2 years pass
Rei and Takashi broke up and she started dating Hisashi, she and Takashi sort of had a bit of a falling out. She had been in love with him for so long, but he kind of screwed things up they stopped dating then he just never got the courage to say anything. So, she found someone else. A real shame, it sort of drove a wedge in our group after that. Takashi has been brooding ever since. We still hang out sometimes, but it’s turned into a sort of one or the other hang out rather than both. I and Saya bounce between both of them, but I started to slowly separate since I didn’t really need them and I didn’t want to deal with their teenage drama.
1-year passes
Rei is held back a year, this surprises everyone since she is a very good student, and I don’t get why she would be held back at all. I ask a couple of questions, but she refuses to answer. I do a bit of digging with Saya and find out her father is the one leading an investigation on the teacher’s father. I guess both father and son are corrupt to their core.
I don’t go to the same school as the others, but I am here frequently since I train with Saeko in the kendo club room and have never met the weasel of a man. I guess there have been many harassment allegations against him, but they were never followed up. His father is in a position of political power so it makes sense he would abuse it. I point this out to Saya and she contacts her parents who place pressure on the weasel’s father since it’s a blatant misuse of power when the student has straight A’s. This results in Rei getting progressed to the year she was meant to be but also the teacher being very pissed off at us for going against him.
Now any little thing Takashi or anyone in our group does get called out on by him. Thankfully he's not good at his job so he doesn’t really know what is and isn't allowed. For instance, he thinks I’m a student at the school despite just visiting Saeko so all of his detentions he hands me are probably confusing the heck out of whoever handles them here.
Speaking of Saeko she has become a real beauty over the years, lithe and deadly. We frequently beat the heck out of each other with kendo sticks as dates/practice and she has been pressuring me a bit about trying out some very uh, interesting things in our private time together. She apparently looked up what sadism means and I’ve gotta say I kind of regret opening that can of worms to her before I started dating her. I don’t mind pain, but I also don’t really like it. I’m tempted to spend my last skill on pain resistance, but I never know if I’ll need it one day, so I continue to save it for later.
1 year later
I’m 17 now only a year and some change left until the quest requirements are completed, I’ve had nearly a full new life since my first one. Kind of crazy to think about sometimes. I plan to live beyond 18 but it's good to know that the requirements are coming up so soon. Today I’m visiting Saeko again in the kendo room we aren't practicing at the moment and are just chatting about what's going on with life plans for her after graduation. That’s when it happens. I get a new type of notification that I wasn’t expecting to see, and I finally realize what It really means by “Survive until your 18”.
DING! A massive tone rings out in my mind making it ring for a moment.
NEW SIDE QUESTS ARE AVAILABLE!
I click on it out of interest since it’s been years since I got the first quest.
Side Chain Quest: Kill one zombie Side Story quest: Save Saeko, Saya, Takashi, Rei, Alice Side Chain Quest: Save one other survivor
Fuuuuuuuck this is a zombie apocalypse world. There are no zombies in popular social media, but I just wrote that off as a small quirk from original works not starting the popularity boom.
“What's wrong Haru you look stressed?” Saeko asks from the side hand somewhat reaching out in concern to shake me out of my frozen state. likely because I had frozen mid-sentence.
“Zombies...” That’s all I respond as I started to slowly get up and look around for something to use.
“What? What about zombies?” she's a bit confused probably because zombies aren't really popular here. They still exist in lore. The walking dead is a pretty simple concept for other worlds to come up with too.
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“Um you know that thing I dressed as like 5 years ago for Halloween? Um walking dead?” I try telling her while quickly searching the place for weapons I grab a spare bokken and hand her the one she always carries.
“Sort of? What do you mean? What about them? Are you feeling, okay?” She looks slightly concerned for me. Worry clearly in her eyes.
“Yes, I’m fine just frustrated... Our world is being invaded by zombies.” I rush outside towards the main building looking around to see what's going on.
She runs out after me bokken in hand. "What do you mean by that?! HARU HOLD ON!"
I see a man at the gates crashing into it. The teachers are starting to handle it. I see the gym teacher Teshima moving up to manhandle the man at the gate while Auntie Ikara is there too. I rush forward with Saeko behind me she seems more just curious and worried about me than concerned about me rambling about zombies which are fair but there isn't enough time.
We start to approach just in time to see Teshima get bit on the arm and froth at the mouth, falling to the ground. Auntie looks over at me confused about me running up when one of the other teachers bends over and checks the gym teachers’ pulse.
“Hey, he's dead” The teacher looks pale now looking between the gym teacher then at the guy at the gate with fear.
“NO, HE'S NOT! GET AWAY FROM HIM! UH, RABIES!” I shout to the teacher, just in time for him to look towards me away from the body. Teshima vomits a bit of blood, eyes rolling in different directions as he leans up and bites into the teacher's neck tearing out his throat. Auntie Ikara is frightened by this and falls on her butt screaming. I rush forward and smash the gym teacher in the head with the bokken. A sickening crunch echoes out into the area as I feel the skull cave in from the blow.
There's a moment of pause as no one says a word. Auntie's face seems to process the events finally letting her move. “NO! YOU... YOU KILLED HIM! You... you killed... Teshima...Jail... no no we... you were doing so well...” Auntie yells before trailing off into a mumble from the ground nearby saying the name a few more times likely in shock from the violence and probably very worried because I just murdered someone in front of her. The other teacher with her is backing up slowly raising a man catcher defensively. Moving over towards the other teacher to check on him and pushing down with the man catcher.
Saeko also gasps at the sudden violence. But she isn't freaking out like auntie. She probably realizes the implications of me being that brutal. Having a bit of trust in me not to just randomly start killing.
“No Auntie he's already dead we need to find Takashi and Yara and the others quickly. There's not much time.” My thoughts are a bit chaotic thinking of everything I could do. All the things we need, They are all interrupted by a few much softer notifications forcing themselves onto my vision without my consent.
DING~
Congratulations you completed the first side quest. Reward: 1 stat point that will apply to your body from this world.
Next chain quest: Kill 10 zombies
DING~
Congratulations! Attributes have been unlocked check menus for additional details.
I'll read the changes later. We need to get to safety first.
“Auntie we have to go!” I look over at the body of the guy whose throat was bitten out and it starts to move as well. The teacher with the man catcher seems proud of himself for realizing the problem and pressing down on them. But it's too late. The body jerks forward and takes a bite out of his ankle since it's pinned down. He falls back screaming the man catcher falling to the ground uselessly. I rush over finishing off the one on the ground. The sound of the crunch makes Auntie flinch again in fright.
"NO... NO PLEASE PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I-I WON'T TURN INTO ONE OF THEM!" He realizes I'm stalking up on him now.
Saeko moves up before me and hits him across the sternum knocking him down and aiming for a few other places to stop him. The guy seems to seize after a moment falling into asleep. Like he had peacefully died...
“Saeko aims for their heads that’s the only way to put them down. They shrug off any other wound.” She gives a curt nod crushing the head of the man before he would get back up. Then staring transfixed at the body beneath her a slight smile on her face. I’m handling this reasonably well; It’s like I’m disconnected from it all. This isn't realistic and I’ve been preparing myself for years to survive I just didn’t think I’d be able to…
I throw up a bit on the side of the bodies the full weight of what I just did catching up with me as I finally feel the tension relax a little from the immediate threats being dealt with.
Wiping away the chunks of flesh and bone that have splattered me. I try to concentrate on what's happening around me but it's a bit distracting my hand shakes a bit. I give myself a slap to try to pay attention to this, unfortunately, gets a bit more blood on my face but it helps me snap out of it.
That’s when I hear it. Screams coming from inside the school. We turn to see students running away from several undead. Students jumping from the windows and hitting the pavement dying on impact… its everything is going to hell.
“Auntie we need to secure a safe area do you know where the keys to the bus are?” It’s the largest vehicle here that should carry everyone and won't be stopped by running over a few bodies.
“Ye…yes uh in... IN the teacher's lounge!” She is staring at the school watching the bodies fall people being torn apart. She's having difficulties getting any words out as she stuck still watching the world around her.
“Great let’s try to meet up with Takashi and the others on the way. Let’s go! LET’S GO Auntie we don’t have time!” I start urging her towards the doors towards the place where the undead are coming from. It seems a little counterproductive but that’s our best direction of escape.