Beta read by Shigiya and Gamercrusher55
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-Tokonosu-
While the school still offered a decent cache of supplies to keep the students and faculty fed for a little while, it was the various storage rooms scattered across the campus that initially interested Cu more than the cafeteria.
Most of them were packed with club equipment: high-quality gear for the kendo club, sojutsu, sports teams, even an atelier stuffed with outdated power tools and half-finished projects from the crafting club. Not exactly built for survival in the eyes of many, but definitely useful to build some shoddy weaponry. These were tools made to be used by students, not professionals, and certainly not warriors.
It put him in a bit of a bind.
Still, Cu made his way to the storage locker used by the sojutsu club with a couple of Yaris on display… most of them, not really fit to be used in combat even if he reinforced them with runes. It barely qualified as a weapon if he was honest.
"You can't be serious," Rei said, staring at the sojutsu weapon in his hand as they followed him out toward the entrance of the gymnasium. "Are you going to face those… things with only that!?"
She wasn't the only one raising eyebrows. Even Takashi and Igou looked visibly spectacle with his choice of gear. The same goes for Momo and Fumiko.
"Those things break regularly, I wouldn't say it's an ideal weapon," Momo commented.
"At least take a baseball bat from the sports shed," the brown haired boy added. "That thing's got more weight to it than a toy stick you use to smack Rei daily. No offence, Rei."
The girl just glared at him but said nothing, while Igou gave a nod before realising she was giving him a similar stare and quickly looked away awkwardly.
Cu appreciated the concern, but ultimately, it did not matter. His goal was to save a few people, not go out there on a warpath and butcher all the undead.
At least not yet.
While they hesitated, he stepped toward the gate and turned back to give them instructions. "While I'm out, keep a close eye on the perimeter, yeah? From what I've seen, I can't say for sure if the zombies go purely by sight or somethin' else. Might depend; some of 'em react quicker than others. Could be the freshly turned ones still have their senses, but if they lose them over time, I don't rightly know… so be careful. Don't be makin' noise unless you have to. Keep everyone in the gymnasium, and start gathering supplies from the main building."
He swept his eyes across the group, making sure they were listening.
"Always go in pairs. No ladies or lads move alone, ever. Stick with a teacher or someone you trust. An' listen carefully, no matter what happens, no one opens this gate. Not for anyone or anything — seriously. I don't care if it's another student or someone screaming for help; if you open it without thinking, you're putting everyone here at risk. Don't try to be a hero if you can't protect the people who depend on you and yourself first."
It was harsh, but necessary. Even going out now to find Yoshito was a gamble. But at the very least, he had the ability to save that guy; it was a choice he could make, which could not be said for others here yet.
"At least take me with you."
"I'm right behind you, let's go."
Two voices, spoken in unison, cut through the silence. He turned to see Rei and Saeko facing each other, their expressions clashing. One amused, the other edged with irritation.
Rei crossed her arms and spoke first. "There are too many of them out there. You need someone to watch your back. And if you're going to save someone, there's a chance that others will need help too. I was trained in first aid by my father. I can handle injuries if it comes to that."
Fair point, but if it was just surface-level wounds, then a few basic spells were more effective than Band-Aids.
"I can say the same for myself," Saeko murmured, her tone confident as if she already knew who he was going to choose. "While I respect Rei's skill as our school's second-best sōjutsu practitioner—I still believe she comes short compared to me.
Rei threw her a sharp look at that small jab, but Saeko remained unbothered.
Rather than argue with either of them, Cu reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He pointed at Saeko.
"You're heads."
Then to Rei.
"You're tails."
With that, he flipped the coin into the air. It spun once, twice, then landed on his palm. He slapped it onto the back of his other hand and revealed it.
Heads.
"There we go. Besides, tis' probably the better outcome," he said, returning the coin to his pocket. "I need a good soul that I can trust to keep things together while I'm gone."
He stepped over to Rei and rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. She didn't look pleased by his decision.
"I know I can count on you. And let's be honest, there are a few slimy old fellas here who might stir up trouble for not just the students but might try to make a move on Kyoko again, for all I know. Keep your eyes open." He gave the orange-brown haired girl a meaningful look. Her eyes widened slightly, already guessing who he meant, though she hesitated. Before she could reply, Igou stepped in beside her, offering a slight pat on her back..
"Like he said, you're not doing this alone. We've got your back, too. Right, Takashi?"
Takashi gave another nod, although he still seemed unsure of himself.
"Eh? Ah, yes, you can count on us." The boy replied, having been initially distracted by some of the zombies near the gate. Staring closer at their lifeless faces as if trying to see if some of them were not people he recognised. "Some of the troublesome students are already starting to get rowdy, asking for food and to get their belongings from class. Best we deal with these before they give us more trouble."
"We'll help too!" Momo chimed in, flashing a V-sign. "Between my charm and Fumiko's cute face, we'll keep those troublemakers in line. Who'd mess with this dream team?" She nudged her bespectacled best friend, somehow maintaining her bubbly energy even as zombies lurked beyond the gates.
"That's the spirit!"
With a light grin and a grateful nod to the two girls and the boys, Cu turned and strode toward Saeko, crouching down directly in front of her with his back turned, arms reaching behind him. His posture earned him an immediate stare. Saeko tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to decipher what he was doing. The others, too, cast puzzled glances, unsure if this was some kind of joke.
"We don't have time to waste. It'll be much faster if I run carrying you," he said without a hint of hesitation, as though his suggestion was the most natural thing in the world.
The others kept staring, clearly unsure of how to interpret the sight of a man crouched like that, waiting to be mounted. But Saeko only hesitated for a heartbeat before her expression changed. She had seen a small part of what someone like him was capable of from last night's little chase of hers across the forest, and since she already knew about his magecraft—it did not take long for Saeko to connect the dots.
Without another word, she stepped in close, wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck, securing herself perfectly.
"Hm."
Cu waved a short goodbye to the others. With Saeko clinging to him, he leapt toward the outer wall in a single bound, gripping the concrete with one hand and pulling them both up without visible strain. He sprinted along the top, balanced with preternatural ease, then launched over the far side with fluid momentum.
All to the shock of all the onlookers.
That was definitely not something a normal person can do.
…
"The horde from earlier... It's thinned out," Saeko murmured against the wind, observing the area near the entrance of the school and the street itself.
She was right.
His gaze swept over the area as he landed. The swarm that had once crowded the gates, dozens and groaning in mindless hunger, turned out to be mostly gone. In their place, about five remained wandering aimlessly, stumbling with no real direction. Another two undead remained near the front gate, their lifeless faces pushing against the iron bars, jaws working uselessly as they reached through the gaps, unable to advance but too braindead to give up.
'So if there are no sounds after a period of time or they no longer see anyone, most disperse. But I suppose even the undead here have a few stubborn ones.' He noted that in his mind, hoping to spread the information to other students later.
"It's better this way," Cu said as he ran. "I reinforced the gates, but it's only temporary. Too much force and they'll fall off their hinges eventually — my runes won't last forever."
"You can reinforce structures, too?"
"Briefly. It's a basic spell I used frequently back in… Howth. Useful in a pinch."
He nearly mentioned something he should not, about a spell used back in ancient Ireland, but he caught himself before the words slipped out of his mouth. No one here would understand that context, and it's best to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding that would complicate things.
"If you're curious, the spell's as simple as it sounds. Makes hard things harder and Sharp things sharper."
That earned a quiet chuckle from Saeko, the sound low in her throat. She didn't sound mocking, just quietly amused.
"That's quite the practical description for something so useful," she remarked, the hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Though I imagine there are numerous... applications for such a spell beyond just reinforcing gates. Particularly in our current predicament."
"As useful as they are, best not to get overly reliant on them, given that only I can use them."
In truth, it could be taught to others, but best not spread it as a hard rule; he'd probably only resort to it in the most dire of circumstances.
Not to mention his own use of runecraft is far more crude compared to those that actually practice with it, even if by the standard of a mage, he was no different from a master. The Irish man rarely relied on simple runes even during the Grail War, the same could not be said in this world, for he had not yet fully tested how his runes differed here from back in his own world.
They hit the edge of the wall, and Cu dropped down, his boots landing with a muted thud. Without missing a beat, he took off, his speed kicking up a notch like he'd just hit the gas on a sports car. The wind whipped past them, and Saeko's grip tightened instantly—her thighs locked around his waist like a vice, her arms squeezing his shoulders like she was trying to fuse herself to him.
"You planning to crush me before the zombies get the chance?" Cu called over the rush of air, his tone dry but amused.
"If you drop me, I'll make sure they're the least of your worries," she shot back, her voice steady despite the blur of motion.
He chuckled, picking up even more speed. "Noted. But if you choke me out now, we're both zombie chow."
Saeko didn't loosen her grip, but her tone softened just a hair. "Just don't give me a reason to."
He continued forward, moving while ignoring some of the zombies that tried to catch him, but he just kept running past them without giving them an opportunity to surround him—barely even sparing them a glance. Their numbers are sparse enough not to fill up the streets like before. His ears twitched; there were noises in the far distance. Faint but clearly audible screams. The squeal of rubber against pavement. The booming thump of explosions. Sharp cracks of gunfire tearing through the air, and glass shattering.
"The city has fallen into chaos," Saeko mentioned, still as calm even as the world around her turned to chaos.
"Would be surprisin' if it hadn't, I don't think those choppers from earlier came here to clear the horde. Probably set up a base somewhere or transport people… this city has already fallen."
Not like he could blame them, there were just too many of these zombies around. The best way to clear them up would be through a complete eradication with the help of bombs. Hopefully, it would not come to that.
'This spread too fast,' he thought grimly. 'If it were just the horde that entered from outside, it wouldn't have reached this level this quickly. Something else happened; someone must have turned during the protest in front of the mayor's office. That's where it escalated. That's where it started slipping out of control.'
His jaw clenched. The true nature of the infection was still a mystery. Was it just bites? Blood? Airborne particles? There were too many variables, and too little time for him to understand it the moment it first appeared.
"Back then… You knew how that coin toss would land, didn't you? You never intended to choose Rei."
He wasn't surprised to hear her say it.
"Rei's not ready for this," he said after a pause. "She's never faced bloodshed like this. Not the kind where the enemy used to be someone's neighbor, someone's classmate. Even if they're already dead inside, even if their minds are gone, it's not easy to look into their eyes and put them down. At the worst moment… I'm not sure whether she won't hesitate or not, the last thing I want is for her to break down in the middle of a fight. Or refuse to kill a zombie because she knew the person."
He wasn't judging her—just stating a fact, plain and simple. He'd seen it before, dealt with people like Rei in the past, and knew how it played out. Saeko could tell he'd made the call for that reason alone, and she didn't miss the meaning behind it. It was practical, not personal.
"Oh? So does that mean you chose me because you believed I was the kind of person capable of killing them without hesitation? I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment. How brave are you to say that to me?"
"Am I wrong? From our conversation last time, you are clearly not unfazed by the sight of blood. Which made you the best, or at least the one who will cause me the least amount of trouble when surrounded by a horde of zombies? I know Rei wants to help me, but she's still not ready."
He revealed his true thoughts, most of which were things he already knew and had thought of before making his decision. The coin toss was mostly a little trick he used to relieve Rei and not make her feel as bad.
"You sure do care about her quite a bit, but unfortunately for you, she will have to get used to dealing with such things. Just look around you, it's not just Rei, but every student there will have to adapt. Can you honestly tell me that they'll be able to fight these… zombies?"
No, they wouldn't, and probably will never be. Even if he gave it his all to train those students, not everyone would be able to withstand the pressure, and some would break. People were different, and not everyone could so easily accept the sight of death and adapt in a matter of hours or days.
"Just give it time, she's got a fire in her to get through this mess. And there are plenty of strong-willed lads and lassies among the student body."
"Am I one of them?" she whispered, her voice low and close to his ear, her breath warm against his skin. Her body pressed against his back, her ample chest unmistakably there as they squished softly against his back, and her legs shifted slightly, her shoes brushing against his pants in a way that felt far too deliberate. If it weren't for the fact that he was sprinting full speed down the street with her clinging to him like a backpack, the whole thing might've looked downright scandalous.
"Hehehe, getting quite bold, aren't you? Given that you can say that while we're surrounded by flesh eating corpses, I can say with certainty that I don't need to worry about you. Also, I ain't no saint or gentleman, lass. Continue doin' that and I'll make sure you won't be able to walk straight the next morning after we save Yoshito."
A chuckle escaped his lips upon feeling the girl freezing behind him, most likely having not expected a direct answer. "... Is that a threat?"
"A promise."
He grinned, jumping through another pile of bodies, leaping across more on the streets and cars, his arms moving back and forth rhythmically, his form unchanged as he continued to run without showing signs of exhaustion.
Having recovered from the Irishman's answer, Saeko proceeded to continue the conversation. "Speaking of which, where is this friend of yours? The city is quite big. Trying to save someone around this district or on the other side of the city is two different scenarios entirely. Don't tell me we just plan to run and reach him without any plans?"
At that, he offered her an intrigued expression over his shoulder. "That's actually not a bad plan at all. As long as you're with me, nothing bad will happen to you."
Saeko blinked. Again, this man had a way of catching her off guard. Either he was utterly fearless or simply so overconfident that he hadn't considered failure an option. But instead of rolling her eyes or sighing in exasperation, she found herself chuckling. There was something strangely comforting in his certainty, absurd as it was.
She leaned her chin gently on his shoulder, letting the wind whip through her hair as they moved. The sensation of speed and rushing air had a calming rhythm to it. Her eyes narrowed slightly with a smile.
"We'll see."
Cu shifted his grip slightly, then threw a glance back, voice dry and teasing.
"While I do appreciate the soft sensation pressed up against my back and the pleasure of having a beautiful woman glued to me, I wouldn't mind some directions right about now. Yoshito said he was at the bridge. Do you know any shortcuts I could take?"
His tone remained casual, but the question held weight. It wasn't that he didn't know the way himself. He had driven that route dozens of times and could probably follow it in his sleep. But those roads, while familiar, would take too long. Even at his current sprint, the normal streets would still demand ten full minutes to reach the location. Ten minutes was an eternity in a world where a man and his family might already be surrounded.
He needed a faster path.
Saeko's arms stayed firm around his neck, but her eyes began scanning their surroundings. Her brow creased slightly as she tried to match what she saw with the city layout in her mind. Trees blurred past them on one side, a fence flickered in intervals on the other, and beyond that, a hill sloped downward toward the east.
She murmured, more to herself than him at first.
"Hold on. If we're where I think we are..."
She turned her head, peering past Cu's shoulder to study a rusted utility pole and a shattered sign jutting out of the ground near a cracked sidewalk.
"Yes. If we keep heading southeast, we should hit the old flood channel. It's dry now, but it cuts straight across most of the backstreets and comes out near the industrial zone. The bridge is just a few blocks from there. It'll shave off at least six minutes if we keep up your pace."
He gave a sharp nod, adjusting his angle without hesitation, veering toward a nearby alley that dipped down in a steep slope. His boots scraped briefly across loose gravel, but his footing never faltered.
"Good. That'll do."
The wind howled past their ears as the terrain funneled them between weathered concrete walls and corroded pipes. Saeko maintained her grip effortlessly, but couldn't quite suppress a soft gasp when his body jolted against hers—the impact sending unexpected vibrations through her chest and lower half. The sensation bordered on pleasing to slightly uncomfortable, yet she found herself adjusting to the rhythm rather than pulling away.
"T-This… This is Shikanai Street… If I remember correctly," she said, her voice a little unsteady as the jostling rhythm of their movement made it hard to focus. "There is a co-construction project going on two streets ahead to the right… Ah~ If you can jump across the wall, you will immediately skip a long path around. Might save you another minute at best."
"That's more than enough!"
"Ah~!"
With another burst of speed that almost made her fall off, the girl clung to him tightly upon forcing herself to concentrate. She watched in disbelief as the boy ran towards the construction building she pointed out, a large multi-story parking building. Instead of just jumping across the wall, he headed right into it, climbing two stories above.
"Why are we up here?"
She asked, her only answer being an ominous chuckle that once in her life, sent a shiver of dread in her stomach and the warning that came with it didn't help.
"Hang tight, hope you're not afraid of heights."
"Wha-?"
Her eyes widened as, for the first time, her calm demeanor broke and was replaced with disbelief as the man she clung to went near the edge, not hesitating to jump right into the air, their bodies free-falling.
"... You're crazy."
"Hahaha!"
All she got was a laugh, both of them free-falling downwards, skipping the road she was talking about below and heading straight for the rooftop of a building. Goosebumps spread across her body as falling from such a height would be no different than killing them, so she closed her eyes just as they were about to land on the rooftop.
"Oof!"
But instead, the blue-haired Irish man landed with his feet, absorbing most of the impact force, the ground beneath him cracking slightly. The girl felt a bit of wind getting pushed out of her lungs, but besides that, she still felt fine.
"This will be faster."
He said as he continued running to the edge of the house and proceeded to jump again, leaping from rooftop to rooftop while avoiding the carnage going on the road beneath them. Paying it no attention while Saeko glanced at several civilians who hadn't turned, and policemen were trying to set up a barricade, shooting anyone who got close. But those very same policemen were not exactly in the most optimal state, their eyes filled with terror as they continued to shoot body after body, zombie after zombie, but more just kept coming. Some even hesitated to shoot upon finding a few civilians who still hadn't turned within the horde, gasping, grasping onto their children, begging to be saved.
"It is too late for them," Cu whispered, the previous smile on his face nowhere to be seen. Even though he did not look down, he seemed to know what was going on.
"It looks like it differs from person to person, but the moment they are infected, that person is as good as dead. It can take seconds or minutes, and some people aren't even aware of that. Even if they are aware, to most of them, there is no way they will let go of those they cherish, even if it kills them."
"…"
"As much as I want to, I'm just one person. I can't help everyone. They're just going to have to hold on and survive until the storm passes."
On cue, the mother who was holding her child screamed as the kid within her grasp came to life and immediately went for her throat, tearing it apart with a fountain of blood spraying onto the surrounding zombies and terrorising the cops on the other side, who fell more into despair and continued shooting. Soon, their ammunition was completely depleted, with no route to escape. Eventually, they were overwhelmed, bitten and devoured.
{Break}
Her brother had changed.
That was the quiet conclusion Aimi came to after watching him for the past several days, each one full of subtle shifts and uneasy silences. It wasn't just one thing. It was everything. The way he glanced over his shoulder, even when no one was behind him. The way he seemed smaller, not in size, but in confidence.
Once, not long ago, he had been the weird, slightly delinquent older brother who swaggered around the neighborhood with a lazy grin and a habit of making trouble with anyone who looked at him wrong. He used to hang around the local gangs, drifting in and out of street fights like it was part of his daily routine. And then, one evening, he came home bruised and battered from head to toe, limping through the front door with blood on his shirt and not a word to offer anyone.
Naturally, Aimi had panicked.
Her first thought was that he had gotten into another fight, maybe a turf war gone wrong. Their grandparents, of course, didn't know about any of that. To them, he was still working part-time at a mechanic's garage, just like he claimed. They worried over the bruises and made him rest, completely unaware of the world he had been wrapped up in.
But she knew better.
When cornering him later, pressing him for the truth, he didn't even try to lie well. He gave her a look she couldn't quite name, something between fear and shame, and muttered in a low voice, "Big bro met a really terrifying guy. Foreigners are scary."
That was it. No details. No names. Just that cryptic confession and a haunted look in his eyes. It was strange, to say the least, but she didn't push. Not yet.
Aimi had always known they were different. Sure, they were siblings, but that's about where the similarities ended. Her brother looked like he'd been plucked from a completely different family tree—sharper features, lighter hair, and a skin tone that didn't quite match hers. It was like someone had mixed up the blueprints. Over the years, she'd heard the whispers—neighbors muttering about how he didn't fit, how he looked more foreign than Japanese. Even when he tried to be friendly, people treated him like an outsider. She'd wondered about it herself when she was younger. Was one of them adopted? Did their mom have a secret fling with some guy from overseas? She never asked, though. He was still her big brother.
Then there was the car.
The sleek, expensive white car he used to show off with that arrogant grin was suddenly gone. He had gone back to using his rusty old sedan, the one that rattled whenever he hit the brakes. Another red flag. When she asked him what happened to the white car, he brushed her off with a vague excuse about the boss wanting it back to sell it. She didn't believe it, not for a second.
Days passed. Then, while the two of them were cleaning up the house together, she saw it again.
His phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and froze. His back straightened, shoulders tight, and when he answered, his voice trembled ever so slightly.
"Aniki."
That was the word he used. Aimi had heard it before, of course. Older brother, used among those in gangs and the underworld just like in the movies and animes. But this didn't sound like the usual banter she'd overheard between him and his old friends. This was different. There was respect in his voice. Maybe even fear.
After the call, she asked who it was.
He offered a small shrug, not meeting her eyes. "Just an old friend. Nothing to worry about."
Yeah, right. Because pale faces and shaking hands were totally normal responses to talking with a friend. Her worry began to grow into something heavier. A lingering suspicion that he had gotten involved in something even worse than before. Something real. Something organized.
Something like the actual Yakuza!
The days blurred. Every time that call came in, he would leave. Always taking the car. Always returning late. Sometimes after midnight. He never said where he had gone, never offered even a hint on what he was doing. And all the while, their bank account seemed to thin further and further. Groceries grew sparse. The lights flickered more often. The multiple late months of rent loomed like a shadow at the end of each week.
She began to think about getting a job. Even a part-time one. Something to help. But who would hire a later elementary student? Nowhere did she even glance at her resume… one place even tried to call the child protective services.
And then, one night, everything changed again.
He came home late, as usual. His shoes were muddy, and he looked tired, as though he hadn't slept in days. But this time, he was carrying something in his hands. A large, heavy duffle bag, the kind used by athletes or travelers. He dropped it on the table with a thud that made the floor vibrate slightly.
Curious, she unzipped it and froze.
Cash. Bundles of it. Thick stacks are packed into every inch of the bag. Her eyes widened. Her mouth went dry. She had only ever seen money like this in action movies. Heist films. Drug busts. Not real life. Never in their tiny living room.
Her voice cracked as she spoke.
"Did you rob a bank?"
She was only half joking. Mostly, she wasn't.
He turned away, not answering, but this time she didn't let him retreat. She blocked his path, fists clenched, eyes shining with tears that came unbidden.
"No more lies," she said, voice cracking. "I'm serious. I want the truth. All of it."
Her voice didn't rise. It didn't have to. The tears spoke louder than any words. And finally, after a long silence, her brother sighed.
And began to talk.
"Listen, Aimi, you trust your big brother, right?"
"Barely," she replied flatly.
Yoshito wasn't exactly a model of reliability. Sure, he meant well and always looked out for her and their grandparents, but when it came to life's important matters, like consistency, honesty, or planning more than five minutes ahead, he often fell hopelessly short when it came to management. He had a habit of stretching the truth so far it snapped, then acting surprised when no one bought it.
"I'm being serious this time! First off, I did not rob a bank. Aniki would kill me if I ever tried something that stupid!"
At least that "aniki" of theirs, whoever he really was, seemed to have knocked some measure of sense into her thick-skulled brother. She made a mental note to thank the mysterious figure if she ever got the chance. If he'd managed to jam a few working brain cells into Yoshito's head, he deserved a medal.
"Your brother stumbled onto something insane. Like, the kind of stuff that belongs in late-night horror movies. Stuff you wouldn't even believe if I told you. But it's real, and it's happening here. Right now. Everyone's in danger. But I'm strong, and our aniki's even stronger. So don't worry. I'll keep you all safe, and we're going to make it through this apocalypse!"
"Apocalypse?" she repeated, eyebrows rising. "What are you even talking about? You're not making any sense."
"I'll explain later. Right now, if you're not tired, help me pack. I've got to pick up something from a friend, but I need you to make sure Grandpa and Grandma are ready to leave the house at a moment's notice."
His tone had shifted. No jokes, no shrugging things off. Just urgency, clear and unshakable. Before she could ask more, he pressed a slip of paper into her hand, closed her fingers around it, and gave her a serious look.
It was the combination to his room's safe. The one she had never been allowed to open, no matter how many times she'd asked. He left his duffel bag on the floor without a second glance, grabbed only a few stacks of cash from the top, then ran out the door. Moments later, she heard the old car's engine roar to life and fade into the distance.
She stood there, motionless for a beat, the paper still in her hand.
The red-headed girl couldn't have been more confused. Her brother, the coward, the trickster, the serial exaggerator, was suddenly acting like the main character in some dystopian action flick. But for all his flaws, he had never, not once, done anything that would put her or their grandparents in harm's way. That, at least, she believed in without question.
So she followed his instructions.
Moving through the house quickly, quietly, grabbing what little they had. Old shirts and hand-me-down coats, all folded hastily and jammed into a couple of worn-out backpacks. She added the small cloth pouch that held their grandparents' medications, heart pills, insulin, and enough bandages to make a nurse sigh.
Waking them gently. Her grandfather stirred first, then her grandmother, both of them blinking through their confusion as she explained what was happening. Or rather, repeated what Yoshito had told her, word for word. To her surprise, they didn't question it. Not a single complaint, not even a raised brow. They simply nodded, moved slowly to the living room, and sat together in silence, waiting.
Then came the safe.
She stood before it. The numbers on the paper stared back at her. One by one, she turned the dial, feeling each click settle into place. The lock clunked open.
Her breath caught.
Inside was a gun.
Her hand hovered near it. Small and heavy, but unmistakably real. It looked older than the ones she'd seen in films, less sleek, more utilitarian, but it was a firearm all the same. Her brain kicked into high gear.
"A gun? Seriously?"
She let out a sigh that was somewhere between disbelief and exasperation.
"You really did it, didn't you, you dummy? You actually went and got yourself mixed up with the local Yakuza, didn't you!?"
It would explain the cash. The sudden panic. The cryptic warnings. No wonder he wanted them packed. He'd probably stolen money from someone dangerous, and now they had to flee the city before it caught up with him.
"Of all the ways to solve our problems, you had to go and pick the most dramatic one. Couldn't you have just found a normal job?"
She sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the safe.
A heaviness settled in her chest, not just fear, but a strange, aching sadness. She didn't want to leave this place. It was a cramped old house with drafty windows and mold in the corners, but it was still home. And yet, what were they really leaving behind? Friends? Not many. Most avoided her, scared off by her brother's reputation, or unwilling to bother with the girl who could barely afford lunch half the time.
She packed what she could and rejoined the others. The three of them waited in the living room. The hours passed slowly. She drifted off at some point, her head resting against the worn couch cushion, the morning light beginning to stretch pale fingers through the curtains.
The front door creaked open.
She stirred, blinking clearly. Her brother had returned.
He looked tired. Not injured, not panicked, just worn out, like he'd been running through the night on instinct and adrenaline. In one hand, he held something long and oddly shaped, wrapped in layers of cloth.
Aimi blinked at it, confused.
"What is that?"
He didn't answer right away.
And that silence made her even more uneasy than before.
"Yoshito, just what kind of trouble did you get yourself involved in this time, dear?" their grandmother asked, feeling something was very wrong the moment she saw the duffel bag filled with money, having a similar reaction to her granddaughter.
Seeing their expressions and their need to know the truth, her brother finally sighed and went to sit on his knees with his head down while everyone else gazed at him with curiosity in their eyes.
"So, today—uh, no, I mean... yesterday, I went along with Aniki to help him with some things, and we happened to stumble upon something seriously bad."
"Again with this Aniki nonsense! Is he just another one of those gang members taking advantage of you?" their grandfather snapped, his voice sharp with suspicion.
Yoshito shook his head quickly, both hands raised in a defensive wave.
"No! He's not one of them. He's a friend of mine, like a boss. He's the reason I have this cash! Just... that's not important right now. We ended up stumbling into something really messed up. We were following this guy, and it turns out he was the one responsible for the kids disappearing, you know, the ones you've been seeing on the news."
He spoke quickly, urgency rising in his tone. His family had to understand, but every word felt like it was bouncing off a wall of disbelief.
"We saw him accept money from one of those crazy rich families living in the upper district. And then, both of us went up to confront him. But before you say anything, we didn't mug him or threaten him or anything like that. He… he transformed! Right in front of us!"
"Transformed? What are you even talking about now?" his grandfather said with a scowl. "Say it clearly, boy, and stop lying through your teeth."
"I'm not lying!" Yoshito insisted. "He literally transformed into a zombie. One of those things that lunge at you with empty eyes, trying to bite you and turn you into one of them. We followed a lead we thought might take us to the source of it all, but instead it turned out to be a bus, one that was filled with those things. Aniki stopped them, but he said the source wasn't inside, which means it's still out there, somewhere in the city. And it's only a matter of time before more show up. It'll turn into a full-blown apocalypse if we don't move now!"
He struck his chest with a clenched fist, trying to summon the courage to press on.
"That's why we need to gather our things and head over to him immediately. He'll keep us safe. He's a magician!"
The declaration came with a strange mix of pride and fear. Yoshito's voice cracked slightly, but his sincerity was unmistakable.
The reaction, however, was not what he hoped for.
A long silence followed, broken only by the unimpressed look on his sister's face and the synchronized sighs of their grandparents. They exchanged tired glances as though he'd just told them the moon was made of cheese.
"Seriously? I was actually trying to take you seriously for once, and this is what you say?" his sister said flatly, arms folded. "Even a kid in elementary school could come up with a more believable story, brother."
The grandparents didn't bother adding anything. Their sighs had already spoken enough.
Yoshito's shoulders tensed. Panic crept into his voice as he rushed to defend himself again, words tumbling from his mouth like loose pebbles. But none of them were listening. He looked at each of them in turn, but their eyes were already glazed over, the way people look when they've already decided what's true.
She, on the other hand, remained quiet. Though her expression hadn't softened, something about it had changed. While she still doubted the ridiculous zombie story, she couldn't ignore the fact that Yoshito was clearly trying to cover up something else. Maybe it really was the Yakuza stuff, that part would really make their grandparents worried. Maybe he got caught up in something bigger than he could handle, and now he was too afraid to tell the truth.
"I'll just start packing the car," she muttered.
Zombie or not, she was still certain about one thing: their family was in danger. Moving out was no longer a question. It was a necessity.
She stepped outside and was greeted by the full glare of the morning sun. The light was harsh, casting long shadows across the pavement, and for a brief moment, everything felt too quiet. She busied herself with the luggage, opening the trunk and beginning to load it up, one bag at a time.
Her eyes shifted briefly to the odd stick her brother had brought home. It had been sitting near the bags since earlier, and she hadn't thought much of it at the time. But now, as she picked it up to move it aside, she noticed how strange it really was. "Urgh… so heavy!" It was a metal pole for sure!
Didn't feel like a gun.
Sounds of footsteps drawing closer reached the girl.
Startled, she turned her head and spotted a figure standing just beyond the gate. The woman was quiet, almost too still, and for a second, it was unclear how long she had been there. It was their landlord and neighbour, who lived in the attached unit.
Had she seen everything?
"Oh, it must be the rent," the girl said awkwardly, lowering the metal pole and straightening her posture. "You don't have to worry. My brother managed to earn his paycheck. We'll be able to pay for the three months we missed."
She made up a lie on the spot and quietly grabbed a handful of wads of cash from the duffel bag. Not even counting the total sum, she was certain it should have been more than enough to cover several months of rent and more. She walked forward to hand the woman the money, only to feel that something was not quite right.
"M-Miss Sato?"
She called out to the woman again, frowning as she noticed no response. The figure remained there, standing beneath the sun in eerie stillness, her body swaying slightly from left to right like a puppet hanging loose on its strings.
"Eh, is that... tomato sauce?" she asked, pointing at the red stains splattered across the woman's blouse.
But the moment she stepped closer, a heavy, iron stench hit her nose. Not the tangy scent of sauce, but something thicker, something metallic and real. Blood. Her eyes slowly traced more details, the dishevelled hair, the pallor of her skin, and then finally, the eyes, pupilless, clouded… staring right back at her.
"Miss S-Sato?" she called again, voice trembling now.
She didn't take another step forward. In fact, choosing to step back. A deep instinct stirred within her, warning her that something was terribly wrong.
The woman groaned. It was not a sound of pain or confusion. It was low, guttural, and empty. Then she lunged forward, mouth stretched open wide, revealing rows of blood-stained teeth and meat.
"Kyaaah!" Aimi screamed, reacting purely on instinct. She dodged to the side and hit the ground, scrambling backwards with her palms scraping against the pavement.
But the woman didn't stop. She lunged again, her movements jerky and unnatural, arms reaching out in hunger.
BANG!
A sharp sound cracked through the air.
Aimi closed her eyes, flinching. When she opened them, a hole had opened in Miss Sato's face. Blood and shattered teeth spilled to the ground. Before she could even process what she had just seen, she felt a rough tug at her collar. Then she was yanked into a tight embrace.
It was her brother. He held the same gun she had seen earlier, the one they'd found hidden in the safe.
"Get the fuck away from my sister, you damn bitch!" he shouted, the barrel of the gun still smoking. "Tch, even as a zombie, you don't miss the opportunity to make things harder for us."
She had never seen his face twisted like that before, angry and horrifying.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit. Fuck this. It's already starting. Just like in those movies. Spreading. We have to go now! Aimi, help grandpa and grandma into the car. Don't let go of that item in your hand. It's important. We need to find Aniki, right now!"
She gripped the wrapped metal pole tightly.
Still trembling, her legs barely holding her upright, Aimi nodded and rushed back inside. Her grandparents were just as shaken as she was, their faces pale after seeing the body lying on their front walk. More figures had begun to appear from nearby houses. Some looked just like Miss Sato, with the same lifeless eyes and hungry expressions.
All around them, the neighbourhood descended into chaos. People were running, some bolting across the street, others locking themselves inside cars and speeding away in terror.
Her brother jumped into the driver's seat, started the engine, and slammed his foot down on the pedal. The car lurched forward, wheels spinning with a screech as it picked up speed.
Aimi screamed when the car struck something.
Then another.
Walking bodies, no, those things, just like Miss Sato, crumpled under the impact.
"What is going on!?" she cried as tears poured down her face, voice shaking as she clung tightly to the wrapped item in her lap as if it could shield her from everything unraveling around her.
"It's the zombies. Like I told you before. They're spreading, and this town is finished!"
He wasn't lying?
She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded, but she couldn't. Unable to argue with what she had seen, what they had all seen. This was real. It was happening. Outside the window, more people ran through the streets, people tearing into other peoples flesh, blood spilling down the streets, with more and more of it happening the longer they drove. Some were banging on car windows, pleading and yelling to be let inside. Faces twisted with fear. Voices cracking from desperation.
Her brother didn't stop. He didn't even look at them.
"If you don't get out of the way, I'll run through all of you just like I did the zombies!"
His voice rose in anger as another wave of people surged toward the vehicle, shouting, trying to stop them, to cling on.
He floored the gas.
The car ploughed forward, hitting several more bodies and breaking through the crowd. The front was dented, streaked with red and grey, but it didn't slow down. They were not stopping for anyone.
Such a scene might have looked cool in a movie, but now all she could feel was pure, heart-gripping terror. Fear twisted in her stomach, and nausea climbed up her throat, almost making her throw up on the spot.
"Shit! Fuck! Shit!. With all these damn cars clogging up the road, we ain't makin' it anywhere. We're screwed out here!" Yoshito spat, gripping the wheel tighter. "Tch. Ain't got no choice now."
The streets ahead were a mess of abandoned vehicles, crashed, flipped, and burned-out. He didn't slow down. Instead, he slammed his foot back onto the gas, the car lurching forward as he twisted the wheel and drove straight onto the pedestrian walkway. The vehicle bashed through the metal railings with a shriek of tortured steel, shattered a streetlight, and careened toward a side alley, the tires squealing in protest.
The alleyways were narrow, filled with trash bins and discarded boxes, but Yoshito drove through without much regard for the state of his car. They scraped against brick walls and crushed abandoned scooters, the vehicle shaking with each brutal impact.
"Damn! This ride's gettin' more fucked up by the second," he growled.
The front bumper was hanging loose, one headlight dangling like a dead eye. The side mirrors had been torn off by god-knows-what, and the passenger door was rattling so violently it looked ready to fall off. But Yoshito didn't stop.
Then came a sudden jolt.
"Aah!" Aimi screamed as the car shuddered and veered hard to the side, metal grinding against concrete. One of the tires burst with a deafening pop and almost wobbled off, rolling down the slope beside the bridge. The vehicle skidded violently and slammed against the railing, the frame groaning from metal warping metals.
"Nii-chan!"
Aimi pointed with a shaking hand. From the alley behind them and the open street beyond, a slow-moving group was closing in, bodies swaying, skin rotted and grey, blood smeared across their faces and shirts.
"God-fuckin-damn it!" He slammed the wheel with his palm. "Should 'a jacked another ride when I had the chance. Who gives a rat's ass now anyways?!"
The man reached under his seat, grabbed the gun, and turned to his sister. His voice dropped low, making her pay her full attention.
"Listen to me. You ain't dyin' here, got it? Big bro's still breathin', and while I'm standin', not a single one of these rotting bitches is touchin' you or our grandparents. I already called Aniki, he's on his way."
Aimi's breath caught in her throat as Yoshito opened the door and stepped out, raising the gun with both hands. He positioned himself in front of the wrecked car, planting his feet like he was ready to fight the entire world if he had to.
"You dead-eyed bitch ass motherfuckers wanna take a bite outta us?" he shouted. "Come and try me, you ugly pieces of shit! I'll cave your fuckin' skulls in, even if I gotta do it with my bare hands! You ain't that scary compared to him, you shits!"
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Each gunshot echoed like thunder in the alleyway. Aimi flinched with every shot, watching her brother hold the line alone. Each round dropped one of the undead, but for every one that fell, another two took its place. There were more now, at least a dozen, and their groans filled the air like a chorus of death.
He missed sometimes. The bullet would rip through a shoulder or a gut, but they'd keep coming, stumbling forward with outstretched arms, wanting to sink their teeths on fresh meat. The stink of blood and rot was unbearable.
"Shit, shit! You bastards just don't stop!"
Then came the click.
"Ah…"
He pulled the trigger again, nothing. Again, nothing. He looked down, cursed loudly, and flung the gun aside.
"Outta bullets. Of course I'm fuckin' out!" he roared. "Goddamn useless piece of junk!"
Yoshito didn't back away. Instead, he started chucking whatever he could find. An old signpost. A broken trash lid. Even a brick. It didn't matter that it barely slowed them down. He kept at it.
"Nii-chan!" Aimi cried from inside the car. Her hands were shaking violently now. She knew what came next. She had seen the torn bodies on the streets, the people ripped apart alive. Her brother was going to suffer the same fate if he stayed.
But then, even in the face of it all, Yoshito looked back at her and smiled with some effort, trying to hide any signs of panic.
He raised his hand, thumb pointing straight up.
The kind of look that said, "Don't cr-cry, kid. Big bro's still got this."
"Close your eyes, hah…! It's not… hah… so pretty seeing all this blood around. Everything's gonna be alright. You'll be okay, I promise. Just close… your eyes, and when you open them, everything will be fine."
He spoke between heavy breaths, his voice trembling with exhaustion as it dug its claws into both mind and body. His chest rose and fell in uneven bursts, lungs struggling to keep up with the sheer panic flooding his veins.
"Argh!"
A sharp cry escaped him. One of the creatures had crept closer than he'd noticed and sunk its jagged teeth into his hand. The pain jolted through him like lightning, and his knees buckled beneath the weight of it.
"Noooo!"
Aimi's scream tore through the air. She couldn't stop herself. Instinct overrode fear as she leapt from the safety of the car, too fast for her grandparents to stop her from getting out, before thrusting the metal pole she had been clutching straight into the creature's stomach. She drove it in with every ounce of strength her small body could give, the impact knocking the thing backward. Its rotting jaws clenched around something that hung from its mouth — tattered shreds of fabric torn from her brother's sleeve.
"Aimi!"
Yoshito's eyes darted to his arm, frantic. For a moment, his heart stopped. But then relief surged through him as he realised the teeth had only found cloth, not flesh. His skin was untouched. No blood. No bite. He exhaled shakily, the weight of potential doom passing for now.
Aimi, however, couldn't move. She stood frozen, eyes locked on the horde that had begun to shift its attention toward them. Dozens of them. Lifeless eyes bored through her. Some of the corpses dragged torn intestines behind them like grotesque streamers, each sluggish step spilling more of what once belonged inside. The scent of decay and death suffocated her thoughts. Her mind went blank. Her limbs refused to move. All she could do was tremble.
'Stay away from my brother!'
She tried to shout, but the words came out cracked and broken, no louder than a whisper. Tears streamed down her cheeks, clouding her vision. She couldn't feel her fingers. She couldn't feel anything but fear.
"Raaaargh!"
A furious roar split the air behind her. Yoshito rushed forward with all the force of an enraged charging bull, his shoulder slamming into the nearest zombie just as its hands reached for Aimi's neck. He didn't think. He didn't plan. He simply crashed into the crowd, his arms swinging, shoving anything to keep them away from her.
His world narrowed. There was no fear of pain or death, no second-guessing. Only red. A burning red that seared through his mind and made him forget everything.
"Nii-chan!"
She cried out again, voice shaking, watching as the mass of walking corpses swarmed around him. His form disappeared into the writhing sea of limbs. She couldn't see him anymore, only the motion of bodies shoving and twisting. Only the sound of his grunts and roars broke through the noise, followed by the sickening thuds of flesh meeting bone. Once, a corpse even went flying over the car, landing somewhere beneath the bridge that turned her stomach.
"Nii-chan…"
The word escaped her lips again, softer now, barely audible. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold pavement, trembling. Her breath hitched in short, shallow gasps as her fingers dug into her own thighs, desperate for something solid to anchor her.
His voice still echoed faintly in her ears. That promise.
She closed her eyes, just like he had told her.
But it was worse this time.
She could feel more of them approaching. The air had weight now, thick and suffocating like heavy fog clinging to her skin. Somewhere ahead, she could still hear him. Her brother. Still fighting. Still shouting. Still trying.
And then… nothing.
The sounds faded, like they were being dragged underwater. His voice vanished, his footsteps silenced. The fight, gone. All that remained was the soft sound of her own whimpering, the stench of rotting flesh seeping into her lungs.
Her mind slipped into silence, her thoughts retreating, and somewhere in that cold stillness, part of her simply gave up.
.
.
.
Woosh!
A gust tore past her cheek, and a heartbeat later, something hot and wet splashed against her face. The sharp tang of copper hit her face, making her flinch. Her eyes flew open just as her head snapped back, something had grabbed her collar and yanked her forward with great force.
The groans of the undead grew distant, muffled under the heavy breath of someone behind her. It wasn't a voice she knew.
"Bloody hell, that was far too close."
Her eyes blinked, trying to refocus as she twisted around. What she saw made her heart stutter.
Yoshito, her brother, was slung limp over a stranger's shoulder, his arms hanging uselessly and eyes stretched wide with confusion. Blood was smeared across him in streaks, but he didn't look hurt. Just shaken, lost, and most importantly… alive.
But the man carrying him, she did not recognise him at all.
He was tall, clearly a foreigner, with unruly long blue hair that brushed over his forehead and back, with crimson eyes that almost shimmered in the daylight. He wasn't panting. He didn't even looked panic. Instead, staring at her with a look of mild curiosity.
"Well now," he said, voice laced with an unmistakable lilt, "ye don't look a thing like him, do you? But you've got the guts, I'll give you that, lass."
The smirk that followed was half amusement, half approval. Then, without warning, he dropped both siblings unceremoniously onto the roof of the car. From within the car, she could hear their grandparents screaming their names in panic and relief.
Aimi barely had time to process any of it before the man crouched down and tugged the object from her grip, the one she'd been clutching like her life depended on it. She hadn't even realised she was still holding it so tightly. Her fingers ached from the strain.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I reckon this was meant for me, aye? Yer brother's gift, brave as he is. Though next time, Yoshito, maybe use the damned thing instead of rushin' in like a bull — you're not a raging barbarian. Then again, I don't suppose thinkin's his strong suit, is it?"
He ruffled her hair in a way that felt strangely warm, and somehow, without meaning to, she let go. Her arms were trembling now, heavy with exhaustion. She sat motionless, watching the man turn his back on her and face the oncoming swarm as though it were nothing more than an inconvenience.
He peeled away the wrapping she had mistaken for cloth, revealing not a metal, but a weapon or even a gun, as she expected.
A… spear?
The shaft gleamed gray, metallic, but darker than the typical steel she saw. The head was vicious, designed not just to pierce but to ruin, barbed edges curved like claws with those three pointed edges on each side of the blade.
She had struggled just to drag it. Yet the man twirled it through his fingers like it weighed no more than a feather. There was elegance in the way he handled it, a confidence that didn't need to be shouted.
"This'll do nicely," he muttered.
The horde had almost reached him now. Less than a metre away. Their footsteps squelched in blood, limbs twitching in unnatural rhythm.
Then he moved.
She didn't see it. Not really. His arm was a blur, his body a flicker in the air. One second he was standing still, and the next, the spear was outstretched in his right hand, held level across his chest.
The zombies in front froze mid-step.
A silence fell over the street.
Then came the sound, wet, the heads of the nearest walkers slid free from their bodies and dropped to the pavement. Necks spurted high arcs of blood, geysers painting the ground as the corpses crumpled without a sound.
{Break}
(Present)
Taking the shortcut had turned out to be the best decision after all. It had saved him just enough time to arrive before it was too late, to pull the young man back from what could only be described as a frenzied, desperate fury as he tried to protect his family. Now both held by him, the siblings were still shaken, their minds clearly racing to catch up with the present.
Cu gave a quiet chuckle and reached down to ruffle the girl's hair, his gesture making her tensed body relax a little and allowing him to take the spear in her grasp. Whatever else might be said about Yoshito's slight cowardly trait and how easily he got shaken up from their earlier encounter with a zombie, there was no mistaking the courage it had taken to stand his ground; it by no means something many could muster up. From what he had seen, the lad didn't exactly have a track record of making sound decisions, and by his own admission, had never been the bravest sort. But when it truly mattered, he hadn't turned his back.
He stayed.
He fought.
Even if it meant that he would die.
That alone was enough to earn his respect.
"Nii-chan!" The girl managed to gather her wits, scrambling towards her brother and clinging tightly onto him. The same child had tried to help, too; he had seen her throw herself in harm's way the moment Yoshito started to get overwhelmed. This became more than enough proof for him to see them being true brother and sister, even if the facial resemblance was not there.
Immediately discarded the wooden Yari he brought with him the moment he saw the object held by the girl.
The weapon in his grip, by no means, did it come close to what used to be his Noble Phantasm. It lacked the true essence, no material made from the Beast of Billows, none of his Shishou's craftsmanship, the curse-infused history of Gáe Bolg. There wasn't a whisper of magical energy humming through its core. But that was hardly surprising.
According to Yoshito, the man who had forged it had only ever dabbled in blacksmithing as a hobby. And yet, Cu had to admit, the spear bore an uncanny resemblance to the original from the quick sketches he gave them.
Curious to test its balance, he swept the weapon behind him in a single clean arc. Five heads toppled to the ground at once, rolling like rotten fruit as their bodies crumpled behind them with blood spraying in the air.
"Not bad," he muttered, giving the shaft a quick spin in his grip. The sharpness was acceptable, not exceptional, but serviceable. The point was imperfect, just a little off at the tip, which would make piercing through bone more troublesome than it needed to be. The shaft, on the other hand, felt heavier than the original, not that he had a choice, given that using normal wood would have caused it to shatter sooner or later. 'Given the material is ordinary second-grade white steel, it should keep its sharpness for some time and offer some minor flexibility, but I'll have to maintain it regularly to avoid breaking from all the blood, fat and bone it will cut.'
Ah… this just made him miss Gae Bolg even more. If the Curruid existed in this world, then he would have made the spear himself with whatever remains he could find of it!
Regardless, the Heroic Spirit could tell the blacksmith had tried to mimic the sketches he had scrawled out. The somewhat accurate vine-like pattern around the shaft, the pointed end on the butt of the spear, three jagged points at the end of the spearhead — not quite there but still close enough. And although he couldn't reproduce the weapon in its entirety, what he had created was enough for now.
'Can't expect a regular fella to craft a weapon like that.'
For now, it would do.
With a proper weapon in hand, he could finally fight without the constant worry of it splintering in the middle of battle.
"This'll be fun," he muttered, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. He pointed the spear toward the group of undead stumbling toward him and let out a short, delighted laugh. "Ha!"
He moved into stance — his lead foot braced forward, knees bent, the spear gripped firmly at each end. A moment later, he lunged. The first two zombies didn't even have time to react. The spear punched clean through their chests, cracking ribs and snapping spines with brute efficiency.
He drew back, frowning slightly. "Yeah. Piercin' ain't that goodafter all."
Pulling it out, the severed spine made them collapse on the ground, but they continued to crawl over by using their hands. "Even that much blood loss does not kill you? Then again, you already are all dead."
Arching his back, he threw the spear ahead, skewering several heads at once, the weight of the spear adding to the momentum of the throw.
Going ahead and pulling it up to completely detach the severed heads from the bodies. Another twirl to remove them and clean up some of the blood.
With each upward slash, a body would get cut into two halves, each horizontal sweep cleaving through multiple enemies with the pointed end of the spear finishing them off as if they were insects.
He had fallen into a rhythm, his blood boiling in excitement even if the undead were not at the same level as him. Just the stench of blood, the act of using a spear without reservation on a battlefield, made him momentarily remember days of old.
Even if for just a little bit.
As if scratching an itch that had been bothering him for years.
Unfortunately, their numbers were barely in the thirties, so without even realising, Cu found himself staring at a small hill of corpses left in his wake. 'Gotta slow down, I came here to save Yoshito, not start killin' the lot for hours.'
Hah, it was still fun, but he also needed to assume his responsibilities and make sure the students did not end up killing themselves or a teacher to start getting any funny ideas. A couple of uses, and he had already gotten familiar with the spear itself. Looking at it, he pondered. "Should I even give ye a name? You ain't no Gae Bolg…, perhaps later if you last long enough. Hm?"
Ahead, more heads started to fly as he saw Saeko's figure starting her assault on the opposite end. Moving with grace, and each strike being more ruthless than the last. Either crushing the skull itself with the bokken, or if she swung hard enough with the proper angle, capable of slicing through some of the zombies that already had parts of their necks bitten.
She looked focused, showing no signs of the prior expression he saw during their little spar back at school.
"Can't let you have all the fun," she said, ducking right in time to dodge another undead that creeped up behind her and intended to bite her neck. About to turn around to strike, only to have the spear pierce the creature's head and pull out within a second.
"Heh," he chuckled, his arm blurring, piercing the air several times in an instant with all the undead around Saeko ending up with holes in their skulls. His actions made her glare at him as if he stole her kills, in response he just shrugged and used the butt of the spear to crush the knees of a zombie, making it fall to the ground and then have its head crushed with a stomp. "You need to be a bit faster than that, lass, or else we'll be stuck here all day~"
His words, intending to tease the woman, proved to be more effective than he imagined, running past him to take care of the remaining few. Becoming like a fierce gust of wind delivering multiple slashes, followed by sounds of the bokken crushing through skulls. Sometimes, even taking out two of them simultaneously, she definitely had the talent.
With that handled, the Irishman went ahead and walked back to the car, where Yoshito leaned against the car, resting, and his sister hugged him with all her might.
"Aniki…"
His voice was faint. Yoshito's eyes widened as the blood-smeared figure drew closer. Cu crouched down in front of him until their faces were level, his usual grin tempered by a look of quiet relief.
"I knew you'd make it in time," Yoshito whispered.
"You really are the luckiest bastard I've ever met," he replied. "Not a single bite on you after pulling that stunt. I don't know whether I should be impressed or start scolding ya about what you'll try next. Can't exactly ram through the gates of hell to get ya back."
His tone was light, but his eyes weren't. As he spoke, he subtly scanned Yoshito's body, looking for any sign of infection. A scratch. A puncture. Anything he might have missed.
He prayed silently, in the deepest and tinest corner of his heart, that he wouldn't find a thing. And it seemed, for now at least, he wouldn't. Yoshito was alive. Truly alive. By some miracle, he had made it.
Cu released a slow breath. If the man had been bitten, he would have had to put him down, whether it be on the spot if he turned within seconds or somewhere more private to spare the kid's eyes of such a brutal scene, they would hate him if it was the former, even after having just saved them. It would not have mattered.
And the thought made him feel uneasy.
'If I had to do that right in front of them after being unable to save him... would I even deserve to be called a Heroic Spirit anymore?'
He swallowed the thought and forced it away.
"Can you walk?"
"Of course I can. Just needed a few seconds to catch my breath."
The pain was clear in Yoshito's eyes, but he forced himself upright all the same. His sister was still latched to his waist, refusing to let go, her sobs muffled as she buried her face against his side. His hand moved gently to her head, fingers combing through her hair in soft reassurance.
"I told you your brother was strong. Do you believe me now?"
She gave a tearful nod, her grip tightening around him as she clung to the only truth that mattered.
"And of course, Aniki over here is much stronger. With him here, we are safe."
She nodded again, casting him a look filled with gratitude. Even having a child look at him like that made him feel just a bit better. "As much as I want to keep this heartwarming reunion going, we need to leave. More are bound to show up."
Thankfully, the horde he had dealt with was relatively small, nothing compared to what he'd seen others struggling with on the way here. But he wasn't keen on facing hundreds more of those things, not while trying to keep this many people alive.
He rose to his feet and turned his gaze toward Saeko. She stood a few feet away, eyes closed, breathing calmly as she faced the sky, her body slick with blood like his own after crushing the skulls of several dozen zombies.
"I really did underestimate you," he said as he walked over, resting his spear lazily against his shoulders. "How did it feel, not having to hold back for a change?"
Her eyes opened wide for a moment before a small smile crept onto her lips.
"It was… I was just protecting myself."
"Was it better than our fight last time?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Just plain curiosity."
She paused, genuinely considering the question. Then she gave a small shake of her head.
"I… no, I suppose not. Let's go back. I'm feeling a bit tired."
Oh? What an interesting way to answer his question. Either she wasn't comfortable admitting it, or she was simply too stubborn to say it aloud. Not that it mattered, as long as her head was in the game. Maybe she wasn't used to embracing that side of herself. Maybe she feared it despite their conversation last night. Which was amusing, considering how natural the thrill of battle came to him. But he supposed people from this modern era had their own ways of thinking.
Choosing not to push her further, he made his way to the car and waved at the two elderly people standing beside Yoshito.
"Alright, walking back to the school isn't the best idea with two elders in tow. Let's take the car. You'll all have to squeeze in first."
He removed the barely attached driver's door and kicked the tire back in place before sliding into the seat. The others outside looked confused by his actions, and Yoshito leaned in through the window.
"Aniki, the car was totaled after crashing it. She won't start up no matter how many times I tried—"
His words halted as the engine suddenly came to life, rumbling under the hood like it had been waiting for this very moment. He stood frozen in disbelief.
"How…?" he muttered, eyes wide, trying to make sense of it after the engine had previously given out completely.
Cu just shrugged.
"Guess she still had some life left in her after all. But I doubt it'll last long, so hop in quickly."
Still dazed, Yoshito simply nodded and ushered everyone inside. They all crammed into the vehicle as best they could, the air tense with urgency. In the distance, more undead had begun to stir, drawn by the engine's growl.
Among them, Saeko spotted the policeman from before, the one who had tried to keep them at bay. He, too, had succumbed, his figure now shambling toward them with vacant eyes.
The engine roared louder, tires screeching on the asphalt as the car sped away into the distance, carrying them away from the chaos with more undead gathering around the pile left behind.
A Kenaz rune shining brightly and erupting into a brazier, turning the pile of corpses to ashes and leaving not even a trace of the slaughter that occurred.
{Break}
Next part in chapter 13.2 cause we novel can't handle 16k words chapter -_-
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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.