The classroom buzzed with quiet chatter as Saeko organized the students. They had been through the first wave of chaos at the school gates, and although they had made it inside relatively safe, the tension in the room was thick. Saeko moved among them, checking injuries and assigning roles.
"Take care of the younger ones," she instructed one group. "Make sure everyone stays calm and stays together." Another group she directed to help those who had minor scrapes or cuts from the commotion outside. Her voice was firm but steady, giving them a sense of order they desperately needed.
Saeko knew she had to keep them under control. Students began listening to her, their panic slowly giving way to cautious trust. Her authority had beco a stabilizing presence, they trusted her more than Gaius as especially what he has just done to one of their Teacher. She could feel the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, but it gave her focus.
Then she noticed movent near the classroom door. Gaius was leaving. The massive form of his armor shimred in the dim light, the folds of the corridor making him look even larger. His power sword rested at his side, the bolter slung across his back. Despite having already seen him through live feed, witnessing him in person was truly different.
Saeko's chest tightened. She felt a pull she hadn't expected, the sa thrill that ca with confronting danger head-on and killing. She turned to Rei and Takashi. "Take care of these students. Make sure no one leaves the room." They nodded quickly. "I'm going after him."
Rei hesitated but ultimately obeyed, keeping watch as Saeko followed. Saeko did not speak, but her grip tightened around The grip of the Blade that Mindy gifted her. The mories of the four years ago, and easily overpowering the man who tried to molest her and she severely injured him, pulsed through her like a dark current. Gaius, walking ahead, did not slow down. He sensed her presence, but said nothing, focusing on the thodical clearing of the school.
The hallways were quiet, almost eerie, except for the faint moans and shuffling of the undead. Gaius moved with precision, his steps deliberate. A group of zombies blocked a doorway. Without powering his sword, he swung it with incredible strength, cleaving through them with ease. Heads rolled, limbs fell cleanly, and not a single shot from his bolter was wasted. A small group of zombies lunged from the stairs; the weapon barked sharply, a few precise rounds dropping them before they could reach him. Every movent was exact, and efficient.
Down a side corridor, Gaius found a classroom where three figures were cornered: Saya, Kohta, and Nurse Shizuka. The zombies were closing in, their movents slow but relentless. Gaius stepped forward, his bulk and presence enough to give pause even to the dead. The power sword cut through the first wave, unpowered yet impossibly strong. Kohta's eyes went wide at the bolter. "I've… I've never seen a gun like that!" he exclaid.
Saya and Shizuka could only stare, awe written across their faces. The size of Gaius, the precision of his strikes, the way he moved as if the armor was barely a hindrance, it was unlike anything they had seen. They whispered to each other, speculating on his origins. "He's not from any military we know… maybe a secret experint?" Saya guessed especially the height and the strength needed to control the huge of a armor. "The armor… the weaponry… it doesn't match anything we have," Kohta added.
By the ti Gaius finished clearing the room, twenty additional students and staff were safe. He gestured for them to follow, moving with the calm certainty of soone who had done this countless tis.
When he returned to the classroom, the mood was tense but organized. Students had started using their phones to contact relatives, faces pale and worried. One student had brought a TV from another room, and a broadcast played faintly in the corner.
The reporter's voice was steady. "An infectious virus has spread globally. Citizens are advised to remain indoors and await rescue."
Suddenly, the feed shifted. A zombie, tied to an ambulance bed, broke free and attacked people in the background. The cara fell, the broadcast cutting off abruptly. Students gasped and murmured, fear returning in waves. Saya's lips trembled. She looked at Gaius, her voice shaking but determined.
"Can you… can you help save my parents?" she asked.
Gaius shook his head, his voice firm. "No."
Saya froze, the words sinking in. Then Gaius turned to Saeko. "What about your relatives?" he asked.
Saeko's expression was calm. "My father is overseas. Strong enough to take care of himself as he is far stronger than . I do not worry."
Gaius nodded once, noting silently that Saeko was capable of protecting herself so her father should be able to as well. Saya's eyes widened in frustration, realizing he had denied her while asking about Saeko. She opened her mouth to shout, but seeing the calm, asured expressions of both, she caught herself.
"I… I think," she corrected quickly, lowering her voice, "if we want a base, my family estate would be better than this school. It's large, well-stocked, and easily defended. The walls and gates can keep threats out, multiple rooms for sleeping, storing supplies, and keeping watch. If soone strong like you were here, we could survive and even plan rescues around the city easily."
Gaius turned to Saeko for confirmation. She shrugged lightly. "I don't know the details. I just know it's large and luxurious."
He looked back at Saya, black eyes sharp. "If you lied, there will be consequences."
Saya t his gaze, unwavering. "It is true."
The classroom, while still tense, had begun to settle. Students were quiet, listening, and starting to organize themselves under Saeko's instructions. Gaius prepared to leave again, heading to clear the rest of the floor. Saeko followed, driven not just by responsibility but by the thrill she felt in killing and feeling the flesh being slice by the blade.
The hierarchy was clear: Gaius led at the front, Saeko coordinated from beside him.
~~~
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