoulder, handing me my makeshift weapon. Her grip was firm and unrelenting, only growing tighter when I tried to ignore her.

"Leave me the fuck alone," I hissed, and her stern, cold expression softened. But only slightly.

"I won't, because you don't really want me to leave you alone. You want your mother, but she's going to die… she was killed. So, accept that fact and take this weapon, Watanabe-san. Now is not the time for tears or mourning. You have people you need to protect right now."

I stared at the bloodied, slightly dented weapon in her hand. All I had to do was take it, and I could kill as many of those fuckers as I wanted to. I gazed up at Saeko, and my heart hammered. Her eyes were terrifyingly alluring. In a way I didn't understand. How could they be such a bright blue, yet filled with so much darkness at the same time? I realized what I saw in them. I felt it in myself.

My blood felt hot as it surged through my veins. I took the weapon and gripped it so tight my knuckles went white. I wasn't sad. I didn't want to cry, and mope around, or pity myself. Busujima-senpai was right. Now wasn't the time for that. I was furious. I hated the world for what it'd become, and I hated those undead bastards outside. I was going to kill them all.

"A-Anko-chan! Anko-chan!?" Kyoko-sensei suddenly shrieked. "Anko-chan, are you alright!?"

It was happening.

The PE teacher's face was white as a sheet. She stared at the phone in her hand like it was far, far away. I imagine I'd looked much the same when I first heard the news. "I'm sorry Anko… I'm so sorry. Yes of course I'll tell him. Goodbye, I'll keep him safe!" Kyoko-sensei ended the call. She came over and handed me my cell. She was shaking so much. I wanted to calm her down, but I barely had control of my own emotions. "She's… She's gone, Ichiro-kun. I-It happened so fast. One second she was fine and the next she started screami-"

Saeko interrupted her. "Tell him about that later. Right now we need to get out of here. We don't have much time left." She was right. As we spoke the group outside was only going to get larger. Eventually the mob of undead would be so great we could be trapped in here. I swept my eyes across the room.

There were five of us. Shizuka Marikawa, the school nurse. She was much more put together after the brief respite but even after the phone call with my mother, she still didn't understand the gravity of the situation. That being bitten was always fatal, and that the victims of this "disease" would probably never be normal again. She was staring at Saeko and I like we were serial killers, occasionally glancing over at the zombie corpses and shuddering. It was a kill or be killed world now, and I was a little worried that she might never understand that. Then there was Kazu Ishii, who was still shivering and in a state of panic as well. I doubted he'd be very useful, but at least he'd found himself a weapon. His willingness to let Saeko die worried me, honestly, he didn't seem like a person I'd want to keep around me long term. Kyoko Hayashi, the PE teacher I loved very dearly, at least seemed to get how fucked up all this was, after that phone call with my mom. She gripped the weapon I'd made her, and her teeth were grit, an unfamiliar fire in her eyes. Maybe she was angry at these undead fuckers too. Well, I respected that. Then, there was Saeko, shockingly calm-headed in this horrible crisis. So… for now, I'd follow her lead. Once we got out of here and in the city, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm probably gonna try and find my mom and dad. Put them out of their misery. At the moment I'll just keep on doing my part.

"We need to get to the faculty office," Kyoko announced suddenly. " And find as many survivors as we can along the way. I doubt we're the only group left."

Saeko raised a brow, "Did you not hear the principle die, sensei? I imagine that area will be packed with them, it'll be quite dangerous."

Kyoko nodded, "Yes. That's true, but...keep in mind that we won't get far on foot. We should get a vehicle and the keys to the buses are in the faculty office."

Saeko's mouth curled into a smile. "And you know how to drive a bus?"

The PE teacher flushed. "Well… no, but I can't imagine it'll be too hard. Marikawa-sensei and I both know how to drive, so between the two of us… shouldn't be too hard to figure out."

"We have to kill them. If they get close," I muttered. "If there's any hesitance at all you'll get one of us killed." I reached into my bag, and handed Marikawa-sensei one of the table legs.

Her light brown eyes widened and she raised up her hands helplessly, shaking her head. "I-I don't' want to hurt anyone!"

Kyoko-sensei sighed, her face sad and more worn out than ever. "Listen, Marikawa-sensei. It is our duty to protect our students. If any of these infected people, student or adult, manage to get their teeth into one of us… it's all over. I will do whatever I must to keep these kids safe, and you must play your part, too. So take the weapon, please. For everyone's sake."

Shizuka gasped. She didn't want to hear that, she didn't want to believe it was true. But it was. Then...she took the pole in her hand. "Okay…"

"Alright." Saeko nodded. "Let's go."


My heart was racing a mile a minute as I reached for the door handle. This was it. We were really about to leave the safety of the infirmary, and go back out there. I was filled with both anticipation and a healthy dose of fear. The safety of everyone else had to come first, but I wanted blood. I wanted to kill the fuckers that had dared take my mom from me, but I also knew what would happen if I got too reckless.

"On three…" I announced. Everyone's expression was determined, "One, two… three!"

I ripped the door open. We immediately had company. Three of Them were practically waiting on the other side, immediately lunging toward us with gaping mouths and grasping fingers. I darted underneath one's outstretched arms and into the hallway, spinning quickly. With a quiet grunt, I slammed the table leg into his face. The zombie's nose crumpled beneath the force, blood and bone exploding beneath the hit as he was sent falling backwards. I followed up with another powerful swing, smashing his skull inward.

Meanwhile, Saeko deftly dealt with the other two. Two quick strikes from her bokken was all it took. It was so fast and clean. I almost couldn't believe it was a fake sword she had and not a katana. Her expression was calm, borderline gleeful, as blood coated her face. When she saw me staring she winked.

Our fighting had gathered the attention of a few more undead. I went for the closest one, a tall dark-haired boy with a wispy little mustache. Inhaling, I gathered all my strength. I had to let myself hit harder. These were not humans anymore. The goal was to kill them as quickly as possible, so that meant no more weak-armed blows. These bastardizations of human beings were after our flesh, after all of us. If I faltered at all, it could come at the price of someone's life. This time, my first blow killed the zombie instantly, and hit with so much force the top of his scalp was sheared off. A fat wad of brain, scalp, and curly dark hair flew through the air.

"I-I think I'm going to be sick," Kyoko whimpered as it splattered against a locker. I found myself grinning at her words. It was grotesque, but I enjoyed it.

"Save the puking for later," Saeko hissed, "keep moving forward. Ichiro, we can't stop and fight every single one of them. So let's take care of the closer ones, and leave the rest be. They're slow, so if we move quickly, we should out-distance them. No real need to engage."

"Gotcha," I agreed, and we began to carve our path toward the faculty room.

Kazu Ishii managed to take care of a couple stragglers that got a little too close from behind. He shrieked each time, wailing on them with all his might and turning them into bloody messes, terrified, but he got the job done.

As we continued to race down the corridor, a door to our left burst open.

With a deep, raspy groan, a huge beefcake of a boy practically leapt towards me. His hands seized my shoulders, pushing me against the hallway windows. I ducked my head as he slammed his mouth forward, immediately going for my skull.

"Fuck!" I hissed.

Saeko couldn't help me. She was too busy taking care of the vast horde that had come out, following the first boy. About five emerged from the classroom, all athletic-looking boys. Saeko swept her blade out, to and fro, quickly disposing of them but even more of them were coming in from the other end of the hallway. And much to my chagrin, even more were catching up to us from behind - the ones we'd just walked past. This was turning ugly, and fast.

With a groan, I pushed the zombie off me, muscles flexing. It strained and snapped at my neck, but I seized it by the hair. Why the hell was this zombie so damn strong!? It felt like three Fujimari's in one. Kyoko-sensei was the one who saved the day. With a shriek she raised her own little weapon and began to smash at the zombie attacking me.

"Leave! Ichiro! Alone! You! Bastard!" She hissed, but she wasn't nearly strong enough.

Meanwhile Saeko had killed four more with incredible ease, whipping the blood off her blunt blade. "Do you want him to die, sensei! Attack to kill, kill it. Now."

Her harsh, commanding voice motivated Kyoko into action. I managed to fully extract myself from the zombie's grip and I watched as the sensei I knew and loved raised her weapon and with one last shrill shriek, she drove the pole down. This time, the huge zombie went down. His head cracked open, skull splitting beneath the blow, and he fell to his knees before collapsing onto his side. Blood spurted all across Kyoko's face, painting her glasses, her expression completely unreadable.. Her chest was heaving as she panted from the exertion and her hands were shaking from the adrenalin.

I quickly killed the last one that had emerged from the classroom with a strong blow to the side of the head, but there were still the ones creeping in from the front and back of our pack.

Suddenly, two girls whipped around the corner. And they didn't come alone. The horde of undead behind them was vast, and admittedly terrifying to behold considering the current, already shitty situation. They wanted the girls, and they were determined to have them. There were about seven undead in total, and six or so in front of them. So in other words, they were trapped between two packs of zombies.

The girl in the lead was Misuzu Ichijou. She was holding the second girl's hand, and her other hand clutched a flimsy mop. She had brown hair, and brown eyes, tied up in a cloth bun. It was usually cute and neat, but now bits of her sweaty hair stuck out to and fro. Blood that didn't seem to be her own was smeared on her uniform and skin. She was known to be quite a nasty bitch, a mean and small-busted girl. The second girl was equally filthy and another classmate of mine, Toshimi Niki, a sweet girl who had her dark black-blue hair in a braid and pretty blue eyes. Admittedly, I'd hit on her in the past, only to find her terrified of me and my reputation. I'd beaten up some male friend of hers or something. So that was that. But she'd always been polite to me.

One of the undead managed to catch up and grab Toshimi's arm. I flinched, it was over for them. I didn't want to look. Misuzu spun.

"Get off Toshimi-chan, you nasty dickhead!" She shrieked, and kicked outward. The zombie groaned and tumbled back into his fellows. I was worried he'd bring Toshimi with him, but instead of that happening, a loud riiip sound filled the air. I watched in shock as Toshimi's uniform top was ripped almost completely in half, leaving her in nothing but a striped yellow bra. This was totally not the time for it, but I'd definitely appreciate that sight later. In the meantime…

"Niki-San, Ichijou-san," I called out,"Stay calm, we're going to rescue you!"

Saeko glanced at me. "That might not be wise...but I see you've made a decision. Step up your game, then. You can't protect anyone like that. Let go of your restraint."

Let go ..?

"ARGHH!" A sudden scream ruptured the air. I noticed something. Every single undead turned as one toward the source of the noise. It happened so quickly, one of the undead who'd come from behind had latched onto Kazu Ishii. The tall, lanky boy was on the ground, desperately crawling toward us. Shizuka stared at the boy in shock. He hadn't been bit yet. She still had the chance to save him.

"Marika-" I was going to demand the teacher help him, even though I doubted she'd listen considering she was frozen up, when Saeko grabbed my arm, and shook her head slightly. She whispered so quietly I barely heard her, I almost thought I'd imagined it until the words registered.

"This has to happen. Let him go."

Three different zombies clambered on top of Kazu, and as one, dug their mouths into the boy's flesh. He stared at all of us with desperation in his eyes. "Marikawa-sensei! Help me, please! Someone!" He squealed, as his body was ripped apart. Great wet chunks were ripped free, those monstrous mouths chewing and swallowing, only to go in for more. They were gorging themselves.

I winced.

"I'll take care of the front, and rescue the girls. You clear the rear," Saeko ordered, unfazed by what was taking place a few feet away. She truly was a monster.

Kazu Ishii was no friend of mine. But he was a nice guy, and he deserved more than this fate. A cowardly woman staring him in the eyes as he was ripped apart, refusing to help. Hayashi-sensei was doing her best, but she was hardly helpful. She seemed exhausted, her face incredibly pale and her blows weaks.

I rushed forward. "FUCKERS!" I roared, slamming the pole downward. They immediately stopped eating Ishii, instead they turned toward me, clambering up.

"N-No!" Marikawa-sensei shrieked. Much to my shock, as one reached for me, she used her weapon for the first time. I was shocked by the force with which she hit the scrawny zombie. Maybe it just seemed more powerful because the zombie was a tiny girl, but either way- the school nurse killed it in one blow. The zombie's nose and mouth were completely deteriorated by her swing, teeth and nose bone rupturing the brain. I kicked outward and smashed my foot into one of the remaining two's face, sending him sprawling onto the ground, and swung the pole forward, piercing the eye of the one I'd left standing. It died instantly, crumpling to the ground with a wet rasp. The second one was getting back up, but I rushed forward. I carefully avoided stepping on Kazu as I bashed its head in, panting heavily, coated with sweat.

A few more stragglers were coming from the back now. I had a feeling they were only coming because we were being loud. Something to ponder. Either way, a moment later, three undead hit the ground and the back was clear. I turned around and my eyes widened.

"G-Get off me," Kyoko was hissing as a tall, fat zombie clung to her arm. Saeko was busy helping Misuzu and Toshimi, safely leading them to meet us, and her eyes burned into mine. She wasn't scared, or concerned. Instead, I saw a question in her eyes.

Just what are you going to do now, Watanabe-san?

I-I don't know what to do, senpai. She's too far away … She's going to die… Kyoko Hayashi is going to be bitten, just like my mom. I failed to protect her… I'm moving too slow. Far too slow. I should have saved Kazu. I should be keeping up with Saeko. So… why am I not?

I knew the answer.

Everything froze and shifted.

Suddenly, I wasn't in that smelly, blood-stained hallway- stuffed with the living and dead alike anymore. Instead, I was in the bedroom I'd grown up in.

"Ichiro-kun, come here," Kyoko-sensei smiled. At that time in my life, she'd only been Kyoko though. Not worn out at all. The most beautiful woman in the world to me. I loved her. "I have something special for you."

Young again, I scrambled forward. "Something for me!? What is it?"

She handed me a present, covered in wrapping paper. I hastily ripped it open and she laughed as she watched this. I stared, shocked at what I found within. "A-A video game!? For me!? Really?"

Kyoko put a finger to her lips. "Shhh...Your mom would kill me if she found out I bought that for you!"

"Umm, does that mean it's our secret?" I blushed.

Kyoko combed her fingers through my hair. "I suppose it does."

I quickly leaned up, "I-I love you Hayashi-sensei, I'm gonna marry you one day!"

Kyoko froze when she realized I was kissing her on the mouth. She quickly pushed me away, shocked and flustered. "Y-You little brat!"

"Say you'll marry me!"

But Kyoko just smiled, shaking her head. "You pervy little twit…" When I only stared expectantly at her, she sighed. "Maybe one day. If you become a worthy man. For now, stay up here and play with your game. I need to talk to your mom."

It'd cost her far too much, to buy that stupid game. On a teacher's wage, no doubt it'd taken her months of saving. Despite the fact I was a child when that promise was made and I didn't expect it to hold true, it still meant something to me. A promise that she'd always be there, that she wouldn't leave me. She was the only one I had left! I refused to let her die!

The zombie's mouth rushed forward.

No. This can't be happening…

His mouth opened. Kyoko's eyes widened and her terrified scream filled my head.

I shouted, fury filling me. "Get the FUCK OFF HER!"

I didn't know I was capable of moving so quickly. My vision went red, and with a roar I rushed forward and slammed into the zombie. The sudden force threw the zombie off, he fell beneath me. I didn't give him the chance to bite or lunge. Instead, I raised my fists. I began to pummel the zombie's face with my fists. Just like with Tsunoda, my punches only grew stronger the more I dealt out. Loud, wet crunches began to fill my ears. I was pounding his face in, but I didn't stop, I couldn't!

"Ichiro…" Kyoko whispered, on her knees right next to me with tears in her eyes. Her words distracted me, made me realize there was so much more to do. This zombie wasn't enough, there were so many more left. I smiled at her and stood. I glanced down at knuckles, bleeding profusely and dripping down onto my pole weapon. It wasn't just the zombie's blood, it was a lot of my own. Right now, adrenaline pumping, the pain was vague. Almost distant, but after this was all over...I was going to be in a world of pain. But I didn't have time to worry about that. I threw myself into the small remaining horde, my grip somewhat loose on the weapon. My hands were seriously busted up, especially after this morning. But either way, I was going to save Misuzu and Toshimi.

Saeko grinned in delight.

"Amazing, Watanabe-kun! Amazing!" She whispered, and we stood back to back. We carved our way through the horde as one. Blood and bone rained around us, undead dropping like flies. I felt invincible, coated with thick red juices and sweat. Saeko was much the same, and she had no shame either. The truth was, I was a violent person. I was just like my dad, except I wouldn't hurt people who didn't deserve it. Innocents, and women, and children. No, I'd use my strength and my anger to do good. I'd carve a path through this new world, and come out on top. I'd protect Kyoko, I'd do everything I had to do to become king of this new world.

In moments, the floor was coated with countless undead bodies. Misuzu and Toshimi were safe with Kyoko-sensei and Marikawa-sensei, who was checking them over for any wounds.

It was over for the moment.

Saeko was panting, her cheeks red. "You truly have the spirit of a man, Watanabe-san…now, hone it." She turned and walked away.

I smiled, staring at my bloodied hands. "I guess I do."

Poor Kazu Ishii was whimpering on the ground, a bloody mess. He looked more like a corpse than a human. As I stared at him, I was filled with pity. But when I glanced at Saeko's eyes, staring into Ishii-san like he was an interesting insect, they were cold and empty. He was not worthy to her. Was it because he wasn't like us?

I already knew the answer. It's because he was weak.

"Kazu, it's over." He stared up at me with huge, round eyes as I walked over. Like an innocent, pathetic little owl. "I'm sorry," I muttered, and raised my weapon.

"I-I don't want to die-"

Saeko touched my arm. "Allow me. There is no greater joy for a woman than to preserve the honor of a man." Her strange blue eyes gleamed as she stared down at Kazu. He stared weakly up at her.

"Honor?" Kazu mumbled, and coughed up a spray of blood.

Saek nodded. "Do you wish to die a man, or a monster? Tell me, Ishii-san."

He stared at the ground. And smiled sadly. "A...a man. Please, senpai." He closed his eyes. "Do it. Thank you…"

Everyone but Saeko and I flinched as Saeko's wooden blade came down. Blood erupted from the boy's head, and coated the floor. He was dead, and he didn't move again.

It seemed that we'd taken care of most of Them, at least the ones nearby. We were allowed a small moment of respite to catch our breath and, in Marikawa-sensei's case, mourn. She clearly blamed herself for Ishii's death, and she stared at the fallen student with sad brown eyes, shaking her blonde head like she couldn't believe it was real. Kyoko-sensei was trying to comfort the school nurse, but it didn't seem to be doing much. Either way, I didn't want to focus on that. So I minded my own business and reflected on the events leading up to this.

It'd felt good. Letting go. Unleashing my rage, pounding with my fists and with my weapon. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have stopped. But I suppose all good things come in moderation. I'd always hated the violent side of myself that lost control. Kyoko-sensei used to harp on me about it being evil and wrong to use violence against others. To lose control of your rage. But I'd learned today...you can take control of your lack of control. Like Saeko said. You can hone it, master it, turn it into a lethal weapon. I could see from her own efficiency that she'd already done that, to some degree. She was a walking killer, and something told she'd even killed before all this. When society was normal. That should've terrified me, but it didn't. Instead, I found myself somewhat fascinated. I'd never had a chance to interact with Saeko Busujima, my senpai and captain of the kendo club. I never would've expected my first meeting with her to be like this. Saeko caught me staring and smiled, and for some reason, I found my face turning hot. I turned away.

Misuzu and Toshimi were on the other side of the hallway from me, leaning against the window. They were murmuring amongst themselves. Toshimi Niki was red-faced and shaking her head wildly, glancing at me occasionally. I was shocked when Toshimi walked up to me.

"I-I just want to t-thank you, Watanabe-san," Toshimi murmured, staring up at me with wide eyes. "Misuzu and I… we truly appreciate it. You saved our lives." She bowed. I blushed. She was still pretty much shirtless, and that motion made her bare chest bounce and dangle. Even covered in a bra, it was a lot. I averted my gaze to be polite, and peeled my uniform jacket off.

"No problem. But please, wear this…"

Toshimi glanced at it in confusion.

Misuzu snickered. "What a gentleman."

"Oh! I-I'm soooo sorry!" Toshimi squealed and threw her hands up. The motion only created more...well, motion. Her breasts bounced. Man, they were pretty damn big. I already found her hot, so this more than a little stimulating. Toshimi noticed me staring, and quickly covered her chest. "O-Oh my gosh!"

Misuzu reached out and grabbed the jacket, "Come on you idiot, you're giving the poor guy a boner."

It wasn't quite hard yet, but I was definitely going to be turned on if this kept up…

Misuzu tucked some hair behind her ear. "Seriously. I always thought you were some kind of punk, but you don't seem so bad. Saved our lives when you didn't have to. So, yeah… what she said, thanks."

I smiled. "Please, stop thanking me. I did what was right. I'm just glad you're both okay."

"We don't have time for this," It didn't surprise me when Saeko interrupted, giving me an unfamiliar look. "'Thank you' can happen later. We need to get moving."

Kyoko-sensei nodded her agreement. "Shizuka and I are ready to go when you all are…"

"Then let's get out of here."


We'd barely made it two feet before a scream broke out. It made Kyoko's fearful scream from earlier sound like nothing.

"That sounded like it was from the faculty office," Kyoko-sensei said.

"That's where we're going anyway. Expect company." I tossed Toshimi Ishii Kazu's weapon, and gave Misuzu my last spare. "Let's go," I ordered. They nodded.

We raced through the halls. Saeko and I took point, and we cleaved our way through any undead unfortunate to stumble in front of us, gleeful. We darted around the corner and were met with a crazy sight.

It seemed that everybody was having a bad day. Saya Takagi was a notorious girl. Notorious for being probably the biggest, loudest, and arguably one of the hottest, bitches in Fujimi Academy. That being said, she was a goody two-shoes. She had amazing grades, and was also one of the richest kids in the school, and definitely the richest of all the students present. So, to see her pretty face and bubble-gum pink hair covered completely in thick, goopy blood and drilling her way through a zombie's skull… well, it was just a little out of character.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She squealed as her face was hit with a nonstop fountain of zombie looming over her was already dead, the drill had more than reached its brain, but she didn't stop. She was seized by panic, and fear, and I suspected anger. A fat kid I vaguely recognized was standing at her side, pointing some kind of gun at the horde that slowly crept toward the pair, but there were way too many for him to handle alone.

Another group of survivors entered the room, from the opposite side of the building. Two boys I recognized and an unfamiliar girl, all were seemingly healthy and uninfected. I counted the undead in the area. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…eight in total. I clutched my weapon, and I silently ran forward. As I suspected, the zombie had no idea I was coming if I didn't make any noise.

"Gruhh," the undead groaned, as I bashed its head in. I kept calm this time, there was no need to exhaust myself. I doubted I'd be able to even muster up the adrenaline again for this. I was starting to feel a little shaky and exhausted, the stress of the day flooding my body. It didn't matter much though, there were many more people fighting this time so the zombies didn't stand a chance. A few moments later the room was completely silent, stained with blood and guck and corpses. We all let loose a sigh of relief as we took a moment to study each other. One of the boys was Takashi Komuro, and the other was...well, you could call him an old friend. I grinned, and stepped forward. Takashi nodded in greeting, sharing my grin. We tapped fists, and he crossed his arms, inspecting my group.

"Lots of survivors, that's good… anyway, sup man, it's good to see you actually listened to my warning and survived this shit," He said, glancing at Kyoko-sensei with a slight glare, who sniffed and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"I truly didn't think your words were possibly true. A murder at Fujimi Academy is unheard of! So please don't give me such a dirty look, Komuro-san," she sighed.

He raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly. "But why the hell would I lie about someone dying? Well... whatever. This is Hisashi Igou." Takashi pointed.

"Oh, I'm familiar with him. Good to see you Hisashi-senpai!" I greeted, feeling rather cheerful for the first time in a while.

The second boy was Hisashi Igou, who'd trained me for countless hours. He was captain of the karate club, and a guy who I considered a mentor in many ways. He nodded at me and smiled, some of his dusty, almost gray hair getting in his eyes as he wrapped a muscular arm around my shoulders. "It's good to see you survived, Ichiro-kun! Figures a little bastard like you would one up these dead fuckers! Man, I was actually worried about you little guy!"

Misuzu, Toshimi, and much to my humiliation, Kyoko-sensei giggled as they observed this exchange, and I flushed. "Dude, quit calling me little!"

"5,3 is pretty little, at least compared to me," Hisashi teased, and despite my protest and attempt to escape his arm lock, he began to give me a noogie. I scowled, and Takashi began to laugh.

"Wow, you two know each other?"

"Ichiro-kun here was a member of the karate club until shortstuff decided he was too cool for us, and quit," Hisashi joked, finally letting me go. I chuckled and glared at him.

"Sure, let's call it that. More like you guys were boring me to death."

Hisashi laughed. "Bored, huh? Yet you never beat me! Anyhow, you remember that girl I was crushing on right? Was always talking about her?"

"Mhm, Rei-chan." The girl behind Hisashi blushed bright red. Ahhh, I see. I didn't miss Takashi's slight scowl.

" Well…" Hisashi nudged the girl, who I assumed was the Rei-chan of legend, forward. She gave me a beautiful smile. Damn, senpai had good taste. She had an amazing body and on top of it, I'd seen her more than fend for herself against the horde. So she was a martial artist too, the perfect girl for Hisashi-senpai.

"Hey, I'm Rei Miyamoto. Please call me Rei!" The brunette greeted, extremely friendly. "I'm captain of the spear martial arts club... Nice to meet you."

"Ichiro Watanabe," I nodded, "feel free to call me Ichiro." The fat kid with Saya wandered over, and he smiled at us, as if happy to have friends. Can't say I blamed him, I was feeling the same way.

"I'm Kohta Hirano! Guess I'm one of the only geeks left!"

I pictured another geek- Kazu Ishii, abandoned in that hallway, and swallowed hard. "Guess so. Nice to meet you, man."

Rei darted away from us boys. She began inspecting and staring at Saeko like she was some kind of hero, her eyes wide and full of respect and admiration. "I can't believe it's really you! I-It's an honor to meet you, Busujima-senpai. I watched you during the last kendo tournament. Your swordplay is impeccable, I've always wanted to speak with you."

"Is it just me or does she sound like she has a crush or something?" Hisashi muttered, scratching the back of his head.

I shrugged. If that was true, that was kinda hot.

"It's nice to meet you, Miyamoto-san," Saeko said kindly, smiling warmly. "Please, call me Saeko. There's no need for formalities anymore."

"Saeko-senpai, call me Rei then-"

"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!" A shrill voice interrupted.

We all turned at once to the source of the shriek. It was Saya Takagi. She looked absolutely bat-shit crazy at that moment. I'd thought Saeko and I were dirty, but she was actually coated with blood. She looked like she'd rolled around in it. On top of that, her face itself was just red. And her eyes were saucer-wide. She glared at each one of us in turn. "Why the fuck are you all acting like everything is normal!? Like this is a normal day, like this is fun!?"

I spoke up. "Well. We've all been through a lot and it's nice to-"

"Don't you dare speak to me!" I froze when Saya turned hate-filled, cold eyes on me. She stared at me like I was nothing more than a bug to be crushed beneath her boot. Ah, right. Poor delinquent, rich bitch. I see. I was nothing but trash to her, huh? Well, guess I'd just shut my mouth. Here I thought that sort of attitude would die with the rest of the students.

The group stared at Saya in shock, unable to make sense of her sudden outburst. Kyoko-sensei scowled at the girl from behind her glasses. "Takagi-san! Even in a situation like this it's important to treat your fellow students with respect! Treat others the way you want to be treated!"

"The golden rule, huh, well I don't want to hear it!" Saya wasn't done though. Her eyes locked onto Rei. "Why the hell are you being so god-damned polite and formal with Saeko, anyway? She's the same age as you, you should be in the same grade! You must not know how to count since you were held back a year!"

Rei flinched and Saya smirked. The brunette visibly withered, and Hisashi put an arm around her, murmuring something, trying to comfort her.

Takashi shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell Takagi? No need to be such a bitch!"

"Me, a bitch? You're all so soft!" Saya glared at us with her golden-brown eyes, fists clenched. Like we were the enemies.

"Hey now," Marikawa-sensei murmured.

"Shut it, bimbo! Don't you dare treat me like I'm stupid, like I'm a kid! I'm a genius! I can do anything, anything I put my mind to! I'm...I'm…" Her golden eyes began to flood with tears, and she stared at the ground. Much to my surprise it was Saeko who stepped forward. The purple-haired swordswoman rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. Saya looked up, eyes wide and wet.

"Enough," Saeko murmured.

"But-But I…" Saya whimpered, and Saeko shook her head.

"That's enough, Takagi-san." Saeko ordered, firmer this time.

Saya was visibly shivering as she turned, and froze, and she saw herself in the mirror for the first time. "L-Look at how dirty I am. I'm-I'm filthy. Mama will have to go to the cleaners, and …"

Takashi stepped forward, and put a hand on her other shoulder. Saya glanced at all of us again. So many traumatized, filthy faces. And she began to sob. She clutched Saeko, and visibly shook as she cried hysterically, face buried in Saeko's chest. I didn't know what to say. None of us did.

So I walked away. "I'm gonna barricade the room. We're being awfully loud," I muttered.

Misuzu and Toshimi followed. "I'll join you," Misuzu beamed.


Once the room was barricaded on both sides, we all took turns using the faculty sink to wash up. I was the most messed up physically, so Shizuka took out her medical supplies, sat me down by the sink once everyone had finished using it, and began tending to my wounds.

"Ichiro-kun," Marikawa-sensei murmured, "let me see your knuckles. I need to rebandage them."

The nurse had been so quiet until now. I turned to her. She still seemed so distant, so far away. For the first time that day I actually felt guilty about what I'd done. About stopping myself from calling out to her, trying to give her the motivation to fight. Was it really worth it, to show Shizuka what would happen if she refused to change? Refused to be violent? Was it worth scarring such an innocent woman? I doubted it. But I'd listened to Saeko then, and I needed to stand by the decision now.

Shizuka helped me wash my hands,and proceeded with the process of cleaning out my poor, battered hands. I watched as crimson dripped from my hands into the silver sink below, flooding it. It was disgusting, but honestly, I didn't mind it. Most people probably would. I felt a familiar stab of self-deprecation. I'd really gone nuts, hadn't I? Fucked my own body up too. My fingers and knuckles had taken the brunt of the damage, they were dark and bruised, sliced open by strips of bone. I was lucky I could even still use them, and even then, they didn't quite work as well.

"You reopened all your earlier wounds," The nurse murmured. "And on top of it, made new ones that are worse. You need to be careful. Hands aren't invincible, you know. Isn't that why you made those 'weapons'?"

"I know. I'm sorry." It was a multifaceted apology. I was apologizing for so much more than my carelessness. I think she read my tone, and knew that. Shizuka's eyes met mine. "About Ishii-san, his death. Um...don't blame yourself."

"I don't, Ichiro-kun. It's sad, what happened, but I will stand by my ideals. I am a pacifist, and a nurse, first. Before everything else. It's what I've dedicated my life to, it's what I truly believe in."

"They're not human anymore, Marikawa-sensei," I whispered in frustration, "don't you see that? Would a human tear apart Ishii-san like that?!"

She flinched. "They're just sick.. You're just a boy, you don't know anything… You're all set." She stood up and turned away.

"Marikawa-sensei wait," I snapped. "Just listen…" But she was already gone.

I felt guilty. Beyond guilty. Maybe I really was wrong for trying to teach her like that. Who was I to do such a thing? I stared at the red-stained water.

A warm hand was placed on my shoulder. "Don't look so down, Ichiro. No matter what ...I'm proud of you," Kyoko-sensei said, I didn't even realize she was behind me. I hated that she saw me looking so depressed and pathetic.

"Really?" I muttered. "Even though I enjoy violence? Even though I love hurting people?"

Kyoko met my eyes. "Even so. I think… the peaceful world we once knew is over. You were born the way you are so you could be that way, in this moment. And in the moment that you saved me, Ichiro-kun, I knew there was nothing but good in you. You saved my life. I'm sorry I was scared of you, even though you would never, ever hurt me. My sweet boy..."

My heart hammered in my chest, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Her sweet boy, huh? She made me feel a certain special way, and I hated it. Kyoko-sensei was so damn beautiful. I wished she knew that. I struggled to meet her eyes.

"I… Yeah, and I'll continue to. I won't let anything happen to you."

She wrapped her arms around me and I found my face being pulled into her chest. I squirmed to escape but she held fast. "Uh Uh! You're accepting my love! You've been through a lot and I know you need it!"

A lot of horrible shit happened today, but Kyoko was incredibly blind to my desire if she thought smothering me in breasts was the right way to comfort me. I was a dude, and even though she seemed to be making herself into some self-declared mother, she was not my mother. So instead of being comforted, I was seriously getting aroused. My hardened member began to press against her thigh as she continued to hug me. Then, she realized something was pressing into her and she backed away, shocked.

"I-I am a man, you know," I scowled, red-faced. "And… I, you know.. .you're just hot okay?"

"Hot? Me? I-Ichiro-kun! You…" I thought maybe she was pissed, but I found her eyes filled with tears. "It's been so long since I've been referred to as hot. You make me feel so young. I love you, you silly boy but you know I'll never be with you like that…"

I felt a flash of irritation. Silly boy? I didn't want her to talk to me that way. "Why? Cause you wanna fuck Teshima-sensei? He's probably dead you know."

She froze. And I immediately saw her mind go to that dark place. I couldn't find it in me to feel bad. In fact, I was just more mad. She should hurry up and get over him. "I...I...should call Teshima-sensei. I should see if he's okay…" I didn't know what to make of that. She began to weep, burying her face in her hands. I just finished washing my hands. She was dialing a number on her phone when I walked away and found a seat, sighing with relief at finally being able to sit down.

After I'd settled down, Takashi walked over to me.

"I get it, but you don't have to be so harsh, man. You're right though… Teshima-sensei is dead. He was the first to die, in fact. I saw him. The zombie was actually on the other side of the gate and he decided it'd be fun to reach through and roughhouse him. Pretty much the only reason the school got infected. Was probably inevitable though."

I clenched my fists. "So Kyoko-chan's meatheaded man crush is the only reason everybody fucking died? Wow, she has great taste."

Takashi and I had a laugh, and we both stiffened when an unwelcome person joined the conversation. It was Saya...except she was wearing glasses now. Man, girls with glasses were cute. Well, they were cute on anyone but Saya. "Soooo, you're gonna mope around because you know your pathetic little teacher crush will go nowhere? Sad!" I didn't want to hear that from someone like her.

"C'mon, Takagi, leave him alone." Takashi muttered.

Saya turned her icy, sharp gaze on him. "Oh shut it, Takashi. You were moping over Rei-san not liking you back only hours ago." That was an interesting little fact. That made sense why Takashi seemed a little peeved whenever he saw Rei and Hisashi interacting. Man, that must've sucked for him. "No wonder you two are fast friends. Pathetic!"

"You know, Takagi-san, I wasn't the one crying like a little baby a few minutes ago," I chuckled. "So you can fuck right off. If you ask me, you're gonna be the first to die once we get out of here. Can't even kill one undead without having a full mental breakdown."

Saya's face went red with rage. I smiled when I saw that reaction. So easy to goad. "Not everyone can just dish out violence and not care about other human beings, you little delinquent rat!"

"Ooookay, I'm outta here," Takashi muttered. We barely noticed him step off.

"Not care about other humans? Oh, shut up! You don't know my life, Takagi-san. Don't act like you know me."

Saya smirked, like she'd won. "It's true, I don't know you. In fact, I don't even know your name, rat boy. All I know about you is that you're a dirty, pathetic little rat who gets into fights because he has a low self esteem and has to compensate for his… well, need I say it?"

I clenched my fists. "You won't say what?"

"Nap…"

I furrowed my brows, confused, and Saya laughed. "You really are stupid. I'm referring to napoleon-syndrome, you dunce! You're short, hardly a man at all, so you act tough even though you know you're not!"

What an incredibly stupid thing to say to me. I could care less about my height, when I'd beaten down dudes twice my size and undead. She really had no clue how this world worked, the privileged little princess. I shrugged. "Yeah, whatever Takagi."

Saya gaped and leaned forward. My cheeks burned when I noticed her chest stuck forward, right in front of my face. I tried not to stare into her cleavage, but I'm not going to lie, I liked what I saw. She had no right having such an amazing chest.

"Whatever? Who do you think you're talking to?" It was almost like she'd never been talked to that way before. That made me just want to do it even more.

I smirked. "Honestly, I'm done with this conversation anyways. I don't like talking to bitches."

Misuzu, who'd been listening in on the conversation with Toshimi, burst into laughter. "You two have amazing chemistry!"

Saya and I scowled. "Do not!" We said in a chorus, then glared at each other. Saya marched off.

Saeko had been silently observing all the different exchanges in the room the entire time. Takashi, glaring at Hisashi and Rei jealousy. Me, hung up over Kyoko and now basically enemies with Saya. Marikawa-sensei, sitting stiffly and not saying a word. Kyoko-sensei, sobbing hysterically as she realized her calls were never going to connect. Toshimi and Misuzu, having a good laugh at Saya's expense. It was a mess.

"Don't worry Busujima-senpai," Kohta chirped cheerfully. "We'll figure it out!"

"That's true. We have to." She sighed.