Chapter 10

“Prez, they’re gaining on us!”

“Don’t look back! We’re almost there!”

“God damn it, I could really do without this rollercoaster of bullcrap!”

The two boys ran as fast as they could, the monsters hot on their trails. More and more were appearing from the buildings as they were popping out from shadows. Howling and roaring they hounded them relentlessly, snarling and slashing from a distance. They were getting closer and closer, with it being only a matter of time before they catch up.

“Only 10 meters left! Turn a right in the next corner!” Juntaro announced to them as they continued running with all their strength.

“Hideyoshi, to the right!” Kenjirou directed, relaying the message given to him.

“Got it!”

Immediately the two made a sharp turn and dashed into an alley way. The monsters that were chasing them crashed into each other and scrabbled to follow but were caught stuck. They screamed and clawed at each other in frustration but they could not all fit at once through the narrow passage.

“Ha! Dumb creatures!” Takuya laughed in triumph as the monsters shrieked in rage from behind them, their targets just barely escaping their grasp.

As the two continue running through the alley they eventually spotted a shining door from a distance.

“We’re going to make it! We’re almost there!”

Kenjirou held on to Ryuuko tightly as they were finally about to reach their destination. But just as they were getting close, the ground burst apart and a monster leapt out in front of him, claws fully bared and ready.

“Shi-” Kenjirou exclaimed as the blade-like talons raked across his face and sent him flying backwards. The surprise attack caused him to drop the girl as she tumbled on the ground, still unconscious.

“Prez-GAH!” Takuya cried out as he was suddenly tackled and thrown against a wall with monstrous force.

CRACK

The sickening sound of bones shattering could be heard as he fell to the ground in pain. Although he was wearing protection underneath his uniform, there was no doubt he broke a rib or two.

“Damn you!”

Immediately getting up, he pulled out his knives as he dashed towards the monsters and furiously tore his blades into their bodies. Despite every little movement hurting like crazy, he was still quick and precise with his attacks all landing in vital areas that brought down the monsters in a single stab. But each one that made contact broke immediately after, forcing him to quickly run through his weapons. Discarding the broken handles, he brought out a taser and shocked an incoming beast that rushed towards him.

“Prez! Get a hold of yourself!”

Kenjirou tried his best to shake off the surprise attack as blood gushed from his face. He couldn’t see out of his right eye but he quickly pulled himself together, spitting out the blood in his mouth. Not far from him, Takuya was desperately fighting off a pack of monsters.

“Hideyoshi!”

“Kenjirou, the girl... !” Juntaro screamed at him.

He immediately turned his head to Ryuuko. She was lying on the ground as another pack of monsters had surrounded her body, readying themselves to strike.

“Dammit!”

Rushing towards her with his fist clutched in anger, he plunged his brass knuckles into their skulls, smashing and crushing them with all his strength. However, the monsters were faster than him as their sharp fangs and claws tore across his body. One leapt on his back and dug into his shoulder blades, before he hurled it onto the ground and crushed it under his foot.

Despite not feeling any of their attacks, he was still being pushed back considerably. The monsters were inhumanly strong, and each attack came with great force. His eye caught the sight of one of them as they pounced on Ryuuko’s sleeping body, fangs bared and readied to finish her off.

“No!”

Takuya tackled the monster, barely intercepting it as he plunged his last knife into its skull.

“Prez, there’s too many of them! We can’t hold them off for much longer, what do we do?”

Kenjirou quickly secured Ryuuko and tried to think. They were horribly outnumbered, and time was running out. Yet they were so close.

“Kenjirou, throw me!” Juntaro called out from his phone.

“What?”

“I can rig your phone to explode. Do it now!”

He nodded his head and threw his phone towards the charging monsters.

“Get down!” He immediately grabbed Takuya and dove for cover.

KABOOM

An earth-shattering explosion shook the area. The two boys coughed as they brushed off the dust and rubble. The alley way was devastated, the explosion having collapsed the surrounding buildings and blocked the narrow entrance.

“Did that do it?” Takuya asked, as he struggled for breath. But as the dust cleared, they could still see figures slowly coming towards them.