Shirogane Aya - Carrying Her Burden

No matter how long she called out, a response never came.

Ryu was gone.

Aya's body slowly lifted from the ground, her eyes swollen and puffy from her tears as darkness descended onto the school as she heard conflict downstairs.

'It sounds like Mr Kazuya and Miss Nagoya stopped being irresponsible...'

She gave a fleeting look back to the school, biting her lip, filled with complex emotions and thoughts as she rubbed her fingers against the ring he begrudgingly bought due to their family's engagement.

The name Shirogane Ryu was engraved as a joke when they were drunk...

'Stupid... Exchanging surnames... so neither school was left without an heir... Idiot...'

Not brave enough to whisper to speak the words, her finger traced several letters on the useless smartphone and pressed send before turning to leave.

A small passage left as her steps grew distant.

One she believed might never be sent as the screen faded back to the lock screen showing [Low-Battery] and [Low-Signal] for the first time since the gates opened...

Because they were now closed temporarily!

***

Her eyes scanned the lower floor and saw the remains of several bags of food, now sprawled across the floor, causing Aya to feel a seething rage before Mari grabbed her arm and quickly shook her head.

"Mari?"

"Shhh!"

With a finger on the plump little desk otaku's pink lips, she nudged her head towards the two teachers and a large boy, who was eating like a ravenous beast.

"Haruki! Stop eating. That food is for everyone to survive, please?"

Miss Nagoya was gentle, her soft voice and hands pulling at his arms, trying to stop him as his teeth bit through the dried ham without care.

'Something is not right...'

"Miss Nagoya... I'm so h...hungry... it won't go away...." Haruki's voice was strange, slightly slurred as if drunk or feverish.

'...'

Aya's sharp eyes began to narrow, her abdomen flowing with a brilliant white light, a golden colour dancing in the depths as she saw a small wound on the boy's throat.

"Mari, rush to the nearest door and grab enough food for at least 3 days." She whispered, grasping her sword and stepping forward.

Her eyes closed, sensing the people around her body as their hearts beat rapidly, a strange melody that caused her head to throb.

'Four infected, one special enemy, two pregnant women.'

Once Aya accepted her Divine Hero System, she could hear and sense a person's state with a moment of concentration.

This included both pregnancy, illness and infection.

Her foot inched forward, holding the handle of her sword tight, but she lacked a way to get Miss Nagoya's attention to warn her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her cultivation technique. The Divine Angel Absorption Technique.

The holy qi began swirling through her body, cleansing her of all dirt and impurities, turning her insides a light gold and silver colour, and empowering her muscles.

However, her body felt the pressure almost instantly.

'I have to hit him with one blow...'

'If only Ryu were here. His style is more suited to deadly blows.'

Slowing her breathing, she lowered her hips, pushing down on her blade as she inched closer to the boy.

"Haruki that meat..."

"Grrrr....shut up!" He lashed out, sending Miss Nagoya flying backwards, her chest buttons torn, letting her heavy breasts free, causing most of the males to grow excited.

However... out of Aya's control, Mr Kazuya lunged forward and punched the boy with a loud thud.

Shinji was standing on the other side, his eyes watching the scene becoming even more concerned upon seeing Aya's face and holding her sword so tightly in a quick drawing stance.

*Thud*

The scene became chaotic as the male teacher, in jealousy, began beating the boy, the blood from his face spurting out as his nose shattered.

An otaku boy standing no chance against a grown man who trains daily and was an amateur boxer.

His eyes opened, and seeing Aya move closer, he was certain something was wrong.

"Shit, she can sense the zombies... That fat kid is wrong! I need to escape; isn't Mari collecting food and supplies?"

Aya shifted forward, her eyes golden with no time to waste. She began to rush forward, "Move! He's not huma-"

A huge chunk of human meat flung past her face, coating her body in warm, sticky blood. In her eyes, a huge mouth with hundreds of sharp teeth began to devour the other half of her body with wet, sickening chomps.

"Eh!?" Miss Nagoya's voice was quiet before a shrill scream followed. "Nooooooo!!!!"

Her voice was like a pistol shot at the start of a race, spelling the start of panic and terror as the huge mutant "Haruki" stood with a body over 2 metres tall and extremely obese with a shaking stomach filled with sharp teeth.

"Kyaaaaa!!"

"Ruun!"

"We're All going to fucking die!!!"

"Monster!!!"

The monster grabbed a stray girl's arm before dragging her screaming into his body and swallowed her whole, the teeth slowly piercing her body as she was devoured.

Aya lost the advantage as the monster's black eyes locked onto her. It felt like she became a delicious meal as it drooled. Her eyes widened as puss and dark ooze leaked from the monster's eyes and mouth.

The Divine Angel Absorption technique spun rapidly through her body, empowered her as her blade rose and the muscles on her legs tightened, her foot stepping forward and then...

'You can do this... You can do this... Ryu...'

Her hair fluttered gently as her blade cut through the air, and her leg stepped forward, releasing the shining blade from her sheath with a howl of wind as she aimed for its neck.

"Ugh"

*Thud*

She spat out a mouthful of blood.

Her sword had successfully cut, but the zombie's strength was far too strong, catching her with a backhand, causing her cheek to crack with blood oozing from the impact. Its flesh had regenerated, healing the injury before her sword could slice through.

'Again'

Her body had not recovered but still stepped forward, ignoring the pain. Her heart throbbed, and her mind screamed to run, but she could not give up.

"Ryu, you bastard, you said you'd return. So where are you? I don't know what to do when you don't say stupid shit to me!" Biting her lip, she lunged forward, twisting her body, before seeing Mari standing stunned in its path.

"Move!"

"Eh?!"

Mari's body was pushed, the creature's hand reaching out and grabbing Aya's petite body. Its skin was cold, and its breath stank. Aya's ribs were wounded as a woman's body dropped, missing her head and upper body beside her.

"Ugh... Mari... run...."

"Aya!?"

"Come, Mari; it's too late for her!"

Shinji was carrying two huge bags shoulder before pulling Mari away; he wasn't going to die for no reason as for all, they knew, she was infected as the blood was pouring from her abdomen, and her sword lay bent and cracked on the ground.

'Ah... finally, they are already gone...' Her body filled with pain as she aimed her left hand towards the huge mouth of the mutant that opened its mouth wide, layer upon layer of sharp teeth, a disgusting smog of breath flooding from its mouth.

"Fuck off!"

*Crack*

*Crack*

White holy light began to coat her finger, filling the school with beautiful light and illuminating the zombie's ugly and decaying skin.

This technique was part of a combination she received when gaining her cultivation, starting with an uppercut, then a sweeping kick, and a barrage of heavenly blows.

The ending... was an ability called.

⟪Radiant Crusade⟫

Divine energy gathered into her palm as a golden light spread, creating a beautiful light covering her palm.

Before a huge shockwave assaulted the huge monster's body, a blinding light filled the Gym and destroyed the western wall facing the schoolyard.