Chapter 79: Tears of Joy

The roar of a heavily modified motorcycle echoed across the marina. Sosuke Kitahara leaned low over the handlebars, his body pressed tight against the frame as the bike weaved through scattered zombies littering the dockside road. Its engine screamed like a wave crashing over the coast aggressive, guttural, unrelenting. The sound immediately drew the attention of the horde. Hundreds of undead turned from the pier and began swarming toward him. But Sosuke didn't slow down. Instead, he twisted the throttle further, the tires screeching as he shot straight toward the oncoming sea of zombies. "Go! Get on the boat!" Haruno Yukinoshita shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "But... what about Kitahara?" Yukino Yukinoshita turned her head, her pale face etched with worry. Even if this was just a fraction of the original horde, it was still overwhelming. No matter how strong Kitahara was, getting surrounded like that was certain death. "We have to believe in him!" Utaha Kasumigaoka's eyes were brimming with tears too, but she knew better than to freeze now. If they stopped, if they turned back, they'd only be wasting the time Kitahara was buying for them. "This isn't the time for second thoughts!" she shouted, wiping her eyes and forcing herself to stay focused. "Once you're on the boat, someone who knows how to drive it, head to the helm! The rest stay on deck with me, we'll cover Kitahara!" "I can drive! I'll hand off the submachine gun once I'm in!" Haruno called back as she sprinted ahead. She didn't dare look back every second counted. Even a split second could be the difference between life and death. The motorcycle was almost upon the zombies now. Rotting arms reached for him. Mouths gaped wide with foul breath and hunger. But Kitahara's expression didn't even flinch. Vroom! The distance closed. The nearest zombies were just two meters away. Then, his eyes lit with an unshakable spark. Kitahara suddenly jerked the handlebars, his body lifting as he planted a foot on the seat. With a swift push, the motorcycle toppled forward, skidding violently with a screech that made teeth ache. The next second. Bang! Bang! Bang! Like a bowling ball crashing through pins, the sliding bike slammed into the zombie ranks. Corpses were flung sky-high, slamming down one after another like heavy sandbags. The momentum caused the zombies behind to trip and tumble, piling into a grotesque mess. Before the dust could even settle, Kitahara was already in motion. He pulled two grenades from his belt. One sailed toward the downed motorcycle, the other hurled at the group surging from the front. Back on the yacht, Utaha and Yukino had just finished clearing the last of the zombies onboard. Haruno had made it to the helm and was checking the controls. BOOM! BOOM! Two violent explosions tore through the pier. All three girls froze, their eyes instinctively drawn to the flaming epicenter. Columns of fire burst upward, flames licking at the sky, smoke billowing like volcanic ash. The blast had ripped through the first wave of zombies limbs flew, torsos split, bodies burned. Two clear zones opened up in the sea of death. Especially where the bike had exploded, the fire engulfed dozens of undead, turning them into shrieking torches. Sparks rained from above like fireworks, filling the air with the acrid scent of scorched flesh. Then, from the heart of that fiery chaos... A tall figure burst through. For a heartbeat, no one moved. No one spoke. It was him. Sosuke Kitahara. From charging into the horde, triggering the explosions, and tearing through the opening in seconds it had all happened in the blink of an eye. The girls could hardly believe what they were seeing. If it were them... would they even have had the courage to face such an onslaught? Yukino's heart clenched. In that moment, she realized something. Kitahara wasn't just their strongest fighter. He was their anchor the soul of the team. Back when he was missing, they had made it to the pier, yes. But how many times had they barely survived? How many times had they been one heartbeat away from death? There was a certain security no, certainty in his presence that they simply couldn't replicate. The remaining distance was nothing to him. Ten meters? Fifteen? A joke. Kitahara had already begun to feel the shift. All that combat, all that breathwork it was pushing him past his limits. His physical strength was surging, evolving toward the next tier. And soon, he would break through without relying on the system at all. That was the secret Saeko Busujima had once whispered to him after pulling him back from the brink of death. And now, as more survivors awoke to this truth, the power dynamics of the entire apocalypse would change. In a flash, Kitahara covered the last few steps. With one leap, he soared over three meters high and landed gracefully on the yacht's deck, calm and composed, like he had just stepped out for groceries. "Kitahara!" Utaha had tried to keep it together she really had. But the moment that familiar face appeared, handsome and unwavering as ever, she lost control. She rushed into his arms, burying herself against his chest, her voice trembling in a choked whisper. "Thank god you're okay...! Next time, next time, take me with you, no matter where you're going. Don't leave me behind again." "Alright," Kitahara said gently. He wrapped an arm around her and patted her back, letting her calm down. Then he glanced up at the helm. Haruno gave him a nod, wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, and slammed her hand on the horn. The engine roared. The yacht finally began to pull away from the dock. When Utaha finally let go, Kitahara turned toward Yukino. Her body trembled. Her heart felt like it would burst. Those beautiful eyes bright and shimmering held something complex. Longing. Relief. Maybe even something more. It was obvious she had wanted to run to him too. But Utaha had beaten her to it. Kitahara hesitated... just a moment. Then, silently, he opened his arms. Yukino's expression instantly bloomed like sunlight breaking through a rainstorm. She dove forward, like a swallow flying home. That warmth... That strength... Since the first time she had felt his embrace, Yukino realized she had begun to crave it. It was comforting. Safe. Unshakable. His scent, his presence it made her feel like everything was going to be okay. Tears streamed down her face as she clung to him tightly so tightly, like she never wanted to let go. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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