Chapter 26

In the quiet solitude of the Sojutsu Club dojo, Rei twirled her yari, her movements practiced and precise. Each thrust and parry echoed in the empty space, a testament to the years she had dedicated to honing her skill.

 This clubroom, once her mother's alma mater, as she twirls the Yari around she felt like an extension of herself, a comforting weight in her hand. Sweat beaded on her forehead, glistening like morning dew under the harsh fluorescent lights.

After a final flourish, Rei lowered the yari, her breath coming out in a satisfied sigh. The familiar ache in her muscles was a welcome reminder of the hard work she put in, a dedication she shared with her mother, a woman who had instilled in her the discipline and grace of sojutsu.

Stepping out of the dojo, she headed towards the locker room, the rhythmic click of her shoes against the polished floor the only sound breaking the silence. As she peeled off her sweaty practice clothes, the shrill ring of her phone startled her.

Fishing it out of her pocket, she saw a text message notification, the sender's name making her heart skip a beat. "It's from senpai," she murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Will, her kind and considerate senpai, had been a ray of sunshine in the often dreary world of high school. 

His goofy smile and gentle nature were a welcome contrast to the arrogant and self-absorbed Takashi, who had recently occupied too much space in her thoughts.

As she unlocked her phone, her smile faltered, replaced by a frown of confusion. The message, devoid of its usual warmth, was short and to the point: "Rabid humans are biting people, kill on sight, aim for the head."

Her brow furrowed. This wasn't like Will. He wouldn't send such a cryptic and disturbing message without an explanation. 

A knot of worry formed in her stomach. Was this some kind of weird joke? Or was there something more sinister at play?

Rei reread the message, searching for some hidden meaning, some clue to its true intent.

 But the words remained stark and unyielding, sending a shiver down her spine. The playful banter and shared stories she had exchanged with Will over the past few weeks seemed to fade away, replaced by a chilling sense of unease.

Suddenly, the silence of the hallway felt oppressive, the fluorescent lights casting an unsettling pallor on everything around her. The familiar dojo, once a place of comfort and routine, now felt like a cage, the walls closing in on her.

With a newfound sense of urgency, she grabbed her phone and dialed Will's number. The dial tone echoed in her ear, each ring stretching into an eternity. As the voicemail picked up, the weight of the situation settled upon her. This wasn't a joke. Something was terribly wrong, and Will, her kind and gentle senpai, was somehow caught in the middle of it.

Rei hung up, her resolve hardening. She wouldn't sit idly by while her friend, the only person who truly understood her, might be in danger. Armed with nothing but her yari and the fighting spirit instilled in her by her mother, she stepped out of the locker room, ready to face whatever awaited her beyond the dojo doors. 

The dojo door creaked open, and Rei's breath caught in her throat. Standing there, his face etched with panic, was Takashi.

"Hey, Takashi, what's wrong?" she blurted out, concern lacing her voice as she studied his disheveled appearance.

Takashi, ignoring her question, grabbed her hand roughly. "Come on," he barked, his voice tight with urgency, "we're getting out of here."

The sudden yank sent a jolt of pain through Rei's arm. "Takashi, you're hurting me!" she exclaimed, trying to pull her hand free.

"What's going on, Takashi?" Hiashi, who had been practicing nearby, approached them, his voice laced with confusion. His gaze darted between Takashi's frantic demeanor and Rei's pained expression.

Takashi spared him a fleeting glance. "Some people at the school gate just got killed. It's too dangerous to stay here," he declared, his words tumbling over one another.

Hiashi's eyes widened. "Seriously?" he questioned, disbelief coloring his voice.

"What would I stand to gain from lying about this?" Takashi retorted, his frustration evident. However, his erratic behavior only fueled the suspicion lingering in the air.

"I never understand what you're thinking—" Hiashi began, but before he could finish, Takashi's hand shot out, aiming for a slap across Rei's face.

With a lightning-fast reflex, honed through years of yari training, Rei ducked just as his hand swung by. "Wh—" Hiashi gasped, his eyes widening in shock as he witnessed the near-slap.

"Shut up and listen!" Takashi hollered at Rei, a vein throbbing in his temple.

Anger surged through Rei. With a swift movement, she snatched the yari leaning against the wall and jabbed its blunt end towards Takashi's chin, connecting with a satisfying thud. The impact sent him stumbling backwards, clutching his jaw in pain.

"I don't know what you're doing, Takashi," Rei stated, her voice cold and firm, "but that doesn't give you the right to hit me."

Hiashi remained speechless, his gaze flitting between the now-stunned Takashi and the resolute Rei, his yari held defensively.

Takashi looked up, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and confusion. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he finally began to explain the chaos that had unfolded at the school gate, his voice devoid of its earlier aggression. 

"Someone was at the school gate," Takashi stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "When the gym teachers went to check it out, something happened. And now those gym teachers are killing each other."

Hiashi stared at him, incredulous. "We're supposed to believe that?" he scoffed.

But before Takashi could respond, Rei stepped forward, her yari held firmly in her hand. "No, it's true," she asserted, her voice unwavering. "My senpai told me the same thing. Rabid humans, biting people, aim for the head."

She held up her phone, displaying the text message from Will for both Hiashi and Takashi to see. The stark words seemed to hang heavy in the air, a testament to the unbelievable reality they now faced.

Hiashi's initial skepticism melted away, replaced by a grimace. "If what you said is true, then we need weapons," he stated, his voice low and serious.

Together, they began their search through the deserted hallways. Hiashi, his mind now firmly focused on survival, spotted a toolbox abandoned against a wall. He rifled through it, his eyes lighting up when he found a baseball bat.

Without a word, he passed it to Takashi. "Here, Takashi," he said, his voice gruff but sincere.

Rei inspected the remaining tools, her gaze settling on a sturdy metal pipe. "How about you, Hiashi?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Hiashi puffed out his chest, attempting a confident grin. "Don't worry, I'm a black belt in karate," he declared, trying to lighten the mood.

Rei didn't return his smile. "Look, Hiashi, I appreciate your confidence, but those things bite. We don't need you grappling one and getting infected."

Hiashi flushed, realizing the recklessness of his earlier bravado. He sheepishly scratched his head and conceded, picking up the metal pipe. "Alright, alright," he mumbled. "Maybe a karate black belt isn't the best defense against...zombie bites."

A heavy silence descended upon them as they continued their search. The once ordinary tools now held the weight of their uncertain future, a stark reminder of the extraordinary circumstances they found themselves in.

Takashi's voice, laced with urgency, broke the heavy silence. "Anyway, let's get out of here," he urged, his eyes scanning the empty hallway.

Rei, however, seemed hesitant. "Let me call the police," she stated, her fingers already reaching for her phone. "My dad is an officer. He might know what's happening."

A humorless chuckle escaped Takashi's lips. "Rules were meant to be broken, right?" His tone implied that relying on established systems might be futile in this new reality.

Despite his words, Rei ignored him, dialing the emergency number with trembling fingers. As the call connected, a wave of relief washed over her. But the relief was short-lived.

"Please wait and call again later," a curt, automated voice declared, shattering her hope. Disbelief clouded her eyes as she stared at the phone, her lips forming a silent question.

Undeterred, she tried another number, desperately seeking someone, anyone, who could help. But the response was the same: "The police emergency line is busy at the moment. Please wait and call again later."

The automated message echoed in the hallway, a cruel reminder of the chaos that had unfolded, leaving them stranded and alone.

"The line is busy? No way..." Rei muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Her grip tightened around the phone, knuckles turning white. The world around her seemed to shrink, the emptiness of the hallway amplifying the weight of the situation.

Suddenly, a crackle filled the air, followed by a low hum. Then, a voice boomed through the speakers, cutting through the silence.

"Attention, all students! Violence has broken out on campus!" the voice declared, its urgency palpable. "Students should evacuate the campus according to their teacher's instructions."

The announcement repeated itself, echoing through the deserted hallways.

Takashi, who had been watching Rei with a mix of concern and frustration, finally broke the silence. "They finally noticed," he commented, his voice dry.

"Students should evacuate campus..." Rei repeated the message, her voice devoid of emotion. However, her eyes held a flicker of terror as they darted towards the windows, her mind already conjuring images of the "violence" unfolding beyond the walls.

The voice on the speakers continued, but it was drowned out by a bloodcurdling scream. It was a sound unlike anything they had ever heard, raw and primal, filled with a desperate plea for help. Following the scream came a sickening crunch, a sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking. The speakers crackled once more before falling silent, leaving behind an unsettling silence even more terrifying than the sounds it had replaced.

Rei shuddered, tears welling up in her eyes. The horror of the situation was finally hitting her, washing over her in a wave of fear and despair. 

The bloodcurdling scream and bone-chilling sounds of the attack sent shivers down their spines. They knew they had to act fast.

"We need to move now!" Hiashi barked, his voice tight with urgency. He took off at a sprint, heading towards the stairs, his black belt and metal pipe a grim reminder of the new reality.

"We aren't running outside?" Takashi questioned, following close behind. "Everyone else is heading that way."

"The classrooms will be flooded with students," Hiashi explained over his shoulder. "Escape through the admin office. Less crowded, hopefully."

As they navigated the deserted hallways, the eerie silence was broken only by the pounding of their footsteps. They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a horrifying sight.

"Isn't that our Modern Japanese teacher, Wakisaka-sensei?" Rei gasped, spotting the familiar figure shuffling towards them, its eyes vacant and its face contorted in a grotesque parody of a human expression.

Before she could react further, Takashi grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "Careful! He's—"

But Rei, fueled by fear and adrenaline, lunged forward. With a practiced twirl of her yari, she met the shambling figure head-on. The weapon, an extension of her body thanks to years of training, connected with the creature's decaying flesh with a sickening thud.

"No! Go away!" she screamed, the terror raw in her voice.

"Rei! Stab him!" Hiashi's voice echoed behind her.

Takashi, finally recovering from his initial shock, joined the fray. "Don't hold back! Just do it!"

Fueled by a primal instinct for survival, Rei unleashed a flurry of attacks. Her training kicked in, each thrust and parry of the yari precise and deadly. The once familiar face of her teacher blurred into a grotesque image of destruction, and she fought with a ferocity she never knew she possessed.

Finally, with a sickening gurgling sound, the creature crumpled to the floor, its lifeless eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Rei stood panting, her uniform stained with blood, the yari still clutched tightly in her trembling hand.

The sight of the lifeless body, once a respected teacher, now just another victim, filled her with a cold dread. She looked at Takashi and Hiashi, their faces etched with a mixture of shock and admiration.

"Let's go," she finally whispered, her voice thick with emotion. They continued their desperate run, leaving the carnage behind, the weight of their actions a heavy burden on their young shoulders.

The pounding of their hearts echoed in their ears as they sprinted towards the admin office. The once pristine hallway was now a macabre tableau, the lifeless body of Wakisaka-sensei serving as a grim reminder of the danger that awaited them.

Suddenly, the shuffling moans grew louder, and several shambling figures emerged from around a corner, blocking their path. Panic surged through them.

Thinking fast, Hiashi let out a guttural yell and charged at the closest zombie, swinging his metal pipe with surprising ferocity. The pipe connected with the creature's leg with a sickening crack, sending it sprawling to the ground. But before Hiashi could capitalize, another zombie lunged, its decaying teeth snapping at him.

"Why is he still moving?!" Hiashi yelled, his voice filled with fear. He frantically tried to pull the pipe free, but it was lodged in the zombie's side, its body still twitching and groaning.

Rei, her adrenaline still pumping from her previous encounter, reacted instinctively. With a swift movement of her yari, she dispatched the surrounding zombies, their moans replaced by the sickening thud of flesh meeting metal.

"Get away from him, Hisashi!" Takashi shouted, charging into the fray. He swung his baseball bat with a ferocity fueled by both fear and a desperate need to protect his classmates. The bat connected with the head of the zombie grappling with Hiashi, sending it flying with a sickening crunch.

Hiashi, shaken but unharmed, stumbled back. "Are you okay, Hisashi?" Takashi asked, his voice strained.

Hiashi, still trying to catch his breath, managed a weak nod. "Yeah, I'm fine."

However, the victory was short-lived. More moans echoed from down the hall, the relentless horde seemingly unending. They knew they had to keep moving.

"We need to reach the admin office, now!" Rei commanded, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands.

With renewed determination, and a silent vow to never let their guard down again, they pushed through the remaining zombies, their weapons carving a bloody path towards their escape route.

As the groaning horde surged towards them, a desperate plan formed in Takashi's mind. "Get to the roof!" he barked, his voice hoarse with urgency.

"The roof?" Hiashi echoed, his confusion laced with fear.

"The astronomy observatory is up there," Takashi explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can hide ourselves until help arrives, hopefully."

Hiashi's brow furrowed. "What the...what the hell is going on?" He stammered, his eyes darting from the approaching zombies to the chaos unfolding around them.

Takashi, ignoring his question, cast a desperate glance at the burning city in the distance. It was as if the world outside had flipped upside down, the familiar cityscape replaced by a scene from a nightmare.

Suddenly, a loud whoosh filled the air, momentarily cutting through the moans and screams. They looked up and saw a squadron of black helicopters skimming the rooftops.

"Blackhawks? The US army?" Takashi questioned, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes.

Hiashi shook his head. "No, that's our SDF," he corrected. "The Self-Defense Force."

Rei, her face pale but determined, spoke up. "But where did they come from? There's no base around here."

Desperation laced Takashi's voice as he cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed, "Save us!"

Hiashi placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice grim. "Don't bother."

Rei, reflecting on her father's words, added, "They wouldn't come all the way out here unless they had a reason to. They're probably on a special mission. They don't have time to save us. They're not even doing anything about this."

Hiashi pointed downwards, where students were running in panicked circles, frantically trying to escape the pursuing horde on the ground floor. "You could try to escape down there, even though it's a total mess."

Staring down at the scene of panicked escape attempts and the relentless pursuit of the undead, the weight of their situation settled upon them. Surrounded by death and despair, the possibility of rescue seemed as distant as the stars they used to observe from the rooftop observatory.

Hiashi, catching his breath after his near-death experience, finally explained his understanding of the situation. "It's them," he stated, his voice tight with a mix of fear and realization. "They infect you with some kind of disease."

Takashi stared at him, a question forming in his eyes. "Them?"

"We're not dealing with movie monsters," Hiashi clarified, his frustration evident. "We're being attacked by corpses, but this is no movie or video game." He gestured towards the fallen figures around them, their bodies now lifeless husks driven by a primal hunger. "So, they're them."

Rei, still shaken by the recent encounter, interjected. "But Hiashi, there are zombies, just like in the movies."

Ignoring her comment, Hiashi continued, piecing together the horrifying reality. "They eat people, and whoever gets bitten comes back as one of them. And, for some reason, the only way to kill them is with a blow to the head."

The weight of his explanation settled upon them like a suffocating fog. Their world, once governed by familiar rules and logic, had been turned upside down.

Rei, her voice barely a whisper, asked the question they all dreaded. "So, what do we do?"

Takashi, his eyes hardening with resolve, looked at the rooftop door. "Get up there," he commanded. "We'll block the stairs and buy ourselves some time."

With a newfound sense of urgency, they charged towards the staircase. But their path was blocked by a group of shambling figures, their eyes vacant and their moans echoing through the hallway. It seemed the infected had the same idea as them - reach the roof and escape.

Rei, without hesitation, sprang into action. Her yari, a familiar extension of her arm, became a deadly weapon as she skewered the approaching figures with practiced precision. Takashi and Hiashi, fueled by adrenaline and desperation, joined the fray, their makeshift weapons connecting with decaying flesh in sickening thuds.

The once pristine staircase was now a battleground, the air thick with the stench of death and the desperate cries of both the attackers and the defenders. It was a brutal fight for survival, with every blow leaving them more exhausted, more emotionally drained, and more acutely aware of the horrifying reality they now faced.

Hiashi's question, "Now what?" hung heavy in the air of the barricaded observatory. The silence, broken only by the muted sounds of the chaos below, felt deafening. Takashi, his face etched with exhaustion, simply muttered, "Now we wait."

Rei, however, couldn't suppress the surge of anger and despair that welled up inside her. "Wait?" she spat, her voice laced with disbelief. "We followed you up here, like idiots, and now you're just saying to wait? Wait for what?"

Takashi, his shoulders slumping in defeat, offered no immediate response. He knew she was right. Trapped in the observatory with limited resources and no clear plan, their situation seemed bleak.

Hiashi, ever the optimist, tried to lighten the mood. "Come on, Rei," he said, forcing a smile. "We're alive, aren't we? That's gotta count for something."

Rei scoffed. "Alive for now," she corrected, her voice filled with a bitter realization. She had trusted their judgment, their supposed plan, and now they were stuck in this metal cage, surrounded by the ever-present threat of the infected.

The hopelessness that threatened to consume her was countered by a flicker of defiance. She wouldn't let this be the end. She wouldn't give in to despair.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her resolve. "Waiting might be what you want to do, Takashi," she declared, her voice stronger now, "but I'm not. I'm not just going to sit here and wait for death to come knocking."

Takashi, finally meeting her gaze, seemed to find a spark of hope in her defiance. Hiashi, too, appeared to shake off his momentary lapse into optimism, his gaze turning serious.

The sound that made their blood run cold wasn't the distant moans of the infected, but the sickening crunch of wood splintering. The makeshift barricade of chairs and tables trembled under the relentless assault, each blow a hammer blow against their fragile hope.

"They're breaking through!" Hiashi shrieked, his voice a mix of terror and desperation. His eyes darted between the barricade and the tools they had gathered, feeling woefully inadequate against the relentless tide.

Takashi, his face grim, grabbed his baseball bat, the wood already dented and stained with the evidence of previous encounters. "We hold them off," he barked, his voice hoarse. "Rei, you need to find another way out. There has to be a hatch, a window, anything!"

Rei, her heart pounding in her chest, didn't need to be told twice. The urgency in Takashi's voice mirrored her own frantic thoughts. She scanned the observatory, her eyes searching for any potential escape route.

In the face of the relentless assault, Takashi's mind raced. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that could give them an edge. He spotted a coiled fire hose hanging in the corner, a spark of inspiration igniting in his eyes.

"We can use this to knock them off the roof!" he yelled, rushing towards the hose. He furiously turned the valve, but instead of a controlled stream, the water pressure unleashed a torrent that threatened to topple them all.

Hiashi, ever the quick thinker, reacted instantly. He lunged forward and grabbed the hose alongside Takashi, their combined strength barely holding it back. Panic surged through them as they struggled to control the gushing water.

Rei, recognizing the dire situation, took charge. Without hesitation, she sprinted towards the valve and slammed it shut. The sudden cessation of the water pressure sent Takashi and Hiashi stumbling but ultimately saved them from being swept off the roof.

Exhausted but relieved, they caught their breath. The makeshift plan had worked, for now. As the remaining infected on the roof were sent tumbling down, Takashi, unable to contain his relief, exclaimed, "Okay, now we have a plan! As soon as they break the barricade, we spray them with water, knocking them off the roof!"

Hiashi, still shaken from the near-water disaster, simply offered a weak nod in agreement. Rei, however, remained silent. The realization of her precarious situation and the weight of the choices she had made began to settle in. A wave of doubt washed over her, mixed with a growing awareness that she might have made a mistake by following Takashi and Hiashi.

Just as the remaining barricade began to splinter under the relentless assault of the infected, Takashi roared, "Now!"

Rei, her heart pounding, turned the valve once more. The powerful stream of water erupted from the hose, wielded by Takashi and Hiashi like a weapon against the approaching horde. They knocked infected after infected off the roof, the sickening thuds echoing below.

A sense of grim satisfaction washed over Takashi. He turned to Hiashi, a hint of pride in his voice, "See, the plan worked!"

Hiashi, still recovering from the earlier chaos, simply managed a weary, "Gotta hand it to you, good idea with the hose."

Their moment of triumph, however, was short-lived. Rei, ignoring their exchange, made a swift decision. "We need to get out of this school," she declared, her voice laced with urgency. "It's the only way we're going to survive."

Without waiting for their response, she turned and began to descend the stairs, leaving Takashi and Hiashi staring after her, their faces a mixture of surprise and a hint of something deeper.

Their descent was fraught with danger. They evaded and fought their way through the halls, their makeshift weapons and newfound desperation fueling their movements. Just as they rounded a corner, they came face-to-face with an unexpected sight.

A man and a girl, both wielding bows, stood poised to attack. In the middle two teachers carrying some supplies and at their forefront, a woman held a shinai, her stance radiating quiet but determined defense.

Rei, her eyes widening in recognition, gasped. "Senpai!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the man and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Relief and joy flooded her face as she held him close.

The man, surprised but relieved to see her, gently patted her head. "I'm glad you're alright, Rei," he murmured, his voice filled with concern.

As they broke apart, the woman with the bow, Sawa, turned to Will, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You're as famous as ever, huh, Will?"

Rei, oblivious to the undercurrent between Sawa and Will, remained focused on her newfound companion. The sight of him, a familiar face amidst the chaos, brought a flicker of hope and comfort.

As the piercing scream echoed through the halls, Kyoko-sensei's expression twisted with fear. "It sounds like it's coming from the teachers' lounge..."

Without hesitation, Will's instincts kicked in. "I'm going in!" he declared, his voice commanding as he grabbed the fire axe, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. "Saeko, with me!"

Saeko nodded, her kendo sword at the ready, her resolve matching Will's. Together, they charged toward the approaching horde, their movements synchronized as they expertly dispatched the zombies that stood in their path.

Rei wasted no time, her spear poised for battle as she and the others rushed to Will's aid. "I've got the left!" she declared, her voice fierce as she plunged into the fray alongside Takashi and Hiashi, their weapons a blur of motion as they fought off the encroaching undead.

Meanwhile, Sawa provided cover from a safe distance, her arrows finding their mark with deadly accuracy as she picked off zombies from afar.

Amidst the chaos and the cacophony of groans and snarls, Will remained focused, his determination unwavering as he pushed forward, his only goal to reach Saya and ensure her safety in the face of the growing threat.