Shizuka Nanami, Pt. 3

The goblin-turned-zombies swarmed into the cave.

“Shizuka!”

Hironobu got in front to defend me and replicated himself. His clones gathered in one area as if to block the cave’s passage.

The goblin zombies surged towards the decoys, their bodies smooshing together to create a wall of flesh.

“Raugh, raauughh...”

The zombies, whose bodies were rotting and falling apart, opened and closed their mouths, desperate to eat Hironobu’s clones. They were too densely packed to move, however, and their teeth gnashed hungrily.

A cacophony of zombies gnashing their teeth together.

Could there be anything more nightmarish than this?

I forced myself not to pass out from the sound.

“Stay back, Shizuka! I can’t hold them off for much longer!!”

“S-sorry.”

When the first goblin zombie entered the cave, I became paralyzed with fear.

If Hironobu had escaped with the others when Saburo yelled at us to run, he might be safe now. Instead, he’d stayed behind, refusing to abandon me.

It’s my fault if Hironobu dies.

“W-why?”

There wasn’t any point asking. Even so, I couldn’t help screaming at him.

“Why didn’t you just leave me and run?!”

Hironobu didn’t look at me as he spoke, never taking his eyes off the zombies.

“I ran away once, and I regretted it.”

“You mean...?”

From Section Four. I almost blurted out, then stopped myself.

Hironobu hadn’t said a word since being rescued. I guessed he regretted not being able to save Kotaro and Jiro.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t run anymore. Even if it means dying.”

I could feel Hironobu’s determination in his words.

He intended to save his friends no matter what, even at the cost of his own life.

“No! You can’t...”

If Hironobu dies because of me, I won’t be able to live with myself.

“We’ll get through this together.”

I’d been determined not to use my bazooka skill, but I had no choice but to use it if we were to escape from here.

I glared at the zombies, directing all my hatred at the creatures who had backed us into a corner.

My phone pinged, and I quickly checked the screen.

“Student number 14 (female), Shizuka Nanami.”

“Skill: Bazooka.”

“Transforms anger and resentment into ammunition.”

“Your anger has successfully charged your ammo. Forty percent remaining until you can fire.”

That’s not enough at all.

What a horribly inconvenient skill this was. I suppressed the urge to hurl my phone against the wall.

“That skill...”

Hironobu, who’d been looking at the screen, muttered.

“Maybe you can activate it if I die.”

I shook my head frantically.

“NO! What’s the point of that?!”

“At this rate, though, we’ll both die.”

I shuddered, having a terrible hunch.

No. Please.

“Help us, Ryo!”

I screamed the name of the person I loved, who I was sure I’d never see again.

The meat-shield fell apart, and the goblin zombies charged at us.