Multiverse: Saving Anime Heroines in the Apocalypse

"It's a sense of belonging. At least, that's what I believe. When people feel they belong to a team, they naturally protect that team. They'll be willing to do a lot for it and won't want to leave."

Utaha Kasumigaoka spoke her thoughts directly, but Sosuke Kitahara immediately cut her off, spreading his hands. "Since you understand that so well, what else is there for me to say? There are more than ten people on their side. Including the Yukinoshita sisters, there are only four of us. Don't forget, in their eyes, we're just a bunch of naive high school kids. Have you already forgotten the way Toji looked at us this afternoon?"

"He acted all high and mighty, despite having no real strength. He used his position and moral rhetoric to incite people against us. Let me be blunt he never cared about our lives. When he accused me of being bitten, he was simply after my katana. In fact, I bet he would've loved to see me dead. People like us, in his eyes, have never faced society's cruelty, and thus, we don't 'respect' those so-called big shots."

"That's only because they hadn't seen you in action!"

Utaha raised her eyebrows, her voice full of conviction. "Sosuke, you're strong enough to lead them. Strength in numbers! When people band together, the group's interests become everyone's interests. Alone, we're nothing but drifting weeds. Together, we're a rope."

"Utaha, this isn't a student council election. Don't forget what we look like to them: just high school kids. You can't expect people to follow you just because you step forward."

A flicker of sorrow passed through Sosuke's eyes as he shook his head and met her gaze. "If the group was full of people like you, I wouldn't hesitate to fight for them with everything I've got. But look at who we're actually dealing with."

He sneered. "These people would push others into zombie hordes to buy themselves time without blinking. They cowered on this floor, too scared to go downstairs, yet the moment they saw us exhausted, they bared their fangs. Once I killed Toji, they immediately backed down, not daring to utter another word. Classic bullies they prey on the weak and fear the strong. With people like that, I'd rather go solo. At least no one will drag me down. Like I said before, not everyone deserves to be protected."

Snowed under the office desk, Yukino Yukinoshita was left speechless. Memories of that horrifying moment when someone shoved her into the zombie horde flashed back vividly. Her back still ached from the brutal impact on the stairs.

Deep inside, she wrestled with herself. Sosuke's brutal logic clashed fiercely with her ingrained beliefs. She had to admit, though Sosuke's stance was harsh and self-centered, his words were painfully accurate. Even if those people weren't complete scumbags, they were certainly cowards.

Her mind drifted to the moment Sosuke killed Toji. She had wondered then was it truly necessary to go that far?

"Utaha, look outside."

Sosuke carefully pushed open the window and pointed outside. "Take a good look. What do you see? There's nothing. No cars driving by, no sirens, no rescue signals. If even one vehicle passed, or a single siren sounded, I wouldn't be saying things this coldly. Wake up, Utaha. This isn't a game. We're living through an apocalypse that could wipe out all of humanity!"

"Sigh..."

Utaha let out a heavy sigh, staring out the window in a daze.

The once-bustling city now lay in utter darkness. The occasional noises were impossible to distinguish were they from survivors or from zombies? The faint, terrified screams still echoed intermittently. Worst of all, gunfire and explosions had not stopped, even though they were far away. The chaos was far from over.

Utaha kept staring into the darkness outside as an overwhelming chill surged through her, raising goosebumps all over her skin. A dreadful thought crossed her mind would the helicopter really come tomorrow?

Even if it did, with over twenty people still alive on this floor, would they obediently wait for their turn while watching Sosuke's group board first? Could they possibly have that kind of discipline?

Impossible.

If everyone charged the helicopter in desperation, fighting for seats, what should they do then?

What should they do?

Utaha sank into deep thought. She had never faced such a dilemma before and found herself completely at a loss.

Suddenly, a terrifying realization dawned on her.

Could it be?

Could Sosuke have foreseen this from the beginning? Had he already prepared for such a situation? Was that why he was telling her all this?

Sosuke!

Sosuke was warning her in advance!

Could it be he planned to...?

Understanding finally struck Utaha like a tidal wave, suffocating her in the overwhelming darkness. She stumbled backward in shock.

For the first time, Sosuke's expression softened with a trace of tenderness. Supporting her by the waist, he said gently, "It's not that I'm cold-blooded. It's that this brutal world forces me to be. The phones are dead. You've seen for yourself how serious this is."

"I understand. You're doing this so we can survive."

It took Utaha a long time to calm her breathing. When she finally raised her head, her gaze was heavy with emotion. She pressed her palm to her forehead and sighed, as if she had made a decision she never thought she would. She lightly brushed her hand over the pistol at her waist.

Noticing her gesture, Sosuke frowned. "What? Are you still thinking about those guys we passed on the road?"

Utaha had already come to terms with it. She was not someone who hesitated once she made up her mind.

Still, when Sosuke asked, she couldn't help but recall the scene where he had recklessly charged into the zombie horde to rescue Yukino. She averted her gaze and toyed with her slender fingers. "You reacted pretty fast when you saw Yukino fall into the zombie horde. Didn't even think twice before you rushed in to save her."

Sensing a faint hint of jealousy, Sosuke's heart bloomed with delight, though he deliberately furrowed his brows and feigned disappointment. "Utaha, you've got it all wrong. Yukino and those people on the road are not the same."

Utaha hummed softly, lowering her head as she twirled a strand of her hair. "Yukino is a cute girl. Of course, she's different from those people."

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