Damn it!
How did it end up like this?
Why did this happen so suddenly without me receiving a single word of warning beforehand?
That damned old geezer... I did exactly what he said and sabotaged that guy's daughter to make her repeat a grade, and yet he treats me like this?
Shido Koichi was currently filled with shock and rage.
Just moments ago, he had watched a student right next to him get seized by a zombie and bitten to death like a piece of steak.
This was the closest he had ever been to death in his entire life.
Pressing his hand against his chest, his heart pounded frantically. The fear gnawing at his soul nearly made him lose his sanity.
However, he forced himself to suppress the negative emotions. He wanted to live; only by staying alive could he accomplish what he desired.
The most urgent task now was to find a way to make the people around him useful.
Only then could he increase his chances of survival.
Having realized this, Shido Koichi raised a hand and gently pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.
Then, he clapped his hands together, the sharp sound drawing the attention of the students who had fled with him to this spot.
Once everyone's eyes were on him, Shido Koichi spoke up. "Everyone, please listen to me. I am Shido Koichi, a teacher here at Fujimi Academy. I know you're all confused and terrified by what's happening at school."
"But it's alright. I am here. As long as you are willing to trust me and follow me, I promise I will lead you all to safety and help you escape this godforsaken place."
As Shido Koichi finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the group.
They exchanged looks, but no one spoke.
It was so quiet that one could almost hear a pin drop.
Finally, a student who usually looked up to Shido Koichi spoke up in response, triggering a wave of vocal support for the teacher.
"Thank goodness, it's Mr. Shido! Now we're saved!"
"I didn't expect Mr. Shido to be here too. This is great! I'm willing to trust him!"
"I'm willing to trust Mr. Shido too!"
"I'll trust him as well!"
"Me too!"
"..."
Watching the students rally behind him, Shido Koichi nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
It seemed the facade he maintained at Fujimi Academy was quite effective. A few simple words were all it took to win over these students.
'What a bunch of adorably stupid people.'
Now he had enough pawns at his disposal. As long as he used them wisely, he would surely make it out alive.
Shido Koichi pressed his hands down to signal for silence, then spoke slowly. "Very well. Since you're all willing to trust me, I won't let you down."
"Listen carefully. I have a plan. Everyone, grab a nearby chair. When I give the signal, we'll charge toward the school gates together."
"If we run into those man-eating monsters on the way, use your chairs to push them back."
"Trust me, as long as we stand united, nothing can stop us. We will definitely make it out safely."
Strictly speaking, his plan was mediocre at best, having been thrown together in the heat of the moment.
However, for the bewildered crowd, it seemed like a solid enough strategy.
Thus, they all expressed their agreement.
With the plan approved, Shido Koichi immediately began directing the group.
He placed the stronger boys at the front and the weaker ones on the flanks. The girls—and himself—were positioned in the center or at the back, the safer spots.
Aside from a few, most of the students found this arrangement reasonable and offered no complaints.
The plan was soon put into motion.
At first, due to the narrow corridors, they encountered few zombies and managed to escape the classroom building with ease.
Along the way, other survivors joined them, causing their numbers to swell.
This bolstered their confidence and further solidified their faith in Shido's leadership.
However, once they reached the open grounds, the sheer size of the group drew the attention of a massive horde of zombies, which began chasing them.
"There's... there's so many! They're... they're catching up!"
As the group noticed the overwhelming number of zombies behind them, their formation began to crumble.
"Don't be afraid! As long as we stay united, we will survive!"
Shido Koichi tried his best to maintain the group's cohesion.
But in the face of death, not everyone can maintain their composure.
Moreover, this group was nothing more than a disorganized mob Shido had hastily cobbled together.
It wasn't long before chaos erupted.
The school gate was just ahead.
Those in the back strained to overtake those in front, while those on the flanks abandoned their posts, throwing away their chairs to shed weight.
At this point, even Shido knew the group was falling apart. From here on, it was every man for himself.
Yet, compared to the others, he had conserved more energy by staying in the safer positions. His chances of survival were far higher.
However, just as he was about to speed up, he suddenly stumbled.
Shido whirled around, eyes bulging with rage. Even through his glasses, the murderous intent in his gaze was palpable.
"Mr. Shido, please help me! Don't leave me behind!"
It turned out a student had tripped while running and fallen. In desperation, he grabbed the leg of the person closest to him—the teacher he trusted so much—and begged for help.
"Of course. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind. Just let go of my leg first, alright? I'll help you up, and we'll leave together."
Seeing it wasn't a zombie, Shido's expression shifted instantly. He offered a kind smile, responding to the plea like a benevolent angel.
"That's so gr— Arrgh!!"
The student's face lit up with genuine joy. Tears and snot nearly flowed from his excitement. He opened his mouth to praise Shido...
But the moment he released Shido's leg, the teacher delivered a vicious kick directly to his face.
The student's world went black. The agonizing pain forced a scream from his throat before he lost consciousness entirely.
Until the moment he died, he couldn't understand why Shido had done this to him.
Shido spat on the ground and sneered, "Trash should know its place. Since you're useless now, just hurry up and die!"
What Shido didn't realize was that this student was the same one who had first spoken up in the classroom building, saying they were saved.
Not that he would have cared even if he did.
"I knew it. Shido Koichi is such an ugly, disgusting piece of garbage!"
Miyamoto Rei stood by the infirmary window, looking down at the scene below. Having witnessed Shido's behavior, she couldn't help but curse under her breath.
"Is that man Shido Koichi, the one responsible for you repeating a grade?"
Su Yan leaned in behind Rei, glancing curiously out the window at Shido as he neared the gates.
"Yes."
Feeling Su Yan's breath against her ear as he spoke, Rei's earlobe began to burn.
Her thoughts began to wander. She wished his lips would move just a little bit closer to her ear.
With a blush creeping onto her face, she nodded and softly answered him.
"Do you hate him?"
Su Yan took her hand and asked calmly, "How about I kill him for you?"
Kill Shido Koichi?
Rei froze.
Seeing the casual expression on Su Yan's face, she couldn't help but feel a sense of surrealism.
'Had she misheard him?'
'Maybe he wasn't asking about killing Shido, but just asking what she wanted for dinner?'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]