While we start to continue to make our way forward, we hear a very familiar scream echoing from the way we are moving.

“SHIT THAT’S SAYA I’D RECOGNIZE THAT SHRILL BOSSY VOICE ANYWEHRE SLIGHT DETOUR LETS HELP HER OUT” Snapping out of the routine we got into as we moved slowly through the hallways. We look to where the scream came from.

We sprint fast Saeko gives me a stern look when she sees me running ahead of her. I am moving 10% faster and we train together daily so of everyone she would notice even the small changes. I get to the scream just in time to see Takashi and Rei running up as well.

Looking down the hall we witness Saya drilling the jaw of a zombie while screaming the whole time as other undead are drawing in on her from all sides. A chubby guy in the corner on one knee with what looks like a nail gun in his arms.

“SHUT UP THEY ARE DRAWN BY SOUND!” I yell probably not helping the situation but at least it would draw them off of her.

“Shit spread and kill Takashi, Rei aim for the heads don’t get bit!” I yell out to them hopefully they have picked up on some things.

“We know!” They both respond Takashi sounding a little bit happy while Rei looking solemn at that comment. We set about attacking 9 zombies in the room.

I’m already assaulting the first with a jab to the back of the skull moving on crushing another with a jab into the eye socket. Increased thinking speed is doing wonders for my aim since it feels like I have more time to line up the shots.

Saeko comes up behind me and takes on two zombies with quick hits to the head while Takashi and Rei each handle one of their own. We quickly mow our way forwards drawing closer to Saya. I manage to take down another two while they are still reaching out towards Saya. The lower back of their spine is a fine way to end things quickly it locks down their body though it may not kill them as the number I have taken down doesn’t match up with the number in my quest.

“Alright that’s all of them.” Looking around everyone had finished their fights.

Saya just continues to stare at the one she managed to drill from the upper jaw all the way up to its brain. Not a word as her hoarse throat croaks from screaming too harshly.

“Shit Saya are you okay were you bit?” I try to move up and look her over checking for any bite wounds. Shes unresponsive just continuing to stare at the corpse below her and the blood soaking into her clothes and hands.

Kohta Hirano who until now had been silent in the corner finally speaks up.

“Uh hi I’m Kohto Hirano uh thank uh thanks for saving us?” He looks around speaking up after all the attention was going towards Saya. Looking away from my friend to give her a bit of time to process things. I look over to the new person.

“I’m Haruto Izumi I uh don’t go to this school buy my girlfriend Saeko does.” I point over at Saeko.

“I’m Saeko Busujim captain of the kendo club here.” She begins whipping her bokken off of any spare blood on a piece of cleaner clothes on the zombies below.

“I’m ah Takashi Komuro from class 2-B” Takashi introduces himself.

“I know who you are Komuro we are in the same class.” Hirano laughs a bit but then sort of awkwardly as he realizes that he wasn’t kidding and that he really didn’t recognize him.

“Ah right uh” Takashi looks around a bit awkwardly waiting for the next person to introduce themselves since hed stumbled a bit.

“Hey, Rei where’s your boyfriend? Hes pretty strong so I’m sure he should be around here somewhere.” I look over at Rei expecting a smile or something but all I see is pain in her and Takashi’s face looks even more awkward as he avoids looking at Rei.

“He… he didn’t make it. Earlier on he-he punched one of ‘them’ in the mouth. H-his hand started bleeding and bleeding and it. It just wouldn’t stop… He turned into one of ‘them’ in front of us. We… we had to put him down.” Takashi cuts in sadly

“SHUT UP TAKASHI! There was NO ‘WE’ IN WHAT HAPPENED! YOU KNEW YOU KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN BUT DID NOTHING!” Rei is crying now… I don’t really know what to do I share a bit of an awkward glance with Saeko who is also looking a bit out of depth.

Auntie and Shizuka finally catch up to us. Panting at the hallway both looking around the room full of corpses with a mixture of emotions. Auntie sees the crying Rei though and moves in and starts talking to her in some hushed tones. Shizuka just sort of looks lost at everything that’s going on around her before just taking a seat near one of the bodies poking at it and checking different things in a somewhat innocent manner.

“Well, uh nice to officially meet all of you uh upperclassmen?” Hirano starts to get up after having reloaded his nail gun and growing a bit more confidence.

“Yeah… well wish it was a bit of a better circumstances.” Looking around the bodies I don’t see anything particularly useful.

I finish off a few bodies keeping an eye on the kill counter and seeing it go up. I guess some of these bodies were just paralyzed because of damage to the spine rather then actually dead. Good to know.

The casualness of it all seems a bit strange given everything. Saya finally seems to snap out of her stupor. “SHUT UP WHY ARE YOU ALL ACTING SO CASUAL!” She seethes and yells looking at all of us pointing at everyone as if accusing us.

“Woah, uh what are you talking about Takashi” oof Hirano messed up pointing the finger at someone else just painted a bigger target on himself.

“YOU IDIOTS! YOU… YOUR ALL LUCKY I’M HERE I’M SMARTER THEN ALL OF YOU COMBINED. YOUR LUCKY THAT I’M EVEN IN THIS SCHOOL. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE, WI-WITH HARU. BUT THEY DON’T RECOGNIZE ME AS TH-THE GENIOUS I AM! I’m a I’m a genius” I don’t really know what to do and Auntie seems a bit preoccupied with Rei. I look over at Saeko who gives me a ‘go help her’ gesture. I move up and give her a bit of a hug a bit awkwardly. Damn I’m probably her best friend here so I’m kind of contractually obligated to help her -sigh- I’m not good at this sort of thing.

“Ma-ma-my uniform I-its stained. I’m going to have to take it to the cleaners.” She manages between sobs as she cries into my now very stained jacket.

“Shhh its fine Saya everything will be okay” I rub the top of her head trying to get any sort of confirmation that I’m doing right from the others behind her. Saeko gives a thumbs up but is still putting some distance from the two crying girls. Auntie gives me a nod but goes back to talking to Rei. Takashi just looks lost, and Hirano looks at Saya with a conflicted face probably blaming himself a bit.

Her crying turns into deeper and deeper sobs. I’m a bit lost so I somewhat awkwardly hold her while mouthing to Saeko “HELP ME”

Saeko rolls her eyes at me before moving up and helps console her a bit holding her side.

She just continues to cry into my chest as I turn to the others.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say we may all need a breather for now lets all stay inside the teachers lounge its only just down two halls.” Yara is sniffling a bit now instead of crying.

“Alright Yara, we need to get moving we can relax a bit more in a safer space. Saeko and I need to clean our way out. Shizuka and Auntie will take care of you, okay?” Looking at the two while Shizuka gives a bit of a confused look Auntie at least gives confirmation that she will help.

“You don’t need to treat me like and idiot. You Idiot.” She looks up into my eyes challenging my response. She stares for a moment, very close to my own face when she breaks the stare looking off to the side.

“Thanks” Is barely whispered as her face goes red and she moves over to Shizuka and Auntie the two older women consoling her for her first kill better then I could.

“Let’s uh let’s get on with it.” Not exactly use to leading a group I try to round everyone up. We make our way over to the teacher lounge finally barricading it in.

“SO, plans. Anyone else have any goals? Let’s lay this out first before making any plans to achieve as many of them as possible.” I speak up first. It seems like a logical way to find the best way to get what we need.

“We should check in on all our families to make sure they are okay. Uh Rei managed to talk to her dad on the phone. Its bad out there he said we should get out of the city.” Takashi speaks up from the side.

“Damn I was hoping this was more localized. Alright so who’s family is all nearby?” I’m collecting all our resources on the main table making a list of everything counting for how much food we would need. Putting down potential places for supplies nearby from thinking back on nearby stores and other resources from memory.

We are interrupted before anyone has a chance to answer though by Rei. “Wait guys take a look at this” She points at the TV that’s surprisingly still working on it the news plays with a local viewing of the bridge nearby.

On the screen is a local news caster woman that looks around 25 and is in a business suit. “Local authorities are saying that the country of japan is in a national state of emergency. It is estimated that over 10 thousand people have already been confirmed dead in the Satama area. The governer has already called a national state of emergency I repeat this is a state of emergency.”

The news lady is interrupted by several gun shots in the background and more undead are coming towards the camera crew. Mixed between them are several people that don’t look undead are being shot down alongside them.

“The officers have finally started using firearms. Oh oh god no no no!” The camera zooms in on a woman holding her child being shot and dropping the child which is clearly undead as it slowly walks forward every officer wanting to avoid being the one to shoot it until finally one does.

While watching the footage I see body bags sitting back up. This confirms a few suspicions.

“Oh god… what are we supposed to do…” Takashi mutters slowly under his breath.