Chapter 5: The Collapse

"Kitahara, should we call the police?" Coming down from the rooftop stairs, Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced nervously through the window toward the school's front gate. "The attack happened right outside the gate. There were plenty of teachers and students there. If things get out of control, they'll probably report it. But if you've got your phone, you can try calling the Tokyo Metropolitan Police yourself." Kitahara Sosuke's expression was grim. The sudden appearance of a zombie had completely thrown off his plans. Right now, he was inside the school building, and many of the supplies he had prepared in advance were stored elsewhere. There were still many students relaxing in their classrooms during the lunch break. If a large-scale infection occurred inside the school, escaping would become nearly impossible. The first thing he had to do was get back to his classroom, grab his bat, and get out. "The line's busy. It says there are too many calls, the network is overloaded." Utaha stared at her phone in disbelief. Just as he feared. If even the police lines were jammed, the situation outside the school must already be spiraling out of control. "Kitahara, what should we do now?" Reality had long surpassed what Utaha could comprehend. Instinctively, she left the decision to the one person she trusted. "For now, we go back to the classroom." There was no better plan at the moment. But whatever happened, he needed to arm himself. They rushed back to Class 2-C. Inside, everything was exactly as it had been. Some students were still napping at their desks. Others were huddled together watching a movie on someone's phone. None of them realized the world outside was collapsing. Sosuke opened the storage locker. As his fingers wrapped around the grip of his customized bat, a familiar sense of security returned. He let out a slow breath. Bang! The classroom door slammed open. Their homeroom teacher stepped in, face tense. "Everyone, there's a violent incident on campus. Follow the emergency evacuation procedures immediately. This is not a drill! Move quickly!" "Let's go, now!" "Wake up! Get up, hurry!" The same scene was unfolding in classrooms across the school. Teachers who had been on their lunch breaks were already informed and were now following the school's usual terrorism evacuation protocols. In the corridor, it was chaos. With every class ordered to evacuate at once, the already narrow hallway became a bottleneck. "Don't push! Stay calm! Follow the drills we've practiced!" "Class leaders, take roll call once you reach the evacuation site." Two teachers stood at the stairwell and hallway junctions, shouting instructions to restore order. The human tide inched forward. Too many people. Sosuke frowned deeply. If even one infected person appeared in this crowd, the fragile order would collapse instantly. Under the grip of terror and the instinct to survive, people would panic, pushing and trampling each other. If someone fell, they'd be crushed before they could even scream. And if they managed to survive that, they'd just become fresh meat for the infected. He'd seen it before. During the early days of the outbreak in his previous life, scenes like this happened everywhere. And dying like that... was just too pathetic. Sosuke kept his head on a swivel, scanning for anything unusual. "What's wrong?" Utaha asked quietly, tension in her voice. Sosuke shook his head. He prayed the worst wouldn't happen here. "Utaha, move in front of me. Stay close to the wall," he said softly, creating a gap ahead of him for her to slide into. She didn't fully understand, but she still followed his instructions. Compared to most classmates she rarely spoke to, she trusted Kitahara Sosuke far more. "Hey, Kitahara, what's this? When did you and Kasumigaoka-san get so close?" "Right? I thought she rejected you? Guess that was just a rumor, huh?" From the outside, it was easy to misinterpret Utaha's behavior. She was known for her cold and distant demeanor. Few dared to joke with her. But Sosuke? He was apparently 'safe' to tease. Hearing their banter, Sosuke realized none of them had grasped the gravity of the situation yet. Maybe they thought this was just another school emergency. But how serious could it really be? In a peaceful society like this? With so many classmates around, most thought they were safe by sheer numbers. Who would dare attack them? Terrorists? Bomb threats? None of them had seen the apocalypse. None of them could fathom what was coming. Sosuke let out a cold laugh. Just then, the school's intercom crackled to life. "Attention all students: a violent incident is occurring on campus. Please follow your teachers' instructions and evacuate in an orderly manner." "Repeating: a violent incident is occurring..." Before the voice could finish, a sharp metallic screech cut through the speakers. Then came the screams. "Stop! Stop it! What the hell is that thing?!" "No!! Get away from me!! Ahhh! It hurts! Help! Someone help me! Help!!!" The terrified cries twisted into blood-curdling screams. Panic. Pain. Desperation. Then silence. Only heavy, guttural breathing remained, something inhuman rasping through the intercom. The entire building froze. No one said a word. Not even a breath could be heard. Time itself seemed to stop. RUMBLE!! A deafening roar echoed across the sky. Everyone instinctively turned toward the windows. A massive aircraft thundered over the school, momentarily blotting out the sun. For a few seconds, the entire classroom dimmed. "A C-5 Galaxy... and a C-17 Globemaster III. Those are US Air Force transport planes," Sosuke muttered, his face pale. "It's already this bad? Even the Americans are pulling out?" Several students, especially the military nerds, recognized the aircraft immediately. "I've seen those at Yokota Air Base. That's the US military. They're retreating!" "We're screwed! If even the Americans are bailing, we're all dead! Move! I'm getting out of here!" "Don't push!" "Hey, you with the blonde hair! Stop shoving or I'll report you!" "Move it! Report me all you want. By the time you file the paperwork, a damn nuke will have dropped!" It's never the last straw that breaks the camel's back. It's when the camel finally gives up. Panic exploded like wildfire. The crowd turned into a stampede. Desperate students shoved and screamed like pigs scrambling for food. "Something's coming from downstairs! They're messed up! Their heads are split open but they're still moving! Get back!" "Aaaah!! I got bitten! Someone help me!" The hallway turned into a nightmare. Screams and cries for help echoed in every direction. The flood of evacuees ran headfirst into the tide of panicked students retreating from the stairwells. The collision sent bodies sprawling across the floor. Blood. Chaos. Terror. In an instant, the peaceful school became a living hell. "Sosuke, what do we do?" Utaha's face was deathly pale. She was frozen in place, trembling. "The situation's out of control. If we stay in this stampede, we'll be trampled or worse." Sosuke's eyes locked on a nearby classroom door. His decision was instant. "There!" Just as the crowd surged forward, he grabbed Utaha and slammed his shoulder into the side door, shoving them both into the empty classroom. Chaos unfolds. The line between life and death shatters.Will Kitahara Sosuke manage to hold onto those he wants to protect... or lose them once again?