New Dawn Chapter: 066

In response, however, Saeko dropped into a ready stance, her eyes gleaming darkly. Kohta shifted his aim. Rei lifted her spear and placed her weapon horizontally over her face.

"Takashi." Tysone yelled, his patience running thin. "Are you actually going to keep hiding in there like a little bitch or get out here and help defend everyone?"

Takashi snapped out of his reverie and scrambled out of the bus, holding his bat tightly.

"You too as well!" Tysone pointed at Shido's group of students, who had been cowering inside the bus in the meantime. "Get the fuck out here. It's time to prove yourselves."

One by one, the students stumbled out of the bus, all equipped with their makeshift weapons. Mai, Miku, and Saya came out as well, with only Shizuka being the one staying inside the vehicle.

The bikers looked surprised by this.

Their leader shrugged.

"Might as well. Everyone else dies in the end, anyway."

"Is that so?" Tysone felt a spike of anger. It made his blood boil. It might've been because they were ambushed out of nowhere, or because those fucks decided that they had already won, treating them like dead meat and the girls as slabs of meat to use and discard—but Tysone no longer wanted to play the peaceful character. "We might all die here." He pointed the tip of his javelin at that bastard's bald head. "But you'll be the first."

"Come at me then, kid." That sleazebag laughed. "Can't wait to feel the rush. Especially from your fine little women." His eyes flicked over at Saeko.

"Fuck it!" Tysone finally exploded. There was no longer a need for restraint, there was no longer a point in talking or playing charades with this gang. At this point, none of these sons of bitches deserved any courtesy. They lost their rights to live the moment they jeopardized his and the group's well-being. "Everyone, don't hold back! It's either you or them!"

And then he rushed forward, aiming right for the leader. But as you'd expect from a bunch of pussies, the leader didn't move to meet him halfway. Instead, he let his henchmen do all the heavy work. "Show some initiative." Tysone laughed.

Kohta's hands trembled as he aimed, not to injure, but to take a life. As of right now, anyone he was aiming at was going to become his enemy. Was he alright with that? His heart drummed faster against his ribcage as adrenaline took control.

His lips slowly curled up into a mad, uncontrollable grin. "Let's do it!"

Miku and Mai covered each other's backs as a biker approached, chuckling darkly while dragging a knife. They raised their weapons defensively, but they didn't need to. Purple hair fluttered, before the wooden shaft of Saeko's bokken easily found its way into the man's neck.

When the biker fell to the ground with a broken neck, Saeko couldn't help but smile. A deviant curve of the lips that matched beautifully with the wild gleam in her eyes. 'Yes, this is it! Struggle for me, like the worms you are!' Her grip on the bokken tightened with anticipation.

Miku felt a shiver of fear run down her spine, while Mai let out a weak 'haha'. Saeko wasn't as gentle as they thought she was, right? Then again, at the moment, they didn't care much about such trivial details as long as Saeko fought to protect them. They knew they could count on the girl.

Rei exhaled as she slammed the butt of her makeshift spear into the groins of her opponent, eliciting a scream in the process. She knew what had to be done, and while she was scared, and hesitant at first, she knew that the group's survival hinged on their collective willingness to do what had to be done.

Her grip on her weapon didn't loosen as she swung it vertically, hitting the crouched biker on the chin. The man's helmet was sent sailing, exposing his weak, unguarded head—which she proceeded to hit with her reinforced pole. She screwed her eyes shut when an audible crunch sounded out. 

Two more bikers, armed with chains, reached Rei and tried to swing wildly—before a piercing pain halted them in their tracks. They found nails embedded deeply into their heads and torsos.

"Thanks, Kohta-san." Rei turned around and found Kohta cock his nail gun. The guy didn't even bother to throw a second look before another nail whistled through the air and planted itself squarely into another approaching enemy's exposed forehead. He really seemed to be having fun with his ranged attacks.

Then he turned back towards Rei, his wild grin and narrowed eyes softening into a blob of cuteness and happiness. He rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe~ don't worry about it."

Tysone didn't wait. His javelin lashed out, slicing through the air. The biker who stepped forward to block him staggered back, blood blooming from a gash in his arm.

"Next one goes through your throat." Tysone growled, his voice a low snarl.

The leader laughed again, stepping back like the coward he was. "Handle this." He barked at his men.

A thick-necked biker charged at Tysone with a knife. 

Tysone sidestepped, spinning the javelin, and struck the man's knee. The sickening crack of bone echoed in the night, and the biker crumpled with a scream.

Kohta fired his nail gun again—one nail, straight through another biker's hand. The man howled, clutching his bleeding palm, but Kohta didn't stop. He fired again, this time hitting the guy's leg, and the biker dropped like a sack of bricks. 

Saeko rushed in, planting her feet on the nailed biker's shoulders, used him as a springboard, and vaulted towards the nearest bikers.

Her foot collided into a biker's head, his body jerked backwards from the sheer force. A biker quickly positioned himself behind the swordswoman to flank her, yet all he could register before blacking out was Saeko's bokken sinking into the base of his skull.

As for Shizuka? Who stayed behind in the bus? Well, the poor girl had to sit still, holding on tightly to the wheel, her ears closed as everyone else went wild in their efforts to slaughter those bastard bikers.

It had gotten so noisy outside, and the sounds of grunting and screaming nearly broke her nerves.

Even Mai, this young, promising celebrity was reduced to a bloodied mess, covered in sweat and dried, muddy blood, brandishing a weapon soaked in a crimson hue. It was frightening, it was crazy, and she would never have seen herself doing such things before the outbreak occurred.

Miku was a bit stronger. She was breathing heavily as she stared down at the corpse of the biker she and Mai murdered.

Meanwhile, Takashi was conflicted. The scene unfolding in front of him was macabre in the most chilling ways possible. Seeing someone taking a life was a truly surreal thing. It was even more surreal seeing Rei, his childhood friend, not hesitating. Tysone, Saeko, Kohta, and even the girls Tysone brought with him, were acting almost instinctively. 

He bit his lip, not finding the strength to go for the kill. 'Damn it!' He swung his bat across a biker's face, with enough force to knock the man out cold, but not kill. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone.

…

Tysone was bleeding. Despite having the height and strength advantage, he wasn't fully immune to being battered up by a crowd of angry bikers. Still, it beat getting killed, especially since Shido had somehow managed to stay unscathed this entire time. He'd deal with that slimy bastard once he killed off the remaining pests.

"Well, it looks like I have to deal with you personally, brat." The leader, seeing his men falling down one by one, sighed theatrically, and stepped up, holding a machete. "Sorry, kid, but the boss always finishes up his opponents, regardless of age or strength. How can we even consider ourselves a respectable bunch otherwise?"

"Sure. Make whatever excuses you want, spineless scum." Tysone answered back, dodging a vicious slice. "But I ain't gonna get killed. I've got things to live for."

"Ohoh?" The machete descended once more. "Then come. Show me this will to live."

That bastard was putting his strength into every swing of that machete. Tysone stepped sideways, then back, then in between. He constantly stayed in a fluid motion to dodge the incoming attacks. And, when he finally spotted an opening, he thrust his javelin forward.

The steel point jutted forth, missing the leader's shoulder by a breath. A flicker of surprise showed in the man's eyes, but just as quick, Tysone repositioned, trying again. He had to quickly disengage when the machete cut through the air. The two once again exchanged a series of attacks, with Tysone constantly staying on the offense.

This wasn't a fist fight; Tysone couldn't charge in recklessly. The man was clearly more skilled than his minions. 'Did he have some sort of training before...?' It'd be delusional to think that he was the only one to have martial arts training before the world collapsed. 

Meanwhile, Shido was slowly coming to the realization that Tysone's group would emerge victorious. "This is not good..." A biker suddenly lunged at him, swinging a chain. Shido's eyes widened as he grabbed one of the students that followed him thus far and threw him in the path of the biker's chain. "Do your job and protect me!"

The chain wrapped tightly around the student's neck as the latter raised a desperate hand towards Shido. "Help… me…" 

Shido clicked his tongue as he retreated. He had seen the way Tysone had looked at him. With the rest of the group following Tysone's ruthless path of survival, there was no way Shido would ever rise up to take control. 

As such, as sneakily as the snake he was, he slithered away before anyone could notice. 

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 P@treon.com/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