HOTD: Tōshiro Nagi - Chapter 2: A Close Call

(A/N: Is that a Power Stone I’m sensing? You should leave it here for safekeeping. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it.)

Word Count: 2032

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Nagi stood in contemplation as he surveyed the swarm of the undead blocking the main entrance and first floor of the main building. It was a problem that needed to be addressed, but attempting to control such a large herd without proper protection was suicidal.

He weighed his options and came to a decision. He couldn’t take on the zombies head-on, so he opted for the next best thing. Going around the back of the main building, he spotted an open window from the second floor.

The height wasn’t insurmountable, but with the extra weight he was carrying, the climb would be dangerous. The consequences of a fall would be severe – death, or at least serious injury. Despite the risks, he decided that going through the window was the only option.

“There’s only one way left to go, and that’s up,” Nagi murmured to himself. Placing the food bag on the ground, he set down his bow, kitchen knives, and cleaver beside it, then began stretching.

The safest way to proceed was to carry his belongings up one by one. Though it was time-consuming, Nagi preferred to stay alive rather than risk becoming meat-paste.

After finishing his stretches, Nagi grabbed the food bag and a kitchen knife before making his way up the wall. The climb was relatively easy, as the wall held crevices and dents that offered good grip and footing.

Within a few moments, he reached the second floor and peered inside to make sure it was safe. Satisfied that there was nothing and no one there, he placed the bag inside and climbed back down to retrieve the rest of his items.

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Nagi’s feet landed softly on the ground as he climbed through the open window. He quickly picked up his designated “Food Bag” and silently made his way through the empty corridor.

This area was typically deserted, housing only the unpopular extracurricular activities. However, it seemed to have attracted a new crowd of visitors. If you consider the undead corpses shuffling around, that is.

Nagi sighed as he thought, ‘A total of seventeen, huh?’ He was growing weary of the endless killing, and the sticky blood coating his clothes made him long for a shower and a nap.

Without wasting any more time, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a spoon, flinging it towards a distant window with a loud thud. The clinking sound it made upon landing immediately caught the attention of the nearby undead.

He carefully navigated around the zombies and made his way down the hallway until he saw a sign that caught his attention. After thinking for a moment, he decided it was necessary to go there.

‘The nurse’s office, huh? Well, since medicine will be a crucial need in the future, I might as well get some now,’ he thought to himself. Continuing his march, he walked past the numerous bodies laid out in classrooms and the corridor.

Nagi surveyed the hallway and the empty outside world, pondering where the other survivors were hiding. Despite the small student body, the school shouldn’t have been so devoid of life.

Looking out the window, the sun still shone high in the sky, but the air was filled with smoke rising from the direction of the city, confirming his suspicions that the same chaos was happening there as well.

Finally arriving at the nurse’s office, Nagi leaned against the door and listened to the groans of the undead on the other side. Preparing his weapons, he slid the door open with a loud creak, alerting the undead to his presence.

While they stumbled towards him, Nagi quickly dispatched them one by one with his cleaver and kitchen knife, piercing each of their skulls and watching their lifeless bodies crumple to the ground in a pool of blood. The scene made him wonder how exactly their body functioned even after death.

As Nagi stepped over the corpses, he peered inside the room and noticed the broken glass window and a zombie with a caved-in head leaning against the wall. This piqued his curiosity because it meant that there were other survivors out there who also had the will to fight and kill zombies.

Nagi swiftly moved towards the cabinets, grabbing anything he could get his hands on: pain relievers, allergy pills, epi-pens, inhalers, insulin, prescription medications, ointments and creams for scratches, bandages, flex tape, wipes and disposable gloves, fever, cold and headache medicine.

He didn’t want to leave anything behind that could be useful in the future, so he hastily stuffed everything he could find into his bag, making sure not to miss any valuable supplies.

The weight of the bag was starting to strain his arm, so he picked it up and left the nurse’s office, quickening his pace toward his desired destination, being careful to keep as quiet as possible.

However, fate had other plans for Nagi. His luck was running out, and the situation was about to get tougher. In front of him stood a massive horde that seemed impossible to overcome due to its sheer size.

The only way to reach his destination was to go up the stairs, but they were on the other side, and going downstairs was not an option either due to the horde below. Nagi was left with two choices: abandon his mission or face the horde head-on. With the latter being his decision.

After stashing his bag inside the nurse’s office, Nagi got to work preparing for the upcoming battle. He took care of the zombies that were inside the classroom and then proceeded to gather some desks and chairs to create a barricade.

This would help slow down the approaching horde and give him a fighting chance. Judging from the sound of them, Nagi estimated that there were about thirty zombies in total, equivalent to a full classroom of students.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Nagi felt fairly confident that he could emerge from the situation unscathed. He had 24 arrows at his disposal, as well as his trusty cleaver and knife.

As long as the situation played out similarly to the simulation he had undergone in his head, Nagi believed he would be fine. The only thing that could derail his plans was an unexpected, unknown factor.

With his preparations complete, Nagi stamped his foot on the ground, creating a thunderous noise that echoed down the corridor, grabbing the attention of the approaching horde.

He had strategically placed barricades near the stairs and shut down unchecked classrooms to minimize the number of opponents. Now, it was time to turn the area into his shooting range.

Loading his bow with an arrow, Nagi focused his sharp orange eyes on his target, his lollipop still resting in his mouth. The once peaceful atmosphere he had experienced at the beginning of the day had been disrupted by the apocalypse, but Nagi had discovered a new outlet.

An open area where he could practice his archery and enjoy his long-time hobby. As he lined up his shot, his eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as he released the arrow. It sliced through the air and pierced through the undead head, sending it crashing to the ground.

Nagi relentlessly continued his assault, firing arrows at a rapid pace. Projectiles whizzed through the air, finding their mark and bringing down the undead with each hit.

At this point, only eleven zombies remained, but Nagi had already used around fifteen arrows. He missed a few shots due to zombies stumbling over each other, causing them to move unpredictably with their broken limbs and lack of control.

Setting down his bow and quiver, Nagi picked up his cleaver and knife and charged toward the remaining undead. Raising his cleaver high, he brought it down on top of the zombie’s head, splitting it in two and causing its pieces to slide off the blade and splatter onto the floor.

Nagi continued his rampage, brandishing his knife and deftly dodging an attempted grapple from another zombie. In one swift motion, he plunged the blade into the side of its head, leaving it buried in its skull.

As an approaching zombie lunged towards him, Nagi reacted quickly, delivering a powerful kick to its knee and causing it to stumble and fall. Seizing the opportunity, he brought his foot down hard on the zombie’s head, crushing it like paste.

“Three down, eight more to go,” Nagi muttered as he surveyed the remaining undead. He quickly glanced around and noticed that the sun was beginning to set, casting a dim orange glow across the sky.

Despite the barricades he had set up, he could see that the zombies were relentlessly pushing against them, threatening to breach the barrier at any moment. With the barricade on the verge of collapse, Nagi sped up the attack.

Nagi swiftly snatched the knife from the head of the zombie he had just dispatched, causing blood to spurt out and pool beneath it. Without a moment’s hesitation, he followed up with a kick to the abdomen of another undead that was approaching him, causing it to fall back. He then brutally stomped on its legs, breaking them with a sickening crunch.

Quickly turning his attention back to the remaining seven undead he closed the distance between himself and an approaching walker. With a swift movement, he shoved the knife up its chin, penetrating its brain, and then pulled it out to swing his cleaver at another zombie, slicing its head in half.

Swiftly sidestepping as an undead lunged at him, he brought his cleaver down and beheaded it. The zombie’s blood gushed out, joining the pool of blood that surrounded them. Another zombie tried to grab Nagi from behind, but he reacted quickly, spinning around and plunging his knife into its forehead.

Nagi retrieved his arrows and blades and quickly made his way to the nurses’ office to grab his belongings. After grabbing what he needed, he ran towards his intended destination.

Behind him, he could hear the loud sound of desks and tables falling to the floor as the horde pushed through the barricade in search of him. The screeching of furniture and the groans of the undead filled the school, creating a chilling cacophony.

Nagi ran up the stairs with urgency, his destination only a couple of feet away. But before he could reach his room, he encountered a group of five zombies blocking his path. Without hesitation, he rushed towards them, brandishing his cleaver, and swung it, knocking them back. Nagi knew that simply walking quietly was not enough to escape.

The noise the barricade had created would attract more zombies, and he could soon find himself surrounded. He needed to get out of there.

Hurried footsteps echoed as Nagi pushed past the group of zombies, finally reaching his desired room. With a swift motion, he opened the door, entered, and shut it, locking it behind him.

Barricading it with nearby tables and cabinets. Banging sounds could be heard from the other side, making Nagi clench his cleaver tightly in preparation to fight if necessary.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!”

A sudden shriek filled the air, causing Nagi to look up with furrowed brows. Coming to a quick realization, he just nodded to himself before walking towards the door and listening to the other side, hearing the shuffle of the zombies fade in the distance slowly.

With a sigh of relief, Nagi walked over to the couch and collapsed onto it, catching his breath. His face and clothing were drenched in dry blood and sweat, evidence of the danger he had just narrowly escaped. As fatigue slowly overtook him, Nagi muttered to himself:

“That… was too close…”

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Author Words:

Is the way I describe the gore good? I want to make the scene more vivid for readers without overwhelming them with excessive or repetitive descriptions. Give me a scale: 1-10

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you haven’t already, please consider leaving a Power Stone here to show your support and help this story stay visible.