A high pitch sound reverberated inside the base while the horde of zombies marched inside. The ceiling vibrated as if an earthquake had occurred, with hundreds of them growling from the entrance. Thousands of pebble-like debris fell on our heads, warning us about another war. That place where we entered earlier slowly crumpled the stone walls I made to block the only zombie's entrance.
Our team had to move fast before these undead creatures could even sink their teeth into our skin. And after a few seconds of struggling, I finally had my message from my girlfriend.
[Babe, I hope you're alright…. you promised to be with me, okay? I will wait for you here… The military truck is going somewhere around…. Ponko Fire Station.]
(Author's Note: Ponko Fire Station has the same location as the Rinko Fire Station and Department. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. )
"Ponko Fire Station? That's the opposite side from Metro Suka Hospital?" I gasped, while gripping my phone in my hands.
Within a few seconds, Kane cut off the generator charging my phone and commanded me to escape. Asami, Aiko, and Touma were already waiting in the handcar, but some zombies had finally entered our view. It would take us a few seconds before reaching those three, since we would fight some zombies along the way.
And these undead individuals were a mixture of zombified insects, super strength, normal zombies, and regular ones. Fortunately, there were no special infected zombies in our area.
"What's wrong?" Kane asked, as we ran straight towards the cart. "Do you know the location of your girlfriend?"
I took a deep breath and told him what I found. "Yeah. She's around Ponko Fire Station, miles away from your daughter."
"Well, at least she's still alive. That's the greatest news you could ever hear in your life for now," Kane said, as he bashed his fist against the zombie's head. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, focus on pushing these shitheads away from us!"
I did as Kane told me and kicked the zombies' legs to disrupt their balance. Those undead creatures couldn't do anything at all, since I aimed at their legs. That attack gave us some time to run away from the horde.
While fighting the living dead, Kane and I went to opposite sides. We needed some space to move around, since fighting them together would be such a drag. Kane had a different fighting style when sparring with these zombies. I just slapped the hell out of these freaks and kicked them as an eight-year-old kid would do.
"Aiko, you need to press the gas! Start that handcar and get out of here! We'll catch up!" Kane directed Aiko, while gritting his teeth against these zombies.
We were still a few feet away from those three people, but Kane had already ordered them to flee. It was a decision that Kane needed to make since the handcar needed some seconds before it could kick-start. And since Kane was the only one who could die, we won't risk any more sacrifice in this situation.
However, that was far from the truth. With Kane's instructions, Aiko pressed the gas and started the handcar's engine. The vehicle moved slowly, like a turtle, but it generated speed as it progressed inside the tunnel. No zombie inhabited the tunnel, which was the only haven we could find for the time being.
But we were still far from our transportation, as Kane and I smashed our way towards our destination.
"There's no end to them!" Kane grunted, as he wiped off the sweat from his face.
This fight was an unfair brawl against the zombies since Kane needed to avoid getting bitten by them. The two of us also needed to move onwards towards our goal, but I doubted that would happen.
And the worst happened when a nest of gigantic zombified spiders entered our view from the ceiling. These insects followed the horde and led them inside this tunnel. The arachnids destroyed the roof but left our exit safe from all the harm. It was as if fate mocked and challenged us to escape this place alive.
The ceiling collapsed when these bugs entered the scene. And those stones coming from above hit Kane's right arm, which was his dominant hand. He used that arm to shield his face. But after doing that, he had a difficult time fighting this undead army.
Those regular zombies made it worse as they swarmed the handicapped Kane. The yakuza did everything that he could to swat them away, but his right hand finally surrendered. It even slipped off his arm and fell to the ground, which became a distraction from the nearby zombies.
Kane kept his mouth shut and bit his lips, knowing that his scream would attract the horde's attention. I immediately ran towards him and stripped off his clothes. I placed those ripped clothes around Kane's amputated arm and pressed them against his skin.
"It's to stop the blood, Kane….. Shit. Can you stand?" I asked, and lifted my head.
Those zombies in front of me continued marching their way towards our figure. They surrounded us with their numbers, including the zombie bugs above us. If we planned on running away, I doubted those zombies would let us off their radars.
Aiko saw everything from afar and got out of the handcar. Since Touma and Asami were already safe, Aiko must have thought that he could get away from the car and rush straight towards us to help. That vehicle had finally accumulated some speed as it zoomed inside the tunnel. I could still make it if I hit the nitro on my feet. But I would never dare to leave Kane behind since he was like an older brother that I never had.
"Listen, kid. I…."
Before Kane could even say anything, I covered his mouth and growled. "Don't you dare give me red flags of you dying! Come on, you fucking yakuza! You're tough as nails! There's no way I will leave you to die!!!!"
While I screamed at Kane, I raised my arms and defended Kane's back. Those zombies gnawed my hand, devouring it like some kind of feral animal. I kept them at bay and pushed them to the side with all my strength, as a zombified human. But despite my efforts, some of them tried pushing through while the ceiling continued to collapse.
"I've had enough of you, assholes!" I shouted, and pulled Kane towards the handcar.
We had to do it small steps at a time if we still wanted to reach the handcar. It was our only way to escape this for good.
However, there were no happy endings for me. Time had moved slower than usual when I glimpsed at Kane and a zombie beside him. My hand was not fast enough to reach his side. And that zombie was about to masticate Kane's nape.
Fortunately, Kane got pushed to the side. But that went with the cost of Aiko's neck as he emerged at our flanks.
"AIKO!" Kane yelled, but it was too late.
Aiko sacrificed himself and saved Oyabun, the boss of their gang. While jumping in mid-air, Aiko jabbed the zombie's face, allowing us time to escape the site.
However, the misfortune events didn't stop from there. As I glanced at my back, those bugs flew in Asami's direction and went for them. That insect glared at Touma and directed its attack at the little boy.
The bug's razor-sharp claws appeared at the Touma's fore, wishing that the insect could kill it. But Asami jolted at his front and took the assault from the bug before the ceiling slowly crumbled.
"ASAMI!" I shouted, while looking back and forth in Kane's and the sibling's direction.
A fountain of blood emerged at the exit, smearing the walls with Asami's crimson fluid. The zombies averted their gaze and headed towards the sibling's direction.
I appraised the insect and asked my system if those razor blades could infect a human. Luckily, those keen blades from the bugs didn't have the virus. It won't turn Asami into a brainless zombie, which was the saving grace that our team had.
Within a few seconds, those zombies could catch up to the two siblings. If we yearned to save them, now was the time to do that.
With the last ounce of his strength, Kane pushed me forward and glared into my eyes. I extended my hands to help Aiko and him, but Kane drew the line.
"Kawai…. Go save Asami and Touma…. They need you more than anyone right now…." Kane whispered, as he blocked Aiko's head with his left hand and the other for the zombie horde.
"The virus will work within exactly one minute. Aiko will turn into a zombie…. You need to go, now!" Kane snarled, as he motioned his hand.