Volume 1 - Chapter 39

  Slow Walk

  Aiko continued smashing zombie heads, the sound of crunching skulls and snapping bones echoing through the air.

  She stopped only for a moment to catch her breath.

  That was when Genta commanded the zombies to stop. They were frozen in place awaiting further instruction. Genta, still eerily calm, backed away from us, eyes fixed on Aiko.

  His face was twisted in a mixture of anger and frustration, and I figured he was upset his plan hadn't worked out the way he'd imagined.

  Aiko's chest heaved with exhaustion. Sweat dripped down her face, and her eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity. I watched as she surveyed the situation, gaze darting between Genta and the few zombies that remained.

  Her breathing was heavy, but her stance remained strong, ready to continue. Despite her newfound strength and rush of adrenaline, I could tell she was drained.

  Genta's gaze was piercing. He took another step back, movements deliberate and calculated. I could sense his anger simmering beneath the surface.

  The aura he emitted grew more intense, and I scrunched my face as the headache increased.

  "Aiko…" I said… "He's doing the mind thing."

  "I can feel it, love."

  The last few zombies formed a semi-circle around us, their empty eyes staring blankly into space. They now looked the way the ones from the apartment had looked.

  Aiko's bat, still clutched in her hand, dripped with gore, the metal smeared with dark, sticky fluid. Her grip remained firm, knuckles white with tension.

  She took a step forward, eyes matching Genta’s. It was a mix of determination and warning.

  I lay there, my leg throbbing in pain, vision blurring at the edges. I knew I had to get up to help Aiko, but my body refused to cooperate. All I could do was watch helplessly as the scene unfolded before me.

  Genta's voice cut through the silence, tone laced with venom.

  "I have learned my powers!" he spat. "And you won't survive this!"

  Aiko's eyes narrowed. Her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. Her body was still tense, ready to strike, but weakened from Dempei's attack and her relentless assault.

  "You two are going to die here, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

  I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the pain in my leg and the growing pressure in my head.

  "He's just stalling," I said. "His aura's getting stronger."

  She let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumped in defeat. "I know, Hachiro. But I'm too tired. I can't fight anymore."

  Genta's lips curled into a cruel smile. "That's right, Aiko. You're weak, just like all the others."

  Anger bubbled up inside me, but I knew it was useless. We were outmatched and outnumbered. All we could do was hope for a miracle.

  Genta continued taunting, his voice growing louder and more confident.

  "You see, Hachiro, I've learned how to control these zombies. They're my army now, and they'll do whatever I say."

  I glanced around at the undead surrounding us, their vacant eyes staring blankly ahead. Only a few remained. Maybe seven or eight. I couldn’t focus.

  "You call this an army?"

  "Heh!" Genta chuckled. "There's more! Conveniently, I sensed dozens of them at a nearby shrine. They're on the way through the woods even as we speak!"

  Aiko glanced at me. I immediately remembered the vehicle her and Chiemi had left at Boga Shrine. That car radio had kept all nearby zombies away from the house, but now it gave this man reinforcements.

  "But why?" I asked, desperate to understand his motives. "Why are you doing this?"

  Genta's smile widened, eyes gleaming with madness. "Because I can. Because I'm tired of being weak and powerless like I was before. And because I want to see the world continue burning as I feel stronger and stronger!”

  I shook my head. "You're insane."

  He shrugged, acting indifferent. "Maybe. But it doesn't matter! Soon, I'll have the power to do whatever I want, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Someone will stop you!" I yelled.

  Genta laughed. "Who? Look around you, Hachiro, the lover boy! Only the strong can survive now!"

  Aiko said, "Being a killer doesn't make you strong."

  "You see, that's where you're wrong!"

  She shook her head, pointing at her heart. "In here."

  Genta laughed again. "No one gives a shit about morals anymore. It's a new world, baseball girl, and I'm about to strike your man out of existence!”

  “No!” She yelled.

  Genta ignored her cry. “And then I’m gonna wait until you heal from Dempei’s infection, and I’m gonna kill you!”

  Aiko stepped towards the man but he backed away again. She stopped as the zombies shuffled forward to protect him.

  She yelled, “You’re a coward!”

  “Doesn’t matter what I am as long as I survive!”

  “You’re a pathetic excuse for a man!” I said. “We tried to help you! We don't deserve this!”

  Genta laughed, looking off into the distance. “Oh, that doesn't matter either! There's lots of things none of us deserve, Hachiro. Now, say hello to my new friends!"

  I saw a small horde of zombies emerge from the trees, their bodies shuffling towards us under Genta’s demand.

  They were still far away, but closing in at a steady pace.

  I could feel the pressure building in my head, Genta's aura growing stronger.

  Aiko stood by my side, her grip tightening on the baseball bat as she prepared for another fight. Her eyes locked in on the little army.

  I could see the exhaustion etched on her beautiful face, but she refused to back down. I had never known a love like this, willing to die for me.

  I was a nobody office loser, and she didn’t deserve a weak man on the ground who couldn’t even stand up.

  In that moment I decided to stand for her. No matter the pain. No matter the consequences. I wouldn’t let her sacrifice be wasted on a helpless little number cruncher.

  I pushed myself up to a sitting position. My leg throbbed with each movement, and the bullet wound in my thigh felt like a white-hot poker searing through my flesh.

  Gritting my teeth, I tried ignoring the agony, but it was no use. Instead, I embraced it, and let out a deep groan.

  Aiko stood faithful by my side, eyes filled with concern but knowing what it meant to me. "Come on, Hachiro. You can do this."

  I nodded, taking a deep breath as I tried to steady myself. Since I’d started I knew I couldn't give up. Not when Aiko was counting on me.

  With a grunt, I managed to get to my knees. The pain was excruciating, but I refused to let it stop me. I took another deep breath, trying to focus on anything but the agony coursing through my body.

  Aiko reached down, offering me her hand. I took it, using her strength to pull myself the rest of the way to my feet. My bad leg buckled beneath me, and I would have fallen if it weren't for Aiko's support.

  She helped hold me upright, the rest of my weight on the one good leg I had left. Tears welled up in my eyes, the pain almost too much. But I refused to crumble. I couldn't show weakness in front of Genta.

  He stood there, watching us with a smirk on his face.

  "Pathetic," he said, voice dripping with disdain. "You're both so weak. It's almost laughable. This lovey-dovey shit you have going on, man? It’s lame! You’re just going to die, so why does it matter so much if you stand?”

  "Don't listen to him, Hachiro," Aiko said. "We're not weak. We're strong."

  I corrected her. “You are.”

  She smiled. “You’re stronger than you think, and you know it. Let’s retreat to the house.”

  I nodded, not wanting to, but knowing we had to.

  With Aiko's help, I turned and started hobbling towards the house. Each step sent a jolt of excruciating pain through my leg, but I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

  Aiko’s strong arm supported me, her grip tight and reassuring.

  The zombies followed, their movements slow and lumbering. We moved just barely faster than they did, but every inch we gained felt like a small victory.

  Genta walked among his undead friends, voice carrying through the air as he hurled nasty insults at us. His arrogant words felt like a constant barrage, each one stinging more than the last.

  "You're the pathetic ones!” he sneered. "Look at you, limping along like wounded animals! What do you think, getting to the house will save you?”

  I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the pain in my leg and the anger building inside me. I knew he was trying to get under my skin, to break my resolve, and I knew he was wasting time.

  His sickening aura slowly killed us, all while dozens of new zombies made their way from the woods. Genta continued his taunts, voice growing louder and more vicious.

  "You think you can escape me? I’m going to kill you both! And then I'll take over this world, and everyone will bow down to me. I will be Genta, Emperor of Kagawa, then of all Japan!”

  I could feel the rage building inside, but I knew I couldn't let it consume me. I had to stay focused. I had to keep moving forward.

  Aiko's grip on my arm tightened as we approached the house. I could see the front door, just a few more painful steps away.

  Behind Genta came his reinforcements. Dozens of slow-moving undead would soon surround the house even if we made it inside.

  Then it would simply be a waiting game. We would sit around until we died.

  I lost my grip on reality and slumped against the front door, blood dripping from my nose again. I felt just like I had back at the apartment. My head was full of pressure but also lightheaded. I was nauseas, ready to vomit and pass out.

  Aiko slammed on the door, yelling, "Mio! Let us in!"

  Each time her fist hit the wood it sent a pounding tsunami through my head. Finally, the door swung open and we stumbled inside.

  Genta's taunting was muffled. "You can't hide from me in there! It's only a matter of time before I kill you!"

  I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sound of his voice. I felt my body growing weaker, and I knew I didn't have much time left.

  Aiko knelt beside me, her face etched with concern. "Hachiro, stay with me!"

  Her reassurance was welcoming, but it wasn't enough. The love she gave me could no longer pull my spirits through what was happening. I was dying.

  I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sound of Genta's voice. I could feel my body growing colder, and I knew I was slipping away. I hoped Aiko could find a way to stop him before it was too late.

  Mio was crying. That stupid woman was getting on my nerves even in the last moments of my life. I couldn't believe I had been so nice to her, and she'd caused all this.

  If not for Mio, we would have been able to fend off this attack from the house as one unifying group.

  "Stop crying!" I yelled.

  She didn't.

  Aiko comforted me. Just a few minutes earlier she had been the one lying here being bandaged. Now Chiemi, Yuki, and Ryotaro were all dead, and I would be next.

  I looked up at the ceiling and at Aiko's beautiful face. I was on the floor, eyes squinted, fresh blood stuck to my chin and my neck. The bullet-proof vest constricted my rapid breaths.

  "Hachiro," she said, "it's… Haru… he's…"

  I couldn't make out the words she said to me. Zombie hands thundered against the house, dumbly trying to push their way in. Mio was still crying. Genta's sickening aura pounded in my head.

  I held onto Aiko's hands and tried to drown it all out. I tried to focus. I tried to stay alive, but reality kept slipping in and out of a hazy black nothingness.

  Genta's muffled laughter pierced through. It was cruel and twisted.