Chapter 1: The Dead Mall - Part 1
Chapter Text
“You guys got any plans?”
Day 1 of their apocalypse.
Three weeks have passed, and thirty-one people are still taking shelter inside the school, waiting for any news about a rescue. The entire building has been barricaded, and now they guard the entrance in case any survivors arrive. No one knows whether newcomers might be bitten, so trust has become a big problem.
Naegi Makoto is the only boy left among thirty girls after everything that happened to the rest of the students. It seems the others were evacuated long before they even realized what was happening.
“You guys got any plans?” someone asked.
Asahina Aoi repeated the question, wondering if anyone had suggestions—should they leave, or stay and wait in case the military was on the way?
She walked toward the window, catching sight of a survivor running down the road, chased by a horde of infected. Before she could react, Ikusaba Mukuro grabbed her shoulder and quickly pulled her back, shutting the window firmly.
“Don’t look out the window,” the soldier warned. “If those infected see us, they’ll come right for the building.”
“S-Sorry… I just saw a survivor running by—” Asahina stammered.
“Zombie,” Nanami Chiaki corrected softly.
She spoke like someone who knew what she was talking about—her experience coming not from real life, but from all the zombie games she’d played… just not too many.
“Zombie?!” Kuzuryuu Natsumi yelped.
“Shh! Keep your voice down,” Koizumi Mahiru whispered sharply as she shushed her. “They can hear us—unless this building is actually soundproof.”
“I don’t think there’s any soundproofing at all…” Kirigiri Kyouko informed her.
“Well… ahem.” Yukizome Chisa cleared her throat as she stepped in front of everyone.
“I know the situation we’re in. We can’t go outside until rescue teams find us. But we still have plenty of supplies, as long as the power doesn’t run out.”
Her calm voice helped bring everyone back under control.
“So… do we have any weapons prepared?” Maizono Sayaka asked.
“There are some in my room,” Ikusaba replied. “And Iruma-san can make more.”
“You’re damn right bitch! I can make weapons!” Iruma Miu snapped, tossing her hair. “But hey—do we even have a vehicle?”
“There’s a bus in the parking lot with our school logo,” Usami informed them for Gekkogahara Miaya “It’s parked just outside.”
“But how?!” Tsumiki Mikan cried. “D-Do we just point our fingers…?”
“No, Senpai,” Ikusaba replied calmly. “I’ll take my sniper rifle and use my silencer mode.”
“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Yukizome began. “We’ll head to the mall and check for any supplies we can still get. Some of you will have to go, and I know you’re all scared—so are we. But no matter what’s happening to our world, we have to survive. That’s our goal.”
“You’re right… but who’s going out?” Akamatsu Kaede asked, looking around for volunteers.
“Hmmm… I suppose Ikusaba-san, Pekoyama-san…” the housekeeper said as she scanned the group. “Who else?”
Harukawa Maki sighed, knowing she had no choice. “I’ll go. You already know my true Ultimate, right?”
“Yeah… and I can’t even move my feet right now,” Yumeno Himiko murmured, exhausted. “We barricaded the entire building… I feel like I’ve lost all my mana…”
“I’ll get the weapons,” the soldier said before heading out.
“Sensei… can I go too? I—I’m not leaving them,” Naegi volunteered.
“What!?”
Several girls reacted at once.
“No way! Naegi-onii, you’re not going out! We can’t risk losing you!”
“Hell no, stud! If you die, I’ll kick your ass!”
“Bo-chan…”
“I know you don’t want me to die,” Naegi said softly, “but I want to help them. It’s my job—my responsibility—to be the Ultimate Hope. Once we get out of here, we can continue our journey together.”
“He’s right,” Ogami Sakura rumbled, “but even so… we cannot allow you to go outside.”
“I know, Ogami-san,” Naegi insisted, “but you can trust me on this!”
Yukizome let out a soft sigh. “All right… but do you even know how to fight back?”
“I’m not sure,” Naegi admitted, “but I’ll try.”
After they finally reached an agreement, Ikusaba returned with all the weapons. As expected, Pekoyama Peko chose her real katana instead of the bamboo one—she trusted steel more than anything else.
Everyone began gearing up, equipping whatever armor they could find from the rooms they had searched earlier. Thankfully, no zombies had managed to get inside the school, so they were still safe… for now.
Those who were going out were Ikusaba, Harukawa, Pekoyama, and Naegi.
The rest would stay behind to protect the school.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay out there?” Kimura Seiko asked, worry in her voice.
“We’ll be fine, Sensei,” Ikusaba reassured her. “As long as we’re armed and prepared, we should be good.”
“You better not leave Naegi-kun behind!” Maizono warned.
“And don’t let Makoto-chan diiie!” Mioda Ibuki wailed dramatically.
“Raahhh, you guys are such babies,” Natsumi muttered. “He’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be fine,” Naegi told the girls with a small smile.
“Ready,” Pekoyama said, gripping her katana.
They began removing the barricades blocking the front doors. Once the last plank came loose, the four of them stepped outside—and the moment they did, the others inside quickly closed the doors and rebuilt the barricade behind them.
The outside world was worse than they imagined.
A few dead bodies lay scattered across the ground, and a starving dog was tearing into a half-eaten pigeon. When the dog noticed the group—one boy and three girls—it froze for a moment, then instantly turned and ran away.
“Be careful,” Ikusaba warned them.
The other three nodded, moving slowly down the road. Every vehicle they passed was wrecked—some smashed, some burned, and a few blown apart entirely.
Ikusaba suddenly raised her hand, signaling them to stop. Her eyes locked onto a lone zombie standing motionless in the middle of the road.
Without a word, she drew her silenced gun, aimed, and fired.
A clean headshot.
The zombie collapsed instantly.
They continued walking, their footsteps quiet, not making a single unnecessary sound.
“I’ve never seen my life turn upside down like this…” Naegi whispered.
“I know, Naegi-sama…” Pekoyama whispered back.
They continued down the road until they reached a gas station. Pekoyama stepped forward, grabbed a nearby shopping cart, and used it to smash the window—her katana ready just in case.
Luckily, the alarm didn’t go off.
Inside, the shelves were still stocked. They quickly spread out: grabbing food, bottled water, snacks—anything useful. Harukawa moved straight to the small pharmacy section, sweeping all the medicine into her bag with practiced efficiency.
Then—
A faint sound.
Someone—or something—moving in the staff area.
Without exchanging a single word, all four of them froze and readied their weapons.
They moved in slowly, ready to strike—
But instead of a zombie, a person stepped into view. A girl in a blue stadium jacket, dirt-stained but alive.
Naegi’s eyes widened as he recognized the long hair.
“W-Wait a second… Hagakure Hiroki-san?!” he exclaimed. She was alive. She’d actually survived.
“Naegi-chi? Is that you?” she said as she stepped out of the staff room, gripping a metal bat in her hand.
“Ain’t that the con artist’s son?” the assassin whispered.
“You know my son?” Hiroki blinked in surprise.
They slowly lowered their weapons.
“Hagakure-san,” Pekoyama asked cautiously, “may I ask… did you get bitten?”
“Nope,” Hiroki replied. “Those things didn’t bite me. But I did realize something—those zombies beat the crap out of me.”
The four of them stared at her, stunned.
Zombies that don’t bite…
but attack like people?
Ikusaba narrowed her eyes. “That’s… not normal behavior.”
Harukawa gripped her weapon tighter. “So they’re not just mindless biters.”
Naegi swallowed. “Then what are we dealing with?”
A sudden noise behind them—
A zombie lunged straight at Naegi, not to bite, but to punch with wild, aggressive force.
Naegi stumbled back, barely blocking the blow.
“Naegi-kun!” Ikusaba shouted in shock.
“Ahhh—!!” Naegi cried out as the creature swung again.
“Beeeehhh!!” the aggressive zombie roared, wearing what looked like a torn business suit. It raised its fist for another brutal strike
But before it could land the hit, Pekoyama’s katana flashed.
*SHNK!*
Her blade slammed into the zombie’s nose, slicing straight through the bridge. The creature’s arm went limp, hanging uselessly as its strength vanished.
Pekoyama stepped forward, kicked the collapsing zombie, and sent its body tumbling outside the broken entrance.
“You okay, Naegi-sama?” She asked as she checked him for injuries.
“I’m fine… I’ve never seen a zombie do that before,” Naegi said, still catching his breath. “These ones… it’s like the Green Flu. They still look like living humans, just… contaminated. I guess it’s not as bad as I thought.”
He let out a shaky sigh of relief, grateful he’d been saved by the Ultimate Swordswoman.
“See!” the former delinquent exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise.
“We should leave immediately, before more of them show up!” Harukawa warned.
The group nodded in agreement. Grabbing their supplies, they ran as fast as they could, quickly making their way back to the safety of the school.
After they left, a strange creature in a hoodie lingered nearby, growling softly. It had been spying on them at the gas station, and once they were gone, it silently melted back into the shadows, disappearing without a trace...
“Wait… you’re telling me those zombies just punch and kick people? That doesn’t make any sense!” Iruma exclaimed, confused after Hagakure’s explanation.
“I know you might not get it,” She said, shrugging, “but these zombies… they still look human, and they’re really aggressive.”
“I'm headed to the Laboratory!”
Tsumiki knelt to check Naegi’s injuries. “Beloved… I-I knew you should’ve been careful! I-I’m so surprised you’re alive!” Her voice wavered with relief; she had almost lost him to the zombies.
“Me too, Senpai… sorry for making you worry. I’ll be more careful,” he said, scratching the back of his head.
“Stupid Naegi-kun! I know you got attacked by a zombie!” Maizono elbowed him sharply.
“Ouch! Sorry! I’ll be very careful next time… I just didn’t see it coming from my side,” he admitted.
“You’re saying they’re aggressive toward humans?” Asahina asked, curious and concerned.
“Yes,” Hagakure replied. “It’s been happening for weeks.”
“Well, in that case, it’s a good thing they don’t bite us. That means we should leave ASAP… but where are we gonna go?” Ando Ruruka asked nervously.
“The mall,” Kirigiri replied. “It shouldn’t be far. From there, we could make our way toward Shibuya Crossing.”
She paused, thinking ahead.
“And eventually… we’ll need to find a yacht.”
“As a matter of fact, I possess a yacht,” Sonia Nevermind informed them.
That got everyone's attention.
“That’s great, Sonia-senpai! But how are we supposed to avoid those zombies?” Shirogane Tsumugi asked.
“Easy,” Chabashira Tenko said confidently. “Just fight and kick their asses! Those degenerate zombies are weak—as long as there aren’t any special ones with abilities or… some smarter type.”
“Well, that's case..”
“We do have Ogami-chan. She’s the strongest person on the planet,” Chabashira added proudly.
“Yes. I am still the strongest,” Ogami agreed, “but we should still wear some kind of armor—books, padding, anything that can help.”
“Everyone, grab whatever you can. Bring anything useful,” Yukizome instructed. “I need to check on Iruma-san.” With that, she headed toward the Ultimate Inventor’s laboratory.
“Hai, Sensei!” the group answered.
“C’mon, Naegi-kun, we need to pick up some things.” Maizono grabbed his wrist and pulled him down a different hallway.
“Yeah! Makoto-chan, help Ibuki find some instruments!” Mioda chimed in, hurrying after them.
“Me too, senpai! I’ll help!” Akamatsu added enthusiastically.
The four of them split off in different directions, while the rest of the group began searching for materials to build makeshift armor.
Their objectives were clear: first, reach the mall; second, make it to Shibuya Crossing; and finally, find the yacht. But as they split up and moved forward, none of them knew what kinds of special infected were lurking out there, waiting for them in the shadows…
This will become a battle for survival against the infection, and with thirty-one people in their group, every step forward will be a challenge.
We might find out later...
Chapter 2: The Dead Mall - Part 2
Chapter Text
Two hours later, before leaving:
After grabbing everything they could and preparing to defend themselves, everyone suited up in sports armor. Even Celestia Ludenberg changed into a gym-style uniform: a dark blue or black track jacket with a white zipper down the front and white stripes running along the sleeves, complete with a small red emblem on the left side of the chest. She wore matching black shorts and black knee-high stockings pulled up to her thighs.
Surprisingly, the gambler also decided to let her hair grow long instead of keeping her usual twin-drill style.
“Wow, Celes-chan, I didn’t expect you to change into a gym uniform. Also… do you even know how to fight?” Koizumi asked.
“I don’t know how to fight,” She admitted, “but I can try. My Grand Bois will protect me. As you can see, my cat becomes very aggressive toward strangers—and the infected—if they come near me.”
“Oh.” The photographer understood what she meant.
Ikusaba returned, catching her breath as she relayed the information to the survivors.
“Everyone,” she began, “while I was shooting a few zombies, I saw a large man with massive arms wearing a hazmat suit. When I looked through my scope, I saw survivor getting attacked by him. It has to be a special infected.”
Everyone fell silent—completely frozen and unable to react for a moment.
Natsumi gasped at the news. “Huh?! What?! I thought these were just regular zombies! How the fuck are we supposed to survive a new type of infection?!”
“Did you manage to save the person?” Yukizome asked.
Ikusaba sighed. “Unfortunately… I couldn’t. That big-armed guy ran off before I could do anything.”
She then remembered Natsumi’s question and added, “Just dodge it. He seems to ram straight into people and knock them away. It looks like this mutation gave him incredible strength.”
“Well… I guess we need to be careful around that big one-armed guy. What should we even call him?” Fuwa Sato suggested, glancing at the others.
“I suppose… Charger, I think,” Nanami said thoughtfully.
“Speaking of that… has anyone seen Naegi-onii?” Saionji asked, looking around. Everyone exchanged uneasy looks—they all realized they hadn’t seen him for a while.
Just then, Naegi appeared in the hallway. The moment the others saw him, they froze. He looked hurt—there was a scratch across his arm, and he seemed a bit shaken. The other girls with him looked exhausted as well.
“Huh?! My knight, what happened to you?” Celes exclaimed, rushing toward him. “There shouldn’t be any zombies inside the school. How did you get hurt?”
The others stared at the strange creature in the picture Maizono was trying to describe—a thin, pale figure in a torn hoodie, crouched low like an animal. Its eyes were sunken, its mouth bloody, and its long claws looked built for slashing. It didn’t move like a normal zombie at all.
Maizono took a shaky breath, wiping the small trail of blood on her forehead.
“W-well…” she began, trying to steady herself. “We were on our way to get weapons. Then this… weird hoodie guy appeared. He crawled out of nowhere, and when he noticed us, he just stared—then suddenly charged straight at Naegi-kun...”
She clenched her fists, remembering the moment.
On their way down the hallway, Naegi, Maizono, Mioda, and Akamatsu had been talking about which weapons to grab first. Out of a smashed window, the hoodie creature suddenly leapt, landing in a low crouch.
Its head slowly lifted—showing its twisted grin.
All four froze.
Before anyone could react, the creature screamed and launched itself at Naegi, claws extended. He barely managed to block, but it was strong—far stronger than any infected they had met so far. The girls threw themselves at it, pulling it off him before it could land a killing blow.
The memory faded, leaving the room heavy with tension.
“Yeah… Makoto-chan almost died…” Mioda muttered, still shaking.
“Quick! Take Naegi-senpai to the infirmary!” Akamatsu cried out.
Tsumiki and Hiroko immediately rushed to his side, carefully lifting him up before carrying him toward the nurse’s office to treat and recover his injuries.
A few of the girls stayed behind to check on Naegi, while the others hurried over to the trio from the music girls. Yukizome stepped forward, concern written all over her face. “You girls—are you okay? Did that thing hurt you?”
“We’re okay, Sensei,” Maizono answered, though her voice trembled. “Just some minor injuries… but Naegi-kun is way worse. That thing almost tore his skin off…”
Ikusaba narrowed her eyes, gripping her M16A4 tightly. “Where’s the creature now?”
“It should still be in the hallway…” Akamatsu said, pointing in the direction they came from.
Five of them hurried toward the same hallway where the four earlier had been attacked. When they arrived, they stopped cold.
There were streaks of blood smeared across the floor… but no creature.
Akamatsu’s eyes widened.
“T-T-T-The hoodie… it’s gone…” the pianist stammered, shocked that the thing had managed to escape.
“Ain’t good… Ibuki’s super scared…” the musician whimpered, hugging herself nervously.
The soldier crouched down, inspecting the blood trail carefully. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted something—
a torn piece of blue fabric, likely from the hoodie creature’s left pant leg.
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Pekoyama and Kirigiri approached, the lavender-haired detective holding a small gravel sample she had collected.
“We heard Naegi-kun was attacked… and that the creature got away,” Kirigiri said, her expression tight with disappointment as she realized the hoodie infected was no longer there.
“We also need to barricade the window,” Pekoyama added firmly, pointing toward the shattered frame. “That’s how it got in. If we leave it open, something else will sneak in next.”
After they finished barricading the window, the group returned to the entrance. There, Enoshima Junko was waiting for them—leaning casually against the wall. Resting beside her arm was her upgraded weapon: a spiked baseball bat, looking even more dangerous than before.
“Hey, gals! Did I miss the fun?” she asked with a mischievous grin.
“Yeah… you did miss it. You know Naegi-senpai, got hurt right?” Akamatsu replied.
Enoshima blinked. “Huh? Where is he?!”
“He went to the infirmary to recover,” Ikusaba explained. “He got a lot of scratches.”
She's eyes widened. “Wha—?! I need to see him! Don’t worry, Junko-chan made a special soup for him!”
Without another word, she dashed off toward the nurse’s office, her spiked weapon clunking behind her.
Infirmary Room.
Naegi lay resting on the bed, his torso wrapped in bandages. His hoodie had been removed, and though he looked tired, his breathing was steady. The girls gathered around him quietly, the heavy fear of almost losing him still hanging in the air.
No one wanted to imagine the worst.
The silence finally broke when Sonia spoke, her voice trembling. “What are we going to do now? This new infected type… and darling was attacked a second time…”
Tojo Kirumi stepped forward calmly, trying to reassure her. “Fear not, Sonia-senpai, I’m certain we can find another way to reach the island—and we will make sure Naegi-sama is safe. He won’t become one of them.”
“I doubt it… reaching the island is gonna take a long ass time. When is the rescue even supposed to show up?” Natsumi muttered, clearly frustrated.
“I am not sure,” Ogami replied calmly. “But it seems they are not actively searching for us yet. And the power is still functioning—for now.”
Hopefully the power won’t shut down,” Kimura said softly. “All the supplies need to stay active… and Iruma-san is still upgrading our bus. When you get close to it, you can hear the tools lifting and grinding…”
“Can a pharmacist make a cure?” Natsumi asked suddenly.
“She’s not a scientist, she’s just a pharmacist, Kuzuryuu-san,” Koizumi reminded her gently.
“I hate to say this… but I’m not sure we can fight against those new infected,” Asahina admitted, her voice shaky. “Naegi-kun was almost brutally killed…”
Owari crossed her arms, glaring with determination. “We can still fight! Only losers give up!” she snapped. “Yeah, the world looks like it’s about to end—but we’re still alive! We just need to reach that damn island, damnit!”
Haruwaka glanced at the clock—4:00 PM. Her worry deepened. Sunset was coming soon, and once night fell, they wouldn’t survive out there. They’d barely be able to see anything unless the power across Tokyo stayed on..
“Where is Yonaga-san?” Yumeno Himiko asked, looking around.
“She went to pray to her Atua… hoping it can help us,” Shirogane replied.
“How is that supposed to help?” Natsumi muttered skeptically.
“Trust me,” Shirogane said with a small nod. “She knows how to gain help from her… unique home.”
Iruma’s voice echoed into the infirmary before she even stepped inside. “Check this shit out—!”
But she stopped mid-sentence as soon as she saw Naegi lying on the bed, wrapped in bandages. “W–Wha—?! The hell happened to our stud-senpai?!” she yelled, eyes bulging.
Ogami sighed deeply before explaining, “He was attacked by the hoodie infected… and it escaped through the window.”
“You could’ve just killed it instantly!” Iruma shouted in frustration.
“We couldn’t,” Koizumi answered firmly. “He got attacked before we even heard anything from the hallway.”
“Get Naegi out—we need to leave immediately! I upgraded our bus with a brand-new system!” Iruma barked, practically vibrating with urgency.
“We must wait for the others,” Tojo replied. “And more importantly, we must wait for Naegi-sama to wake up first.”
The inventor huffed. “Just carry him out—”
“Umm… g-girls…” a weak voice interrupted.
Naegi had finally woken up. All the girls immediately turned toward him as he slowly pushed himself up, his body still shaky.
“Naegi-kun! I thought you died!” Asahina cried, gently hugging him so she wouldn’t hurt his injuries.
“Shit, you dork… I thought we were losing you,” Natsumi muttered, relieved—then pointed straight at the blonde inventor. “We could’ve just sacrificed her instead.”
Iruma snapped back instantly. “Oh fuck you, bitch!” she shouted, flipping her off.
“How long have I been in bed… while I was resting?” he asked, still confused.
“A few hours,” Haruwaka replied. “Can you get up?”
“J-Just a bit… only,” Naegi answered, trying to sit up slowly.
“While we were waiting for the others, Junko-chan made a special soup,” Koizumi added with a small smile.
Enoshima entered the room, holding a steaming bowl of “special soup.” No one really knew what she put in it—only that it smelled surprisingly good.
“Surprise, my darling~! I hope you enjoy it. Let me feed you,” she said, lifting a spoon toward him. “Say ahh.”
Naegi blinked, a little embarrassed, but opened his mouth. The moment the soup touched his tongue, his eyes widened.
“Oh—this is good! What’s it made of?” he asked curiously.
Enoshima winked. “You know… miso soup.”
The girls looked relieved—most of them had secretly expected the soup to be poison—but seeing Naegi enjoying it made them relax.
“D-Do you have… more?” Tsumiki asked shyly, her voice fading into silence as she fidgeted.
“It’s in the kitchen,” She said, casually pointing toward the door with her thumb.
“Fine. Maybe one meal should be enough, and then we can get the fuck out of here later.” Iruma left to go get some miso soup.
“Same here… but I need to watch him,” Tsumiki said. She couldn’t leave her patient.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you,” Enoshima offered.
“Alright. Make sure Naegi-kun gets a little more rest for now,” Ogami said firmly. “Once he’s stable, we can leave the school.”
With that, she left the room. One by one, the others followed, until only three people remained in the nurse’s office.
Before they could leave, Naegi turned to the blonde girl.
“Hey, Enoshima-san?”
“Yeah?” she replied, glancing at him.
“You think… the world will ever go back to normal?” he asked quietly.
Enoshima smirked. “Hmm, I’m not so sure about that, my dear Hope. Everything’s already turned into an apocalypse of despair. This might be our brand-new chapter.”
Then she lightly tapped his shoulder. “But hey, don’t worry. I’m sure we can still get out of here… and find that ‘princess boat’ she mentioned.”
“I… suppose so. I just hope there’s a cure,” he said, his voice soft but determined. If a cure existed, maybe the world could be rebuilt—made into a better place, instead of being trapped in this suffering, undead nightmare.
After everyone finished their meals, the group gathered outside. The infected around the school had already been taken out—sniped cleanly from a distance by the Ultimate Soldier, her silent rifle wiping them out before they even sensed danger.
Waiting for them was the bus. From the outside it looked the same as always, but the inside told a different story. Iruma explained the upgrades with a proud grin: the bus could turn completely invisible, hiding itself from any infected. And if any zombies got too close, the external system would activate—electrifying them and disintegrating their bodies into dust on contact. This wasn’t just a vehicle; it was a secret weapon on wheels.
Ikusaba took the driver’s seat, steady and focused, the perfect choice for navigation as a Fenrir soldier. Once the engine rumbled to life, the bus rolled forward, heading toward their first destination: the Mall. They needed more supplies, more gas, and anything else they could secure before nightfall—because when darkness came, the true nightmare would begin...