Highschool of The Dead: Requiem of Blood

By: Castlecrasher009

Chapter 1: Dead Rising

It was a spring day in Tokonosu, Japan. The cool air blew through the blooming cherry trees as pink petals danced in the wind. Everyone was going about their business, as usual, this morning as most commuters were busy in their offices and shop owners and customers busied themselves in stores littering the streets of the city. The sidewalks were packed with pedestrians, as usual, and cars drove through the streets. Everything seemed ordinary for the citizens of Tokonosu.

Little did everyone know that this day was the beginning of the end for their everyday lives.

And for some, it would truly be the last day of their lives.

But for everyone, this fact remains in ignorance and all went about their day, as usual.

Speaking of usual, a certain young man was in his usual spot he found himself frequenting visiting as of late.

On the rooftop of Fujimi High School, this young man leaned against the guardrail at the edge of the roof. He was a second-year student of average height with a slim build. Like most Japanese, his hair was a dark shade of near pitch black. His skin, however, was paler in comparison, like he had remained indoors for long periods. His ember, almost rust-colored eyes stared off into the distance as his thoughts drifted through his head.

"One day, I'll marry you, Takashi."

"It's a pinky promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Why did you get held back?! You were a straight-A student!"

"You wouldn't understand…."

"Why won't you take this seriously, Takashi?! Why won't you let me help?! I want us to be together!"

"…Rei…just give me a little more time to figure this out."

"I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU!"

"Rei!"

"...Rei…"

Takashi Komura clenched his fist tight as the image of his best friend and the girl he loved walked together out the school as they held hands, laughing together and looking so in love. He sighed after a while and lifted his hand and stared at his palm.

"Maybe…. it's for the best…."

Images of a hand with razor-sharp claws, a mouth with long fangs and eyes glowing blood red with slit pupils flashed through his mind. Takashi shook his head to clear it. Sighing out loud once more, he returned to staring out at the morning skyline. He had come up to the roof to skip a class that day. His heart was just not into studying since the class had two particular people in it, he did not want to see.

"Ha! I should have known you would be up here, idiot."

Takashi casually turned to the source of the voice and found another of his old childhood friends walking up to him with her hands planted firmly on her waist in a posture of superiority.

Saya Takagi was a girl in the same grade as himself with pink hair done up in twin tails and amber eyes with a figure of a swimsuit model. She also had one of the largest busts in the entire school, an F-cup. This has brought her a lot of admirers, although any who have tried to ask her out have been sternly rebuffed by the girl. She was also the single smartest student in the entire school and was not afraid to let that fact be known, making most people view her as 'Stuck-up'. Those who knew her on a personal level could tell otherwise.

"Hey, Saya. You skip class too?" Takashi casually asked, seemingly trying to avoid a serious conversation.

Saya narrowed her eyes in irritation. "No. I'm here to get you to go back to class. You're going to get held back at this rate."

Takashi shrugged. "I'll be alright. I'll just read the books and notes later. I'll remember it all, seeing how my memory has gotten so good as of late. I can easily remember what I see and read even from the beginning of the semester."

That had been something they had noticed about him in the last six months. Last year, he had been a relatively normal student with straight B's in his classes. But since the new year started, he had somehow developed Eidetic Memory, the ability to recall with clarity what he has seen and heard. For Saya, it was a perplexing development that left her stumped.

For Takashi, it was just another thing on the list of changes he has experienced in the last few months.

And it scared him.

"You still need to go. The teachers won't be happy."

"They'll be fine. So what if I skip a few classes?" Takashi waved off her concern while turning back to the edge of the roof.

Saya starred at the boy for a moment. "Are you still hung up about Miyamoto dumping you? You need to get over that, along with this worry you have about whatever the hell is bugging you. Speaking of which, why won't you tell me anything about that? You've been avoiding the issue like the plague every time someone brings it up."

Takashi clenched his fist. "Saya…please. Not now, just…just give me a little longer."

Saya threw her hands in the air. "See! This is what I'm talking about! You keep saying that, but in the end, you're just stalling. Why? Why won't you let me help?"

"Because I'm Scared, Damn It!" Takashi shouted as he slammed his fist into the railing. Saya stopped her rant and stared at the boy while he gritted his teeth. "I don't know what the hell has been happening to me! I don't know why I'm changing! My skin, my eyes, everything! I'm turning into something and I'm terrified that I'm going to hurt someone because of it! I don't want to do that! I don't want to hurt them! I don't want to hurt you!"

Silence reigned for a few moments as Takashi calmed himself from his frustration. A minute later, he felt a pair of arms encircle his waist, and the girl's forehead pressed against his back.

"You won't hurt me. I know this. I just want to help you, Takashi. Just…just don't shut me out."

The two stayed like this for a few minutes.

"Saya…I'll tell you soon. I just need this time to sort out my thoughts, okay?"

"Promise…promise me you'll tell me soon. You've never once broken a promise to me."

"I…I promise," Takashi said and he felt Saya release him and step back. Takashi turned to his friend and looked into her eyes. Gone was the stern look she usually carried. Instead, they were eyes of concern, care, and…affection.

"Alright. I'll leave it be for now. But you will tell me soon." Her eyes returned to the sharp and intellectual look she usually carried as she turned to the roof access, she had used to reach him. She made it halfway across when she spun around and pointed at him.

"Remember. You promised."

Having said her peace, she turned back and head inside. When the door shut, Takashi sighed and rubbed his eyes. That little conversation had reminded him of why he was so reluctant to be open about his issue. Why he was distancing himself from his friends.

He did not want to hurt them, yes. It would be so easy for him to do it now. But, more importantly, he was afraid.

Afraid of what they would think of him.

Afraid they would abandon him.

Afraid they would try to hurt him.

Afraid they would see him…as a monster.

He chuckled bitterly. A monster. He might as well start calling himself that. After all, normal humans cannot do the things he found himself able to do now.

They cannot bend solid steel with their bare hands.

They cannot run as fast as a speeding car on the highway.

They cannot jump over a ten-meter wall.

They cannot see, hear, smell, taste, and feel things ten-times more acutely then everyone else.

And they most certainly do not crave the taste of…blood.

"Oh, that was quite the heart-warming sight. I think that girl might have a crush on you."

Takashi's musing was cut-off as another feminine voice float through the air. He groaned a bit when he recognized it.

"What do you want, Yuuki?"

Yuuki Miku was sitting on top of the roof of the stairwell with her legs crossed and her right hand resting on her thigh while he left braced her upper body. She had light brown hair cut short and held back by a black hairband and yellowish eyes that were filled with mirth while her mouth was curled up in a sexy smirk. She had the same build as Saya as well as her bust size. Considered the 'Sexiest' girl in school, she had a fair share of rumors about her being rather 'loose' in the area of morals.

Takashi had yet to confirm this.

"Aww, don't be like that, Taka-kun~" Yuuki teased as she slipped off the stairwell roof, letting the skirt of her uniform flip up as she descended and letting Takashi know that her choice of panties that day was red string lace. After her graceful landing, she sauntered over to the boy and started tracing his jaw with her finger. "I came all this way up here just to see you, after all."

Takashi sighed as he brushed the hand away casually. He had nothing against the girl personally, but she was way to flirty every time she saw him. "I don't see why you take such a vested interest in me, Yuuki. Considering we never really talked with one another until recently, we're not close enough to be considered 'friends."

"Aw, but I want to be your friend, Taka-kun. You've become so interesting lately, and I think the new eye color makes you look cuter than before." Yuuki remarked as she twirled away from the teen, her smile never leaving her face as she stopped and placed her hands behind her back. She then bent over at the waist to gaze up to him with a tilt of his head. This had the effect of emphasizing her bust as they swayed a little. "Are you still hung up on that Miyamoto girl who broke your heart?" She asked as she started to advance on the boy, her eyes becoming half-lidded and her smile turned sultry. "If you want, I can help you forget all about that. I'll make you feel all better. I promise you'll enjoy it~."

"Not interested, Yuuki," Takashi stated simply as he turned away from the girl. That 'Loose' rumor was starting to become more believable by the second.

Yuuki pouted cutely before going back to her usual smile. "Hmm, suite yourself, Taka-kun. Just know that the offer is always on the table." She said as she started towards the roof exit. When she got to the door, she opened it and started walking through only to pause halfway.

"You know, the more you try to reject it, the more harm it's going to cause you. Just accept your new self, or you might lose something very close to you."

Takashi spun around in time to see Yuuki disappear behind the door as it closed. Even after he heard the 'click' of the latch, he kept his gaze locked on the metal door. All the while, his mind was reeling from her parting message.

Did she know? If so, then how?! He had not told a single soul about his secret. Someone could not know what was happening to him. It just did not make any sense. But, if it was true, then Yuuki Miku knew that he was no longer human!

He took some effort to calm himself down. Since he could not question her about it at the time, then there was no reason to get himself all worked up. Besides, with the rumors going around about her, he doubted she would try to tell anyone about his secret. It wasn't something that many would believe at face value, anyway.

With his near panic-attack over, Takashi decided to just relax and wait for the class period to end. Laying down on his back, the teen closed his eyes and calmly breathed to clear his mind. Enough moping for one day.

Just breathing, and relaxing.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe o-Wait!

Takashi bolted upright in alarm. Taking a few experimental sniffs of the air, his face scrunched up in disgust.

Mixed in with the scent of the cherry blossoms in the wind, was a distinct smell of decay and rot lingering in the air.

The smell of Death.

Jumping to his feet, he tried to make sense of this development. It should not be possible for this scent to be so concentrated that he could smell it from the rooftop, even with his enhanced senses. He also wondered what could have died to make such a strong odor. A sense of unease began to take hold of him. A feeling in the back of his mind started telling him to be wary, that something was wrong, something was coming, and it reeked of danger.

Then a sound caught his attention. A rhythmic banging of metal, coming from down below. He dashed to the edge of the roof, leaning over the railing to find the source. He saw it just on the other side of a small gate in the outer wall of the school ground. It looked like an ordinary man, seemingly drunk that was simply walking and bumping into the gate repeatedly. But Takashi intuitively knew that something was wrong with this man. As soon as he had laid eyes on the man, his instincts flared to life, screaming at him that this man was an imminent threat.

He felt his own body shifting slightly. His heart rate increased, the blood in his veins warmed, his senses sharpened, muscles tensed. His perception of the world slowed ever so slightly, his body ready to respond at the slightest stimulus. Footsteps caught his attention and he turned to see three adults walking towards the gate whom he easily recognized.

Mr. Teshima, the gym teacher.

Ms. Hayashi, the math teacher, and ping pong club advisor.

And Mr. Sakiyama, the modern history teacher.

All three were approaching the gate, completely ignorant of the danger they were facing.

'No…Stay away!' Takashi shouted in his mind; his vocal cords seemingly paralyzed as he watched the scene play out. He could even hear the adults talking from where they were.

"You there, what are you doing? Stop this behavior this instant!" Ms. Hayashi ordered as soon as they were within shouting distance of the man. It appeared the guy didn't understand a word as he continued to walk into the gate as if he didn't know it was there. "I'm serious! We'll call the police!"

"Calm down, Kyoko." Mr. Teshima said as he walked towards the gate, rolling his sleeve up. "We can handle this ourselves." The man then reaches through the space between the iron bars to grab the man by the collar and pulls him into the gate violently.

"Look here you son of a bitch!"

"Teshima! There is no need for such violence-" Ms. Hayashi begins but stops when she notices something rolling on the ground from under the gate. "Wha…fingers!"

Mr. Teshima's scream of pain brought everyone's attention back to the gate to see a terrifying sight. The man was savagely biting into the gym teacher's arm, so much that blood was spraying out of the wound. After another second, the man pulled back, tearing a large chunk of flesh out of Mr. Teshima's arm. The gym teacher fell backward to the ground clutching his arm in pain as he screams intangibly while holding his arm and flailing around.

"Oh, God! Call an ambulance! Call the police!"

"We have to stop the bleeding!"

"Go get the nurse!"

Mr. Teshima suddenly started convulsing before going still. Takashi could tell even from his spot that the man was dead.

"He….he's dead…."

"How….from just that wound?"

Takashi stared down from the roof, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It was at that moment, though, that his instincts came alive again, his senses flaring as the feeling of danger shifted from the man behind the gate to Mr. Teshima himself, warning him that something terrible was about to happen to all the teachers down below. His body seemed to move on his own as he leaped up over the railing and fell to the ground three stories below. Most would consider this to be suicide, but despite the distance he fell, Takashi suffered no damage whatsoever. Instead, he hit the ground running as he blurred towards the group of teachers. His arm flashed out in front of him and grabbed hold of Mr. Teshima's head just as the recently deceased teacher tried to take a bite out of Ms. Hayashi's neck. The speed he was traveling tore Mr. Teshima's grip from the female teacher and even carried the two to the brick wall where Takashi slammed the gym teacher into it.

Pinning the teacher to the wall allowed Takashi to get a good look at the man's condition, and he did not like what he was seeing.

The teacher's skin had turned an unnatural gray and numerous yellow veins were spreading across the man's flesh, the highest concentration was coming from the open wound from his arm, which already looked like it was rotting, even though it hadn't even been a minute since the wound was made. His eyes were completely cloudy and unfocused, and his voice was nothing but groans and grunts as he snapped his jaws at the teen while clawing at his arm.

Takashi began to struggle with the strange creature that Mr. Teshima had become, noticing the unnatural strength it possessed as it tried to bite him. He knew that letting him go was an absolute mistake as it would attack anything within reach. This 'thing' was no more than a rabid dog that needed to be put down. So, Takashi drew its head forward and slammed it straight back into the brick wall. A loud and sickening 'crunch' rang out and the wall was suddenly splattered with dark blood. Mr. Teshima jerked violently before going still.

This time, he was staying dead.

Takashi breathed heavily as he stood back up and stared down at the now fully deceased gym teacher. Even though he had just ended a life, if you could call something like that 'living', he didn't feel any remorse for doing it.

Strange…and scary.

"K…Komura…."

The teen turned and winced a little at the look of shock and fear as they stared at him.

"What have…what have you done?…" Mr. Sakiyama asked in a shaky voice while Ms. Hayashi was left speechless.

Takashi stood there for a second trying to figure out what to say, but the sudden banging on the gate drew everyone's attention. What they saw was pure terror.

Where there was only one man before, there were now eight banging against the gate, and more were coming. Each one had the grey skin and yellow veins with the unfocused cloudy eyes. Some of them had open wounds on their bodies, others were even disemboweled while a couple had part of their faces ripped off. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie. All of them were groaning as they reached through the gate, trying to grab the three of them. Takashi and the adults began to stagger back as the gate started to groan under the force of the creatures trying to get in and the single lock holding it closed began to bend.

"Run," Takashi said as he walked backward. "Go!" He shouted, turning to his teachers. "RUN!" He roared as he pushed the two towards the school building. This finally got the teachers to act as they turned and ran towards the school building with Takashi right behind them. They make it halfway to the doors when the lock finally gave way and the gate flew open. The creatures fell when the barrier collapsed, but it wasn't long before they got back to their feet and rambled towards the school building.

Takashi and the two adults busted through the doors of the school and slammed them shut again. Mr. Sakiyama dashed to a nearby broom closet and grabbed several brooms and mops. Running back to the door, he gives Takashi a couple, and both proceed to barricade the door by sliding the handles through the two handles in each of the doors. Once the door was secured, they took a step back and tried to get their thoughts together.

"What…what the hell were those…those things?" The male teacher asked, his breathing ragged.

"Mr. Tashima…he…he nearly bit me...just like what that…that thing did to him…" Kyoko Hayashi muttered as she tried to come to grips with what had happened.

"He got bit and got turned into one of them. Just like in one of those horror movies…a zombie." Takashi said, stating his observation.

"That's not possible! Such things don't happen in real life!" Kyoko cried out denial.

They all jumped when they heard banging on the door. It seems that they had reached the building and were trying to get in. Mr. Sakiyama ran to the door and braced it with his hands as the door shook with each strike from outside.

"Go! I'll try to hold them back! Get to the principle and tell him to get everyone out!" The man yelled as he struggled.

"We can't just leave you!" Kyoko said as Takashi pulled her away.

"We can't let them in. The students, we have to protect them!" The man stated as the wooden polls started to crack.

"Mr. Sakiyama…" Kyoko was nearly in tears at this point.

"If I can save at least one student's life like this, then I will have lived my life to the fullest. Now, go. Save them!" The man said with conviction as the doors started to give.

"Let's go…Ms. Hayashi, let's go!" Takashi pulled on the female teacher until she turned and the two ran through the halls.

Mr. Sakiyama growled as he tried to keep the door closed, but it was a losing battle with the number of creatures pilling against the door. Eventually, the barrier failed, and the doors were thrown open, sending the teacher flying back and onto the floor. The man shook his head and looked back, gasping in horror as he watched as numerous undead pour through the opening. He tried to get to his feet and escape but several undead lunged at him, pinning him to the floor.

"Uh, no, NO! UHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The poor man screamed as he was eaten alive by the zombies. The rest would continue into the building in the search for living flesh.

With Takashi and Kyoko

The surviving teacher and student ran through the halls on their way to the main office. They needed to get the word out to the rest of the school about what was happening and the danger that was on the school grounds. As they reached the door leading to the staff room, Takashi turned back to the female teacher.

"Ms. Hayashi, you need to tell the principal what happened. He's more likely to listen to you rather than a student."

"O-okay. Wh-what will you do, Komura?" Kyoko asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm going to find my friends and try to get them to safety. I will not let them die as Mr. Tashima did. We have to leave this place before it is overrun."

"Alright, be careful, Komura."

"You as well."

Takashi dashed past Kyoko and turned up a flight of stairs while Kyoko herself barged straight into the staff room and towards the principal's office connected to it. As Takashi ascended, he kept his senses sharp just in case he ran into any of those things that may have gotten to the higher floors. After running up to the top floor, he sprinted down the hall straight to his homeroom and slammed the sliding door open. He took a moment to collect himself as the entire class took notice of him before calmly walking into the classroom.

"Mr. Komura! Not only are you skipping class but now you are disrupting it as well?" The teacher began to reprimand his student when Takashi leveled him with a glare. The teacher visibly recoiled under the intense expression and for a moment, he swore he saw something inhuman overtake the boy's visage. With the teacher effectively cowed, Takashi made his way over to the two people he had ironically been avoiding. His two 'friends', Hisashi Igou and Rei Miyamoto.

Hisashi was a fellow second year with jaw length grey hair and brown eyes wearing the school's dark uniform as all male students were required to do. He was a member of the Karate Club, so he had slim athletic physic, making him appealing to the school's female populace, along with his positive personality. He and Takashi had been best friends for years, but recent events had strained their relationship, with Rei as the center of that turbulence.

Rei was a rather beautiful girl with orangish-brown hair done up in a single ponytail and bangs framing her face. She also had a pair of hair strands that stuck up almost like antenna over her face. Her reddish-brown eyes were captivating while her slim figure and ample E-cup bust made her highly desirable amongst the males of the school. A member of the Sojutsu, or Pole Martial Arts Club, her practices made sure she stayed fit. She was wearing the girls' school uniform much as Saya and Yuuki did.

"We need to go, now!" Takashi proclaimed as he took Rei by the arm and pulled her out of her seat.

"Wha-what are you saying? Are you crazy?" Rei asked, rather perplexed and a little angry at being handled and the bizarre command she had been given.

"Hey man, what's going on?" Hisashi asked as he stood up.

Takashi calmly turned to the teen and spoke. "People just got killed at the front gate. No bullshit. We've got to get out."

"Are you serious?" Hisashi asked in astonishment. They did not notice Saya, who was a few rows away standing up as she heard her friend's announcement. Another, a rather plump otaku with black hair reaching his shoulders and dark eyes behind square rim glasses named Kohta Hirano, also overheard and was considering leaving, listened in on the conversation.

"I am not making this shit up. This is serious."

Rei used that moment to yank her arm out of Takashi's grip. "What is wrong with you! I can never understand you-"

SLAP!

Those who knew about Takashi's crush on Rei were shocked as they witnessed Takashi slap Rei across the face. The girl clutched her red cheek in pain as she glared at the boy, angry that he would do that to her, but that anger instantly faded as she beheld the angry and frustrated face of Takashi as he glared at her.

"Listen to me, dammit! We need to move, now!"

Hisashi stared at his best friend, shocked at his actions. His expression changed to serious as he realized the significance of Takashi's actions. He would not dare do something like this unless he was serious about the situation. With a nod, he motioned for Takashi and Rei to follow as he turned to the door. As the confused and astonished classroom watched the three students leave, they didn't notice two more students slipping away silently.

With Takashi's Group

The trio of students ran down the hall, Takashi taking the lead. His senses finely tuned to his surroundings. He had spent a little time in the classroom and was not sure how far They had progressed.

"What is going on? What happened?" Rei asked as she followed behind the two boys.

"Someone was at the front gate. Some of the teachers went to confront him. The guy did…something and now the teachers are killing each other." Takashi explained loosely, trying to decide how much information he was willing to give without really freaking them out. Flat out telling them that Zombies were lurking the grounds was not an appealing idea.

"Are you serious? That's insane!" Rei remarked just as Hisashi stopped at a closet. Opening it up, he found various sports and cleaning equipment inside.

"What's up? Did you forget something?" Takashi asked as Hisashi rummaged through the closet.

"If what you are saying is true, then we're going to need weapons," Hisashi said as he pulled out a baseball bat and a mop. Handing the bat to Takashi, he then snapped the mop handle at the joint of the mop-head, leaving a sharp metal tip at the end of the pole before handing it to Rei, who accepted it with a smile.

"What about you?" Takashi asked, curious as to why his friend wasn't wielding a weapon himself.

"I have a black belt in Karate, so I should be fine," Hisashi replied as he stretched his arms, losing them up for the fight ahead.

Rei decided to pipe up. "Let's call my father at the police station. He should be able to help."

Takashi blinked, remembering that Rei's father was indeed a detective working at the local precinct. It was worth a shot, especially if they could get armed men to fight these things. He proceeded to pull out his phone and hand it to Rei. "The school rules are there to be broken, right?"

Rei dialed the number that would connect her directly to the precinct's center and waited for someone to pick up, but only after a single ring, a voice spoke through the phone which left Rei in a state of complete shock. "No way…that's impossible."

"The Tokonosu Police Department is experiencing an extremely large call volume at this time. You may stay on the line until a representative can take your call, or you may call back later."

As the message repeated on a loop, Rei slowly lowered the phone as she tried to make sense of the situation. "The call line is busy, but that shouldn't be possible. The system is supposed to handle hundreds of calls at once."

The tension was broken as the P.A. system crackled to life and the principles voice echoed through the halls.

"May I have your attention, please. All staff and students, may I have your attention. An emergency incident has occurred on the school premises. I ask that all staff and students proceed with evacuation procedures immediately. All students will follow their assigned teachers' instructions and evacuate in an orderly fashion."

"Looks like Ms. Hayashi managed to convince the principal to take this seriously," Takashi muttered under his breath.

"I repeat, an emergency has occurred on the school premi-BANG!-Wha…who are-No! Stay back! Get away from me!"

The entire school stopped in their tracks as they listened to the sound of a struggle.

"No! Get away! Stop! AHHHHHHHHH! HELP ME! HEEEELP!"

With Saya and Kohta

Kohta carefully crawled out of the classroom as quietly as he could but stopped when he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hirano."

Turning, he saw Saya walking towards him as she looked around for anything that might harm them.

"Ah, Takagi."

Saya shushed him as she glanced behind herself. "Stay quiet. We gotta go."

Inside the Kendo Club

"NO! PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

A third-year girl with long flowing purple hair wearing the schoolgirls' uniform calmly stood from her sitting position and clutched her bokken tightly.

Inside the Infirmary

"NO! NOOOO! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

As the last of the man's screams faded, a young blond woman with a rather large bust wakes up from her nap, having missed the announcement and screams of a dying man. She rubbed her eyes cutely before looking around blearily.

"Huh?"

With the Student Body

No one said a word.

The school was as silent as the grave.

Ironic, as this would place would shortly become a gravesite for many a poor soul.

Everyone had a look of pure horror on their faces as their minds tried to come to grips with what they had just heard. The tension in the air was palpable and everyone was on the verge of total panic.

In one of the classrooms, a single piece of chalk rolled across the podium and tipped over the edge. The object fell as slowly as if it were a feather until the tip touched with the floor.

Tack!

The sound was so small it would normally be unnoticeable, but in the dead silence of the school, it might as well have been a gunshot.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

As if the signal to start the mass panic, every student bolted up and ran in blind fear for their lives. Many students found themselves mercilessly trampled under the stampede of feet, some even dying from the injuries. Others, unfortunately, found themselves face to face with the lurking danger that roamed the halls because of their blind fear and met a terrible fate. Soon, it was as if student had turned on student as many kids were zombified and began to hunt the living as well.

It became survival of the fittest, and sadly, most would not make it past that point.

With Takashi's Group

The trio of students listened to the cries of panic from down the hallway. It was safe to say that going downstairs was not the best of ideas.

"This way, we have to hurry," Hisashi shouted as he started running towards the other end of the hall.

"Where are you going?" Takashi asked, trying to figure out what his friend had planned.

"The bottom floors of this building are too crowded. We need to use the roof access to get to the other buildings and make our way down from there."

Takashi had no time to respond when Rei ran past him.

"Hisashi is right, now shut up and follow him."

Takashi felt a little angry at the girls' comment, but let it go as she was probably the most scared out of the three of them, so he let it slide. Instead, he followed behind silently, his senses tuned to his surroundings. While his friends could not detect anything beyond their limited sensory spectrum, he could hear screaming down below and the smell of rot and decay wafting through the halls from below.

They made it to the roof access from the main building, only to find that they were not alone.

"Isn't that Mr. Wakisaka, the social studies teacher?" Rei asked as they noticed an adult teacher shambling through the intersection of the covered pathway. The teacher had the same gray skin and yellowish veins that the others had, and his movements showed he had trouble walking. None the less, he seemed to hone straight in on Rei as he lunged, his mouth opening wide and a gargled yell emanating from his throat. Rei immediately brought up the pole in her hands to block him but found herself being pushed back by the unusually strong male teacher

"Rei, stab him!" Hisashi yells as it looks as though she was about to be overpowered.

"Don't mess…with the Pole Martial Arts Club!" Rei suddenly shouts as she threw the teacher back before delivering a series of blows with the pole and ending it with a stab to his chest right through the heart. The teacher hung limply from the pole for a moment until it gave a twitch and started moving again. "Impossible! I stabbed his heart! He should be dead!" Rei began to panic as the undead teacher started pushing back and into the guardrail, his jaw snapping as he got closer to the girl.

"Rei!" Hisashi shouted as he started to run to his girlfriend but stopped short as Takashi shot passed him with his bat held high.

"Haaaaaaa!" Takashi shouted as he bore down on the teacher and swung down at the back of his head.

CRACK!

SPLISH!

The teacher jerked violently before finally stilling. Blood poured from the open wound and spilled on the floor. Rei stared with wide, trembling eyes as her gaze switched between the dead teacher and the boy who saved her.

"Taka…shi..."

Takashi was just staring at the corpse before looking at the now blood-stained bat. "So, I was right, the only way to kill them is to aim for the head." He said as he flung the blood off the bat. "You alright, Rei?"

Rei let the still impaled corpse fall to the floor as a relieved Hisashi came over to check on her.

"Rei! Are you alright?"

"Hisashi…I…I don't understand. How did he not die? I stabbed his heart."

"It's because he was already dead."

Hisashi and Rei turned to Takashi as he stared down at the corpse. "A walking corpse just like in the movies. They're Zombies, rising from the dead to hunt the flesh of the living."

"But that…that's impossible! Such things don't exist in the real world!" Rei exclaimed, trying to logically explain to herself that this was not real.

A girl's scream drew their attention to the schoolyard as they saw another student being grabbed by a group of them and then getting bitten.

Rei covered her mouth at the gory sight as the poor girl was being disemboweled. Hisashi himself grimaced while Takashi narrowed his eyes. They watched morbidly as the zombies fed until they suddenly and inexplicably stopped and abandoned the body as they got up and started shambling away. After about a minute, the deceased girl suddenly twitched before rising to her feet, her skin had turned grey and her eyes glazed and unfocused. She let out a low groan before she too started to walk aimlessly, her half-eaten body slowly dripping blood in her wake.

"My god…" Hisashi muttered as he followed the newly risen Zombie with his eyes.

"The same thing happened to Mr. Tashima at the gate. He was only bitten once, but it was enough to kill and turn him." Takashi stated he looked around, surveying their surroundings. "We need to keep moving. We can't stay in one place."

"Right." Hisashi agreed as he stood up. "C'mon, Rei." He said as he helped the girl up. Takashi went over to the dead teacher and pulled the pole from him and offered it back to the girl.

"From here on, it's kill or be killed. Only head blows will stop them, so strike hard and fast." Takashi said as Rei took the pole back and clutched it to her chest. The boy then took a moment to look at his two friends. "Whatever happens, don't let yourselves get bitten." With that, Takashi took off in the lead this time, with Rei and Hisashi following close behind.

The trio moved quickly and silently along the rooftop walkway, keeping their eyes peeled for any trouble that might pop up. It did not take them long to reach the gate that separated the walkway from the main rooftop. But when they tried to turn the handle, they found that the handle was barely turning.

"Damn it! Not again! Why now of all times does it have to get stuck!" Takashi yelled in frustration as he tried to turn the handle. It was known that this gate had issues with getting stuck and they would often have to have maintenance fix it only for it to get stuck again later. Calling someone to come and open it was not an option. He could use his new enhanced strength to force it, but he did not want to risk breaking the handle and making the gate inoperable.

A pair of screams once more drew their attention to another part of the roof. There, they saw a pair of students they recognized in their grade being surrounded by a group of them.

The two were recognized as Toshimi Niki and Misuzu Ichijou, the resident BFF's.

Toshimi was a girl with brown hair tied in a short-braided ponytail and green eyes. Her slender figure and modest bust made her quite attractive amongst the male students.

Misuzu had black hair tied back in a covered bun and brown eyes. She was one of the less-endowed girls in the school, but her cute face made up for it.

Both were huddled together in a corner; their bodies shaking with fear as they closed in on them.

Takashi 'Tsk' ed as he started running towards the girls in distress. "I got this! Hisashi, try to get the gate open!"

"O-Okay!" Hisashi responded as he started to jiggle and pull on the gate handle.

With Takashi

Takashi sprinted towards the zombies at an incredible speed, for human standards, and made it just before they could lunge at the girls. Raising his bat, the teen slammed it down on the closest one's head, sending it straight to the ground. The loud noise drew the other zombies' attention, making the three-remaining ones turn towards him. Not wasting a moment, Takashi spun and bashed one on his right on the temple. As that one fell, he twisted his body back the other direction and split the head open of the lone zombie on his left. His instincts flared, telling him to dodge as the last zombie lunged for him. Takashi ducked and took the opportunity to flip the zombie over him and onto its back. Taking the bat in both hands, he reared up high and brought the weapon down right on its face. Blood and bone splattered across the concrete as it jerked violently before going still.

Takashi glared down at his sixth kill for a second before turning to the two girls, who were both staring at him wide-eyed.

"You two okay?"

The two nodded shakily. "Y-yes. Thank you."

"You saved us."

The teen sighed. "Look, I know you two are scared, and you have a right to be, but if you two want to survive, you will need to be strong. My friends and I are trying to escape, if you want to join us, we can offer you some protection."

The two girls looked at each other before nodding. "Alright, we'll come," Toshimi spoke up as she helped Misuzu pass the corpses.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air, making the three flinch in surprise. Takashi spun around to find the source and felt his heart nearly stop at what he was seeing.

"…no...NOOOOOOO!"

Earlier with Hisashi and Rei

Hisashi watched as Takashi sprinted towards the group of zombies before turning his attention to the jammed door. He knew about the issue with the door and had found in the past that when it jammed up, you had to push on the handle a specific way to get it to free up. Hisashi started to jiggle the handle while Rei watched Takashi fight.

The girl's eyes were focused on Takashi's back as he did combat with the undead. She was mesmerized by the ferocity in which the teen fought against them, moving from one creature to the next. She noticed how he did not hesitate to kill as if it were as easy as breathing like it was instinctual to him.

"From here on, it's kill or be killed."

Those words rang in her head. Was it truly so easy for Takashi to embrace such a mindset? Rei shuddered at the thought.

"I got it!"

Hisashi's shout broke her out of her thoughts. She turned to see her boyfriend pushing open the gate, his face reflecting his elation.

"I got it open! We can get through now!" The boy declared as he turned to his girl and missed the shadow growing behind him.

Rei did not.

"Hisashi!" Rei cried out as a zombie lunged through the gate, grabbed the boy from behind and bit into his shoulder.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"HISASHI!" Rei screamed in horror as Hisashi struggled against the creature tearing into him with its teeth.

"Guahh! Rei! Help!" Hisashi cried as he tried to pull free.

This snapped out of her shock and sprung into action, flipping her pole up and thrusting it at the zombie's face. The sharp tip pierced the eye socket, forcing the head back as the weapon penetrated the brain. The zombie jerked violently before going slack, allowing Hisashi to break free of its grip. Rei pulled the pole out and allowed the corpse to fall, then immediately went to check on her boyfriends' condition.

"Hisashi! Hisashi, are you alright?!" Rei cried as she fretted over his injury.

"Guhhh. Damn it." The boy grimaced as he gripped his wounded shoulder just as Takashi arrived with the two girls he saved following behind. Takashi stared at his friend with a mixture of fear, anger, frustration, and resignation. The two boys' eyes made contact and a brief but silent conversation was shared between them. Takashi growled as he helped his friend through the gate, silently lamenting the act he will soon be forced to commit.

His thoughts stopped as the group made it through to the other side and beheld a world of chaos as they got their first look at the city that was their home.

Across the city, fires raged. Traffic piled up behind numerous accidents. Sirens and horns blared. People ran as the dead ambled after them.

Complete and utter chaos.

"My God," Hisashi muttered as he looked across the cityscape. "The city…."

"How is this possible? Everything was fine this morning." Rei asked in disbelief while Toshimi and Misuzu whimpered as they huddled together.

Suddenly, the air whipped around violently, nearly causing the group to lose their balance, and skirts to flip up, as a group of Blackhawk Helicopters bearing the colors and symbol of the Japanese Self Defense Force flew not twenty feet overhead and sped over the city to an unknown destination.

"The American Military?"

"No, JSDF. But there are no bases around here. Where did they come from?"

Rei began to wave her arms at the aircraft. "Over here! Please, help us!"

"It's no use. They're probably on some mission. They won't stop to save a bunch of strangers like us." Hisashi explained as he looked down at the yard. "They certainly not doing anything about that." The group watched as the dead kept killing the living where they found them and the newly dead rising to join the hungry ones.

Of course, the dead were not the only ones that were proving to be dangerous, as fear and survival instincts began to pit human against human as friends turned on one another, or simply used each other as bait to lure the dead away, often proving fatal for the unfortunate soul.

The events were also taking a toll on their mental state as well. One of the teachers, traumatized by the sudden and violent events, had proven to have lost his mind as he muttered to himself about 'This not being real' and 'This was just a dream.' As he talked about needing to 'get to school and chew out the new club members', the man climbed out the third-floor window and dove headfirst to the concrete walk below.

His death was instant.

Meanwhile, Takashi and the gang noticed that the dead had begun to gather on the roof.

"What are we going to do now?" Rei asked as the dead started to advance. Hisashi looked around until he spotted the roof for the observatory; its access limited to a single narrow staircase.

"There! We'll go up there and build a barricade."

"Then let's go. I'll make an opening. Everyone, follow close behind." Takashi ordered as he ran forward to clear the way. Hisashi and the girls followed behind, evading the dead as they ran. Takashi and Rei lashed out with their weapons when the situation required it. After only a slight mishap with Rei thrown against the wall and Hisashi 'borrowing' Takashi's bat, the group finally reached a safe haven as they barricade using desks and chairs.

"…Why? Why is this happening?" Rei asked as everyone rested. Takashi and Hisashi stayed close to the barricade just in case something happened, and the dead managed to get through. Rei was checking over Toshimi and Misuzu, who were huddled in the farthest corner holding each other.

"There has to be some reason. If we can figure out what is going on, then we might find a way to stop it…We need to see if we can find something we can find something to burn if we get stuck up here overnight. Maybe there are a lighter or some matches stashed somewh-GRAHHHR!" Hisashi suddenly lurched forward, coughing up blood. His skin starting to turn grey, just like the dead.

"Hisashi!" Rei screamed, rushing over to her boyfriend. "Takashi, Hisashi is…"

Takashi stared down at his friend, barely holding in the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling.

Hisashi started gasping for breath, his complexion growing pasty as yellow veins began to grow from the wound on his shoulder.

"Why? Why is this happening? He was only bitten a little. It should not be this bad." Rei asked.

"You saw it…It only takes once…and you turn."

"No, that isn't true! You won't change Hisashi!" Rei started to cry, denying what was happening.

Hisashi shook his head "…No…It's no different now…Takashi…will you help me?"

Takashi lowered his head. "What do you need?"

"Help me over to the rail…if I fall from here…I'll die instantly…"

Rei stared in shock. Hisashi was planning suicide? "What are you saying?!"

"I Don't Want To Be One Of Them!" Hisashi yelled as his body convulsed, more blood launching from his mouth.

"Hisashi!"

"…Takashi…do this for me…please…I…I don't want to become one of them…I want to die as a human…I want to stay 'me' until the end." Hisashi begged his long-time friend…before his body violently spasmed and he gripped his chest as he descended into coughs and gags as his body began to die. Rei tried desperately to help him, Takashi could only stare in a mixture of frustration and anger, and Toshimi and Misuzu could only hold each other tighter. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hisashi's body went still.

Silence prevailed over the group for a long moment until Takashi took a step forward.

"Rei…step aside."

"No! Hisashi won't change! He's different! You can't!"

"Rei…please."

"No! He won't change! He won't!"

Hisashi's body started to twitch.

"Hisashi?" Rei asked as the boy started moving again. "Hisashi! Takashi, he's alright! See? He's going to be…" Rei trailed off as Hisashi rose, his skin the same grey, the yellow veins visible under his skin. The girl stared as she witnessed the full transformation of her boyfriend into one of them. "Hisashi…no, Hisashi!" The girl tried to move towards the boy, but Takashi quickly caught the girl and pulled her behind him. The two other girls quickly moved to stand behind them as Hisashi began to slowly move towards them.

"No way…this can't be true…" Rei cried in denial and despair.

Takashi gripped his bat tightly as he prepared to do what needed to be done.

"I know…it seems like it's all unbelievable…" Takashi raised the bat, Rei moved to stop him but Toshimi and Misuzu quickly took hold of her to stop her.

"…but this…"

Hisashi began to move quickly as a low groan escaped his mouth.

"IS REALITY!" Takashi roared as he lunged forward and with a massive swing down, smashed his best friends' head in with the bat.

For several long minutes, no one said a word. Takashi kept his head bowed, Rei wept beside her dead boyfriend, and the BFF's stayed back, letting the two mourn the passing of their friend.

"Why..."

Takashi did not respond.

"Why…"

"He would have killed you if I hadn't."

"I didn't want you to save me!"

"….."

"I didn't want to see Hisashi like this! I would rather be bitten and become one of them, than survive like this."

"…He would not have wanted that."

"Huh, what would you know, Takashi?! Oh, I know…" Rei started to chuckle lowly as she looked up at the boy, his eyes filled with tears of grief. "You secretly hated him, isn't that right?! Because I was dating him!"

Takashi flinched slightly. The accusation hurt, but he knew she did not mean it. She was grieving, and she was finding an outlet for it. Still, there was a small part of him that whispered to him…that her accusation was true.

After a moment, Takashi turned and started walking towards the barricade.

"Hey, where are you going?!"

"I don't want to be a bother to you. So, I'm going to go down and kill the undead."

Rei blinked in shock. The two other girls gasped.

"Wha-What are you talking about?! You can't handle something like that!" Rei scrambled to her feet and followed Takashi, who began to pull down the chairs. "Hey…Takashi?" Rei spoke up again, but Takashi ignored her and began to scale the desks so that he could jump over.

This finally made the girl realize that he was serious.

"No! Don't go!"

Rei lunged and wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, holding on tightly.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Rei cried as she tightened her grip. "I really didn't mean it!"

Takashi said nothing as he watched the girl cry.

"So, please. Stay with me! Don't leave me!"

The boy stayed silent, simply turned around and wrapped his arms around the girl, who stood still for a moment before breaking down and crying into his chest. Rei let her grief out as her tears flowed, while Toshimi and Misuzu comforted each other. Takashi stared up into the sky, reflecting on everything that has happened since he began to change.

Six months ago, I started to change. I became something inhuman. Since then, I watched as the girl I liked started dating my best friend, and even though I hated it, I was content to keep my distance, for their sakes. For their safety.

Now, on this day, the world I knew came to an end, I killed my best friend, and I'm holding the girl I liked in my arms.

And I hate myself for it.

-To Be Continued-

Author's Notes: This was an idea I came up with in response to my Discord friends who wanted to see more HOTD Fanfics. This one takes HOTD and gives it a more mythical twist to it, starting with a change to our main male protag. He is not human, well, not fully, and this gives him an edge in the crisis. He will have to make sure his group survives while coming to grips with his changes from a normal human to something much more. Expect many twists and changes to the original storyline, as well as additional characters who will survive thanks to Takashi's new powers.

Exactly what he is now? You probably already have an idea as to what, but it might not be exactly as it sounds. His condition, and its origin, will be revealed as the story progresses. I hope you stick around to see how deep this story goes into this new dimension.

As always, read and review.

Peace.