Sosuke Kitahara charged forward through the swarm, zigzagging and leaping with agile strides. The grenades had only stunned the zombies, not killed them. Anyone who thought they were dead would be a fool give them time, and they'd be right back on their feet.

Behind him, Maeda and the others sprinted like frantic horses, tongues nearly lolling out as they stumbled over the zombies' heads and bodies. It was the most absurd run of their lives, but that yawning door up ahead the jet bridge was their only shot at survival.

"Aaaagh!"

Kadokawa suddenly cried out in pain. His injured leg gave out and his tall frame crumpled into the horde.

Maeda and Aso turned pale and bolted. Not even a glance back.

Falling now was as good as dying.

Kadokawa was instantly swarmed. Dozens of reeking hands clutched at him. Fetid mouths snapped hungrily toward his flesh.

"Shit!"

Sosuke's expression darkened. His figure vanished and reappeared like a cannonball, landing beside Kadokawa.

A single kick shattered several zombie necks. Bones cracked like dry branches as he dismantled the ones clutching Kadokawa.

"Don't scream. Run!"

Kadokawa hadn't even registered what happened when Sosuke grabbed his collar and yanked him out of the pile like a rag doll.

Standing beside him was Hiramiya he hadn't run.

"No time for tears. If you're alive, MOVE!"

Sosuke shoved them ahead and broke into a run, taking the lead again.

Maeda and Aso were nowhere in sight.

Just before reaching the hatch, Sosuke switched from rifle to blade. He scanned the entrance for any warning signs or traps. Seeing none, he dove through.

Thud!

Kadokawa and Hiramiya slammed the door shut behind them. Panting hard, they collapsed against the cold metal walls.

Sosuke remained alert, eyes sweeping the new bridge.

It looked identical to the previous one.

Except this one was a massacre.

Dark blood soaked the already crimson carpet, turning it a muddy brown. Severed limbs, chunks of flesh, and spilled entrails littered the walkway. Bloody handprints trailed across the white walls, haunting reminders of a futile escape.

"Where did Maeda and Aso go?" Hiramiya asked, pushing up his glasses.

Kadokawa scowled and pointed ahead. "Where else? Deeper in. They abandoned us. Some 'elite' survivors they turned out to be."

Sosuke didn't comment. Social status meant little now. Morality only showed its face in the moment of death.

Crunch.

Something snapped beneath his foot.

He looked down. A shattered smartphone.

The floor was scattered with abandoned items phones, wallets, cameras.

One camera caught his eye. Its red light still blinked.

"Still has power?"

Sosuke picked it up. Hiramiya leaned in, impressed. "Not bad. That brand lasts forever on standby."

Sosuke powered it on. The zoom lens extended with a mechanical whirr.

Photos loaded.

The first batch showed bikini-clad girls at a pool party. Selfies. Poses. Laughter.

"Whoa! Get over here, Kadokawa-san! Bikini babes!" Hiramiya exclaimed.

"Not interested," Kadokawa replied, deliberately turning away.

"Yeah right," Hiramiya muttered. "Only guys who don't like women are the ones who like men..."

Feeling a sudden chill down his spine, he edged away.

Sosuke quickly lost interest and handed the camera to Hiramiya, who eagerly zoomed in on every 'important' detail.

But as he clicked through the photos, the mood shifted.

Blood. Screaming. Panic.

The later images were chaotic, blurry shots of the airport.

And then

A figure leapt above a panicked crowd.

Gray. Inhuman.

The next few frames barely captured its form. One final image showed a grotesque face lunging at the lens.

"W-What the hell is that? Did she forget to turn off the flash and attract it?!" Hiramiya gasped.

Kadokawa frowned. "Something that can jump that high... a mutant zombie? What was it before? An Olympic jumper?"

Three to four meters off the ground it was beyond human.

Sosuke stayed silent, troubled.

Since the Tyrant appeared, more evolved infected had been showing up. And this one... wasn't just fast. It was intelligent.

But Kadokawa didn't expect an answer.

Sosuke shook his head. "Whatever it is, it's not here now. If it was, we'd know. Let's check the terminal and scavenge what we can."

"Yeah."

Hiramiya stuffed the camera into his waist pouch and helped Kadokawa toward the next door.

...

Thud.

The trio stepped into the terminal.

Their footsteps echoed in the vast, desolate hall.

Sosuke raised his blade, eyes sharp as radar, scanning for movement.

They stood still at the entrance.

No one dared move. Even their breathing was measured.

This section was massive.

Bloody.

Destroyed.

It didn't look like an airport anymore.

It looked like a slaughterhouse.

There were restrooms but no shops. A long corridor ahead seemed to lead to the main hall.

Two rolling shutter doors blocked the path, but one was completely open. The other was held up by a crushed trash can, just wide enough for a person to crawl through. Bloody handprints stained it.

"Damn it. Where are those two idiots? Should we fire a shot and lure the zombies out? I doubt there are many left in here."

Kadokawa instinctively looked toward the broken window where the zombies had jumped earlier.

Sosuke shook his head. "Bad idea. That corridor leads to the security checkpoint. If we attract everything there, we'll be trapped."

"You've been here before?"

"Yeah, once. As a kid. I came with my dad on a business trip. Haven't flown since. School trips only took the train."

Hiramiya peeked ahead. "There's nothing useful here. If we want food or medicine, we have to keep moving. We should load our weapons just in case."

Sosuke nodded. "Let's go."

He holstered his knife and chambered his pistol.

Kadokawa found a bottle of water in a backpack. They passed it around, drank in silence, then set off into the corridor.

"Hey... is that the hangar? Shit, you don't think those two ran into the plane?!"

Kadokawa pointed outside.

Through the windows, they could see wave-shaped blue rooftops. Half the hangars had collapsed in the tornado.

But three remained intact.

"Five hundred meters away, and full of zombies," Sosuke said, shaking his head. "No way they slipped through. If they're alive, they're still nearby."

Kadokawa narrowed his eyes. "My goal is to get a plane. As a local, I know the models kept here. And I know about the survivor zone in Yamanashi. If we get there, I can guarantee your safety."

"I'm not flying. Once we're airborne, it all comes down to luck. Let's worry about escaping this hell first."

Sosuke glanced toward the far end of the corridor.

Kadokawa nodded. "A tornado in Chiba... in all my years, I've never seen one. Nothing here feels right."

Sosuke agreed but said no more.

He raised his pistol and crept forward, boots silent on the thick red carpet.

They moved with caution.

When they reached the partially open shutter, Sosuke stopped them.

"Wait."

He knelt, ear twitching for sound.

A full minute passed.

"No movement. But still... stay sharp."

He crawled under first.

Beyond was the security checkpoint.

The ceiling rose into a vaulted dome, supported by steel beams towering overhead.

Dozens of rooms had been added around the space, making the lighting dim and eerie.

Clang.

The shutter rattled as Kadokawa pulled the trash can away and sealed it behind them.

He stepped up, ready to lead.

But Sosuke stopped him. "This is the outbound boarding area. Past security is the boarding pass counter."

He lowered his voice.

"I once saved a woman who escaped from here. She said the military cleared out most civilians. But we all saw those jumpers. This place isn't safe. Stay alert."