Un-dead

"Arrrrghhh!"

"Hugh!? Tch."

When I got back inside the mansion, what welcomed me was a bunch of undead.

Damn it! Did they enter through the back!? Then, that means... the guards there are already...

No, it can also mean that the mercenaries who escaped there might have deliberately let the gate open or they're still deliberately luring undead in.

"Looks like there's still more trouble..."

I said that as I cleared up the undead in the vicinity. After this, I should verify the safety of our escape route. It's all over if we get ambushed there.

Dashing through the corridors, I arrived at the lounge, the place where everything earlier transpired. However, what I saw there shook me. There was only one, living or dead, that was standing there.

"Jean...?"

When I murmured softly, Jean... No, Jean who turned into an undead turned to me. A huge bite mark was visible on his cheeks. So that's where he was bitten, huh?

But it's weird. Didn't he die earlier already? Or perhaps, you can still reanimate even after death? Well, I have no way to confirm that now. I thought of that as I looked at Jean who became an undead.

Why wasn't he moving? Not planning on attacking either? He simply looked at me with lifeless eyes. But that didn't last for long as he tried to open his mouth. I thought it was an action of biting but it was different.

"...L...eo...n"

"!?"

I didn't hear the usual moans of an undead from him, instead he called out my name, well, he tried. The letters were broken apart but he definitely spoke.

"Jean? Are you still alive?"

I asked, trying to confirm what was going on. But he didn't respond. Is this another variant?

As I was wondering what Jean was, he tried to open his mouth again but this time was different.

"L...eon...Le....on...L.....eon.....L...eo....n...Leo.....n!!!!!"

He tried to say my name a few times before his mouth hung open, saliva and blood mixedly dripping down the corners of his mouth like a rabid dog.

"Shit!"

Damned recurring villains!!!

That moment, he lunged at me like an animal. it was so fast that according to my reaction time logic, I wasn't able to dodge despite seeing him.

The way he pounced at me resembled a lion but he did it with just two feet... Because of that, I was pinned to the ground.

"Ughh... gross..."

Some of his blood dripped in my cheeks but I did my best to avoid it going anywhere inside my mouth or nose. However, contrary to my expectations, he didn't try to bite me.

"...W- wha...! Aghhh...!"

He covered my neck with his hand and squeezed it, trying to choke me. I desperately tried to remove his hand as I was about to lose consciousness but I was only able to move them by an inch or so.

D...amn it... I'll die from this? No... that's right... feet...!

I mustered up my remaining strength and brought my feet together before kicking him.

"Haaah! Aghh...!"

It sent him a few meters away from me but that wasn't enough, he was about to stand up again, and faster at that!

Picking up the AK-47 that I dropped from afar, I had a dumb idea to switch to auto mode. When I actually fired it, however, I couldn't handle the recoil and my finger was still locked on the trigger so I couldn't stop it.

My aim shifted upwards to the left, I was able to hit his feet to his chest but I completely missed his head!

"What a luck..."

When the magazine emptied, I threw the rifle down and unholstered my own Glock-19 pistol until I heard Jean again.

".....L...eo....n...Leo.....n!!!!!"

He didn't have any feet anymore but that didn't stop him, he used his hands, even though they were also already damaged, to crawl to me while muttering my name.

If he could speak other words, he'd probably curse me. Seeing him reduced to that state, I wasn't sure what to feel.

At first, I did everything I could to reach a conclusion where he would just give up but when I realized that wasn't possible, I just accepted that a day would come when I would have to kill him myself or he would kill me.

But in the end, Luis and his entourage appeared and it came to this. To be honest, a hand-to-hand combat fight with me and Jean wasn't outside my predictions.

While thinking of that, I racked the slide of my pistol and pointed it at his head.

"L...eon...Le....on..."

Now, what did I feel, seeing Jean reduced to this? I was relieved. Now I'm sure of what I'm feeling. When I recognized that Jean was a threat to us, I quickly came up with methods regarding how I could stop him, and then, it slowly evolved into erasing him.

But that was just my logical side, in the end, my moral and emotional perspectives still fought and nearly won. Though, now that I've already killed someone, that doesn't matter anymore.

"I'm not sure what place you'll go to after this or if you're already there... But if you are watching this, then... Nail this into your mind... I won, Jean."

I won... Right, that's what this is from the beginning. That's how he saw things and perhaps that's also how I did too after I fought against him.

Ahh... How great that feels...

I pulled the trigger and after he was shot in the head, Jean stopped moving for good.

"Leon?"

Once again, I heard my name but this time, it was a beautiful voice from a girl that was free of malice. When I turned in that direction, I saw Claire and Aunt Amelie carrying bags.

"Is that..."

"Yeah, he managed to get turned but I already killed him."

"His legs were gone..."

"I didn't know using full-auto feels pretty good, even though I messed up the trajectory...~"

"...Seriously, you..."

I quickly shifted my expression and joked around to ease Claire's worry. Damn, she's really sharp when it comes to my feelings.

"Seems like you guys are ready."

"Yeah, food, water, a few clothes and other necessities. Then finally, the weapons."

When I took some of the bags and carried them myself, Claire explained what they were. As I did that, Aunt Amelie spoke next and asked me.

"What was the situation outside?"

"Doomed."

"Eh?"

"Their numbers are uncountable, even if we somehow got the energy to defend this place, our ammo would get depleted before all that."

"Then, is there anyone else who-"

"Maria explained it to me."

Aunt Amelie was still a bit worried about the men. I see, now I understand why they're all like that.

"They were raised well, huh?"

"...Yes... although, it is a bit frustrating that they had such resolve."

"You got that right."

"Then, Maria too..."

"No, I asked her specifically to come with us."

"...I see."

For some reason, Aunt shot me an understanding gaze before smirking as if saying, 'You're such a sinful man, fufun~'.

It was rather annoying but I just played with it. If there's anyone who didn't though, that would be Claire who was already emitting a cold atmosphere after understanding the situation.

"Leon seduced another girl without my knowledge..."

"Can you not talk like that 'jealous childhood friend whom the main character still hadn't tried to confess because he's a coward' archetype!?"

"Doesn't that perfectly sum up our relationship, though?"

Claire glared at me as if to say, 'So you're self-aware?'

Now that I think about it, doesn't being self-aware make it even worse?

"Now now, you two, rest is over. We have to move now."

Fortunately, Aunt Amelie interjected and reminded us of our current situation.

"Y- you're right! We should get moving now!"

"..."

"T- that's right! We should get Maria first!"

"..."

Claire was still glaring at me because of the sudden revelation earlier which made it awkward. Thankfully, she finally dropped it and shifted her expression to normal again before speaking.

"Haah... So our escape route would be at the back, right?"

"Yeah, I already told Maria so we can just wait for her over there...!?"

""!?""

As I was trying to explain our plan, a loud explosion came from the courtyard... No way...!

"Ah wait, Leon!"

Claire tried to stop me but I already ran as fast as I could back to the entrance, however, when I arrived I found that the door was closed. I proceeded to try opening it but it was Aunt who stopped me.

"Aunt?"

"Look, outside."

When Aunt said that softly with a grim expression, I moved over to the windows and saw hell. The courtyard was already infested with the undead, and the few remaining guards who were still shooting were cornered and devoured by the undead.

There were still some people in the watchtower throwing grenades as if it was a last stand but I couldn't find Maria there...

"Damn it...!"

"Leon... we have to go now..."

"..."

"Mom's right... at least, before they notice us..."

Maria being alive is only a chance, no, a hope. The entire front is already infested. Still, I'd like to believe. Please be alive, Maria.

Giving a last look at the scene, I was about to turn my back before I locked eyes with one of the men atop the watchtower. If I'm not mistaken, that was the one who gave me a thumbs-up earlier.

I see, so that idiot was still kicking... But this would be it...

However, when he saw me peeking at the window, he smiled and once again, raised his hand and formed a thumbs-up.

"..."

Ahahaha... What an idiot, indeed.

"Leon?"

Claire who saw me smiling asked me worriedly. Well, I guess smiling like this would be weird after the expression I just made earlier. But I simply patted her head and spoke.

"Let's go, out of here."

The mother and daughter nodded at my words and we made our way out of the mansion.