Rain crashed endlessly against the shattered cafeteria windows while thunder echoed across the dead university campus.

The horrifying roar outside shook the entire building again, making several frightened students scream quietly behind the overturned tables where Airi tried calming them.

Even the soldiers looked nervous now. Whatever moved outside wasn’t a normal infected anymore.

The atmosphere inside the cafeteria became suffocating as everyone listened to the heavy footsteps echoing somewhere through the rain-covered campus outside.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Every step felt massive enough to shake the floor beneath them. Akari tightened her grip around the blood-covered baseball bat while staring silently toward the dark windows.

Arata noticed it immediately. Her eyes had changed. Not panic. Recognition. She knew this creature. Or at least she had survived near it before.

Yuna slowly moved beside Arata while gripping her knives tighter. "Please tell me we’re not fighting whatever sounds like that." Nobody answered her. Because deep down, everyone already knew they might not have a choice. The system suddenly flickered before Arata’s eyes again.

[Apex Mutation Nearby]

[Warning: High Fatality Probability] [Recommended Action: Retreat Immediately]

Arata’s expression darkened slightly. Retreat. The system rarely recommended escape directly. Which meant the thing outside was far stronger than anything they fought before. Another loud crash echoed nearby.

The younger students immediately huddled closer together while Airi tried keeping them calm despite the tension visible across her own face. Reina reloaded her rifle quietly before looking toward the rear cafeteria exit. "We move now." Everyone immediately started gathering supplies and survivors while rainwater dripped endlessly from the damaged ceiling above.

Akari remained near the back silently, still holding the bat even though her hands were bleeding badly now. Arata glanced toward her briefly while helping move debris blocking the hallway exit. "You protected them alone this whole time?" Akari avoided his eyes slightly. "...Someone had to." Simple answer.

But somehow those words felt heavier than they should. Because Arata understood exactly what she meant. Nobody came to help her. So she became the one protecting others instead. Even while terrified. Even while exhausted. Even while surviving with only a metal bat against monsters every night. The group finally moved through the university corridors carefully while thunder shook the campus outside.

Broken emergency lights flickered weakly overhead while blood-covered classrooms stretched endlessly beside them. Rain leaked through cracked ceilings, making the dark hallways feel even colder. One small girl hiding behind Akari suddenly tugged gently on her jacket sleeve.

"...Will we really survive?" Akari looked down silently for several seconds before answering quietly. "...Yeah." Her voice sounded uncertain. But she still said it anyway. Yuna noticed immediately. "Wow." She placed a dramatic hand over her chest. "She’s learning emotions." Akari looked annoyed instantly. "Shut up." Yuna grinned proudly. "Progress." Even Airi smiled faintly hearing their conversation. Somehow Yuna always managed to break tension at the strangest moments.

The group finally reached the underground parking structure beneath the university where the armored vehicle remained hidden. Rain echoed loudly above them while soldiers quickly helped the surviving students inside the vehicle.

Reina checked ammunition nervously while Kaede scanned the dark parking levels with her bow ready. Something felt wrong. Too quiet again. Arata stepped slightly forward while the system warnings continued flashing faintly before him.

Then suddenly—

[DANGER]

[HIGH LEVEL THREAT DETECTED] "MOVE!" BOOOOOOOOM!! The concrete ceiling exploded instantly above them. Massive debris crashed across the parking structure while vehicles flipped violently from the impact. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Screams erupted everywhere as dust swallowed the entire underground floor. Arata grabbed Airi immediately before pulling her away from falling concrete. Yuna rolled behind a destroyed vehicle while Kaede protected the younger survivors near the armored truck.

Then the creature slowly stood from the collapsing debris. Silence consumed the parking structure instantly. The mutation towered nearly four meters tall beneath the flickering emergency lights.

Black distorted muscles covered its gigantic body while exposed ribs protruded unnaturally through torn flesh across portions of its torso.

One arm looked monstrously oversized, ending in massive claws large enough to tear vehicles apart effortlessly. Its face barely resembled human anymore.

Pale glowing eyes stared hungrily toward the survivors while its jaw split unnaturally wide filled with rows of broken teeth. Thick black liquid dripped slowly from its claws onto the concrete floor beneath it.

The creature roared. The sound alone froze several survivors in terror. Yuna whispered weakly beside Arata, "...Absolutely not." The mutation moved instantly.

Faster than something that large should physically move. Its massive claw smashed through two parked vehicles like paper before soldiers opened fire desperately.

Gunshots exploded throughout the underground structure while sparks flew everywhere from ricocheting bullets. But the creature barely slowed down.

One soldier screamed after getting grabbed violently before the mutation slammed him directly through a concrete pillar hard enough to kill him instantly.

Blood sprayed across the floor. Chaos erupted immediately afterward. The younger students screamed while Airi tried shielding them behind overturned vehicles. Reina fired continuously while Kaede launched arrows toward the creature’s glowing eye.

Arata charged forward instantly. His blade collided directly against the mutation’s massive arm. CLANG. The impact shocked him immediately. Its skin felt harder than steel itself. The creature swung toward him violently. Arata barely dodged before the claw carved directly through the concrete floor where he stood moments earlier.

Dust exploded upward from the impact. The system flashed urgently again. [Physical Strength Exceeds Current Parameters] [Combat Probability: Extremely Low] Arata clicked his tongue slightly. They couldn’t win this directly. Not yet.

Then suddenly the mutation roared upward again. And hundreds of infected screams answered from above the parking structure. Everyone froze instantly. Yuna’s face slowly lost color. "...Please tell me that’s not what I think it is." BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Endless footsteps suddenly echoed across the levels above them. The infected were coming.

Hundreds of them. Reina immediately realized the situation. "We’re getting surrounded!" The mutation suddenly charged again. Arata barely intercepted the massive claw before getting thrown violently across the parking floor from the sheer force of the impact.

He crashed hard against a damaged vehicle while pain shot through his entire body. Akari’s eyes widened slightly after seeing that. Even someone like Arata got overpowered instantly.

The mutation roared while approaching him again. Then suddenly— CRACK! Akari swung the metal bat directly against the creature’s glowing eye. The impact barely damaged it. But it distracted the monster long enough for Arata to move away. Everyone stared toward her in shock.

Even the mutation seemed briefly confused. Akari herself looked terrified afterward. But despite shaking hands— She still stood between the creature and the younger survivors.

Arata stared at her silently for one brief second. Then understood immediately. She really was the type of person who would throw herself against monsters to protect others. Even without power. Even without hope. The mutation roared furiously before swinging its massive arm toward her instantly.

Arata moved faster than thought itself. He grabbed Akari’s waist before pulling her backward violently as the claw destroyed the ground where she stood moments earlier. The impact shook the entire parking level.

Akari crashed directly against Arata’s chest while both of them fell behind a destroyed vehicle together. For one brief moment, their faces ended up extremely close.

Rainwater dripped slowly from Akari’s black hair while her violet eyes stared directly into his own. Even breathing heavily from fear and exhaustion, she still looked unbelievably beautiful up close.

Then Yuna’s voice suddenly echoed from nearby. "EXCUSE ME?!" Both immediately separated. Yuna pointed dramatically while dodging infected climbing down the parking ramps now. "WHY IS THERE ROMANCE DURING DEATH?!" "This isn’t romance," Akari answered coldly. "Wow," Yuna shouted while stabbing an infected through the head. "She even denies relationships like a main heroine already." More infected suddenly flooded into the parking structure from every direction.

Screams echoed everywhere while soldiers struggled desperately to protect the students. The situation collapsed instantly into complete chaos.

Reina fired continuously while shouting orders over the noise. "We need to split up!" Arata immediately realized she was right. The parking exits were collapsing too quickly.

Staying together would get everyone trapped. Another explosion shook the underground level after the mutation smashed through several support pillars nearby.

Concrete rained from the ceiling above them. Kaede shouted desperately, "The western tunnel is still open!" Reina nodded instantly. "Take the survivors and move!" "What about you?!" Airi shouted. Reina looked toward Arata immediately. "Someone has to lure that thing away." Silence followed.

Because everyone already understood who that someone would be. Arata stood slowly while gripping his blade tighter. The mutation’s glowing eyes immediately locked onto him again. The system flickered before him once more.

[Target Hostility Confirmed]

Great. It specifically wanted him. Yuna stepped forward instantly. "Then I’m staying too." "No," Arata answered immediately. "What?" "Protect the others." Yuna looked furious instantly. "Don’t order me around!" Before Arata could respond, the mutation suddenly charged toward them again violently.

Arata grabbed Akari instinctively before jumping sideways as the creature smashed directly through the vehicles behind them. The impact separated them from the others instantly after debris collapsed between both sides. Dust filled the air. Screams echoed faintly through the chaos.

Then silence. Arata slowly stood while looking around carefully. The collapsed concrete completely blocked the path behind them now. Yuna’s distant voice echoed faintly somewhere beyond the debris. "ARATA!!" But another roar drowned everything out immediately.

The mutation stood between the separated paths now while infected flooded deeper into the parking structure from every direction. Akari gripped the bat tightly beside him while breathing heavily. "...We’re trapped." Arata stared toward the dark emergency tunnel ahead silently.

Then toward the monster approaching them again. Rainwater dripped slowly through the broken ceiling above while alarms echoed endlessly throughout the collapsing underground structure.

Finally, Arata spoke quietly. "No." He looked toward the tunnel ahead. "...We move." And together— Arata and Akari disappeared deeper into the darkness while the sounds of chaos and screaming faded behind them.