Beta read by Shigiya and Darklord331
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-Tokonosu City-
Safe to say, this had always been an inevitable outcome. Seated atop a jagged mound of burnt cars, twisted metal, and scattered debris, Cu rested with his one leg resting on top of his knee, spear leaning lazy over his shoulder while the sound of flesh being torn by ravenous corpses could be heard from behind him.
Eyes looking up at the cloudy skies, and an overall depressing weather to say the least. Between his fingers, he lit a cheap, crinkled cigarette that had been handed to him earlier by one of the Takagi estate soldiers. With a flick of his finger, a flame flickered briefly before settling, and he took a slow drag, glancing down and watching in silence as the undead continued to swarm the remains of the late Shido below.
"Ha… What a way to go," he muttered quietly, puffing a thin cloud of smoke that drifted lazily into the air, mixing with the stench of blood and rotting corpses.
There were not many thoughts crossing his mind when it came to that teacher. From the very beginning, the man had carried himself like a slimy snake that told you that it wasn't going to bite, and if he wasn't trying not to come off like that, he was doing piss poor job about it. Cu had always believed in not judging a book by its cover, but that guy was your textbook manipulative bastard.
His smile had been too practiced, too fake, the kind that never quite reached the eyes. It reminded him of that fake priest, but at least that bastard would lie by just omitting the truth and saying misleading things.
"I probably should have killed him from the beginning, that snake," he said under his breath, more annoyed than regretful. His goal had been achieved; that little stunt of escaping had changed the perception of a majority of the student body back there. "That should make it easier to keep 'em quiet for a while."
For a moment, he entertained the idea of what the white-haired man would have done in his place. Archer was not easy to read, but he liked to believe he had a decent grasp of the kind of person he was. No nonsense, frustratingly vague, blunt to a fault, and yet somehow always managing to complicate things for himself in the end. Maybe Archer would have simply kicked Shido out of the school and left him to fend for himself, avoiding the risk of keeping someone like that around for too long.
That option certainly sounded safer and easier in hindsight.
Regardless, Cu was glad he did not have to deal with a second wannabe fake priest. "No, that priest was worse than him," he said flatly, shaking his head. "There is no comparison. This one was just an annoying fly who wanted his own little paradise of women and ass kissers."
He snorted softly at that, knowing full well that flies had a habit of getting themselves killed once they became too persistent. Shido had been no different in the end.
Fiddling with a few rune-etched stones between his fingers, the Irishman finally moved. With a casual flick of his wrist, he threw them into the air toward the writhing mass of bodies clustered around what remained of the late teacher. As the undead shifted, the man's corpse actually moved, starting to make a similar sound to the rest of them.
Pushing itself back up, half of his face was gone, torn away by jagged bite marks that exposed bone beneath shredded flesh. Bite marks covered the rest of his body as well, leaving him a ruined, blood-soaked mess. And yet, despite that, the thing still stood on its own two feet.
Its hollow eyes locked onto Cu, empty of anything resembling thought. There was no hatred there, no recognition, no trace of the man he had once been… only hunger remained, a crude instinct driving what little motion it had left. Watching that confirmed something for Cu — these creatures did not retain any part of their former selves once they changed. He was just another number added to the growing mass of infected.
The horde began to limp toward him, drawn by movement and sound. Some tried to climb over the piled debris and wrecked cars, arms scraping uselessly against metal. Shido moved at the front, almost looking like he was leading them on like a leader.
That made Cu smirk.
"Maybe I am wrong, and maybe there are still some brain cells left in that half-dead brains of your's ," he said dryly. "And look at the bright side, you finally became the leader of a massive group once they got a taste of ya. Heh."
He chuckled quietly at the irony of his own words. Below him, stones clattered against the ground, vanishing beneath shuffling feet as the zombies pressed forward. With one last glance, Cu rose to his feet, kicking the spear as it spun around his neck, then ending back at hand. Without another word, he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the noise and the dead behind him.
Woosh!
There was no explosion, no grand display of power. Instead, a sea of flames spread quietly across the designated zone, rolling outward and consuming everything it touched. Rotten limbs and bloodied flesh were consumed where they stood, the flames burning over them, while the bodies showed no reaction at all to their bodies quickly being consumed in flames. They no longer felt pain, no longer screamed or struggled. Muscles tightened and locked as they were cooked alive, joints stiffening until balance failed. One by one, they collapsed to the ground as the muscles and tendons shrank.
The last one to fall had been the most recent to turn, no longer the son of the politician from just a few minutes ago. His… Its eyes stayed fixed on Cu as the flames closed in, empty and glassy, reflecting the fire without understanding it. Even as its legs buckled and its torso burned away, that stare did not waver. Eventually, there was nothing left but ash scattered across the ground.
A cigarette butt dropped from his fingers and landed on the remains.
"I'm not takin' any chances with you comin' back in any way, shape, or form. Shishou would rip through reality and get here just to shove my spear up my ass for leaving things half-done. And I'm smart enough not to take the chance of her finding a way," he said calmly.
After that, silence soon followed, broken only by the soft crackle of dying flames and the wind moving through the ruined street. Surprisingly, there were no other undead nearby, not even a single one anymore. The few that had been drawn by earlier noise had already been dealt with along the route Cu had taken while chasing after the bus.
The student who had been thrown at him earlier had been thrown on the roof of a nearby building. Up there, the boy would not be able to get down on his own, but nothing would be able to reach him either.
Best to make a mental note and not forget about him.
Even so, Cu did not want to relax yet.
The crash and the commotion that followed had made a lot of noise. These things were sensitive to sound, far more than people were when alive, even if they were slow to respond. He judged that there was a good chance another wave would arrive within minutes, or if luck favored them, within the hour. Either way, staying put was a bad idea. Best to leave while the area was still quiet.
He turned and walked back, retracing his steps toward the bus. The vehicle lay crumpled against a wall like a crushed tin can. The damage was severe, the metal bent inward, and the glass shattered across the road. Using his strength and spear to reduce the momentum before impact had helped more than it had any right to. It was the only reason everyone inside was still alive. Injuries were unavoidable, of course.
Broken bones, deep cuts, and shock were common enough. Cu viewed it as a well-deserved punishment for their idiotic decision to follow that snake, while taking most of the supplies with them.
He caught himself drifting and shook the thought from his head.
"Ouch! F-Fuck… my leg!"
From just outside the bus door, Teshima tried to run. His limbs were wounded from the crash, nothing more than scraped. None of the injuries looked immediately life-threatening, but they were ugly to see, blood soaking into torn fabric as he dragged himself forward. His breath came out in rough gasps along with several wet coughs, with blood seeping from his mouth.
"Hah… hah-argh… Gurk…" The haggard breathing could be heard, mixing with the sounds of crackling flames.
"Hn!" Teshima cried out as pain caught up with him.
Cu continued to walk forward, actually letting out a yawn. The middle-aged meat head was just as responsible as Shido for things getting to this point—that fact had settled firmly in his mind. "Urgh!" One swift kick landed squarely, and the man was lifted off the ground. His body slammed hard against the side of the bus with a dull, metallic thud. He slid down onto his ass, coughing harder and groaning.
Grasping his chest with a pained expression, that kick had most definitely added another injury to the list of growing wounds. Though he made sure to pull back on it not to shatter any ribs.
He didn't want to waste resources on this trash.
"Yo, Teshima-sensei~!" Cu said as he approached, squatting down till both of their eye leveled. He made a face that showed confusion and worry, but both knew that he was putting up an act. "Looks like the bus is out of commission, hope you didn't get too injured~! Would be a waste of manpower. Kinda need you to take these kids to the Takagi estate. I suppose we can squeeze everyone inside the bus, but it's going to be crowded. But you disappointed me, man. Didn't even bother to check on the other students were okay. Tsk, tsk, I expected better from such an upstanding and caring teacher like yourself."
Teshima looked up at him, horror written across his face as he realized his situation.
"S-Seth… Seth, please, be rea-reasonable," he pleaded, trying to back away from what could only be described as a man facing a monster, and found his back already hitting the bus. "I di-didn't mean for any of this to ha-happen! It was Shido. The bastard threatened me. No, wait! He blackmailed me! I swear! He told me to do what he said or else. I didn't have a choice! Please believe me! Now that you're here, come on, I'll be-beat him to a pulp and have him tell the truth and c-confess his cr-crimes! I'll help you find him, and you'll see how I was forced to follow his bullshit!"
The words kept spilling out in a jumbled rush. Saying anything he could to prove his innocence while fighting through the pain from the kick in his ribs, his body shaking as he spoke.
Cu watched him in silence, not even listening to his excuses.
'Should I just kill him here?' he wondered, the question coming out like asking what to get for dinner. 'Wouldn' take much. A simple chop to the neck and he's out of my hair.'
It was a real dilemma.
He knew very little about this man beyond a brief interaction back at school during physical education class and the pathetic wretch he was seeing now. The feeling Teshima gave him was not the same as Shido. 'Well, he's a pervert who wanted to get some action with some of the girls, and Shido most likely promised him something like that, along with those who joined them. It is not exactly hard to figure out that they were thinking more with their dicks than their brains. And given that he already has a reputation for checking out girls' asses, or so Momo said, it's not surprising that all it took was offering one of the girls to him. Is there any drawback to killing those one too?'
He genuinely contemplated the thought instead of dismissing it outright. Nothing of importance would truly be lost, not in the grand scheme of things, but unfortunately, he still had to think about how to deal with this bunch for long enough until they arrived at the estate. After that, they would no longer be his problem. That alone was enough reason to stay his hand for the moment.
"Sorry to say this, sensei, but there is no point in trying to get him. The guy has already turned into ashes by now. But if you wanna check, go ahead. No skin off my back," he said languidly, crouching down so he was at the same eye level as Teshima.
"Eh?"
Confusion flickered in the man's eyes as he processed what he said. His brow furrowed, lips parting slightly as the meaning struggled to sink in. It took a few seconds, but realization eventually settled, and when it did, it only served to amplify the horror spreading across his expression. His face drained of color, breath hitching as his thoughts raced ahead of his courage.
"Y-You… you did you..." Teshima stammered, his voice cracking before the question could even be completed.
"Well, I didn't kill him, at least not per se," Cu replied calmly. "I just stabbed him a bit, but he was still alive. To bad he wasn't quiet. He got a bunch of those walking corpses after him. So I had to put him down after that." He lifted his spear slightly as he spoke, inspecting it to see if there was any blood still stuck to it. "Darn shame about that. We'll never know if he really blackmailed to help him or not. Should have told me so earlier rather than driving away like that and making a mess."
"N–N-No No no! Wait! Please wait! I telling you the truth! Don't hurt me!"
The desperate pleas came in waves after that. Teshima cried and begged, promised, swore he would cooperate, his words mixing over one another in a messy rush of tears and snot. Cu ignored all of it as he merely rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by such a patheic display, before twirling his spear once in his hand. The motion ended with the spearhead angled downward.
"A-aaah!"
The weapon came down without hesitation, drawing a loud cry from those close enough to hear. The tip pierced Teshima's chest deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough to hit anything vital. Even so, the effect was immediate. His body stiffened, eyes rolling back as if his soul had been knocked loose from his body. He collapsed, unconscious from sheer terror or shock; the distinction hardly mattered. And from the smell of it, pissed himself in the process.
"That's just sad. You and that boy would have been two peas in a pod," Cu said casually, thinking about a certain boy from Fuyuki with seaweed-like hair that pretended to be a mage.
He grabbed the man's body by the collar and tossed him back into the bus casually. The impact sent a dull thud through the vehicle, though the earlier screaming and begging had already stirred some of the students, while others were jolted awake by their friends and by the sound of their physical education teacher being thrown back inside like a sack of garbage. Groans and confused murmurs started to rise within the cramped space.
He watched their eyes dart around in confusion, most of them still failing to grasp their situation. The few who managed to piece things together reacted much as Teshima had. Panic set in fast. A handful of students even tried to run, scrambling toward the bus door, only to be stopped when a small pebble struck one of their legs with enough force to send them tumbling to the floor.
"If you idiots get out of this bus and try to run on your own, then death will be upon you in a matter of minutes," Cu said flatly. "You cannot wield a weapon properly, you do not have the stamina to outrun me, and you sure as shit ain't smart enough to hide well enough from the undead. If you really think there is a chance for you out there, then go ahead and try. I won't be holding back my punches."
He took a seat on the dashboard of the bus, metal creaking softly, and finally, everyone's attention was now fully on him. A few girls clutched one another, trembling as if they were waiting for an execution. Some of the boys stepped in front of them, trying to look brave, positioning themselves like knights standing against a monster. The irony of it all was not lost on him.
"D-Don't kill us, please," one of the girls said, her voice shaking as she held tightly onto her friend.
Cu stared at her for a long moment. Instead of answering right away, he smiled as he scratched his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Remind me again," he said, his voice relaxed, sounding no different to having a conversation with his classmates, "who were the ones who emptied the school storage of every ration they could carry, locked up an innocent young lad without any food or water, drove straight through the main gate, breaking it beyond any quick repair and left the rest of the campus wide open for the undead to waltz right in?"
His smile never faded as his gaze moved across the gathered students, one face after another.
"Seriously, you all can't be that dumb," he continued calmly, his smile gone, "Your actions were no different from condemning hundreds of students to death. So tell me, plainly and honestly, why should I give a rat's ass about you lot and just let you all die as you did with the others?"
A murmur rose through the crowd, quickly growing louder as several students stepped forward, their voices overlapping in irritation and denial.
"That is not what happened at all," one of them snapped. "You are twisting everything to make us look bad!"
"We did what anyone would have done," another added, folding their arms defensively. "It was chaos after Miku got shot! You cannot blame us for trying to survive!"
"Nobody at school would have died," a third insisted loudly. "You are just assuming the worst; they would have managed to find a way out!"
"The area was safe," someone else chimed in. "We checked. The undead were nowhere near us."
Cu wondered if that last guy was awake to see the several zombies he had been skiving through when chasing them. Nowhere near… What a load of bullshit.
"A-And we were going to come back," a girl said desperately. "We were going to bring help by reaching the army! You cannot just decide that people would have died because of us! Shido-sensei just wanted to help!"
"How do you expect us to stay after you let that criminal in!? He shot Miku!"
"You would not have died!" another shouted, pointing accusingly. "Stop acting like you are some kind of judge."
He listened to every word without interruption. He did not argue, raise his voice, or cut anyone off. He simply watched them, already getting tired of this gaggle of idiots, as the noise slowly turned into a spectacle of excuses. Soon, one group began shifting their story, claiming they were victims dragged into the plan, powerless to stop it. The other clung stubbornly to the idea that everything had been under control, that the situation outside was safe, and that no real danger existed.
It was almost impressive in a way. The performance reminded him of one of those overblown television dramas Kyouko liked to watch, the kind filled with loud arguments and forced outrage. He could almost imagine her sitting nearby with a bucket of popcorn, commenting on how predictable it all was. The thought made him miss people from his own time. Even among them, there had been plenty of idiots, himself included, but he could not picture them standing around throwing accusations in every direction while pretending innocence.
The noise dragged on longer than necessary, and eventually he decided he had seen enough.
He brought the butt of his spear down hard against the floor. Immediately, the loud snap spread through the space, pushing through the arguments instantly. Every voice died, and all eyes snapped back to him.
"All right," he said evenly, "there is no point in draggin' this out any longer, so I will keep it simple."
He straightened slightly while still smiling.
"You are messed up through and through," he continued. "For whatever reason, you chose to follow Shido and join him while he was perfectly willing to sacrifice a large number of your classmates and schoolmates. Don't try to use excuses that you tried to save them or would have come back with help. Following him without hesitation, without stopping to think about the consequences, is just pure stupidity."
Several students flinched at that, some lowering their gaze, others tightening their jaws. He could not tell whether the reaction came from genuine guilt or from people hoping to appear remorseful enough to earn pity.
"There is a second option," he said. "You can keep being stubborn and continue down this path."
He paused just long enough for the words to sink in.
"If that is your choice, then fine. You will no longer be considered part of my group and will be seen as jackals who are here to cause trouble. So I'll either kill ya right here and now or just let a bunch of those zombies eat you. Your pick." Using the traditional method of convincing them gently was a waste of time.
Best to just use his method; he was getting tired of them. Everything said at that moment was the complete truth.
A wave of color drained from several faces as the meaning became clear. The idea of being alone outside the gates, surrounded by the dead, or being chased by him was enough to shatter their confidence.
"How does that sound?" he asked cheerfully.
"..."
For the first time since the confrontation began, his smile widened. Thus, he proceeded to pick up his weapon and point it at them, his action making them all flinch. "Of course, I will consider anyone who is outside the school as someone who decided to leave the group. So if under an hour your asses are not back there…"
He did not even need to finish his sentence when all of them unanimously rushed outside the bus. Whether they were injured or still lethargic, his earlier words were more than enough to give them a kick in the ass to get in line.
"Alright then, can't forget about the other one on the roof."
{Break}
(An hour later)
This was a disaster.
There was no other way to describe it. Saya stood near the front gates of the school, feeling her entire body had gone stiff, watching several students struggle with the twisted metal barrier. They had dragged the gate back into place with a lot of effort, hands scraping and clothes dirty, but even now it leaned at an awkward angle. The metal frame was warped outwards, bent so badly that parts of it no longer lined up. Some students tried to brace it with their shoulders while others pushed from behind, but every attempt only made the weakness more obvious.
That thing could not even be held up by hopes and prayers.
She saw Rei watching the scene alongside her, her eyes tracing the gaps where the bars were warped too far apart, with a troubled expression. Exhaling slowly, she spoke up. "It's not going to work. Even if you force it into place, the shape is too bent to be useful to keep them out. Those things will pass straight through the gaps in the middle. Unless we come up with something else to cover those gaps, it would just be a waste of time."
On the other hand, Igou tried to sound hopeful as he looked around the courtyard. "But it does not seem like there are any of those things around. Maybe that means things have gone quieter for now." He gestured toward the empty roads and silent surroundings as if that alone proved his point.
Unfortunately, no one believes that it will last for long.
While true, there was not a single undead in sight, and that alone made things unsettling. Those creatures had a habit of appearing without warning, spilling out from corners and streetcorners like they had been waiting just out of view. They moved slowly, barely making a sound, yet they overwhelmed people in seconds. It was frustrating how something that only shuffled forward could still be so quiet and dangerous.
The pink-haired girl turned toward the others. "Have them keep working on the gate. Use chairs and tables from our classroom if we have to, but just get it done. I will be back soon." She spoke quickly, turning just in time to see Rei reaching for her gear and sling a backpack over her shoulder. Heading toward the exit, but before she could take another step, Saya grabbed her hand and yanked her back. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her grip tightening around Spear wielder's wrist.
Rei frowned, clearly annoyed at being stopped. "Obviously, I am going to find Cu and stick my spear into Shido." She said after some moments of silence. "That bastard went too far this time. I am not letting him get away again. He's gone too far, and I'm not letting him get the chance to screw us over again!"
Saya stepped in front. "I agree with how you feel, and I also want to knock his teeth in and lock him up somewhere, if possible. But they left in a bus. If you think you can catch up to that by running, then it is not just him who needs to get his brain checked. Both of you are being stupid right now."
Running after a vehicle on foot, was he an idiot? It was foolish, no matter what angle she looked at it.
Rei looked around and pointed toward the parking area. "The car we used to come back is there. I'll be taking that, catching up to Cu, and making him tell us where the bus went. We can still reach them that way."
Saya had to agree that at least this plan sounded more feasible, but still… "But our main priority is securing the grounds. We are leaving soon, yes, but preparations still matter. That takes hours. We probably have less than thirty minutes or an hour before another wave shows up. Focus on the others first before you let revenge blind you. Cu can keep himself safe from what I heard, but we can't protect everyone here at once."
"You can't be serious."
"I am! We can't risk everyone's lives here for a single person! We might even need to move the cars to act as a barricade if we can't set up something else soon!"
"We won't have to worry about any of that if I bring Cu back here!"
Neither of them looked willing to give in. The argument hung there, growing more and more chaotic until Saya turned in frustration toward Saeko. Unlike the rest, the latter did not seem concerned about the broken gate or about their friend chasing after a bus on foot. She sat calmly on a bench, legs crossed, reading through a book as if the world around her wasn't falling apart.
"I would appreciate some help," Saya shouted. "Explain to her why her idea is stupid."
Saeko glanced sideways, her expression unreadable. "If she wants to leave and go after him, let her."
Saya stared at her. "You too!?"
Saeko closed the book with a soft snap and stood up unhurriedly. "I do not think anything I say will convince her otherwise. She made up her mind long before this moment. You just did not realize it, or you refused to acknowledge it." She looked between them. "And she is not the only one."
Saya looked at her in disbelief as Saeko continued. "If he catches up to them and deals with that man, Cu will bring back the ones that ran away. You will stay with them and make sure they are safe."
These people…
Saya gritted her teeth, wanting to shout, wanting to lash out at the sheer recklessness of it all, but she could not. As much as it infuriated her, the other party's logic was sound, and that only made it worse. What little she knew about that man told her this outcome had been inevitable from the start, given how reckless he proved himself to be with that first stunt of his to save Yoshito. He just had to choose the worst possible timing to play the hero.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" she muttered under her breath, her fingers rising to her mouth as she bit down on a nail. "The best time to be selfish is during moments like this, and he chooses to be a damn hero. At this rate, we're all going to die."
Her mind raced, dozens of half-formed plans colliding with one another before breaking apart just as quickly. Securing the gates was still their main priority. There was no point charging out there to try and save him if there was nowhere left to return to afterward. If this place were overrun, they would lose access to the buses as well. Everything depended on that evacuation route remaining intact. Even if they moved everyone out right now and tried to pick them up along the road later, the risks stacked far too high for her liking.
It was hasty, far too hasty. And she hated it.
The best-case scenario, the one she had carefully outlined in her head, had been leaving tomorrow. They would have stocked up on every usable resource the estate could provide and possibly even stripped the nearby stores clean if conditions allowed it. That plan had been put together late last night, a backup in case her parents' estate lacked anything essential. It was not perfect, but it was thorough, and thorough plans were what kept people alive.
There was also the student who had been shot earlier. She still had not woken up and was currently being treated by Shizuka. Saya wanted confirmation that he was stable, whatever that word even meant in a situation like this. Moving an injured person too early could turn a survivable wound into a death sentence, and she refused to ignore that problem just because time was pressing down on them.
And then there was Cu.
Even though she had known him for only a short time, he had proven himself reliable and capable of leading a group under pressure. He was not reckless, despite his temperament, and he did not panic when things went wrong. Losing him would be disastrous, both in the short term and in the long term, for morale. Far worse than missing out on a few extra supplies for the road ahead.
With a low groan, Saya rubbed her temples, forcing her thoughts into order. Her eyes shifted toward the students clustered near the gates, struggling to push them back into place. They helped one another with shaking hands, fear and desperation written plainly across their faces, and despite their effort, they were making very little progress.
"All right," she said sharply, straightening up. "All of you, stop. New plan. We are leaving this place now. Take only the important things. Water and any remaining rations that were not stolen, and see if you can fit them into your pockets or backpacks. Leave everything else behind. Kyoko-sensei, can you lead everyone to the buses?"
The woman, who had been staring out the streets with the same worried expression as Rei, flinched at being addressed. She was visibly shaking, but she nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Everyone, follow me. Stay together!"
Movement finally broke the paralysis gripping the area as students began to gather what little they could carry. Saya turned away and headed into the gymnasium, grabbing her own belongings. It was not much. A bottle of water, a few compact rations, and several items she had borrowed from Shizuka's first aid kit earlier, just in case they were needed again. She packed quickly, with practiced efficiency.
"You're not going along with them?" Takashi asked, watching her as she slung the bag over her shoulder.
"Of course not," she replied without hesitation. "The last thing I want is to be stuck in one vehicle with those idiots. I've already done enough here. The rest I'll leave in the capable hands of Kyoko-sensei, along with Fumiko and Momo. I'm joining you guys. There's enough space in that car of yours, and you know it."
She turned toward the doors and raised her voice. "Kohta, keep an eye on those idiots and shoot anyone who tries to move out of line!"
The bespectacled boy stiffened, flinching as several heads turned toward him. He looked around awkwardly, clearly unsure how to respond to that order.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Takashi said carefully. "After what just happened earlier, making him say something like that might cause another wave of panic."
"Relax," Saya shot back. "I'm not telling him to actually shoot anyone. I'm saying it out loud so the others hear it and behave for once. Do you have any idea what kind of disaster would happen if one of the buses decided to mutiny on the road and veer off course? I'm not risking that just cause a bunch of idiots can't think straight."
With a loud huff, she pushed past Takashi and headed toward the exit near the gates. Her pace was brisk, her jaw set.
"Let's do this quickly," she said. "Knowing that idiot, I bet he's doing something completely stupid right now, or fending off another wave of zombies by himself. He just had to go alone."
"Well, he could have just used some magic and burned down any undead that got close to him," a voice said from behind her. "I heard he's good with the spear."
In her current, overworked state, the girl barely paid attention to it, automatically assuming it belonged to Takashi. Her focus was still locked on the possible chaotic rescue mission ahead.
"Stop saying that, you idiot. So far, he only survived because he's too damn lucky for his own good," she snapped back without turning.
"I cannot argue against that," the voice replied casually from behind them. "Which is kind of surprising, since my luck has always been in the shitter. Still, you have to give me some credit here. I can kick ass better than the rest of them."
"It does not matter if you know how to fight," she shot back, almost by instinct. "There is no way you will survive facing so many of those...?"
The words died in her throat.
Goosebumps raced across her skin. The girl jumped away with a startled yelp, nearly tripping over herself as instinct took over.
"Kya!"
Behind her stood not only her childhood friend, but next to him the very person they had been risking their lives to save. Cu was there, grinning and upright, carrying an unconscious student slung over one shoulder and Teshima draped over the other. Both bodies hung limp, their condition obvious even at a glance.
Without ceremony, he dropped them onto the ground. He rolled his shoulders afterward, his face tightening slightly as if working out a stubborn ache.
"Gym teacher, my ass," he muttered to himself. "Carrying his fat ass while smelling of piss isn't something I would recommend."
The surrounding group froze.
The group froze in place, their expressions locked in a tableau of disbelief. Saya's finger rose shakily toward Cu, accusatory yet uncertain. Her mouth worked silently, thoughts scrambling to reconcile the impossible sight before her. While the others stared at him beside her, as if expecting Cu to vanish if they looked away even for a second.
"You... You..." she tried, but the words refused to come.
Part of her wondered if she had imagined everything earlier. Maybe Cu had never left to chase the bus. Maybe he had somehow returned without anyone noticing, slipping back into place like nothing had happened.
"While you figure out how to speak like a normal person, be sure to watch out for this guy. Might not be worth keeping him alive in my opinion, but it's your call."
"What?" Saya remained frozen where she stood, her thoughts completely derailed.
Igou stepped closer and tapped Cu on the shoulder, eyes drifting toward the unconscious Teshima. The man's overall condition looked bad, with visible wounds and limbs bent at angles that made everyone uncomfortable to look at for too long.
"That was fast," he said. "Did you use one of your magic things to catch up? Also, where are the other students?"
"No magic needed," Cu replied. "I just ran after it and used my spear to stop the bus."
"You do realize that makes zero sense, right?" the boy said flatly.
"Get used to it," Cu answered. "I am telling the truth."
"You and your magic, man," the brown haired boy muttered. "I still cannot wrap my head around what it can and cannot do."
"I will show you more when we are somewhere safer," Cu said. Then he glanced toward Saya and added, "By the way, did you tell her that I can use magic?"
"Eh, no?" came the hesitant reply. "I thought she already knew."
"Why would she know? You are the only one who knows that secret."
"Oh. Oops?"
"What the hell is going on here!?" Saya finally shouted, reaching her breaking point as she resisted the urge to grab her own hair and scream.
.
.
.
He had expected several kinds of reactions upon making his way back to the school. Joy and relief were the obvious ones, the kind that would show clearly on the faces of people like Rei and Kyoko the moment they spotted him. He had also braced himself for confusion, maybe a few awkward looks from those who assumed he had failed to catch up or had been forced to turn back. What he had not expected, and what genuinely caught him off guard, was the fact that several people had already been preparing to head out after him the moment enough time had passed.
It amused him more than anything. The idea that they were willing to risk leaving the relative safety of the school just to make sure he was not dead somewhere along the road felt strangely warm. He appreciated the concern, even if he would never openly admit it. What surprised him the most was how quickly Saya had agreed with the plan. Knowing her, he had assumed she would insist on keeping all available manpower focused on defending the school first. That alone told him she was far more emotionally driven than he had initially given her credit for.
Her voice cut through his thoughts, being as loud as a banshee, of course, loud enough to draw everyone's attention.
"How are you here!?"
He tilted his head slightly, a lazy grin forming as he shrugged one shoulder.
"It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it?" he replied, putting on a thinking pose, "Why are we here? I mean, are we the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really a God watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. I don't know, little lass, but it keeps me up at night."
A loud 'pat' echoed through the courtyard.
Without so much as a flinch, he raised one hand and caught a baseball just inches from his face — doing so casually. He rolled the ball between his fingers while meeting the furious glare of the pink-haired girl standing across from him.
"Take this seriously," Saya snapped. "When did you come back? Where did you find these two? Did Shido abandon them?"
"He did, for this guy," he answered calmly, tapping the butt of his spear against the side of the unconscious student, Morita, if she recalled his name, slung over his shoulder. "The old guy, on the other hand, got scared halfway through and tapped out. And before you ask about the rest of the students, the idiots are over there."
"What?"
Saya clearly had more questions, her lips parting as if she wanted to push further, but she stopped herself. With a deep exhale, she turned and walked toward the entrance. He and a few others followed her in at a distance.
"—!"
The moment she stepped outside, the scene unfolded in full view. Dozens of students were slumped against the outer walls of the school grounds. Some were unconscious, others barely awake, all of them gasping for air as if their lungs were still trying to catch up. A few leaned on their friends just to stay upright, while others had collapsed completely, sliding down the wall the instant they realized they had made it back.
When they noticed Saya, relief washed over their faces. Several of them broke down on the spot.
"Finally," someone whispered. "Finally, it's over."
A few began to cry openly, exhaustion and fear spilling out now that the danger had passed. Their reaction made Saya glance back at Cu with a look that said 'You better explain or else.'
"The bus was done for," he said, his tone relaxed despite the state of the group. "Crushed engine. No chance it was starting again. I am not going to play horse and drag that thing all the way back here. And I was not about to trust each of them with one of the barely functioning cars lying around."
He gestured vaguely toward the group.
"So I chose the next best option. I squeezed out whatever adrenaline they had left and… um, guided them back to the school."
"Like a Shepherd?" Saya said flatly. "You basically treated them like sheep."
"Well," Cu shrugged, unfazed, "with how blindly they followed the other guy, it's not to far off of a comparioson."
"This guy chased us with a spear from several blocks away," one of the students suddenly shouted, gathering just enough courage to speak up and seeming to try and plead for safety with the other group. "He threatened to kill us if we didn't get here in time!"
The moment Cu's gaze shifted toward him, that courage vanished. The look alone was enough to make the student flinch and retreat behind the others, muttering apologies under his breath.
Saya continued to stare at Cu, her expression dry and unimpressed.
"Not like a Shepherd… but rather a Border Collie," she said.
"Do not call me a dog! Stay with the shepherd part!"
"You're not helping your case with that reaction." The way he glared at her made the girl feel like she was staring at a growling hound.
Saya shook her head, completely ignoring his complaint. Stepping forward until she stood directly in front of the returned group, crossing her arms as her expression hardened.
"Let me be absolutely clear," she said. "We have no reason to take you back after what you pulled. You had all of us nearly killed just to save your own skins."
The murmurs died instantly.
"You tried to create discord," she continued. "You hoarded limited rations instead of sharing them equally. I have already heard from several students that some of you tried to pressure others into sleeping with you in exchange for food. I am seriously tempted to throw you all out and let those walking corpses deal with you."
Shock and fear spread across their faces. It was clear many of them had expected forgiveness, maybe even sympathy. Their eyes turned toward Cu, searching for support.
He did not even look at them.
"Do not stare at me," he said. "I brought you back so you would not get devoured. I never promised you would be accepted. That part is not up to me."
He tilted his head toward Saya, a grin spreading across his face.
"She is the boss, lads and lassies."
He leaned against her shoulder without asking, clearly enjoying himself. "What she says goes."
Igou joined in on the fun and leaned against her on the left side. Kohta even appeared and placed himself in front, squatting with an actual gun in hand… where the hell did he get that?
"Just say the word, boss."
Takashi just chuckled awkwardly from the side, though not missing the opportunity to take a picture.
The exaggerated way they were painting her as a Yakuza boss did not amuse her whatsoever. Saya's eye twitched, irritation flashing across her face. She did not say a word. Instead, she drove her elbow back into both sides, forcing them to step away with a sharp grunt and kicking Kohta on the head with her foot.
"Just get on the bus before I lose my temper and kick you asses."
She really wasn't helping her image.
{Break}
(???)
Everything hurt.
That was the first clear sensation Miku Yuuki's mind managed to register as a thin thread of consciousness pulled her up from the dark. The pain was dull and spread out; it sat in her bones and muscles.
She did not like it.
She wanted it gone. Groaing, she tried to sink back into sleep, clinging to the soft pressure beneath her body. There was a bed under her, a real one, not those bundles of clothes or that stinky crash mat from school. With a pillow supporting her head and a blanket draped over her shoulders. The warmth felt wrong only because it felt too comfortable.
'Eh? A bed?'
The thought surfaced slowly, sluggish and confused. Even in her haze, something felt deeply off. This definitely did not feel like her own room, where posters covered the walls, glossy and carefully arranged. Luxury brand purses lined up neatly, each one expensive, each one a reminder of favors and gifts from boys and men who wanted her attention. Makeup cases filled every shelf, brands she recognized instantly. Just remembering those moments made her miss home, and she doubted this was her house.
The image began to break apart. The colors dulled. The walls faded. The room dissolved piece by piece into a creeping darkness. As it vanished, her thoughts became less foggy just enough to remember what happened.
The zombie outbreak. The screams. The school was locked down, surrounded with no clear way out. The panic that spread through the halls. The fear that pressed in on her chest every time the sounds of screams of terror, flesh being torn apart and the ghastly moans of the undead outside got closer. Through it all, there had been only one person she believed had control over the situation. Shido. The only man who seemed competent enough to survive, to make decisions, to keep her alive. She had given him everything she could, every part of herself, convinced it was the smartest move. As one of the most popular girls in school, she knew how attention worked and how irresistible her body was. She knew how to make herself useful, how to stay valuable. It had been a solid plan.
And then it all collapsed.
The last clear image burned into her mind. With Shido pulling her in front of him. The nerdy boy losing his gun, the delinquent taking it… the sound of the trigger. No. It had to be wrong. He would not do that. He would not sacrifice her. Not her. He would not, he would not, he would not.
"Ah!"
Miku jolted upright with a gasp, her eyes snapping open as sweat soaked her skin. Her heart hammered violently in her chest, each beat loud enough to feel in her ears. Nausea rolled through her stomach, leaving her dizzy and unsteady. Before she could process any of it, a sudden, intense pain flared across her shoulders and chest. A strained groan escaped her lips as her strength gave out and she collapsed back against the bed.
The pain burned for a few seconds, deep and heavy, like something hot pressing into her flesh. Then, just as suddenly, it faded. Breathing hard, Yuki forced herself to look down. Her vision blurred, but she could make out the faint outline of… "eh, nothing?" The bloody hole was not there. But there was some sort of strange outline, a skin discoloration on her shoulders. Not a scar tissue… had she really been shot with a nail?
"Oh god… Was it all real?"
Her voice came out barely above a whisper. For a brief moment, she wanted to believe it had all been a nightmare. That she would wake up in the gym storage room, tangled up naked with Shido by her side or another boy who she did not even remember the name of.
Reality started to settle in. Just as panic threatened to take over, a bright, energetic voice cut through the room.
"Oh great! You're finally awake! I was worried you might fall into a coma because of a possible infection I missed."
Miku turned her head toward the sound. Her vision filled with the sight of an absurdly large chest before she could even focus on a face. The figure looming over her belonged to a woman who never failed to make her jealous of just how big of a bust she had and how effortlessly she managed to make every patient in her infirmary swoon. Clumsy. Loud… an airhead.
"Sh-Shizuka sensei?" Yuki managed to whisper her name.
Her own voice sounded wrong. Hoarse and dry, scraping painfully in her throat as if she had gone days without water. The realization hit her all at once, her mouth feeling like sandpaper.
"W-Water," she said weakly.
Shizuka moved quickly, "Here, I made sure to prepare everything in case you woke up soon. Something to drink, and even something to eat, like this chicken porridge Yuriko made for you. Try it, it is really good. Um… I may or may not have taken a few spoonfuls from your bowl to, b-but I will make sure to ask for more later! Please do not tell anyone. I was just hungry! And bored. Oh right, I should be checking your temperature."
The blonde nurse then came closer as she spoke, hands already busy as she leaned over the bed. Checked Miku's temperature with the back of her hand of all things, feeling along her wrist for her pulse, then pressing lightly near her neck. For a brief moment, the clumsy nurse from just seconds ago seemed to disappear, replaced by a completely different woman.
"Your heart rate is a bit high, but your temperature is normal," Shizuka said, her voice calmer now. "Still, just in case, since you were shot by a nail earlier, it would be best if you stop by for regular checkups. If you start experiencing muscle spasms, difficulty swallowing, or even a fever, you need to tell me right away. I cannot believe this place does not have a tetanus shot."
Those words reached Miku as little more than noise that went completely above her head. Her head felt heavy, thoughts slow and uncooperative as she tried to remember what had happened exactly. She turned her head slightly, eyes scanning the unfamiliar room. This was not the school infirmary. The walls, the bed, even the smell of the air felt wrong. That realization only deepened the confusion clawing at her mind.
"W-where… where is Shido-sensei?" She asked, the question escaping her lips before she could stop herself.
Her hands clenched into the sheets, teeth grinding as an image flashed through her thoughts. The moment replayed itself of how the nail pierced her chest, even if it may have been a dream.
But the faint outline on her unblemished skin made it hard to believe that!
She needed to know if he had done it on purpose, if he had used her as a shield without hesitation. If it had been intentional, then she would use that truth however she had to. She would squeeze every ounce of leverage from it, even if it meant screaming rape accusations in front of everyone. She knew exactly how much damage words could do to someone like him. A man like that would never want his image stained — a true politician.
Those thoughts came to a sudden halt when she noticed the strange look on Shizuka's face.
"What?" Miku demanded. "Where is he? Wait, did he tell you to keep me locked up here too? I will scream for help. You cannot hold me here."
Her voice rose with each sentence, threats tumbling out one after another. The intensity in her glare was enough to make Shizuka step back a few paces, hands lifting slightly in reflex.
"Calm down, Yuki," Shizuka said quickly. "I was not told to keep you locked up here. I am just keeping an eye on you so you do not catch anything bad from your wound. As for Shido… um, it's best if you just stay here and let me explain. You may not like what you hear."
This fucking airhead. To Miku, it sounded exactly like confirmation. That bastard really had done it!
But he wouldn't do that to her of all people!
"What wound?" She shouted. "Look at me. There is nothing wrong with it. Stop lying! Where is Shido? I bet he is off with some other slut that had been trying to take him away from me. Did he get tired of me because I passed out? I will show him."
"Wait! Let me explain first!"
"Stay away," Yuki yelled when she saw Shizuka step forward again.
Panic took over. The girl ended up grabbing the closest thing within reach. The bowl of porridge before she hurled it forward with all her strength.
"Kya!" Shizuka cried out, throwing her arms up to shield her face.
The porridge splashed across her hands and clothes, broth and rice scattering across the floor. But strangely enough, rather than letting out a cry of pain from getting splashed by hot liquid, the blonde just wiped some of the food from her face and proceeded to taste it, not seeming to care that her top was completely transparent now and showing off her scantily black bra. "Oh dear… such a waste. Oh no! I forgot to heat it up!"
This woman was crazy or a complete air head!
Without any more hesitation, Miku sprang up from the bed and rushed straight toward the door, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor.
Thankfully, it was not locked.
She flung it open and stepped out, only to freeze when her eyes landed on the space beyond. A grand hall stretched out before her, vast and polished, lined with tall pillars and expensive decorations that reflected the soft lighting overhead. For a moment, she simply stood there, stunned by how large and lavish it all was.
"This must be that minister's house," she thought. "Rich people and politicians always live in places like this." At least the man had kept his promise. He really had brought them somewhere safe, somewhere where they could live like royalty without chains, without fear, without having to look over their shoulders every second of the day. A place where they could indulge their desires and pretend the world outside was not collapsing. For just a brief instant, that thought made her chest loosen.
"Eh? You're awake?"
This time, another voice snapped her out of it. Her moment of relief lasted only seconds before she noticed someone walking down the hallway toward her. The moment he looked up and saw her, his face drained of color. Her own blood ran cold just as fast. It was him.
The delinquent whose name she did not remember. Yoshi… something.
The same man who had aimed a nail gun at her before. The former stared down at her with a twisted snarl, the bandana tied around his forehead making him look even more unhinged. The sheer difference in their size made her heart hammer harder. He could finish what he started.
"Noooo!"
Her body moved before her thoughts could catch up. Panic took control, and she turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
"Wait! Don't run!" the man shouted behind her.
He moved fast, for his hand caught her clothes, fingers digging into the fabric. "Let go of me!" She refused to be captured that easily. Twisting her body and yanking forward, slipping right out of the shirt. It fell from her shoulders and stayed in his grip while she kept moving, now completely topless. She did not care. Shame had no place here, not when fear was driving her legs.
The sudden sight of her bare body made the man freeze for just a second, his eyes wide and his mind clearly stalling. That second was all she needed. She sprinted down another corridor, turned sharply, then took another turn, diving deeper into the maze-like building.
"She went this way!"
Voices echoed behind her. More than one. They were searching now.
'Why the hell did he even let that criminal join our group?' she thought bitterly. "You've got to be kidding me." She needed to find him, to grab him, to knock some sense into his thick skull.
He had always been easy to control, never said no to her. She knew exactly how to pull his strings, how to make him follow her every demand like a puppet. The moment he saw her naked body, he would drop whoever he was entertaining without a second thought. Men were always like that. She had lost count of how many times boys with girlfriends had been more than willing to spend an hour with her at a hotel the moment she hinted at fucking them.
"Haah, haah, haah."
Her breathing grew rough and uneven as she kept running, choosing directions at random. She went up a staircase, nearly slipping as she took the steps two at a time, not even sure where she was going anymore. Several times, she had to turn back after hearing footsteps approaching from the opposite side. The building felt endless, corridors blending together, every turn looking the same.
Eventually, she reached a dead end.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as the sound of footsteps grew louder behind her. The image of that delinquent holding the nail gun flashed through her mind again, making her stomach twist.
"I have to hide," she thought desperately.
She finally noticed the doors lining the hallway. Several of them. Why keep running when she could hide and wait until things calmed down? She could slip out once she spotted someone she recognized from their group. Anything was better than collapsing here from exhaustion and facing that psycho!
She rushed to the nearest door and twisted the handle. Locked.
"Come on," she muttered under her breath as she moved to the next one.
Locked.
Another door. Locked again.
"Come on, come on, come on."
Her hands shook as she tried one door after another, panic clawing at her chest
.
One after the other, each door refused her.
The sound of approaching footsteps growing close with each second that she could picture them rounding the corner at any moment. Her breathing turned shallow as she reached the final door, a quiet, desperate hope forming as her fingers closed around the handle. She pushed it down, and the door gave way with a low creak. Relief crossed her face at once, a brief and fragile joy, before instinct forced her forward and inside.
"Final—ah!"
She barely had time to register the room before she stopped short. It was a large bedroom, far too refined for a place like this, with an expensive bed positioned neatly at the center, sheets disturbed and sunlight spilling in through wide open windows. The light revealed there were two others inside, naked figures, already there, their skin slick with sweat, bodies close enough that it was impossible to misconstrude what they were doing. With her even having caught a glimpse of the frantic movement between them earlier.
A cascade of orange brown hair, nearly the same shade as her own, fell over the shoulders of a blue haired foreign boy. The girl was Rei, someone she recognized instantly, her posture frozen mid motion as if time itself had stalled, half way from slamming her hips down to the base. The woman's hands were still on the man's chest and tangled in blue hair, from her swollen lips, sweat slicked skin and the obvious connection of their neathers, it's obvious what they had been doing moments before she barged in. Both of them stared at the intruder, eyes wide, shock mirrored perfectly between all three.
Any thought of backing away vanished. Her feet felt rooted to the floor, her mind struggling to process the scene in front of her.
"I have to say, Rei, I am impressed. Is this the second part of the surprise you mentioned earlier? Gotta admit, didn't expect you to be that kinky… But shouldn't we at least let the lass get some rest first?" Cu said, his words snapping Rei out of her trance and turning her face full crimson.
"Oof!"
Grabbing a pillow, Miku's face got struck by it followed by Rei's enraged roar.
"Can't we get ten minutes of fucking privacy in this place!"
"Ten minutes? Pretty sure we would need more than—"
"Shut it, idiot!"
-----------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.