Just as the three are about to enter, Karna grabs Shinta's forearm.

  "Promise me you won't die," he states worriedly. Shinta was his closest friend after all.

  Shinta grins arrogantly, "I don't need to promise you anything to guarantee that. Just trust me."

  Karna lets go hesitantly, looking at him with concern. He watches as Shinta opens the door and the trio enter into the unknown.

  SLAM!

  Lydia slams the door shut behind them and they all turn, ready to fight. Nothing. There was nothing but an empty classroom and backpacks as the only remains of the infected students outside.

  "What...it's empty?" Lydia lowers her scissors and looks around.

  "Looks like luck is in our favor then. No need to fight," Shinta walks around the nearly identical classroom, the only difference was its unusual cleanliness. "How odd...I never considered the fact there'd be nothing in here. That's not important right now. We should try to look for anything useful to us and bring it back to the others."

  Shinta sighs, looking almost disappointed at the sight, but wipes the expression off his face before the other two notice.

  "Well, at least, we don't have the risk of casualties," Lydia whips her head to Rika. Containing herself, she maintains calm composure instead of lashing out. "Rika, go look around the teacher's desk and board."

  Rika just stands defiantly, refusing to move. Angered by her sudden willpower to fight back, Lydia strikes her with the back of her hand with contempt. Rika falls to the floor and looks up at Lydia with shock and fear.

  "Don't make me repeat myself! I said go look over the teacher's desk and board!" Lydia barks commandingly and raises her hand to strike once more. Rika hurriedly gets up and complies quickly, looking over the desk. She lowers her hand and starts rummaging through shelves on the opposite end of the room.

  Shinta looks at Rika's hands trembling in fear and anger looking through all the items available and smiles. Rika clenches her fist as she shakily picks up a binder from the desk.

  "Even in a crisis like this...I'm still treated the same. I'm still treated like I have no worth or value to bring. I'm just a useless servant in her eyes..." Rika glares at Lydia with her back turned. Her expression darkens as an intrusive thought comes to mind. "Right now...she's so vulnerable. If I just make it quick...I won't have to endure the pain anymore, right?"

  She subconsciously picks up the scissors and tightens her grip, the very idea compels her to follow through. Her mind snaps back to reality and Rika drops the scissors, trembling at the thought of doing such a thing.

  "You were thinking about killing her, weren't you?" Shinta whispers in Rika's ear, suddenly appearing behind her. Rika falls back, startled. Shinta's figure looms over her and he smiles at the opportunity.

  "I know, it must be difficult to endure that pain, Rika," he states, words laced with honey. "You deserve your worth. You deserve respect. You deserve the right to get revenge and kill her."

  She shudders at the idea of actually killing another person, let alone at the thought of doing that to Lydia.

  "No...I couldn't possibly..." she quivers at the thought.

  "Rika, you need to consider this. We're in an apocalypse and everyone's most likely dead. You're not going to be reprimanded for killing someone. It'd only be considered self-defense in this case. This is your only chance to do this. To avenge your pride and dignity."

  He whispers in a hushed tone, "I would kill her if I was in your situation."

  "How could you think I'd do such things to another human being? And for something like this? It's so...morally wrong..." Rika avoids eye contact, the very idea challenging her morals and core character.

  "Tell me, then. Did she ever use her morals to consider you as a human being? An equal?"

  "Well...I-I don't-"

  Shinta grins, "That's your answer then. If she treated you like shit for so many years without any regard for you, why is it so 'morally wrong' for you to do the same? You're just getting your own justice," with a snake-like hiss at the end.

  "But still...I am the one to carry that burden if I follow through. What will the rest of the group think of me?" Rika still contemplates her decision, trying not to act too hastily. "I'll become just like her then."

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "This is different. You have a justifiable reason. And if you're worried about what the group will think, I'll cover for you. Because I'm willing to treat you with full respect," Shinta lifts his palm over the right side of his chest. "I promise. You can trust me."

  Looking at the reassuring expression on his face, Rika finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Despite that, the intrusive thoughts only grew louder and louder in her mind.

  "I don't know...if I can trust you," Rika states blatantly. "This is basically our first time speaking to one another. We never interacted much in the past few years."

  "At least I know how to treat you with respect unlike Lydia. And unlike your parents," Rika's eyes flash at the mention of her parents. "I overheard from Lydia. The reason you're even associating with her is to repay the debt your parents put you through by gambling their money away and getting Lydia into a nasty scandal. Otherwise, you'd be free to do as you wish. You're enduring this abuse for them."

  "So what? Who cares about them anyways?" Rika sits up and Shinta moves back, smiling from striking a nerve. She looks away with a bitter expression. "Why does that matter now?"

  "Because I want to show you that I can be better than that. You have a kind heart that was never repaid for and I would want to be the first person to do that. Regardless of whether it is the first time meeting or not, I respect you. That's why I never wanted to associate much with Lydia anyways," Shinta gives Rika a comforting grin. She just gives him a blank stare in return.

  "If you're speaking of kindness, why are you encouraging this kind of deed then?" Rika looks at him with suspicion, her walls still up, but starting to crumble.

  "Because sometimes you can't be kind all the time. Sometimes people don't care no matter how kind you may be. Lydia? She never cared," Shinta shakes his head in disapproval after glancing at Lydia. "You deserve to do this, for everything she's done to make you miserable. This is the only chance you'll ever get."

  A few seconds of silence passes before Rika turns back with a hesitant expression. Her eyes were anxious in contrast to Shinta's eerie calmness.

  "...Will you promise you'll look out for me? And that the group won't hate me for this?" Rika asks, her moral conscience being clouded the more Shinta sings a reassuring tone.

  "Yes. I promise," Shinta smiles.

  Rika sighs and pushes her long, straight hair back before making a major decision.

  "Fine. I'll do it," Rika exhales almost in a defeated manner, but she knew there was no going back after choosing violence as the best option. Shinta smiles and gestures to Rika to keep low so Lydia couldn't see them hiding behind the desk. He grabs the scissors and places them in Rika's hand.

  "She's not looking at the moment. I suggest you make it quick. I'll cover for you," Shinta looks at her with determination. Rika nods and clenches the handle of the scissors.

  "This...this is meant for my justice. Lydia deserves retribution for her actions. I'm not in the wrong, she is. This is what she deserves," Almost trying to reassure herself, Rika stands up and glances at Lydia, back turned. Lydia hums as she rummages through anything she can find in a closet. Rika approaches quietly, slightly trembling.

  Standing behind Lydia, Rika hesitates, but lets her desire overcome her morals, character, and everything she believed in. She raises the scissors slowly, prepared to make the killing blow. Lydia notices the faint silhouette of Rika behind her. Annoyed and confused, Lydia turns around, ready to order Rika around again.

  "Rika, what are you-"

  The gleam of the scissors shone in Lydia's eyes before she quickly raises her arm to guard herself from being stabbed at the throat. Her arms take the brunt of the hit and Lydia yells in pain. She tries to pull her arm back, but Rika slashes a long slit across Lydia's forearm, making her scream louder in agony as the blade slices through her skin. Blood drips from the scissors, the skin on Lydia's arm completely tattered and torn up with blood and flesh. Shocked by Lydia's cat-like reflexes, Rika pulls back her arm before planning to stab again.

  STAB!

  Before Rika could even move, a knife plunges in the back of her neck, instantly paralyzing her. She drops her scissors and tries to grasp her neck.

  "S-shin-"

  STAB!

  Shinta stabs her again in the back before she could utter anything, though the gargling of blood in her voice made it impossible to decipher her words anyways. He stands over the corpse with a calm and cold expression on his face, holding scissors covered in Rika's blood. Lydia falls to the ground in horror with Rika's dead body in front of her.

  "Lydia! Are you okay?" Shinta turns his full attention to Lydia to try and comfort her. She shudders in shock, with little to no response from her. Shinta looks at the long slash over her forearm and takes off his jacket.

  "Goodness. I never knew Rika would do such a thing." he wraps the jacket carefully over her arm. "I guess that's what happens in a moment of desperation. At least she won't be a threat anymore."

  He tightens the jacket and Lydia flinches in pain. Tears started to well up from her eyes as the adrenaline rush wore off and her arm started to sting. She grasps it, now starting to realize the gravity of the situation.

  "Why...why did you k-kill her?" Lydia utters out, feeling nauseous looking at Rika's soulless eyes and blank expression in shock.

  "Obviously, she tried to kill you. Shouldn't you be happy I protected you?" Shinta feigns innocence with a somewhat friendly grin.

  "B-but you killed her...!"

  Shinta grips Lydia's arm and he stares at her, immediately dropping his smile. She winces again in pain.

  "Lydia. I saved you. Had I not been there, Rika would've killed you right on the spot. You shouldn't let your emotions overcome your morals, her death is justifiable. You should be more grateful."

  "Why should I?! You...you could've stopped her or did something else! You killed her, Shinta! You killed Rika!"

  Shinta sighs and shakes his head.

  "I thought I'd get at least some sort of gratitude for saving you. But Rika was right. You really are an ungrateful bitch."

  "Excuse me?! What-"

  Shinta shoves his scissors in Lydia's hands before she could finish speaking.

  "Hold this for me, would you?" he says in an irritated tone. Lydia looks confused why she's holding the scissors, still sitting down next to the corpse, shell shocked. With that moment of confusion, Shinta suddenly sprints to the connecting door, twisting into a face full of panic to the others.

  "What the fuck?! Is everything alright, Shinta?!" Karna leaps off a desk he was sitting on and runs to Shinta.

  "No, it's not!" Shinta almost reveals a small smile. "Lydia...Lydia killed Rika!"