"Have you ever considered... creating a harem?"
"W-What?" Lein blurted out before he could stop himself, his heart hammering violently against his ribs.
He drew in several long, steady breaths, trying to calm the sudden storm inside his chest. Of all the things to say in a moment like this, this idiot beside him just had to choose something that stupid.
Massive clouds of smoke rose from different locations in the distance, painting the sky in blackened trails.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, the rooftop door, the very one they were bracing with their bodies, shuddered violently. Something on the other side slammed against it, the metal buckling with each heavy impact, the hinges rattling violently.
"God-damned Monday. I knew I should've skipped this hellhole today!" Lein spat, digging his heels into the concrete as he threw his full weight against the door.
"What does Monday have to do with any of this?" Mark shot back, straining just as hard, yet somehow still unable to keep his mouth shut.
"Shut up!" another student screamed, panic visible in his voice as he rushed over and pressed himself against the door to help hold it in place.
There was another student with them, a woman gripping a wooden sword, but instead of helping hold the door, she lingered near the edges of the rooftop, scanning the fringes as if searching for something.
Completely leaving the defenses to them.
Mark, seemingly unaffected by thie chaos, kept talking, "What do you think about using a katana as a main weapo? Or maybe a—"
RAAAGH—!!!
A blood-smeared hand suddenly forced its way through the narrow gap between the doors, fingers clawing wildly for the nearest target. It lunged for Mark, only to miss as he absentmindedly shifted onto his tiptoes and leaned back mid-sentence.
"Close it, close it!" the other student cried, panic breaking his voice as he stumbled away from the door.
"What do you think we're trying to do, Einstein?!" Lein snapped, fury flaring in his chest. He felt like bitchslapping every single one of them, but at the moment, staying alive took priority.
"Where the hell is that woman?!" Lein shouted, looking around the rooftop frantically. She was gone, vanished from sight as if into thin air, abandoning them completely.
Adrenaline surged through the other guy as he gritted his teeth, and without hesitation, he kicked at the bloodied hand thrusting through the gap. It took a few strikes, but finally, the hand recoiled, and the door slammed shut.
Once again, they were back to using their body to earn the means to survive.
A few minutes later, a piercing scream echoed from a floor below. The creatures seemingly retreated and swarmed toward the sound, affording them a brief, anxious break.
Exhausted, Lein stayed braced against the door, only allowing himself to sit once he was certain nothing else was trying to break in.
Mark sank down beside him, catching his breath. Though physically drained, he found a moment to chuckle, much to Lein's irritation.
The other guy was breathing heavily, fear etched in his eyes. He stepped back from the door and stood frozen for a full minute before moving across the rooftop in search of something heavy to barricade it.
Lein and Mark just watched their frantic teammate, shaking their heads at his agitated state.
"Fuck… I thought I was about to die," he muttered.
"Nah, you'll live," Mark replied casually.
Lein opened his mouth and was about to scold the idiot, but before he could, a sudden, sharp clanging from the rooftop's edge made him freeze.
Both of them froze.
"Those things… they can't climb, right?" Lein whispered.
"Depends on the type," Mark began, launching into his usual ramble. "Actually, there are different kinds of lifeforms depending on—"
He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes met Lein's pale, determined face.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After what felt like an eternity, a slender, feminine hand gripped the edge of the rooftop.
"Ugh… good thing my nail appointment got canceled yesterday," the woman, who had been holding a wooden sword earlier, appeared before them.
Her fingers clamp onto the ledge, forearm tightening as her body hangs suspended by one hand. The other hand held her wooden sword; her grip remains firm, wrist steady despite the strain of supporting her entire weight.
With controlled breaths, she engaged her shoulders and core, pulling herself upward in a smooth, powerful motion. Muscles along her back and abdomen coiled sharply in perfect coordination as she lifts herself higher, resisting gravity with practiced precision.
Her elbow locked as she shifted her weight fully onto her supporting arm. In one fluid motion, she kicked into a one-handed handstand, legs slicing through the air with perfect alignment. Her body stacked vertically, limbs forming a disciplined line, the arm holding the sword extended outward for balance.
Without hesitation, she bent at the hips and drove her legs over, pushing explosively off her palm. Her body arced tightly and gracefully as she completed a dramatic flip, twisting with athletic precision before landing lightly. Blade still secure in her grasp, she assumed a ready stance, calm and controlled.
Instead of feeling amazed, Lein exhaled in relief. His eyes briefly flicked to her chest before he quickly averted his gaze, staring down at the floor as if it were solid gold.
"What's wrong with him?" the woman asked while scanning her surroundings, before looking at the dumbfounded guy next to the one happily staring at the ground.
Mark just shrugged and ignored her.
At that moment, the other guy returned, both hands gripping a cold, metallic handle attached to a massive stone block. His fingers tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Though he appeared skinny and almost fragile at first glance, he pulled with a force that seemed to come from somewhere deeper than muscle alone.
His jaw locked, teeth clenched, and veins stood out sharply along his temples and thin arms as he strained. Every tendon in his body stretched taut; his shoulders trembled but refused to give in.
It was as if his life depended on moving the block. Fear or hesitation was absent, only raw, unyielding willpower drove him. Inch by inch, the stone scraped forward under his relentless strength.
Where the block had come from, or how he had found it, no one knew, but at least now they had something heavy to barricade the door.
The three of them rushed over to help, the other guy pulled, while they pushed alongside him from behind the stone.
"Damn… this skinny guy's surprisingly strong," Mark commented in surprise, struggling despite all four of them working together.
The guy ignored him, pulling steadily, bloodied hands burning with pain. Pain is gain, he thought. With this, those creatures won't be getting onto the rooftop.
...
"Hagh… hagh… hagh…" The guy stared at the stone and the door for a moment, then turned back to search for something else to use.
Mark, eyes sparkling with curiosity, followed him immediately, opening his mouth once again to bombard him with questions about technique, strength, and whatever else came to mind as the guy lifted the heavy block.
Lein just sighed and checked the door. Only when he was certain it was truly secure did he nod and let his gaze roam the rooftop.
A single motorcycle tire, half a wooden chair, a few scattered book pages, and other miscellaneous debris littered the area.
"This weird school…" he muttered, shaking his head in reluctant acceptance. Then his eyes landed on the woman standing near him.
Now that he had a clear look at her, Lein realized the woman was… surprisingly unremarkable.
She wore the school uniform with an unconventional twist: a black, suit-like jacket trimmed with red that made her look sharp but not particularly graceful.
Her checkered skirt clashed slightly with the loose black pants underneath, giving her an awkward, offbeat vibe. Her low fade haircut revealed the curve of her neck, and her slightly brownish skin caught the muted warmth of the sun's rays. She was half a head shorter than him, small, especially in the upper area, but the subtle curves of her lower figure gave her an unexpected figure.
In her hand, she held a wooden sword with casual ease. Her brows were knitted in concentration as she stared at him, carrying herself with a strange mix of awkwardness and intensity, focused entirely on him.
"You seem weak," she said, her tone lacking any malice.
"…I see," Lein replied thoughtfully, forcing a smile to appear friendly.
They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, before she turned and looked down from the rooftop near the edge.
Lein considered guarding the door in case of a break-in, but after a brief thought, he decided to approach her instead. Still, he kept his distance as they both scanned the visible pathways and the large open field.
Some students, or survivors, in this nightmare— ran desperately toward the gates and campus wall. Fear was written across their faces as they glanced back at the ones chasing them.
At first, the aggressors looked almost human, but something was undeniably off about them. Their skin was pale even from a distance, their eyes unblinking and hollow, giving them a cold, lifeless look. Movements were stiff, and slightly jerky, their expressions frozen in an unnatural emptiness.
Even their school uniforms were neat, yet oddly mismatched, amplifying the unsettling sense of familiar faces gone strange. Their voices were hoarse, their screams barely audible, as if opening their mouths caused them great pain.
Out of the corner of their eyes, a red car sped around the large oval, ignoring the freshly cut grass. The driver expertly dodged the creatures, leaving deep tire marks in the field.
"Good driving…" the woman muttered, brows still knitted in thought.
"Yeah, it could be great if—" Lein started, but a sudden presence closing in on him from behind him made the hairs on his neck stand up.
Something closed in near his neck. Fear quickly gripped him as he twisted to react, but before he could fully turn, "Fwshh~" a rush of air hissed past his right ear.
Lein ducked down instinctively, arms raised near his neck to protect himself. Though he stifly paused, as he saw who it was:
Mark.
It was just God-damned, Mark!
Just as Lein swung a heavy punch towards his face, a wooden sword shot up to block it.
The woman, still eyes on the ground, held her sword steadily, confident that everything was under control, until—
Smack!
The sword recoiled violently, striking Mark squarely in the face.
"Euh!" he stumbled back, wincing in pain, tears welling in his eyes as he shot them an accusing glare.
"You're double-teaming… me?" he demanded, his voice quivering slightly.
How about the golden rule— bros before hoes…
The woman, momentarily taken aback, simply looked at Mark, then Lein. She smiled faintly, nodded, and returned her gaze to the distance, as if she'd reached enlightenment.
"Cannibals…" she said, ignoring them entirely.
"The proper terms are actually infected, zombies, or the undead. It usually depends on the—" Mark, face marked from the blow, stood up without fully standing, if that even made sense.
"Just get on with it. What's the difference?" Lein snapped, his deathly glare fixed in front, his hand clutching his cold neck.
Mark smiled warmly, unfazed by being cut off. That's what a brother does— giving his bro a chance to show off… Don't worry, bro. I got your back in this life.
"Since you asked, here's the difference…"
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