New Dawn Chapter: 067

Well, everyone but Tysone. He had keeping an eye on Shido in case the fucker tried anything funny.

Yet, somehow, that bastard managed to slither off. 'Doesn't matter for the moment. I'll go look for him once I'm done with these motherfuckers.' Tysone had a vendetta to fulfill. Shido had to be killed, there was no doubt about it, but in this instant, there was a far greater threat before him.

As the clanging sounds of the battle echoed, two more bikers fell on the ground. Some of them escaped, probably recognizing that they stood no chance.

Rei managed to take down one more biker by her lonesome, while Kohta hailed nails mercilessly on the gang. Saeko was on a rampage, truly showcasing how unmatched she was in terms of close quarters fighting.

Saya, Miku, and Mai struggled a bit more, but together, with a great deal of effort and coordination, they could manage to overpower an opponent. It also helped that whenever they were in trouble, Takashi or Kohta would step in to help. Otherwise it would have truly been disastrous considering the gap in strength and ruthlessness.

Not every woman was as skilled as Saeko or as determined as Rei.

Tysone picked an opportune moment when his opponent left his machete far too wide for him to defend himself and slid to the side of the man, before using a blunt strike with his elbow. He heard something break as the man howled, retaliating with a well-timed kick to Tysone's ribs.

"Ughk."

Tysone pushed through the pain, swivelling his javelin in a blur of motions. The leader stumbled back as multiple cuts blossomed on his body, soaking his jacket crimson. "Gah—!"

"How does it feel getting stabbed again and again?"

Another thrust.

"And again?"

Thrust.

"AND AGAIN?!" Tysone snarled, plunging his javelin deep. The tip of his weapon burst through flesh, the metal point digging into bone, blood squirting onto Tysone's uniform. The leader, now sporting multiple weeping holes in his body, tried to crawl away. "At least have the decency to face your end with dignity. Also... good call leaving your head exposed like this."

Tysone punctuated that remark with another jab aimed squarely between the man's widened, horror-stricken eyes. The sharpened, razor point effortlessly pierced through the man's head like it was paper, turning his brain to mush.

"Stay down... piece of shit." Tysone huffed, before turning towards the remnants of the scattered bikers. "The same goes for you."

Everyone did the sensible thing and ran for it. Tired of the bloodshed, Tysone's group didn't attempt to pursue what was left of the gang—not that they could pose much of a threat as scattered and injured as they were.

Tysone breathed in and out, holding his aching side. It didn't feel like anything was broken, but even a simple bruise could take its toll and wear one down during a fight. Thankfully, they had stocked on medical supplies, and he had a lot more at home.

He surveyed the field. There were more than a dozen bodies—not to mention those he had killed during the chase earlier—lying on the ground, blood pooling at their feet. It wasn't a literal river of blood as one might from such a violent group fight, and the dark was working wonders in hiding most of the gory sights, however, it was still disturbing, and he could see that besides Saeko, everyone was shaken.

Even Shizuka, who hadn't partook in the fight. Speaking of Shizuka, she had stepped out of the bus in a rush, now crouching over the prone, unmoving forms of Shido's group. "T-They're not breathing!" She shouted frantically, rising to her feet and stumbling over. "They're... they're—" She couldn't bring herself to finish her words.

Tysone walked up to her, looking down at the students that followed Shido like some sort of cult, only to lose their lives as a result. "Shizuka-sensei. They died because they lacked the strength to survive, and chose the wrong person to follow and protect. Speaking of which..." He addressed everyone, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Shido has ran off."

"That bastard..." After experiencing her first murder, Rei was riding high on the blind hatred that came with the initial surge of adrenaline. "He ran off?!"

Tysone let out an amused laugh. "Looks like he used his students as meat shields to escape. It doesn't matter. He's next, regardless."

Saeko hummed. "Well, we will just have to track him down, will we not?"

"Of course." Tysone chuckled darkly. "Shido is a malignant tumor. If left alive, he will only breed more troubles, so we have to surgically remove it. For the group's sake... I'll get rid of him."

...

Everyone got back inside the bus and closed the doors. Despite no one suffering heavy injuries, coming out of that scuffle unscathed was practically impossible. Tysone, under Shizuka's strict orders, undressed to examine his injuries.

As Shizuka nursed his bruise with some sort of ointment, Tysone went over the fight in his head.

That guy was no easy opponent by any means, yet Tysone had made his fair share of mistakes and could have lost his life if he hadn't the superiority in strength and size. Always fighting against mindless zombies got him used to dealing with little resistance, after all.

As soon as they settled somewhere, he'd definitely ask Saeko for guidance.

"Do you have to touch him this much, Shizuka-sensei?" Saya muttered bitterly as she watched the scene.

"He's got some bad bruising. I just have to rub this ointment to speed up the healing process." Shizuka answered distractedly, massaging Tysone's ribs.

"It's okay, Saya." Tysone began in a teasing tone. "Next time we get attacked, you can check out my injury."

Saya frowned, blushing furiously. "Shut up! Who'd want to do anything for someone as vulgar as you?"

Mai coughed purposefully in her hand, cracking an eye open to look at him. "For once, I agree with her. Even in a situation like this... you still managed to act like your usual perverted self."

Tysone shifted back in his seat as Shizuka finished tending to him, grinning cheekily. "Guilty as charged, my ladies~"

There were some small chuckles all around as their spirits lifted just a bit from their prior sombre mood.

Once everyone had sat down, the reality of the situation sank in. Most of them had stained their hands with human blood. The deed was now carved into their memories, an event they could never forget, no matter how much they might try.

All that pain. Those dying expressions. Those bloody corpses. The mind-numbing fear and adrenaline.

For most of the group, it was the first time.

As such, Tysone did his best to take charge and cheer the group up.

"Alright everyone, rest up. We might have to fight zombies soon, so getting a decent amount of sleep is top priority. Make sure someone is constantly keeping an eye out though." Tysone said as he slowly got dressed and stood up.

Saeko had been side-eyeing him all along. "What about you?"

"I'm going out for a bit."

"Wait! You can't go alone!" Rei chimed in. She probably knew what he was up to. "Let me go with you."

Tysone cocked his head at Rei, before sliding open the doors and gesturing towards the outside. "After you." He looked back at his group as he walked out. "I'll get us some drinks." 

…

Shido hid away in an abandoned convenience store; he made sure the whole place was clear before he locked himself in the staff room, grabbing as many foods and drinks as he could. Honestly, this was as far as he could flee to. Any farther than this, and he'd likely meet hordes of zombies.

...and a survivor like him did not fare well when meeting undead creatures.

Was it cowardly for him to run away like that? Definitely. But it was his safest bet. Tysone wanted his life, and he knew that it'd be forfeit if he stayed with them any longer. He hoped that, eventually, Tysone would pack up and leave with his group.

For now, his plan was to stay in there for a couple of days, which he had enough food for. Once the situation calmed down a bit, he'd come out and rally whoever was willing to join him and start his new empire anew.

Besides... he'd need to expand his numbers eventually. Especially with Tysone around, if the brute was actually competent enough to establish his own little group... which he very well might be.

For now, all he had to do was wait.

…

A noise woke him up.

He wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't already on high alert. It was hard to sleep when he was completely alone, with no idea if a horde would come in through that locked door any minute.

So as he stirred awake, his ears strained and his eyes were half-opened. At first, all he could hear was his own breath, amplified to sound more like an animal than a man.

Then—

The door he had meticulously locked burst open. 

"Found you."

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