Chapter 29

Kaori crept through the crack, her slender figure just about fitting through. With his heart racing, Kai trailed closely after, holding onto his staff firmly.

The yomigaeri crashed into the opening with outrage and hunger burning in their lifeless eyes. In a desperate attempt to approach their prey, their rotting corpses were forced into the opening and their limbs tore at the air. They pushed ahead.

Running to get away from the creatures, Kai and Kaori hurried along the alley, their feet flying over the debris.

The corridor led to a large courtyard where the skeletal ruins of a once-proud structure dominated the middle. The building was reduced to a mere framework made of brick and steel, with the walls disintegrating in certain areas and the roof having long since collapsed.

With their hearts pounding, Kai and Kaori skidded to a halt and took in their surroundings. Not far behind were the yomigaeri, their groans and screams resonating through the wreckage like an ominous chorus.

Kai's gaze was drawn to a stairway that led to the building's upper levels in the distance.

Kai looked at Kaori and gestured to the stairs. They both ran towards the twisted, corroded steps without saying anything.

When they got to the foot of the stairwell, Kai turned and swung his staff like a scythe through the air, catching hold of the first yomigaeri, sending its head thudding down with a horrific sound.

Undeterred by their fallen buddy, the beasts shouted, their fury and frustration building.

As severed head of the Yomigaeri lay motionless on the floor and its body still aggressively chasing. The monster was not silent. Its twisted mouth released a low, guttural moan, a terrifying reminder of the inhuman evil they were facing.

Kaori and Kai let out a desperate cries and started to climb the stairs, their feet banging against the corroded metal steps. The yomigaeri trailed behind, closing the distance with growls that resounded up the small stairs.

The two bolted skyward, their bodies straining to the breaking point, their breath coming in jagged gasps. The weight of the steps made them creak and groan, and the sound of rusted metal mixed with the yomigaeri's groans.

As they arrived at the landing, they struggled to gain support while pulling themselves up.

The yomigaeri lunged upward, their decaying limbs reaching for the two. The bodies of the monsters were packed close to one another; their hunger and desperation gave them power.

In an attempt to get away from the creatures' reach, Kai and Kaori clambered up the stairs, their feet slipping on the corroded steps. As they arrived at the next landing, they rounded a bend with their hearts racing.

A thick steel door with old locks that were long since inefficient loomed ahead. With optimism brimming in their hearts, the two dashed towards it.

As the yomigaeri surged upwards, their fingers scrabbling for purchase, Kai and Kaori threw themselves against the heavy steel door, desperation fueling their strength. The creatures were mere feet away, their rancid breath washing over the pair as they struggled to force the door open.

The lock seemed to resist with all its might, its ancient mechanism refusing to yield to their frantic efforts.

Kai's fingers tightened around the his staff knuckles white with effort as he struggled to break the lock open.

With a primal growl, Kai gave the door one last heave. The lock clicked open with a loud metallic clang, the sound like a gunshot in the tense silence just as the yomigaeri lunged forward.

The door swung inward, revealing a narrow gap that seemed impossibly small for the two to squeeze through.

Without hesitation, Kai and Kaori lunged through the opening, their bodies contorting into impossible shapes as they forced their way inside. Their movements were frantic, every heartbeat filled with terror as they sought to escape the yomigaeri's clutches.

But the creatures were relentless.

The undead horde surged forward like a wave of rotting flesh, their insatiable hunger driving them onwards. The first of them lunged through the gap, its decomposing teeth snapping hungrily at the pair.

The yomigaeri screamed and writhed on the other side as Kai forced the door shut behind him, their rotting limbs getting trapped. The creatures' screams of rage reverberated down the stairway as they let out an unearthly wail.

The gaunt figure of the first yomigaeri twisted and distorted as it strained to get through the tight space in the entryway. Stung by their hunger, the others pressed up against the door, their fingers ripping and clawing at the poor thing.

In their frenzy, the yomigaeri pulled and tugged at the creature, their inhuman strength tearing through the rotting flesh with sickening ease. The two survivors were in danger of losing their lives due to the overwhelming stink of rot and death.

The door remained in place, the strong metal structure creaking beneath the yomigaeri's constant attack. The yomigaeri tugged and pushed their undead undead kind but their attempts to break through the old barrier were ineffective.

With their breath still laboring, Kai and Kaori witnessed in terror as the swarm outside tore at their flesh, eager to get to the living flesh beyond. However, the very door that they had forced open foiled the yomigaeri and their attempts.

With snarls and howls, the creatures withdrew, their hunger momentarily satiated by their own ripped flesh.

Kai and Kaori exited from the narrow gap into an open street following their terrifying encounter with the yomigaeri. The terrifying cries of the creatures were fading in the distance, so for the time being they were safe.

With their bodies still shaking from the chase's intensity, the two let out a sigh of relief. They were relieved to find the abandoned space quiet, and when they collected themselves, they were able to look about for the first time.

Even though they had avoided the horrors of the undead, they still had to get supplies.

Kai and Kaori were dragged further into the shadows of the abandoned city by the narrow opening that had taken them off their intended route. Their supply search had taken an unexpected turn, leaving them on an unknown path with hazards and perils that weren't estimated.