Chereads / Shut-In Of The 'Dead' / Chapter 57 - Holding The Breach

Chapter 57 - Holding The Breach

A snowball effect transpired, adding to the confusion and chaos that was already present in the vicinity. First, there was one, then two, then four, then eight— the number of people getting infected had drastically risen. And, of course, with the mayhem in place, no one could tell who was infected or not since panic began settling in.

"Where did that kid come from? Inside? How?" Kazuichi asked, stepping forward to see the aftermath of the chaos by the wired fence. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a takeover, but it still surprised him how fast it happened. Even though it only started with one infected, it was still enough to put the shelter at risk.

By now, the people stationed in the outposts were also beginning to panic. Because they were positioned in an elevated area, their escape route would be cut off if the entire defense line of spearmen fell apart. Either they deal with the infected from up top, or they get out of there and leave everything open.

However, there are significant repercussions to retreating. As archers, if they were to back down right now, there would be no one left to deal with the infected pushing through the wired fence. It's only a matter of time before they ultimately push the fence in, allowing them a way in.

After thinking about it, they had no other choice but to hold their ground and continue shooting arrows at the infected on the ground. Despite their dwindling numbers, the spearmen still dealt with the infected who found themselves inside.

For now, all the archers could do was trust their comrades and continue whittling down the headcount of the horde outside. There was no saving those bitten inside, and the archers depended on the infantry assigned behind the spearmen. They were the last line of defense, positioned so that they would deal with the worst-case scenario. Alas, the worst-case scenario indeed occurred.

Seeing the chaos ensue, Tris decided to step out of the tent and aid with the evacuation. While she had no idea where the people were going, she decided to help some of them, defending them from the infected that tried to rush at them with their teeth bared. It was easy to distinguish who was infected or not. Just from how they ran, Tris could already tell who to avoid and rescue. But again, there were a few mishaps wherein she tried to assist someone bitten. And then they turned at the last second just when she tried prompting them up.

"Still.. how could this happen? How did the virus spread from within? What's going on?" Tris asked herself, smashing a shovel squarely on the infected's head.

"Tris! Behind you!" Kazuichi screamed from afar, still holding arrows in bulk and delivering them to the archers shooting down the infected.

He could've done many things, but Kazuichi was in danger of revealing his true identity to the people. That's why he stuck to what he was initially told to do— assist the archers.

Turning around, Tris noticed the salivating infected aiming his bite at her. She immediately swiveled, using her left foot as a pivot. Unleashing a kick, Tris barely managed to knock down the infected by hitting him squarely on the chest.

At the same time, one of the many children running away tripped on the sand. Tris pulled him up, patting him on his rear side in an attempt to get him moving. Fortunately, the child understood what Tris was implying, and he picked up the pace even though he might trip a second time.

It had only been a minute or so since the breach, but the line of defense consisting of spearmen had utterly fallen. Tris felt the exhaustion catching up to her and the urge to sleep since she had just heartily eaten a complete meal.

In truth, she wasn't the only one on the verge of exhaustion. Even the infantry was already reaching their limits. Not only did they have to keep the infected from rushing deeper into the shelter, but they also had to avoid their bites and do all that while getting rid of them. It was an arduous task, but they stood their ground. The difference between a fallen shelter and a not-so-dead one was their presence. Whether the shelter lives or dies is dependent on the accomplishment of their subjugation.

"Arrows! Arrows!" The steady screams of the archers could be heard from the background. Their main job was to halt the advance of the infected completely. Not only would this give the infantry a little relief, but it would also prevent the shelter from completely falling apart.

Hauling another batch of arrows on his shoulder, Kazuichi moved towards the outposts for the umpteenth time. 'I didn't even get to enjoy that dinner. It's all burnt up.' He said in his mind as he made his deliveries.

The amount of infected by the foot of the elevated outposts was frightening. Although everyone who was assisting the archers had already left, Kazuichi stayed. He was the sole supplier of arrows left, but he still managed to meet the demands.

Having close contact with people didn't do well with Kazuichi, and now he had the scent of a human instead of a Hybrid. Because of that, the infected started targeting him, not knowing what was best for their well-being.

The archers had noticed this as well. Even when three or more infected would crazily rush at Kazuichi, he would efficiently deal with them. He did not even break a sweat whenever he did so.

With a grunt, Kazuichi kicked one of the infected who was erratically sprinting towards him. The kick squarely dislodged his head. As for the second and third infected, he dealt with them simultaneously by waving the bulk of arrows he had on hand.

"Behind you!" One of the archers screamed. He was mesmerized by his fluid-like motion that he started watching him from afar.

Swish~!

Suddenly, a kunai knife landed directly on the face of the infected, eliminating it in an instant.