[Normal POV]
A young man in the village of Kabuyano was woken by the strange rumbling of the ground and the strange noises in the outside. He sat up from his bed and rubbed his eyes. "What the? Who would... in the night?" He stood up and peeked through his window. What he saw was horrifying.
Skeleton men are rummaging the town. Those brave citizens who chose to fight the dead are in dire traits. They're not beating the dead enemy to pulps. Instead, the enemies are wiping them out like small fries.
Children are screaming and crying while women drop to their knees. Those who are smart run out to cause stampede. Those who are smarter chose to lock themselves inside their houses.
As soon as the dead noticed the man looking at him, he moved to see the man. The man hid beneath the covers to hide his presence. When the dead saw that there was no one, he left. The man prayed under the covers that someone would come and save them.
His wish was granted in a short period of time. In a flash, a pure black van parked at the outside corner of Kabuyano, avoiding the mass stampede. The ones that got out of the van are composed of an old smart-looking lady, a doctor wearing glasses, a woman clad in pure black but wears a catlike helmet, and a strong looking man who dyed his hair blonde. The man was carrying an unconscious foreign lady on his shoulder. The woman wearing black stroke the van and the van reverted into a headless horse. Everyone was so busy with their lives on the line to witness this legendary occurrence.
The woman wearing black and the man who dyed his hair blonde lead the path. The old lady watched on the rear as they left their vehicle and chose an alternative route to avoid bumping to the citizens. However, by avoiding the citizens, they were cornered by moving skeletons.
"This is bad! In a short period of time, she can't possibly-?!" The old lady exclaimed as they all formed a circle to watch each other's back. The skeleton men didn't recognize Leena's body and tried to pull it down. Shizuo had to strike the small fries. Once they get dismantled, they won't move again.
"Ha! It looks like I found their weakness!" the blonde exclaimed as he wiped off the enemies obstructing their path. Celty pulled out her scythe and joined the reaping game. "Four eyes, old lady, make yourselves useful."
Shinra took a piece of 2"x2" wood, just as the next rounds of zombie skeletons appeared. In his own little ways, he joined the fight.
"Geez, young people. You don't have to say things like that," the old lady said as she threw a few of her capsules on the air. The enemies stopped moving in confusion, making way for the three other men to dismember their bones.
-
Inside the laboratory, the witch can feel her defense layer getting thinned out as time passes. She willingly strengthened the suction on her spell so that she could release more of her puppets and at the same time, protect herself in her place.
"Damn that blonde man," she muttered to herself. "Had I known he'd be this persistent, I should have offed with him!"
She bit her lips upon feeling the tearing on her flesh. "Not yet," she told herself with determination. "There's a lot more than this which I can handle!"
The room lit once and twice with her spell. A new horde of stronger zombies rose from the dead.
-
Having known that this fight would be long and that (F/n) will be in trouble the longer they linger in the outside, Celty used her substance to freeze every enemy in the city except for a few lapses, extending her substance in the outskirts.
"Celty-chan?" Shinra called her in surprise and confusion. All the zombies were struggling in her grasp, even those that just came. As soon as they stepped on her substance which can hardly be seen in the dark, her substance will grasp and immobile the enemies. "You can't mean you're stopping here."
Celty quickly typed and showed it to everyone. "I will stop all the zombies here. The rest of you should go."
"If this takes any longer, we might not make it and (F/n) will die," the old lady reminded. "We leave the rest to you."
"Hurry!" Celty urged the three of them and they hasten towards the laboratory. She made sure that her substance won't hinder the paths of her friends.
As the three got separated from the fairy dullahan, the new zombies that appeared are much smarter, faster, and stronger than the old ones. They do not step on Celty's substance and their attacks are always surprising.
"I don't like to say this, but I really hate fighting," Shinra shakily said as he protected himself. "These zombies just bite people's heads off!"
Shizuo grabbed a thick tree and swung it dangerously over the enemies. "No time to complain!"
"Let me try something," the old lady quickly said as she mixed her capsule contents and turned them into a barrage volley in more powerful degree as she threw it on the air.
Shizuo and the other quickly finished the enemies and set foot at the entrance gate of the pharmaceutical laboratory. There are no enemies so far. The three of them are panting heavily form the nonstop action that night.
-
[Reader's POV]
Almost a week later, I was discharged from the hospital. Yuko-chan was the one who helped me get home. However, it's become awkward around her. Since we had a misunderstanding about Izaya-senpai, she wouldn't talk to me about unimportant things anymore.
After she walked me home, we didn't talk anymore. I see her at school all the time, but just like me, she is alone, yet she won't say a word to me. When I look at her, she averts her gaze all the time. When I try to approach her, she finds an excuse to get away. She is my best friend and my only true friend and I knew if from the depths of my heart... yet, I pushed her away.
It's all because of my useless infatuation towards Izaya-senpai. I'm obsessed and I know it is a bad thing, yet I don't lift a finger to change how things are. I've always been afraid that one day, I might lose Yuko-chan. Yuko-chan is the only person who never said anything bad against Izaya-senpai. She even doted my love for him. Grabbing her with an iron fist is my greatest mistake.
Although I apologized, I think I wasn't sincere enough. I was getting over my head and I prioritized senpai over my friend. I should've given her a pass to nudge Izaya-senpai since she's been a good person to me. She must've been battling herself so much so that she won't say anything about senpai that will upset me.
I'm so sick of all this deadpanning and cold attitude people give me! I decided that I'm going to talk to Yuko-chan. That's why, right now on my vacant hour, I will see Yuko-chan in her favorite place, the school garden.
I sneakily went to the garden and saw Yuko-chan reading her notes while sitting on the bench chair. Her face looks just fine, but she doesn't look like she's still having fun. I composed myself by taking deep breaths and for the first time in my life, my heart raced in nervousness even though I'm just going to talk to my best friend.
"Yuko-chan," I called on to her as I slipped out of the wall I'm hiding in. I waved my hand at her and smiled casually as I approached her.
Yuko-chan, upon seeing me, hurriedly kept her notes and prepared to leave. She stood up, ready to go.
"Wait, Yuko-chan! There is something I wanted to tell you," I begged as I stopped her, getting in front of her wherever she goes. It's like we're playing a defending game in an awkward way.
My best friend sighs and went back to the bench to take a seat. She gestured to me to sit beside her and I did so that I won't upset her further. "What is it that you wanted to tell me badly?" she asked, looking me in the eye, but I know she's not and she's probably just looking on my forehead.
I took her hand and sandwiched it between mine. "About last time... I'm really sorry," I said then, I exhaled, letting my nervousness slip off while I apologize sincerely to her. I must reach her. "I was just was too over my head and I even told you things I should never had."
Yuko-chan finally looked me in the eye. Her gaze was softer and her expression was kinder, as if forgiving me without saying the actual words. "So?" she nudged at me, smiling a little.
I smiled as well. "From now on, you are exempted from my rule that applies to every girl in this campus."
"And that is?" she persisted. Smiling wider at me, she put her arms around my body and embraced me lightly.
I shut my eyes and finished my sentence. "You can say things about senpai and I will let it slip as long as you don't bash him."
As I said that, she squeezed me to her body and rubbed her cheek on my face. Satisfied, she let go. "You know what, I don't know the (F/n) back in the hospital. You freaked me out, I admit. I thought you're gonna be like that from now on so I should probably stay away from you!" she happily told me. At first, I was confused, but I have to understand her. "I thought you'd put more effort in your apology. I'm such an expectator."
I nodded and chuckled. She was right. I was afraid that I'd lose her and I didn't have any friends who are smart at making up with people.
I was laughing softly at myself when she suddenly eyed me like a predator. "Did you bump your head somewhere?" she asked seriously.
"What? I don't know!" I defended.
"Normally, you'd be all over Izaya-senpai," she said and just at the right time, we saw Izaya-senpai crossing the building bridge, being tailed by Shinra-senpai. Probably they still haven't settled the biology club organization and so on. Shinra-senpai and I have talked a couple of times before since we are both trying to get Izaya-senpai to join us, but we never had anything in common and we couldn't keep our conversations going.
There they met Shizuo-senpai, carrying the school lockers so that he could smash it on Izaya-senpai's head. Izaya-senpai brought out a pocket knife to defend himself. Yuko-chan and I always wondered how the two get off without being reprimanded by the disciplinarian, but we guessed the school just gave up because they're unstoppable. It's amazing the school doesn't expel them.
Shizuo-senpai and Izaya-senpai never get along. Whenever they meet up, they always fight no matter the reason nor the event. Because I was always gunning for Izaya-senpai, Shizuo-senpai sees me as an enemy too and avoids me at all cost. He's crazily strong. Even if I'm obsessed with Izaya-senpai, I won't dare go in between their business. I won't stand a chance anyway.
Consumed by a trance, I snapped out to talk to my friend. "I'm sorry I was distracted," I replied in a whim. "That's right. I'll be after him but there are times senpai should spend with other people and I won't butt in."
I saw her smile at my reply and I shrugged. "What's wrong? I thought you'd want me to keep off of senpai sometimes."
She raised a brow while still smiling at me. "Uh-huh?"
"I've given it a thought and you're right. The more I stay with senpai, the more I put myself in danger," I said to her. I admit, after our days of no talk at all, I've changed my mindset about being so immature and die hard about senpai. "But that doesn't mean I'll just stop loving him."
Yuko-chan subconsciously grimaced and I saw it from the corner of my eye. "If you were to ask me, since you're into wild men, I think Shizuo-senpai is a better option." She winked and I couldn't figure why.
"What?!" I exclaimed and then I looked at the two men fighting in a distance. My heart just skipped a beat. My what? I glared at her, trying to look angry but I'm smiling and my forehead is red. "Don't you tease me like that!"
Yuko ran teasing me and I had to chase her quietly around the less common areas in the campus so that the teachers won't be chasing after us. We went opposite to senpai's direction because Yuko-chan didn't want to get dragged in their fight. I'm really glad we're now cool, but why couldn't she tease me with other stuff?
-
[Normal POV]
The three are out of breaths in front of the pharmaceutical main gate. "Maybe we should stop running," the old lady suggested, "I'm not fit to run like you younguns."
"Maybe you should ask four eyes to carry you," the blonde replied subconsciously. The old lady ignored him.
The person who he is referring to pretended that he didn't hear it. Instead, he brought up a new issue. "If the witch want a revenge like the people wanted, why is she harming them?"
"Because the people no longer carry the resolve to take revenge," the old lady answered.
"But they're not at fault," Shinra retorted. "There should be a deeper reason."
The three of them were distracted when they saw men being pulled and attacked by zombies that hadn't realize they're there. They couldn't save those men, but they saw how the zombies turned normal people into one of them just by crowding over.
"That answers your question," says the old lady.
They realized that the longer they stay at the open areas, the more the enemies could see them. Without wasting time, they destroyed the gate, thinking that it is pointless hiding from the witch. The blonde held the witch's body firmly over his shoulders while the other two behind him held tightly on their weapons.
Just as Shizuo went past the inner main door, an energy field activated and blocked the other two behind him. Shizuo stopped and turned back upon hearing the thud when Mirae and Shinra crashed at the entrance force field.
"What the-?" the blonde exclaimed subconsciously.
"We can't get in," Shinra said, panicking. "We'll wait for you outside."
Shizuo tried to kick the energy field hard, but there's no use. It's like a clear steel wall that separates him from his friends. Even his strength is not enough to break it.
"Nevermind us; just go! (F/n) needs you!" The old lady reassured him, "We'll be fine."
Nodding abruptly, the blonde ran all the way to the basement floors where the lab used to be most active. It is where they set a burial for Chikara and it is where Leena will most probably be.
As he steps foot in the room, his eyes confirmed everything. He finds Leena in (F/n)'s body, trapped in a glowing circle and crucified by raging electricity. Shizuo dropped her body in horror and hate and the thud caught the witches' attention.
"You bitch!" he snarled at her. "Get off my (F/n)!"
The witch chuckled painfully. "You're always appearing on the most crucial times in this girl's life. But you know, you and (F/n) can never stop me."