The night was cold. The wind blew through the broken windows of the old building where Takashi and his group were hiding. Everyone was quiet. They were tired, scared, and worried about Kato.
Kato's leg was bleeding badly. Rika had done her best to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't enough. He needed proper help—bandages, medicine, and rest. But in this world, finding those things was hard.
Takashi sat beside Kato, looking at his pale face.
"We need to find help," Takashi said quietly.
Kato shook his head. "I'll be fine." But his voice was weak, and his face showed pain.
"No, you won't," Rika said firmly. "We need to move. We can't stay here."
"But where do we go?" Shiro asked, his voice shaking.
Takashi thought for a moment. "We need to find the soldiers. They might have medical supplies."
Everyone nodded. It was their only hope.
As the sun started to rise, they got ready to leave. Takashi helped Kato stand. Kato leaned on him, his face tense with pain.
They walked slowly through the empty streets. The city was quiet, too quiet. Cars were broken and burned. Buildings were empty, with windows shattered.
But Takashi knew the danger wasn't gone. Zombies could be anywhere.
Or worse—people like the ones who attacked them.
They moved carefully, staying close to walls and avoiding open spaces. Every sound made them jump. A creaking door, a falling can, even the wind—it all felt like a threat.
After an hour of walking, they heard something—voices.
Takashi signaled for everyone to stop. They listened closely.
"Yes, that's definitely people," Rika whispered.
"But are they good people?" Shiro asked nervously.
Takashi didn't know. But they had to take the risk.
They followed the voices, moving quietly. They reached a street where a group of soldiers was standing near a truck. They had guns and were talking to each other.
Takashi felt a wave of hope.
"Stay here," he told the others. Then he stepped out, raising his hands.
"Hey! We're not a threat!" he shouted.
The soldiers turned quickly, aiming their guns at him.
Takashi's heart raced, but he kept his hands up.
"We need help! My friend is hurt!" he said loudly.
The soldiers looked at each other. Then one of them, a woman with short dark hair, stepped forward.
"Come out slowly. No sudden moves," she ordered.
Takashi nodded. He waved for the others to come out.
Rika and Shiro helped Kato walk. Hana followed closely, her eyes wide with fear.
The soldiers watched them carefully. But when they saw Kato's bloody leg, their expressions softened.
The woman lowered her gun. "He needs medical attention. Bring him over."
Takashi and Rika helped Kato to the truck. The soldiers had a medic who quickly started treating Kato's wound.
"Thank you," Takashi said, feeling relief.
The woman introduced herself. "I'm Sergeant Maya. We're part of a rescue team. What happened to you?"
Takashi told her about the attackers, the zombies, and how they had been trying to survive.
Sergeant Maya listened carefully. Then she nodded. "You're lucky you found us. This area isn't safe. We're heading to a safe zone. You can come with us."
A safe zone.
The words felt like hope.
"Thank you," Rika said softly.
They helped Kato into the truck. Everyone else climbed in too. The truck started moving, leaving the empty city behind.
For the first time in days, Takashi felt a little hope.
But the world wasn't done with them yet.
After an hour of driving, they heard a loud BANG.
The truck shook and stopped suddenly.
"What was that?!" Shiro shouted.
"An explosion!" Sergeant Maya yelled. "We're under attack!"
Bullets hit the truck.
"Get down!" Takashi shouted, pulling Hana to the floor.
The soldiers jumped out, firing their guns. Takashi peeked out.
It was another group of armed men—bandits.
"They're everywhere," Rika said, her voice shaking.
Takashi grabbed a gun from one of the soldiers and joined the fight.
Bullets flew everywhere. The noise was deafening.
Takashi fired, hitting one of the attackers. But there were too many.
"We have to move!" Sergeant Maya shouted.
Takashi helped Kato out of the truck. They ran, hiding behind another vehicle.
But then—a zombie appeared.
It grabbed one of the bandits, biting into his neck.
The bandit screamed, blood spraying everywhere.
More zombies came, drawn by the noise.
Now it was chaos—soldiers, bandits, and zombies fighting all at once.
Takashi's heart raced. He fired at a zombie, then at a bandit.
"Keep moving!" Sergeant Maya yelled.
They ran again, trying to escape the madness.
But then—a bullet hit Kato in the chest.
He fell to the ground.
"Kato!" Takashi screamed, running to him.
Kato was bleeding badly. He looked up at Takashi, his eyes full of pain.
"Go," Kato whispered. "Don't stop."
Takashi's hands shook. "No, I'm not leaving you!"
Kato smiled weakly. "You saved me once. Now… save yourself."
Tears filled Takashi's eyes.
But there was no time.
Rika grabbed his arm. "Takashi, we have to go!"
Takashi felt like his heart was breaking. But he nodded.
He picked up Kato's gun.
Then he ran.
They kept running, not looking back.
The sounds of gunfire and screams faded as they got farther away.
Finally, they stopped in an empty building, breathing hard.
Takashi sat down, his face pale.
Rika sat beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Takashi didn't speak.
He just stared at the floor, holding Kato's gun tightly.
This was the world now.
A world where you couldn't save everyone.
A world where hope was hard to find.
But he was still alive.
And as long as he was alive, he would keep fighting.
For Kato.
For everyone he had lost.
And for the hope that maybe, just maybe, things could get better.
Even in a world like this.