Akira pressed his back against the wall, crowbar gripped tightly in his hand. The school had fallen into absolute chaos—screams echoed from classrooms, bodies littered the tiled floor, and the infected roamed in clusters, drawn to every new sound.
A few meters ahead, an infected teacher stumbled forward, jaw slack, eyes milky. The front of his uniform was soaked in dark, glistening crimson.
Tatsu inhaled sharply beside him.
Akira knew what he was thinking—that was our math teacher.
But there was no room for hesitation.
Akira motioned with two fingers, signaling Tatsu to stay low. He crouched, inching forward with the crowbar raised. His heart pounded, but his mind was eerily calm, already calculating the force needed to crush the infected’s skull in one blow.
He waited until the creature lurched forward.
Then he swung.
The sharp, metallic crack of skull against iron echoed through the hall. The creature staggered, gurgling, before collapsing in a twitching heap.
Akira wasted no time. He wiped the blood off the crowbar and turned back to Tatsu.
“We move. Now.”
Tatsu exhaled through his nose, gripping his makeshift chair leg club. “You’re scaring me, man.”
“Good.” Akira started forward again. “Fear keeps you alive.”
The school was a battlefield of flesh and shadows.
Bodies—some still twitching—lay in the hallways. Blood smeared the walls. The occasional infected shuffled aimlessly, jaws snapping at the air.
Akira moved like a ghost, searching for anything useful. He had read about scavenging strategies before:
- Prioritize weapons.
- Stockpile first-aid.
- Find tools that serve multiple purposes.
In a nearby janitor’s closet, he found a box cutter, duct tape, and a hammer. Not great, but it was a start.
“We need bags,” he muttered.
Tatsu nodded, running into the next classroom. He emerged with two backpacks. “One of them had snacks. Hope you like potato chips.”
Akira didn’t care about food yet. He found an emergency fire axe in a locked case, smashing it open with the crowbar.
Tatsu whistled. “Now that’s a weapon.”
Akira handed him the axe. “Take it.”
Tatsu hesitated. “You sure?”
“I have the crowbar. You’re stronger. Swing fast, aim for the head.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Tatsu took it with a grim nod. They were past the point of debating morality.
Reaching the school entrance was impossible. The infected swarmed near the gates, drawn to the sound of students screaming for help. Most were dead already.
That left one option.
“The roof,” Akira decided.
Tatsu frowned. “And then what? We jump?”
Akira scanned the school’s layout. The next building over was the gymnasium, its rooftop only a few meters lower than the main school building. If they could find a way down from there, they had a chance.
They climbed the stairs carefully, avoiding the occasional wandering infected. When they reached the door to the rooftop, Akira stopped.
“Wait.”
Tatsu froze. “What?”
Akira ran his fingers over the lock. It was latched from the inside. Someone had barricaded it.
Which meant someone was already up there.
He knocked lightly. “Anyone there?”
Silence.
Then, suddenly—a gunshot.
The bullet shattered the wood inches from Akira’s face. He barely had time to react before Tatsu grabbed him and yanked him aside.
“Shit! Shit! They’re shooting!”
A voice—shaky, male—shouted from the other side. “S-Stay back! Don’t come up here!”
Akira exhaled, mind racing. Humans. That was worse than zombies.
He chose his next words carefully. “We’re not infected. We’re just trying to get out of here.”
A pause. Then the door cracked open slightly. A pair of fearful eyes stared back at them.
It was a younger student—Haruto Nomura, the quiet kid from the robotics club. He held a rusty revolver, his hands trembling.
“You’re… alive?” Haruto muttered.
“For now,” Akira replied. “Are you going to let us up, or are you going to waste another bullet?”
Haruto hesitated, then stepped back. The door swung open.
Akira and Tatsu slipped inside.
The rooftop was empty except for Haruto and one other student—Sayaka Morioka.
Akira barely knew her, but her reputation was infamous. Sayaka was the coldest, most calculating person in school. A straight-A student, daughter of a high-ranking politician, and a girl who could manipulate anyone with a single sentence.
Right now, she sat on a metal bench, arms crossed, eyes like ice. She wasn’t scared. She was analyzing them.
Akira met her gaze. “You two have been up here since the outbreak started?”
“Yes,” Sayaka answered. “The roof was the safest place.”
Haruto fidgeted beside her. “W-We saw what happened inside. It was… bad. But Sayaka said waiting was smarter than running.”
Akira took that in. “She’s right. But staying here forever isn’t an option.”
Sayaka narrowed her eyes. “And you have a better plan?”
Akira nodded. “We’re heading to the subway. Underground is safer. Less exposure.”
Sayaka considered it. “How do you know the subway isn’t overrun?”
“I don’t,” Akira admitted. “But I know what happens to people who stay put. They die.”
Haruto swallowed hard. Sayaka remained silent, studying him. Then, finally—
“I’m coming with you.”
Akira glanced at Haruto. The kid hesitated but nodded.
“T-Then I will too.”
Akira sighed in relief. Numbers meant survival.
But he also knew this meant more risks, more personalities, and more danger.
And soon, the real horrors would begin.
They moved quickly. The sun was beginning to set, and nighttime meant death.
Akira checked the edge of the rooftop. The gymnasium rooftop was just below. If they timed it right, they could jump.
He tested the ledge first, balancing himself. It was just three meters down.
He jumped.
Landing hard, he rolled to break his fall. It hurt like hell, but nothing broke.
“Come on!” he called.
Tatsu followed, then Haruto. Sayaka hesitated last but finally jumped, landing with practiced ease.
They made it.
Now, they just had to find a way off the gym roof.
But then—
A deep, wet growl rumbled from below.
Akira tensed.
The infected inside the gym had heard them.
Then something slammed against the rooftop door.
And this time, it wasn’t just a normal infected.
A clawed hand ripped through the wood.
Something huge was trying to break through.
Akira’s heart pounded. This wasn’t just a regular infected.
It was something worse.
And it was coming for them.