Chapter 33: Yukino’s Breaking Point

Ding... The heavy elevator doors slowly parted. The corridor outside was eerily quiet, prompting the group to instinctively breathe a sigh of relief. Gripping her wooden stick tightly, Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously slowed her breathing, cautiously peeking outside. Once they stepped out of the elevator, they found themselves in an L-shaped corridor, the final section of the hotel. According to the signs, exiting through the large doors at the end would lead them into the Akasaka Corporation's office sector. The spacious hallway was completely devoid of zombies there weren't even any corpses in sight. At the corridor's end was a men's and women's restroom, with a stray roll of toilet paper on the floor. A slightly open faucet kept dripping, its steady "plip plip" echoing through the silence. What was strange, though, was that the restrooms were so spotless not even a speck of blood could be found. Sosuke Kitahara's expression grew grim. Aside from the dripping water, the silence on this floor was suffocating. There wasn't much time to dwell on it. Walking at the front, Yukino gently pushed open the tightly closed door and advanced cautiously. Even after leaving the hotel section, the sound of dripping water still rang clearly behind her, and with each drop, her heartbeat thudded heavily in sync. Thankfully, aside from the overwhelming silence, nothing else seemed amiss. Soon, she arrived at a bend leading into the office area. But that's when Yukino immediately sensed something off! The wide office corridor had seven or eight doors flung wide open. Piles of documents were scattered all over the place. Picking up one, Yukino saw that it was a stamped expense report important paperwork, now trampled like garbage. Her delicate brows twitched. Unless the people here had fled in extreme haste, such vital documents wouldn't have been carelessly discarded. Out of instinct, she chose not to take the main route through the open office space and instead circled around using a different hallway. But as she carefully rounded the next corner, a shocking sight greeted her countless bloody handprints splattered across the floor and walls. "Ugh " Yukino reflexively covered her mouth, afraid she'd scream. Her eyes locked onto the horrifying handprints as terrifying images of people desperately fleeing, only to be pounced on and torn apart by zombies, surged through her mind. She took deep, shaky breaths seven or eight of them just to suppress the suffocating dread. Her heart pounded wildly, and sweat completely soaked her grip on the wooden stick. Yukino Yukinoshita was starting to waver. Even though she'd seen corpses and personally killed a zombie pinned by rubble downstairs, the thought of dozens of zombies potentially lurking somewhere nearby overwhelmed her. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Gripped by fear, she instinctively turned back. Behind her, Sosuke Kitahara stood with a stern face, a lollipop tucked between his lips. Haruno Yukinoshita, her elder sister, wore a confused expression, while Utaha Kasumigaoka remained stone-faced. But even from her cold, dark eyes, Yukino could sense a hint of mockery. "No... I can't retreat. If I back down now, I'll live in my mother's and my sister's shadows forever. I can't let them see me as a joke..." A stubborn fire suddenly ignited in Yukino's heart. She vividly recalled the weakness that made her incapable of defying her mother's demands, the years spent chasing after her brilliant, capable sister. That unwavering determination to someday surpass Haruno resurfaced with full force. Suddenly, faint slithering sounds reached her ears, like countless octopus tentacles squirming against glass. But Yukino didn't pay them any mind. She crouched lower, gripped her stick tighter, and resolutely crept down the alternate hallway. But today would completely shatter her worldview. Because this wasn't the Service Club she knew. This wasn't the warm, pastel-colored campus of Sobu High. Today, this place would mark the beginning of her descent into a cruel and bloody world. "Haa " Yukino suddenly let out a choked gasp. Her eyes widened to their limits as a horrific sight filled her vision. The once-spacious office had become a living hell. Blood and scattered bones littered the entire floor. That faint noise she'd heard earlier? It was the sound of dozens of zombies gnawing on human flesh. At least twenty zombies were visible from where she crouched. The hallway was either covered in torn-up corpses or crawling with zombies fiercely chomping down on flesh. Thick blood covered the entire corridor. Just five or six meters away, four zombies were tearing apart a scrawny man. He trembled on the ground, his hand feebly resting on a zombie's shoulder. He wasn't dead yet, but he'd already lost too much blood to resist. All he could do was helplessly watch as the zombies devoured him alive. "Save... me..." The man noticed Yukino huddled by the wall. His eyes burned with desperation, and he weakly raised a trembling hand toward her, his throat clogged with blood. His faint voice could barely form a plea. Yukino's face went pale. Her upbringing told her she should help those in need but her body wouldn't move. Her limbs felt like they were filled with lead. Just then, the zombie gnawing on the man's intestines suddenly slowed, its gray eyes locking directly onto Yukino. The other zombies began to notice her too. Blood dripping from their gaping maws, they bared their jagged teeth and let out menacing growls as they tried to stand. Panicking, Yukino spun around to flee, but her knees buckled and she collapsed onto the floor. Her mouth opened instinctively to scream but a firm hand clamped over her lips. Someone pulled her tightly into his arms, whispering urgently into her ear, "Don't scream it's me." Hearing Sosuke Kitahara's familiar voice, Yukino instantly held her breath, clutching her stick tightly, too terrified to struggle. She allowed herself to be carefully dragged backward, inch by inch. The zombie that had tried to stand up simply settled back down and continued feasting on the now-lifeless man. "Remember this never provoke zombies while they're eating. Always retreat quietly. Most zombies can only see within about four meters. Once you're out of their sensing range, they'll go back to their meal." Kitahara quickly pulled Yukino into a nearby office where Haruno and Utaha were already hiding. But as soon as he let go, Yukino's body gave out, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. Thankfully, Kitahara swiftly caught her and helped her sit down. Seeing her about to hyperventilate, Kitahara quickly yanked the lollipop from his mouth and shoved it into hers. Yukino, probably still in shock, didn't care that it was covered in his saliva. She instinctively sucked on it hard, but her trembling wouldn't stop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going. The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster! [email protected]/_theon Change @ to "a"