Chapter Text
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||September 1, 20XX ~ 4:47 pm||
《Breathe》
The bunker’s gray walls blended in one another. It was boring, it was drab, it was stale, but it was safe. It was home.
An Shiraishi entered the supply room, flicking the light switch, letting white light illuminate the space. She walked under the flickering lights, returning to her clipboard on an opened crate after a well–deserved lunch break.
Rations were down by twenty percent, the air filters had been recently changed, but the unsettling feeling of dread and anxiety eating away on her mind had nothing to do with numbers nor statistics. It was more on the fact that their designated scout hasn’t returned yet.
The hydraulics shifting in the background however caused goosebumps to line up her skin.
She didn’t immediately turn, instead scribbling over a misspelling to conceal the relief washing over her. “You sure took your sweet time. I was about to call upon the rescue team.”
“Relax, you worry too much. I took the sunny route.”
Akito strided towards the room, slinging off his gas mask. He rubbed his eyes, the bags underneath apparent under the light. Despite the journey, he didn’t seem to be exhausted, moving with the fluid grace he’d developed over the past few months.
Protocol demanded anyone who entered would head to the decontamination showers, but as An expected, Akito didn’t care and went up to a table and plopped a piece of laminated paper on the surface.
“Mapped the place out,” he said, voice dry and raspy. “Managed to find Rui and the others.”
An replaced her clipboard for the paper. The official map of Phoenix Wonderland snatched fresh from the source. Entrances and exits were emphasized with circles drawn over them.
“They’re holed up backstage,” Akito explained, pointing a gloved hand on the hazard signs he drew. ”Those spots are littered with monsters. Best we avoid them.”
An traced a red line that smoothly avoided the danger zones. “Hang on… this leads to the maintenance tunnels, right? Are you sure they’re safe?”
“That’s how I knew where they were hiding. It’s a tight squeeze, but it’s a lot better than being above ground.”
An nodded, her mind already shifting into strategy mode. “Alright, I’ll inform the others, we need Rui, Tsukasa, and Emu back safe as fast as possible before those monstrosities do.”
She smiled, half way of giving him a pat on the shoulder for a good job, but she paused.
Akito disengaged the oxygen tank that was wired to his mask, gently placing it on a row of used canisters.
Out of routine, An crouched down to check the gauge.
98%
The needle hadn’t moved.
“Akito,” An said cautiously. “Did your mask malfunction?”
He froze, one hand in the middle of his jacket’s zipper. “What do you mean?”
“Your oxygen tank’s full.” She stood up, her clipboard forgotten. “That thing only has six hours worth of air inside.”
“So?”
“You’ve been gone for eight. If you weren’t using that, then what were you breathing in?”
For a chilling second, Akito looked like a deer in headlights, his breath abruptly halting in his throat.
“I was feathering it,” he lied smoothly, finding his voice. “I only used it in bursts. The meter’s probably stuck, An. You know this junk—they’re old.”
“This junk is my responsibility! I calibrated your tank this morning!” An snapped, stomping up to close the distance. “I swear if you had your mask off out there, then you’re not just being a dumbass, but you’re breaking every protocol that we’ve set—!”
A harsh, strained sound cut her off.
Akito turned his head away, violently coughing into his elbow. It sounded like pebbles scraping against concrete.
“Akito..? You okay?” An reached out.
He flinched like he was burned, wiping his mouth with the back of his gloved hand.
“Peachy,” he rasped, the green in his eyes dimming. “Just get the team ready, okay? I’m gonna collapse on my bed.”
“You should eat first. I haven’t seen you enter the mess hall this morning.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m not asking. I’m telling you that you should eat.”
“And I’m telling you that I’m not hungry. You have a checklist to go through.”
He turned on his heel, leaving the suspiciously full gas tank behind.
An watched him leave with clenched fists, wondering how he showed no sign of exhaustion. As much as she believed in his capabilities, he isn’t invincible. A limp, a headache, a gasp of air—something.
But no, he moved with a lethal precision that belonged to the wasteland outside rather than the sanctuary of the bunker.
She shivered despite the warmth of the room. She looked at the map again, scanning over the observations and markers that were meticulously drawn all over with impossible confidence given the oxygen tank.
98%...
“Idiot…”
.
.
.
Through the gray walls of the bunker, no place was more dangerous than the armory. It was also the only place that somehow felt a few degrees colder than any other room.
Toya Aoyagi was already there, double checking the calibration of a sniper scope by the designated firing range just a room across. He looked as An entered, racking the bolt back to eject the hot casing, catching it with his bare hand.
Besides him, Nene Kusanagi was pacing around the room anxiously, her metal boots clicking against the floor. She paused mid–stride upon noticing the scroll of paper that An was holding.
“Please tell me he found something,” Nene said, her usual sheepishness was gone, replaced with a terrifying sense of purpose, but the desperation is as clear as the shine of the knife she’s been staring at. “I haven’t received a signal from Rui or anyone in three days.”
“He found them,” An said, laying the map out onto the central table. “They’re bunkered up, hiding backstage.”
Nene outright lunged for the map, immediately focusing on the red line with a raised eyebrow. “The maintenance tunnels? That’s… that’s suicide. Ventilation down there malfunctioned ever since the outbreak. The gas should be fatal. How did he navigate this?”
“That’s what I’m asking,” An mumbled to no one, sparing a glance towards the door.
Lo and behold, Akito walked in as if he was summoned.
He replaced his dusty getup with fresh tactical gear, yet despite what he said about resting, the bags under his eyes and the slight slouch is still evident.
“Either you guys breathe iron under or fight an army on the surface.” He grabbed one of the many rifles posted on a rack, charging the handle back with ease. “Your choice.”
Toya settled the sniper down on a table. “Akito..? You sound terrible. Are you okay?”
“Sorry, I just woke up.” Akito cleared his throat, dragging in oxygen tanks on a cart. “Doesn't matter though, we have friends to save so grab one.”
And so they did. Toya and Nene nodded, reaching for one to attach to their masks.
Except for An, who watched him attach a fresh one—different from the one earlier.
Why are you putting one on? She thought as she attached one of her own. If you didn't need it for eight hours, then why the hell are you using one now?
As alarming as the questions were, she couldn't say it. She couldn't say it to Nene who's already tense from anxiety, and certainly not to Toya who would bench him in Mafuyu's office under the slightest health concern.
“Okay, here's how we're gonna do it,” An announced, arming authority in her voice. “Akito, you take point. You know the way, you lead us through. Toya, you'll be overwatch, cover our blindspots. Nene, you're with me in between, okay? No heroics, no bullshit. We get those three out of there, and get home, understood?”
Toya shouldered his tank, nodding as he slung his sniper around his shoulders. “Of course.”
Nene sheathed her knife. “Ready.”
Akito said nothing, responding with the click of his gas mask sliding into its locks.
An sighed, equipping her own tank as everyone did. She took rifles from the rack and gave one to Nene
An looked at Akito one last time.
I wonder… do you even need any of this? She mused, grabbing a rifle from a rack before tossing it to Nene
“Safety's off, keep your guard up,” An ordered, grabbing a rifle of her own. “Move out.”
.
.
.
Sand, debris, and rot enveloped the land, all lying under bruised purples and blacks that blanketed the sky. The wind was rough, and the air harsh with smog that stuck close to the ground. Yet those who trudged along the wasteland kept their wits as sharp and as lethal as the very ground that awaited their deaths.
Even through the safety of her masks, An could still taste a metallic sting of acid in the atmosphere.
"Visibility's dropping,” Toya pointed out, keeping a steady grip on his sniper. “Keep close, anything could be beyond the fog.”
“Copy,” An replied, adjusting the strap of her rifle. “Keep your heads down. Nene, how are we looking with Rui’s signal?”
Nene kept herself shielded between them, her hand fiddling with a tablet whose screen flickered as the seconds passed. “Silent. I don’t know if it’s because of this thing or the air causing the interference.”
“We’ll find them, we just have to get closer,” Toya reassured, though the burning of his lungs dampened the promise.
Every step was a struggle. One step forward felt like one step sideways. Rubble shifted and sunk unpredictably beneath their boots, the combined weight of their equipment and weapons made walking akin with wading through sludge. Each of their ragged breaths could be heard through the open channel between their walkie–talkies.
Except for one.
Up ahead, however, Akito was ahead of the pack, head high and alert as he stepped onto a knoll of debris.
“Oi, Akito,” An called out. “Slow down, you’re getting too far.”
It wasn't right. As much as the others trained for this, the sheer load of equipment on their backs whilst fighting against gravity restricted much of what their bodies could do.
Yet Akito moved without breaking stride, his silhouette cutting through the smog like butter.
“Someone has to see past the smog,” he reasoned, stepping up even further. “Who knows what we run into?”
I can't hear his breathing through the comms. An's eyes widened in realization. She watched the way he walked over rubble and rebar with ease. He isn't feathering his tank either.
She clicked her tongue in frustration. “Then we deal with them as a team. Move back.”
Akito paused, but An saw the hesitation. He turned his gaze to the side, considering to see if he would follow through with the order. After all, him following the rules goes about as well as adding water to a gas fire. To her surprise, he nodded and slowed down, letting the group catch up.
For several, agonizing minutes, they continued their course towards the maintenance tunnels one step at a time.
Without warning, Akito stopped and raised a fist.
Everyone behind paused and raised their weapons and aiming down their sights.
“You spot something?” Nene asked, her finger close to the trigger as she scanned the fog.
He didn’t answer immediately, the howling wind being her only answer. His eyes were dead set on a thick swirl spot of smog in front of them. He didn’t bother consulting any of the standard issue tracking equipment on his waist.
He only… tilted his head to the side.
“9 o’clock. 40 metres. Two of them. Behind the convenience store.”
Toya instinctively set his sights towards the left, flicking a switch next to the trigger. “No heat signatures, Akito. Nothing’s coming up on the thermal.”
“Trust me,” He replied without doubt. “They’re active. We’ll be walking into a whole nest that’s raring to ambush us.”
To check, Nene activated her own scanner and pointed it towards the same direction. The device beeped as the radar circled, but nothing showed.
“How do you know?” asked An who relaxed her shoulders. “I can’t see them. Nene and Toya can’t see them, so where the hell did you get all that from?”
Akito straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath. “You can hear them snarling.”
Now that was just bullshit on An’s end. She could barely hear her own footsteps against the howling wind, let alone two supposed creatures lurking behind a building 40 meters out.
“Break right,” Akito ordered, already pivoting away from their normal route. “We can’t go through here, but we can reach the tunnels that’s close to the subway.”
He moved with absolute confidence, leading the group away from the unseen threat.
Toya lowered his sniper, hesitating between the smog and where he was ordered to go. Trust won over, however. “Copy.”
As they skirted around the danger zone, An couldn’t help herself but stay just a bit longer. She slung her rifle and grabbed the digital binoculars hanging from her neck, bringing the lens to her eyes.
Visibility was terrible, the autofocus struggled, but around the edges where the smog floated, the wind split it apart.
And there it was, writhing around the vicinity of the convenience store. Through the magnification were two slithering masses of wet scales and teeth, exactly where Akito said they’ll be.
A jaw of spindly sharp teeth unhinged to a set of many eyes. It blinked, its eyelids fluttering languidly.
It looked right at her.
An crouched low, letting her binoculars fall against her chest.
EW, EW EW?! She mentally screamed, re–arming herself with her rifle with trembling hands before catching up towards the group. That’s… eugh. No offense, Ena, your drawings don’t do it justice.
.
.
.
If the outside was a wasteland of rubble, debris, and thick smog, then the subway that connected to the tunnels was a chasm of damaged support beams, wet moss, and cracked concrete where the air was reduced to a thin sheet of toxin.
All in all, still a shitty place to be in.
“We're here,” Akito announced, double checking his magazine. “This is where the tunnels start.”
An nodded, turning to her team. “Everyone, make sure your masks are sealed airtight. We can't afford to breathe in this stuff, copy?”
“Copy,” said Nene and Toya who twisted the already tight seals around their masks.
She nudged Akito with her elbow. “That includes you too.”
He grunted and twisted his seals shut. She didn't know if it was for show or not. Nonetheless, she motioned for him to move.
The group fell into their assigned positions: Akito taking point, then An who covered his back, then Nene who held Rui's scanner up in the air, and Toya who covered their 6. All of which activated their flashlights.
Despite the beams of lights, the tunnel was dark, wet, and all kinds of creepy with its dirty walls and mossy floors. Each step reverberated against the dull, gray walls, going all the way down the winding hallway that seemed to stretch on as far as their eyes could see.
It was sick, it was disgusting, and it was dangerous.
“Filter check, we've been walking for a while,” An demanded through the comms.
“88%.”
“83%.”
Toya and Nene responded respectively.
“I’m at 85%, the scrubbers must be working overtime," An said. “How about you, Akito?”
…The silence stretched on as long as the tunnels. Naturally, the lack of answer prompted An to lightly tap his shoulder with the butt of her rifle.
“Oi, Akito! Filter check, now.”
He groaned, the sound crackling through the comms. “91%.”
“91!? How?! I’m at 83…” Nene squawked, her voice peaking over the comms. She double–checked her wrist gauge, eyebrows furrowing behind the visor. “Are my seals loose or something?”
“Can’t be, I don’t see any seams from your mask,” Toya mused, his words laced with confusion.
An frowned. “Akito, your gauge could be broken. It might be lower than we think.” She walked faster, reaching for his shoulder. “Hey, you might pass out without us knowing. Slow down.”
“It’s fine,” Akito snapped, shrugging her hand off. “Keep moving.”
“It isn’t!” An argued, her temper flaring through her eyes. “We can’t afford to drag someone out if something goes wrong—”
“Shut up!”
The aggressive words tore through his speaker, his voice echoing through the wet walls that rooted the entire group in place, silencing them instantly. What came out next was a hacking cough that made him lean onto the walls for support.
He turned enough for his flashlight to beam at his teammates. “Every word you guys speak wastes air that we can’t breathe. Every second we spend means another second we leak oxygen. Do you guys want to suffocate and die here alone, knowing that our friends above need our help?”
He turned back to the winding darkness in front of him.
“Thought so. Keep moving.”
His order hung thicker than the toxin in the air. An bristled, lowering her hand simply out of reluctant compliance. She couldn't justify it either—delaying the mission to do a gear check that shouldn’t be a concern in the first place.
All for a stubborn mule that refused to be helped.
You talk a lot about breathing, An thought, signaling Nene and Toya to move again. Are you even breathing, Akito?
So they trudged on, deeper and deeper into the infected void of which their flashlights did little to illuminate, stepping onto moss that squeezed out water, and broken glass that shattered under their heels, all underneath droplets of water dripping down from the cracked ceiling.
They walked in a tense silence for several minutes, filled with unspoken questions, until they stopped upon encountering an intersection.
Toya pulled out the map. “This is where we turn.” He looked up at the wall of debris blocking the way forward with a wince. “What a cave in… I can see the light from above.”
“We need to be careful,” Akito warned, furrowing his eyebrows. “As safe as this path is, we might come across monsters here.”
“I thought you said this path was safe?” An argued.
“I just said I knew where our friends were because of these tunnels. I haven’t seen anything when I was here first, but that’s no excuse to relax.”
“Alright, guns up, everyone,” Akito continued. “There's just a left before we come up on the ferris wheel.”
They resumed their walk, making sure to introduce shadows that were darker than normal with the humble threat of a gun barrel.
Nene even mistook an overhanging sign as a pair of jaws, causing her to jump, the tracking device slipping from her grasp.
“Ah! Dammit.” She kneeled down to retrieve it. “Don’t mind me…”
“Are you okay?” Toya asked.
“Yeah…”
“You sure?”
She slowly lowered the device. “...No. No I… I don't like being back here.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“It’s the reason why the main path is blocked.”
“What happened?” An asked, her anger towards Akito temporarily shelved.
Nene’s shoulders spiked upwards. “We tried the usual exit, but the surface was swarming with those… things. So we retreated down here.”
Her eyes landed on a random spot on a wall as she continued, her voice trembling. “I suppose the combined weight of the monsters above caused these tunnels to cave in.”
Toya winced. “So you outran the others?”
“Tsukasa pushed me forward,” Nene corrected as she balled both hands into fists. “He… he was supposed to be the one free instead. I don’t know why he saved me instead of himself.”
“That sounds like him…”
She frowned at the tracker. “Rui slid this through a crack with instructions telling me to find you guys. Thinking about it, I’m not sure if I deserve to be here.”
Being the only one who made it out from something so catastrophic can do terrible things to someone’s psyche. Nene managing to keep it together is nothing short of a miracle.
“They’d be disappointed,” Akito rebuked through the unspoken sympathies. “Do you really think they’d want you feeling sorry for yourself after saving you?”
The audacity alone was enough to line goosebumps across everyone’s skin.
An’s hand twitched to smack the back of his head. “Don’t start.”
Nene stiffened, but held An back before a potential fight started. “No, he’s right. I’ve been scared for them for days now and it’s been eating away at me. I don’t want to insult their choice with my regret.”
“Then use that fear.” Akito raised his rifle upon reaching a door. “It’s the reason why you’re here to save them, right?”
She nodded grimly, wiping her visor with her arm. “It’s the reason why we’re here to save them.”
“Good. Let’s bring them home.”
He opened the door to a utility room. It was as empty as the entire tunnel, but right at the center was a ladder that led upwards to a trapdoor.
Toya eyed the floor. “Careful. There's puddles with a lot of exposed wires here.”
“We should be fine,” An said, minding her step. “There shouldn't be a single spark of power in this place anyway.”
They then ascended up on what could be described as the stairway to heaven, given that by the time they emerged from the trapdoor, their air filters stabilized, relieving them from the tunnel's horrid atmosphere as they stood beneath a ferris wheel.
“Ugh… I can smell the rust through my mask,” An complained when she placed her hands uselessly on her face.
“I'm just glad the air isn't literal rot anymore,” Akito commented.”
Toya stepped out last, taking his time to stretch his legs before closing the trapdoor. “This place has seen better days…”
Ah, Phoenix Wonderland. A place that used to be a hotspot for fun and games with your family and friends. Numerous attractions, rides, prizes, and the memories made were all the rage back then.
A sentiment that died long ago. Whatever joy and whimsy that this place harbored with its people died with the rest of the world.
Nene's eyes gravitated towards the dilapidated stage. “That’s where they’re at, right?”
Akito nodded. “Let’s hope so. Toya, guard the trapdoor for us.”
“Copy that,” Toya agreed, “watch over each other, okay?”
“Will do.”
And then there were three. The rest of the group hastily made their way over to the stage, minding the puddles of water. Soon enough they reached the platform, stepping over floorboards that creaked before going underneath ripped curtains to reach backstage.
Or what’s left of it.
An kicked aside an empty can of beans on the floor. “The liquid inside hasn’t dried yet. They ate out of this recently.”
An indiscernible amount of props and gizmos were scattered across the entire room. Their footsteps echoed as they stepped in. Nene wasted no time maneuvering around a fallen mountain prop before standing at the center.
“Rui? Emu? Tsukasa?” she called out desperately. “Are you guys still here?”
Everyone pointed their guns towards the shuffling heard behind a barricade of sandbags and a cutout of a house. Then a pair of hands were raised at the cutout’s door.
“It’s me! Don’t shoot!” A muffled voice responded.
Tsukasa appeared from the props a moment later, hands still raised in surrender. His blue vest was torn, with dust clinging in between the threads of fabric. From behind his gas mask was an exasperated smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
He kicked his weapon towards the group—a metal pipe with sawblades tied at the end.
Nene gasped. “Tsukasa… you’re okay…”
“Of course!” He bellowed out, placing a proud hand on his chest. “A star doesn’t falter even in the apocalypse!”
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “...You’re still as loud as ever…” Despite herself, she lunged forward and tackled him into an embrace that nearly knocked them over.
“Ahaha…” he wheezed, his knees buckling a bit from the impact. He reached out to pat her head with a trembling hand. “What can I say? Old habits die hard.”
“We’re okay too!” A cheery, muffled voice came from behind him, a pitch that everyone was too familiar with.
“And here it goes…” Akito deadpanned.
An snickered. “Just let it happen, will you?”
“WONDERHOY!!!”
Emu introduced her ragged self by dropping her makeshift spear and nose diving into Tsukasa and Nene, hugging them both like her entire life depended on it.
“Waaah! You guys came back to save us!” Emu wailed, squeezing them both ever so tighter. “I’m so glad! I don’t wanna become monster snacks!”
If one were to squint, you could see Tsukasa and Nene smile despite their breathless protests against Emu’s hug.
An looked around the room. “Wait, where’s Rui?”
“Right behind you~”
An yelped. She spun around her heel, rifle in hand as she pressed it square on the chest of a man who was casually leaning against a box.
Rui smiled, gently pushing the barrel away with a single finger. “Jumpier than usual, Shiraishi–kun?”
“Never. Do. That. Again,” An barked. “I could’ve opened fire.
“Fufu. Apologies.” Rui bowed, brandishing a modified handgun. He went past the two and slid himself in between the group hug.
Emu bounced on the balls of her feet exuberantly. “Yay! Everyone’s together again!”
An swore she can practically hear Akito raise a judging eyebrow at her. She brushed off nonexistent dust from her attire.
“You scream louder than the monsters sometimes,” He taunted, flashing a cruel smirk.
An cleared her throat in defense, blissfully ignoring him. “Alright, everyone, save the hugs when we go back to the bunker. We can’t risk staying here any longer than we already have.”
“Of course.” Rui stepped away from the group, locking eyes with An. “I take it the tunnels were to your liking?”
“Peachy,” she deadpanned. “Smelled like rotten eggs and spoiled milk. Now, can everyone walk?”
Everyone but Tsukasa nodded.
“I twisted my ankle pretty bad a few days ago,” he explained as he picked his weapon up from the floor, flashing a triumphant smile. “But nothing that a world star can’t handle for I am in peak condition!”
“I’m serious.”
His smile dropped. “...I can run if I need to.”
“Then let’s move. Tsukasa, you’re with Akito. Everyone else, fall in line between me and Nene. Toya’s waiting at the exit.”
“Roger!” Tsukasa saluted.
They began to stride their way towards the exit, picking their way through the mazes of sandbags and stage props. As relieving as the reunion was, getting back home was a far better priority.
Until static crackled through their ears.
“CONTACT!” Toya screamed through the comms. “AN! AKITO! NENE! IT’S RIGHT ABOVE YOU ON THE SKYLIGHT!”
No hiss was heard, nor growl, nor snarl. The only warning being an ominous shadow seeping in between the metal frames of the lights above.
It crashed below, glass and metal raining down on the stage as a living mass of shadows and scales landed before the group with a thud that rattled the floorboards.
Nobody dared to move. Neither did the monster.
Instead, it unhinged its jaws, the muscles and bones around its neck snapping and coiling as pairs of eyes protruded out its throat. It blinked languidly, scanning the room for the first sign of prey.
The search was slow, taking its time to assess the room. Unfortunately, these things have the mind of an apex predator. So every pair of eyes snapped towards Emu’s direction, barring its spindly teeth.
She yelped, clasping her mouth shut.
Too little, too late. It found its target.
“EMU!” Nene shrieked.
The eyes were swallowed back in its jaws before it lunged.
“OH NO YOU DON’T!”
Tsukasa felt the pain of his twisted ankle, he knew the risks, he knew he was being stupid, but he ignored everything and threw himself in front of Emu and swung his sawblade pipe with whatever strength he had left.
It landed, bending the pipe, but all that did was piss it off even more.
He stared at the monster in horror. “Uh… good kitty..?”
The monster swiped its claws ruthlessly as retaliation, the sick sound of fabric and flesh tearing shot across the stage.
“AGH!” He cried out as he was thrown towards a pile of crates, adding to his pain. A deep crimson began seeping into the fabric of his blue vest.
“Tsukasa–kun!” Emu screamed, scrambling towards him.
The monster roared again, pushing past the group before caging Tsukasa with both claws, opening a maw of teeth to finish it off.
An raised her rifle, but she couldn’t risk opening fire with Emu in the way. “Move, Emu, move!”
Rui pulled Emu back, giving An and Nene the space to rain bullets on the monster's back. The scales on its back deflected their shots like pebbles against a tiled roof.
“It doesn't care?!” Nene cried out, her adrenaline fumbling her reload.
Before An could grab a fresh magazine, a blur of orange slammed into the beast’s side.
Akito tackled it wildly with his shoulder.
The force was enough for the monster to miss its target by mere inches, its jaw snapping at thin air instead.
Akito raised his rifle. “An, Nene, bring them back to Toya. I’ll buy you guys some time!”
An vehemently shook her head. “As if!”
“NOW, AN!”
She growled in frustration, but arguing back wasn’t an option. She went over to the injured world star. She crouched down, tearing her first aid kit apart. It wasn’t much, but putting pressure on his side was all she could do.
“Stay with us, okay?” An pleaded, helping Rui hoist him up. “Just close your eyes, you’ll be back safe and sound when you wake up.”
Tsukasa lolled his head to the side, his voice strained. “I… can fight…”
“I suggest you stay quiet and let us save you,” Rui gently urged. “You’ll lose more blood if you push yourself.”
“What about Shinonome–kun?” Emu asked with tears welled up behind your eyes. “He’s gonna get hurt too!”
Honestly? An had no fucking clue. He’s in a standoff with a beast that knocked a fully grown man across the room. Every fibre of her being screamed at her to argue, to beg for Akito to come with them.
But at the same time, nothing seemed to stop him on their way here… Out of her sense of morbid curiosity, she shook her head.
You better know what you’re doing, she thought, turning to Emu. “He’ll be fine. Go with Nene, we’ll follow right behind you.”
Akito maintained the creature’s aggro by repeatedly shooting at its scales, leading it away from the stage and onto the concrete bricks.
“Yeah, that’s right, you ugly motherfucker!” He taunted as he reloaded a fresh magazine. “Come at me!”
It shrieked as it thrashed wildly. While the bullets did little against the scales, it was more than enough to deter it from its movements, stopping any and all attempts to fight back.
He kept firing and firing, unloading round after round of pure lead at the creature’s limbs and head… until all that was heard from his gun was a hollow click.
“...Shit…”
He had nothing left to shoot. With no bullets and a way out, he was bound to die.
The creature seized the opportunity, opening its jaws wide open to crush him.
But of course… The rest of the group saw something impossible.
Akito intercepted its jagged maw with his bare hands, holding it back as he wrestled with it.
Then he jammed it between its teeth and pushed against the corners of its mouth, outright prying it open with a visceral crack with nothing but the muscles straining underneath his tactical jacket. Razor sharp claws thrashed against his kevlar with enough ferocity to crush stone, but he held on.
He forced its jaws open, widening the gap even more to expose the pairs of eyes deep inside its gullet.
“TOYA! THE EYES!” Akito screamed. “SHOOT THEM NOW!”
“You’re in the way!” Toya responded shakily. “I don’t have a clear shot!”
“NOW OR NEVER, TOYA!”
A bullet akin to a thunderbolt shot out from the barrel. It flew through the air, cutting the wind.
Despite the risk, Toya didn’t miss. The high caliber bullet threaded the needle between Akito’s neck and shoulder, striking the cluster of eyes inside the creature’s mouth and through the back of its head in one clean motion.
The creature instantly went limp. Dark, green ichor pooled out from the wound coating the bottom of Akito’s boots.
“Target down,” Toya announced, racking the bolt back. “That was too close.”
Akito stepped back from the corpse with a grunt, looking down on it without a shred of remorse. He bent down to pick up his empty rifle like he didn't just wrestle a biological tank into submission.
The victory was short lived when another series of shrieks echoed through the amusement park.
“Call evac, tell them to wait by the subway entrance,” Akito demanded through the comms, his voice exhausted and spent from the fight. “We can’t make it there on foot with Tsukasa bleeding.”
An fiddled with her comms, changing the frequency. “Base! This is An Shiraishi. We have the package but we are compromised! We are requesting immediate evacuation upon the subway exit. Do you copy?”
A stream of dead static relayed back.
“I repeat! Do you copy?”
Their line went dead, leaving them with nothing.
“Shit! No one’s responding…”
The concrete floor beneath them rumbled. Not with an earthquake, but the booming footsteps from a swarm of monsters rushing in from outside the perimeter.
Akito caught up to the rest of the group. “We can’t stay here any longer. Just hope and pray that they received the call.”
Darkness howled from beyond the walls.
Toya lowered his sniper. “I see them! They’re coming in close. It won’t be long until we’re surrounded. Go down the trapdoor!”
Emu and Nene grabbed the rusted handle. Each hinge creaked as they pried open, revealing the utility room below. They stepped down the ladder, with An descending with them.
“Heave!” Akito shouted from above as Rui grabbed Tsukasa’s legs, carefully easing him downwards, trying their best to keep his unconscious body steady.
Toya fired one last shot from above, the recoil shaking his shoulders. He racked the bolt and went down the stairs, shutting the trapdoor behind him.
“Toya–kun, here, carry him for me,” Rui requested, gently laying Tsukasa down.
Akito helped too, slinging Tsukasa’s left arm over his shoulder. “Grab hold of the other one.”
Toya nodded, doing as he was told. “That trapdoor won’t hold.”
“Then we’ll run.” Akito motioned for everyone to leave through the utility room door.
But Rui stayed behind. He didn’t bolt out of the room as instructed. He stood there near the base of the stairs, staring at the trapdoor.
Then to the stagnant water pooling on the floor..
Emu turned around with a look of horror on her face. “Rui–kun?! What are you doing?”
He stared at his modified handgun, pulling a small switch underneath the barrel. The weapon whirred to life as the small core inside glowed a volatile white.
“We can’t outrun them, not with Tsukasa–kun unconscious.” He held the gun out as it whirred louder. He turned to look at them, smiling like a maniacal being blessed with the theatric.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just adding a little spark~”
He tossed the gun onto the puddles of water beneath his feet.
“I suggest we take our leave!”
The trapdoor was ripped open, giving an opening for the waterfall of savage beasts throwing themselves down the ladder.
Rui dashed for the door.
Massive bolts of blue lightning arced, bouncing a lethal amount of electricity across the walls, electrifying the water below that turned the utility room into an electric chair.
The monsters stood no chance as it fried their entire bodies, their muscles convulsing and seizing up until they fell limp on the floor.
Akito shielded his eyes against the blinding sparks, wincing. “Holy shit…”
Nene vigorously yanked him with her. “Less gawking, more running! They're gonna run over those bodies soon!”
So with the little strength they had left, they turned towards the tunnels and broke into a desperate sprint. Nene took the lead, guiding everyone out the way they came.
The snarling mass of teeth and scales only grew more feral from there. It bounced across the walls, reaching their ears, making their already tired legs work overtime to escape.
“Toya, go ahead,” Akito said, slinging Tsukasa over his shoulder. “I'll carry him.”
“Are you sure?” Toya raised an eyebrow. “He's heavy.”
“I’ll keep up. Go!”
An returned to her comms. “This is An Shiraishi to base! What is your status on that evac?”
A crackle of dead static responded, but as she kept running, words were starting to form.
“Heard… you—” “...Surrounded—” “It's too much..—”
An gasped, widening her eyes in relief. “Mizuki?! How long are you guys until you reach the subways?”
“...Detour—” “Road… dangerous—” “...Two… minutes—”
“We don't have two minutes! Either you're there or we're dead!”
With enough twists and turns, a light from the outside was seen at the end of the tunnels. Emu tripped on the moss, but Rui hauled her up, making their way out of the tunnels and onto the subway.
They bursted into an open parking lot.
But there was no one waiting for them. Just a wasteland of smog and dust as far as their eyes could see.
When they stepped outside, everybody stopped to take a much needed breather.
Emu laid like a starfish on the floor, her eyes spiraling with exhaustion. “So tired… and hungry…”
Rui sat next to her, chest heaving. “I concur… Doing all that running while starved… I don’t think I can go any longer.”
“Where… are they..?” Nene asked breathlessly as she braced herself on a railing.
An braced her hands on her knees, gasping for air, “...Two minutes…”
Toya stumbled out next, heaving against a wall to recuperate. “...The monsters… They’re not letting up..!”
Akito arrived last, with a fully grown man in his arms, barely breaking a sweat. He set Tsukasa gently where Rui and Emu laid.
An raised a suspicious eyebrow upon his arrival, wondering just how the hell he hasn’t collapsed yet.
What..? First it was the monster, now this? An thought, straightening her posture. What did you eat yesterday?!
But the screeching from the tunnels killed whatever she was thinking. The nerves in her body flared back alive, abandoning rest to raise her rifle again.
“Formation!” She commanded, stepping forward. “Protect the other three!”
Akito gently laid Tsukasa down where Rui and Emu were crouched behind the firing squad. “Hold him close and don’t look.”
“Shinonome–kun,” Nene called out. She reached to her belt for a spare magazine, handing it to him. “Make it count.”
Guns were raised, eyes were aimed down sights, trigger fingers itched to move.
“Here they come!” Toya shouted. He steadied his breathing before firing one perfect shot onto a monster’s skull. “Opening fire!”
The area lit up with a lethal storm of bullets. Monsters began to drop like flies, black and green ichor spraying all over the tunnel walls. But for every set of jaws they killed, three more lurched past the corpses.
“Reloading!” An shouted, reaching for her pouch. Her eyes widening when her fingers failed to find purchase on a magazine. “Huh?! I’m out!”
“Same,” Akito said, his rifle clicking repeatedly. “I got nothing left.”
“How about you, Aoyagi–kun?” Nene asked as she fired one last shot.
A high caliber bullet landed square on a monster’s head. “Empty,” Toya answered grimly, slinging his now useless sniper behind his back.
The horde before them sensed their fear. It lunged forward like a tsunami of scales and teeth.
“Get back!” Akito stepped up, shoving everyone behind him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out four fragmentation grenades.
An stumbled backwards, irritation prickling her scalp. After steadying herself, she took Akito by the shoulder and spun him around. “The hell are you doing?!”
“We’re surrounded,” he countered, staring at the explosives in his hand. We need all the time we can buy.”
“At least let me help you. I was the one who beat you in the snowball fights, remember?”
Akito rolled his eyes, but he conceded, handing An two of his grenades. The swarm kept advancing. They were fifty metres out. Forty. Thirty.
Twenty.
“Heh, you know that this isn’t gonna work, right?” Akito asked despite knowing the answer.
“I know. But it’s the thought that counts after all.”
They yanked both pins free and hurled the grenades.
A series of explosions boomed like fireworks, fragments flying and piercing armored scales and flesh, resulting in a cacophony of pained shrieks. A thick cloud of smoke clouded the tunnels, obscuring the view.
“...Did it work..?” Emu whispered, trembling.
The smoke clearing gave an answer. While the front line was annihilated… but of course, a flood never stops. The monsters didn’t care. They sped up two–fold, climbing over the smoldering remains of their fallen kin, roaring in unbridled fury.
The swarm advanced. Twenty metres.
Desperate to fight, Akito drew his combat knife. “Take the others and run. I’ll hold them here.”
Clicking her tongue, An raised a hand and smacked his shoulder. “Dumbass. We won’t make it far with or without you.” To her credit, she reversed her grip on her rifle, wielding it like a baseball bat.
Akito looked at her with resignation in his eyes, briefly laxing his shoulders. He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Heh… guess this is it, then.”
The howling wind around them seemed to swirl as it seemed to slow to a stop, leaving them inside a static vacuum before the bitter end.
An looked at him with a genuine sense of fondness. At the boy who sang his heart out, who failed classes with her, who fought tooth and nail, who prepared to take over the world, who always pushed himself too far.
“Hey, Akito?” She asked with a tremble in her voice.
“Yeah?”
“It’s been fun, y’know?” she smiled—a small, sad thing that failed to reach her eyes. “Of all the things the apocalypse was, boring wasn’t one of them.”
He snickered. “Idiot. Don’t get all sentimental on me now.”
An’s heart hammered against her ribs, louder than the sounds of the monsters screeching, their muscles tensing for the kill. She didn’t want to die alone.
But she didn’t want to die leaving something unsaid.
“Speaking of idiots,” she started, gripping her rifle tighter. “Can I be one for one last time?”
For once, Akito laughed wholeheartedly. “I’m not stopping you.”
Ten metres.
Five.
It’s now or never. An dropped her rifle and began reaching for his face.
“I… I lov—”
A loud engine roared
“HEADS UP!!!”
Two high beams pierced through the smog from the west, blinding the monsters from the side.
Before anyone could even wonder what was happening, a massive armored van—painted with pink and adorned with cutesy charms—smashed through a chain link fence at ninety miles an hour.
It certainly didn’t slow down. Not. One. Bit. Considering the psychopath behind the wheel.
Mizuki yanked the handbrake. The armored van drifted sideways, its reinforced wheels skidding against the floor, smearing rubber. The pink cowcatcher slammed into the unfortunate beasts that went close, crushing three of them into green paste under the wheels.
The vehicle halted, forming an ironclad wall between the group and death.
Then the passenger window rolled down, revealing a very winded, and very pissed Ena who was clutching the dashboard for dear life, looking just about ready to throw up.
“GET IN! JUST GET IN!”
But the monsters recovered too fast. Claws raked at the paint with one managing to scramble its way onto the hood, unhinging its jaws to shatter the windshield.
A slug racked into a shotgun. Ena leaned outside and took aim. She blasted the beast with a well placed shot to its chest, falling down on the floor as it writhed in pain.
“I CAN’T STAY HERE FOREVER!” Mizuki found the audacity to cackle, revving the engine. Unfortunately, a shrill cry from the tunnels reminded her of the monsters closing in. “Uh oh. You guys were really knee deep in shit, huh?
“I got it!”
Huh? What’s Kohane doing here?
The roof hatch was punched open.
A set of familiar, blonde pigtails popped up from inside, clad in goggles and gloves as she gripped the handles of the mounted heavy machine gun.
“Say hello to my little friend!” Kohane yelled before pulling the trigger.
The machine gun whirred to life. Firing down was an understatement—she absolutely swept the area in a blanket of lead. Whatever unfortunate monster dared to step up was vaporised into mist, the front horde thinning by the second.
Akito shook his head, the command snapping him back to reality. He grabbed Tsukasa off the floor. “Move, move, move!”
Everyone scrambled to their senses, finding the drive to run inside the armored safety of the van. An however was rooted. The adrenaline from death’s door came crashing down like a guillotine.
Toya had to double back just to drag her inside the van. He slammed the side, “Drive, drive! We’re on!”
The interior of the armored van smelled of burnt rubber, spent gunpowder, and the metallic tang of blood.
“Hold on to something!” Mizuki yelled from the driver’s seat. “Off-road shortcut incoming!”
The van soared through the air.
For a terrifying second, all four wheels left the ground as they vaulted over a collapsed highway barrier. The vehicle slammed back down with a bone-jarring crunch, the heavy suspension groaning in protest, before Mizuki drifted them onto an old access road.
“Mizuki, slow down!” Ena shrieked from the passenger seat, clutching the dashboard handle with both hands until her knuckles turned white. “You’re going to flip us!”
“If I slow down, the suspension locks up!” Mizuki argued back, flipping a switch on the console. Blaring, upbeat J-Pop blasted through the speakers, drowning out the roar of the engine. “Besides, this is my best time yet!”
In the back, it was a pile of limbs and heavy breathing.
“Pressure! Keep pressure on it!” An ordered, kneeling beside Tsukasa.
Rui was pressing a thick wad of gauze against Tsukasa’s side. The blue vest was saturated with dark red now. Tsukasa’s eyes were half-open, glazed and unfocused, staring at the ceiling of the van.
“Am I… in heaven?” Tsukasa mumbled, his head rolling with the motion of the vehicle.
“You’re safe,” Nene said, her voice trembling as she squeezed his hand. “Just... hold on, okay?”
Above them, the turret hatch slammed shut.
Kohane Azusawa dropped down into the cabin, pulling off her goggles Her hair was a mess, her face smudged with soot, but her eyes were wide with adrenaline.
“Clear!” she reported, breathless. “No pursuit. We lost them at the interchange.”
“Where the hell did you learn how to shoot like that?” An reached out and squeezed Kohane’s shoulder. “You couldn’t handle recoil from a pistol last time I checked.”
Kohane flushed pink, flashing a shy, wobbly smile that looked incredibly out of place next to the massive machine gun she had just operated. “Aoyagi–kun sorta… taught me a few things.”
The aforementioned man found the van ceiling interesting.
From the front seat, Ena unbuckled her seatbelt and scrambled to look over the divider into the back. Her eyes frantically scanned the group until they landed on Akito.
He was sitting near the back doors, slumped against the wall. He was covered in black slime, dust, and drying blood.
“Akito!” Ena’s voice was sharp, bordering on hysterical. “You look like trash.”
Akito opened one eye, already grimacing. “Nice to see you too, Ena.”
“Are you hurt?” She reached over the seat, grabbing his face and turning it roughly to check for injuries. “There’s blood all over you. Is it yours?”
He lightly slapped her hand away. “It’s not mine. It’s... monster gunk. And Tsukasa’s.”
“You’re sure?” She narrowed her eyes, scanning his torn tactical pants. “I see a rip on your leg.”
He instinctively shifted, hiding the tear by crossing his legs. “I snagged it on some rebar. I’m fine. Worry about the guy bleeding out on the floor.”
Ena lingered for a second longer, her gaze searching his face. She didn't look convinced—because of course she never is—but the chaos of the van didn't allow for an interrogation.
She huffed, turning back to the front. “Mizuki! How far?!”
“ETA thirty seconds!” Mizuki called back. “Contacting ahead to Mafuyu. We need a stretcher team at the bay doors!”
An sat back on her heels, watching Akito.
She watched the entire interaction. What are you hiding from us? An thought.
The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a cold clarity. She looked at her own hands; they were shaking uncontrollably. Then she looked at Akito’s hands—the hands that had pried open a monster’s jaw. They were steady. He was calmly ejecting the empty magazine from his rifle, checking the chamber.
Why aren't you shaking, Akito? she wondered. Why aren't you scared like the rest of us?
And the confession... the words she had almost screamed in the parking lot... they felt miles away now. Buried under the noise of the engine and the mystery sitting across from her.
“We’re here!” Mizuki announced.
The van screeched around one final corner, drifting into the underground parking garage of the bunker. The heavy blast doors were already opening.
Mizuki didn't wait for a full stop. As soon as the van rolled into the bay, they hit the door release.
“Go! Go!”
The back doors flew open. Mafuyu Asahina was already there, flanked by two medical assistants and a gurney.
“Get him on the stretcher!” Mafuyu ordered, her voice cutting through the J-Pop still blasting from the van. “On three. One, two, three!”
Akito and Toya lifted Tsukasa, transferring him onto the gurney. The white sheets turned red instantly.
“O-Operating room one is prepped!” Kanade—who had been waiting nervously behind Mafuyu—pointed down the hall. “I... I have the blood bags ready.”
“Move!” Mafuyu commanded, sprinting alongside the gurney as they rushed Tsukasa deeper into the facility.
Rui, Nene, and Emu followed close behind, leaving the others behind.
The sudden silence was deafening. The engine ticked as it cooled down.
Ena slumped back in the passenger seat, letting out a long groan. “I hate patrol duty. I hate it so much. Especially with your psychopathic ass treating each road like a video game!”
Mizuki patted her head, grinning. “But we looked so cool! Did you see that drift? The air? I’d say it was worth it~.”
Akito stepped out of the back of the van. He stretched his arms, his joints popping with a sickening crunch.
“You guys good?” he asked, looking at An and Kohane.
An stared at him. She looked at the torn pant leg again. Through the rip, she caught a glimpse of skin. It was pale. Unblemished. Not even a bruise.
“Yeah,” An said quietly. “We’re good. But you need to go to the med bay, Akito.”
“I don’t need to—”
“Protocol,” An cut him off, her voice final. She stepped into his personal space, her eyes daring him to argue. “Mafuyu said everyone gets checked. No exceptions. Especially not after... whatever that was back there.”
Akito paused. He looked at An, seeing the steel in her gaze. He could turn heel and go the opposite way, but the way she’s clenching her fist made him think otherwise.
“Fine,” he grunted, shouldering his empty rifle and walking past her. “But if she tries to stick me with a needle, I’m walking out.”
An watched him walk away, his stride even and strong despite the terrifying hell they had just survived.
We'll see about that, she thought. You’re acting all stoic and fearless… but you’re scaring the absolute shit out of me.
She followed him into the bunker, the heavy steel doors sealing shut behind them, locking the monsters out—and the secret in.
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