Fairy Tail was a university in Magnolia's city, second only in the rank of the top 10.
Natsu Dragneel was one of its students, although he wasn't good in the head, he's the best at punching people, and he got accepted due to it; he was an athlete in boxing.
At the moment, inside the university's dormitory, he's preparing to head out, it's Sunday after all, and it's a waste of opportunity if not to hang out with friends.
"Wonder if Gray has solved his little fangirl's problem, though the girl kinda cute..." Natsu mumbled while brushing his pink hair.
Gray Fullbuster was his best friend, he's also an athlete, but as a swimmer. They had been friends since elementary, he's bullied because he's chubby back then, fortunately, Natsu kicked their asses.
He's a good-looking boy now, girls were falling all over for him, it's no wonder he got one or two stalkers.
"Well, it's time to go," Natsu headed toward the door, when suddenly he heard a scream.
"Help!"
The scream was from outside, he rushed to the window.
His dormitory was neighbor with the girl's dormitory, and between the buildings was the dormitory's park. At this hour, it should be exploited by people in love.
Speaking of love, Natsu also fancied a girl, her name was Erza Belserion and she was his class leader.
She wasn't like other women, she's dignified and collected. In his eyes, Erza was the sort of princess which a peasant shouldn't even think about, but that didn't stop him from liking her.
Natsu was neither ugly nor handsome, but he was a bit introverted, adding up his fearsome reputation, girls were likely to avoid him.
But Erza... she just didn't care, she approached him friendly without exaggeration, she said a class leader should befriend all of her classmates.
When they were having a class's camping trip, Natsu honestly wanted to confess, but something happened, and his love remained unanswered, perhaps until he died.
"Save me!"
Natsu saw a girl attacked by 8 other girls, they were biting... gnawing her till fresh blood stained her white t-shirt.
"What the fuck?"
And she's not alone, there were several people who also were being attacked at the park, those assaulters were like mad dogs, they bit anyone who crossed their path. The nightmare view brewed a storm in Natsu's stomach, and the instant ramen he had for breakfast almost got thrown out.
The assaulters' eyes were pure white, and their pace was sluggish like a drunken man, but their strength seemed to be five times stronger than the average man's. That's because they could snap the victim's bone easily, even completely push them down before killing their victims.
They constantly tore the victims' chunks of fresh meat and swallowed it. However, if the victim was dead, they would soon leave it alone.
What's more horrifying, the victims didn't stay dead. But they rose again, but as one of the assaulters now.
"Zombie?! Is this Highschool of the Dead?"
"Natsu, help! Open the door!"
All of a sudden, there was a loud banging. Natsu snapped his attention toward the gate of his room. He had 4 roommates, and these 4 also had friends, there were times those people would just barge inside without knocking, forcing Natsu to lock the door all the time.
"Warren?!"
Warren Rocko, he's a classmate who lived next door, he was also a member of the school soccer team.
"Natsu, please! Max... something is not right with him!" Warren's voice was aghast.
Had the zombies invaded the dormitory too? However, he's on the second floor, it should take a while for the zombies to climb...
"Wait!" Natsu rushed toward the gate, he unlocked it and saw Warren's pale face, he's holding his arm as blood seeped through the gap, dripping to the floor.
"I... I..." Warren stuttered, his eyes reflecting guilt.
"Come inside!" Natsu urged him. After Warren settled on one of the beds, Natsu fetched him a water bottle.
"Max, he... he said he's going to buy some snacks, then... he panickily returned, said someone bit him on the road...
We... we treated the wound, he's fine for a while, then he started to spasm, pouring blood, I mean... from mouth, nose, eyes, and ears... he trashed about on the floor, and I didn't know what to do..."
"For a moment, I thought he's dead... he... he stopped moving..."
Natsu sighed, one bite and it's over, this was so zombie franchise cliché. Looking at Warren's wound on his arm, it didn't take a genius to realize, but Natsu didn't know how to handle this.
Also, Natsu knew Max, a cool dude, didn't deserve a fate like this.
"Ugh, my head..." Warren's eyes started to squint.
Natsu knew his time wasn't much, he needed to act, otherwise, it was his own life would be put in danger.
"Warren, I wish I have a better way, but I'm sorry, you have to leave."
"What did you say?" Warren looked at Natsu with confusion.
"Leave, Warren, you know you will turn just like Max, right? Please don't make this difficult for me..."
"..." Warren's eyes widened, he looked at his own wound, terrified of it.
"No, this is not what it looks like... Max didn't... he... Natsu, look, this isn't what you think this is..." Warren quickly stood, but perhaps due to a headache, he lost his balance for a bit.
"Did Max attack you?" Natsu couldn't help but take a step back.
"Yeah, but... I managed to escape."
"Did he bite you?"
"..." Warren trembled all over, then he shook his head.
"Leave, Warren."
"No, I wasn't bitten!"
"Get the fuck out! I don't want to die!" Natsu roared, he rushed to Warren and pushed him. They had the same body's measure, so it wasn't difficult for Natsu to direct Warren if only the latter didn't struggle too much.
"Please, Natsu, I'm scared!" blood became to pour from Warren's eyes, nose, and ears. It was enough confirmation for Natsu that he's right.
"You and me both, just please... get out!"
At this moment, there was a sound coming from the door. Natsu and Warren paused. They glanced at the source with cold breath.
"..." there was silence, but it made the whole situation even creepier.
Bang bang! A second later, a loud banging reverberated in the room, and the door exaggeratedly shook.
"We have to block it!" Natsu left Warren and went behind a study desk. He began to push it toward the door.
Just as the desk reached the door, the latter was broken immediately, although it was still attached to the frame.
"Droy?!" Natsu was startled, seeing a face slip between the gap.
Droy was an overweight guy, he was threatening enough as a human, let alone now as a zombie!
Zombie Droy began to push the door, he saw even the desk slowly march backward.
"No!" Natsu quickly supported the desk, but he didn't see Warren helping him. He saw Warren in the middle of the room.
"Warren, the hell you doing man?!" he stood there calmly as if frozen in time, but his face was looking at the floor.
"Huff... huff... argh... argh..." suddenly, he was panting, then lifting his face, Natsu saw Warren's eyes had completely white.
"Oh, shit!" Natsu's heart was galloping, his hairs were all standing up.
"ARGH!" Warren lunged at Natsu, his pace was fast, unlike the zombies outside.
"Damn it!" Natsu dodged, and Warren crashed against the desk. Natsu kept retreating, his chest rose up and down crazily.
Warren spun, he's gnashing his bloody teeth, then charged at Natsu. The pink-head young man roared, he lifted his hands and swung Warren to his right, crashing him to another desk. Warren didn't pause, he charged back, and managed to push Natsu to the wall beside his bed, Natsu stopped him at arm's length.
Warren was relentless, he was unreasonably strong, perhaps as a zombie, and he had no limitations anymore.
Natsu didn't run out of ideas, he slid down the wall and rolled out, once again making a distance from Warren.
After a brief hardship, Natsu gained several composures, before Warren closed in, he had rose his arms and put a stance.
Warren growled, his teeth rattling, then he began another round, Natsu jabbed Warren's cheek with his left hand, and the latter stumbled lightly, then Warren lunged at him, Natsu hooked his cheek and stumbled Warren to his left.
The athlete boxing didn't give Warren a chance to make a move, he jabbed his face twice, then crossed Warren's chest, Natsu forced Warren to retreat, heading toward the glass window behind him.
Warren started a pathetic attempt, but Natsu gave him a merciless uppercut, the zombie's body slammed against the window and broke the glass.
All of a sudden, for Natsu, time as if slowing down, he was a moment away from killing a friend...
Warren's mother died a long time ago, he was forced to live with his drunken father.
The father's hands were nightmarish, but Warren simply endured it because his father was still willing to feed him.
Of course, he could only endure for so long, Warren studied hard so he could finally leave.
"Argh!" Warren let out a final roar. Natsu knitted his eyes, then he took a step, and cocked back his hand.
"Fire... Dragon... Iron... Fist."
Natsu punched Warren's chin with utmost might, it sent Warren out of the window and fell to the ground level. The room was at the third floor, the zombie's constitution was no different than human, so the fall should break all of his bones, killing him if Natsu's luck was good.
"Haa... haa..." Natsu panted. It wasn't the action tiring him, but the sudden timing that affected his emotion.
A moment ago, he thought his life was ending, but he was relieved now, he felt everything wasn't so hopeless...
But it's like he forgot something.
"Huh?" Natsu's back shirt was pulled, his neck was tilted, and a large hand grasped his right shoulder.
"..." Zombie Droy opened his spacious mouth, then took a large bite of Natsu's neck.
His teeth sank, quite effortlessly in fact, into his skin. Fresh blood splashed. Then Zombie Droy ripped the chunk out of Natsu's meat.
Natsu's eyes dilated wide, he fell to his knees, his hand on his neck, his mind was blank.
Was this the end? Was his time expired?
Life was short, thought it was a meme, but it's a real irony.
When he gained hope, it was reaped straight away.
Natsu fell to the floor, above the puddle of his own blood, and the memories began to roll.
The time when Igneel picked him up from the street and adopted him.
The time when he, Gray, Silver, Ur, and Ultear celebrated his birthday.
The time when he carried Lucy on his back after she was dumped by Loki.
The time when he and Gajeel fought in the high school boxing championship.
The time when he camped with Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna.
The time when he drank his first beer, a treat from Gildart.
The time when Erza smiled at him...
"..." Natsu's breath completely halted. His eyes were empty. But a smile crept at the corner of his lips.
He had a good life, didn't he? Maybe death wasn't so bad after all...