"Got it!"

Kadokawa snapped the hammer of his pistol back and crept forward, eyes sharp and muscles tense. Sosuke Kitahara and Hiramiya followed behind, spaced out by a few meters, providing him quiet cover.

They passed through the metal detectors useless now and several handheld scanners lay scattered across the floor. Hiramiya picked one up and jokingly scanned himself, beeping like a child at a toy store.

Sosuke glared at him.

"Right, right..." Hiramiya sheepishly dropped the scanner and fell back in line.

They weaved through the snake-like queue barriers and emerged from the security checkpoint into a vast open terminal. Rows of chairs, scattered luggage, shattered glass but no immediate threats.

"Wait. Slow down," Sosuke whispered.

Everyone froze.

He listened closely. "Zombies. Not many. Maybe ten or so. Sounds like they're far off. We take them one at a time, quietly."

"Got it."

Crouched low, they pressed forward. Past an old sign for International Departures, they reached the main ticket hall. Sosuke peeked over a counter.

Light streamed through high windows. The space was bigger than anything they'd explored before. It wasn't a complete warzone not yet. Blood was here and there, dried and faded. But it was clear some defensive effort had been made early on.

A dozen zombies in airport staff uniforms shuffled around, unaware of their arrival.

Beyond them, glass doors led to the elevated road. Sosuke squinted. Three armored vehicles sat idle beyond sandbag barricades. Yet... patrolling around them were dozens of soldiers in camouflage.

No.

Zombies in camouflage.

"Whoa! There's a McDonald's!"

Kadokawa lit up like a child. Across the room, nestled between duty-free stores and ticket counters, the iconic yellow M shone above a dusty fast-food counter.

"Dibs on some fried chicken," he grinned. "My wife and stepdaughter are gonna think I'm a god if I bring back nuggets."

Sosuke chuckled. "There's some luggage over there. If it belonged to tourists, there's a good chance it has medicine. Maybe even cold meds."

"We've got two options," he added. "One: quietly kill a few zombies, loot what we can, and leave. Two: take a bigger risk, kill them all including the soldiers and maybe secure an escape route. What do you think?"

"Let's fight," Hiramiya grinned. "You saw those armored trucks. Think about what's inside. Even if we can't drive them, the gear alone could turn everything around."

"Hmm. Not a bad idea," Kadokawa nodded. "But we'd have to take out those soldier-types first. They're no joke."

Sosuke raised his folding knife. "Then let's start. We go quiet until we can't."

The team slipped from bench to pillar, ambushing staff zombies one by one. Some shambled cluelessly in open areas, but even they fell easily under a few swift strikes.

"This place is ours now!" Hiramiya laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Hell, I'd build our base right here if it wasn't so close to the horde."

"Don't celebrate yet. Be careful inside the stores. Could still be one hiding in a cupboard."

They took a short breather. Kadokawa lit a cigarette. Hiramiya rummaged through a pink suitcase, hoping for luxury brands, but finding mostly bras and panties.

"Looks like a woman's bag. Damn. Where's the good stuff?"

He tore into a side pocket and found a handful of pills.

"Yo, Sosuke! Cold meds! Jackpot. This girl must've looted a pharmacy. It's a full range. Fever reducers, painkillers you name it."

Just as he turned to hand the meds over, Sosuke froze. His eyes narrowed.

He slowly raised his rifle, scanning the ceiling.

"Something just passed overhead. Fast. Not one. Multiple."

They froze. Even the air felt heavier.

Five minutes passed in silence. No further movement. Sosuke exhaled slowly.

"Forget it. Let's split and search for food. We'll tackle the outside zombies tomorrow."

"Copy. I'm heading to McD's. You guys be careful."

Kadokawa made for the fast-food corner. Sosuke and Hiramiya turned toward other shops.

Moments later, a triumphant shout echoed from Hiramiya.

"Beef jerky! So much of it! Man, no one's touched this place. Our lucky day!"

He stuffed his mouth with the jerky, savoring the taste. Then...

Whoosh.

A chill wind grazed his neck.

He froze.

He looked up. The low ceiling. No vents. No holes.

Weird.

"Just my nerves..."

But he didn't let his guard down. He spun around. Nothing.

Then again.

Another breeze.

This time, his scalp tingled.

"Who's there?!"

He grabbed his bag, stuffed it with snacks, and turned to leave.

Only to realize...

Sosuke and Kadokawa were gone.

"Sosuke? Officer Kadokawa?"

He called out, panic rising.

No answer.

Wham!

Something slammed into him from behind.

"AHHH!"

He raised his suitcase just in time. It exploded in his arms, shredded by a powerful blow. He flew backwards, slamming hard into a row of metal chairs.

DADADADA!

Gunfire erupted.

As Hiramiya staggered to his feet, he saw it a short, gray blur rolling where he'd stood. Bullets riddled the thing, but it rolled, hissed, snarled.

Sosuke leapt out of cover, unloading his rifle.

It wasn't enough.

The creature leapt again, using a pillar to spring up toward the ceiling and vanish.

"Behind you!" Kadokawa's shout.

Another blur.

Sosuke turned just in time to parry a second monster diving from above. He slashed with his folding knife.

The thing dodged, twisted midair, and vanished into a darkened storefront.

"They're coordinated," Sosuke muttered.

"Like goblins... Half our size, gray skin... But they're being controlled by something smarter. Something hiding in the dark."

Crash!

The glass doors at the front shattered all at once.

A flood of zombies poured in hundreds of them.

"RUN!"

Hiramiya bolted.

"STOP! Stick together or you'll die!" Sosuke shouted, grabbing him.

They formed up, guns roaring, trying to keep the horde back.

But they weren't just fighting zombies anymore.

Two gray shapes lunged from either side

The ambush had begun.