Meanwhile Takashis POV

-tch- pinky promise to marry each other, yeah right. I guess I was a dumbass for not trying as hard sooner. Even Haru somehow has someone now. Looking out into the courtyard I notice something a bit odd. Theres a man at the gate running into it probably just some drunk not knowing where he is. The gym teacher and Auntie are down there along with a few other teachers. Ha one of them even has a man catcher but is cowering a bit with it. Settling in to watch the show the gym teacher grabs the drunk man by the scruff through the bars. Seems a bit excessive but oh well.

That’s when it happens, the man that was being pulled against the bars leans in and bites into his bicep. The teacher lets go with a start falling backwards to the ground causing a bit of panic down at the gates. Another teacher Mr. Yizuki moves in and starts checking him over while giving glances at the gate. After a look of surprise, he checks the gym teachers pulse before shaking his head to the other two. Did… did he just die? Should I go let someone else know what happened? Snapping out of it I see Haru and Saeko running out into the field towards the gate. What the hell are those two doing? Haru keeps yelling something but I can’t hear it, that’s when the gym teacher sits up taking a bite out Mr.Yizuki’s neck.

Before I can blink Haru is already running up with his stick brutally smashing it into the head of one of the gym teacher that assaulted Mr.Yizuki. What the hell is happening?

Did…did Haru just kill them? Would that be self-defense? He did it after he bit Mr.Yizuki but it was excessive… Lost in thought I’m snapped back as Mr.Yizuki grabs one of the other teachers by the ankle biting it before Haru also bashes in Mr.Yizuki’s head.

“Why is everyone going insane?!” I look out past the gate and see many more scenes like this. People chasing down others attacking them… eating them…

“Shit I’ve gotta get Rei and the others!” Leaving my thinking corner, I sprint for the classroom.

I don’t hear any other screams inside yet, so it doesn’t seem like anything has happened here yet. Even so, I need to make sure she is okay.

Dashing down the halls, turning into the classroom I see Rei participating in class in the middle of reading a sentence off the board.

I barrel in causing everyone to look over at me with surprise and a few looks of concern.

Turning to Rei. “REI! Come with me we have to get out of here.”

She looks surprised and pulls back a little bit, which hurts a little. “Takashi what are you talking about?”

Shaking my head, it’s not the time to get upset over small things. “Outside, a a man bit Mr.Teshima and he died, then he got back up and bit Mr.Yizuki too. I-I saw Haru run up and kill him with one of those wooden sword things!” Looking around the classroom there are a lot of questioning looks most don’t believe me the teachers face is slowly growing more and more upset as hes blatantly ignored.

Shit! They are all looking at me like I’ve gone crazy. I’m… I’m not crazy, I know I saw, everything is really happening outside.

“What are you doing Takashi? Control yourself, Haru killed the gym teacher?” For some reason Hisashi is the only one to not flat outthink I’m crazy. It hurts a little more, but I’ll take all the support I can get right now.

“Young man these are serious allegations against another student. Are you sure you saw another student attack a teacher?” The teacher starts walking over towards us now looking slightly worried but still not sure about the situation.

Saya speaks up now from her seat scowling at me with an angry glare. “This is nonsense! Teacher, Takashi has clearly gone crazy! Haru wouldn’t kill someone like that, he is studying to become a doctor. What is wrong with you Takashi? Finally, to the point of making up things for attention from Rei?” She ends her berating with a huff before settling back into her seat.

Why won’t they just listen to me! “NO! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! THE GYM TEACHER KILLED MR.YIZUKI! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! MORE OF THOSE… THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE!” A few people flinch back at me yelling but it seems no one really believes me.

I try to reign in my anger, but no matter what I try I just can’t process the situation with people are dying outside. I need to protect Rei, Haru and… Saya, I suppose Hisashi too. But no one believes me…

“Alright I believe you, lets go.” Hisashi is surprisingly the one to speak up in my defense. Everyone else looks at Hisashi confused, likely wondering why he’d believe me. Hell, even I’m a little surprised. I figured I’d be the last person he would back up against his girl- Rei.

He shakes his head and smiles. “Okay best-case scenario we believe him and hes lying. Meaning we can with certainty know that he needs help. Worst case he’s telling the truth, and this gives us a running start to defend ourselves come on Rei, Saya would Takashi lie about Haru? One of the few people that he still hangs out with?” Hisashi looks at Rei trying to get her to listen. I can hardly believe it when she gives a small nod! This fucker… she won’t believe me but suddenly they all believe him now? What the hell does he mean by one of the few people I still hang out with? Haru has been pushing further and further back these days… It’s not my fault that the world is unfair around me. It’s all Hisashis for stealing my life from me.

Says clicks her tongue from her seat standing up. “I suppose your right lets go see if we can prove this idiot wrong. Teacher can we please go inform the staff that an assault may be taking place?” He nods to Saya after a moment of pause.

“Yes yes, just be sure to come back when this turns out to all be a misunderstanding. Besides, I’m sure they would have made an announcement over the intercom, and I will not contribute to this delinquents’ idle ramblings any further.” Waving us off and returning to the lecture. This pisses me off a bit but whatever, that’s not important right now.

YES! THEY BELIEVE ME! WE CAN SURVIVE THIS!

I get out of the classroom quickly the others following closely behind me.

Once we reach the halls the others have to run to keep up with me. I’m quickly overtaken by Hisashi though that changes where we are going, he seems to be going to the gym room instead of the front.

Annoyed that he’s started to direct us elsewhere “We don’t have time for this! We need to get out of here!” I pant slightly. I need to work out a bit more.

Hisashi turns to me casually speaking without much panting. “If what you told us was true, we will need some weapons right?” He goes into a supply closet and breaks a mop for Rei and hands me his bat from his locker which I realize is why he came this way.

Looking between Hisashi and Saya I notice the obvious lack of weapons. “What about you and Saya?”

“I have a blackbelt in karate so I should be able to handle myself, besides you and Rei have more experience in the Kendo club than I do. As for Saya she probably shouldn’t be getting into the fight to begin with, no offense Saya.” He looks to her, she just gives a slight nod in response checking her pocket and purse lost in thought.

“If something is happening, we should call the police, right? My father is a police chief he will know what to do.” Rei takes out her phone and starts calling her dad likely not believing me enough to call the police right away.

While we wait for her call to connect, Saya mentions she forgot her phone in the classroom. Something about needing it to get ahold of her parents who have bodyguards on retainer and might be able to help out in case of an emergency?

I don’t mind if she leaves as much, I just need to make sure Rei is okay. “Alright but hurry back we don’t know how long until they get into the building, I noticed Saeko and Haru were defending the entrance, so we probably have some time.” Saya gives a nod before running off back down the halls.

Theres a clatter to the ground making Hisashi and I look over at Rei. We look to Rei. She has a grim look on her face.

“Um they cannot connect due to the large number of calls. The radio tower is backed up calls aren't going through… I… I tried getting ahold of my father’s emergency number. He just told me to get out of the city as fast as I can… Hisashi, I think Takashi is right. I think things are going wrong out there…” She looks off in the distance looking a bit overwhelmed.

“Fuuuuuck okay let’s just figure this out. We can get out of this.” We are clustered together trying to figure out what to do when a high-pitched tone goes off from the halls.

The intercom comes to life.

“This is an announcement; an emergency has occurred, every student please follow evacuation procedures orderly and listen to your teachers. We need to work together in hard times like these.” Some sounds can be heard in the background shuffling and some objects falling.

“In times like these where hope seems to be dying just remember that together, we can triumph. If you see someone bleeding from the mouth or… or the eyes… they are not your friend they are not a person any longer.” The sound of pounding in the background intensifies as the feedback from a crash makes everyone wince. “They… they are no longer alive. Don’t get close to them.”

The sound gets more intense.

“No no noononnono get away GAAAAAHA”

The announcement speaker cuts off to pure silence. For long pregnant pause that stretches the entire campus no one says a word. Then the panic finally sets in, students begin rushing out of their classrooms without a care for their surroundings, trampling others to get away faster, killing them in their pursuit to leave just that little bit sooner.

This isn’t good. I can see through one of the windows the mass of students rushing the hallways across on the other wing of the building it’s only a matter of time before we are swept up in it too. “Shit we need to get out of here.”

Hisashi nods. “We need to get to the roof.”

Shaking my head at that why the hell should we trap ourselves? “But we need to leave. Connect with the others down below… Hell, get out of here. How can we do that if we get stranded instead?”

He starts breaking into a jog and I reluctantly follow after seeing Rei move behind him. “The halls are crowded; people are likely dying trying to get out.” His comment is punctuated by watching someone jump from the second story window and breaking their leg on the pavement below. “We need to get to a safe position first. We can worry about leaving once the others have left the area clear enough to make any progress. Otherwise, we are just needlessly endangering ourselves.” The screams of panic echoing the building turn into screams of terror as I see blood splatter parts of the windows on the other side of the building. SHIT! He’s not wrong.

“He’s right! Just shut up and follow us.” Rei says while jogging behind Hisashi.

Goddamit I’m the one that warned them to begin with! THEY SHOULD BE LISTENING TO ME! Hah, it’s not a bad idea though so I’ll follow along for now.

Just before reaching the staircase up, we see one of the teachers in a four-way intersection.

Rei tentatively moves forward with a look of concern “Hey uh, teacher are you okay?” he’s bleeding from every orifice, a lot like what they said over the intercom.

Hisashi moves to the front. “Rei stand back, I’ve got this.” Hisashi seems to psych himself up a bit. He’s probably just trying to show off a bit as he moves to attack. He lashes out kicking the man in the chest sending him staggering him a bit before punching him in the mouth knocking him to the floor.

Hisashi seems to yell after the impact. “Gah fuck” his fist looks like it’s bleeding he probably scrapped it while hitting the teacher in the mouth. The teacher slowly peels himself off the floor jaw hanging far lower than it should as it lunges for Hisashi. Rei and I are stuck there transfixed for a moment watching Hisashi knock it down repeatedly as it keeps getting back up.

Right! We need to destroy their heads that’s what Haru did to stop it!

“Destroy the head! That’s what Haru did to the other ones, and they stopped moving!” I grip the bat tightly moving up. “Hold him still for a second while I take him down.” Hisashi nods before taking position behind the thing holding him briefly as its head seems to start to spin, I clock him across the head. Theres a crunch as the head caves in… That was so… easy… it just crunched like I was hitting a melon… Looking down at the body it’s finally stopped moving.

Rei runs up checking all over Hisashi. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” I give him a quick glance. His hand looks a bit cut but it should be fine he seemed otherwise untouched.

I try to think of what else happened at the gates, so we aren’t put in this situation again. I sort of forgot to mention the part about biting the gym teacher before he passed away… Oh well, its just a scrape not a full-on bite so it should be fine right? I’ll let them know what happened once we get to the roof.

Hisashi is leaning over his hand while Rei is frantically looking over him. “Gah fuck my hand hurts like hell but I’m fine. Takashi?” He looks over at me seeing the blood on my clothes.

“Yeah yeah I’m fine. Thanks for the setup.” I can’t help but smile as I dust myself off. There’s a bit of blood spatter on my uniform soaking in. That actually felt kind of awesome! I’ve hated that teacher for a while now and I could finally just let loose!

“No problem uh next time tell me we have to wreck their heads before I decide to go at them bare handed, okay? Gah split my knuckle, so I’ll need to bandage it up”

He tears off a nonbloody piece of the teachers’ clothes and wraps his fist up.

“We need to find more weapons lets search the roof in the meantime keep a lookout for Haru or the others. They will likely be looking for other people. Haru and Saeko wouldn’t leave their friends behind…Shit wait where’s Saya?” I look around and realize we have been running for awhile and Saya never caught back up with us. Rei and Hisashi seem to come to this realization too… it’s a bit to late though so lets just hope we run into here on the way out.