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[HOTD] Chapter 39 – Tyrant
🕑 Added 2025-04-12 12:36:38 +0000 UTCFrankly speaking, Highschool Of The Dead’s original story never went into detail about small details like this. Which was understandable considering it was written as an action, gore, and fanservice harem manga.
And based on how everything happened, it wasn't part of the plot at all.
"Maybe it's not important for us. Let's go again." I stood up and told the others.
While I said that, I did think this underground facility was important and planned to visit alone later. There was something that I was suspicious about. Especially why would they go so far to keep it secret from us.
And that cop, Nishimura...
An interrogation might be needed.
We began to move once again after 3 minutes. The footsteps from below had scattered around, I believed they tried to find us around the first to third floor. Perfect to allow us escape.
I handed my handgun to Takashi, one I believed would shoot in the case of an emergency. He needed it to protect our rear or the girls when I and Saeko were too far away.
We moved carefully and I told everyone to stay calm and walk normally. Running footsteps were always easier to hear compared to normal ones. However, it meant we had to suppress our urge to run away in this dangerous situation.
"...find them?"
When we almost reached the stopped escalator to head downstairs, I heard voices nearby. I gestured for them to hide before taking a peek myself.
Two people were walking around with makeshift weapons in hand, one carrying a wrench while the other brandished crowbar. They conversed calmly as they searched throughout the vast shopping center.
"Should we kill them?" Saeko whispered close to my ears.
Her warm breath tickled me slightly, sending tingles across my skin.
"No. Killing them here will give our location away." I rejected her plan after considering everything thoroughly. "We need to hide as much as possible."
A slight hint of disappointment flashed in her expression but disappeared soon enough. She nodded wordlessly in acknowledgement of my decision. With her agreement secured, we continued moving silently down toward first level.
The path before us lay empty, devoid of life except us five.
Nevertheless, we exercised extreme caution nonetheless especially now since any mistakes might lead to disastrous outcomes regardless of circumstances surrounding us currently.
We managed to reach the first floor safely where there was only one staircase connecting upstairs and downstairs. If we went out and crossed this hallway, we would find ourselves outside this mall. And outside of this mall would be another obstacle.
"It's too quiet." Takashi whispered quietly. He peered intently ahead, scanning every corner meticulously in hopes of spotting anyone lurking nearby.
Now that he mentioned it, the silence was strange. Why hadn't someone come here and attacked us already? Maybe they underestimated us and believed they had scared us away?
"Maybe we scared them. After killing two of them so easily earlier," Rei said confidently.
Normally I would think so too. But they actually sent people to find us, so there should be some commotion or noise from the people who stayed outside.
The fact they sent a search party means they didn't let their guard down.
Something was fishy. As I wondered about the possibility, my instincts screamed warning inside my head.
"Let's advance slowly."
The four nodded at my command. I gripped the sheath of my sword tighter, preparing myself mentally against whatever awaited us next.
My gaze darted leftwards as I kept watchful vigilance over our surroundings. Every movement registered acutely within my field of perception. Nothing escaped unnoticed under scrutiny.
Light from the lamp outside allowed me to see the situation. No one was there, and the camp looked untouched since we entered earlier.
Suddenly...
"Ah!!!" Rei shouted out loud as she saw a corpse.
Not just one, but dozens of them. Blood covered everything but the camp in front of me. Innards splattered across concrete pavement everywhere.
Saeko's pupils dilated violently at the sight of those corpses sprawled carelessly alongside roadsides beneath us.
Takashi crumpled onto the ground weakly and stared wide eyed toward the scenery outside, his visage drained utterly devoid of coloration akin unto death mask donning his face.
And Saya... She averted her eyes and vomited her stomach content loudly.
The camp and tents remained intact, but whoever was there surely had been killed. No one was alive. Just dead bodies.
It was a horrific vision.
"Don't stand there!"
Something must've killed these people when we were hiding. There was no gunshot, so the culprit wasn't human. Not only that, but there was also no scream.
Or maybe the scream was diluted by people's shouts when they tried to catch us.
But anyway...
"We need to run!" I grabbed Rei and Saya by hands, forcibly dragging them with me. "Whatever it is, it may attack us."
Saeko also tapped Takashi, to which he responded with a nod. He looked pale but he was able to run.
Ignoring the blood and gruesome sight around us, we ran toward the exit. The barricade was still intact, so the only way out was through the security room door, which was left open by someone.
However, just as we arrived at the broken doors...
The lights suddenly died, shrouding everything pitch black darkness without warning.
"Watch your step and run!" I commanded.
There was nothing else worth mentioning aside from darkness encompassing every corner's visible vicinity. A faint smell lingered wafting thickly throughout stale air; reminiscent of the sickly sweetness of rotting fruit.
I headed out first to see the situation.
Just as I stepped out, I noticed a deep breath from my left. I quickly turned around and saw it.
A large fist aimed towards my direction.
Thud!
Crash!
And I was blown away, crashing against the cars parked outside the mall. It hit me right in the abdomen.
"Ugh... Fuck."
Fortunately, the impact caused me to cough blood but didn't break any bones. My increased strength proved useful this time. However...
'What is that thing!?'
A big creature stood before me. Its body was larger than any zombie I ever encountered and its height surpassed two meters tall. The clothes he wore had the word 'police' written on the chest area, but it was ripped apart and torn.
Its mouth stretched widely as it roared toward us ferociously.
"GUOOOOHH!!!"
Saeko immediately stepped out and slashed the monster with her sword. However, just like what I experienced, her sword only managed to scratch the monster's thick neck, barely reaching his bone.
The giant's body seemed like it was enhanced several times stronger and sturdier than when it was a human.
Seeing that her attack didn't work, Saeko quickly retreated. But not before slashing his legs with quick succession.
"Daiki!" Saya cried aloud in shock upon witnessing my sorry state after getting punched.
"Stand back!" I shouted angrily while lifting myself upwards unsteadily from my position laying prone atop the car hood. "That monster is dangerous! Go inside the mall."
Quickly noticing the situation, Takashi nodded at me and ran inside with the two girls. He mouthed something alongside 'Nishimura' to me before he ran away, giving me a hint of this giant's identity.
"GUAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Roar resonated louder than previously once more.
Immediately afterwards multiple figures emerged from the surrounding area. Zombies appeared one after another surrounding our vicinity, completely cutting off all means of escape.
"Brother!" Saeko called out frantically, approaching me hurriedly only to stop short mere steps away.
“I am fine.”
I pulled my M1A1 rifle forward and fired multiple shots at the zombies around us.
Right now, we were completely separated from Takashi’s group.
[Ding! You have received 500 Shop Points + 1 All Stats.]
Usually I would be happy when hearing the notification. But not this time.
[Make your choice!]
1. Run and leave Takashi and his friends. (Reward: 1,000 Shop Points)
2. Fight the Tyrant together with your sister. (Reward: 1,500 Shop Points + 5 All Stats)
The new choice I received after running into the giant seemed like a trap.
If I ran away in my current condition, the giant monster would catch up to us. Why?
'A fucking Tyrant!'
Because that giant monster was a Tyrant, the Bio Weapon designed by Umbrella fucking Corporation.
That thing had a program to annihilate all threats in front of him. And he would never stop chasing after me and Saeko if I decided to run away.
So, there was only one option.
'Kill it and run.'
