New Dawn Chapter: 0108

Tysone kept driving. No one else said a word, but the tension in the air spoke volumes. He was sure the creature was still alive, even if they couldn't hear its footsteps or its monstrous roars anymore.

As they crossed the bridge and the truck continued on the rain-soaked streets, they finally heaved a sigh of relief. Even the normal zombies had stopped chasing them.

Takashi leaned forward, his knuckles white where he gripped the seat in front of him. "Tysone… you're a certified madman."

Tysone didn't respond. His hands were locked on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. The adrenaline was starting to recede, leaving a deep, bone-weary exhaustion in its wake.

"It's not dead." His voice was flat, cutting through the fragile bubble of relief. "Things that big don't drown that easily. We just bought ourselves time."

The nascent smiles on everyone's faces vanished.

"He's right." Saya muttered, gingerly prodding her bruised ribs. She winced. "Its physiology was incredibly dense. A fall like that and the water pressure might not be enough to kill it. It'll be swept downstream, maybe, but it'll climb out eventually."

"Then we keep moving." Saeko said, her tone regaining its usual steel.

Tysone just nodded, his focus on the road. But his mind was far away, in a place none of them could follow. It was a maelstrom of fragmented memories from his past life.

The lanky, unnaturally fast creature with the dislocated jaw and long tongue… was that SCP?

The red-skinned, hyper-aggressive zombie that was fast and smart… Crimson Head, most likely. Resident Evil.

The monstrous, hulking brutes, the armored zombies, the mutations…

The aurora. The unnatural weather. The sudden, catastrophic failure of electronics.

It wasn't just a zombie apocalypse. It wasn't just Highschool of the Dead. His gut feeling about the cores, his premonition about the creatures—it wasn't just intuition. It was pattern recognition. A horrifying, dawning realization that the universe hadn't just dropped him into one nightmare. It had thrown several into a blender and hit puree.

They were dealing with something much more dangerous than just an undead horde. This wasn't a single threat. It wasn't a linear progression. This was chaos, true chaos, and he was smack in the middle of it. He had to figure out what else was coming, or the next surprise would be the last. They needed to prepare.

The rest of the drive was a blur of rain-slicked asphalt and shattered cityscapes. The new survivors, huddled in the back, remained utterly silent, too terrified to speak. They had witnessed something beyond their comprehension, a battle of monsters where their supposed saviors were just as terrifying as the thing they fought.

Finally, the familiar silhouette of the mansion rose from the gloom. The high walls, the sturdy gate—it was the closest thing to a sanctuary this world had to offer. Tysone pulled the truck to a stop, the engine rumbling to an idle.

The main gate creaked open. Miku and Mai stood there, flashlights in hand, their faces etched with a week's worth of worry. Their relief at seeing the truck was immediately replaced by shock as the headlights illuminated the deep gouges in its armor, the cracked windshield, the general state of disrepair.

Tysone killed the engine, and the silence returned, thick and profound. He rested his forehead against the steering wheel for a single, fleeting second, gathering the last of his strength. Then he pushed the door open and stepped out into the rain.

"Ty!" Miku rushed forward, stopping short as she took in his blood stained clothes, the exhaustion on his face. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine." He said, his voice rough. "The others aren't."

The rear hatch of the truck opened, and the team began to disembark. Saeko, moving with a newfound, predatory grace. Takashi and Rei, looking grim and battered. Kohta, managing a weak smile for the women at the gate. And then Saya, leaning heavily on Rei, her face pale. She could barely walk.

Mai gasped. "Saya!"

"Hey there." She managed a wry grin. "Don't suppose you have any spare painkillers, huh?"

Then the new survivors shuffled out, blinking in the flashlight beams like frightened animals.

"Everyone inside. Now." Tysone's voice was pure command.

They moved into the living room, dripping water and exhaustion onto the polished floors. Shizuka, hearing the commotion, came rushing down the stairs, her medical bag already in hand. Her cheerful demeanor evaporated the moment she saw the state of her friends.

"Oh my…" She breathed.

"Shizuka-sensei," Tysone began, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Saya needs you. Ribs. Rei's got a cut on her arm. Saeko took a bad fall on her shoulder. Check everyone."

Shizuka nodded, her professional instincts taking over. "Right away, Ty-kyun." She immediately started herding the injured towards the infirmary area they'd set up. Saeko glanced back at Tysone before following the older woman.

Tysone then turned to Mai, who was standing awkwardly by the door, her expression a complex mixture of relief and resentment. "Mai. These are new survivors. Nakaoka, Tanaka, Kenji, Yumi, Haruto." He gestured to the huddled group. "Find them a dry room, some food, and water. Make sure they understand the rules. You're in charge of them for now."

Mai straightened up at the authority in his tone and gave him a crisp nod before addressing the newcomers. "Follow me, everyone. Let's get you all cleaned up and settled."

Miku was still staring at Tysone, her concern obvious. "Ty…"

He met her gaze for a moment, but didn't say anything.

She stood there awkwardly. She would've approached, under normal circumstances, but there was an intensity to Tysone in that moment that had Miku on edge. She was briefly reminded of Saya, when she 'evolved' or even the current Saeko, but even that couldn't be compared to the energy the man in front of her radiated.

It was like standing in front of a bear. 

She swallowed thickly. 

The oppressive silence was broken when Marin and Yui emerged as well.

Then Alice and Zeke.

"You..." Marin must've felt what Miku felt, too. "Are you okay?" Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"I will be." Tysone responded. "How was the situation here? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Marin and Miku exchanged glances. "Other than Mai's mood?" Miku joked, though her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Tysone didn't laugh.

"Well, there was a brief blackout." Marin supplied.

"It lasted less than a few minutes." Miku added.

"Good." Tysone nodded. The backup generators were working. "Though I'm afraid the blackout isn't a localized incident. The city was also experiencing the same phenomenon. I wouldn't be surprised if it affected the entirety of the country."

The implications behind that... it made Marin shudder.

"Anything else?"

Marin looked at Miku and they shook their heads.

Tysone looked at Yui, who only nodded her head, agreeing with Marin's and Miku's statements.

His gaze swept over the women before him—Miku, Marin, Yui—their faces a mixture of relief and a new, palpable apprehension. His eyes finally landed on the small forms of Alice and Zeke, who were peeking out from behind Marin's legs. The little girl's wide, innocent eyes were fixed on him, while the dog let out a soft, questioning whine.

The hard lines on Tysone's face softened almost imperceptibly.

He reached out a hand, not to Alice, but to Zeke, letting the dog sniff his knuckles. After a moment, Zeke's tail gave a tentative wag, and he licked Tysone's hand. He exhaled a long, weary breath.

Miku watched the interaction with a mixture of fascination and confusion. "Ty? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Tysone's voice was distant, almost like he was talking to himself. "Just… processing."

Miku and Marin exchanged worried glances, but they knew better than to press him right now.

"Takashi, Kohta. Reconvene everyone here in one hour for a debriefing. The survivors included. For now, I'll go get cleaned up." 

...

An hour later, the rest of the group and the survivors gathered around the long table in the living room. Tysone stood at the head, his arms crossed, his gaze piercing. 

Saya and Rei had been taken to the infirmary and were resting there, upon Tysone's orders. Shizuka was watching over them, making sure they were provided with all the care they needed. 

Saeko should've been there too, but she insisted she was fine. Tysone chalked it up to her 'enhancement' since he also was feeling fine despite the rough beating he got.

"The world outside is deadlier than we thought." He began. "We encountered multiple mutated variants. They're evolving... and faster than we anticipated."

Murmurs of unease rippled through the group.

"But you made it out just fine, didn't you?" Mai asked, her voice low.

"Fine is relative, Mai." Tysone retorted. "We've all seen combat before, so we're more or less experienced in the ways of violence, especially in an apocalyptic scenario. But even that experience wouldn't have mattered had I made one wrong move." He sighed, he stared at his hands, flexing them. The prominent veins bulged out like the roots of a tree. "However, despite all the dangers, there is a way to level the playing field. A way for us to enhance ourselves."

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.