The apartment was fortified to the best of their ability, with every window and door reinforced and supplies neatly organized for easy access. Aiko and Ryuichi had settled into a tense but necessary routine, with shifts for keeping watch and checking the security of their makeshift fortress. Yet, the uneasy calm was a thin veneer over the reality that the world outside was spiraling further into chaos with every passing hour.

The first sign that the apocalypse had fully gripped the city came not long after Ryuichi had returned with the supplies. The sun had barely risen when a distant, low rumble reached their ears, growing louder and more distinct until it became the unmistakable sound of a horde of zombies—hundreds, maybe thousands, moving as one.

Ryuichi stood at the window, peering out cautiously. Aiko joined him, her face pale as she listened to the growing noise.

“They’re coming closer,” Aiko whispered, gripping the edge of the windowsill so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Ryuichi nodded, his expression grim. “We need to stay inside, stay quiet. If they don’t hear us, they might pass by.”

They both crouched down, making themselves as small and silent as possible. The sounds of the horde were terrifying—moans, shuffling feet, and the occasional crash as the zombies encountered obstacles in their path. Ryuichi’s heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. Panic would only make things worse.

The minutes dragged on, each one an eternity as the horde drew closer. Then, the first zombies appeared, stumbling down the street in front of their building. Ryuichi and Aiko held their breath, watching in tense silence as the undead shuffled past, their dead eyes blank and unseeing.

But then, as if on cue, a loud crash echoed from somewhere down the street—a car alarm, triggered by the relentless press of the horde. The sound was deafening in the otherwise silent city, and it acted like a magnet for the zombies.

The horde turned as one, a wave of death sweeping toward the noise. Some zombies, however, lagged behind, their rotting heads swiveling toward Ryuichi and Aiko’s apartment as if sensing something more. Ryuichi cursed under his breath. He knew they had to act fast.

“Aiko, stay back,” Ryuichi ordered quietly. “I’ll take care of this.”

“No, Ryuichi, I’m helping,” Aiko insisted, grabbing the bat she had kept close at hand. “I’m not letting you fight them alone.”

Ryuichi saw the determination in her eyes and nodded. “Okay, but stay close. We can’t let them swarm us.”

The first zombie reached their door, its decayed hand clawing at the wood. Ryuichi took a deep breath, feeling the familiar weight of the bat in his hands. He yanked the door open and swung, the bat connecting with the zombie’s skull with a sickening crunch. The creature crumpled to the ground, its body twitching as Ryuichi stepped over it, eyes scanning for more.

Aiko was right behind him, her grip on the bat steady as another zombie lunged at her. She sidestepped it and swung hard, the bat striking with enough force to send the zombie crashing into the wall.

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More zombies were coming, drawn by the noise of the struggle. Ryuichi and Aiko moved in unison, taking down the undead with brutal efficiency. Ryuichi’s movements were precise, each swing of the bat aimed to crush skulls and end the fight quickly. Aiko followed his lead, her strikes growing more confident with each kill.

When the immediate threat was neutralized, Ryuichi wasted no time. He knelt by the fallen zombies, pulling out his knife to extract the crystals from their skulls. The process was gruesome, but Ryuichi worked quickly, the blue-tinted crystals slipping into his pouch one by one.

“These will come in handy,” Ryuichi muttered as he finished, his hands slick with blood and brain matter. He stood up, wiping his hands on a rag. “Let’s get back inside before more show up.”

Aiko nodded, but before they could retreat, they heard another noise—this one different from the moans of zombies. It was a voice, distant but unmistakable, shouting for help.

“Ryuichi, someone’s out there,” Aiko said, her voice tense. “We have to help them.”

Ryuichi hesitated. The smart move would be to retreat, to stay inside and keep themselves safe. But he knew Aiko was right. If they could save someone, it was worth the risk.

“Okay,” he agreed, his eyes scanning the street. “But we have to be careful. Follow my lead.”

They moved cautiously toward the source of the shouting, sticking close to the walls and avoiding the open street. As they rounded a corner, they saw her—a young woman trapped on the roof of a car, surrounded by a group of zombies. She was swinging a metal pipe at them, trying to keep them at bay, but it was clear she wouldn’t last much longer.

“We need to distract them,” Ryuichi whispered. “Get their attention away from her.”

Aiko nodded and picked up a loose brick from the ground. She hurled it at the nearest zombie, hitting it square in the back of the head. The creature turned with a snarl, its dead eyes fixing on Aiko.

Ryuichi didn’t wait for the rest to follow. He charged forward, swinging his bat with all his strength. The first zombie’s head exploded in a spray of gore, and the others turned toward the new threat. Aiko was right beside him, taking down another zombie with a fierce blow.

The woman on the car saw her chance and leapt down, landing hard but on her feet. She swung the pipe with renewed energy, joining the fight. Together, the three of them made quick work of the remaining zombies, until the street was littered with bodies.

“Thank you,” the woman gasped, her face streaked with sweat and dirt. “I thought I was done for.”

“No problem,” Ryuichi said, catching his breath. “Are you hurt?”

The woman shook her head. “Just shaken up. I was trying to get back to my apartment, but they came out of nowhere.”

Ryuichi glanced around, his mind working quickly. “You can come with us. We’ve fortified our place, and it’s safe—for now.”

The woman hesitated, then nodded. “I’d appreciate that. My name’s Haruka, by the way.”

“Ryuichi,” he replied, extending a hand. “And this is my sister, Aiko.”

Aiko smiled at Haruka, still gripping her bat tightly. “We should get back. It’s not safe out here.”

As they made their way back to the apartment, Ryuichi couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. The world was falling apart around them, but they had survived another day. And with every crystal he collected, he felt a little more prepared for the battles ahead.

When they reached the apartment, Ryuichi and Aiko quickly re-secured the door. Haruka looked around, taking in their preparations with a nod of approval. “You’ve done well here,” she said, her voice laced with exhaustion. “Thank you for letting me in.”

Ryuichi waved her thanks away. “We’re all in this together now. We’ll figure out our next move once we’ve rested.”

Aiko offered Haruka a spare blanket and some food. As the three of them settled into the uneasy quiet of the apartment, the full weight of their situation began to sink in. The city was overrun, the dead were walking, and the apocalypse was only beginning.

But for now, they were alive. And that was enough.