《Kingdom Building in Apocalypse》


 Chapter 1: The Disaster

    The once-familiar streets now echo with haunting moans, as the relentless horde of zombies roams freely. Skyscrapers, once symbols of human achievement, stand as eerie monuments to a world now plunged into chaos.


    Abandoned cars line the roads, remnants of a frantic escape that proved futile for many. The stench of decay lingers in the air, a constant reminder of the gruesome fate that befell those who couldn''t outrun the relentless undead.


    Every step is a gamble, every shadow a potential threat. Resources are scarce, and the once bustling stores are now picked clean by desperate survivors. The occasional distant scream punctuates the oppressive silence, a chilling testament to the ongoing struggle for survival.


    The survivors, a motley crew from different walks of life, form makeshift alliances in a bid to endure. Trust is a rare commodity, as the line between friend and foe blurs in this nightmarish landscape. Each passing day brings new challenges, forcing them to adapt and evolve in the face of an unimaginable apocalypse.


    Yet, amidst the despair, a flicker of hope remains. A rumor of a safe haven circulates among the survivors, a distant sanctuary that promises refuge from the relentless onslaught. It becomes a beacon of salvation, driving the battered souls forward, even as the world around them crumbles.


    In this grim reality, the question lingers: Will humanity find a way to reclaim what was lost, or are they destined to become mere echoes in the post-apocalyptic abyss?


    The Disaster


    Chapter 1: By Klux


    I am Souta an ordinary senior high you can see everywhere, I live in a small town near the mountains, I have 1 sister but she and my parents live in the city.


    I live alone in my old grandparents house, unfortunately they passed away since I was still little, me and my family used to visit here, however, because of my father''s work, we need to stay in the city.


    When I become 18, I choose to live alone, and decided to stay in my grandparents house to study but maybe when I go to college I''ll move to the city, with my parents, I look at the TV while preparing to go to school.


    [ Reporting there is a virus rapidly spreading around the world, If is said to be airborne! We advise everyone to wear a mask when going outside, this virus has been rapidly spreading in the entire world, almost half of the population is infected with this disease, so please be careful and if you ever have a high fever please go to the nearest hospital immediately ] the girl reporter said while wearing a mask, standing in the empty city. It seems that the people there had Quarantined themselves to not be affected by the virus.


    Ting!


    It was a notification sound that came from my phone, I took my phone from my pocket. It was a meme that the virus will be the start of the zombie apocalypse


    I said, ¡°Hmm, apocalypse huh? well if there is any I know what to do.¡° While spreading a jam on the bread, To be honest, I am someone who always overthink something, so if the apocalypse happened I''m already prepared.


    If it''s the famous zombie apocalypse in the movie, then it''s an easy solution noh? Just go to an island and live there, those zombies won''t be able to swim anyways. Thou, the ocean is far from here, this is a country side after all, maybe in the mountains? Or something-


    The alarm on his phone starts to vibrates on the table, [ 7:00 AM: You are late btch ] ¡°Damn, I''m harsh on myself aren''t I?¡° I said disappointed on myself on what I''m doing.


    ¡°Zombie Apocalypse huh¡­¡± I giggled and said ¡°like it will happen¡± sighed on myself in being childish that I still think about something like that. ¡°I should get going¡±


    Suddenly, someone came burging into Souta''s house. ¡°Hey! What are you doing!?? We''re fcking late! Hurry the fck up! we don''t have all day!¡° a girl said, she has this loud voice, ever since we''re child, if I were to describe her then she''s an energetic girl and always cares about others, she is an airhead that almost got a zero on our test.


    Her name is Amelia I call her Amy, she has this blonde hair, blue eyes, and around 5''2 in height, she can immediately be a celebrity with her looks, however she has this carefree attitude that I hate, when it comes to others she looks like an angel but when it comes to me, she''s like a child that always shout and complain all the time. She always laze around, and doesn''t do anything unless eating and watching anime.


    In her side, she''s the one who giggled her name is Steffanie I call her Steff, she is the exact opposite of Amy not talkative, nor energetic, she always has this cold aura, as she is cold to others but surprisingly when it comes to us she seems to behave like a normal girl, she is a smart and a straightforward girl.


    Having Black hair, around 6''5 She''s also athletic and always do the household. These two live by their selves, unlike mine, their parents work abroad living the two of them.


    These two are my childhood friends, my family and theirs are close friends that''s why we also got close because of them.


    We used to play when we are kids in the playground and because of that we become so close to each other


    Amy said, ¡°Hey! Stop staring us and keep moving!¡° shouting and complaining


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± I said brushing it off, I went and unplug the Television on the living room and get my backpack on the Sofa.


    Having the bread on my mouth, I said, ¡°Alwarth Les Go!¡° (Alright, let''s go!)


    Steff said, ¡°Souta, finish your food first before talking¡± reminding me that it''s a bad manner to talk while having food in my mouth.


    I replied, ¡°HAHAHA, is fone! Ish fone!¡° (It''s fine, it''s fine¡± laughing, she''s really like a mother like girl.


    Amy sighed, ¡°Stop caring about him, let''s go already!¡° Amy said, annoyed.


    We left the house, and walk towards the school, it''s just near here, around 1 km away, our house is close to the road, we don''t have any service so we walk towards the school, it''s a good exercise before going to the school.


    As a gentleman I follow the sidewalk rule, and I''m proud if it! The school starts at 7:30, that''s why we should already be walking in 7:00 or else we''ll get late, I finished eating my bread, and talk to them.


    ¡°Hey, you two look good in the new uniform¡± The uniform is a black skirt and a white polo, with the school name imprinted on it.


    Amy Said, ¡°Stop looking you perv¡± with an eyes looking at me with discussed


    Steff burge in, ¡°You should already stop talking to Souta like that, you''re not like that in the past you know¡± Steff said, caring for me.


    ¡°Steff is right, You used to be always sticking and clingy to me when we were-¡± before I could even finished my sentence Amy just walk faster and cover her ears with her hands while screaming, ¡°Lalalalala! I can''t hear you! Lalalala¡±


    ¡°Is that the effect of adulting?¡° Steff asked in curiosity


    I laughed at it, ¡°HAHAAH! Maybe, she''s usually like that noh? Ever since we become high school students, she''s been harsh on me¡±


    ¡°Maybe something happened?¡° Steff think about it curiously, we both don''t have a clue about what happened as why she''s acting like that.


    Ting! Another notification from my phone, I pull my phone on my pocket and see what it was, it''s another meme about the zombie apocalypse, it seems like it becomes serious as it''s the hot topic now.


    I brought up the topic as I thought it''s interesting, ¡°Hey, did you two heard about the zombie apocalypse that have been going around the internet?¡° I asked


    Amy said, ¡°ah, the thing that everyone was saying at the start of the apocalypse? It won''t happen so relax¡± assuring me as she look back, ¡°hurry it up already¡±


    Amy said that but she was wrong that day was the start of the apocalypse, in the social media, when Souta thought was just a meme, it was not, even the news are airing it all over the world, the start of extinction of humanity!


    We manage to arrived at the school in time, on the gate: ¡°I''ll be going here then, Goodluck you two¡± I said smiling at them. They both smiled back and said, ¡°Goodluck too!¡° And we walk separate ways. The two of them are in the same section, however unlucky I was, I got separated from them.


    many hour past, it''s now breaktime, current time: 9:45.


    it''s already break time, I''m sitting on my chair on the front row, near the window, looking outside as I day dream, I said to myself ¡°we''re already senior high school, and it''s just a few months we''re about to go to college¡± I sighed heavily.


    ¡°and the paths that we''re taking are different, are we gonna get separated soon?¡°


    Amy then suddenly opened the door to our classroom, shouting, ¡°Oii!! Souta! let''s have lunch together!¡° While Steff is bowing to apologize to my classmates.


    ¡°Shut up! You''re bothering the others¡± I said as I stand up on my chair and walks towards Amy and the Steff


    ¡°Ah!¡° She realized, ¡°I''m sorry¡± she said as she bowed, ¡°Hey, Souta, Hurry up¡± she whispered, I giggled ¡°ok, ok, relax, I''m coming¡±


    Steff is always silent, she doesn''t talk too much to other people besides us, I don''t know why¡­ I said to my thought gazing at her.


    While walking on the hallway towards the cafeteria a loud scream of a girl spread across the campus, ¡°AAAUUUUHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡°


    [ Everyone, there is an emergency please proceed to the evacuation center! Now! ]


    Everyone is confused, however some students immediately run as fast as they can toward the evacuation center.


    (note: the evacuation center is in the middle of the school and our building is in front of it just a few minutes walk


    We are shocked and confused by what is happening, so we look out the window from the third floor. It is breaktime and most of the students are in the cafeteria.


    We see a terrible scene below us. There is blood and body parts everywhere, and people are scared and desperate. We hear the alarms and the noise of panic. Some students are biting others, some are crying out, and some are pushing them away. We are scared and don''t know what to do.


    We look at each other, wondering how our school became so dangerous. We need to get out of here, but we don''t know which way to go. The hallways seem like a maze, full of unknown dangers.


    We smell the fear in the air, and we hear the disbelief of the others. Some students try to call their families, but the phones are busy with too many calls.


    The teachers tried theid best to keep the students calm and tell them to go to the evacuation center.


    [ Please do not panic! Go inside the Evacuation center before it''s to late!! ] a teacher with a microphone said, the evacuation center is a gym area, it''s a covered area that can fit all the students. However, going in there is a plain suicide.


    With adrenaline coursing through our veins, we began to panic.


    ¡°W¡­what''s going on!?¡° Amy asked with a devastating eyes, she''s panicking.


    ¡°I don''t know¡­¡± Amy said, she also looks worried, things are serious after all


    I remembered the meme that they''d been posting on the internet, that the virus was the start of the apocalypse! Shit! To think that it was going to become true! I gripped my hands tightly, we''re powerless¡­ I look at my two childhood friends, they are both scared.. they don''t know what to do.


    ¡°Augh! Fck it!¡° I''ve decided to make a move! Even if it means sacrificing myself! I should not make myself look weak or else they will lose hope.


    I then holds the hand of Steff and Amy they both look confused, I then asked them ¡°Do you trust me?¡° With a serious face¡­


    They were confused about what was going on and said ¡°yes?¡° with a question while holding their hands ¡°Good! Let''s get out of here!¡° I said that with determination, I look cool but my hands are shaking¡­ what if we fail? What if I let them both die? I''m making a fool of myself.


    ¡°Souta, we trust you.. we won''t regret what will happened, so please, keep your head up¡± Steff said, she must have noticed my fear. I smiled back, ¡°thank you¡± then run towards the stairs going down the second floor.


    Other students also run there so it was full of people,we have a hard time going down after the struggle, while holding their hands, we finally get down to the first floor, but I didn''t run toward the evacuation center, I ran opposite the evacuation center leaving them.


    Amy noticed this and warn me, ¡° Hey! Where are you going Souta? The evacuation center is in the other direction!¡° She shouted


    Steff then talk to Amy and said


    ¡°Don''t worry Amy, it''s Souta we''re talking aboutn I know he knows what''s doing, trust him¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Amy looks worried, she don''t know if she should follow me or not.. after all, I''m just her friend, it''s her life that is on the line


    However Steff is a bit different, her trust on me is on another level, ¡°look at him, he''s running towards where the emergency axe is, breaking the seal and stealing the axe, he''s thinking several steps ahead¡±


    ¡°Alright! now we''re ready! let''s get out here¡± I said with determination and a plan in mind, ¡°¡­¡± Amy thought for a second, ¡°Alright! I will really blame you if we die okay!?¡° Amy exclaimed smiling as she now trust me.


    I smiled back, ¡°Don''t worry, we''re not going to die¡± I replied, ¡°Big talk¡± Amy said ¡°Hey¡­ Let''s immediately leave, while those things are busy on the Gym¡± Steff said reminding us.


    I then run toward the entrance of the school as they followed me,


    The school has two gates the exit and entrance where they are going is in the back gate, which is the exit, this is the gate that is near their building, while it''s surrounded by other buildings that''s why those things hasn''t got here yet, most students know that the gate is lock, and it''s impossible to climb the fences as it has spikes on it. That''s why they chose to run towards the gym, which is in the middle of the school, for me, it''s a suicide, those students must''ve died by now.


    Near the gate, they have a small Barracks for the guards, we ran towards the guard''s place, as we get closer my heart beat faster than normal, cold sweat running down my spine, thinking that there would be a zombie in the guard barracks.


    the barracks is close to the gate and to the buildings of the students, so we arrived there fast, we stopped on the door outside and I peak on the window, there seems to be empty, holding tightly to the emergency axe, I slowly opened the door, ready for anything to appear, I slowly walk inside, while Steff and Amy is behind me, sneaking as I look around the small Barracks, to our luck, it''s empty, it has 4 double decked beds, some drawers, a small kitchen, and a small bathroom.


    The guard''s barracks is empty probably because they already go to the evacuation center to help in the chaos, the three of us sighed heavily out of relief.


    Steff locked the door, ¡°Alright, it''s clear, let''s immediately take everything we can need here¡± I said to them, they both agreed.


    As we searched the guard''s barracks, Amy discovered a stash of emergency supplies tucked away in a corner ¨C flashlights, first aid kits, and a cache of non-perishable food items. Steff uncovered a map of the entire town, while I stumbled upon a working radio.


    ¡°Look everywhere, hurry, before those things arrive¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop rushing us, my hands are already shaking¡± Amy said as she put those stuff she found in a bag.


    We found 4 bags, it is probably belong to the guards, we took it, I gave them 1 each while I look the 2, you never know, it might be useful.


    Amy continue to scavenger for useful things inside, Steff went to the bathroom and take everything in their, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, everything for hygiene.


    While the two of them are busy searching, I searched the drawers, taking their wallets, and to my luck, I found a Glock 22, Glock 22 is the most commonly used firearm among law enforcement officials. It¡¯s equally common for armed security guards to use this weapon because it¡¯s light and known for its accuracy.


    I was thrilled and I didn''t even hide my smile, ¡°exactly what I''m looking for¡± I know already that they gave these type of guns since I usually search about guns because of my father.


    Along with the Glock 22 is a magazine filled with bullets, I checked the gun and it also had a magazine filled with ammo, this will surely be useful to me. I put it on my waist on my back, and continue to look for something useful, looking around, I found a baseball bat on the corner of the cabinet.


    ¡°Why would a baseball bat be here?¡° I didn''t think too much about it because I''m in a hurry, ¡°Hey, are you two ready?¡°


    ¡°I can''t find anything useful anymore, I should be ready to go¡± Amy said getting down on the second deck, she must''ve searched every bed.


    ¡°I''m also done, I packed everything here, I also got ourselves a water and food I picked in the kitchen¡± Steff said as she zipped her bag.


    Amy asked, ¡°What''s that?¡°


    I replied, ¡°Oh, this? I found a baseball bat in the corner¡±


    Amy looked puzzled, ¡°Why would there be a baseball bat in the barracks¡±


    Steff filled our mystery, ¡°Thats probably owned by some student that they confiscated¡±


    ¡°Welp, it''s good for us whatever reason it is, here takes this¡± I''m giving it to Steff as Amy can''t hit people, she''s too naive¡±


    ¡°Promise me, don''t think twice and be naive okay? if those things get close hit it in the head immediately¡± I said to Steff


    ¡°Eh? why would you hit them?¡° Amy ask


    ¡°Because, I believe that they are not human anymore¡± Telling them this must not be a good idea, I believe that those are zombies, there''s no way we can still save those, they are fcking eating people alive! I said that while gripping tightly to my hands.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Souta, I promise, I''ll kill them to protect us¡± Steff said it with a serious face, she must understand what is going on already.


    ¡°But why would you think that they aren''t human anymore? The government can find a cure and-¡± before she could finish saying it, a zombie rans towards the evacuation center.


    I immediately duck down and signaled them to do the same, ¡°shh, let''s be quiet, there might be still some of them¡± and I was correct. Then, all of a sudden, we heard gun shots coming from the gym.


    How foolish, they are really dead with that, I look at Amy and Steff, both look worried, I should take this chance to escape while they are busy dealing with the people inside evacuation center.


    Damn, did I really just said that to my mind? I used people like they''re tools and felt nothing about it? I''m even glad that zombies are going to them??? Have I gone mad? But¡­ looking at this two, they are the people I love, and I must do anything to protect them.


    With determination I decided to do anything for our protection, ¡°Hey, let''s take this chance to get out from here¡± I whispered.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    They both nodded, we carefully walked from the back door, it''s just a few meters away from the gate, ¡°I''ll go there first and open it with the keys we found, if it got opened hurry up and run okay?¡°


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amy said and Steff nodded. With that in mind, I sneak my way toward the gate and immediately tries the keys, they are at least 20 of different keys here, I should hurry up.


    Rushing my way, putting different keys one at the time, my heart is pounding, that maybe I''ll get spotted by them, I glaze at my back, there''s a zombie who noticed me!!! SHIT! SHIT! SHI!!!!, I need to hurry before he comes. The zombie starts to ran towards me, grouling as he rush towards me, I immediately tried any keys, but nothing fits it.


    I look at the padlock''s hole, and compare it to the keys, to my luck there''s only one who fit in! I should''ve tried this earlier! I opened the padlock and take it out from the gate, ¡°Souta!!¡° Amy shouted, I turned around, gripping tightly to the padlock and punch the zombie who''s running towards me.


    I knock him down, Steff who rushed when she saw the zombie standing there as she look at me, ¡°Hurry up! Those things probably heard you!¡° I shouted


    I immediately opened the gate and let Steff in, Amy hurried and run towards the gate, however, because of the shouting earlier some zombies rushed towards us.


    Amy successfully made it to the gate however, the zombie I knocked down earlier on the ground hold Amy''s foot, ¡°AGHHHH!!!!¡° Amy shouted in panic.


    ¡°Shit!¡° I immediately went out the gate, with the emergency axe with me, I sliced the zombies hand, and hold Amy''s shoulder, ¡°Hurry!!¡° I shouted, as dozens of zombie get near!


    Steff helped us, and take Amy with her, I immediately locked the gate, however those things are persistent, and tries their best to get out.


    Breathing heavily, we manage to get out, however it''s still not the end, it''s just the beginning, as we got out from the school the town is probably in chaos right now, we need to get out fast!!


    ¡°Let''s go! We don''t have time to waste¡± I said to them, while they are still catching their breath, dammit! They are already exhausted because of running around too much and what happened earlier, on the other hand I''m not exhausted thanks to me always jogging around in the morning, I still have stamina left, I guess I have no choice to do this alone.


    Because of the commotion earlier, zombies from the outside gathered here, looking at those two, they will just be a burden if they helped me, I need to face them alone¡­


    They are 4 of them, all adults, 3 men and a woman, they are covered in blood¡­ Goddammit, gripping to the emergency axe, I face them alone.


    All of them rushed at me!! I stand there, waiting for them, the first zombie got near me, I kicked him, but then another came! They are not letting me rest! I swing the emergency axe sideways, cutting his head.. zombies weakness are their heads, that''s already very common!


    And I was right! He died on the spot! Celebrating now will kill me! I should not let my guard down, the three of them rushed to me all at once, I swing my axe downwards to the zombie who rushed in front of me, wrecking his head, however I have no time to pull it as the two are close to me.


    I pull back, using the gun here is suicide! It will only attract other zombies, on my waist, I pulled the knife I took in the Barrack''s kitchen earlier, I''m planning on giving this to Amy but I got no time and put it on my waist.


    With the kitchen knife with me, I put my left foot ahead, and my back foot on back, like a boxing stans, having the knife on my right hand. The two zombies got close and attack me aimlessly. I dodge the first zombie and stab the other one.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡° I forgot! Amy and Steff!! I immediately look back and saw Steff hit the other zombie with a baseball bat. I immediately went there and stab the zombie before he could even get on his feet.


    ¡°Thank God, you two are okay¡± I said in relief, If I ever lose this two, I don''t even know what to do anymore¡­ ¡°Let''s get out here immediately, take Amy with you, she seems shock after what happened¡±


    She look like a lifeless body, she must''ve been shocked, ¡°Where are we going?¡° Steff asked curiously as she lift Amy on her back. Steff is athletic so she have lot of stamina, Amy is probably around 61kg, she''s really slowing us down¡­ the fck am I saying? That she''s a burden??? What''s wrong with me!?


    ¡°Hey, Souta, you okay?¡° Steff asked as she saw me getting angry on myself, she must''ve been worried.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m sorry about that. We should find a way to get away from this town first, I know a place we could settle down away from any settlement, it should be safe there¡±


    ¡°It''s good that you have a plan in mind, but I think we need to hurry up, that gate won''t stand up forever¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let''s go then¡±


    There is a parking lot near the back gate, it''s where students and teachers park their vehicles, it may be useful however, I don''t think we could even get out from the town with a vehicle, we''ll probably cause attention and I''m sure that the roads are probably blocked off by broken cars.


    But with Amy with us, we need to immediately find a place to stay, while walking we saw 5 zombies eating a teacher who is in his car, the door is open, he must''ve tried to scape.


    We could use that car to scape and find a place to stay for now, we really need to rest as Amy is being a burden¡­ zombies around the parking lot isn''t a lot they are just around a dozen, also those 5 zombies that eating that man, I don''t think I still have the stamina to kill them.


    Steff is already tired, mentally and physically. I need to end this fast. I took out the Glock in my back and aim at them, ¡°hey, are you sure? You know that noise will attract attention¡± Steff said looking at me.


    ¡°Don''t worry, we''ll immediately leave once I killed them¡±


    ¡°¡­., do it fast¡±


    ¡°I know¡± I then reloaded the glock and pointed at those zombies, it''s my luck that father thought me how to use a gun. Clear my mind, take a deep breath, sighed¡­ steady, aim, shoot!


    Bang! One down, dammit it''s too loud, they are coming, the zombies that are eating the teacher has now focused on me, bang! Two down, the three rushed at me, my hands are fcking shaking! Bang! Shit! I missed! Focus, focus, aim, Bang! Now only two left, I took the emergency axe that I put on the ground rushed to them, smashing the one nearer, and take out the knife on my waist and stab the other.


    ¡°Let''s get out of here!¡° I said as I take the emergency axe from the zombie''s corpse. We immediately went to the car, as I''m taking out the teacher''s body which is inside the driver''s seat, it becomes a zombie!! Shit! I immediately let got of it however he get a hold of my hand, ¡°!!!!!¡° I''m panicking!!


    At the last second before I got bitten, Steff who is in the passenger seat stab the zombie on the head, ¡°Hahhhhhh¡­¡± I sighed heavily, ¡°thanks¡± I said and pull out the zombie''s corpse out of the car, I search his pockets and got his wallet, I took it with me.


    The keys are already put in the car, I started it and drive away from the school! ¡°Shit, that was a close one¡± we can now finally take it easy for now.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was the right choice to trust you, Souta. Thank you, for saving us¡­¡± Steff said being sincere.


    ¡°It''s nothing, you two are the most important people to me¡­ even if I have to kill a person just to save you two I''ll do it¡± the atmosphere changed


    It''s not all fun and games, this is about our lives on the line! There''s no going back, once you''ve been bitten, it''s all over, that''s why we need to take this seriously.


    In just a few minutes, Souta stopped the car. ¡°We should rest here for now, let''s continue tomorrow¡± he parked the car, in an alley for them to rest, the space is enough to fit the car.


    The school''s parking lot had 2 routes, one going to the right and to the left, the right one is going away from the town, while the left is going inside the town, and Souta chose the left side, as that is where the place they need to be.


    The left highway is actually just a straight path to the exit of the town, however, since this is well known, I''m sure that place is filled with cars, that''s why I chose to park first to rest and continue in the afternoon.


    I''m worried about Amy as well, she passed out for a while now, we need to drive our way through my house, there is. Path there going towards my goal.


    And I plan to spend the night there for the day, I parked just near the school but it''s at least 1km away, this alley is not well known and not really in the main road so we should not get spotted from here.


    ¡°We can relax for now-¡± Bang Bang! Gun shots starts to become common, it''s probably from the police station, in front of the School is the police station after all, they probably get the idea that they needed to kill them in act of self defense.


    ¡°What''s going on¡­?¡° Amy woked up! Steff, hugged her immediately after she woke up, ¡°I''m glad¡­ I''m glad you''re okay!¡° Steff said hugging her tightly


    ¡°Steff, she just woke up, you''re hugging her so tightly¡± I said as I laugh, ¡°I''m glad you''re okay, Amy¡± I said sincerely, I don''t know why, but I thought of her as a burden earlier, I''m such a fcking scumbag¡­


    ¡°Steff, please¡­ I can''t breathe..¡°


    ¡°Ah! My bad¡­ I''m glad¡­ you''re okay¡± all fun and games, then Steff starts crying.. ¡°I''m glad¡­ Sob sob¡± she''s really crying.


    ¡°Steff¡­ stop it¡± Then Amy starts to cry as well, it becomes dramatic, I''m not really a dramatic man, but why is my eyes liquidy¡­ this sucks, even thou I told to myself that I will act strong for them¡­


    The three of us silently cried¡­


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    Looking back to it, I killed more than a dozens of people already¡­ I know they are now zombies and it''s an act of self defense¡­ however, I still have this feeling of being uncertain, feeling that what if they can be cured? Then does that make me a murderer?


    Its been a few hours since then, these thoughts come to my mind as we take a rest, we already finished eating, it''s the foods we got in the barracks earlier..


    ¡°We should get going, it''s now 1 pm, we still have a long way to go¡± I said while the two of then just finished eating.


    ¡°Where exactly are we going Souta?¡° Amy asked, she must be curious, after all I''m so determined


    ¡°We should first take a rest in my house, we''re also going there anyways, and besides, I want to take something there¡±


    Amy said, ¡°if you said so¡±


    I asked Amy, ¡°How are you feeling Amy?¡°


    She answeed, ¡°I''m okay now compared to earlier¡­ I''m sorry I was a burden earlier.. Steff even carry me on her back..¡° she must''ve been feeling guilty thinking she is a burden earlier..


    Steff reassure her, ¡°Amy, it''s okay, your reaction was normal, even I would be shocked after the incident earlier¡­ however I saw Souta, he faced 4 zombies on his own just to save us¡­ after seeing that I was moved, I thought to myself, ''He''s really strong and cool for that'' that''s why I got the courage to be strong for us, Amy, become strong, I know that you can do it¡±


    She really reassured her¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ I promise, I won''t be a burden anymore¡± Amy replied with a determination on her eyes. Now with the 3 of us working together we should be able to get there!


    The once-familiar streets now echo with haunting moans, as the relentless horde of zombies roams freely. Skyscrapers, once symbols of human achievement, stand as eerie monuments to a world now plunged into chaos.


    Abandoned cars line the roads, remnants of a frantic escape that proved futile for many. The stench of decay lingers in the air, a constant reminder of the gruesome fate that befell those who couldn''t outrun the relentless undead.


    Every step is a gamble, every shadow a potential threat. Resources are scarce, and the once bustling stores are now picked clean by desperate survivors. The occasional distant scream punctuates the oppressive silence, a chilling testament to the ongoing struggle for survival.


    The survivors, a motley crew from different walks of life, form makeshift alliances in a bid to endure. Trust is a rare commodity, as the line between friend and foe blurs in this nightmarish landscape. Each passing day brings new challenges, forcing them to adapt and evolve in the face of an unimaginable apocalypse.


    Yet, amidst the despair, a flicker of hope remains. A rumor of a safe haven circulates among the survivors, a distant sanctuary that promises refuge from the relentless onslaught. It becomes a beacon of salvation, driving the battered souls forward, even as the world around them crumbles.


    In this grim reality, the question lingers: Will humanity find a way to reclaim what was lost, or are they destined to become mere echoes in the post-apocalyptic abyss?


    The Disaster


    Chapter 1: By Klux


    I am Souta an ordinary senior high you can see everywhere, I live in a small town near the mountains, I have 1 sister but she and my parents live in the city.


    I live alone in my old grandparents house, unfortunately they passed away since I was still little, me and my family used to visit here, however, because of my father''s work, we need to stay in the city.


    When I become 18, I choose to live alone, and decided to stay in my grandparents house to study but maybe when I go to college I''ll move to the city, with my parents, I look at the TV while preparing to go to school.


    [ Reporting there is a virus rapidly spreading around the world, If is said to be airborne! We advise everyone to wear a mask when going outside, this virus has been rapidly spreading in the entire world, almost half of the population is infected with this disease, so please be careful and if you ever have a high fever please go to the nearest hospital immediately ] the girl reporter said while wearing a mask, standing in the empty city. It seems that the people there had Quarantined themselves to not be affected by the virus.


    Ting!


    It was a notification sound that came from my phone, I took my phone from my pocket. It was a meme that the virus will be the start of the zombie apocalypse


    I said, ¡°Hmm, apocalypse huh? well if there is any I know what to do.¡° While spreading a jam on the bread, To be honest, I am someone who always overthink something, so if the apocalypse happened I''m already prepared.


    If it''s the famous zombie apocalypse in the movie, then it''s an easy solution noh? Just go to an island and live there, those zombies won''t be able to swim anyways. Thou, the ocean is far from here, this is a country side after all, maybe in the mountains? Or something-


    The alarm on his phone starts to vibrates on the table, [ 7:00 AM: You are late btch ] ¡°Damn, I''m harsh on myself aren''t I?¡° I said disappointed on myself on what I''m doing.


    ¡°Zombie Apocalypse huh¡­¡± I giggled and said ¡°like it will happen¡± sighed on myself in being childish that I still think about something like that. ¡°I should get going¡±


    Suddenly, someone came burging into Souta''s house. ¡°Hey! What are you doing!?? We''re fcking late! Hurry the fck up! we don''t have all day!¡° a girl said, she has this loud voice, ever since we''re child, if I were to describe her then she''s an energetic girl and always cares about others, she is an airhead that almost got a zero on our test.


    Her name is Amelia I call her Amy, she has this blonde hair, blue eyes, and around 5''2 in height, she can immediately be a celebrity with her looks, however she has this carefree attitude that I hate, when it comes to others she looks like an angel but when it comes to me, she''s like a child that always shout and complain all the time. She always laze around, and doesn''t do anything unless eating and watching anime.


    In her side, she''s the one who giggled her name is Steffanie I call her Steff, she is the exact opposite of Amy not talkative, nor energetic, she always has this cold aura, as she is cold to others but surprisingly when it comes to us she seems to behave like a normal girl, she is a smart and a straightforward girl.


    Having Black hair, around 6''5 She''s also athletic and always do the household. These two live by their selves, unlike mine, their parents work abroad living the two of them.


    These two are my childhood friends, my family and theirs are close friends that''s why we also got close because of them.


    We used to play when we are kids in the playground and because of that we become so close to each other


    Amy said, ¡°Hey! Stop staring us and keep moving!¡° shouting and complaining


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± I said brushing it off, I went and unplug the Television on the living room and get my backpack on the Sofa.


    Having the bread on my mouth, I said, ¡°Alwarth Les Go!¡° (Alright, let''s go!)


    Steff said, ¡°Souta, finish your food first before talking¡± reminding me that it''s a bad manner to talk while having food in my mouth.


    I replied, ¡°HAHAHA, is fone! Ish fone!¡° (It''s fine, it''s fine¡± laughing, she''s really like a mother like girl.


    Amy sighed, ¡°Stop caring about him, let''s go already!¡° Amy said, annoyed.


    We left the house, and walk towards the school, it''s just near here, around 1 km away, our house is close to the road, we don''t have any service so we walk towards the school, it''s a good exercise before going to the school.


    As a gentleman I follow the sidewalk rule, and I''m proud if it! The school starts at 7:30, that''s why we should already be walking in 7:00 or else we''ll get late, I finished eating my bread, and talk to them.


    ¡°Hey, you two look good in the new uniform¡± The uniform is a black skirt and a white polo, with the school name imprinted on it.


    Amy Said, ¡°Stop looking you perv¡± with an eyes looking at me with discussed


    Steff burge in, ¡°You should already stop talking to Souta like that, you''re not like that in the past you know¡± Steff said, caring for me.


    ¡°Steff is right, You used to be always sticking and clingy to me when we were-¡± before I could even finished my sentence Amy just walk faster and cover her ears with her hands while screaming, ¡°Lalalalala! I can''t hear you! Lalalala¡±


    ¡°Is that the effect of adulting?¡° Steff asked in curiosity


    I laughed at it, ¡°HAHAAH! Maybe, she''s usually like that noh? Ever since we become high school students, she''s been harsh on me¡±


    ¡°Maybe something happened?¡° Steff think about it curiously, we both don''t have a clue about what happened as why she''s acting like that.


    Ting! Another notification from my phone, I pull my phone on my pocket and see what it was, it''s another meme about the zombie apocalypse, it seems like it becomes serious as it''s the hot topic now.


    I brought up the topic as I thought it''s interesting, ¡°Hey, did you two heard about the zombie apocalypse that have been going around the internet?¡° I asked


    Amy said, ¡°ah, the thing that everyone was saying at the start of the apocalypse? It won''t happen so relax¡± assuring me as she look back, ¡°hurry it up already¡±


    Amy said that but she was wrong that day was the start of the apocalypse, in the social media, when Souta thought was just a meme, it was not, even the news are airing it all over the world, the start of extinction of humanity!


    We manage to arrived at the school in time, on the gate: ¡°I''ll be going here then, Goodluck you two¡± I said smiling at them. They both smiled back and said, ¡°Goodluck too!¡° And we walk separate ways. The two of them are in the same section, however unlucky I was, I got separated from them.


    many hour past, it''s now breaktime, current time: 9:45.


    it''s already break time, I''m sitting on my chair on the front row, near the window, looking outside as I day dream, I said to myself ¡°we''re already senior high school, and it''s just a few months we''re about to go to college¡± I sighed heavily.


    ¡°and the paths that we''re taking are different, are we gonna get separated soon?¡°


    Amy then suddenly opened the door to our classroom, shouting, ¡°Oii!! Souta! let''s have lunch together!¡° While Steff is bowing to apologize to my classmates.


    ¡°Shut up! You''re bothering the others¡± I said as I stand up on my chair and walks towards Amy and the Steff


    ¡°Ah!¡° She realized, ¡°I''m sorry¡± she said as she bowed, ¡°Hey, Souta, Hurry up¡± she whispered, I giggled ¡°ok, ok, relax, I''m coming¡±


    Steff is always silent, she doesn''t talk too much to other people besides us, I don''t know why¡­ I said to my thought gazing at her.


    While walking on the hallway towards the cafeteria a loud scream of a girl spread across the campus, ¡°AAAUUUUHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡°


    [ Everyone, there is an emergency please proceed to the evacuation center! Now! ]


    Everyone is confused, however some students immediately run as fast as they can toward the evacuation center.


    (note: the evacuation center is in the middle of the school and our building is in front of it just a few minutes walk


    We are shocked and confused by what is happening, so we look out the window from the third floor. It is breaktime and most of the students are in the cafeteria.


    We see a terrible scene below us. There is blood and body parts everywhere, and people are scared and desperate. We hear the alarms and the noise of panic. Some students are biting others, some are crying out, and some are pushing them away. We are scared and don''t know what to do.


    We look at each other, wondering how our school became so dangerous. We need to get out of here, but we don''t know which way to go. The hallways seem like a maze, full of unknown dangers.


    We smell the fear in the air, and we hear the disbelief of the others. Some students try to call their families, but the phones are busy with too many calls.


    The teachers tried theid best to keep the students calm and tell them to go to the evacuation center.


    [ Please do not panic! Go inside the Evacuation center before it''s to late!! ] a teacher with a microphone said, the evacuation center is a gym area, it''s a covered area that can fit all the students. However, going in there is a plain suicide.


    With adrenaline coursing through our veins, we began to panic.


    ¡°W¡­what''s going on!?¡° Amy asked with a devastating eyes, she''s panicking.


    ¡°I don''t know¡­¡± Amy said, she also looks worried, things are serious after all


    I remembered the meme that they''d been posting on the internet, that the virus was the start of the apocalypse! Shit! To think that it was going to become true! I gripped my hands tightly, we''re powerless¡­ I look at my two childhood friends, they are both scared.. they don''t know what to do.


    ¡°Augh! Fck it!¡° I''ve decided to make a move! Even if it means sacrificing myself! I should not make myself look weak or else they will lose hope.


    I then holds the hand of Steff and Amy they both look confused, I then asked them ¡°Do you trust me?¡° With a serious face¡­


    They were confused about what was going on and said ¡°yes?¡° with a question while holding their hands ¡°Good! Let''s get out of here!¡° I said that with determination, I look cool but my hands are shaking¡­ what if we fail? What if I let them both die? I''m making a fool of myself.


    ¡°Souta, we trust you.. we won''t regret what will happened, so please, keep your head up¡± Steff said, she must have noticed my fear. I smiled back, ¡°thank you¡± then run towards the stairs going down the second floor.


    Other students also run there so it was full of people,we have a hard time going down after the struggle, while holding their hands, we finally get down to the first floor, but I didn''t run toward the evacuation center, I ran opposite the evacuation center leaving them.


    Amy noticed this and warn me, ¡° Hey! Where are you going Souta? The evacuation center is in the other direction!¡° She shouted


    Steff then talk to Amy and said


    ¡°Don''t worry Amy, it''s Souta we''re talking aboutn I know he knows what''s doing, trust him¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Amy looks worried, she don''t know if she should follow me or not.. after all, I''m just her friend, it''s her life that is on the line


    However Steff is a bit different, her trust on me is on another level, ¡°look at him, he''s running towards where the emergency axe is, breaking the seal and stealing the axe, he''s thinking several steps ahead¡±


    ¡°Alright! now we''re ready! let''s get out here¡± I said with determination and a plan in mind, ¡°¡­¡± Amy thought for a second, ¡°Alright! I will really blame you if we die okay!?¡° Amy exclaimed smiling as she now trust me.


    I smiled back, ¡°Don''t worry, we''re not going to die¡± I replied, ¡°Big talk¡± Amy said ¡°Hey¡­ Let''s immediately leave, while those things are busy on the Gym¡± Steff said reminding us.


    I then run toward the entrance of the school as they followed me,


    The school has two gates the exit and entrance where they are going is in the back gate, which is the exit, this is the gate that is near their building, while it''s surrounded by other buildings that''s why those things hasn''t got here yet, most students know that the gate is lock, and it''s impossible to climb the fences as it has spikes on it. That''s why they chose to run towards the gym, which is in the middle of the school, for me, it''s a suicide, those students must''ve died by now.


    Near the gate, they have a small Barracks for the guards, we ran towards the guard''s place, as we get closer my heart beat faster than normal, cold sweat running down my spine, thinking that there would be a zombie in the guard barracks.


    the barracks is close to the gate and to the buildings of the students, so we arrived there fast, we stopped on the door outside and I peak on the window, there seems to be empty, holding tightly to the emergency axe, I slowly opened the door, ready for anything to appear, I slowly walk inside, while Steff and Amy is behind me, sneaking as I look around the small Barracks, to our luck, it''s empty, it has 4 double decked beds, some drawers, a small kitchen, and a small bathroom.


    The guard''s barracks is empty probably because they already go to the evacuation center to help in the chaos, the three of us sighed heavily out of relief.


    Steff locked the door, ¡°Alright, it''s clear, let''s immediately take everything we can need here¡± I said to them, they both agreed.


    As we searched the guard''s barracks, Amy discovered a stash of emergency supplies tucked away in a corner ¨C flashlights, first aid kits, and a cache of non-perishable food items. Steff uncovered a map of the entire town, while I stumbled upon a working radio.


    ¡°Look everywhere, hurry, before those things arrive¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Okay, okay, stop rushing us, my hands are already shaking¡± Amy said as she put those stuff she found in a bag.


    We found 4 bags, it is probably belong to the guards, we took it, I gave them 1 each while I look the 2, you never know, it might be useful.


    Amy continue to scavenger for useful things inside, Steff went to the bathroom and take everything in their, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, everything for hygiene.


    While the two of them are busy searching, I searched the drawers, taking their wallets, and to my luck, I found a Glock 22, Glock 22 is the most commonly used firearm among law enforcement officials. It¡¯s equally common for armed security guards to use this weapon because it¡¯s light and known for its accuracy.


    I was thrilled and I didn''t even hide my smile, ¡°exactly what I''m looking for¡± I know already that they gave these type of guns since I usually search about guns because of my father.


    Along with the Glock 22 is a magazine filled with bullets, I checked the gun and it also had a magazine filled with ammo, this will surely be useful to me. I put it on my waist on my back, and continue to look for something useful, looking around, I found a baseball bat on the corner of the cabinet.


    ¡°Why would a baseball bat be here?¡° I didn''t think too much about it because I''m in a hurry, ¡°Hey, are you two ready?¡°


    ¡°I can''t find anything useful anymore, I should be ready to go¡± Amy said getting down on the second deck, she must''ve searched every bed.


    ¡°I''m also done, I packed everything here, I also got ourselves a water and food I picked in the kitchen¡± Steff said as she zipped her bag.


    Amy asked, ¡°What''s that?¡°


    I replied, ¡°Oh, this? I found a baseball bat in the corner¡±


    Amy looked puzzled, ¡°Why would there be a baseball bat in the barracks¡±


    Steff filled our mystery, ¡°Thats probably owned by some student that they confiscated¡±


    ¡°Welp, it''s good for us whatever reason it is, here takes this¡± I''m giving it to Steff as Amy can''t hit people, she''s too naive¡±


    ¡°Promise me, don''t think twice and be naive okay? if those things get close hit it in the head immediately¡± I said to Steff


    ¡°Eh? why would you hit them?¡° Amy ask


    ¡°Because, I believe that they are not human anymore¡± Telling them this must not be a good idea, I believe that those are zombies, there''s no way we can still save those, they are fcking eating people alive! I said that while gripping tightly to my hands.


    ¡°Don''t worry, Souta, I promise, I''ll kill them to protect us¡± Steff said it with a serious face, she must understand what is going on already.


    ¡°But why would you think that they aren''t human anymore? The government can find a cure and-¡± before she could finish saying it, a zombie rans towards the evacuation center.


    I immediately duck down and signaled them to do the same, ¡°shh, let''s be quiet, there might be still some of them¡± and I was correct. Then, all of a sudden, we heard gun shots coming from the gym.


    How foolish, they are really dead with that, I look at Amy and Steff, both look worried, I should take this chance to escape while they are busy dealing with the people inside evacuation center.


    Damn, did I really just said that to my mind? I used people like they''re tools and felt nothing about it? I''m even glad that zombies are going to them??? Have I gone mad? But¡­ looking at this two, they are the people I love, and I must do anything to protect them.


    With determination I decided to do anything for our protection, ¡°Hey, let''s take this chance to get out from here¡± I whispered.


    They both nodded, we carefully walked from the back door, it''s just a few meters away from the gate, ¡°I''ll go there first and open it with the keys we found, if it got opened hurry up and run okay?¡°


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amy said and Steff nodded. With that in mind, I sneak my way toward the gate and immediately tries the keys, they are at least 20 of different keys here, I should hurry up.


    Rushing my way, putting different keys one at the time, my heart is pounding, that maybe I''ll get spotted by them, I glaze at my back, there''s a zombie who noticed me!!! SHIT! SHIT! SHI!!!!, I need to hurry before he comes. The zombie starts to ran towards me, grouling as he rush towards me, I immediately tried any keys, but nothing fits it.


    I look at the padlock''s hole, and compare it to the keys, to my luck there''s only one who fit in! I should''ve tried this earlier! I opened the padlock and take it out from the gate, ¡°Souta!!¡° Amy shouted, I turned around, gripping tightly to the padlock and punch the zombie who''s running towards me.


    I knock him down, Steff who rushed when she saw the zombie standing there as she look at me, ¡°Hurry up! Those things probably heard you!¡° I shouted


    I immediately opened the gate and let Steff in, Amy hurried and run towards the gate, however, because of the shouting earlier some zombies rushed towards us.


    Amy successfully made it to the gate however, the zombie I knocked down earlier on the ground hold Amy''s foot, ¡°AGHHHH!!!!¡° Amy shouted in panic.


    ¡°Shit!¡° I immediately went out the gate, with the emergency axe with me, I sliced the zombies hand, and hold Amy''s shoulder, ¡°Hurry!!¡° I shouted, as dozens of zombie get near!


    Steff helped us, and take Amy with her, I immediately locked the gate, however those things are persistent, and tries their best to get out.


    Breathing heavily, we manage to get out, however it''s still not the end, it''s just the beginning, as we got out from the school the town is probably in chaos right now, we need to get out fast!!


    ¡°Let''s go! We don''t have time to waste¡± I said to them, while they are still catching their breath, dammit! They are already exhausted because of running around too much and what happened earlier, on the other hand I''m not exhausted thanks to me always jogging around in the morning, I still have stamina left, I guess I have no choice to do this alone.


    Because of the commotion earlier, zombies from the outside gathered here, looking at those two, they will just be a burden if they helped me, I need to face them alone¡­


    They are 4 of them, all adults, 3 men and a woman, they are covered in blood¡­ Goddammit, gripping to the emergency axe, I face them alone.


    All of them rushed at me!! I stand there, waiting for them, the first zombie got near me, I kicked him, but then another came! They are not letting me rest! I swing the emergency axe sideways, cutting his head.. zombies weakness are their heads, that''s already very common!


    And I was right! He died on the spot! Celebrating now will kill me! I should not let my guard down, the three of them rushed to me all at once, I swing my axe downwards to the zombie who rushed in front of me, wrecking his head, however I have no time to pull it as the two are close to me.


    I pull back, using the gun here is suicide! It will only attract other zombies, on my waist, I pulled the knife I took in the Barrack''s kitchen earlier, I''m planning on giving this to Amy but I got no time and put it on my waist.


    With the kitchen knife with me, I put my left foot ahead, and my back foot on back, like a boxing stans, having the knife on my right hand. The two zombies got close and attack me aimlessly. I dodge the first zombie and stab the other one.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡° I forgot! Amy and Steff!! I immediately look back and saw Steff hit the other zombie with a baseball bat. I immediately went there and stab the zombie before he could even get on his feet.


    ¡°Thank God, you two are okay¡± I said in relief, If I ever lose this two, I don''t even know what to do anymore¡­ ¡°Let''s get out here immediately, take Amy with you, she seems shock after what happened¡±


    She look like a lifeless body, she must''ve been shocked, ¡°Where are we going?¡° Steff asked curiously as she lift Amy on her back. Steff is athletic so she have lot of stamina, Amy is probably around 61kg, she''s really slowing us down¡­ the fck am I saying? That she''s a burden??? What''s wrong with me!?


    ¡°Hey, Souta, you okay?¡° Steff asked as she saw me getting angry on myself, she must''ve been worried.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m sorry about that. We should find a way to get away from this town first, I know a place we could settle down away from any settlement, it should be safe there¡±


    ¡°It''s good that you have a plan in mind, but I think we need to hurry up, that gate won''t stand up forever¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let''s go then¡±


    There is a parking lot near the back gate, it''s where students and teachers park their vehicles, it may be useful however, I don''t think we could even get out from the town with a vehicle, we''ll probably cause attention and I''m sure that the roads are probably blocked off by broken cars.


    But with Amy with us, we need to immediately find a place to stay, while walking we saw 5 zombies eating a teacher who is in his car, the door is open, he must''ve tried to scape.


    We could use that car to scape and find a place to stay for now, we really need to rest as Amy is being a burden¡­ zombies around the parking lot isn''t a lot they are just around a dozen, also those 5 zombies that eating that man, I don''t think I still have the stamina to kill them.


    Steff is already tired, mentally and physically. I need to end this fast. I took out the Glock in my back and aim at them, ¡°hey, are you sure? You know that noise will attract attention¡± Steff said looking at me.


    ¡°Don''t worry, we''ll immediately leave once I killed them¡±


    ¡°¡­., do it fast¡±


    ¡°I know¡± I then reloaded the glock and pointed at those zombies, it''s my luck that father thought me how to use a gun. Clear my mind, take a deep breath, sighed¡­ steady, aim, shoot!


    Bang! One down, dammit it''s too loud, they are coming, the zombies that are eating the teacher has now focused on me, bang! Two down, the three rushed at me, my hands are fcking shaking! Bang! Shit! I missed! Focus, focus, aim, Bang! Now only two left, I took the emergency axe that I put on the ground rushed to them, smashing the one nearer, and take out the knife on my waist and stab the other.


    ¡°Let''s get out of here!¡° I said as I take the emergency axe from the zombie''s corpse. We immediately went to the car, as I''m taking out the teacher''s body which is inside the driver''s seat, it becomes a zombie!! Shit! I immediately let got of it however he get a hold of my hand, ¡°!!!!!¡° I''m panicking!!


    At the last second before I got bitten, Steff who is in the passenger seat stab the zombie on the head, ¡°Hahhhhhh¡­¡± I sighed heavily, ¡°thanks¡± I said and pull out the zombie''s corpse out of the car, I search his pockets and got his wallet, I took it with me.


    The keys are already put in the car, I started it and drive away from the school! ¡°Shit, that was a close one¡± we can now finally take it easy for now.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was the right choice to trust you, Souta. Thank you, for saving us¡­¡± Steff said being sincere.


    ¡°It''s nothing, you two are the most important people to me¡­ even if I have to kill a person just to save you two I''ll do it¡± the atmosphere changed


    It''s not all fun and games, this is about our lives on the line! There''s no going back, once you''ve been bitten, it''s all over, that''s why we need to take this seriously.


    In just a few minutes, Souta stopped the car. ¡°We should rest here for now, let''s continue tomorrow¡± he parked the car, in an alley for them to rest, the space is enough to fit the car.


    The school''s parking lot had 2 routes, one going to the right and to the left, the right one is going away from the town, while the left is going inside the town, and Souta chose the left side, as that is where the place they need to be.


    The left highway is actually just a straight path to the exit of the town, however, since this is well known, I''m sure that place is filled with cars, that''s why I chose to park first to rest and continue in the afternoon.


    I''m worried about Amy as well, she passed out for a while now, we need to drive our way through my house, there is. Path there going towards my goal.


    And I plan to spend the night there for the day, I parked just near the school but it''s at least 1km away, this alley is not well known and not really in the main road so we should not get spotted from here.


    ¡°We can relax for now-¡± Bang Bang! Gun shots starts to become common, it''s probably from the police station, in front of the School is the police station after all, they probably get the idea that they needed to kill them in act of self defense.


    ¡°What''s going on¡­?¡° Amy woked up! Steff, hugged her immediately after she woke up, ¡°I''m glad¡­ I''m glad you''re okay!¡° Steff said hugging her tightly


    ¡°Steff, she just woke up, you''re hugging her so tightly¡± I said as I laugh, ¡°I''m glad you''re okay, Amy¡± I said sincerely, I don''t know why, but I thought of her as a burden earlier, I''m such a fcking scumbag¡­


    ¡°Steff, please¡­ I can''t breathe..¡°


    ¡°Ah! My bad¡­ I''m glad¡­ you''re okay¡± all fun and games, then Steff starts crying.. ¡°I''m glad¡­ Sob sob¡± she''s really crying.


    ¡°Steff¡­ stop it¡± Then Amy starts to cry as well, it becomes dramatic, I''m not really a dramatic man, but why is my eyes liquidy¡­ this sucks, even thou I told to myself that I will act strong for them¡­


    The three of us silently cried¡­


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    Looking back to it, I killed more than a dozens of people already¡­ I know they are now zombies and it''s an act of self defense¡­ however, I still have this feeling of being uncertain, feeling that what if they can be cured? Then does that make me a murderer?


    Its been a few hours since then, these thoughts come to my mind as we take a rest, we already finished eating, it''s the foods we got in the barracks earlier..


    ¡°We should get going, it''s now 1 pm, we still have a long way to go¡± I said while the two of then just finished eating.


    ¡°Where exactly are we going Souta?¡° Amy asked, she must be curious, after all I''m so determined


    ¡°We should first take a rest in my house, we''re also going there anyways, and besides, I want to take something there¡±


    Amy said, ¡°if you said so¡±


    I asked Amy, ¡°How are you feeling Amy?¡°


    She answeed, ¡°I''m okay now compared to earlier¡­ I''m sorry I was a burden earlier.. Steff even carry me on her back..¡° she must''ve been feeling guilty thinking she is a burden earlier..


    Steff reassure her, ¡°Amy, it''s okay, your reaction was normal, even I would be shocked after the incident earlier¡­ however I saw Souta, he faced 4 zombies on his own just to save us¡­ after seeing that I was moved, I thought to myself, ''He''s really strong and cool for that'' that''s why I got the courage to be strong for us, Amy, become strong, I know that you can do it¡±


    She really reassured her¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ I promise, I won''t be a burden anymore¡± Amy replied with a determination on her eyes. Now with the 3 of us working together we should be able to get there!

 Chapter 2: Soutas house

    It''s been 3 hours and 15 minutes since the zombie outbreak, we continue to go to my house, driving towards it, we saw a lot of people screaming in pain and desperately trying to survive.


    The three of us just pity them, we can''t do anything to help after all. We didn''t look back and continued to drive, Pressing forward, we grappled with the weight of our inability to assist. It felt shameful, but in our struggle for survival, extending aid seemed like an unmanageable burden, with our own challenges already overwhelming.


    it''s a shameful reason, I know, but what can the three of us do? Help them? We''re just barely surviving with just us, and helping them they''ll just become a burden, we already has many on our plates to consider.


    "Looks like we reached the end¡­" the road now is filled with broken cars, we''re at least 2 km away from my house, "we''ll continue to walk, pack your things up" we took our bags after parking the car outside the highway praying that they won''t steal it.


    We took the key of course, "You guys ready?" I asked them, they seems nervous. "Y-yeah¡­" Amy replied, she''s nervous just by her looks, I look at Steff and she nodded.


    "Let''s go then" I said and went our way, the plan is instead of walking in the open road, we''ll walk in roof of the houses, we parked the car for us to use and act like a ladder.


    I let Steff step on my shoulder while Amy help Steff to balance herself as she tries to go to the balcony of a random house we found. After struggling, we manage to let Steff get in, she first look around the house, after clearing it, I let Amy to step on my shoulder while Steff pull her up, then, it''s my turn, they put their hands as I jumped and let then pull me up, after I get closer a bit, I grab the balcony''s fence and climb my way up.


    "Sighed¡­ Let''s first look for something useful inside here" the house is empty, the owner probably escaped in panic, the clothes are all over the bedroom, the living room is in mess..


    We cleared the whole house, and there''s no Zombie in sight, with that we start to scavenge for supplies, most of it got taken however the foods that are easy to rot in the refrigerator is still there, such as bread, jam, milk, etc.


    The owner is probably in rush not to take anything from the refrigerator, well it''s our luck. After taking everything from the refrigerator we continued to look around, we filled our water and took some kitchen knives with us, Amy now has a knife as he weapon.


    We continue to move forward, we jumped on the roof of a house nearby, I jumped first then catched them both after. The houses here are really close to each other, but¡­ it still has a dead end where we really need to get down.


    Looking at the empty highway, it''s impossible that those zombies are not here, I take out a used canned we eat earlier and throw it on the highway. And my guess was right, those zombies are just inside the houses.


    Gunshots have also stopped, so we have no choice but to make another way to distract them¡­


    I then grab a knife that we get from the house earlier, from the roadside and throw at the parked car nearby in the opposite direction, shattering it''s window, the car then alarmed,


    Making noise that draw the zombies away from the houses nearby. The three of us exchange nervous glances, silently acknowledging the urgency of our situation.


    As the zombies begin to shuffle toward the sound, we seize the opportunity to quietly navigate through the abandoned vehicles on the highway, jumping down on the roof, and searching for an alternative route. The ominous silence that follows the alarm of the car amplifies the tension in the air, reminding us of the constant threat surrounding us.


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    We spot a narrow alley leading away from the highway, and without hesitation, we slip into it, hoping it will offer a safer path. The sound of our footsteps on the gravel feels deafening in the stillness, urging us to move swiftly and stealthily. The mission to find a secure refuge intensifies as we tread cautiously through the desolate streets.


    As we rushed our way through the narrow alley, we successfully manage to get near my house, it''s not just a 5 minutes walk! However when I thought everything is going according to plan, I forgot an important information¡­ that earlier the police station shot dozens of zombies, causing the loud gun fire draw hordes of zombies nearby. Now, they just spotted us!


    "Shit¡­" I said in desperate, is this the end? The once-muted moans of distant zombies suddenly escalate to a cacophony as they catch sight of us near my house. Panic sets in, and I don''t know what to do! Is this how it ends? Aftwe all the hardship we went through!??


    "Souta! Snap it out!" Amy shouted, I look at her, the two of them are relying on me, if I give up now, they''ll die¡­ I can''t let those two die!


    We quicken our pace, desperately searching for a way to secure the perimeter. In the midst of this chaos, I don''t care anymore! With urgency in my voice I shouted, "Let''s quickly open the gate!!" The gate is the front gate of ours, it''s in near the road, just in front of it.


    I direct my them towards it, hoping it still provides a safe passage. The relentless pursuit of the growing horde echoes behind us, pushing us to our limits, rushing towards us, we run towards the gate!


    As we approach the entrance, we realize it''s our last chance to evade the impending danger. Fumbling with the lock, adrenaline pumping, "focus, focus, focus, I can do this or else we''ll die!" I thought to myself and quickly opened the lock and manage to open the door just in time. We rush inside, "Hurry up!!" I shouted as they both get inside. I quickly closed the gate and lock it.


    "They are too many! We need to find a a way to barricade the gate!" Steff immediately went through the garage and shouted, "help me here!" It''s my old cabinet, I ran towards there together with Amy, the three of us rushed and lift it towards the gate and block it.


    "This is not enough¡­" Amy said, panting.


    "let''s go inside and take everything that is heavy outside to barricade it" I said, and with that, the three of us went to my house and get heavy furniture to block the gate.


    After half an hour, we successfully barricading it, leaving the relentless zombies clawing and growling on the other side.


    Now within the familiar confines of my home, we assess our options, knowing that this temporary respite won''t last long. The urgent need to fortify our position and plan our next move weighs heavily on our minds as we brace for the challenges that await us in this apocalyptic world.


    We went inside, sitting on the couch in relief, but this rhe distant moans and occasional thuds against the barricaded entrance serve as a constant reminder of the peril outside.


    Amy asked, "Why did we come here, Souta? Is there any reason?" as she walks towards me and sit on the sofa.


    Steff however is taking everything with her she could gather, I have a lot of canned foods and other ready to eat as I live alone I stuck food for 2 months so that I won''t go shopping for a while, to think that it will be useful.


    The chaos on the front gate gets louder and louder, "I''ll answer you later, I need to deal with those zombies first" I went to the kitchen where Steff is, and went and take the propane gas that is connected to my stove.


    "? What are you doing Souta?" Steff asked curiously.


    "Help me with this one, those zombies outside are freaking annoying" they are really annoying, they might even gather many zombies, making a horde and that will be a problem.


    As I lift the propane gas towards the front gate, I ordered Steff to take the ladder with her, with that, I lift the propane gas with me on the ladder as those two hold the ladder, I went ahead and burned those bastards!!


    They are screaming, however not in pain, they couldn''t feel any pain, they are screaming because they saw me, a human, their food. I smirk, and said, "Die, bitches!" And burned them all until nothing is left but their corpse, those corpse will for sure smell however, it will probably help us too as they won''t mind if something is smell like them.


    I watched this in one of the series of zombie apocalypse, I throw the propane gas when it got empty at them and get down the ladder.

 Chapter 3: Hunter!?

    "Alright that should take care of them, follow me, I''ll show you two why I decided to go home." They are both silent, curious on what I''m about to show them, they just look at each other and follow me silently.


    Walking inside the house, "Hey Souta¡­ Why are we in your father''s room?" Amy asked, she probably find it weird.


    "Hmm, here¡­ probably here¡­" I keep stepping on the wooden floor, then, "oh, here" I took out a piece of wood, reaveling a handle on the floor, I then pull the handle reaveling a stairs leading downstairs.


    "Follow me" it''s pitch black inside, it''s an underground basement after all, it''s also cold, and has lot of dust, you can tell that this place have not been opened in the past few years.


    I turned on the lights, switching the power button, revealing a small hunting lodge gun room, filled with hunting weapons. Shotguns, Pistols, Snipers, rifles, Bow, crossbow, traps, and other tools.


    They are also many displays of animals, such as bear rug, dear, and other many animals. It''s an ideal room to have as a hunter.


    The two were speechless, "what¡­ you have something like this in your house?" Amy asked can''t believe what she''s seeing.


    "You two know who my father is, he''s from the military, we used to hunt when I was still a kid, that''s the reason why I know how to use a gun" I explained, feeling proud.


    "So this is the reason why you and your family visit here in the country side?" Steff said as she look close on the weapons.


    "Know everything makes sense! For someone who is rich as you to visit in a countryside!" Amy exclaimed.


    "Yeah¡­ anyways of that, let''s take all these weapons with us, also, wear these, this are a black bullet proof vest, you two should wear it" handing it to Amy


    "Eh? How about you?" Amy asked


    "It''s fine, I know what I''m doing, besides if we have a good loot, we''ll probably take another bullet proof vest"


    "¡­" Amy got silent feeing guilty, "it''s fine, really, take it, it''s also for me to keep you two safe at all times" I smiled and give it to her. She take it, having no choice¡­ "Thank you.." she said


    "Hey Steff, you''ve been staring at those guns for a while now, you can choose what you want to take, you too Amy, chose your weapons that suits you"


    "Okay¡­"


    Amy chooses a hunting rifle the hunting, Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle, it already has a suppressor, after all hunting in silence is the key to not let the animals run, also adding a suppressor can reduce the noise signature of each shot, which is advantageous in a zombie apocalypse scenario like this, for avoiding attracting unnecessary attention.


    She also has a pistol that has a suppressor attached to it, as for Steff, she have to pick either a shotgun or a hunting rifle, those are the choices after all, she have no choice but to pick a hunting rifle as well, because shotgun has a very high recoil after all, as someone''s first time in using guns, that''s a disadvantage to have.


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    While I, have the AK 47 that my father left behind. In a zombie apocalypse scenario, a modified AK-47 could be adapted for improved performance and versatility, it''s a luck for me to have these features that my father left behind.


    The AK-47 features an adjustable stock for enhanced maneuverability, an optics mount for improved accuracy with red dot sights, an upgraded grip for better control and reduced fatigue, a muzzle brake for recoil reduction during rapid firing, an extended rail system for attaching lights, lasers, and foregrips, ambidextrous controls for user-friendly operation with both hands, an efficient magazine release for quick changes, suppressor compatibility with a threaded barrel for reduced noise, a durable finish that is corrosion-resistant for harsh conditions, and an upgraded trigger for enhanced accuracy and control.


    With all these weapons, and a month''s worth of food, we''ll survive this apocalypse! I teach them how to use guns, we also tried firing it as it has suppressors.


    Souta:


    Weapons: Upgraded AK-47, Hunting Shotgun on his back, two pistols with suppressors, hunting knives, and a crossbow attached to his backpack.


    Clothes: Black Suit and a black boots


    Amy:


    Weapons: A hunting rifle, Pistol with a suppressor, hunting knives and a bow.


    Clothes: black trouser, black boots, a white t shirt and her bullet proof vest


    Steff:


    Weapons: A hunting rifle, Pistol with a suppressor, hunting knives and a crossbow.


    Clothes: black trouser, black boots, a black t shirt and a buller proof vest


    They are just the same to be honest. With a month''s worth of carefully rationed food and our modified weapons at hand, I begin imparting basic firearm training to the group.


    I emphasize the importance of firearm safety, proper stance, and accurate aiming. As the echo of gunshots fills the air, we adapt to the suppressed sounds, realizing the advantage of reduced noise in a world where every sound could attract unwanted attention.


    The training sessions strengthen our cohesion, transforming a group of individuals into a team prepared to face the challenges ahead. We drill tactical movements, practice reloading under pressure, and discuss strategies for navigating through zombie-infested areas.


    As the sun sets on another day in this apocalyptic landscape, our group feels a newfound sense of readiness. Armed, trained, and supplied, we stand united against the ever-present threat. Little do we know, the real test of our survival skills is just beginning, as the darkness ushers in a myriad of uncertainties in this changed world.


    We''re now ready to move, our plan is to go to the mountains! There is a house there that I know who owned, we can stay there until we fully trained ourselves to become a better version of ourselves.


    We walk to the back gate, silently moving our way through the highway, we killed the zombies roaming around here yesterday as target practice, now there are only some of them that lingers around, we killed those zombies that are nearby silently with our new weapons, walking towards the highway in early in the morning, crouching and steadily moving, My eyes are in the front, Amy is covering the left and and up, while Steff covers the right and our back.


    As we swiftly move forward, we manage to get out the highway and went to the houses, this is a familiar place as we three live in this area, we know the places to go, with some zombies who noticed us, we easily killed it, it becomes easier than yesterday because of these new weapons.


    After half an hour walk, we manage to arive in the highway, this time, this highway leads towards the mountains, with sheer determination, we walk passed the road filled with broken cars, the path is 6 km long towards the mountains, with our pace fast and steady we manage to successfully got into the mountains in half an hour!


    We''re now resting bellow a tree inside the mountains, "Ahhhh!! That was an intense hour! Finally We''re doneeeee" Amy shouted in a bliss,


    "Amy, you might attract unwanted attention if you keep shouting like that" Steff said while standing and looking around, she''s a worry wart after all.


    "Calm down Steff, those zombies aren''t even near here"


    I finished drinking my bottled of water and sat down, and said, "Stop fighting you two, let''s just be glad that we manage to get away from the town" These two are fighting again, a serious Steff and a Carefree Amy, these two always fight like this, maybe they calmed down from those things knowing about the guns give them hope after all.


    "Oh yeah, Souta, I''ve been curious, what place are you gonna take us?" Amy asked, changing the topic


    "I''m also curious.." Steff also asked.


    "You two really aren''t the type who wants surprises, well it''s not like it''s a secret anyways, we''re going to this large house, a mansion to be price"


    "A mansion??" Amy asked again getting closer to me, I can also feel the same way for Steff..


    "Yes, a mansion, I know the owner of the mansion, he''s an old man that my father know, we used to go there, and I also got close to him because I always jogged around here"


    I explain, the anticipation in their eyes mirrored by my own excitement.


    "The mansion is secluded, surrounded by dense woods. It''s not only spacious but also fortified, making it an ideal sanctuary in these uncertain times. The old man, Mr. Haruki, is a family friend with a penchant for preparedness. He''s turned the mansion into a self-sufficient haven with its own power source and ample supplies."


    Amy''s eyes widen, absorbing the details. "A fortified mansion in the mountains? Sounds like the perfect hideout."


    Steff nods in agreement, "Better than navigating these zombie-infested streets. When do we leave?"


    "We should be able to go there now, you two seems excited after all" I giggled, they look like a kid aftee I showed them a toy.

 Chapter 4: Old Men

    They then resumed their journey on foot, trekking for half a day.


    Amy had become visibly fatigued. She couldn''t help but voice her exhaustion. "Souta, we''ve been walking for hours. Are we there yet?"


    I chuckled in response. "We''re pretty close. Let''s have lunch and then continue our journey."


    We''ve been walking for hours yet we''re still not there, but I''m sure that we''re now near it, we enjoyed our midday meal on the big tree we find to rest on, we pressed on for another an hour until, finally, we reached our destination.


    "We''re here!" I exclaimed out of excitement


    Relieved, Amy sighed, "Thank God we''re finally here."


    To their surprise, they found themselves standing in front of a magnificent mansion that Souta told them to.


    Steff questioned me, "What are we going to do, now, Souta?"


    "I happen to know the owner of this mansion, and he''s kind enough to let us in," I replied.


    "Is that so?" Steff replied, seeking confirmation.


    I raised my voice and rang the doorbell. "Hey! Can you let us in? It''s me, Souta!" I sais shouting


    However, no one responded to my call. Amy''s keen observation led her to spot someone inside the mansion.


    "Hey, isn''t that the owner?" Amy pointed towards the window.


    Me and Steff struggled to see. "Where?" I asked, confused.


    Amy clarified, "Over there, can''t you see him?"


    Steff joined in, "I don''t particularly see anything."


    Amy stopped pointing and suggested, "We should probably climb the gate." she said with a cold tone


    Although me and Steff were bewildered by Amy''s sudden change in tone, they didn''t dwell on it and decided to follow her lead.


    We assisted Steff in climbing the gate, as she was lighter and more athletic than Amy, again, climbing into my shoulder and using it as a ladder, She successfully made it over and proceeded to unlock the lock, allowing us to enter.


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    Steff and Amy admire the mansion while I secured the gate. Amy had been quiet for a while, but we didn''t think much of it.


    I immediately made my way to the door and knocked Excitedly, the man who I treated like a second father! I''ll meet him again "Old man, it''s me, Souta!"


    To our surprise, the door was unlocked. I entered the mansion Immediately and headed straight to the room where Amy had spotted the old man.


    As I excitedly opened the door, my eyes fell upon a grim sight¡ªthe old man had taken his own life. Hanging himself on a rope tightened on the ceiling. The shock and devastation consumed me. I felt like I was in a nightmare, unable to move or speak. I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. The room was silent except for the sound of my own breathing. I felt like I was suffocating. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare that I couldn''t escape from. I didn''t know what to do. I was paralyzed with fear and sadness.


    "Why? Why?! would you choose to end your life when you have the most desirable house here!? huh!? you should have to wait for me to come!"


    I didn''t manage to control my emotions, I cried out in anguish as I fell on my knee on the floor.


    Amy and Steff immediately rushed to my side, embracing me tightly. Steff offered comfort, assuring me, "Souta, I''m so sorry," Steff whispers softly, her voice a soothing presence in the midst of the overwhelming grief.


    Amy adds, "We''re here for you. This is a lot to process, but we''re a team, remember?"


    Their comforting words do little to dispel the shock, but the warmth of their support provides a lifeline.


    I wept as the girls held me, feeling the weight of the loss. The old man had been like a father figure to me, treating me with kindness and generosity. The realization that the old man had chosen to end his own life left me devastated.


    Suddenly, a loud shout broke the somber atmosphere. "Open up! I know you''re there!"


    What''s that? He dares to shout to me!? I stood up while Amy and Steff followed, looking at me with their worried eyes, I ignored them and I peer through the window. I saw a bald old man at the gate, demanding entry with force.


    "Who''s that?" Amy asked while Steff suggested to take caution, "We should probability take cautious, we never know what that man wants"


    While I''m is still on a devastating state, I have no choice but to decide whatever let the man in or not, "We should go and see him" I said wiping my tears with my hand.


    Steff and Amy are worried about me as the man who is like a father to me just died, I can''t handle another problem at the same time with that kind of state so Steff suggested to not approach the man and let him think that weren''t inside.


    "We should just let that man be, He can''t break the gate nor climb into that large gate of the mansion by himself. We will take turns watching over him," Steff stated


    Her worries even got worser when I replied, "We can''t just let that man be, if he wanted to he would, he might bring us trouble if we don''t settle this immediately" I said with a bad mood, there are many things going through my mind now


    ¡­


    I think I''m going crazy.


    Amy and Steff just closed their mouth and followed my lead to not anger me, more than I already was. They know that they can''t do anything, it''s the first time they saw me like this, they probably scared what to say that''s why they are being careful.


    We approached the gate, drawing closer to the old man. As we neared, the old man shouted, "Open the gate!" As he shake it out loud


    Still grappling with his emotions, I questioned, "Why?" While glaring at him.


    "Because I said so!" the old man retorted.


    "Is it wrong to help an old man, a fellow human?" the old man continued.


    Amy interjected, "Hey, why not open it up? He''s not one of them, after all¡­" Amy said pitying the old man.


    "Yeah, why not open it up?" the old man chimed in.


    Steff remained silent, gripping her hunting rifle, unsure of what to say, and scared to anger me.


    My mind is currently clouded with confusion, but I decided to follow Amy''s suggestion, unable to think straight in that moment.


    I unlocked the locks and opened the gate. But As soon as I did, the old man suddenly forcefully pushed me to the ground! strangling my neck with both of his hands.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! You sure are an idiot!!!" He''s fcking rejoicing that I opened the gate, I know this is a bad idea "I''ll kill you now and have my way with your girls later! Those are some nice equipments you have eh? But with a young man like you, you probably just stole it right?" old man jeered.


    "Did you really think I would let you live after seeing you three climbing on the mountain with that equipmens!?" The old man continued


    "I know you, you were the man that the owner of this mansion treasures, he care for you and loves you, so of course he would let you in! But things have changed, naive man! I have the power. I''m on top! After killing you, kukuku, I''ll be having non-stop sex with your friends later! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The old man said all his devilish plan

 Chapter 5: Chill

    I writhed and twisted in his grasp, trying to break free from his iron grip. He was stronger than he looked, and I felt his fingers digging into my skin. Suddenly, a blur of motion caught my eye. It was Steff, who had come to my rescue. She lunged at the old man and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, making him gasp and let go of me. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his belly and groaning in pain.


    "Auggh!! Fcking shit!" He said angrily as he groan in pain from the kick


    Regaining my composure, I gasped for air and swiftly drew the gun from my waist, leveling it at the trembling old man.


    "Souta¡­" Steff whispered as the two of them look at me.


    "W-Wait! It was just a joke, right? You can''t take a life here! I''m a fcking human! You can''t kill a human!!" the old man pleaded, desperation in his eyes.


    A bitter laugh escaped me. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A joke, you say? No, old man, your kind disgusts me. Your insatiable greed mirrors the worst in humanity¡ªselfish desires trampling over others'' thoughts. You''re nothing but human trash. Are you proud of your own kind''s wretchedness?"


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a mad world we live in! I failed to consider the possibility that you''re just another piece of human filth. I was na?ve! Really, really naive! I won''t be so naive again, for you, aren''t you proud!? Rejoice! Laugh! Why aren''t you laughing!?? Smile!! If you ever find yourself resurrected, good luck surviving this hellish existence! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" I said those world like mad man, I didn''t know I have that kind of me inside me


    ...


    Have I gone insane? For the sake of surviving this world, I did everything... in return i become someone that I can barely recognize... I was a kind man... to think that the world would fcked me up like this!


    "You-" The old man''s voice quivered in fear as he beheld my face, realizing I was no ordinary human. The zombies were mere shadows compared to the monstrous entity before him. It was helpless, to think I fought a devil!


    With a menacing glare, I squeezed the trigger, and a solitary gunshot reverberated through the air. The old man crumpled lifelessly to the ground.


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    A hushed stillness enveloped the air as I neared the imposing gate, ensuring its security with a deliberate touch. Satisfied, I retraced my steps back into the grandeur of the mansion, the echo of my footsteps resonating through its opulent halls. The quietude held a certain weight, hinting at secrets and mysteries concealed within the lavish walls.


    The two girls, still stunned by the shocking turn of events, stood at the gate for a moment before deciding to follow me inside.


    Inside the mansion, I only said one word, "Help me burry them," I said with a lifeless emotion, I don''t even know what to do anymore¡­ I feel like I''m a murdere


    ¡­


    "It''s my fault, isn''t it..." Amy said, blaming herself


    "Amy that''s-"


    "Stop it, Steff. I know it fully well that it''s my fault. If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have to... do that"


    I walks towards her, Amy trembles with fear, not knowing what I will do to her, to her surprise I hugged her, "Amy... you did nothing wrong, I was going to open the gate anyway to know his intentions, and besides, if nothing is done to that trashy human, he might bring some of his friends and let them know we''re here."


    "So stop blaming yourself," I said, comforting her, "Help me burry the bodies, you did nothing wrong" that''s right, she did nothing wrong, that man is a evil man, If I didn''t kill him there he might do something evil to others, trashy human like them must die.


    Amy and Steff followed me silently as I walk towards the garden. In the garden, we found a shovel. The three of us then digged a graveyard for the two bodies, and right after we had finished, it was already dark.


    I led them to where the shower is, "This is where the shower is, you can also take a bath if any of you wants too, I''m going upstairs there is also a shower there, I might not come back downstairs and go straight to sleep you two can eat whatever you want here, you two can do your thing, do you have any questions?"


    They look at each other, but didn''t mutter a word, " If you don''t have then goodnight" with that I left the two of them alone.


    "Hey Steff, do you think Souta will be okay?" Amy asked in concern


    "I don''t think so... he lead us to a safe place knowing what is happening to the world, finding out that the man who treat him like a son suicide and killing someone, If I were on that kind of situation, I will lose myself" Steff stated her thoughts


    "Then what should we do?" Amy asked


    "There''s nothing we can do and just hope his mood can be okay by tomorrow," Steff said


    Amy looks upstairs with concern on her eyes, "You aren''t taking a bath?" Steff asked, "I''m going in," Amy replied


    They went inside the bathroom, The mansion''s bathroom exudes opulence, adorned with intricately patterned marble flooring that extends seamlessly to the walls. Soft ambient lighting casts a warm glow, accentuating the gleaming fixtures of gold and polished chrome. A freestanding clawfoot bathtub stands as a centerpiece, beckoning indulgence with its pristine porcelain surface. Mirrors framed in ornate gilt reflect the luxury that permeates the space, while plush, oversized towels await their duty on heated racks. The air is infused with a subtle fragrance from scented candles, contributing to the overall sense of tranquility. This lavish sanctuary offers a harmonious blend of sophistication and comfort, inviting occupants to unwind in the lap of refined indulgence.


    As Amy turned on the faucets, cascades of warm water began to fill the room with a soothing hum. Steff, momentarily lost in the lavish ambiance, glanced at Amy and spoke, "You think we should talk to Souta about what happened?"


    Amy nodded, her reflection shimmering in the gilt-framed mirrors. "Yeah, maybe he needs someone to share the burden with. It''s a lot to take in."


    Steff tested the water with her hand and stepped into the inviting tub. "True. But we''ll need to tread carefully. Souta seems like he''s dealing with more than just the apocalypse out there."


    Amidst the opulence, the two friends found solace in the quiet conversation, the water''s embrace soothing both body and mind. The subtle scent of candles lingered in the air as they immersed themselves in the serenity of the mansion''s luxurious bathroom.

 Chapter 6: Am I Okay?

    Meanwhile, upstairs, Souta taking a shower, thinking about thr consequences he have done, the moon''s gentle glow filtered through the window, casting an ethereal pattern on the bathroom floor. Souta, showering in the semi-darkness, stared at the window, his mind a turbulent sea of conflicting emotions


    What will I do now? I killed a person, The olman killed himself, and those zombies that I killed¡­ they were once humans in the past. Looking at my hands, I can''t seems to wash off the blood stains.


    What have I done? Hiding in many reasons that I did those to survive and to protect my love ones, but those once people I killed have families too.


    ¡­


    The rhythmic sound of water droplets hitting the floor echoed in sync with my''s troubled thoughts. The steam from the shower wrapped around me like a shroud, a fleeting attempt to wash away not only the physical stains but also the weight on my conscience.


    My reflection in the misted bathroom mirror appeared distorted, mirroring the chaos within my mind. The moon''s glow outside seemed to mock me, casting shadows that danced in a silent judgment on the tiles beneath my feet.


    "I had to survive. I had to protect them," I whispered to myself, but the words felt hollow in the solitude of the bathroom. I traced the scars on my body, souvenirs from the battles fought in the unforgiving world outside.


    As the water continued its cleansing cascade, I grappled with the consequences of my actions. The faces of those I had encountered flashed before me ¨C the old man, the transformed zombies, and the struggles of the living. The distinction between right and wrong blurred in the harsh light of reality.


    Leaning against the shower wall, I let out a heavy sigh. "Can we truly call this survival when it feels like we''re losing our humanity in the process?"


    The moonlight''s embrace and the soothing water served as witnesses to his inner turmoil, leaving me standing in the aftermath of choices that carved deep into the core of his being.


    The rhythmic sound of water droplets hitting the floor echoed in sync with Souta''s troubled thoughts. The steam from the shower wrapped around him like a shroud, a fleeting attempt to wash away not only the physical stains but also the weight on his conscience.


    His reflection in the misted bathroom mirror appeared distorted, mirroring the chaos within his mind. The moon''s glow outside seemed to mock him, casting shadows that danced in a silent judgment on the tiles beneath his feet.


    "I had to survive. I had to protect them," Souta whispered to himself, but the words felt hollow in the solitude of the bathroom. He traced the scars on his body, souvenirs from the battles fought in the unforgiving world outside.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As the water continued its cleansing cascade, Souta grappled with the consequences of his actions. The faces of those he had encountered flashed before him ¨C the old man, the transformed zombies, and the struggles of the living. The distinction between right and wrong blurred in the harsh light of reality.


    Leaning against the shower wall, Souta let out a heavy sigh. "Can we truly call this survival when it feels like we''re losing our humanity in the process?"


    The moonlight''s embrace and the soothing water served as witnesses to his inner turmoil, leaving Souta standing in the aftermath of choices that carved deep into the core of his being.


    I turned off the shower, the silence accentuating the weight of my contemplations. Droplets cascaded down my body, echoing in the stillness of the bathroom. I reached for a towel, wrapping it around myself as I faced the reflection in the misted mirror.


    The room held a poignant stillness, broken only by the distant echoes of Amy and Steff''s muted conversation downstairs. My steps were deliberate as I moved towards the window, drawn to the ethereal pattern the moonlight painted on the floor.


    "What''s left of me in this world?" J wondered aloud, my voice barely audible. The city below, once teeming with life, now lay silent under the moon''s watchful gaze. The truth of survival, tinged with the guilt of lost humanity, weighed heavily on my shoulders.


    In the soft glow of the moon, I found himself at a crossroads, caught between the necessity of survival and the cost it exacted on my soul. My journey through this apocalyptic landscape had reshaped me, leaving scars that extended far beyond the visible ones on my skin.


    As the moon continued its celestial vigil, I confronted the shadows within, uncertain of the path that lay ahead, and haunted by the ghosts of choices made in the name of survival.


    In the middle of the night, Amy woke up, but she didn''t find Steff by her side, "Steff!?" worriedly she rushed outside the room, there she saw Steff upstairs standing on front of the door of my room.


    Amy immediately rushes towards Steff and


    whispered hesitantly, "Hey, what are you doing?"


    "Amy? Why are you here?" Steff asked in a whisper voice, didn''t expect to see her.


    "That was supposed to be my question," Amy whispered back


    Steff''s sigh echoed through the room, her determination cutting through the air. "I need to comfort Souta," she declared boldly.


    "Huh? How?" Amy, perplexed, questioned Steff.


    Steff''s response was resolute. "With my presence, with understanding. And yes, with my body."


    Amy protested, "What!? No! That''s too intimate and indecent!"


    Steff''s gaze held unwavering conviction. "Amy, how else are we going to help Souta? The old man was like a father to him, and he''s grappling with taking a life. If we don''t do something, he might lose himself."


    Amy, uneasy, stammered, "But those intimate acts are meant for lovers, not friends."


    Steff met Amy''s eyes seriously. "I love Souta."


    Amy hesitated, processing Steff''s revelation. "What about me? I also love Souta."


    Steff''s response was unexpected. "I''ve noticed, Amy. You''ve been keeping your distance since high school, your feelings evident even if unspoken. I was ready to step back for you. But in the face of uncertainty, I want to love him with everything I have, even if it means risking our friendship."


    Amy, caught off guard, confessed, "I do love Souta... I want him all to myself. I can''t bear to see him with another woman."


    In the dimly lit room, the weight of their emotions hung in the air, creating a complex tapestry of love, sacrifice, and the impending challenges they faced in this unraveling world.


    The air between them grew heavy with the unspoken tension of conflicting emotions. Steff''s gaze softened as she spoke with a mix of empathy and determination, "Amy, I understand your feelings, and I don''t want to hurt you. But in times like these, where our world is falling apart, we need to prioritize Souta''s well-being. If there''s a chance to bring him solace, we can''t let personal feelings get in the way."


    Amy wrestled with her own emotions, torn between loyalty, love, and the harsh reality of their circumstances. "I... I don''t want to lose him," she admitted, her voice filled with vulnerability.


    Steff approached Amy, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We won''t lose him. If anything, we might help him find stability in this chaos. Our friendship might change, but if it means helping Souta navigate through this darkness, isn''t it worth the risk?"


    As the two friends grappled with the complexities of their feelings, the bedroom door creaked open, revealing Souta, just got woke up, The moonlit glow outlined his weary expression as he silently observed the unfolding conversation.

 Chapter 7: Weird

    Amy, caught off guard, looked at Souta with a mix of guilt and concern. Steff, standing firm, met Souta''s gaze, a silent promise of support and understanding.


    In that moment, the threads of their relationships hung delicately in the balance, waiting to be rewoven in the face of an uncertain future.


    "What are you two doing in front of my room in the middle of the night?" I''ve become so sensitive to sounds ever since the apocalypse started, that''s why I noticed their presence.


    Souta''s voice cut through the tension, drawing Amy and Steff''s attention. Amy stammered, trying to find the right words, "We... um, we were just talking, Souta. About everything that happened."


    Steff chimed in, her tone steady, "We were concerned about you, and we thought talking might help."


    Souta''s weary eyes shifted between the two of them, sensing the underlying currents of emotion. "In front of my room, though?" he questioned, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.


    Amy, feeling a bit flustered, explained, "We didn''t mean to eavesdrop or anything. We just ended up here."


    Souta''s expression softened, understanding the genuine concern in their eyes. "Thanks for caring. It''s been a rough night."


    Steff nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "We''re here for you, Souta. No matter what."


    As they stood in the moonlit hallway, the bond between the three friends felt both fragile and resilient, tested by the challenges of an unpredictable world. The echoes of their conversation lingered.


    Souta, taking a deep breath, appreciated the honesty that hung in the air. The vulnerability of the moment was palpable, a stark contrast to the harsh realities outside.


    "I never expected things to unfold like this," Souta admitted, his voice carrying the weight of introspection. "But honesty is what we need in times like these. Thank you both for being candid-" before I could finish my sentence, Amy kissed me!


    Amy, searching for words, finally spoke, "Souta, I... I love you. I''ve loved you for a long time, and I didn''t want to complicate things, especially with everything going on." She said embarrassed for whay she did.


    Steff, standing by Amy''s side, take the chance and also kissed me! And she added, " I love you too, Souta. I know it''s unexpected, and I don''t want to jeopardize our friendship, but in this chaos, I also want to be there for you in a way that goes beyond friendship."


    "Wha- what are you two doing!? Kissing me like it was nothing!" That was my first kiss! Thou I know them for long but those are still my first kiss, my heart is pumping non stop, I can only look at those two romantically now! I''m even hard! Goddammit at time like this.


    Caught off guard by the unexpected kisses, I stumbled over my words, my face turning shades of red that mirrored the tumult within me.


    "What are you two doing!? Kissing me like it was nothing!" I exclaimed, My heart racing at a pace that matched the chaos of the world outside. "That was my first kiss! Though I know you both for a long time, those are still my first kisses. I can only look at you two romantically now!"


    Amy and Steff exchanged glances, a mixture of surprise and sheepishness crossing their faces. Amy, still recovering from her bold move, stammered, "I... I didn''t mean to. It just felt like the right moment, and I got carried away."


    Steff, with a playful smirk, added, "Well, I couldn''t let Amy have all the fun, could I? And besides, you need all the comfort you can get."


    I torn between confusion and flustered amusement, found myself in a surreal moment where the lines between friendship and something more became blurred. The moonlight cast a gentle glow on the us, creating an atmosphere that seemed to amplify the complexities of their newfound connections.


    Then; Steff proposed a solution. "Then let''s both become Souta''s girlfriends."


    Amy hesitated, concerned about the legality of their actions. "But isn''t that illegal?"


    Steff countered, "But the world is already on the brink of destruction. Why should we adhere to rules? We''ve already resorted to stealing"


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    Though Amy felt a moral conflict, she ultimately made up her mind. "Alright! I''ll also become Souta''s girlfriend."


    "Caught in the whirlwind of their impromptu decisions, I couldn''t shake the feeling of being a mere spectator in my own life. "Hey, stop talking like I''m not here. You two decided on your own again without my consent..." I tried to inject reason into the surreal situation.


    Steff, with a teasing smile and a firm grip on my arm, countered playfully, "Souta. Why hesitate? Two girls want to be yours."


    Amy, seemingly more emboldened after her earlier confession, chimed in, "Don''t you have a man''s pride? Embrace it!"


    With a mix of confusion and amusement, I found myself being led into a room by Steff while Amy locked the door. "Come, hurry," Steff giggled, an excitement in her eyes that was both infectious and perplexing. As we entered the room, the atmosphere became charged with an unpredictable energy.


    As the two of them, clad only in underwear, made their way towards the bed, the room became a canvas for the unexpected. The air thickened with a mix of anticipation, confusion, and the undeniable allure of the unknown. In this unpredictable world, where survival was paramount, the lines between friendship, romance, and the complexities of human connection blurred in ways I hadn''t imagined.


    The room pulsed with an unspoken tension as Amy and Steff approached, their gazes filled with a mix of determination and desire. Struggling to find my footing in this unexpected scenario, I couldn''t help but feel a cocktail of emotions ¨C curiosity, uncertainty, and a hint of excitement.


    Steff, still wearing that mischievous smile, touch me gently. "Come on, Souta, why resist when the world around us is falling apart? Let''s find comfort in each other."


    Amy, with a touch of shyness, joined Steff at the edge of the bed. "We care about you, Souta. In this chaos, maybe we can create something beautiful for ourselves."


    As the moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on the scene, I found myself torn between the norms of the past and the unpredictable present. The room became a sanctuary of conflicting emotions, where the boundaries of friendship and something more blurred like shadows in the dimly lit corners.


    Caught in the undertow of their bold decisions, I took a deep breath, grappling with the realization that survival in this new world extended beyond just physical needs. As Amy and Steff drew closer, the choices we made in this moment seemed to echo in the silence, shaping the contours of a connection that defied the crumbling reality outside.


    We spent the night intimately connecting, alleviating our shared frustrations and seeking solace in each other''s company. Laughter and pleasure filled the air, and the echoes of our shared desires resonated throughout the room. In the embrace of passion, Amy and Steff clung to me, their desires unrestrained and their yearnings met with an equal fervor.


    As the night unfolded, the boundaries between lust, love, and friendship intertwined, creating a tapestry of shared experiences. The moonlight, a silent witness to our newfound connection, painted a delicate picture of vulnerability and trust in the dimly lit room.


    In this moment of shared intimacy, the complex dance of emotions unraveled further, revealing layers of connection that extended beyond the confines of the world outside. As we navigated this uncharted territory, the night became a testament to the resilience of human bonds in the face of an uncertain reality.


    The following morning, I awoke, my hands feeling an unexpected weight. Confused, I glanced down to find Steff and Amy, both naked, their heads resting on my hands.


    Carefully extricating their heads from my grasp, I realized, to my surprise, that I, too, was unclothed.


    As the memories of the previous night slowly flooded back, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh. "So, I did it, huh?"


    Getting out of bed, I dressed myself and headed to the kitchen, my mind filled with a whirlwind of thoughts. Unaware of the passing time, Steff and Amy, now dressed, joined me.


    The atmosphere carried a mix of post-intimacy awkwardness and unspoken understanding. Breakfast was a quiet affair, punctuated only by the clinking of utensils against plates. The weight of the morning-after lingered in the air, and as we navigated the shared space, it became clear that the dynamics of our relationship had evolved into uncharted territory.


    Lost in contemplation, I found solace in the steaming cup of coffee before me. The morning sun spilled through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow on the complexities that now shaped our connection. In the silence that followed, I wondered how this shared experience would resonate in the days to come, as we faced the uncertainties of a world transformed by both external chaos and intimate revelations.


    As Amy and Steff approached, I could sense the weight of the previous night lingering between us. Amy began tentatively, "Hey..."


    I immediately stood up, ready to apologize. Bowing my head, I uttered, "I''m sorry! I let my anger and frustration affect both of you."


    The two of them exchanged glances and giggled. "Don''t worry about it. We had time to think it through," Amy reassured me.


    Steff, with a determined expression, declared, "She''s right. Souta, we were serious when we said we want to be your girlfriends."


    Shock and surprise painted my face as I regarded them seriously. "What? But... I''m confused. What do you mean by that?"


    Steff, with a hint of mischief, exclaimed in a loud voice, "After doing something to us like this, you aren''t going to marry us!?"


    "But..."


    "I''m just kidding. Of course, you can decline if you wanted to," Steff said with a playful grin.


    "But, Steff..." Amy looked at Steff with a worried expression.


    Steff reassured her, "It''s fine. It was my decision that you have also gotten part of this crazy thing."


    Feeling a mix of confusion and gratitude, I confessed, "This feels wrong in any way, but I have no right to say that after what is happening to the world and what I have already done. I''m sorry that you two have to experience this, but to my reply, yes, I too love the two of you. But are you sure about this? Loving the same man, sharing with me?"


    Excitement radiated from both of them as they replied in unison, "Yes!"


    "Souta has been my childhood crush ever since the day we met. Day after day, my feelings only got stronger. I love you, from the bottom of my heart!" Amy said, her eyes filled with happiness.


    "I too, I admire you for who you are, for how brave and amazing you are. You may say that you are like the other boys we can see around, but you''re wrong! A normal high-school boy can''t immediately make a decision in that very moment, scared and unsure, yet you keep deciding like it''s nothing. I also love you, Souta. Please treat us equally with your love," Steff expressed her thoughts.


    I smiled, genuinely touched. "I''m happy that both of you have chosen me. I love you both, equally, I promise that I will do my best to treat you two right" We then shared a heartfelt hug, embracing the complexities of our evolving connection in this unpredictable world.


    After our heartfelt conversation, we sat down for breakfast, the atmosphere carrying a blend of intimacy and the weight of the world outside.


    "What should we do now? We''ve acquired a stronghold for us to stay, but that itself is not enough," Steff pondered while eating.


    "Eh? Why? Can''t we just plant some vegetables and live here by ourselves?" Amy asked between bites.


    "True, we can be self-sufficient with the water well and the generators, but that alone isn''t enough. It takes time for the vegetables to grow, and by that time, we might have already succumbed to starvation. Our first move is more likely to search this mansion for any useful items. After that, we''ll plan our next move."


    As we discussed the practicalities of survival, I couldn''t help but marvel at the pragmatic approach Steff took. It was a stark reminder that even in the midst of newfound connections and unconventional relationships, the harsh reality of survival in this apocalyptic world demanded careful consideration and strategic planning.

 Chapter 8: To Live

    The breakfast table, surrounded by Amy and Steff, became a makeshift war room, where our decisions held the weight of our continued existence. In the uncertain dance of this new reality, each move we made required thoughtful consideration, a blend of practicality, and a touch of hope for a better tomorrow.


    Both Amy and Steff agreed with my plan. After we finished our breakfast, I walked towards the graveyard, feeling a sense of duty to offer a prayer for the departed souls.


    "We may not be blood-related, but for me, you''re like a father. I will treasure all the memories we had, and till I die, I won''t disappoint you. I will do it. I will survive this apocalypse!" I declared, a determination echoing in my words.


    From a distance, Steff and Amy watched me, sharing a smile. "That''s the man we''ve devoted ourselves to and the man we both love," Steff said, her smile reflecting a deep sense of admiration.


    "You''re right¡­ it was the right choice to follow him" Amy agreed with a bright smile as they look at me walking towards them.


    Walking back to them, I asked, "Have I kept you two waiting?"


    "No, you didn''t," Amy replied.


    "Should we explore the mansion?" Steff suggested.


    "Let''s do it," I agreed. The mansion, with its secrets and potential resources, awaited our exploration.


    As we explored the mansion, searching for useful items, we stumbled upon a treasure trove of resources.


    In the kitchen, we discovered knives and various cooking utensils. "As we''re staying here, these cooking utensils will be useful for us," I remarked, recognizing the importance of practical items in our day-to-day survival.


    Moving to the living room, our findings took an unexpected turn. Two pistols and a displayed katana sword caught our attention. "Weird, why are there katana here?" Amy asked, puzzled by the presence of the traditional Japanese sword.


    "It''s weirder that you think having guns is normal," Steff teased, her comment drawing a giggle from me. "He said that it was a gift from the time he visited Japan. It might be a tough sword, so this will be useful."


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    The backyard proved fruitful, providing us with an axe for woodcutting, essential for various tasks in our makeshift stronghold.


    In the garage, a pickup truck and a motorcycle awaited us, complete with keys. Alongside them, we found a shovel and tools for vehicle maintenance. "I found the keys!" Amy exclaimed.


    "Where did you find them?" Steff inquired.


    "It''s inside one of the drawers. Can I drive it?" Amy asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    "We aren''t still going anywhere," I replied, managing to suppress a smile.


    "Awww," Amy sighed disappointedly.


    "Souta said ''still,'' didn''t he? This means he''ll let you drive once we''re going out," Steff tried to lighten the mood.


    "Yeyyy!!! Really, really!?" Amy practically skipped over, seeking confirmation.


    "Yes, learning how to drive is also essential," I said, my attention divided between the conversation and the ongoing search.


    "Yeyy!!" Amy''s exuberance filled the air, becoming a familiar background noise.


    Having completed our search, we gathered in the kitchen to discuss our plans. Seated around the table, we engaged in conversation.


    "We found some useful items, including kitchen knives, pistols, a katana sword, an axe, vehicles, and more," I said, setting the tone for our strategic conversation.


    "The food here will last us a 2 months at most. Our goal is to stay here as long as we can. To ensure our safety, we need to train our bodies, improve our stamina, and learn self-defense to at least protect ourselves from zombies," I continued, emphasizing the harsh reality of our situation.


    "Kill or be killed. We will train for six days and then head to the gas station to steal all the food. Any questions?" I asked, prompting them to engage in our collective survival plan.


    Amy raised an idea. "What if we go to the mall or a supermarket? There could be a lot of food there."


    I replied, "Malls and supermarkets are likely full of people, possibly even zombies."


    "Why do you call them zombies?" Steff inquired.


    "In movies, they bite people, and then they turn into one of them," I explained.


    Steff nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, let''s rest today and start our training tomorrow morning."


    With our findings laid out on the table, both figuratively and literally, we began discussing our plans for fortifying our stronghold and navigating the challenges of the world outside.


    "First, we need to secure the perimeter," I suggested, tracing our fingers over the layout of the mansion. "We don''t know what''s out there, and it''s better to be safe."


    Amy nodded in agreement, "We should also check the supplies regularly. We don''t want to run out of essentials."


    Steff, always practical, added, "And reinforcing the entrances. We can''t afford any surprises from unwanted guests."


    As we delved deeper into our discussions, the atmosphere shifted from excitement to a more serious tone. The reality of our situation weighed on us, and each decision carried the weight of potential consequences.


    "We also need a plan for long-term sustainability," I said, glancing at the gathered resources. "Whether it''s finding more survivors or establishing a reliable source of food and water, we can''t rely on luck alone."


    Amy, always eager, suggested, "We could explore nearby areas. Maybe there are other survivors or hidden stashes of supplies."


    Steff chimed in, "And learning to use those guns. It''s better to be prepared for any threats we might encounter."


    The discussions continued, weaving a tapestry of plans and contingencies. The camaraderie that had developed between us became evident as we shared ideas, concerns, and even moments of laughter amidst the serious talks.


    In the midst of it all, Amy couldn''t contain her excitement about driving. "When can we start driving, Souta?"


    I chuckled, "We''ll plan for it, Amy. But for now, let''s focus on securing our stronghold and ensuring our survival."


    As we mapped out our strategies, the air in the kitchen became charged with determination. In this world reshaped by chaos, our decisions now held the potential not just for survival but for building a future in the midst of uncertainty.

 Chapter 9: Their Town

    After discussing the plan, we immediately went ahead and train, we went to the backyard, and proceed to teach them how to shoot, our formation, how to properly kill a zombie, your stance, etc that you need¡­


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    Meanwhile, as we focused on fortifying our mansion, the heart of the town was not exempt from the unfolding chaos. At the police station, strategically placed in front of the school entrance, a makeshift barricade using a truck covered the station''s entrance.


    Inside the station, dozens of civilians huddled together with a dozen armed police officers. A male officer entered the police chief''s office with urgent news.


    "Hey, we have successfully distracted those bastards. The information from headquarters was correct; they are indeed sensitive to sound," the officer reported.


    The police chief, worn and weary, responded, "Good. We''re in the middle of the town, basically surrounded. Those civilians in our hands, we can''t control them. We''re barely alive because of our supplies, and we can''t hold on much longer than this!"


    Frustration gripped the room as the harsh reality of their predicament settled in. They could only pray for the unlikely arrival of military support, though deep down, they knew it was a false hope.


    Outside the office door, a person accidentally overheard their desperate conversation and immediately ran, likely spreading the dire news to others. In this transformed world, even the sanctuaries meant to protect were teetering on the edge of survival.


    As the unsettling news spread among the civilians, a murmur of anxiety and fear permeated the town. The revelation that the police couldn''t fully protect them, coupled with the looming scarcity of supplies, ignited a volatile spark among the hungry, dehydrated, and fatigued residents.


    In the midst of the chaos, whispers turned into a frenzied uproar as the civilians, driven by desperation, decided to take matters into their own hands. A riot erupted without the police''s knowledge.


    "Attack them! They''ll only eat the food by themselves! They won''t share it with us!" The rallying cry fueled the chaos, turning the once-trusted police into adversaries alongside the looming threat of zombies.


    The riot unfolded chaotically, the police officers, caught off guard, found themselves facing not only the relentless undead but also the very civilians they were meant to protect. Determined and desperate, the civilians pushed their way through the police chief''s office, disregarding any attempts by officers to calm them down. In a cruel twist of fate, the sanctuary that was once the police station became a battleground, as the very people seeking refuge turned against those who had sworn to uphold order.


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    The riot unfolded, reaching a crescendo that even drew the police chief out of his office. Standing amidst the chaos, he witnessed the very community his men had sacrificed to save now turning against them.


    "What are you doing!? Is this how you repay us after saving your lives!? How shameless you all are!" The police chief''s angry shout cut through the tumult, momentarily silencing the rioters. The weight of his words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by the officers in their attempts to protect the very civilians now wreaking havoc within the once-secure walls.


    As the shocked silence settled, the police chief''s gaze swept over the scene, his eyes reflecting a mix of anger, betrayal, and disbelief. The irony of their situation unfolded before him ¨C a sanctuary built on sacrifice had crumbled under the weight of desperation and distrust.


    The brief silence that followed the police chief''s outburst hung heavy in the air, revealing the gravity of the situation. As the echoes of his words reverberated through the chaotic scene, a tense standoff emerged between the enraged civilians and the police officers who had sworn to protect them.


    In the midst of this tumult, a sense of realization seemed to flicker among the rioters. The gravity of their actions, fueled by fear and desperation, clashed with the gratitude owed to those who had sacrificed to keep them safe.


    "He''s right¡­"


    "How could we¡­"


    They all murmured regretting their decision. the police chief, despite his anger, understood the precariousness of their circumstances. "We''re all facing the same enemy out there. Turning against each other won''t help us survive," he declared, attempting to bridge the growing rift between the officers and the civilians.


    As the tense standoff lingered, a distant moan from outside the station reminded them of the ever-present threat beyond their walls. The undead, indifferent to the internal strife, continued their relentless pursuit.


    Realizing the need to refocus their efforts, the police chief addressed the crowd with a more measured tone. "We need to work together. Our chances of survival are slim if we''re divided. Let''s secure this station, gather what supplies we can, and find a way to endure."


    The initial hostility began to wane as the reality of their shared predicament sank in. The officers and civilians, now facing the consequences of their internal discord, reluctantly began to cooperate in fortifying the station against the looming threats both inside and outside.


    "He''s right.. we should''ve been taken by our emotions."


    "I''m sorry" all them regretted things they did


    The once-united sanctuary, now scarred by conflict, stood as a fragile bastion in the face of an uncertain and unforgiving world. The survival of those within its walls depended on their ability to reconcile, adapt, and confront the challenges that lurked in the shadows of the apocalypse.


    As the chaos within the police station reached its peak, the repercussions of the earlier riot echoed in the form of an impending zombie horde. The once-dispersed undead, drawn by the noise and commotion, now surged back with a much larger force.


    The stampede of thousands pressed against the truck that served as the makeshift barricade, threatening to overwhelm the compromised defenses. The police chief, his men exhausted from the internal strife, and the civilians caught in the crossfire faced an imminent and formidable threat.


    Realizing the imminent breach, the police chief rallied what remained of his forces. "You guys! Prepare! Looks like that truck won''t hold any longer..." His voice carried a weight of concern, knowing the dire consequences of a breach in their fortification.


    With urgency in his tone, he issued orders to the civilians. "All of the civilians! Go to the second floor! Those who can still fight, grab any weapons, and we''ll kill these shits!" The police chief''s attempt to instill morale cut through the air, urging both his men and the civilians to stand together against the impending onslaught.


    In a desperate bid for survival, the station''s defenders braced themselves as the relentless pressure from the undead mass intensified. The truck, strained beyond its limits, succumbed to the overwhelming force, inching back in a chilling display of impending doom.


    As the barricade crumbled, the horde surged forward, breaching the fortification that had once offered a semblance of safety. In the face of the relentless tide, the police chief could only hope that their combined efforts, both in defense and in unity, would be enough to weather the imminent storm of the undead.


    The second floor of the police station became a makeshift fortress as civilians and police officers alike gathered, armed with whatever weapons they could scrounge up. The once-cohesive group now faced a common enemy that cared not for their internal struggles but hungered only for the taste of human flesh.


    The sounds of the advancing horde grew louder, echoing through the once-secure halls of the police station. The police chief, his face etched with a mix of determination and desperation, addressed the group. "We hold this floor! Fight as one! Protect each other!"


    The clash was inevitable, and as the first wave of zombies breached the compromised entrance, a fierce battle erupted. The defenders fought valiantly, a mix of police officers, civilians, and even some who had been at odds just moments ago. Their survival depended on the unity forged in the crucible of adversity.


    The narrow hallways became chokepoints where the defenders made their stand, fighting tooth and nail against the relentless onslaught. The air filled with the stench of decay, the groans of the undead, and the clattering of makeshift weapons meeting decomposing flesh.


    The police chief, at the forefront of the defense, swung his baton with a determined ferocity. Each blow delivered was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit against the encroaching darkness.


    Despite the grim circumstances, a glimmer of hope flickered as the defenders managed to hold their ground, repelling the initial wave. However, the relentless tide of the undead showed no sign of abating, and the fortitude of the defenders would be tested as the battle for survival continued to unfold on the second floor of the beleaguered police station.


    As they fight desperately to survive, a explosion accur, blowing the horde of zombies. "Continue! Do not get distracted!" The police chief shouted. However after the explosion, gunshots were fired, lots of gunshots.


    Only a mere 5 minutes the zombies got annalihated, after finishing the zombies in the police stations, those unknown force continues to fight the zombies who came rushing to them.


    Curious, the chief and the others looks outside, just to see, the military! God really save us!! Tanks, helicopters, and soldiers. They are easily killing those zombies.


    Souta and his team heard the gunshots, but they didn''t mind it and continued to train.

 Chapter 10: Training

    As morning unfolded, I found myself waking up first, the uneventful night having passed without any disturbances. The three of us had spent the night together in bed, but it remained a platonic experience without engaging in any intimate activities. Deciding to start the day, I gently shook Amy awake.


    "Wake up," I whispered, feeling a bit amused by her half-asleep response.


    "Five more minutes," Amy lazily replied.


    Steff, in contrast, was already awake, her readiness evident.


    Heading to the kitchen, I fetched a pan, creating a loud noise by striking it against something. "Wake up!" I declared, trying to expedite the waking process.


    Amy immediately jolted awake. "Get ready! We''ll start our training soon."


    "Souta!!!! Do you really have to do this!?" Amy replied angrily. I approached her so close that i''m in front of her face, "Why? I can''t do it?" I said with a teasing voice and kissed her and she blushes and said with a weak voice, "Y-you can¡­"


    "Good then, get up" I said and leave the room, leaving her as her face is red like a tomatom


    After allowing them around 30 minutes to prepare, we headed to the backyard, where unbeknownst to us, a well with a water generator provided a reliable water source.


    "We will be jogging for three hours, okay?" I announced.


    "Ehhh?" Amy protested in a lazy tone.


    "Those who don''t finish won''t have breakfast," I warned, injecting a bit of incentive.


    "Why do we even have to train anyways? In a situation like this, it''s a better option for us to save our energy in case of an emergency situation," Amy questioned, expressing her reluctance.


    "True, saving our energy instead of this training is much more ideal, but for us who live in a mountain where there is no zombies in sight, we don''t actually have anything to do instead of train our body for the emergency situation," I explained.


    "Also, If we just laze around and do nothing, we can''t even kill dozens of zombies. To at least learn how to handle our weapons is more ideal than saving our energy. We should improve our stamina and strength; this is the best option for us," I added.


    "I get your point, Amy, but Souta is also right," Steff chimed in with a reassuring smile. "We should train our bodies to the limit, and you''ll see the difference."


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    Amy sighed and reluctantly agreed. The three of us embarked on a three-hour jog, pushing ourselves until exhaustion set in.


    "Hah... Hah... Holy shit, having to jog for 3 hours non-stop is crazy! Hah... Hah... I can''t do this anymore, my feet can only barely stand!" Amy exclaimed, finding a spot to sit on the ground.


    Steff and I were also exhausted, though not as much as Amy. "Oh, come on! Don''t compare me to you guys! You''ll have monster stamina! And Steff, where the hell did you get that kind of stamina!?" Amy expressed her frustration.


    "My father and I used to hike while I was still small, so I''m kinda used to it," Steff explained.


    "Ahh! This is unfair! How the hell can I obtain something crazy like that!" Amy voiced her discontent.


    "Don''t get down about it, Amy. You aren''t sportive and barely go out inside your room, but don''t worry! If we do this daily, you should be able to catch up to us in no time!" I said, trying to motivate her.


    "If you say so," Amy reluctantly agreed, signaling the beginning of our daily routine in this world reshaped by chaos.


    As morning bathed the world in light, the routine we had established continued. After our training, we took a short break and start preparations for breakfast. The kitchen bustled with activity as we cooked a meal consisting of perishable items ¨C vegetables and fresh meat that would spoil quickly.


    "Why are we cooking vegetables? I hate vegetables!" Amy protested.


    "Sooner or later, electricity will be cut off. We may have generators here, but we shouldn''t rely on that too much. We should cook foods that will easily rot," I explained.


    "But..."


    "Don''t worry, Amy. We know that you hate vegetables. That''s why we also added meat into it for you to eat," Steff reassured her.


    "I''m sorry that I''m picky and always say something if we do something..." Amy said, expressing her feelings.


    "It''s okay, Amy. No one knew that this tragic thing would happen, and besides, I like it when you always tell us your thoughts," I reassured her smiling.


    "Same goes for me. If something is bothering you, just tell us, and we''ll look for a way to do something about it, okay?" Steff added.


    We''re like a mother and father for Amy here now¡­ kinda awkward but it''s okay.


    "Thank you, both of you. I promise, I will change for the better," Amy said with a smile, and we proceeded to eat our breakfast.


    Following our meal, we resumed our training, practicing weapon swings in the backyard. Each of us had specific weapons ¨C I wielded a katana, Steff had the axe, while Amy carried an emergency axe. We''re also practicing shooting, to improve our accuracy.


    We swung our weapons for two hours before taking a break for lunch. The physical demand of swinging swords and axes surprised us ¨C our muscles ached, but we knew we had to endure the pain. In the remaining hours, we practiced shooting, In the afternoon, we focused on muscle-strengthening exercises like push-ups, curl-ups etc, after that we also practice our stance when facing a zombie, we also fight duels, our formation and other training until nightfall. After a brief respite, I utilized my driving skills to cover the gate with the pickup truck. Steff also knew how to drive, but Amy didn''t.


    Night fell, and after dinner, they promptly fell asleep. I was in the couch on the living room, with the laptop I found, and the wifi still working because it is connected via VPN, searching about what is going on outside the world, the news, the internet and social media.


    What I found is rather interesting, it seems like the military start their move because of the situation. Sending the military to every place, dividing the power to rescue survivors, they even set up safe bases to go to.


    But I didn''t pay too much attention to it, those are practically bullshit. We''re much safer here, and I have plans in mind. After knowing that the zombie thingy is really the start of the apocalypse, the extinction of mankind, it had spread worldwide, all over the earth.


    Most of the overpopulated city has already been annalihated, having no choice the government bombed those cities, however those millions of zombies still manage to get to other places.


    Now the military is dealing with almost half of our population, if we''re 7 billion in this world, those zombies are probably more than 4 billion already. And the soldiers are just 1 billion, while the remaining are civilians, it''s basically 1 against 4.


    We''re outnumbered no matter where you think of it, I hope the military would do something about it. After browsing around the internet, I downloaded videos and pdf that we could use in this zombie apocalypse.


    Such as survival tactics, how to be self sufficient, tactics such as modern warfare and ancient warfare, all of them combined, I also downloaded videos, pdf about tutorials in training for elite militaries, buildings, creating our own food, disinfecting waters, buildings, and other needs.


    I should change my routine and the same goes to them, The next morning, we repeated the routine. During lunch, a distant gunshot caught our attention.


    "So they''ve begun, huh?" I remarked.

 Chapter 11: The military

    "What''s that, Souta?" Amy asked eagerly.


    "The military, right?" Steff replied.


    Amy''s excitement rose, "The military?! Then we''re safe?"


    I shook my head. "No, do you still believe that the safe base the military builds is actually safe?"


    Amy''s face fell in disappointment. "Oh yeah... you''re right."


    "Stop thinking about rescue, Amy. We can only rely on ourselves, and that''s why we''re doing this training," I reassured her.


    "But aren''t they the military? The government! It''s still active, isn''t it? Why isn''t it safe?" Amy asked, seeking an explanation.


    "It''s easy. For those thousands of survivors that have survived, do you think that the military can handle that? Also, it is given that one person will hide his bite mark, causing destruction to the military safe base," Steff explained.


    "But if we already know this, shouldn''t we just go there and tell them about what we know?" Amy suggested.


    "That isn''t possible. We are some unknown students. Do you think they would listen to what we say? Besides, they are conducting experiments to find the cure, so it''s given that they are also using zombies for experiments," I explained.


    "I''m sure... that we''re safe if we side with the military..." Amy insisted.


    "They will only prioritize the rich and people who are useful anyways, so what''s the point?" Steff remarked.


    "But..."


    "Amy, we get your point, and while it might be safe to the military base, they can''t provide us what we need. In an emergency situation like this, there is no equality. If you aren''t important, you''ll get left behind, so it''s better for us to stay here," I concluded.


    "Okay..." Amy reluctantly agreed. After lunch, she shifted her focus, adopting a mindset of "kill or be killed," becoming more dedicated during our training sessions.


    I change my routine, I jog for 3 hours, eat breakfast, practice melee weapon, duel with thek etc, however, I don''t participate in shooting as my shooting are already accurate, also, I don''t join them in afternoon sessions as well.


    I gave them the guides I printed yesterday night and told them what to so, I explained to them that I will focus myself on creating weapons, fortifying the base and exploring the outside.


    "What!? That''s dangerous!" Amy exclaimed, worriedly.


    "She''s right, Souta, I can understand the other two but exploring the outside? Zombies are roaming out there!" Steff also said her concern.


    However I brush their concerns, "I know that you two are concerned about what I''m about to do, however I need to do this, the main road the entrance of the town is filled with broken cars that tries ti escape the town, those cars will for sure have useful items with them I can scavenge" I told them my reason, I hope they can understand.


    "But¡­" Amy who is really worried and don''t want me to be in danger doesn''t agree, however, Steff said, "Just be careful okay? Promise us.." she said, worried about me


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    "Steff.." Amy look at her, just by her face, it''s all written on it; asking why would she agree. Steff answers, "it''s not like we can stop him, he''s strong, and know what his doing, we have no choice but to trust him.." Steff said, looking worried.


    "Okay¡­" Amy said worriedly.


    I hold their hands, with a reassuring smile, I said, "I promise you two that I''ll come back. The town may be dangerous, but I''ve been cautious and learned to navigate these situations. Besides, I have my trusty katana and some guns with me, I also have the skills to defend myself."


    Amy sighed, her worry evident in her eyes, but Steff squeezed my hand and nodded, "Just make sure you''re back in one piece, okay? We''ll be holding you to that promise."


    "I wouldn''t want it any other way," I replied, feeling a mix of determination and gratitude for their concern.


    As I prepared to venture outside, I could sense the tension in the air, the weight of responsibility, but also the strength of our shared commitment to survival. With a final glance back at Amy and Steff, I set out, leaving the base and entering the unknown territories of the apocalyptic road.


    Clad in a black jogger, sturdy boots, and a fitting black suit allowing for freedom of movement, I approached the desolate road with a set of empty backpacks slung over the passenger seat. My trusty AK-47, katana, pistols, and an assortment of weapons were carefully next to me.


    As I climbed into the driver''s seat of the pickup, I couldn''t shake the feeling of solitude that accompanied this mission. The weight of responsibility pressed on me as I navigated through the obstacle course of abandoned vehicles, each one potentially hiding valuable resources.


    The atmosphere was tense, heightened by the realization that danger could lurk behind every turned-over car or shattered windshield. Gripping the steering wheel, I advanced cautiously, my eyes scanning for any signs of movement, my ears attuned to the slightest sound.


    The once bustling road now lay strewn with the remnants of broken-down cars, a testament to the chaos that had consumed the town. I took a moment to survey the scene, the eerie silence only interrupted by the occasional creaking of a metal frame or the distant moans of unseen threats. It was a stark reminder of the world we now inhabited.


    I manage to arrived the road, the road, once a lifeline, had become a graveyard of escape attempts. The broken and deserted cars served as silent witnesses to the pandemonium that had unfolded. It was in this somber setting that I began the task of scavenging for supplies, determined to bring back whatever could aid our survival.


    With the pickup''s engine humming and the echo of my footsteps on the asphalt, I get out the pickup truck, I turned off the pickup truck, parking it nearby and is ready to take off towards the mountain if ever some emergency happened.


    The road, once a bustling artery of civilization, now lay in a state of disarray. Broken cars, battered and abandoned, formed a macabre obstacle course that stretched as far as the eye could see. Each vehicle told a silent tale of desperation, their shattered windows and dented frames bearing witness to the chaotic events that had transpired.


    The asphalt was marred with oil stains, a somber reminder of the last moments of those who had sought escape in their automobiles. Some cars were skewed at odd angles, as if frozen mid-escape, while others had collided in a chaotic dance of metal and glass.


    Car doors swung open, inviting inspection, revealing the remnants of hurried departures. Forgotten belongings, a child''s toy, or a family photo lay strewn across the pavement, serving as poignant reminders of lives disrupted. Tattered shreds of clothing fluttered in the breeze, caught on twisted metal or broken windows.


    As I navigated through this graveyard of vehicles, the air was thick with an unsettling silence, punctuated only by the occasional groan of a rusted chassis or the soft whisper of the wind passing through shattered windows. It was a scene frozen in time, a haunting tableau of a world unraveling.


    Occasionally, the stillness would be interrupted by the faint echoes of distant moans, a reminder that, despite the desolation, I was not alone. The broken cars, once symbols of freedom and mobility, now stood as silent witnesses to the unraveling of society, their shattered forms mirroring the shattered illusions of safety that had once defined the road.


    I went a head and scan the area, looks like most of the zombies get in the city because of the military gun shots, it''s my luck then.


    Amidst the eerie silence, I cautiously scanned my surroundings, making sure no lingering threats were nearby. The distant groans of zombies served as a constant reminder of the peril that surrounded me. With my AK-47 at the ready, I dispatched the remaining undead with practiced efficiency, ensuring a secure perimeter before delving into the abandoned vehicles.


    The twisted metal carcasses held a treasure trove of supplies. Shamelessly, yet driven by necessity, I methodically explored each car, scouring for anything that could aid in our survival. Inside the vehicles, personal belongings told the stories of those who had desperately tried to escape the encroaching chaos.


    I rifled through bags and glove compartments, retrieving food supplies, water bottles, and any useful tools or makeshift weapons. The once-cherished possessions of others now became crucial resources for our group''s survival. It was a somber task, but one born out of the harsh reality that the world had become.


    As I moved from one vehicle to another, the pickup truck served as a makeshift depot for the salvaged goods. Backpacks filled with canned goods, first aid kits, and any valuable items I could find were loaded into the bed of the truck. The air carried a sense of urgency, a reminder that every moment spent scavenging was a moment safeguarding our existence.


    The wind whispered through the shattered windows of the abandoned cars, carrying with it the weight of desperation and the fleeting nature of the world before the outbreak. Yet, in this desolate landscape, I pressed on, driven by the responsibility to ensure the survival of our makeshift family back at the mansion.


    Each item collected felt like a small victory against the relentless tide of the apocalypse. In the face of adversity, the actions that once might have been considered unthinkable became the threads that wove the fabric of our continued existence. Survival demanded difficult choices, and in this unforgiving world, I navigated the wreckage, unburdened by moral quandaries, focused solely on securing the means to endure.


    resources gathered from the forsaken vehicles. The once-empty backpacks now bulged with essential supplies, creating a mosaic of survival that lay in the bed of the pickup truck. Canned goods, bottled water, medical supplies, and various tools formed a tangible representation of our resilience against the encroaching chaos.

 Chapter 12: Anything for Survival

    As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the road strewn with remnants of shattered lives, I took a moment to survey the fruits of my scavenging efforts. The pickup truck, now laden with our newfound provisions, was a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounded it.


    With a sense of grim satisfaction, I prepared to return to the mansion. The night''s impending darkness brought an added layer of danger to the already treacherous landscape, and I knew the importance of returning swiftly.


    Loading the truck with the salvaged goods, I paused to glance once more at the broken line of cars that bore witness to humanity''s desperate attempt to escape the unfolding apocalypse. Each vehicle held stories of fear, courage, and the inevitability of the world they sought to leave behind.


    I climbed into the driver''s seat, the engine roaring to life, echoing through the silent night. The headlights pierced the darkness, revealing the desolate road ahead. My journey back to the mansion was guided by the pale glow of the moon, casting an otherworldly hue upon the remnants of a civilization that had crumbled in the face of an unstoppable force.


    As the pickup truck rolled through the night, its cargo of survival weighed heavy on my mind. The choices made in the broken world outside would shape the fate of our fragile group within the mansion walls. With each passing mile, the reality of our existence became clearer ¨C a delicate dance on the precipice of survival, where every resource gathered was a step towards defying the impending doom that loomed beyond the headlights'' reach.


    I arrived to the mansion, Amy and Steff immediately rush towards me as soon as I get back, worried about me, they both hugged my tightly.


    In the garage where I parked the pick up truck, the three of us unloaded the supplies I took. "These are¡­ supplies?" Amy can''t believe what she is looking, canned foods is more than enough for them to survive half a year!


    "Those are the supplies I took from those who tried to scape but failed¡­" I said gloomy, those are not an achievement I should be happy, I stole people''s things, and those people are dead¡­ I feel like I''m looting a tomb just to survive.


    Steff, noticed my gloomy look, "Hey, Souta, i know that you must''ve been guilty after that but¡­ you did that for us, we don''t a choice" Steff, tried to comfort me.


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    "I know"


    ¡­


    Amy, who is staring at us feel bad for being happy after the loot, "not only canned foods but also gallons of water, half a dozen of propane gas, various tools and equipment.. and some¡­ jewelry.. gadgets.. these are.." the atmosphere becomes gloomy.


    "...these are remnants of lives that once held meaning," Amy finished her thought, her eyes reflecting a mix of appreciation for the supplies and the acknowledgment of the lives lost in the process.


    As we organized the acquired resources in the mansion''s storage, the weight of our actions lingered in the air. The canned goods, now neatly arranged on shelves, represented both sustenance and a harsh reminder of the cost of survival.


    Steff, breaking the solemn silence, said, "It''s a harsh world out there. We do what we must to survive."


    I nodded in agreement, the reality settling in. The once vibrant world outside was now a graveyard of broken lives, and we were left to navigate its remnants.


    Amy, grappling with conflicting emotions, finally spoke. "I hate that we had to do this, but I also understand why. It''s just... hard."


    "We''ll get through this together," I reassured them. "Our focus should be on fortifying this place and ensuring our safety. We''re a team, and we''ll face whatever comes our way."


    With a collective understanding, we set aside the emotional weight of our recent actions and concentrated on the practicalities of fortifying our stronghold. The mansion, once a symbol of luxury, now became a fortress in a world reshaped by chaos.


    At night, after the dinner, we returned to our bedroom and once again slept in the same bed.


    In the stillness of the night, I stirred awake to the sensation of Amy''s affectionate advances. She initiated intimacy with a kiss, her actions growing more passionate. As she play with me, touching me with her playful hands, I fight back as a man, I should be on top, looking at her as I''m on top of her, she looks so pretty when she''s embarrassed, I kissed her.


    Little did I know, Steff, already awake, silently joined in, creating an unexpected but welcomed intimacy. As the night embraced us in its quietude. The shared moments in our makeshift sanctuary brought comfort in a world that seemed to have lost all sense of normalcy. Yet, with the dawn approaching, we returned to the harsh reality of our existence ¨C a constant struggle for survival in a world overrun by the remnants of what once was.


    In the morning, the two girls were in a good mood.


    We continued our usual training routine, swinging our weapons in the backyard. As we practiced, we noticed planes and helicopters flying overhead. Amy enthusiastically waved at them, while Steff and I observed her with joy.


    After lunch, I continued to make makeshift weapons, and fortifying the gate. While Steff and Amy continue to train.


    I started by reinforcing the main entrance gate with sturdy wooden planks and metal sheets. I''d secure these materials from the loot I gathered from the Graveyards of cars, making sure they''re firmly attached to the existing structure.


    To prevent zombies from accumulating near the gates, I''d clear the immediate area of any obstacles, creating a buffer zone. Large furniture pieces like bookshelves or cabinets could be repurposed to fortify key points.


    Next, I explored the surrounding area for additional resources that could be repurposed for defense. This include metal bars, chains, and even discarded materials from broken-down vehicles. Anything that could add an extra layer of protection to our stronghold.


    Considering that sound attracts zombies, I also devise a silent entry and exit system for ourselves, creating a secondary entrance with minimal noise. This would allow us to move discreetly without drawing unnecessary attention.


    Throughout this process, I engage Amy and Steff, seeking their input and assistance in fortifying the mansion effectively. Collaboration is key in ensuring that our defense strategy is well-rounded and considers the strengths and weaknesses of each team member.

 Chapter 13: Zombies

    Several days passed without any significant occurrences. The sounds of gunshots gradually subsided, and it became quiet.


    One evening during dinner, I addressed the group. "We''ve been staying here for several days, It''s time for us to move and have real experience in fighting zombies, Tomorrow, we''ll go to the gas station and nearby houses to scavenge anything useful."


    They both agreed, in the next morning, with our stamina improved after several days of training. We set out early in the morning, using the pickup truck as transportation.


    Navigating through the off-road terrain, the pick-up truck jostled and bumped along the uneven path. The broken cars sprawled across the main road compelled us to take this less-traveled route. Despite the discomfort of the bumpy off-road journey, it seemed like the only viable option.


    The traffic-clogged road, cluttered with abandoned vehicles for about 500 meters, didn''t provide a clear path to the gasoline station. Our choice to venture off-road was a strategic maneuver, a necessity born out of the chaotic remnants of the once-bustling streets.


    We manage to get out the off road and continued to travel on the main road, after hald an hour of driving we arrived at the gas station, finding it devoid of zombies due to its distance from the town. We collected useful items and filled several gallons of gas. Our strategy for encountering zombies was for me to lead from the front, with Steff supporting me and Amy guarding the rear.


    While looting a nearby convenience store, a mysterious oom where a young woman in her twenties was unconscious behind bars. She wore a blue jacket, appearing in a state of despair in the dark and cold prison. But that story would be discussed another time.


    "With all these supplies, It should be enough for a month," I stated.


    "That''s great!" Amy exclaimed.


    "But these aren''t enough," Steff noted.


    "Why? We still have a lots of foods anyways?" Amy asked.


    "That''s because it can only keep us one month. And we should not underestimate the world, those foods we had might be the last food we can have for the next yeats, We should look at the houses nearby," Steff explained.


    "Ehh, you''re too serious" Amy said being carefree again.


    "Amy, she''s right, we should take this chance while we still have them" I said to her


    "Okay~" she said being carefree


    After gathering supplies from the gas station, we proceeded to the nearby houses, both to scavenge and gain experience in killing zombies. As we reached the fourth house, Amy said, "This is the fourth house already, yet there aren''t any zombies nor canned foods."


    "That might be because they all have gone to the military safe base," Steff suggested.


    "The safe base..."


    "Get ready, I''m going to open the door," I announced.


    As soon as the door opened, we spotted two zombies. They suddenly emerged, running towards me and attacking. I quickly dispatched one of the zombies by stabbing it in the head with the katana. The group decided to use the second zombie for experimentation. I kicked the zombie away.


    "It might be better for both of you to leave the house," I suggested.


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    "I''ll watch," Steff said.


    "If Steff is staying, then I''ll stay too!" Amy said.


    "It''s your choice." When the zombie again ran towards me, I used my katana to cut off its hands. The zombie didn''t feel any pain and just continued to rush towards me. I then cut off its feet, and the zombie, now without hands and feet, still struggled to bite me.


    I even stabbed its heart, but it continued to move. "What the hell..." I said disgustedly. Only when I stabbed its head did it finally stop.


    Amy and Steff witnessed something unbearable. Steff immediately left the house to get some fresh air, while Amy rushed out and vomited.


    "We should have only listened to Souta," Steff said.


    "Cough cough, you''re right," Amy said.


    I searched the house, but there was nothing. Then I got outside. "Are you two okay?" I asked.


    "Somehow," Steff replied.


    "I can''t stand it! It''s the worst," Amy replied.


    I giggled. "I''ve warned you."


    "How are you okay?" Amy asked.


    "Welp, because I''m a man?" I replied.


    "Being a man and a woman has nothing to do with something like this," Steff said.


    "Let''s just forget about that and move to the next house. I can go alone if you two aren''t still feeling well," I suggested.


    "I''ll go. It''s dangerous to go alone," Steff said.


    "How about you, Amy?" I asked.


    "I''ll also come. I don''t want to be alone in here," Amy said.


    We moved on to the next house, walking cautiously.


    "This will be the last house, it''s getting dark after all" I declared.


    "My god, I''m still not used to seeing human organs," Amy exclaimed, feeling nauseous.


    "This is the last one, so don''t worry," Steff assured her. "And besides, I also feel the same way. Who would stand seeing human organs anyway."


    "Well..." They both looked at me, I got used to it when I scavenge for supplies on the road, I awkward left their gaze and went to the door.


    I attempted to open the door but found it locked. "Let me borrow your axe," I requested. Steff gave it to me, and I swung the axe at the door, making an opening to grab the knob and forcefully opening it.


    I was ready to face any zombies inside. However, instead of zombies, we encountered a fearful middle-aged man hiding inside.


    "Are you the rescue team?" the man asked with hope.


    "No," I replied.


    "Then, can you help me out?" the man pleaded.


    "Why?" I inquired.


    "Come on, we''re fellow humans," the man appealed.


    Amy and Steff looked at him with disgust.


    "So, it won''t work, huh? How about a trade?" The man proposed.


    "What trade?" I asked.


    "Hey, come out!" the man shouted.


    I unsheathed my katana, prepared for a fight.


    "Wait, no, no, no," the man backtracked hastily.


    Two twin sisters, around fifteen years old, emerged from the room. They appeared thin and showed signs of being mistreated.


    "You can have them as long as you take me to the safe zone," the man proposed, his tone oozing confidence.


    I remained skeptical. "How should I know they''re in good shape?" following the man''s script.


    "They will listen to any command you give them. You can use them as bait or for anything you like. And more importantly, they are still virgins," the man emphasized, his face twisted with depravity.


    "Where did you find them? What happened to their parents?" I demanded.


    "Their parents were on vacation, and they entrusted me with their care. No one expected this disaster to occur," the man explained nonchalantly.


    "I see," I approached the twins, inspecting their faces and observing them silently.


    "Good, I''ll take the offer," I decided.


    "Hehe, that''s what I''m talking about," the man grinned wickedly.


    "But, Souta!" Amy protested, but Steff covered her mouth before she could continue.


    "You sure have fine girls with you," the man approached Amy and Steff, both of them backing down.


    "Hehe," I feigned agreement, and when the man drew near the my girls, I swiftly stabbed him in the back where his heart was located.


    "What a shame," I said coldly as I withdrew my sword from the man''s body.


    "You two okay?" I asked them with a cold tone, they both nodded


    I turned to the twins. "What are you going to do now?"


    They remained silent.


    "Steff, Amy, check their bodies for bite marks. You know what to do if you find any. Meanwhile, I''ll search the house for anything useful," I said with a cold tone and cold eyes.


    Amy got goosebumps from it, with the face that I made that was not normal. I seemed like a psycho. "They say that in the beginning, you fear to move or do it, but after you do it, you won''t even give a damn. Would this also apply to Souta, who had already killed a human being and won''t even bother killing another?" Amy thought to herself, looking at me with admiration and scared eyes.


    After half an hour, I returned with a compound bow and arrow, along with an air gun.


    "Lucky! Look what I found," I exclaimed with joy.


    "Is that a bow and an air gun?" Amy asked in surprise.


    "Yes," I confirmed.


    "Our father was a hunter," one of the twins spoke


    As the twins spoke of their father being a hunter, curiosity piqued in all of us. Amy, always gentle in her approach, asked, "Are there also other weapons your father has?" Her tone carried a genuine interest.


    The younger-looking twin pointed towards a painting on the wall. I promptly removed the painting, unveiling a metal box secured with a code lock.


    "Do you know the password?" I inquired.


    The younger twin needed assistance, requesting a chair to stand on. "Can you give a chair or something to step on so I can reach it?" she asked. I obliged, providing chair one from the kitchen. "Thank you," she expressed, climing on the chair and unlocking the vult, after a few minutes, the code lock clicked open.


    "Here, I have opened it. You can take a look," she said as she descended from the chair.


    I opened the box, revealing a cache of weaponry ¨C a rifle, two military knives, a pistol, and dozens of boxes of ammunition. The group stood in astonishment at this unexpected windfall.


    "Seriously?" Amy exclaimed, reflecting the surprise we all felt.


    "You can take it all, but in exchange, take us both with you and keep us safe from any danger. I don''t want my sister to feel that kind of torture anymore," the younger twin declared, a determined resolve etched on her face.


    I turned to Amy and Steff, gauging their thoughts. "It''s your choice; you''re the leader, so make the decision," Steff suggested.


    "I agree with Steff!" Amy chimed in.


    A smile formed on my face. "Okay then, I agree to this deal." We sealed the agreement with a handshake, our group now expanded to include these two sisters who had endured the harsh realities of this new world.

 Chapter 14: Twins

    We seal the deal, "good decision" I smiled, "You two pack your stuff and wait here" The twins nodded. And left.


    "So, is it okay if I take them?" I asked Steff and Amy for further confirmation.


    "We already told you, you''re the leader, and besides, it''s already too late for that noh?" Steff said with a smirk on her face.


    "She''s right, your decisions are absolute, we''ll tell you immediately if we think your decision is right" Amy reassured me


    I smiled at them, "thank you, for being supportive" they smiled back at me and said, "No problem" "small things"


    "Watch those two, I''ll be waiting outside"


    "Okay, don''t go wander far" Steff said, telling me what to do, "call us if you need anything" Amy said.


    "Do the same" I said and left, I went outside, to look at the town. Looking at it with a binocular that I took from one of the dead cars the other day, it seemd the town is awfully quiet, it''s kind suspicious.


    "What the hell happened in the past few days¡­" I murmured, as I look at the empty town, filled with destructions and fire.


    "Souta, they''re done packing" Amy said as she gets out the house, I look at them, looks like they only packed their clothes in that school backpack. "Let''s go then, it''s getting dark" I said and went to the pickup truck.


    The twins, Lily and Nana, climbed into the pickup truck as we prepared to head towards the mountains. Lily couldn''t help but ask, "Why are we going to the mountains?"


    Amy replied, "Because our base is there"


    Curious, Amy asked "By the way, what''s your name?" She added.


    "I''m Lily, the oldest," she introduced herself.


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    Nana chimed in, "I''m Nana...the youngest." She said with a fragile voice, so Nana was her name? She was the brave girl to decide for the deal, she''s quite smart for her age.


    Amy smiled and introduced herself, "Ah, I see. My name is Amelia, but you can call me Amy"


    "The other girl in the driver''s seat is Steffanie, and the one leading us is Souta. He''s our leader."


    Lily, still trying to make sense of the situation, asked, "How did you meet Souta?"


    Amy explained, "Souta was our childhood friend, and we also went to the same school, it''s our luck that we had him when things turned side ways"


    Lily nodded, not fully comprehending the situation. "Is that so?"


    Amy beamed, her face filled with pride. "Souta is really cool, you know! He kills zombies with ease, bam and bam!"


    Lily still struggled to grasp the reality of their situation, but she played along. "Is that so? He must be amazing, haha" laughed awkwardly


    Amy noticed Lily''s conflicted expression and asked, "Hey... Are you mad at Souta for killing the man earlier?"


    Lily hesitated before sharing their story,


    "That man earlier was our uncle. He used to be kind to us, but when things started to go bad, he became violent and would hurt us if we didn''t listen to him."


    Amy''s voice softened as she asked again, "So, are you angry at Souta?"


    then suddenly Nana was the one to reply, anger flared momentarily as she spoke, "No... He deserved that. If I were in my big brother''s shoes, I would have done the same." She said menacingly


    Steff and I glared at Nana on the rear view mirror, she''s really a weird one, is she even a kid? I asked myself, but it''s not like I''ll get an answer anyway, looking at the rear mirror Amy and Lily fell into a momentary silence.


    "Nana is right. He deserved it," Lily finally said, breaking the silence.


    "By the way, where are your parents? And why do you have your uncle with you?" I followed with a question.


    I glanced at Lily, a subtle sadness in her eyes as she spoke of their parents. "They went on a vacation," she said, her voice carrying a mix of longing and uncertainty. "They asked our uncle to look after us."


    Navigating through the remnants of the world we once knew, I understood the strain of the feelings they are having. "It''s been tough huh," I replied, my gaze returning to the road. "There might be still some hope, keep your heads up and survive, that''s the only way we could do, with the circumstances force us to adapt to this new world."


    Lily nodded, her expression a blend of understanding and acceptance. However, Nana said something, "This world has become hell the moment we know it, we crave for hope, do what it takes to survive, but do we really need it? Isn''t dying a better option for us?" She said, making things awkward, but she do have a point.


    "Kid, think of if like this, even if you want to die, If you''re ever drowning in the pool, you would still do your best to gasp for air noh? It''s kinda similar to this scenario, even with all these hardship we''re facing, we still do our best to survive, that''s life" Steff replied to her question, she look like a mature woman there.


    The momentary silent brought us, "you''re right¡­ I''m sorry for asking stupid questions" Nana said, breaking the silence.


    "No, it''s not stupid, what you said has some points, even I thought of it once, the thought of killing your own life is much better option than surviving this hellish world. But looking at it, for where we''re now, we manage to survive up until now, thou it''s all thanks to Souta, without him we might have died already¡­ he lead us, guide us, and give us hope, sacrificing his self for us just to survive. I admire him, and that makes him really cool! He''s different from any of us¡­ that''s why I also want to survive for his sake, and for ours" Steff said¡­


    ¡­ she''s making me blush, really.. this girl. I focused on driving as we''re on off road now, not noticing that my ears turned red.


    The hum of the car''s engine underscored the gravity of our conversation. As we continued our journey towards the mansion, the weight of responsibility settled deeper within me.

 Chapter 15: Mansion

    After an hour of driving, We arrived at the mansion just as the evening set in. We had dinner, and Amy showed Lily and Nana to their room. Since the twins preferred to sleep together, that''s why only one room was needed.


    "Here is the bathroom, you can use it however you like since we still have electricity and water"


    Amy said as she showed the bathroom, "If you have anything to ask just ask any of us, we will happily answer your questions"


    "We''ll sure do, thank you" Lily said as she smiled


    Lily and Nana took a bath together, "Ahhh, it''s been a while since the two of us took a bath right?" Lily said with a bliss


    "Right..." Nana replied coldly


    "Hey, is there something wrong?" Lily asked worriedly


    "There''s nothing wrong" Nana said with a fake smile, Suddenly Lily splash water on Nana''s face.


    "There is clearly wrong when you smile like that" Nana said seriously


    "Sighed, we''re really twins" Lily said and look at the ceiling, "You see, I''m scared... the world have turn into something we can''t predict, dangers are everywhere... it''s scary that we may die someday or even tomorrow, we don''t know what the future holds..." Lily said with a sad expression


    "I''m scared, Lily." She said looking at Nana with tears on her face.


    "So even the matured Lily is scared, hehe."


    Lily got embarrassed right after saying that because she''s just teasing her, she then regret telling her that then Nana said something


    "That''s normal, even I, myself are scared, we are powerless and can''t do something on our own, Amy and her team, we still don''t know if there trustworthy" Nana said


    "But I''m sure, that we should enjoy every moment of our life! We only have one life, if we die tomorrow so be it!"


    "If we did everything that we won''t regret then even if dying after this bath is no means! We only live once, so be sure to cherish every single time we have"


    "After all, we have enjoyed the past so why get scared of the future! We should learn in this present and look forward for the future, because I''m sure that all of us will have happy ending!" Lily continued with a resolve on her face, happily telling this to Nana


    Nana smiled Idolizing her, "I''m jealous of you, to have a strong mindset like that, okay, I will try my best to enjoy every moment we share!" Nana said happily


    "That''s right!" The two of them, high fived with a determination of being happy by all means!


    As the water droplets echoed in the bathroom, a newfound understanding seemed to bridge the gap between Lily and Nana. The camaraderie forged in the simple act of sharing a bath unveiled layers of vulnerability and strength.


    The bathroom, filled with the warmth of the bathwater and the echoes of their conversation, became a sanctuary where the twins confronted their fears and embraced a newfound resolve to cherish the fleeting moments in their unpredictable lives.


    The next morning, Lily being hyper in the morning suddenly burst into the room where the Me and the others were in.


    "It''s morning already!" Lily shouted, only to find them in a state of undress. "!??" Shocked and embarrassed, she quickly closed the door.


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    They woke up late due to exhaustion, "so noisy" I said, complaining and getting up from the bed


    "They''re just kids afted all" Amy said while putting her clothes


    Steff sighed, "Is this how parenting works" with that statement, they feel like older because they are taking care of kids


    After dressing, we then went to go downstairs to have a breakfast, opening canned foods as our dish partner by rice. Rice are common in Asia so it''s a win win, every household has them after all, we have almost 30 sacked of rice. Most of those who tried to scape have a sacked of rice with them, not only one but more than 2!


    It''s a good idea I looted those, the twins does happily eating their fill, "I told you not to disturb them" Nana giving a lesson to her sister. It''s a good thing that Amy is close to them, "it''s fine, it''s fine" Amy said being carefree. It seems that Steff isn''t friendly, likely because she''s not but also because of what happened of that bald old man and the twin''s uncle.


    It''s good that the mansion is lively, after the breakfast we started moving the items we had looted from the convenience store in the gasoline station.


    "We got ourselves lots of stuff!" Amy said with joy


    "With this! We''ll be able to keep ourselves safe! Am I right!?" Lily said shouting keeping up the hype Amy have.


    "Lily... you''re voice is loud" Nana said worried, maybe because in their past, if they make a noise zombies will come.


    "Haha, it''s okay to get excited but please keep your voice down" I said giggling


    "This is the last one" Steff said, she was on the back of the pick up truck passing them the things they got.


    "Alright, let''s put them all in the pantry, be sure to put those foods that needs to put in the refrigerator" speaking of refrigerator, we can''t keep relying on the generators alone¡­ I should solve this electronic issue.


    After storing all the items and foods, we then start our training, I also invited the twins to join us with our training sessions to help them learn how to protect themselves. The twins agreed, we immediately went to the backyard to begin our training.


    We first started with the jogging, 3 hours passed.


    "What the hell is wrong with you people! How can you run for hours!" Lily shouted sitting on the ground exhausted


    Nana on the other hand was already sleeping on the ground, "Stay with me,


    Nana!" Lily said holding her hand


    "Fwuah~..? Is this heaven?" Lily said waking up


    "Snap it out Nana!"


    "You''ll get used to it very soon, I was once like that last week" Amy said grinning as she saw that she''s not alone. "Don''t mind those two, those are monsters, they aren''t even tired!" Amy said complaining to them.


    "Hey, we can hear you, you know?" I said after drinking water, Steff besides me pressing towel to me face because it''s sweaty. "Thank you Steff" I said to her, "You''re welcome, this is my duty as your girlfriend" she said with a smile.


    "Hey, you''re getting ahead of yourself again without me" Amy said pouting


    "Come" I said, opening my arms for a hug, she quickly stands up and ran to me. Jealous, Steff also hugged me on the back. "Let''s take a shower after this, we''re all sweaty" I said and they got embarrassed


    "Hey, don''t you think they''re too close as a friends?" Nana asked curiously


    "You really don''t get it, you saw them naked earlier and now they are taking a bath together, that is not normal for just a friend you know, they might be lovers or something" Lily explained to her


    "Eh? Lovers? But didn''t Steff said that she''s Souta''s girlfriend? Then what about Amy?" Nana asked not getting the situation


    "Well probably Big Brother has them both as his girlfriend"


    "Eh? Is that okay?"


    "You can see them happy then it''s okay"


    "Kinda, weird but okay¡­" the twin accepts the weird situation at it is.


    We then take a quick shower, Lily and Nana who is in the living room, "Hey Lily, do you think they''re okay? Amy and Steff has been screaming for some time now" Nana asked, clueless


    Embarrassed Lily said, "Let''s just let them be, how about we go outside and explore the mansion?" Changing the topic, keeping her sister innocent.


    "Eh? Okay..?" She followed, they both went to explore the mansion, Here is the description of the layout of the mansion, The mansion is self-sufficient, large, and somehow coincidentally useful for the apocalypse.


    The mansion is located on a mountain, surrounded by a high wall and a gate. The wall has barbed wire and cameras on top, and the gate is made of metal and can be locked electronically. The mansion has a driveway that leads to a garage, where the vehicles are parked. The garage also has a generator, a water tank, and a solar panel system.


    The mansion has three floors and a basement. The first floor has a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a library, a study, a bathroom and some guest room. The living room has a fireplace, a sofa, a TV, and a bookshelf. The dining room has a long table, chairs, and a chandelier. The kitchen has a fridge, a stove, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a pantry. The library has many books, a desk, a computer, and a printer. The study has a safe, a phone, a radio, and a map. The bathroom has a sink, a toilet, and a shower.


    The second floor has four bedrooms, each with a balcony, a closet, and a bathroom. The master bedroom has a king-sized bed, a dresser, a TV, and a jacuzzi. That''s where Souta and the others room, the other bedrooms have queen-sized beds, nightstands, and lamps. The bathrooms have sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtubs same goes for the guest room on the first floor.


    The third floor has a gym, a game room, a cinema, and a bar. The gym has a treadmill, a bike, a bench, and weights, That''s where they train in physically, The game room has a pool table, a dart board, a chess board, and a video game console. The cinema has a projector, a screen, a sound system, and reclining seats. The bar has a counter, stools, a fridge, and a liquor cabinet.


    The basement has a laundry room, a storage room, a workshop, and a bunker. The laundry room has a washer, a dryer, a iron, and a board. The workshop is where Souta work, making weapons and other useful items for the apocalypse. The storage room has shelves, boxes, and bags of food, water, medicine, and other supplies. The workshop has tools, materials, and weapons. The bunker has a door, a lock, a bed, a table, a chair, and a radio.


    Meanwhile, the backyard is a large and green space, with a lawn, a garden, a pool, a gazebo and a water pump system that connects to the water tank on the top of the mansion, this is also the reason why it had a pool. The lawn is well-maintained, with a sprinkler system and a mower. The garden has various flowers, herbs, and vegetables, with a fence and a gate. The pool is rectangular, with a slide, a diving board, and a jacuzzi. The gazebo is wooden, with a roof, a table, and chairs.


    The backyard also has some features that make it useful for the apocalypse, such as a fire pit, a grill, a solar panel, water pump, and a hidden bunker. The fire pit is circular, with stones, wood, and matches. The grill is gas-powered, with a tank, a burner, and a lid. The solar panel is attached to the roof of the gazebo, and can provide electricity to the backyard. The hidden bunker is underground, with a hatch, a ladder, and a lock. The bunker has a bed, a table, a chair, and a radio.

 Chapter 16: Exploring the Mountain

    I don''t know why, but it somehow coincidencely useful for the apocalypse, Lily and Nana were amazed by the mansion.


    "Hey, we''ve been looking for you guys, where have you been?" Amy said running towards them.


    "Well, We heared you moaning, I don''t know why, but Nana said we should go explore the mansion instead of sitting on the living room" Lily said don''t have a clue what she have said


    "Hey, Lily!" Nana exclaimed, embarrassed


    "Ahh" Amy said awkwardly and embarrassed, "Yeah, let''s get going shall we? Souta and Steff are waiting" Amy said changing the topic. Lily still have no clue why these two are red like a tomato. After that they then moved on to swinging exercises which is on the backyard.


    Amy asked Souta something "Hey Souta... umm" Right before she can even request it Souta immediately said "You can take the bow and practice it instead of swinging"


    "Eh? Really?"


    "Yup"


    Amy celebrate with joy that she doesn''t have to swing anymore and practice the bow she loves.


    Lily wanted to learn how to use an axe as her melee weapon, so I provided her with one along with a pistol and a crossbow.


    "Souta... correct?" Lily asked


    "Yeah?" I replied


    "Why are you giving me a gun? Aren''t you afraid that I might kill you when you''re not looking?" Lily asked curiously


    "Hmmm, I''m pretty sure you aren''t going to kill me" I said smirking "after all if we were all to die you two can''t handle it all by yourself" I replied confidently to my guts


    "Also, here, this is for you" I give the air gun to Nana, Nana was fascinated by the air gun I noticed her gaze while I hold the airgun with me, maybe because it reminds her with her father? I don''t know, I just give her one to practice with, along with a pistol, they still couldn''t handle the hunting rifle because of the impact of it but sooner or later I''ll give them if they get used to it.


    "You sure are trusting yourself too much, don''t regret what you''ve started" Lily said and went to Nana


    "Can I have this?" Steff asking to have the military knives


    "Just take whatever your eyes takes interest" Souta said


    Steff wanted to train with military knives, so she was given a pair, she already have one but maybe an extra?


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    We spent a few hours training until evening, and then gathered for dinner. During the meal, I suggested, "Tomorrow, instead of jogging in the backyard, let''s explore around the mountains to explore some places we haven''t been to yet, there might be some place out there we still doesn''t know, evil or not we need to see it immediately"


    Everyone agreed,


    "Evil? What do you mean by evil?" Nana asked, still being clueless


    "It means bad people that will hurt us" Amy explained


    "And what will you do if they''re bad people?" Lily asked, the atmosphere becomes thick and gloomy.


    "What else? Kill them of course" I replied, with a menacing gaze, they must''ve been thinking that I''m a bad person myself but to my surprise, the twins are smiling.


    "Good" Lily said with an Evil grin on her face, while Nana is just eating and not really caring about it. These two really don''t care if we kill people or not aren''t they?


    Eith that, the next morning, we woke up early to prepare their supplies. We planned to have breakfast and lunch during our exploration.


    After driving for hours finding routes we could take, we reached a point where we decided to stop and have lunch, as we hadn''t come across anything significant apart from trees.


    While eating, Lily proposed, "Hey, how about we walk around for a while?"


    Amy agreed, saying, "Sure, that''s a great idea."


    Amy called out to me, who is nearby. "Souta, we''ll be going for a walk real quick."


    I nodded and reminded them, "Make sure to bring your weapons with you."


    The two ventured into the surroundings, "It has lots of trees!" Lily shouted happily "It''s been a while since we go to the mountains" she added


    "Oh? You go to the mountains?" Amy asked curiously


    "Yup, our father used to bring us with him when he hunt" she said smiling


    "Is that so?" They continued to talk, however it feels like someone is watching them. "Isn''t it nice then? To have a nice memory here" Amy said, smiling facing Lily. Unaware of an elderly zombie lurking behind them. The zombie reached out and grabbed Amy''s shoulder, "AHHH!! Amy behind you!!!" Lily shouted, shocked from what she saw! The zombie got Amy!!


    Amy, being careless on her action, didn''t think it as a big deal, she was trained in martial arts by Souta, with a swiftly react. She flipped the zombie to the ground and retrieved a militady knife from her waist, stabbing the zombie in the head.


    "That was close," Amy said, wiping the sweat from her brow.


    Lily was stunned and impressed, gazing at Amy with newfound admiration. "You were cool back there, big sister!"


    Amy chuckled modestly. "Is that so? Haha, thanks."


    We immediately run towards them as soon as we heard the shout of Lily, they encountered them while returning, Amy shared their encounter to us, I who is initially worried, couldn''t help but show my relief. And hugged Amy tightly, saying, "Thank God you''re okay."


    Amy tried to calm me down by praising me. "I''m okay because Souta taught us martial arts."


    I, visibly concerned, realized that the world we now lived in was vastly different. Killing had become commonplace, and we needed to adapt to survive. I spoke sternly, "Just don''t do reckless things like that again, okay?"


    "Okay," Amy replied, understanding the gravity of the situation.


    After the incident, we continued our lunch break.


    After lunch, we continued our journey deeper into the mountains, hoping to find a settlement nearby. Along the way, we noticed a car crash that likely belonged to the elderly man they encountered earlier.


    "That must be from the oldman earlier" Amy said


    "If he''s heading this direction that means there''s a settlement nearby" I said As we continued, surrounded by trees, we finally came across a farm.


    "Wow, Souta''s judgement sure is something" Lily said impressed from what she saw


    "It was the right thing to team up with him from the very start, I know for a fact just by looking at him that he has an ambitiounous personality making him a great leader" Nana said with a smug, thinking she made the right decision.


    "I''m flattered, to think that you guys would praise me" I said, teasingly


    We then parked the pickup truck, it''s backwards so that is emergency happened, we can immediately get away. We get down from the vehicle, with our weapons with us, my rifle is tightly swing to my back I can immediately grab it and aim it for emergency thou it will take some time compare to just swinging it on the front, but using back swing carry can male me able to move freely withou the rifle''s interactions. Also have my pistols on my waist and Katana on my left waist.


    Fun fact! Did you know that the traditional and commonly depicted way to carry a katana is by placing it edge up, edge facing backward, through an obi (sash belt), positioned at the left side? This method allows for a smooth and quick draw with the right hand when needed. The placement on the left side also aligns with the historical use of the katana, where it was drawn from the left side in a specific manner known as "Iaido" or "Battojutsu."


    Carrying it on the back of your shoulder is not a typical or practical method for traditional katana use. It can impede quick and efficient drawing, making it less suitable for martial arts or self-defense situations. Additionally, the weight distribution and length of a katana make it more balanced and accessible when worn on the left side. So it might be cool but if it will only get on your way why bother the coolness if you''re about to die before you could even pull the katana?

 Chapter 17: Farm

    In to the story.


    We cautiously look around the area, hoping to find useful items. It''s just a plain grass surrounded by wooden fences.


    "Steff, I''ll help you climb the gate" I suggested, the perimeters are safely surrounded by reinforce wood about 2 meters tall.


    I use my hand for her to jump on, with my boost she easily jumped through the wooden fences. Destroying the lock on the gate, it was chained with iron chain and a padlock.


    Steff destroyed it''s surroundings of the padlock and forcefully take out the chain without breaking it, it''s much easier to break a wood than iron she opened the gate and we entered, cautiously approaching the farmhouse, "This Farm sure is large, don''t you think staying here is also a good idea?" Steff suggested


    "I won''t agree to that, those woods won''t stop humans and zombies that much though this wide area is a good place that doesn''t mean it''s meant for survival, the mansion is still the best option for us" I stated my thoughts


    "Hey Souta, there''s a house there" Amy pointed, the house was in the middle of the wide farm.


    "Hey Souta, we''ll be searching around can we do that?" Nana asked


    "What? No!" I exclaimed


    "But... Lily is already at it" She pointed at her sister who is already walking around


    "Oh goddammit what are you two doing, use your gun if you ever see any danger okay? So that we''ll come rushing"


    "Okay!! Bye bye then" Nana said and ran towards Lily


    "Amy, look after them, Me and Steff will explore this house nearby" I said


    "Okay, just be careful okay?" Amy said stating her conditions first


    "Yup, I''ll be careful" I replied, assuring her, she then run towards the twins.


    We continued where we are doing and proceeded cautiously, we then knocked on the door, but received no response. Steff who is aiming her pistol at the door, while I wait on the door with my pistol on hand. With no other options, we broke open the door kicking it and entered. We searched the house pointing our guns in each corner, hoping for valuable findings rather than encounters with humans. I decided to check the second floor since the first floor was cleared by us.


    Advancing cautiously, I ascended to the second floor, each step echoing through the tense silence. My pistol aimed upward, anticipating the unexpected. Room by room, I turned the doorknobs, the creaking doors unveiling empty spaces.


    Then, the final door swung open, revealing a scene that froze time ¨C a terrified thirteen-year-old boy, gripping a shotgun as if it were the only anchor in a storm. The air thickened with tension as he trained the weapon on me, his voice cutting through the stillness, "Hands up, or I''ll shoot!"


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    In that heartbeat, the room became a battleground of fear and uncertainty, where my every move could tip the delicate balance between survival and chaos.


    Remaining calm, I raised my hands and reassured the boy, "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you or anything, okay?"


    But the boy remained distrustful, shouting, "Shut up! Don''t move, or I''ll shoot!"


    I understood the boy''s fear and nervousness. Maintaining my composure, I lifted my hands, a gesture of pacification aimed at the scared boy. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you or anything, okay?" I reassured, my voice steady in the face of his trembling fear.


    Yet, his distrust echoed in a defiant shout, "Shut up! Don''t move, or I''ll shoot!" Understanding the gravity of the situation, I eased the tension by lowering my own pistol to the ground. In a calculated instant, I redirected my focus, executing a swift kick that disarmed the boy, sending the shotgun clattering to the floor. Another kick, strategically placed, created distance.


    Swiftly seizing the dropped weapon, I aimed it at the now disarmed boy, a wry grin surfacing on my face. "Hands up, kid," I commanded, the weight of the situation lingering in the charged air.


    Complying, the boy raised his hands in surrender. Complying, the boy raised his hands in surrender, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and resignation. Steff, responding to the commotion, swiftly ascended the stairs upon hearing the commotion. "Capture this kid," I ordered, my focus unwavering.


    As she restrained and secured the boy''s hands, Steff demanded an explanation. "What the hell happened?" she asked, her demeanor reflecting a sudden intensity that sent shivers down the boy''s spine.


    "He had a shotgun pointed at me the moment I entered the room," I explained, attempting to diffuse the tension. However, Steff''s gaze transformed into an unsettling aura of bloodlust directed at the boy.


    "Stop it, Steff, he''s just a kid," I intervened, urging restraint. "Let''s bring him downstairs." The decision made, we descended, the weight of the situation hanging in the air, as the boy accompanied us under the guard of uncertainty.


    We then went back downstairs, where I questioned the boy, "Are you alone?"


    Returning to the lower floor, I directed my focus back to the boy, probing with a question that hung heavy in the air, "Are you alone?" His annoyance persisted as he sharply retorted, "Yes, I''m alone!" ¨C the anger in his voice accompanied by an intense glare directed at me.


    Seeking a strategy to de-escalate, I proposed a risky maneuver, "I''ll hold you as a hostage. Tell your sibling to disarm, or you''ll pay the price."


    He scoffed defiantly, "Heh, like I said, I''m alone. That won''t work!" Suspicion tainted his shouts.


    In response, I shot a stern glare downward, determination flashing in my eyes. "Get the hell out from where you''re hiding! Or I''ll shoot this boy!" The threat hung in the air, a tense standoff unfolding in the shadows of uncertainty..


    A sudden twist unfolded as a girl emerged from under the bed where we found the boy wete, appearing roughly our age. She faced us with a brave resolve, her voice trembling yet determined. "Okay, you can do anything you want with me, just don''t hurt my brother."


    Her brother, who was captured by us, tied by both arms and hands, vehemently protested, "No! You can do whatever you want with me! Just don''t touch my sister!"


    "Don''t act like a kid anymore! What do they want from a kid anyway!" the girl retorted, her fiery gaze challenging our intrusion.


    In the midst of this tense exchange, the twin we had dispatched to search for something returned, bringing an added layer of uncertainty to the already charged atmosphere.


    "Isn''t this where the old man lives?" Lily asked.


    "Yeah, I think so," Nana replied.


    "We really didn''t found anything right, but those animals were so cute" Amy said


    "Yeah, yeah! Those cows they mooo!" Lily giggled


    Curiously, the three of them eyed the scene before them. "What are you doing?" Lily inquired.


    "Nothing really," Souta replied nonchalantly.


    "Nothing my ass! What happened here!?" Nana persisted.


    "Like I said, nothing," Souta replied, avoiding eye contact.


    Amy, looking at the situation, she knows what happened immediately. In the room filled with tension, we all exchanged looks, trying to understand the situation better.


    I addressed the siblings breaking the silent, "I won''t harm either of you. We only want to search this place for supplies. If you''d like, you can join us."


    "You two are determined to protect each other. Unlike the others, they might not show up like you two," I remarked, acknowledging their strong bond.


    Confused, the siblings asked, "Join? What is this, a game? And why are you looting us? Isn''t that just stealing?" The boy asked


    I can''t help but laughed at their innocence. "Stealing? HAHAHAHAHA! What do you think will happen next? Are you going to call the police?"


    The boy confidently replied, "Of course!"


    My laughter intensified. "What? Are you dumb? The government and the police are long gone."


    Confused and shocked, the siblings struggled to comprehend the situation. Amy suggested that they see for themselves, "Hey, how about you let them see what happened outside? They seems confused, they might have no idea what actually is happening"


    I agreed, noting their confusion, "Alright then, you seems to not know what is actually happening, so how about you take a look at the town? Then you''ll understand," I proposed, ready to show them the harsh reality of the new world.

 Chapter 18: The Siblings

    They agreed to go to the town to see what was really happening. If my claim about the apocalypse was true, they would allow me to take anything I wanted from the farm. We then hopped into a pickup truck and drove toward the town.


    After an hour, we successfully got down the mountains, the two of them looking at the main road as I drove off road. Thousands of dead cars have lined up to the road.


    The two of them still couldn''t believe it, speechless, we continued. We finally arrived near the town. The sight left them bewildered and confused. "What''s going on? There''s a fire there. Why hasn''t anyone come to stop it?" the boy exclaimed, but his sister remained silent.


    We forwent the town and opted to explore the nearby houses first. Exiting the car, caution lingered in the air. "Be careful," I warned, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. "Once you''ve been bitten, it''s over." The boy and his sister trembled, fear etched on their faces.


    Taking point, I kicked open the door of the nearest house. A chilling sight awaited us as a swarm of zombies poured out. Surrounding us from all sides. There were five of them, each one more grotesque and decayed than the last. I wasted no time in drawing my katana, the steel blade gleaming in the moonlight. I faced the nearest zombie, who lunged at me with a snarl. I sidestepped its attack and slashed its neck, severing its spine. Blood spurted from the wound, but I didn''t flinch. I quickly shifted my stance to o gasumi, thrusting my katana forward and impaling the skull of another zombie behind it. I pulled out my sword and swung it in a wide arc, cutting through the torso of a third zombie that was trying to flank me. The zombie fell to the ground, its entrails spilling out.


    Amy and Steff were covering me with their guns, firing at the remaining two zombies. They were good shots, hitting them in the head with every bullet. The zombies collapsed, their brains splattered on the pavement. We had survived the encounter, but we knew there would be more. We had to keep moving, or we would be overrun by the undead..


    Amid the lifeless bodies, one remained, its limbs severed after I cut it''s torso, yet it persistently moved. "See? I told you, this isn''t the world you used to know anymore," I explained, cutting it''s hands, feet and heart, yet it still moves and tries to bite me, I piercing its head to finally bring an end to its unsettling existence.


    Even though I cut the head of the other zombie it still moves its head, but yhe body seems to be lifeless. I said to my thoughts as I look at the zombie''s head that I cut earlier.


    The reality of the situation sank in, casting a shadow over the siblings'' faces. It was a stark reminder that the world beyond those doors was unforgiving, and survival required more than just caution ¨C it demanded a cold acknowledgment of the harsh new reality.


    The siblings were forced to confront the harsh reality. Pressure, fear, and cold sweat enveloped them. Overwhelmed, they both vomited, their stomachs churning.


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    "Amy, take them outside for a while and let them have a fresh air" I instructed, "also, Lily, how about killing a zombie for an experience?" I said teasingly, but to my surprised she agreed. "I''ll do it" she said with a serious expression.


    The zombie that I cut it''s head off, I told her to kill it and she swung her axe, smashing its head. The brain and blood of the zombie scattered around. Damn, she looks like a cold blooded killer. "Alright, let''s loot this house now," I declared breaking the silence.


    "Steff, join Amy and protect those two, we''ll loot this place, this will also be a great experience for the twins" I instructed, Steff agreed. We proceed to loot the house, After a few minutes we took those things we could use.


    "Hey Souta, can I take this?" Nana asked, it''s a clothes that fit her, "yeah, you can take anything you want, it''s not like the owner is still here. Mind as well make a use of it" I said normally


    "That''s kind cold of you to say with a straight face" Lily said as she gets out the room. I didn''t noticed that I''m actually saying those words with straight face, I''m really changing aren''t I?


    "Welp, that''s how it is" I replied smiling to not make things awkward. We left the house since we finished looting it. Outside, The others are waiting.


    "How can you be so calm after killing those things? Do you have any humanity left in you? Don''t you realize they were once people like us?" The sister asked, her voice trembling with fear and anger.


    She couldn''t understand how we could slaughter the zombies without hesitation or remorse. She still saw them as human, even though they had lost their minds and souls to the virus. She was naive and foolish, and she didn''t know what it took to survive in this hellish world.


    Steff and Amy didn''t take kindly to her words. They felt insulted and threatened by her accusation. They aimed their pistols at her, their eyes filled with rage and bloodlust. The air became tense, and I could sense a conflict brewing. I had to intervene, or things would get ugly.


    "You bitch! How dare you judge us when you have no idea what we''ve been through!!! You have mo idea what we did just to fcking survive!!" Amy yelled furiously at her, pointing her pistol at her head.


    She was outraged by the sister''s accusation. She had seen and done things that no one should ever have to experience. She had lost friends and family to the zombies thou it''s still uncertain, it is what she thinks and lose hope that they survived. She had also killed countless of them to survive. She had no sympathy for the undead, nor for anyone who defended them. She saw it with her own eyes, how I killed those people to survive, how hard I struggled that''s why she can''t stand the idea of someone who know nothing saying those words to me.


    "Amy, calm down" I said, trying to defuse the situation.


    "But Souta! This girl acts like she knows our pain! She doesn''t have a clue!" She argued.


    "You''re right, Amy, she doesn''t know our pain, she don''t know what happened and what we''ve been through that''s why she said those things. But killing her won''t solve anything. It will only make us worse than those zombies. So please, lower your gun and think rationally" I pleaded.


    I hoped she would listen to me. I knew she was angry, but I also knew she was a good person. She had saved my life more than once, and I trusted her. I didn''t want her to do something she would regret.


    My words seemed to reach her. She lowered her gun, muttering "tch!" under her breath. She walked away, still fuming. Steff, who had been watching us silently, also lowered her gun. She gave me a nod, acknowledging my intervention. She was more calm and composed than Amy, but she also had a fierce loyalty to our group. She wouldn''t let anyone insult us.


    "Here''s some piece of advice, Next time, watch your mouth or you''ll regret it, trust me" I said. "And to answer your questions, I know you''re confused by what''s going on, but you''ll soon understand why I did what I did" I said with a smile. Then I pulled the trigger of my pistol, firing a shot into the air.


    The loud bang echoed through the night, startling the sister. "No way... Souta, I thought..." she stammered, thinking I had killed her. Amy heard the gunshot and ran towards us, worried. "Hey, what happened!?" she shouted, scanning the area for threats.


    She saw me holding my pistol, still smoking from the shot. She looked puzzled. "What are you doing, Souta?" she asked. "I''m attracting some attention" I said with a wicked grin. "Alright, get ready before they get here. Steff, give those two some weapons. We''ll have to practice killing zombies" I said.

 Chapter 19: Manipulation

    I had a plan. I wanted to test the sister''s resolve and skills. I wanted to see if she could adapt to this new reality, or if she would crumble under the pressure. I wanted to teach her a lesson, the hard way.


    "Steff, use your military knives. Amy, use your bow. Lily, use your axe and crossbow. Nana, guard the group from the pickup truck. Shoot the zombies that get close with the airsoft. Don''t waste bullets. Kill them silently" I ordered. They got into position, ready for the incoming horde. I could hear the zombies moaning and shuffling, drawn by the noise. They were coming, and we were waiting.


    The zombies were getting closer, and I could see the fear in two sibling''s eyes. The older sister was holding a machete that Steff had given her, and the kid who is the same age as the twins he got a military knife.


    "Hey, you" I called out to them, "What''s your name?" I asked. I wanted to know who I was dealing with.


    She looked at me, startled. "J-Jenny" she stammered.


    "How about you?" I look at his brother who is trembling in fear.


    "A-Andy" he said trying to act tough


    "Mia and Andy, huh? Well, you two, listen up. You have two choices. Either you fight with us, or you die. There''s no third option here. Do you two understand?" I said, sternly.


    They nodded, but I could tell they are still scared. They didn''t have the will to fight, nor the skill. They are a burden, and I hated burdens to be honest.


    "Look, you two. I don''t care if you think those things are still human. But they''re not. They''re monsters, and they''ll kill you without mercy. You have to kill them first, or they''ll kill you. It''s that simple. Do you get it?" I said, trying to drill some sense into them.


    They nodded again, but I could see the doubt in their eyes. They still clung to their delusions, and I despised those fcking delusions, they were once humans? They can be cured? Btch you''ll be dead soon before you could even cure them.


    "Fine. Then prove it. Prove to me that you can survive. Prove to me that you''re not a waste of space. Prove to me that you''re worth saving. Kill one of them. Just one. That''s all I ask. Can you do that?" I challenged them


    They hesitated, they look at each other then they nodded. They seemed to muster some courage, and I was surprised. Maybe they had some potential after all.


    "Good. Then do it. Show me what you''ve got. Kill one of them. Now" I said, pointing at the nearest zombie who is currently rushing towards us.


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    I watched as the two siblings ran towards the nearest zombie, hoping to kill it before it killed them. They were brave, but they were foolish. They didn''t have the skill or the experience to fight the undead. They were doomed, and I knew it.


    The sister swung her machete at the zombie''s head, but she missed. The zombie dodged her attack, and grabbed her arm. But before it can bit her flesh, I shot the zombie''s head, She screamed, and dropped her machete. She was shaking, trembling.


    I continued to watch the siblings, hoping they would learn from their mistake. The sister was shaking, trembling. She had almost lost her arm, and her life. She was lucky I was there to save her, but I wouldn''t always be there. She had to toughen up, or else she would die.


    The brother saw his sister being attacked, and he tried to help her. He stabbed his knife at the zombie''s chest, but it had no effect. The zombie was already dead, thanks to my shot. He didn''t realize it, and he kept stabbing. He was frantic, and he was clueless.


    I walked towards them, and grabbed the brother''s arm. I stopped him from wasting his energy, and I looked at him. He was shocked, and he was confused. He had just witnessed his sister''s near-death, and he didn''t know what to do. He was lost, and he was scared.


    "Hey, kid. Calm down. It''s already over. The zombie is dead. You''re safe. For now" I said, trying to calm him down.


    He looked at me, and saw my face. I was calm, and serious. I was not here to play games, nor to coddle them. I''m here to teach them how to survive, and to make them strong. He was intimidated, and he was curious.


    "Thank you, for helping us..." he said, his voice trembling.


    I let go of his arm, and I replied. "I''m helping you because I see some potential in you. You have some courage, and some spirit. But you also have a lot of weakness, and a lot of ignorance. You need to learn how to fight, and how to kill. Or you''ll end up like them" I said, pointing at the zombies.


    "You and your sister have lived in the farm and never saw the ruined world, this is your first time, so it''s okay, we''ll teach you how to survive, as long as you follow me" I said with a smile


    He looked at the zombie''s corpse, and he shuddered. He hated them, and he feared them. He didn''t want to become one of them, nor to die by their hands. He wanted to live, and he wanted to fight.


    "Okay. I''ll do it. I''ll learn from you. I''ll fight with you. Just don''t leave us alone. Please" he said, pleading.


    I nodded, and I smiled. He had made his choice, and I respected it. He was willing to learn, and to change. He was a survivor, and I liked survivors with courage not some burden.


    "Good. Then follow me. I''ll tell the other. they''re now your new family. We''ll take care of you and your sister, and we''ll teach you everything you need to know. We''ll make you strong, and we''ll make you free. Do you trust me?" I said, offering him my hand.


    He hesitated, but then he nodded. He took my hand, and I pulled him up. He was weak, but he had potential. We could use him.


    Her sister, who is trembling in fear, I help her out carrying her arm on my shoulder, the others are killing the zombies with ease, it''s a good things we trained before facing them, it''s also a good experience to have.


    I carried the sister to our truck, she needed some rest. She was pale, and she was quiet. She had been traumatized, and she needed some comfort.


    I looked at her, and I felt sorry for her. She had been sheltered, and she had been naive. She had never seen the horrors of the world, nor the dangers of the zombies. She had lived in a bubble, and she had been happy. But now, her bubble had burst, and she had to face reality.


    "Hey, girl. Don''t worry. You''re safe now. We won''t let anything happen to you. You''re one of us now. We''re your new family. We''ll protect you, and we''ll teach you how to protect yourself. We''ll make you strong, and we''ll make you brave. okay?" I said, trying to reassure her.


    She looked at me, and saw my face. I was kind, and gentle to her. I was not here to hurt her, nor to judge her. I want to help her, and to guide her. I want to show her the way, and to make her a survivor. She was grateful, and she was hopeful.


    "Thank you, for saving me..." she said, her voice weak.


    I smiled, and I hugged her. She had made her choice, and I respected it. She was willing to trust, and to follow. She was a survivor.


    "Good. Then rest now. You''ll need your strength. Tomorrow, we''ll start your training. You''ll learn how to fight, and how to kill. You''ll learn how to live, and how to love. You''ll learn how to be free, and how to be happy. I promise you those, Do you believe me?" I said, offering her my hand.


    She nodded, and she took my hand. She was weak, but she had potential. We could use her. I look at her brother. "Andy, correct? Take care of your sister, we''ll take care of the remaining zombies" he nodded "okay, be careful" he said


    With the forced reality I forced them to face, it should make things easier than continue being an ignorant, if they continue being an ignorant it will be a massive problem for us, I can''t just kill them as I need more man power, I have big plans for us¡­

 Chapter 21: Fcking Zombies

    After an hour of looting, we heard a loud explosion nearby, attracting more zombies.


    "Continue your to take everything, we''ll take carw of these" I said, ordering Amy and Steff to hurry, Urgently, me and Nana fought off the approaching horde, while the rest continued looting.


    Something weird happened that we noticed, those zombies approaching some of them were walking towards us while some of them came rushing.


    This time, it''s a horde of zombies consists of 20 zombies while we''re only two, I had no choice but to use my rifle with me, while Nana uses her pistol, with the approaching horde before they could even get near, we annalihated them, shooting their head as soon as we shot, there''s no miss.


    But for Nana, she''s still missing but that''s okay, it''s just been not more than a month since we started practicing after all. When the danger passed, we regrouped, exhausted and in need of a break.


    We had barely rested for 10 minutes when we saw more zombies approaching. They were fast and relentless, not like the slow ones we had encountered before. We had to get out of there, fast.


    "Get in the car! Hurry!" I shouted, grabbing the keys and running to the driver''s seat.


    Amy, Steff, and Nana followed me, each carrying their weapons.


    I started the engine and drove away from the town, hoping to lose the zombies. But they were persistent, chasing us with incredible speed and stamina. Some of them even jumped on the car, trying to break the windows.


    "Get them off!" I yelled, swerving the car to shake them off.


    Amy and Steff leaned out of the windows, shooting and stabbing the zombies that got too close. Nana stayed in the back seat, reloading her airgun and waiting for a clear shot.


    We managed to fight our way through the zombies, but we encountered another problem. The car suddenly stopped, hindered by bodies stuck in the wheel.


    "Shit!" I cursed, slamming the steering wheel.


    "Everyone, out of the car! Now!" I ordered, grabbing my katana and rifle.


    We got out of the car and formed a circle, facing the zombies that surrounded us. There were at least twenty of them, and more were coming.


    "We have no other choice then, let''s kill these fuckers!" I said, readying my katana.


    We attacked the zombies, focusing on the ones that could run. There were only five or six of them, but they were fast and agile unlike before. I slashed one of them in the neck, then stabbed another one in the head. Amy shot one with her bow, then switched to her pistol. Steff threw her knife at one, then drew her pistol as well. Nana shot one with her airgun, but then it jammed.


    "Dammit!" she exclaimed, dropping the airgun and taking out her pistol.


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    We killed the running zombies, then moved on to the slower ones. They were easier to deal with, but there were more of them. And we were getting tired.


    We hacked and shot and stabbed and kicked, trying to survive. But the zombies kept coming, non-stop. We were running out of energy.


    I decided to take out the rifle and use it. Even thou I said that I''ll use it for emergency only, since it''s a waste of bullets but this is an emergency!


    I aimed at the zombies, squeezing the trigger. The rifle made a loud bang, attracting more attention. The bullet hit a zombie in the head, killing it instantly.


    I felt a surge of adrenaline, and continued shooting. I aimed for the heads, trying to be accurate and efficient. I killed three more zombies, then four, then five. I was making a dent in their numbers.


    Amy, Steff and Nana joined me, using their pistols to help me. They were hesitant at first, wanting to save their bullets for emergencies. But this was an emergency, and we had to use everything we had.


    We shot the zombies, one by one, I aimed for the heads, trying to be accurate and efficient. I killed three more zombies, then four, then five until there were none left. We had cleared the area, but we didn''t know for how long.


    We looked at each other, panting and sweating. We were alive, but we were exhausted. And we knew it was not over yet since they still hasn''t returned yet.


    I felt a wave of relief wash over me as we cleared the last zombie. We had barely made it out alive, and we were all exhausted. I wiped the sweat from my brow, panting heavily.


    "Thank God, finally some rest. I''m exhausted," Amy complained, dropping her bow and arrows on the ground.


    I managed a tired chuckle. "You''re not the only one. That was insane." I looked at the others, who were also catching their breath. Amy, Steff, and Nana. They were my friends, my teammates, my family. We had been through a lot together, and we had survived. So far.


    Steff nodded, looking around warily. "We should probably get out of here. Who knows how many more of them are out there." She had a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other, ready for anything.


    I turned my attention to Lily, concern in my eyes. She was the youngest and the most vulnerable of us. "Are you okay, Lily?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.


    She smiled weakly, trying to act brave. "Don''t worry, Souta. I''m okay. Just a little scared, that''s all." She hugged me, and I hugged her back. She was like a little sister to me now, and I wanted to protect her.


    We gathered around the car, our eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. I inspected the wheel, and my guess was confirmed ¨C it was blocked by the bodies of the zombies we had hit earlier.


    "Looks like the zombies jammed the wheel," I said, frustration evident in my voice.


    Amy pitched in, "Let''s clear them out so we can get moving again. We can''t stay here for long." She picked up her bow and arrows, and followed me to the front of the car.


    Steff nodded, her gaze still alert. "I''ll keep watch. We don''t want any surprise visitors while we''re at it." She walked to the back of the car, scanning the horizon for any movement.


    Nana stayed in the car, locking the doors and windows. Nana had a airgun and a pistol, but she had run out of ammo. She had to rely on her blade for now.


    With a collective effort, we pushed the zombie bodies away from the car''s wheel, grunting with the exertion. It was not easy, as they were heavy and bloody. Some of them still twitched, making us shudder. We had to be careful not to get bitten or scratched. Finally, the path was clear.


    "There we go," I said, relieved. I checked the wheel, and it seemed to be fine. No damage, no punctures, no leaks. We were lucky.


    "Great job, team," Amy praised, giving me a friendly pat on the back. She was always cheerful and optimistic, even in the worst situations.


    We climbed back into the car, hoping it would start. Nana sighed. "I hope we don''t run into more of them anytime soon. They''re so scary and gross." She shivered, remembering the zombies'' faces and sounds.


    "Don''t worry," I said, starting the engine. It roared to life, making us smile. "We''ll stay sharp and keep each other safe. We''ll find a safe place to rest and regroup. We''ll make it through this, together."


    Amy smirked. "And next time, I''ll make sure I''ll properly train to be able to handle those guys easily like Souta. He''s a badass with that katana and rifle. He''s like a samurai and a sniper in one." She winked at me, making me blush.


    We chuckled, feeling a sense of camaraderie amidst the chaos. We knew the road ahead would be perilous, but our bond was a source of strength.


    As we drove away from the scene, the moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting an eerie glow on the empty road, and then the off road as the main road is filled with bunch of broken cars.


    We rushed back to the mansion, only to find Jenny lying on the couch, pale and feverish. She had been working too hard to keep herself busy and forget the horrors outside. Lily and Andy had tried their best to cool her down with wet towels and water, but nothing seemed to work.


    I quickly handed them the medicines I had bought earlier from the convenience store, hoping they were still effective. They made her swallow the pills and some soup, and after half an hour, her condition stabilized.


    We were relieved, but also worried. Our food supplies were enough to last for a few months, but our medicine stocks were running low. With that in mind, we decided to visit the pharmacy near our old school next week, even though it was risky.


    During dinner, we talked about our close encounter with the undead and the need for more intense training. We had to be stronger and faster if we wanted to survive. We improvised by adding weights to our exercises, such as jogging with backpacks full of books and swinging with metal pipes. We also practiced our shooting skills with the few bullets we had left.

 Chapter 20: Forced Reality

    With our cooperation we easily killed the zombies, with only melee weapons, bow, crossbow and a airgun. The zombies consists of more than 10 zombies, they came running towards us when they heard the gunshot I did earlier.


    Most of them have been killed with the group, It was a good experience for them, what I merely did was to stand and watch out for them, Steff, her Agility and flexibility has made her able to kill those zombies easily.


    Amy, with her accuracy and fast reload of her bow, she managed to kill lots of zombies before they could even get near, Nana who has the airgun has hard time dealing as the zombies are moving and she''s still not used to it, same goes for Lily who''s using the crossbow.


    But with their team up, they manage to kill all the zombies that appeared. After killing all the zombies, we went and take a rest, panting as this is the first group fight they encounter


    "Let''s get out of here before they gather because of the commotion" I said, they first picked up the arrows they used and went inside the pickup truck, Amy and the twins are currently on the back of the pickup truck because Jenny and Andy are on the passenger seat.


    As we got away from there, I decided to take the remaining supplied on the gas station while they are it. Filling plastic barrels one after another, we were taking every last one bit of the gasoline, it''s our luck that it''s not self service making us to be able to fill the barrels with ease.


    We found the barrels near the convenience store, it''s hidden on the back of it, we noticed that it''s clean so we used it to take gasoline. After an hour of filling the gasoline, Amy and the twins came back, since the gasoline station is not that big, they only has two gasoline pump, the three of us, me, Steff and Andy fill the barrels while Amy and the twins decided to explore.


    They came back with a working car. Driving it towards us happily, as it was already noon, we decided to head back to the mansion. Steff drove the second car, and silence enveloped the two siblings.


    The others are inside the other car while only me and the siblings are in the pickup truck, they decided to go to the other car since the atmosphere here us heavy after what happened earlier.


    Arriving at the mansion we didn''t say a word, we prepared dinner, but the siblings had lost their appetite after witnessing human organs. That''s why I allowed them to sleep early on the guest room, Lily and Andy also sleep on the other guest room in the first floor.


    In the room, the three of us talk about what happened earlier. I started the conversation first, "Do you think I did the right thing? I basically manipulated them with my words¡­" I said feeling guilty to what I did.


    Amy sit besides me on the bed giving me comfort as she hold my hand, "We saw what you did, we know it¡­ but for us, you did nothing wrong, those words you use to manipulate them is just for them to behave¡­ isn''t it?" Amy said thinking through my thoughts.


    "She''s right, those words you used and what you did, it''s about breaking their own will, thoughts and feelings making them fall low below, and then you''ll appear, helping them, making sure that they can only follow you or else they would die" Steff said sitting next to me.


    ¡­


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Thank you, both of you¡ª it really helps me out not to think too much about it" I said smiling just to find them undressing in front of me and pushing me down on the bed.


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    The following morning, after we finished our morning jog, the siblings appeared standing outside the door with his sister. "We''ll let you take anything you want from the farm, so please, protect us" Andy begged.


    Their attitude changed, the once cocky attitude those siblings have, now is begging in front of us. I tried to hide my smile but am I smiling too much?


    Ah shit, I shake my head, then questioned their abilities. "Why? Why should we let you join us?" I asked teasing them a bit


    "We can take care of the animals and plant some vegetables, so please, please take us! We''ll do anything!!" Jenny said begging desperately to us,


    "I don''t want to see those things anymore!!" Shouting and crying as she breakdown in front us.


    I smiled wickedly, "Ahh, so this is what they called power!!!" I said to my thoughts, "it''s fcking fun, I''m enjoying this!!!" With bliss and lust, I began to crave, craving for more¡ªand more power! I want them to beg me! Bow down to me! My thoughts are getting wild and wild


    "Souta¡­?" Amy looks at me, worriedly as she saw my face, my face is in bliss! Lust, happiness, bliss! I look like a crazy man!!!


    Without knowing it, Steff is standing in front of me, really really close, "Steff..?" I murmured then she suddenly kissed me on my lips, "wake up, you''re our leader, not some maniac" she said smiling.


    I broke through the thoughts I had, what am I even thinking about!? This is fun? Making people beg? Do I have that kind of fettish!??? Shit!


    "Um.. sorry about that." I said, humbled considering their offer, I agreed to let them join.


    "I''ll let you two join us, like what I said the other day, I''m a man of my words" I said with a smile. Well I''m already planning to let them join from the very beginning anyways. But to think that I break her this much¡­


    Her brother seems to take it in a good way but she''s¡­ literally broken¡ªnow I feel bad about it. "Alright, after breakfast, we''ll move everything from the farm here," I announced. Taking care of the animals at the farm would be inconvenient, requiring constant trips. It was more efficient to relocate them to the mansion.


    The mansion is big enough anyways, and it also have enough space for the animals and crops to grow, I have a future plan if we would ever need space.


    "Thank you" they both said¡­


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    After breakfast, we went to the farm, searching for anything useful and preparing the animals for transport. Pigs, chickens, sheeps, goats, and cows were rounded up, and we also brought a compact tractor a pickup truck and a utility vehicle. Additionally, we found a shotgun and a pistol that had belonged to their grandparents. Discovering that the old man they had encountered earlier was their grandfather, we buried his body during our return to the farm.


    Over the course of three days, we thoroughly looted the farm, bringing back all useful items and tools such as Tools for Farming¡ªrecognizing the need for self-sufficiency, we gathered gardening tools, seeds, and equipment to cultivate crops in our new safe haven. We placed the animals in the front yard, it''s much more spacious and since the backyard is much closer to the mansion, it will smells if the animals would put there.


    We also replaced the flower garden with vegetables, expanding and connecting it to the vegetables garden. After a week of hard work, we were finally finished. "Thank God we''re done," Amy sighed.


    Andy, and his sister, Jenny joined the group''s training sessions. Andy wielded an axe and a shotgun, Jenny use a bow, a pistol and a hunting rifle, she doesn''t really want to fight close combat with those zombies, however we still teach her close combat fighting style.


    She''s been doing great compared last week, that''s a good thing, with seven people in the group now, our food supplies were now decreasing faster than expected. The once half a year food supplies now only good enough for 2 to 3 months with the 7 of us now.


    That''s why we decided to loot the convenience stores in the town the following day. Steff, Amy, and Nana were chosen for the mission, while Andy and Jenny stayed behind, guarded by Lily in case of emergencies.


    We drove towards the town, but before reaching the convenience store, we decided to loot some houses we had missed the other day. Being more skilled now, we quickly ransacked ten houses, finding only food.


    Finally, we arive, and approached the nearest convenience store, which had already been looted by others. The broken door greeted us, and over ten zombies in the store. We engaged in a battle, with Amy using her bow to shoot the zombies in the head, Steff stabbing them, and Nana providing support from the pickup truck with her airgun we successfully killed them easily.


    Throwing knives at them before they could get near, shooting with bow and crossbow and if they manage to get closs we''ll kill them with melee weapons. We got used to killing zombies now, that''s why it''s been easy for us to handle 10 zombies at once.


    Once the zombies were eliminated, we began looting the store. I explored the counter area, discovering medicines that would prove useful in the future. I ignored the money, realizing it held no value in this new world.