How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

* * *

Should I say it's like a wolf leaping into a pasture?

Or should I say it's just watching a massacre?

As they got used to the darkness, the battle shown through the torches was one-sided itself.

The condition of Melkibos, who had fainted and collapsed beside me, didn't catch my eye.

I thought I had been through all sorts of hell during my 10 years as a hunter.

"To think we rushed in to catch such a monster..."

Just looking at Benedicto's movements, who had tricked me, I could feel he was stronger than me, but that monster was toying with Benedicto while weaving through the surrounding troops, slowly tormenting them one by one.

No, there's really no other way to express it than 'tormenting'.

It's not a concept of barely holding on. Just toying.

Not killing by draining blood, but killing by extracting blood.

"Arghhhh!"

"Oh Lord!"

"Damned monster!!"

...This is hell alright. Damn it.

"Get up, boar."

I kicked the sprawled out Melkibos beside me with my foot.

When that hell ends, it'll be our turn next, shouldn't we run away now?

"Ugh... ugh..."

"Ha, this boar bastard, if you really want to die then stay like that!"

Thud thud!

When I kicked him roughly, Melkibos finally came to his senses.

"I-I'm alive..."

"Of course you're alive, you boar bastard, get up, we need to run away."

"Run away...?"

"Open your eyes wide and look! If we don't run away now, we'll die!"

While Melkibos was trying to come to his senses, finally the head of Benedicto, who had been holding out until the end, flew off.

"Damn it, we're dead now."

"Aren't we already in hell?"

"Shut up..."

While we were like this, the monster slowly approaches us.

It sends chills down my spine to see those crimson eyes deeper than blood emitting light.

The monster stops walking and extends its hand.

Ah, I thought we were dead now, but.

The blood scattered here and there around the monster rises around her.

Then all the blood is absorbed into the monster's mouth.

Melkibos seemed to be muttering something beside me, but I could only stare blankly at that sight.

For a moment, I feel that the blood glistening reflected in the torchlight and the monster absorbing it are beautiful.

...I must be really crazy.

* * *

"Phew..."

After sending Benedicto's head flying, who was noisily seeking God until the end, only then did my raging heart settle down.

I could have come to my senses a few times in between, but I just gave in to the madly burning anger.

It wasn't a bad feeling, but next time I should fight with a clearer mind.

My whole body is covered in blood.

The fact that I killed humans didn't really sink in.

As if I had killed insects.

Only after absorbing the remaining blood around me to my heart's content did I notice the two hunters trembling in the corner.

I approached them.

One seems to be unable to control his body, wriggling and babbling something, while the other is staring at me with a blank expression.

"Hey, you two?"

"Y-yes? Yes?"

Sedaniel, was it?

A quick answer came from the female hunter's side.

"Are you going to keep chasing me?"

Shake shake

As soon as I finished speaking, both of them shook their heads.

Are they more scared than I thought?

Well, it doesn't make much difference to me whether I kill these two or not.

I already had enough blood.

And seeing that reaction, it doesn't seem like they'll follow me anymore.

"Then I'm leaving? Um... you can move on your own, right? I'll roughly open up the blocked path, so try to survive well."

"U-um!"

"?"

Sedaniel called out to me.

What is it?

"Do you have something to say?"

"What's your name?"

"Huh?"

I was taken aback.

To ask for a name in this situation?

"Ah, it's Arian."

"Arian... That's a pretty name."

"..."

What is this human saying?

She seemed to be lost in her own world, not caring about my bewilderment, so I quietly stepped back.

"Ahhhh! Somehow it feels refreshing."

My heart felt lighter.

I kill enemies without hesitation.

I clear away anything that hinders my survival.

But I don't touch anything else.

If I go around killing just anyone, I will truly become a monster.

I hated that.

Mom allowed me to live.

I, who was given that, couldn't go against Mom's wishes and become a monster.

I arrived at the end of the collapsed tunnel.

Small light enters through the gaps in the tunnel.

To see that light, I have to break through this damn wall.

This cursed wall blocking my way.

"To survive, for me to move forward, don't block my way!"

Bang!

Boom! Boom!

I created a hammer of blood and completely smashed the wall in front of me.

Then bright light pours in.

It's so beautiful that it's hard to open my eyes right away.

I'll need to grow stronger.

To clear away everything blocking me, I have no regrets even if I collapse while continuing this fight to survive.

Because I would have tried, no, I will try.

Is it okay for me to do this, Mom?

* * *

The Special Division was in an uproar.

It's shocking enough that the test subject is alive and wandering around, but it's an even bigger problem that this test subject knows how to use the primordial power.

An impossible monster has appeared.

Father Johansson was searching for materials in the archives located at the lowest level of the Central Church.

He received permission to examine the bookshelves that had been strictly sealed.

He thought that the church's great enemy in the future might not be the stupid werewolves they were facing or the arrogant vampires.

He searched the archives for days and nights, and finally found the book he wanted.

[There were those called the Primordial Five.

As the beginning and rulers of vampires, they were one of the greatest calamities on this continent from the beginning until just 100 years ago.

They reigned at the apex of vampires, were called those who conquered the sun, and among their various aliases was also the name Daywalker.

As the Kings of the Night could also be active during the day, at the beginning of the continent they ruled, they dominated a huge city, and humans were nothing more than their livestock, it is said.

They possessed the technique to freely use blood, and the utilization of blood was infinite.

It was an iron barrier that couldn't be penetrated by ordinary weapons, a sword sharper and stronger than any blade, their bodies had strength ten times that of humans, and their speed was such that it couldn't be seen by the eye.

The fact that there were not one but five such beings was despair itself for humanity.

The vampire city grew even larger, and although humanity resisted, it was like a fight that couldn't be won.

Then cracks began to form in their paradise, and the beginning of that was the appearance of werewolves.

Various monsters including vampires threatened humanity on the continent, but a large-scale war broke out due to the Original Wolf, the progenitor of werewolves called the natural enemy of vampires.

The paralyzing venom generated from the Original Wolf's sharp claws was extreme poison to vampires.

It offset their natural healing ability, and when their saliva mixed with the blood inside vampires' bodies, it caused a chemical reaction that turned them to ash.

Thus, the war between vampires and werewolves was a ray of hope for humanity.

At that time, under the blessing of the great Lord who pitied humanity, holy knights were born.

They acted as the first generation of exorcists, showing God's miracles in person.

God's blessing bestowed iron protection upon the holy knights, and the streams of divine light manifested by their prayers could inflict fatal wounds on those monsters.

Thus, humanity came to participate in the war between vampires and werewolves under the power of the holy knights.

They thought the war with the Primordial Five would never end.

The Primordial Five, who couldn't leave their cities that were gradually being devastated by their 100-year war, lured the Original Wolf into their castle to set a trap, and the Original Wolf forcibly broke through that trap and faced the five alone.

It is said that fight split the sky, caused earthquakes, and destroyed everything it touched.

.

In that fight between the Original Wolf and the Primordial Five, three of the Primordial lost their blasphemous lives, and the remaining two also lost much of their power.

Humanity didn't miss that gap and charged into their castle leading all holy knights and armies.

The great primordial holy knight sacrificed himself, burning his whole body in God's flames, and died heroically with the remaining two Primordials.

And he told the remaining holy knights to keep God's will and inherit the power, and thus the current exorcists were born.]

Johansson, who had summarized the contents of the book, was busy organizing his thoughts. According to the records, it was correct to say that the Primordial Five had vanished without a trace.

But he couldn't know how and where the government obtained the primordial blood.

Although Johansson thought there must be some secret he didn't know, that wasn't important now.

First, it was obvious that werewolves were the natural enemy of vampires.

Next was another weakness that could kill the monster with primordial blood, which was the holy knight's flame.

These two must be used well to catch the monster.

Before the test subject increases its power, and before other vampires know of that monster's existence, our church must execute that monster. Johansson ended his thoughts like this.

And he stood up, shaking off the dust from his priest's robe.

He had to go meet him, the inheritor of the flame, who inherited the power of the primordial holy knight.

He wasn't sure if meeting him was a good idea. He was someone who had crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed out of hatred for monsters.

But, the primordial blood couldn't be left alone.

And he had confirmed the miserable corpses of the Third Squad's captain and members at the scene.

This power is one that shouldn't be left alone.

A monster was needed for a monster.

And a thoroughly crazy monster at that.

Below the archives, there is a space for repenting those who are heretics, those who don't understand God's will, and those who oppose the church. Passing through there and going even deeper, there is a thick iron door.

There, the inheritor of the flame is repenting.

Thud thud

The locks on the iron door fall off one by one.

Johansson's heart is heavy.

But he steeled his heart and unlocked all the remaining locks to open the thick iron door.

Creeak

It's the first opening in 10 years.

The pitch-black interior without a single light greets Johansson.

Johansson lit the torches hanging on the wall one by one.

As the interior gradually became visible. A priest in a worn-out robe was kneeling with his body bent, offering prayers. It seems like muttering sounds can be heard, but they're too faint to be audible.

Johansson approaches him.

"Father Michael."

"..."

It seems like he's saying something, but it's not audible to Johansson's ears.

"Father Michael. Your faith in God is needed."

Only then did his muttering seem to stop.

"Outside, a calamity that began from ancient times is sprouting its seeds."

"Aaaaaargh!!"

Father Michael raises his head and screams.

Then his whole body is enveloped in golden flames.

Johansson unconsciously stepped back at his overwhelmingly powerful force.

"Hehe, haha! Hahaha! Oh Lord! This lamb goes to spread Your will. I will burn and kill the blasphemous and cursed beings! Everything according to Your will!! Lord!! Watch over this lamb!! I will offer everything to You! I will burn everything!! Those lowly sins that go against God's will!! Please watch over me!!"

Michael's madness is visible. His golden flames grow stronger.

Johansson felt a chill.

He was overwhelmed by the agony of whether it was right to release those flames into the world.

He could only make the sign of the cross.

"Lord... Please watch over us, Amen..."