A Maze of Corridors: Part 2

Raymond hurried to stop Leopold from shooting as he disregarded his cries.

"What are you doing?" Leopold let out a shout. "He has an infection!"

"You don't have any evidence!" Raymond retorted. "We must examine him first!"

"You—" Leopold growled as he resisted Raymond's hold.

Calvin pleaded, "Calm down, you two." "He's all right."

As Calvin inspected the soldier, they cast their eyes downward. His arm was unmarked, but his sleeve was torn. Raymond slowly relaxed his grip, and Leopold wrenched free.

Leopold murmured, "So, you got lucky," brushing the incident aside.

"Hi!" Raymond lost his temper. "After you threatened his life, how can you be so heartless?"

"Calm down, everyone," Calvin remarked, ending their argument. "We have arrived at the opposite end of Sakura Central Mall. The task is not finished.

Leopold and Raymond exchanged a look of scorching contempt.

Raymond forced himself to calm down and asked, "So, what's next?"

Calvin responded, "That stairway is essential for our retreat," indicating one that was only a few paces away. "While Raymond, the demolition crew, and I plant the bomb elsewhere, we must secure this route."

The steps will then be guarded, Leopold said, advancing on them without waiting for an answer from his group.

They divided into two groups after putting the disagreement aside. Two men carrying bomb-planting equipment and carrying light weapons made up the unit that accompanied Calvin and Raymond. Since Calvin could only carry a handgun, Raymond was mostly left to deal with any zombies they came across.

"All right, we have to keep going," Calvin remarked.

As they made their way into the building, a few zombies arose to try to stop them, but they easily defeated them. The group quickly started building the device after arriving at the assigned location.

"Raymond." Hesitantly, Calvin said. "I must confess something."

Raymond was perplexed by his tone and simply nodded in response.

"Do you recall my pledge to protect you?" Raymond nodded once more, and Calvin went on. "Sorry, but that really goes against the plan!"

On the smell emitter he had given Raymond, which Raymond had not previously noticed, Calvin pulled a tiny string.

"Calvin?" As he heard the gas hissing from it, Raymond's nerves began to fray. "What is this?"

Using viral samples, I created a chemical that attracts zombies over a large area since we need bait to entice as many of them as possible. To put it briefly, this smell emitter will quickly attract a swarm to you.

"What are you discussing?" Raymond went into a frenzy. "Take it off!"

Since you're the most resilient, it had to be you, even though I knew you'd freak out. Unless I enter a code on a concealed pad on the back, I made the fragrance emitter to lock onto your body.

Raymond felt angry at being taken advantage of, but there were more urgent issues to deal with.

"So, what would you recommend?" Raymond made a demand.

"Run!" "The chemical will start working any moment!" After completing the bomb's arming, Calvin and the crew ran toward the stairway and yelled.

Raymond, compelled by necessity, ran after them, quickly surpassing them with his HHD-enhanced speed. But things quickly became worse. The loudest moan yet echoed across Sakura Central Mall, indicating that he had been picked up by both the ground-level zombies and those in unguarded shops.

"Be quick! We have run out of time! Calvin shouted.

Hordes of zombies surged out of the storefronts, charging with never-before-seen intensity as they sped forward.

"Raymond!" Calvin yelled once more. Keep away from us at all costs! With just one scratch, we're done!

Despite Raymond's hatred of Calvin's manipulation, Calvin was correct; Raymond needed to attract the zombies by himself for their protection. He lunged at them, shooting as many times as he could, but he was bitten. He continued firing and battling until the metamorphosis took effect, unfazed. He cut through the crowd, the blade emerging from his hand.

Behind him, gunshots echoed. Fearing he was their target, Raymond ducked, but the crew firing at the stores was exposed by the falling zombie carcasses.

"Don't stop right now!" Calvin pushed. "We'll do everything we can to protect you!"

Raymond was shocked that they were so receptive to his change, probably because of Calvin's effect when he was unconscious. He continued, listening to Calvin's advice. The guarding crew remained just outside the stairwell, amazed by his changed appearance but not excessively alarmed.

"Calvin, we followed your instructions and locked the doors, but these zombies are getting in!" Leopold wrote.

Calvin retorted, "We know—we can't stop now," as the ensnared zombies' hands tore through tiny openings in the barrier of the mart, tearing their fingers. "Come on upstairs!"

As Calvin, still climbing, typed buttons on a handheld pad, they ran up the steps.

"What are you doing?" Leopold insisted. "I hear them approaching!"

Calvin replied, "I'm calling the helicopter." "That ought to suffice. Continue!

They heard doors on the top and first floors splintering halfway up, letting a wave of zombies loose.

"Raymond!" Calvin gave a call.

"You got it!"

To keep a safe distance, Raymond jumped up a level. Then, he rushed higher, slicing at the zombies that were rushing from above. As they climbed, soldiers detonated incendiary grenades below, setting the lower levels on fire.

"Everything is fine here!" With a roar, Raymond killed the final one.

"Go outside!" Calvin gave the order. "The effect of the gas is enhanced by fresh air."

Raymond did as he was told and bounded upstairs to the top floor. He was briefly blinded by the brightness as he burst through the door, but the clear rooftop soon stretched out in front of him, practically begging for the chopper to arrive.

"I succeeded! Everything is OK! Down the stairs, Raymond called.

"Yes!" Calvin answered. "And we're almost there!"

They ascended quickly and had no significant difficulties. A soldier used a unique device to close the entrance as soon as they emerged. The crowds outside screamed as they assaulted the structure, but they could no longer hear the moans from inside.

"Is the chopper prepared yet?" With a tinge of despair, Raymond inquired.

“It could take some time,” Calvin said. "It's making the entire journey again because they had to return it to base."

All they could do was wait. As time passed, they became agitated by the loud clamor of zombies scurrying toward the rooftop. In order to release their tension, some soldiers threw explosive grenades below, tearing apart groups of undead.

Raymond briefly questioned whether the idea would work because of the enormous number of zombies swarming the structure. Had Calvin made a mistake? Can they all be destroyed by a bomb that can be put together in a matter of minutes? All he could do was wait for his skin to return to normal.

The whir of rotor blades became heard as hope was fading. Leaping to their feet, they looked about for their long-awaited deliverance. Before long, the helicopter appeared from a street that they could see. Then Calvin reached for a radio.

"As soon as possible! Before we permanently blow this building up, we must leave!

"Verified," a voice snapped back. The door shook beneath the weight of many zombies as the helicopter drew closer.

"Everyone!" Calvin yelled. "We can't allow them to get to us—use whatever you have to shoot them down!"

The crowd was released as the doors gave way. Luckily, their explosives were still with them. The bodies of the fallen zombies started to block the passage again after a flurry.

As the chopper landed, Calvin replied coolly, "It's here."

The voice on the radio said, "I apologize for the delay." "I couldn't put the helicopter at risk against those creatures."

Calvin said, "It's okay," and motioned for them to get on board.

Raymond started to obey, but Calvin pulled him away. He froze in surprise, then heard his fragrance emitter beep faintly.

Calvin remarked, "You ought to be able to take it off now." "It's an ingenious invention, but it might not be a good idea to keep it as a memento."

"I agree," Raymond said, letting out a little chuckle of relief.

As the helicopter took off from the building, they crammed themselves inside it. They observed zombies swarming the door from a distance until they finally broke in to nibble at Raymond's abandoned smell emitter. Through the glass walls, they could see that every floor of the building was crowded with people who appeared to be the whole population of the city.

"Now blow the charges," Calvin ordered. A loud explosion consumed the structure a few moments later.

The rise of the flames was not what Raymond had anticipated. Although the fire caused obvious damage, its shape resembled a flower that was in blossom during Sakurashi's spring. Every zombie in the area was destroyed by the explosion, which not only destroyed the building but also swept across the nearby streets.

Calvin sank into his seat and said, "Mission complete," as they burst into cheers following the protracted suspense.