The tunnels seemed endless as Yuuto and the others ran, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Behind them, the moans and shuffling of the zombie horde grew fainter, but they knew the danger wasn't over. The tunnel was a temporary reprieve, not a solution.
Yuuto's mind raced, replaying the events of the last few hours. The zombies—former classmates, twisted into mindless monsters—were just one of the many horrors they had encountered. And now, their situation was growing more desperate. Exhaustion was setting in, and hope felt like it was slipping away.
"We can't keep running forever," Kazuki panted, clutching his side as they slowed to a stop in a small cavernous room. "What's the plan, Yuuto?"
Yuuto was about to respond when Aya, still holding her pendant tightly, froze, her eyes wide with terror.
"Something's coming," she whispered. "And it's not the zombies."
Before anyone could ask what she meant, the air around them grew thick with an overwhelming sense of dread. A sharp, piercing chill filled the room as the lights flickered ominously. The faint sound of fluttering wings reached their ears, growing louder, accompanied by an eerie hissing.
Vampires.
"Stay alert!" Yuuto shouted, gripping his Phantom Edge tightly. "We're not alone!"
From the shadows of the tunnel, they emerged. Pale, sleek figures draped in tattered cloaks, their fangs gleaming in the dim light. Their crimson eyes locked onto the group, full of hunger. These were not like the slow-moving zombies; these creatures were predators, fast and deadly.
"Vampires…" Akari muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't take them all."
"They're too many!" Naoki shouted, stepping back, panic rising in his voice. "We'll be torn apart!"
Yuuto gritted his teeth. They had barely survived the zombies. Now this? His heart raced, his mind scrambling for a plan, but there was no escape. The vampires were surrounding them, cutting off every possible exit.
A vampire lunged forward, moving faster than any of them could react. Kazuki swung his glowing fist, managing to knock it back, but another was already upon them. Aya's light shield flared to life, holding the attackers at bay for the moment, but it was clear she couldn't hold out much longer. Their enemies were too quick, too coordinated.
"We can't fight them!" Rika cried, her voice trembling. "We're done for!"
Yuuto's hands shook as he tried to steady his breathing. Was this really the end? After everything they had been through, was this where their journey would end? His thoughts flashed back to the novel—Apocalypse Session. The hero of that story had faced impossible odds just like this, always pushing forward despite the overwhelming threats.
"Christian Heartfelt," Yuuto whispered under his breath. The name of the novel's main protagonist. The man who had inspired him, given him hope as a child. The very reason he had loved this story so much.
He had read about moments like this—when everything seemed lost, and the hero appeared.
"I'm certain…" Yuuto's voice faltered. "I'm certain he'll come."
"What?" Kazuki shouted. "What are you talking about?"
But before Yuuto could respond, the air shifted. The temperature dropped even further, and a deep, echoing voice filled the chamber.
"Step back."
Everyone froze, the voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. It was calm, commanding, but with a weight of power behind it that sent a shiver down their spines. The vampires stopped in their tracks, hissing and recoiling as though they had sensed something far greater than them.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a tall man clad in a long, black trench coat, his silver belt gleaming in the faint light. His hair was long and white, cascading down his back, and his eyes, a piercing blue, seemed to glow in the darkness. His presence was magnetic, his aura filled with authority and experience.
Yuuto's heart stopped.
It was him.
Christian Heartfelt. The very man he had idolized for years, the hero of Apocalypse Session. The one who had faced legions of undead, dark sorcerers, and creatures far worse than anything Yuuto could imagine. And now, here he was, in the flesh.
"Impossible…" Yuuto whispered, his hands trembling. "It's really him…"
Christian stepped forward, unbothered by the vampires surrounding him. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as though he had faced monsters like these countless times before. With a flick of his wrist, a silver sword materialized in his hand, its blade gleaming with a light that seemed to banish the darkness itself.
Without a word, Christian leapt into action.
His movements were precise, effortless. He danced through the horde of vampires, each swing of his blade cutting through them like paper. The creatures that had terrified Yuuto and his friends moments ago were nothing in the face of Christian's power. He cut them down with ease, his sword slicing through their bodies in a blur of silver light.
The vampires hissed and screeched, but they were powerless before him. Within seconds, the entire horde lay defeated at his feet, their bodies dissolving into ash.
Christian sheathed his sword and turned to face Yuuto and the others, his piercing gaze meeting Yuuto's.
"You're not supposed to be here," Christian said, his voice cold but not unkind. "This is not your battle."
Yuuto could hardly breathe. He was standing before the very hero he had idolized, the man who had shaped his childhood. But something was off. Christian wasn't the invincible, unshakable hero he had always imagined. There was something distant, almost haunted in his eyes.
"You… you're Christian Heartfelt," Yuuto stammered, still in shock. "The hero of Apocalypse Session. How… how are you here?"
Christian's expression didn't change. "This world is my prison," he said, his voice low. "I have been fighting this war long before you arrived. But now that you're here, things will only get worse."
The weight of his words sank in, and Yuuto felt a knot tighten in his chest. The hero he had once idolized was not here to save them—he was a prisoner, trapped in this cursed world just like them.
"But we need your help!" Yuuto cried, desperation creeping into his voice. "We can't survive without you!"
Christian's eyes softened slightly as he regarded Yuuto, as if recognizing something familiar in him. But then, just as quickly, his cold demeanor returned.
"Survival is not guaranteed," Christian said, turning away. "Not for you. Not for anyone."
With that, he disappeared back into the shadows, leaving Yuuto and his friends standing in stunned silence, the ashes of the fallen vampires swirling around them.