Chapter 5: Ep 5 - Second Floor
The barricade groaned.
Kanata Yukimura threw his shoulder against the heavy desk one more time, and the makeshift blockade finally gave way with a loud scrape. Dust floated in the narrow stairwell, the stench of old blood and rot leaking into their lungs. Kanata coughed, waving a hand in front of his face, and glanced behind him.
Mayumi Serizawa stood silent, her face stiff with a mixture of tension and grief. Her shirt was torn at the sleeve, a streak of dried blood painted across her cheek. But her eyes were sharp. Determined. Takeshi Kamuro's memory weighed heavy on both of them.
"We find them," Kanata said.
Serizawa nodded. "Kanami. Takiya-senpai. And Godou-sensei."
Together, they stepped down into the half-lit corridor, the fluorescent bulbs above them flickering like dying fireflies. The second floor was eerily quiet. Rows of classroom doors lined the hallway, a few of them splintered or wide open, blood trails painting the tiled floors. The silence wasn't comforting. It was terrifying.
Kanata gripped his bat tighter.
They moved quickly, avoiding broken glass and bodies slumped against lockers. Occasionally, they heard the distant groan of the undead. But what chilled Kanata more was the absence of screams.
"Class 2-B," Serizawa whispered, pointing. "Wasn't that where Takiya-senpai was headed?"
Kanata nodded. They rushed to the door, easing it open.
Inside, Takiya Shino stood like a war goddess.