Chapter 37: The Sorrow of the Corporate Drone

Before the last man had time to think, Sosuke Kitahara appeared right in front of him in a flash, his hand reaching straight for the man's shoulder. The man was instantly terrified. The sheer fear jolted every nerve in his body. He knew that if he didn't act now, he'd end up just like Daishi Hirakawa thrown straight into the zombie horde. "Don't kill me! I didn't do anything! It was Hirakawa-san who pushed her, I had nothing to do with it!" The man trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering as he frantically shook his head. He shrank back in terror, shouting desperately, but didn't dare to resist, terrified that the slightest struggle would make this devil toss him to his death. Sosuke sneered. "Oh? Weren't you all on the same side?" The man immediately nodded, but when he saw Sosuke frown, he quickly shook his head even faster and stammered, "No, no! Hirakawa-san and I we were just coworkers! Barely even talked outside of work! Big bro I mean, sir! I swear I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, I can swear on my life!" But some people's oaths aren't worth a damn. Sosuke knew this well. Debts should always be repaid to the one responsible. He wouldn't vent his anger on the wrong person that was his bottom line. If he pushed this man into the zombie horde just to buy some time, he'd be no different from Daishi Hirakawa, who had just been devoured. Besides, Sosuke never intended to throw him in. Grabbing him was just a precaution he didn't trust this guy not to pull something reckless. Unexpectedly, the man completely misunderstood and immediately distanced himself from Hirakawa, scared out of his wits. Even Sosuke's mouth twitched at the sight. This was the problem with hastily formed survival groups everyone had their own selfish agendas. Even the tiniest bit of danger or profit could cause a so-called "teammate" to betray you instantly. Groups like this couldn't last. Sosuke's gaze darkened as he looked toward the bottom of the stairs. Hirakawa's body had long vanished beneath the swarm of zombies. The ones who couldn't reach food were now climbing over their companions, clawing toward them with mindless hunger. "Sosuke! The door won't open! It's blocked from the inside!" Utaha Kasumigaoka shouted anxiously. She and the Yukinoshita sisters were pushing hard against the fire door. A wooden plank was wedged across the door handles. No matter how hard they pushed, the door would only open a sliver. "There are people inside! I came out from that side!" the man quickly said. "You call them to open it," Sosuke ordered as he let go, though his cold stare stayed fixed on the man. The zombies behind them were getting closer, already piling up at the foot of the barricade. Though the stack of chairs was still holding for now, it was only a matter of time before the zombies' weight crushed it. "Y-yes, big bro!" The man quickly wiped his cold sweat, relieved to know he wouldn't be killed at least for now. He rushed to the fire door and pounded on it. "Open up! Hurry! It's me, Yuuma Iida! Mr. Toji! Kouta! Open the door!" His loud knocking echoed through the hallway, but no matter how hard he shouted, there was only dead silence on the other side. The corridor was eerily quiet, as if another world lay just beyond that door. "Move." Sosuke's face darkened. He shoved Yuuma Iida aside and kicked hard at the fire door, making it rattle violently. He shouted toward the inside, "Open this door now! If you don't, I'll smash through the wooden plank and let the zombies flood in! If that happens, we all die together no one's getting out of here alive!" Without waiting for a response, he gripped his sword and slashed through the gap between the doors deliberately missing by a hair. The reinforced metal door clanged loudly from the impact. "Stop! Stop! I'll open it! I'm opening it now!" Finally, someone responded. The wooden plank wedged in the handles was quickly removed. Sosuke's group rushed inside, and the door was immediately shut and barricaded again. No one even had time to catch their breath. Yuuma Iida, who had been groveling moments ago, immediately changed his tune. His tone turned aggressive as he glared fiercely at the people inside. His face twisted in rage. "Kouta, I'm so disappointed in you! I actually thought you were my friend! And all of you why didn't you open the door? Why?! You just stood there and watched me die out there! Who the hell do you think I went down there for?!" His furious outburst made Kouta lower his head in shame. Several women nearby also hung their heads and shrank behind the others. Kouta stammered, "Yuuma, don't be mad. It's my fault. When I heard the noise in the stairwell, I panicked. You know how terrifying those things are they bite anyone they see. I froze when you knocked... I just didn't react fast enough." "Coward!" Yuuma shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward. At that moment, a short, balding man stepped forward from the group. His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression cold and commanding. "Yuuma, that's enough. You were very brave this time you did well. Once we get out of here, I'll make sure you get a promotion and a raise." Yuuma clearly feared him. Though his expression remained sour, he swallowed his frustration and bowed his head. "Yes, Mr. Toji." Mr. Toji looked satisfied with Yuuma's response, but his face remained serious. Even standing still, he exuded the authority of a man long used to power. His sharp gaze swept over the unfamiliar faces Sosuke and the three women before turning back to Yuuma. "Where are Daishi Hirakawa and Takuya? Weren't they with you? Don't tell me..." "They're dead. Takuya was tackled by a zombie and had his throat ripped out. As for Hirakawa..." Yuuma paused, stealing a glance at Sosuke's blood-soaked figure, then lowered his voice, "He tripped while running and got caught by the zombies." Sosuke said nothing, his cold gaze silently sizing up the group. Including the newcomers, there were over a dozen people here some hotel staff, some well-dressed young men and women, and several office workers in suits. Most of them looked physically unharmed, showing no signs of the typical weakness that came from being bitten. "Not good! The zombies are climbing up!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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"