Multiverse: Saving Anime Heroines in the Apocalypse

"You got scared, huh? Acting tough won't solve anything. Do you know what we would've faced next if you'd screamed just now?"

Sosuke Kitahara frowned and pulled out a piece of chocolate from his pocket, handing it to Yukino Yukinoshita. "Take a deep breath and calm down. Your heart's beating way too fast."

Yukino nodded, took the chocolate from his hand, then looked up at Kitahara with guilt written all over her face. She lowered her head, pulled the lollipop out of her mouth, and softly said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd be this… cowardly."

Watching his younger sister's trembling chest, Haruno Yukinoshita quickly leaned over, her face full of worry. "What did you see? And Kitahara, why did you suddenly tell us to hide? Where were those weird noises coming from just now?"

Yukino took a deep breath, her pale face still lingering with fear. "Zombies. A lot of them. The sounds we heard were from them eating people there were no less than twenty. I also saw a man who was still alive… He was pinned down by zombies. Even while they were biting him, he was still reaching out to me, begging for help. But I… I was too scared. I didn't have the courage to save him."

Utaha Kasumigaoka stared at her blankly. "A survivor?"

"Probably one of those who were still hiding nearby. They must've seen the armed helicopter earlier, just like us, and tried to get to the helipad or maybe they were trying to escape to the lower floors. Either way, they weren't as lucky as we were and got caught by the zombies left on this floor."

Sosuke Kitahara fell into thought. Now that he thought about it, maybe they should be grateful to those people. If those zombies hadn't been lured away by them, the ones facing that horror would've been their group.

His gaze shifted to Yukino's guilty expression, and he sighed inwardly. She was still blaming herself for not stepping in to save him. In a civilized world, that would've been the noble thing to do, but in the apocalypse? That mindset was dangerously naive.

If that man hadn't been a system-flagged target who could potentially offer him points, Kitahara wouldn't have given it a second thought.

Still, considering what was coming next, he figured she needed some comfort. But he didn't plan to do it himself. He shot Haruno a look. If he tried to explain it, he might end up crushing her worldview.

Haruno immediately understood. She gently squeezed her sister's hand and softly comforted her. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Yukino. You saw it with your own eyes he was bitten. Kitahara already told us, anyone bitten will eventually turn into a zombie. There's no cure. Even if you had saved him, he wouldn't have survived for long. Besides, the noise you'd have made trying to save him could've put all of us in danger."

Yukino bit her lip and quietly nodded, pulling her hand away. She didn't say anything, but it was clear she'd recovered a bit.

"We need to leave now. Once the zombies finish eating, they'll start looking for their next target."

Kitahara quietly unsheathed his katana. "Utaha, stick close to me and stay alert. Haruno, you watch your sister from the rear. If something happens that even I can't handle, the three of you need to stick together and run. Find a place to hide. Don't look back for me. If I'm still alive, I'll find you."

His plan was laid out swiftly. This time, the three women nodded without hesitation.

Thanks to his breathing technique, Kitahara could clearly sense the sound of zombies moving above them.

The ones upstairs wouldn't be any fewer than the zombies on this floor. Worse, the elevator area was crawling with them now there was no chance of using the elevator anymore. They had no choice but to take the stairs, floor by floor.

This was going to be brutal. One misstep and they could easily end up trapped in the stairwell.

They carefully bypassed the feeding zombies and slipped into the stairwell. For now, they were safe, and the three women instinctively let out a breath of relief.

"Szzzt "

Almost as if mocking their relief, the light behind them suddenly went out. A wave of bone-chilling cold swept over them, sending shivers down their spines.

Thankfully, the doors to the next two floors were still closed. Although there were faint rustling noises behind them, following Kitahara's lead, they moved silently, so quiet that even their breathing was barely audible. They managed to reach the next two floors without incident.

"Thud, thud, thud "

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from below, startling all four of them. The motion sensor lights in the stairwell flickered on, and their hearts leapt into their throats.

Kitahara quickly darted to the railing and peered downward. The heavy footsteps and labored breathing shook the entire stairwell.

Then came a piercing scream that echoed through the building, a sound so sharp it felt like it cut straight into their eardrums. The once-silent building instantly came alive with rustling and growls, growing louder and more chaotic by the second.

"Thud, thud, thud "

The pounding footsteps returned, this time shaking the building even harder. It was like the whole structure was trembling under the stampede. The dead silence had exploded into chaos.

"Run! Run upstairs now!" Kitahara roared.

The three women didn't need to be told twice. Before his words had even fully left his mouth, they were already sprinting, taking two or three steps at a time, scrambling upwards with everything they had.

But they didn't get far.

A hoarse roar came from above. A blood-soaked figure appeared on the staircase, followed by three more zombies emerging right behind it.

The zombies locked eyes on the three women. Their jaws clacked hungrily, their instincts driving them toward fresh prey. Saliva and blood dripped from their gaping mouths as they roared and lunged forward.

Kitahara's grip on his katana tightened. Retreating wasn't an option.

Roar !

The fastest zombie was already upon them.

Kitahara's arms surged with power as he swung his blade. Silver light flashed in a clean, decisive arc no fancy moves, just raw, lethal precision.

Swoosh!

His blade smashed into the zombie's skull.

The creature crumpled instantly, tumbling down the stairs. The three women quickly stepped aside as the corpse rolled down to the landing, lying still.

Kitahara didn't stop. He stepped forward again, his katana slicing through the air. Three more quick, powerful strikes later, the other zombies had their skulls split wide open, their bodies collapsing and tumbling down the stairs.

Yukino stood frozen, her mouth hanging open in shock. She wasn't the only one Haruno was just as stunned by Kitahara's clean, efficient combat.

Four zombies, gone in less than a breath. The sheer speed and precision of it left them dazed.

"So… he wasn't bluffing. He really is that strong."

Only now did Yukino realize where Kitahara's confidence came from. He wasn't just fearless he had the power to back it up.

"Stop staring! Move! Unless you want to stay here and fight the next wave!" Utaha anxiously shoved the two sisters forward. Now wasn't the time to be standing around in awe.

This was just basic warm-up to Kitahara. If they were this impressed now, what would happen when they saw him truly go all out?

"Sosuke… Kitahara…!" Haruno whispered, watching the brilliant flashes of his blade. Her eyes suddenly lit up with an intense gleam.

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