HOTD: A New Dawn

Tysone's leg swung down on a zombie before his knife found itself lodged deep within the undead's skull.

As the corpse fell limp beneath him, Tysone pulled his weapon free. Blood soared in a small arc.

"H-Hey!! Help! Somebody help—gaaah!!" Someone screamed farther down the hallways.

'Another poor sap.' Tysone frowned. 'Shouldn't have ventured out alone…'

Mai flinched slightly at the agonizing sounds coming from another room. "We need to rush before more of these things come!"

Saya led the group, her sharp eyes scanning every corner for movement. "The gym is just ahead," she whispered. "If we're lucky, we might find baseball bats, poles, or even makeshift shields."

Miku let out a shaky breath."Do you think… anyone else made it here?" She asked hesitantly.

"Maybe." Saya replied, her tone flat. "But don't expect a warm welcome. Everyone's in survival mode."

As they approached the gym doors, a low growl echoed from behind them. Tysone whipped around just in time to see a figure stumble out from a nearby classroom, its lifeless eyes locking onto them.

"Move!" He barked, stepping between the girls and the infected. With a practiced motion, he drove his knife into its temple, the wet crunch sending a shiver down Miku's spine.

"That's the second one in five minutes." Saya noted, her voice calm but laced with urgency. "They're starting to cluster. We need to hurry."

They burst into the gym, the heavy doors creaking ominously as they pushed them open.

The vast space was eerily quiet, the smell of stale sweat and blood thick in the air. Abandoned equipment lay scattered across the floor: basketballs, broken rackets, and a few benches overturned in what looked like a desperate attempt at barricading.

"Fan out." Tysone ordered after he scanned the area. Despite the lack of corpses, there was a sharp tang of blood. "Grab anything that looks useful. Bats, pipes, anything." He moved toward the storage room at the back of the gym, kicking the door open with a grunt. Inside, shelves lined with sports gear greeted him—lacrosse sticks, javelins, and even some protective gear. "Jackpot." He muttered.

Mai followed close behind, her eyes surveying the room. "This could work." She said, picking up a pair of shin guards and strapping them on. "Anything to keep them from biting."

Meanwhile, Miku hesitated near the gym doors, her eyes darting to the darkened corners of the room. Every shadow felt like it was watching her. "Guys, I don't like this… what if we're not alone here?"

"Then stay close to someone who knows how to fight." Saya said bluntly, tossing her a metal bat. "And stop whining. You're not helping anyone by panicking."

Miku swallowed hard but gripped the bat tightly in both hands.

"Here." Tysone tossed Mai a lacrosse stick while handing Miku a tennis racket. "These should help fend off any incoming attackers without getting too close. Try to hit them in the head whenever possible—it'll slow them down temporarily while also blinding them for a few moments." He said. "If you're strong enough, you should be able to kill them with one strike."

"I-I'll try..."

Tysone then rummaged through another shelf, grabbing whatever he deemed useful for the trip—a few bandages, scissors, ropes, and placed them in a bag that had been left behind.

"There should be a set of stairs leading directly to the rooftop of this building." Saya said.

Tysone emerged from the storage room, now armed with a javelin and a reinforced aluminum bat strapped to his back. "Alright, we've got what we need. Let's get out of here before—"

His words died as a chorus of groans echoed from outside the doors, accompanied by heavy footsteps.

"Oh no…" Miku whimpered as the doors shook violently as if something large rammed into them repeatedly from beyond.

Saya stepped backwards slowly, her own weapon raised defensively. "We need to go now." She said, resolutely. "Follow me."

They retreated further into the gym, heading towards another set of double doors on the opposite end. The emergency exit. But before they could reach them, a loud crash reverberated behind them—the main doors buckled under pressure, splitting down the middle as several undead forced their way inside.

"Damn!" Tysone swore. "There's too many!"

The sight was scary—he had to admit it. There were at least a dozen zombies, probably former students, teachers, or staff members. All dead, with only pure instinct driving them towards prey.

Each of their bodies were covered in grisly wounds from previous altercations.

Tysone's heart pounded heavily within his chest. 

This wasn't a position he wanted to be stuck in.

"Move!" Tysone barked.

Everyone rushed towards the emergency exit. However, right before they could reach halfway through it, the sound of banging and scratching resonated from the other side. Those doors were being forcefully opened as well.

Miku and Mai froze at the realization.

"Damn it!" Saya cursed.

Tysone turned back, eyeing the horde of shambling corpses. There was no fucking way he'd die to so soon! His fear turned into anger. All of that hard-work would have been for naught, and he couldn't let it.

He gripped his javelin tightly. Right before he could engage with the first zombie, a whacking sound, followed by a burst of blood, caught the horde's attention. 

Everyone turned around, just as a mane of purple hair swirled in fast motion. 

Tysone's eyes widened in recognition. 

There she stood—Saeko Busujima. Her bokken gleamed with a fresh coat of crimson, droplets of blood dripping onto the floor in rhythmic intervals. She exhaled calmly. 

The first zombie she had struck crumpled to the ground, its skull caved in from the force of her swing. Without skipping a beat, she moved forward, the ends of her violet hair dancing with her momentum. 

Another growl erupted from the horde, but it only served as a cue for her to strike again.

THWACK. Another undead fell.

Tysone's mouth hung slightly agape, caught off guard by her sudden and flawless entrance. Hah, of course it had to be her! He couldn't help but smile. 

"Busujima…?" Saya muttered, blinking in disbelief.

Saeko's lips curled slightly at the corners, though her focus remained locked on the horde advancing toward them. "I see I've found the survivors. That's good." She swung her bokken in a graceful arc, decimating another undead that got too close.

Miku was trembling, holding the bat Saya had given her with visibly unsteady hands. "H-Holy crap… who is she?!"

"Saeko Busujima." Saya replied tersely, still recovering from her initial shock. "The kendo club captain. She's… exceptional with that thing."

"Exceptional's an understatement." Tysone muttered, his grip loosening on his javelin slightly as he watched her maneuver. "She's clearing them out like it's nothing."

It would have been so easy to let her handle everything on her own, given how capable she was, but Tysone had to make an impression. If Takashi managed to get her on his side, then he could certainly do the same.

Besides, the fight looked cathartic.

Without waiting another second, Tysone threw his javelin directly into the forehead of another zombie with precision and strength, piercing its brain completely and causing it to collapse limply.

The group turned toward him, surprised.

"Focus." Tysone stated firmly as he pulled out the baseball bat strapped to his back. "Don't gawk at us. If you see a window, take advantage and help if you can."

The rest nodded and joined in the fight alongside him.

Mai took the initiative and charged forth. With surprising ferocity, she swung the lacrosse stick with all her might, striking an unsuspecting zombie across the face with enough force to knock it to the ground. "Urghh!!" She yelled out while panting.

"Nice hit." Saeko remarked. 

Tysone stepped closer to the melee action, brandishing the reinforced bat like it was an extension of his arm. 

He swept aside three of the undead with swift strikes before following up with brutal hits directed squarely at their temples, crushing each of their skulls instantly.

Saeko gave a faint nod of acknowledgment, her gaze flickering briefly toward him.

Tysone nodded back, before his bat slammed into a zombie's head, and with a well-timed kick, put some distance between him and another, which just so happened to stumble back towards Saeko's bokken. 

A violent whack had the undead's skull split open.

"You're good with that thing." Tysone said, slightly winded.

Saeko, on the other hand, looked as fresh as a daisy. "You're not bad yourself."

"Watched a few videos here and there." He chuckled dryly. "Looks like they came in handy after all."

Her lips faintly curled up.

Needless to say, with the addition of Saeko, the remaining zombies were promptly eliminated one after another, their brains splattering across the wooden floors of the gymnasium.

"Well, that should do it for now." Saeko sighed lightly. "Good teamwork."

Tysone huffed lightly. "Yeah. Wasn't expecting your help but hey, it was greatly appreciated."

"Likewise." Saeko said softly, a ghost of a smile gracing her features. Then, her expression turned serious. "I'm assuming you're heading somewhere safe? Your weapons indicate such intention."

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support