"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Haru attempted to call Aki again, but without a network signal, he felt a sense of helplessness and worry. But the urgency to find her intensified as he recalled her location.
'The chemistry lab!' The thought propelled him to quickly leave the terrace and head towards Aki's location.
Fortunately for him, the building he was in had the chemistry lab on the first floor, while he was standing on the fifth floor.
Navigating down with zombies lurking everywhere seemed dangerous, but his mind was consumed with worry for Aki, leaving no room for fear.
But before he could leave, his eyes fell upon Miami's lifeless body.
"Damn it..." His heart was heavy with pain as he struggled to come to terms with her lifeless form.
However, he knew that he had to leave, as Aki's safety was at stake.
'Miami... I am sorry for everything.'
With a heavy heart, Haru looked at her one last time, expressing his regret for all the trouble he had caused her before leaving the terrace.
The weight of his emotions and the burden of taking his friend's life were heavy, yet Haru knew he had to move on to save Aki.
'Aki...' His eyes seemed a bit hollow and broken, but he was determined not to lose anyone else in the same way.
***
"GROWLLLL!!!!!"
'Shit!!' As Haru hurriedly descended the stairs to the fourth floor, a shocking sight met his eyes, causing him to lean against the wall to hide.
"AAHHHH!!!!"
"GET AWAY!!!!"
"PLEASE DON'T!!!! PLEASE!!!"
"RUN!!!!"
CRASH!
Unlike the terrace, where only Haru and Miami were present, the fourth floor was a scene of extreme chaos.
The corridor and walls were smeared with the blood of people, and the stench of iron was so overpowering that it nearly made Haru puke.
His heart pounded in his chest as he helplessly hid behind the corner, watching in horror as his fellow students, underclassmen and Sensei were being attacked, dragged, and ultimately devoured.
'I am sorry, but I can't help...' Haru thought, feeling utterly powerless.
He knew that even if he wanted to help them, he wouldn't stand a chance against the multiple of them, especially after struggling against just Miami.
With no other choice, he could only ensure his own safety by remaining hidden.
However, as he cautiously peaked from his hiding place, he was confronted with something even more terrifying.
Those who had scratches or bite marks from the Zombies were abandoned by these monster, who then redirected their attention to the unaffected fleeing students. But it didn't take long for Haru to understand the reason behind this behavior.
Black veins coursed their way from the infected areas of the students' bodies, causing them to convulse uncontrollably.
'That!!' Haru's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening to them.
Haru rapidly examined his entire body, realizing the potential danger he might have faced while fighting Miami.
Luckily, he found himself unscratched.
"Growl!!!"
"!!!" While he was preoccupied with the events on the left side of the hallway, a bone-chilling growl echoed from the right, capturing his attention.
Two Zombies on the right side of the hallway spotted Haru and let out a guttural growl.
However, what truly terrified him was that the Zombies from the left side of the hallway were drawn to the growl and began advancing toward his position.
"F***!!!!!" With these Zombies now closing in, Haru swiftly abandoned his hiding spot and dashed into an open classroom nearby.
"GROWL!!!"
Bang! A large group of Zombies amassed at the door, attempting to force their way through.
Fortunately, the door held up against their assault, but Haru was uncertain how long it would withstand their relentless efforts.
"Growl..."
"You got to be kidding me..." Haru muttered helplessly as he turned his head into the classroom.
Despite the door managing to hold back the group of Zombies, the safety within the classroom was short-lived as two Zombies emerged from the back of the room, fixating their bloodthirsty gaze on Haru.
"GROWL!!!!"
With a terrifying roar, they charged toward him, demolishing the rows of desks and chairs in their path.
"SHIT!!!!" Haru's senses heightened as he recognized the imminent danger, grabbing a nearby chair and throwing it with all his might.
Bang! The chair made direct contact with the first Zombie's head, sending it crashing to the floor.
"!!!" Before Haru could react, the second Zombie closed in on him with unexpected speed and strength, overpowering him and causing them both to tumble to the ground.
"GET LOST!!!" He shouted, forcefully kicking the Zombie's face and creating enough distance to spring back to his feet.
With a determination fortified by the weight of his feelings to save Aki, Haru held nothing back, recognizing that weakness would only lead to his demise.
Acting swiftly, he grasped another chair quickly.
"GROWL!!"
Bang! He strongly struck the approaching Zombie with the chair, sending it flying back.
"Growl..."
"STILL NOT DEAD!?!"
Haru let out a fierce shout as he rushed toward the fallen Zombie, striking its head with relentless force.
With each blow, he unleashed the pent-up negative emotions coursing through him, delivering a barrage of powerful strikes without holding back.
"JUST"
Bang!
"DIE!"
Bang!
"ALREADY!!!"
BANG!
After delivering a series of powerful blows at the same spot, the Zombie's skull split open, and its blackish blood spilled all over Haru's hands and clothes.
But he did not care about it.
"Ha Ha Ha" Exhausted and overwhelmed, Haru cast the bloodied chair aside and collapsed onto the floor, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.
As he sat there, staring at the body of lifeless student, the weight of what he had done settled heavily on Haru's shoulders.
Surviving the ordeal demanded harsh choices, yet the toll it took on his conscience was undeniable.
[You have killed a Level 1 and a Level 2 Zombie! 3 EXP gained!]
Out of nowhere, those words appeared in front of him as two small white orbs that emerged from the Zombies entered his body.
[ERROR! System is still downloading, please wait....]
"It's all like a game... isn't it?" Haru murmured, a hollow feeling gnawing at him as the screen materialized once more.
It was then that something peculiar captured his attention.
As he gazed at the flickering light that suddenly enveloped the fallen Level 2 Zombie, he noticed a peculiar white card hovering above it, which soon fell onto the floor.
"What the hell is this?"
Curiosity mixed with caution as Haru extended his hand and grasped the mysterious card.
[You have acquired a White Card. Do you wish to use it?]
[Yes or No]
'What the f*** is this now?'
Caught in the extraordinary spectacle, Haru hesitated and bit his lips, unsure whether to accept the strange card.
But driven by an impulsive decision, he found himself pressing 'yes,' hoping for at least a favorable outcome.
Swoosh! Before his eyes, a blinding surge of white light burst forth from the card, morphing into something completely unexpected, leaving Haru utterly astounded.
The card that he had been gripping transformed miraculously into a slender sword, leaving him utterly stunned.
[Congratulations! You have acquired an Iron Sword!]
[ERROR! System has not initiated yet!]
[There is no information about the Iron Sword!! Please wait....]
"This..." Ignoring the messages that always showed same things about system, Haru stared at the sword in shock and unsheathed it from its black scabbard.
Clink! A soft sound echoed as he drew out the sword, revealing his own reflection gleaming on its blade.
"The world has gone crazy... Haha" Haru chuckled dryly, his hallow gaze fixed on the mysterious sword that emerged from a white card.
His fundamental understanding of the world was unraveling, from the mysterious hologram screen that appeared at will, to people turning into zombies and killings others, and now this sword materializing from a card — nothing seemed to make sense anymore.
If Haru had possessed even a slight knowledge about Apocalypse Light Novels or Manga that an Otaku might have, he could have reacted differently and perhaps accepted some of these occurrences more readily.
However, his response was rooted in the perspective of an ordinary person whose life had been thrown upside down in a matter of moments.
'I don't have any other choice but to move on... For Aki...' Haru thought as he accepted his fate and clenched his sword tightly.
But before he could consider his next move, a startling sound caught his attention.
Crack.
"GROWL!!!"
Crack.
"You got to be kidding me..." Haru muttered in shock and disbelief.
While he was focused on the events unfolding in the classroom, he had overlooked the growing number of Zombies gathering outside.
To his horror, he heard crackling sounds coming from the large windows facing the hallway where the Zombies were amassed.
As pressure mounted on the windows, cracks began to appear, indicating that they wouldn't hold for long.
"Why the f*** they had to create those huge a** Windows!?!?"Haru quickly got up, tightening his grip on his only weapon.