New Dawn Chapter: 072

The insinuation was clear. He meant using her for 'entertainment'.

"What a lucky bitch. Since no one's looking after you, you get to serve me. Consider yourself lucky, Yuigahama." Yomi said, grinning slightly. 

"Wait! Y-You can't—!" Yui cried. She turned her head and was shocked to find out how they were all eyeing her—desperation and fear written all over their faces, and contempt mixed in with guilt.

They had no qualms in condemning her if it meant they could escape.

She bit her lip, almost drawing blood. 

"Bait, or entertain me. Make your choice, little lady."

She couldn't believe it.

Yui wanted to be accepted and be liked, so she did her very best in getting good grades. She always put a smile on her face. She's always been kind to everyone. Everyone liked her... or at least, that's what she thought, but now, they were betraying her for their lives.

"Please... I can't go outside!" Yui looked around helplessly. "I... please..."

She searched the faces around her, hoping, praying, that someone would speak up. 

That someone would stand by her side.

But all she saw were averted gazes, nervous shuffling, and thinly veiled relief that they weren't the ones being sacrificed.

Yomi chuckled, taking a slow step toward her. "Then you'd better start—"

"Hold on."

A sharp voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife, making everyone freeze.

Yumiko Miura.

Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulder as she crossed her arms, her lips curling into a scowl. She stood a few feet away, a flash of annoyance in her eyes. Not so much at Yomi's actions, but at the mere fact that this whole situation was spiraling out of control.

"You're seriously thinking of using Yui?" Yumiko's voice was steady, but there was a pointed sharpness beneath her usual haughty tone. "That's stupid. She's not the weakest one here. In fact, she's the lynchpin that kept most of you from going batshit crazy already."

Yui's wide, watery eyes darted to Yumiko, a flicker of hope blooming in her chest.

Yomi blinked, his smirk faltering for a moment. "Oh? Then who would you suggest, princess?"

Yumiko's gaze drifted across the room, settling on a frail, quiet boy cowering in the corner, one who hadn't spoken a word this whole time. His thin frame trembled, and he looked like he'd pass out at the mere suggestion of going outside.

"Him." Yumiko jutted her chin toward the boy. 

The boy's face paled, and a ripple of murmurs spread through the group.

"He's not even trying to help. Just hiding and shaking like a loser." Yumiko's lips curled in disdain. "If anyone should go, it's him."

Yui's stomach churned. She should've felt guilty, but all she could muster was relief—blazing, selfish relief that someone else was taking her place.

"T-That's right…" Yui said, immediately shuffling closer and behind Yumiko's reliable back. "Isn't he useless?"

Everyone took a good look at the trembling kid, who looked ready to bolt if given the opportunity. Most agreed, nodding, and murmuring.

Yui beamed. "She's right. You... you're really not of much help. I mean... not much help like me... right? Right?"

A murmur of assent went through the crowd. Yomi had to reluctantly agree. "He certainly looks useful as bait. Now, unless someone can volunteer to replace him, you will be going, little man."

His lips curled into a sardonic grin. The boy's eyes grew impossibly wide.

"S-Someone!" He turned to Yumiko, falling to his knees and begging her to convince the classmate's that were her minions to intervene. "Yumiko-sama! I won't survive a minute out there. S-Someone..."

Yui bit the insides of her cheeks, keeping quiet. As her gaze roved the other girl, though, she was struck with an unfamiliar sense of admiration. She would never be like her, confident and poised like that.

Yumiko, though, simply stared at the trembling, stuttering boy.

"No time for that!" Yomi barked, and the boy quailed, bowing his head in defeat. "Get your sorry, shaking self out there right now, or someone is going to drag you out, and it ain't going to be pretty!"

Silence settled in the small room once again.

There was no other choice.

Trembling, the boy dragged himself to his feet, making his way to the gym's door, whimpering and muttering something under his breath. His knees almost gave out a few times, but he mustered his last strength and stood firm, reaching the entrance.

Yomi glanced at Yui, who recoiled behind Yumiko, and swung the door open as fast as he could, kicking the kid out and straight into the rotting embrace of the undead. 

The boy screamed, but didn't beg to get back inside; he knew that no such mercy would be granted. The zombies immediately focused their attention onto him.

Right as he stared death straight in the eye, he found the strength and courage to retaliate. His arms moved in a whirlwind of movements and punches, and, for a precious moment, he tasted freedom.

Those creatures were sluggish but inhumanly persistent. 

He ran. He sprinted as far away as his tired legs could carry him. The adrenaline fueling his muscles made him dash with renewed speed. The horde outside the locker room started chasing after him, letting Yui and her classmates breathe a little better.

The boy clambered up a staircase, crying for help with each faltering step. Behind him, the horde only grew bigger, and Yui covered her ears to drown the dreadful screams.

As he turned around a corner, he passed by the art classroom, where another horde of zombies was clawing through the windows and doors. Like a chain reaction, the zombies' heads instantly snapped towards the running, pale-faced boy, and began to chase after him as well.

With the art classroom now freed the horde, Marin slowly opened the door and peeked outside the classroom. Gojo also leaned to the side a bit.

Both teens slowly backed up. There were no zombies outside the classroom anymore.

"They went chasing someone..." Marin's brow furrowed.

"Should we leave?" Gojo asked weakly, slowly standing up.

"Yeah, we should be quick. We don't know how long that guy can hold the attention for us." Marin explained.

With a final nod to one another, the two sneaked out the classroom, creeping stealthily through the school hallways. With most of the horde still pursuing the screaming boy, they managed to navigate the winding corridors with ease.

A couple of stragglers slowly approached, but Marin skewered their heads with that sharp piece of wood. Gojo's mouth hung open at the open display of ruthlessness from his gyaru friend. With each zombie that was felled, blood would splash all over Marin's pale skin and clothes, painting her with gore.

Gojo swallowed as he stepped over the corpses. They could see the school exit ahead; Gojo's heart leapt to his throat. Would they finally make it out of that death trap that Shinju High had become?

"The parking lot!" Marin said.

Gojo nodded. "O-Of course!"

However, they weren't the only ones who had the same idea. From across the hallway that led to the school's main entrance was another larger group of students. Leading them was the PE teacher, Yomi Komori. They noticed Marin and Gojo as well. But the urgency of the situation made it so that there was no room for any talks or deals.

Seamlessly, both groups joined the sprint.

The sudden burst of fresh air almost made Gojo dizzy with relief when the school doors slid open, revealing the spacious school grounds bathed by the sun's setting light.

Unfortunately, relief came too early.

While most of the mob seemed to have followed after the running, screaming student earlier, a fair share of them were still moving about around the school yard.

All those creatures were now turned towards them, following along, a guttural snarl escaping their rotting jaws as their arms flailed in the air and a gust of fetid, rotten breath washed over Gojo's face, making him gag.

Yomi clicked his tongue as he continued running. His bat connected with a nearby zombie's head, bursting it in a shower of gore. It did not deter the monsters, and the mob was not slowing down.

Gojo let out a yelp and dodged a swipe from a zombie before Marin came to his rescue, stabbing the creature's through the head.

At the rear of the conjoined groups, Yui clumsily evaded the monster. Yumiko was far braver than she was, and didn't have any qualms using anything as a bludgeoning weapon to kill the zombies.

The zombies were far too many, though. Before long, casualties began appearing and the numbers dwindled down.

The students scattered around, most of them making a run for it instead of sticking to the group.

"Those idiots!" Marin cursed, her voice a mixture of frustration and genuine worry. "They're just going to get themselves killed like that!"

Her grip tightened around the bloodied piece of wood in her hand, her knuckles white from the force. 

Another zombie lurched toward them, its jaw slack, a sickening gurgle escaping its rotting throat. Marin didn't hesitate—she drove the sharp end of her weapon straight through the creature's skull. A sickening crunch echoed through the schoolyard as it collapsed, lifeless once more.

Gojo flinched at the sound, his face pale. His breath came in short, panicked bursts as he sidestepped a fallen body, his movements clumsy and hesitant. His wide eyes darted from Marin to the horde to the ever-dwindling group of survivors.

Marin noticed. She noticed everything.

The way his hands trembled at his sides. The way his feet shuffled, never firmly planted. The way he let her stand between him and danger.

It wasn't like she expected him to be some action hero, slicing through zombies like the leads in a horror movie. That wasn't Gojo. No, he was soft, kind, delicate in a way that clashed painfully with the brutality of their current reality. 

But still... wasn't he supposed to be braver than this? 

The thought sat uncomfortably in her chest. 

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.