Author's note!

Hello, dear readers! I'm here bringing you another story involving our favorite loner. Now, if you're tuning in from my other story, 'Hachiman Hikigaya Can Level Up,' you know I wanted to write a story around a Zombie apocalypse.

Now, I wanted to include several elements from different zombie stories. Such as Train to Busan, The Last of Us, and some minor Resident Evil. Depending on how this first chapter does will determine whether or not I continue it. So please leave me plenty of reviews and comments!

In contrast to my other story, I will start using Japanese suffixes and minor terminology. I didn't use them before because I felt that it would come off as forced, considering I'm not Japanese, so I was going off how the characters would refer to each other with the English dub version of the anime.

Last thing, I swear. This is picking up from season two, episode twelve of the anime. Everything leading up to my current events will be canon. Except for the small story diverges that I'll be peppering in as the story progresses.

Chapter 1: The World As We Knew It Is No More

"How should I put this? I… want to try making handmade chocolate."

I sighed from my position at the end of our club room table. February had rolled around, and the temperature wasn't getting any warmer; if anything, the cold was harsher than ever during the evening. But with February comes Valentine's Day. That one special day worldwide, major corporations use to sell their chocolate supplies in the guise of showing your love and friendship to that special someone. In short, it's the day I receive chocolates from my mother and sister.

"You know we're having exams next year, so this'll be the last chance… in other words, I was thinking it'd be nice to give it a go." Yumiko Miura said from her spot on the right side of the table. On her left sat Hina Ebina, a member of her clique.

"Yumiko. Didn't you say all things handcrafted was boring?" Yui Yuigahama, my fellow service club member, said with an accusatory stare. I couldn't help but be reminded of how she and I met. She had requested help in baking cookies for someone but had needed help since she didn't think she could ask her friends for fear of being found lame. Yumiko had the decency to look slightly ashamed and stuttered a response.

"I mean, that's good. Isn't it? Handmade chocolate is great!" Hina said, coming to Yumiko's defense. I rolled my eyes. That action, however, was caught by the spectacle-wearing degenerate, and she turned to me with a teasing smile. "Hikitani-kun, you could make friendship chocolate for Hayato as well!"

"No way in hell… plus, that guy said he wouldn't accept it, would he?" I said with a frown.

Speaking of the school's white knight, Hayato Hayama was the object of Yumiko's undivided affection and love. For whatever reason. The headaches I've incurred from dealing with that guy were seemingly unending. The tennis match, The figuring out who's slandering his friend group, the cultural festival, how to handle Tobe Kakeru's confession, and most recently. Figuring out his secret career path. All in all, that guy was a pain in my ass.

To add to that long list of things I've dealt with, now I have to deal with this. I could have sworn that it was made clear that Hayato didn't want or accepted any chocolate from anyone during this consumeristic holiday. To avoid any unnecessary conflict, he said. That should have been enough for this blonde to get the message, but if she has anything going for her other than her looks. It's that she's pretty persistent.

"I know, right? It's only gonna get harder now that he said he won't accept any." Iroha Isshiki said with a sigh.

"That's true." Yumiko said solemnly. It was then that both girls turned to each other and glared. If this were an anime, you would have been able to see sparks fly between them.

This was due to what happened during our group out to Destiny Land a while back. Iroha used that trip to confess her feelings for Hayato during the fireworks display. Sadly, it didn't go as planned, and she was rejected. The image of her running away from the crowd with tears in her eyes was still fresh in my memory. The confession became well known among those who attended, and Yumiko had begun to see Iroha as a love rival for Hayato.

"Ah! Then, how about I, on behalf of the girls. Give chocolate to Hayama-senpai! I am the student council president, after all?" Iroha said with a large, innocent smile.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Yumiko said with a glare. Both girls stared at one another to see who would back down first.

'How scary.' I looked away from their epic staring contest and noticed someone standing in the doorway. It was a girl with pale blue hair. She saw my stare and jumped out of the doorway. It's Kawasomething.

"Please come in." Yukino Yukinoshita said towards the door. "Join us, Kawasaki-san."

Saki had a look similar to that of a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She nodded and sat between the now available seat between Iroha and Yumiko. Yukino nodded and turned to her. "So? Did you need something?"

"Ah, um-" Saki began saying but was quickly cut off by Yumiko.

"Hold on." Yumiko said. "We're not done with what I was talking about, okay?

"Huh? All you're doing is drinking tea, right?" Saki said with every bit of sas as Yumiko. Hina jumped in and smiled at everyone.

"Now, now, Sakisaki had something to say as well, right? Anyway, go on. You can tell me if you want!" Hina said. Yui looked at her with a frown and hung her head slightly.

"We're the ones supposed to do the helping, though…" Yui said. I watched Saki look down, a slight blush growing on her face.

"It's about making chocolate." Saki said shyly. Yumiko snickered and grinned at Saki. Saki turned her head and glared at Yumiko.

"What's that? Are you giving chocolate to someone? don't make me laugh." Yumiko said snidely. Saki sucked her teeth and looked at Yumiko as one would an annoying child.

"Hey, could you not lump me in together with you?" Saki said. I sipped my tea and debated whether I wanted to watch the two new challengers brawl. However, to quicken things up. I decided to intervene.

"So? What about the chocolate?" I asked Saki. She looked over to me and then at the table.

"My sister wants to try making it. Are there any kinds that kids can make?" Saki asked inquisitively. Yukino looked pensively and asked herself the same question. Her eyes seemed to be scrolling through a hidden menu I couldn't see. While my club president thought about Saki's question, Hina perked up.

"But, Sakisaki, you're good with housework, right? Shouldn't stuff like this be easy for you?" Hina asked as she tilted her head.

"Well… the stuff I make is kinda plain. Kids wouldn't like it." Saki said.

From then on, Yukino and Yui began to devolve about taro balls and how they resembled cat paws. Eventually, we made a decision regarding Yumiko and Saki's request and decided to set up a chocolate-making event at the community center a few days from now. Yukino would be instructing everyone on how to make the chocolate.

Thanks to Iroha's quick call, we were able to book the room quickly. However, we would have to share it with another school. So, with that decided, the service club disbanded for the evening, and we all went home.

X X X

"In other news, the recent streaks of violent attacks have yet to subside. Officials believe that this is due to an organized terror group intent on distributing the peace in Nagoya. However, due to the police's quick and timely intervention. They had managed to stop the group quickly before they could cause any further property damage and personal injuries."

"Komachi, what are you watching?" I asked as I stepped over the couch and glanced at my sister sprawled on the sofa. I watched the local news channel as they continued reporting on this week's events.

"Me? Nothing? I just couldn't reach the TV remote." Komachi said as she made a show of being unable to reach the remote. I squinted my eyes at her and saw that if she stretched another inch or two, she would be able to grab the remote. "What are you doing, Onii-chan?"

"Just grabbing a cup of coffee." I said and rose a green, steaming mug. I walked around the couch and sat down. I lifted the remote and watched the pretty news anchor talk about an important announcement the prime minister would release tomorrow. 'I guess I'll watch a recording of it after the Valentine's event.'

"-the following list of hospitals have now been declared over occupancy. If you have a medical emergency, we have provided a list of the closest medical facilities in your area. Please refer to-"

I changed the channel to one of my favorite anime channels and saw they were airing a rerun of an old show I watched a few years back. Komachi flipped around and placed her legs on my lap. We sat together and watched it.

The show was about the protagonist's slow descent into madness as he fought tooth and nail through the hellish landscape of the fantasy world in which the show was based. It was a dark and edgy story that loved to torture the protagonist at every corner. It was a decent watch but not exactly memorable.

"Oh, I remember this part!" Komachi said, and we watched as the protagonist was betrayed by their supposed friend due to jealousy. We watched the protagonist fall down a cliff and splash into the roaring waters below. The background music crescendoed as the camera panned to the friend's angry and regretful face. Komachi wiped her eyes dramatically and turned to me. "This part always gets me."

"I don't." I said as I took a sip of my sweet coffee. "He should have seen the betrayal from miles away. I hate blind and naive protagonists."

Komachi laughed, and we continued watching the episode until its completion. When it was over, we found out that the show was having a marathon. So, we decided to binge the show until it was time to head to bed. I sighed as I lay on my bed. My eyes began to feel heavy, and I began to fall asleep. Hopefully, this Valentine's event won't last too long.

X X X

"Slice up the chocolate and heat it with water. After it's melted, pour it into the mold." Yukino said as she stood beside Yumiko and Yui. They were all dressed in colorful aprons and head scarves. Yumiko was chopping down a bar of milk chocolate.

"That's it? Seems kinda simple." Yumiko said with a confused expression. Yui jumped up and got into Yumiko's face.

"You're too naive, Yumiko! Heating up with water isn't just dumping the chocolate into the water! You have to go like 'Gwah!'. Or something like that!" Yui said as she waved her hands around. She then lifted her arms and roared, 'Gwah!'. Saki looked down at her sister in concern.

I sighed and looked around at the large home economics room. Several students from Kaihin Sogo High School joined our school, which included several members of their student council from the Christmas event. Alongside them, Kaori Orimoto had also joined the event. The girl brought up several bad memories of my past. I ignored her in favor of watching Yoshiteru Zaimokuza posing over a boiling pot of water.

I looked away from him and saw Hayato and the rest of his clique working away at their stations. Haruno Yukinoshita, Yukino's older sister, walked in my line of sight and waved at me. I sighed and nodded back at the special lecturer Iroha had called in. Overall, it was a pretty packed chocolate workshop.

I walked over to a large cabinet filled with plates and cutlery. I leaned back and watched everyone work with my usual dead expression. Hayato walked over to me and leaned against the same cabinet. This is my cabinet. Get your own.

"Well done." Hayato said as he looked around as well. "This way, everyone is at ease. Even Tobe's happy, thanks to this."

I looked at Tobe and saw him eating some of the chocolates Hina had made. She smiled at him softly as he ate away at the plate of chocolates in her hands. "Chocolate and Tobe are always a good mix. Especially given that it's Tobe."

Hayato chuckled awkwardly and looked over at me with a small smile. "Haha, that's mean."

I walked over to Iroha and saw her stirring a pot of chocolate with a plastic spatula. She was humming a small song that sounded vaguely familiar. She let go of the spatula and scooped up a small amount of chocolate to taste. "You really can cook, can't you?" I said.

"What's that? You tryna flatter me? You think you'll get these sweets just 'cause you said something nice? You're too naive. You better things over and come back later. So sorry." Iroha said quickly. I had lost count of how many times this girl had rejected me. I sighed with my eyes closed but was jolted when something solid and sweet was shoved into my mouth. I'm being drugged!

"You like this sort of sweetness, Senpai?" Iroha smiled as she took the spoon out of my mouth. I felt my cheeks blush at the cute look she was giving me.

"…I don't hate it." I uttered. Suddenly, I felt a deep and powerful energy from behind me.

"By the way Hikigaya-kun. You're the taste tester, aren't you? You've been completely useless up until now. So I totally forgot about you." Yukino said with her eyes closed and a sickeningly sweet smile. She stirred her pot of extremely dark mix of chocolate and held her spatula up at me. "Go on. Try my product as well and tell me what you think, okay?"

Hold on, Walter White?! No, never mind that. That mix is definitely over ninety percent cocoa. It'll be bitter as hell. I squinted at the slowly approaching spoon and swallowed the lump in my throat.

X X X

After several more minutes, it seemed everyone had begun to find their groove in the chocolate-making process. Yui was paying close attention to her work as she double-checked her notes. Yukino was walking around and hovering closely over everyone's work.

"Speaking of Valentine's Day, overseas, it's usually the man who gives the gifts! If someone here were cognizant of this sort of globalization, that would be great!" Tamanawa, Kaihins student council president and best bullshiter, said to his group of cronies off to the side. "They might be called a so-called 'Influencer' in Japan!"

Like always, I have no idea what that guy is saying. Or should I say, not saying. I squinted at them as they began talking about how they should start the Influencer trend at their school.

"Hikigaya. You got any spare chocolate molds?" Kaori asked with a smile as she approached me. I frowned, grabbed one of the star molds next to me, and handed it to her. "Thanks… by the way. Have I ever given you chocolate before, Hikigaya?"

I squinted at Kaori and frowned. From behind me, Yui, Yukino, Saki, Tamanawa, and Iroha sharply spun their heads in our direction. 'Is she making fun of me?' "No, of course not…"

"Really? Then I'll give you some this year!" Kaori said with a smile and pumped her star mold.

"Eh, no… fine, I guess." I said, unsure of what to say. I shifted around uncomfortably and thought I felt several stares on my back. I saw Haruno grin mischievously from her spot on the cabinets.

"Speaking of which, Hayato-kun has also received chocolate from-" Haruno was interrupted when a loud crack echoed outside.

Everyone flinched and turned to look out the window. I strode across the room and saw a large plum of dark smoke rising into the sky from in front of the building across the community center. A large bus was stuck halfway inside the building. Its engine was lit up in flames. The fire began to spread towards the back of the bus. Causing the people stuck in the back of the transport vehicle to scream and panic. I watched in shock as several of them jumped out of the bus's windows and flopped on the hard asphalt floor.

"Oh my god!" I heard several girls scream as they covered their mouths. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Yui, Yukino, Haruno, and Hayato run over beside me. We watched in horror as one of the trapped passengers jumped out of one of the bus windows. Their entire body was roaring in flames, making it hard to determine their gender. Even from behind the windows, we could all hear those pained screams as they rolled around on the ground.

"Don't look! Everyone, get to the back of the room right now!" Haruno yelled and began pulling Yukino back from the windows. Hayato shook his head and grabbed my shoulder.

"Come on, Hikigaya-kun. Away from the w-window!" Hayato said quickly and guided me to the wall. He began urging everyone back with his arms.

I numbly walked back and saw Saki hugging her sister close to her chest. "Sa-Chan! Sa-Chan! What was that noise?"

"N-nothing! It was nothing, Keika!" Saki said, her eyes trembling as she squeezed Keika into her chest.

I jerked in surprise when I backed into one of the working stations. "W-what the hell?" I said.

"Nobody leaves this room! And stay away from the windows!" Haruno said with a tone full of authority. But despite that, I saw the look of fear and shock in her eyes. She then turned to me and waved me over. "Hikigaya-kun! Keep an eye on Yukino-chan! I'm going to go out there and try to help!"

I numbly walked over to Yukino and Yui. Haruno gave a shaky smile and began walking towards the sliding door. She then looked over to Hayato, who was consoling a panicked Yumiko. "Hayato-kun. Don't let anyone leave or enter this room until the authorities arrive." Haruno said.

"Y-yeah." Hayato nodded. His neck bobbed as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Haruno nodded and left the room. Her heels echoed through the hall as she ran.

Several of the room's occupants took out their cellphones and began calling the police. Yumiko's face scrunched up, and she looked back at everyone. "I'm not getting a r-response! There's a machine saying all the lines are full!"

Everyone else began to receive the same message as their phones repeated the same line. What the hell is going on?

"-Due to the increased call volume, all lines are currently unavailable. Due to the increased call volume, all lines are currently unavailable-"

"T-there has to be an explanation on what's going on! Ther-" Tamanawa stuttered while he leaned against one of the cabinets. Suddenly, another explosion could be heard from outside as the community center shook.

Everyone yelled in fright and fell to their knees. I saw Iroha slip back on a dropped pot of chocolate and begin to fall. I was moving before I knew it and caught her in my arms. We fell on the ground, and I winced in pain as my back impacted one of the working stations.

"Senpai!" "Hikki! "Hikigay-kun!"

Yui and Yukino dashed over and helped me stand once Iroha moved off me. "I'm alright." I said. I looked over at them and saw that they were in a state of shock. I knew I wasn't in much better shape, but I forced myself to cope by using straight logic to keep moving. Don't panic! If you do, you'll be of no help to anyone!

Against my better judgment, I turned my head at the sounds of screaming. It wasn't just one person screaming anymore. There were now several voices crying out. I began to move towards the windows, but I felt someone grab my wrist. I looked back and saw Yukino holding onto me. She had tears at the corners of her eyes, and she looked at me pleadingly.

"N-no, Hikigaya-kun. N-Nee-san said not to." Yukino shook her head and let me go. I nodded numbly and looked away from the windows.

"Now, what's going on?!" Tobe yelled as the sound of breaking windows could be heard outside. Hina and Yumiko looked down at the ground as several voices began to scream outside.

"No! Let me go!"

"What are you doing?! Stop- GAH!"

"What the hell?! H-he's biting her!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked over at Hayato. He was just as shaken as the rest of us, but he stood in front of the door as if he were a great gate guardian. But I could see his hands and feet shake in anxiety and fear.

"S-Senpai. What's happening?" Iroha asked me as she grabbed one of my arms tightly. Yui looked at me and Yukino inquisitively; I shook my head and turned to Iroha.

"I'm not sure, Isshiki. But… we need to stay in here until the authorities get here. It's not safe." I said and looked over to Hayato. "Hayama. Do you see Haruno out there? Is she back?"

Hayato slid open the door slightly but then closed it. He turned to me and shook his head. "I don't see her. The halls are empty." He said. A loud slam from a door echoed somewhere in the community center. The sudden noise caused us all to jump and turn to Hayato. He opened the door again and peered outside. He turned to everyone and shook his head.

"We need to know what's going on." I said and pulled my arm free from Iroha's grip. "We can't keep going without knowing what's happening out there. For all we know, the police could be down there now."

I ignored the insistent calls from everyone and walked over to the windows. As I reached them, I looked down at the street where the bus had crashed. What I saw next could only be described as hell on earth.

A few feet from the bus were two men hunched over a woman. They were moving like a pair of wild animals as they yanked and ripped large chunks of flesh and entrails out of the dead woman's bloodied stomach. A large pool of crimson began to spread out from under them as one of the men reached into her torso and pulled out a thick line of organs. The large intestine. The man brought the organ to his mouth and began eating it like a hungry, desperate animal. Bile and pieces of half-digested food were squeezed out of the organ with every bite the man took with his bloodied teeth.

Several feet away from the front entrance of the community center was a man lying with his body sprawled out. But I wasn't sure if you could still call a headless corpse a man. Standing over the body was a woman with long brown hair dressed in a blue skirt and a white blouse. Her arms were covered in several bite wounds that had bled profusely. But what caught my attention the most was the half-eaten head resting in her hands. She leaned down and took a mighty bite of the head's cheek muscle.

Off to the right, I saw a pair of students. They didn't look much older than us and were dressed in a different uniform. But their uniforms didn't seem as important as the fact that they were trying to fight off seven violent adults and four other students as they piled onto their bodies and began to tear them apart. Seeing that their prey was no longer struggling against their hold, the mob of people began to eat away at their corpses like hungry hyenas. They all had bite marks similar to those of the woman from earlier.

My eyes inspected the bloodied streets and continued to see pure violence and murder as several more bodies were being devoured all across the street. It took every fiber of my being to look away from the sight, but when I did. I felt a tightening sensation over my chest as several pillars of smoke were spread out throughout the city of Chiba as far as my eyes could see. What is this? Is this… happening everywhere?

"H-Hikigaya?"

I wasn't sure how long I stood there watching the carnage below. So I jumped in shock when I heard a sudden scream from beside me; I noticed several out-of-control people from below freeze and look up to where Kaori and I stood. I saw that their skin had taken a grey and bruised appearance; several dark veins were visible from under their skin. Their eyes were glazed over with a white, mucus-like texture.

I dashed towards Kaori and slapped a hand over her screaming mouth. I pushed her down to the ground, and I felt my heart beat vigorously in my chest as she struggled in my hold; I used all the strength in my arms to hold her still. "Shut up!" I hissed, finally getting her to stop her struggling.

"Hey! Take your hands off Orimoto-chan!" Tamanawa yelled and marched towards us with angry eyes.

He grabbed my arms and pulled me away from Kaori. I was roughly tossed to the side by an indignant Tamanawa. I tried to stand but was quickly pulled up when Tamanawa yanked me to my feet. He glared down at me, but his eyes suddenly flicked outside. I also looked to the side and felt my body grow cold. Where are they?!

"What the hell happened out there?!" Tamanawa yelled as he let me go and looked around in horror at the gore-filled environment. The building the bus had crashed into earlier had now begun to catch on fire. The flames began to roar as they danced higher and spread widely.

"They're gone." I whispered. "All of them are gone." Out on the streets, not even a single one of raging people could be seen. Were they still people? The only person that was left was the headless corpse on the ground. Its half-eaten mangled head sat still a few feet away from it.

My words bolstered a strong sense of curiosity in everyone in the room. One by one, they all came over and looked out the window. A decision they were quick to regret once they saw the horrendous environment outside on the bloodied streets.

Tobe leaned forward and threw up all the contents of his stomach. The girls from Kaihin Sogo High screeched in terror; they looked away from the sight and began to cry. Yumiko and Hina gasped in fright and spun away from the carnage. Yukino and Yui looked shocked and disbelieving as they scanned the streets. Saki's eyes grew in size as she took in the sights. Before Keika could turn around in her arms, Saki quickly walked back towards the cabinets with plates and cutlery. Iroha began to tremble and hug herself. It seemed her strength had decided to leave her because she slid to the ground. Fresh tears ran down her cheeks.

"A-are these some type of g-ghouls?" Zaimokusa said; his ever-present grin was shaky, and he seemed ready to throw up.

"How terrible..." Meguri Shiromeguri said with her hands in front of her mouth. Her eyes were petrified as she looked on.

"Wait! I think I'm hearing footsteps!" Hayato said quickly. His eyes showed a small, hopeful look as he turned to the door. He was the only one not to have walked over to look outside. "Maybe Haruno-san is on her way back?"

Before Hayato could open the door, a fast and heavy object slammed into it. A loud crash echoed in the room as Hayato fell back on the floor with fright. Several of my fellow students cried in fear at the sudden noise, which proved to be a fatal mistake. After a brief pause, several more slams and bangs began to resound at the door and walls. Slowly and surely, the bangs multiplied as more rabid people joined in on attacking the door. Hayato scrambled to his feet and ran next to Tobe as loud and feral roars and growls howled behind the wall.

Why are they banging on the door? Why haven't they tried to slide it open? Yui and Yukino slid behind me as everyone else watched the door with fright. Tamanawa and his friends were yelling at one another in a panic. They were trying to figure out what to do. Tamanawa was kneeling beside Kaori as they watched the doors shake and bang.

Suddenly, the glass on the sliding door broke open; a mangled and bloodied head had bashed its way through its surface. We all watched in horror as the head tilted up and exposed a man with black hair. But what caught our attention the most was that half of the man's face was missing, almost as if its flesh had torn it off. Isn't that the community center coordinator? Blood dripped down his head as his teeth clattered at the sight of us all. From behind the man were several more adults and students. Their groans and moans became loud and terrifying now that there wasn't any glass to muffle their noises.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" One of Tamanawa's student council members yelled loudly.

This only bolsters the man's actions because he turned his head towards the scared students and began to bite the air repeatedly. I was reminded of the way several of the people outside had been eating away at their victims. Their teeth ripping and pulling away at their flesh. Is he trying to eat us?

My eyes shifted over to the work tables in the room. No, these won't move. They're bolted into the floor. I scanned the room, and my eyes settled on the large stacks of lockers. I knew then what I had to do. I ran over to the far end of the lockers and began to try and push them over to the door. But as I pushed with all my strength, I found them to be extremely heavy.

"Geh! Hayama! Tobe! Anyone! Help me push this in front of the door!" I yelled and saw the mangled man's head freeze and turn to me. He then shoved his entire arm through the window and made to reach in my direction. Did it react to my yelling? I looked over at those I yelled at and saw they had yet to move to assist me. Their eyes shook with unbridled fear. "HELP ME!"

Like a whistle blown to start a race, Hayato, Tobe, Tamanawa, and his male counsel members ran towards me and helped me push. But despite all our combined strength, the massive stack of lockers was moving at a snail's pace. We all grunted in exertion. I saw that everyone's face was becoming red and covered in sweat. We're lucky these weren't built into the walls.

I then risked a glance at the door and saw the bloodied man leaning into the room. It wouldn't be long before he would flip inside with us all. And if the loud groans and growls from outside told me anything, he wouldn't be the one. I looked over at the young women in the class, ready to tell them to try and push the man back into the halls. But I saw that most of them were hiding behind the workstations or frozen in fear as they watched the growling man. His blood began to pool down the door and drip onto the floor; the broken glass was stabbing into him. Doesn't that hurt? Suddenly, several other hands began to reach through the opening and wave around. Their hands opened and closed as if trying to grab or claw away at something.

"Yukinoshita! You all have to push them out the window! We can't let them inside!" I yelled in a panic.

Yukino looked at me as she grabbed her arm. She was distressed, and her eyes kept turning to the door and the feral man. Yukino's eyes zeroed in on the struggling man as he growled. She shook her head and began to close into herself. "N-Nee-san is s-still out there… we can't c-close the door."

I looked back at the struggling man. He had forced half his body through the window. We gave another mighty shove toward the lockers and felt them shift; the heavy storage units were now in front of the door frame. We won't be able to block it in time! I watched in surprise as Yui and Kaori grabbed two brooms in the corner of the room and rushed toward the door. They began to poke and push the man back with as much strength as possible.

"Yui-senpai!" Iroha yelled and grabbed several of the empty pots on the work tables. She threw them as hard as she could at the man's head.

Clangs and bangs echoed in the room as new pieces of cookware crashed into the man's head and face. They didn't do much to push back the man, but they seemed to distract him enough to stop moving forward. Slowly and surely, both Yui and Kaori were pushing the violent man out of the window. We gave another heave as the lockers were now halfway over the door, and the man was now pressed against the window frame and the lockers. Just a little more!

"Let go!" Kaori yelled as one of the man's hands gripped her broom and began to yank it toward him. She tried to pull it back but inadvertently pulled him inside in her struggle. Stop! Don't pull!

"Stop it! Let the broom go!" Hayato yelled. His breath came out in quick bursts as his face was flushed and covered in sweat. His shout went unheard as Kaori gave another pull. The disfigured man rolled into the room just as we finally managed to push the lockers in front of the door, blocking the entrance.

"He's inside!"

"L-look! His stomach, it's-it's…"

Everyone watched with baited breaths as the bloodied man stood to his feet. He growled and hissed as his body twitched and jerked. It seemed that in his struggle to squeeze into the room, the broken glass from the window had dug into his midsection and tore a deep cut through his stomach. Blood and lower intestines could be seen under his wound. His murky, white eyes didn't seem to move in their sockets as he looked around at us all.

"AAHH!" Several of the girls from Kaihin yelled in terror from the back of the room. That prompted the man to roar and scramble towards them. He dashed forward but crashed into one of the work tables. He rolled onto the floor in a heap of wiggling limbs.

"H-Hayato! W-what do we do, bro?!" Tobe yelled from beside me as we watched the man stand up slowly and crack his neck. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, and the loud click-clacks of his teeth hitting one another filled the room. Hayato looked around and saw one of the wooden rolling pins one would use for spreading dough and ran towards it.

"Everyone! Get to this side of the room!" Hayato yelled as he pointed behind him. Everyone did as he said and rushed towards the wall. The man turned his head at the sounds of the stomping shoes and cries of fright and began lumbering towards us. Hayato stepped forward and held the small rolling pin in front of him like a knight would a sharp blade. "S-stop right there! Y-you need help! If you calm down, we'll call for an ambulance!"

I watched the man's head jerk around erratically; it seemed he was ignoring Hayato. The only response he gave was a low, unintelligible groan. I felt my school jacket get tugged and saw Iroha clutching it tightly from behind me. Her hands shook as she watched the bloodied man get closer to Hayato. With every forward step he took, Hayato took one back.

"Hayama-senpai." Iroha said in worry.

"This is your last warning! Stop!" Hayato yelled, and the man lunged.

Using the speed and skill he'd worked to gain through soccer, Hayato evaded the man's wild grab by moving to the left at the last second. Hayato raised the rolling pin above his head but hesitated to bring it down. The man then made another attempt to grab Hayato and found his target. The man had gotten a hold of Hayato's shoulders and tried to bring him closer to his clattering teeth. He's trying to eat him. Quickly, Hayato brought the rolling pin down and shoved it between the man's teeth. From there, the two began to struggle and overpower the other, but Hayato began to lose. He was a young man, barely eighteen years old, while the person across from him was a fully grown man with better muscle definition. It didn't help that Hayato was still tired after pushing the heavy cabinet across the room.

"Hayato!" Tobe yelled and ran behind the growling man and wrapped an arm around his throat. Tobe pulled the man back with a yell. Using this opportunity to escape. Hayato slipped out of his hold. This also meant that the rolling pin he had shoved in the man's bloody mouth was pulled free.

Hayato pulled an arm back and struck the man with the rolling pin across the face. Tobe leaned back slightly due to fear of being accidentally hit as well. The man in his hold used this new leverage to twist his head and bite into Tobe's forearm.

"GEH! He bit me! You bastard!" Tobe yelled and pushed the man forward. Hayato weaved to the side as Tobe used his leg to kick the man forward. The groaning man stumbled backward and crashed through the glass window. We watched him slam onto the ground below with a loud bang. With the danger now gone, everyone rushed over to Hayato and Tobe.

"You two were so brave!" One of the Kaihin girls said. "Hayama-san, you were incredible!"

Iroha and Hina ran over to Tobe and checked on his wound. It had begun to bleed profusely. My eyes watched as his blood soaked through his school uniform and dripped onto the floor. "Tobe-senpai! Are you okay?!" Iroha asked frantically.

"Here! Let me treat that!" Hina said as she ran under one of the workstations and pulled out a first aid kit. She quickly began treating Tobe's arm with disinfectant and bandages. "That was reckless, you idiot!"

"Haha! I had to help my bro!" Tobe said with a pained smile as he rubbed his head. For some reason, I found myself staring at the bandaged wound on his forearm. It began to darken as it absorbed his blood. "But man, that made me tired! I guess I'm out of shape."

"Tobe, here, sit down." Yumiko said as she dragged one of the only three chairs in the room behind Tobe. He thanked her and took a seat. There was a thin sheet of sweat on his face now.

"H-Hikki. What's the matter? Are you okay?" Yui asked me as she placed a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and nodded at her with a forced smile.

"Huh? Uh nothing, I'm fine." I said and walked over to the broken window. I looked down and saw that the man had landed awkwardly. Remarkably, he wasn't dead. No, he was still alive and began crawling back to the street. The burning bus seemingly caught his attention. "He's still alive..."

"H-Hikigaya-kun... I'm-I'm sorry. I froze earlier." Yukino said with regret. "You needed my help, and I ended up being useless."

"Yukinon, that's not true!" Yui said quickly and ran to Yukino's side. She hugged the raven-haired girl to comfort her.

"It's okay, Yukinoshita. I don't blame you for freezing like that. That was a tough situation." I said with a sigh and looked over at Hayato. He was kneeling next to Tobe. Tobe had begun shaking and sweating profusely, almost as if he had a terrible fever. Hayato took off his jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"Here you go, Tobe."

"T-thanks, b-bro."

"This isn't making sense." I said and listened as the banging from the other side of the wall continued. Their growls and moans persisted; however, they seemed to have begun to die down. "Why are they giving up?"

I looked around and saw everyone sitting against the workstation and walls. They were shaken and in disbelief. Hayato and his group were taking care of Tobe on the left side of the room. Everyone is staying quiet. I remembered earlier that the man had only reacted to the loud noises and yells from everyone inside. Are these things blind? I wasn't sure if these ravenous people could still be identified as human. Humans don't eat each other and don't walk around with large pieces of flesh missing.

"TOBE! What's the matter?!" Yui, Yukino, and I turned to see Tobe fall onto the floor. We rushed over to him and saw that his skin had lost its healthy pink tone. It had become grey, and his eyes looked gaunt. Dark veins could be seen in his neck as his chest no longer seemed to rise.

"Tobe!" Hayato yelled. The banging had started to become louder outside. "Tobe! What's the matter?"

"Step back!" Meguri said and stepped over Tobe. Everyone in the room gathered around him as they looked on in concern. Meguri leaned her head over Tobe's mouth and listened. She pulled back with a flinch and pressed two fingers on Tobe's neck. Meguri swallowed deeply, her eyes shook in horror. "He's... dead."

"T-that's impossible!" Yumiko screeched. "He was fine ten seconds ago!"

"There's no way he just suddenly died!" Hina said in denial.

"No, Tobe-senpai." Iroha cried. Yui hugged her as we looked at Tobe's still body. "It can't be..."

Suddenly, to everyone's shock. Tobe sat up sharply. Hina and Yumiko jumped back in fright but were quickly relieved. Everyone began to cry Tobe's name in relief. Meguri shook her head in disbelief while muttering 'Impossible'. I ignored them all and zeroed in on Tobe's face. His teeth were chattering, as one would when they were freezing. Deep, dark veins were prominent under his skin, and his eyes became murky white.

"Get away!" I yelled and began to shove everyone back. They looked at me as if I had become crazy. "Get back now!"

"What the hell, Hikio!" Yumiko glared at me as I shoved her back, and she slapped my hand away. "What the hell is-"

A deep, raspy gasp escaped Tobe's mouth as he stood up. He moved awkwardly, and his arms waved from side to side; his neck twitched and jerked. Tobe began to make a low growling noise as he turned his head towards Hina.

"Tobe?" Hina whispered.

"RAWGH!" Tobe roared and rushed her. Hina shrieked in fright and fell back just as Tobe made to grab her. He ended up slipping on his own blood from earlier and rammed his head on the edge of one of the workstations. He flopped on the ground and twitched.

"Tobe!" Hayato yelled and was about to run to check on his friend when I held an arm in front of him. He turned to me in anger. "Hikigaya, get out of my way! He needs help!"

"Ebina... get away from him." I whispered, and she numbly followed my directions. Tobe began to get up slowly. I shuffled over to a pot and a ladle. Picking them up, I stepped in front of the window where the man from earlier crashed out and waited.

"Hikigaya-kun? What are you-" Yukino said, but I silenced her with a finger over my lips. Everyone watched as Tobe turned to us. There was a large, deep gash on his forehead that revealed bone and muscle. This horrified everyone as they held their breaths.

Tobe began to growl and click his teeth. I took a deep breath, held the pot, and ladle over my head. I started to bang them together repeatedly, and Tobe turned to me and roared. He made a mad dash towards me with his hands clawing in the air. Just as Tobe was about to reach me, I dropped to the floor in a crouch. Tobe tripped off my body and flew out the window.

"TOBE!" Hayato and the rest of his clique yelled and ran toward the window. I stood up and was punched across the face by an enraged Hayato. I fell back as Hayato leaned out the window and looked down at the street.

"HIKKI!" Yui yelled and ran to my side. Yukino shook herself out of her stupor and kneeled in front of me; she gently touched my cheek and spun around in fury towards Hayato. Hayato and everyone else were looking down with disbelief at what they saw. I grabbed her shoulder and held her.

"Hikigaya-kun?" Yukino asked. I stood up and turned to watch a growling Tobe limp around the street. He ignored his broken arm and leg as he moaned. Yukino and Yui couldn't believe their eyes as we watched our old classmate trip and fall. He only stood back up slowly and continued to wander aimlessly.

"Hikigaya." Hayato whispered and turned to me. "How did you know that was going to happen?"

I rubbed my bruising cheek and listened to the bangs and growls from behind us. Far away in the city, another explosion could be heard. I ignored the stares from those around me and looked down at all the blood and gore on the streets. The sun had begun to set, and the flames from the building in front of us illuminated the area.

"The bites. The bites seem to be why everyone is turning into those... those things. I wasn't completely sure, but when Tobe was bitten, that only confirmed my theory." I said but was then grabbed by the front of my jacket. Hayato pushed me against the wall beside the window and glared hatefully at me.

"YOU DIDN'T THINK OF TELLING US THAT! If you did, then Tobe would still be alive!" Hayata yelled. I gritted my teeth and grabbed his wrists.

"You think I wanted this!" I yelled in anger. Hayato flinched back, as did everyone else in the room. I've never lost my cool like today, and it came as a shock to them all.

"Hayato! Let him go right now!" Yukino growled as she grabbed Hayato's arms and tried to push him away. Yui ran to my other side and did the same thing.

"I won't forgive you if you hurt Hikki again, Hayama!" Yui yelled as she glared at Hayato.

"Let him go. As Hikigaya said, he wasn't completely sure. So there was no way for him to know that this is what would have happened." Meguri said sternly and placed a hand on Hayato's arm.

Hayato looked away from me with a grimace. He let me go and walked away towards where Tobe once sat. Hayato slammed a fist down on the workstation. "Damn it!" He then leaned on the table, and his shoulders began to shake as he mourned his friend.

"What do we do now?" Saki asked me as she walked towards us with her sister beside her. Zaimokusa nodded and looked at everyone with worry.

I sighed and pulled out my phone. I began to scroll through the news. My research showed that what was happening here was occurring everywhere else. There were videos and live streams of more violent people running around and attacking those who weren't like them. Hold on... this is happening everywhere?

"Komachi!"