The smell of blood still lingered through the hallways. Exhausted survivors sat silently against walls wrapped in blankets while soldiers moved through the corridors collecting bodies covered with torn sheets. Some people cried quietly after recognizing friends or family among the dead. Others simply stared into nothing with empty eyes, already mentally broken by everything that happened during the night.

And through all of it—Daichi Moriyama still kept moving.

Arata Kurozawa watched him from across the fourth-floor hallway while soldiers received new patrol assignments. The captain’s uniform was stained with dried blood, his shoulder injury clearly worse now, yet he continued giving orders calmly like the pain didn’t exist. He checked wounded civilians personally. Spoke to frightened children. Helped reinforce barricades himself when soldiers became too exhausted.

He never stopped.

Almost like he was afraid the tower would collapse the moment he finally rested.

"...He’s going to kill himself at this rate," Yuna muttered quietly while leaning against the wall nearby.

Reina crossed her arms slightly. "...People like him usually do."

Airi looked toward Daichi with worried eyes. "...Why doesn’t he let the soldiers handle more things?"

"Because he doesn’t trust anyone else to carry the burden," Kaede answered calmly.

That answer stayed heavy in the air, Because everyone knew it was true.

Even the soldiers depended on Daichi too much now. Every decision. Every problem. Every moment of fear inside the tower eventually reached him somehow. He had become the pillar holding everything together.

And pillars eventually break.

Later that afternoon, Arata’s group helped distribute supplies across several residential floors while soldiers repaired damaged barricades. The atmosphere remained tense everywhere. After the infection outbreak, trust inside the tower had almost completely disappeared. Civilians accused each other constantly of hiding bites or symptoms. Armed survivor groups guarded their claimed territory more aggressively than before. Some people even refused medical checks entirely out of fear they would be thrown outside if suspected of infection.

Humanity was rotting from the inside, Not just physically, Emotionally.

Airi spent hours treating injured civilians while trying to calm frightened children at the same time. Despite exhaustion, she kept forcing herself to smile gently whenever someone looked scared. Yuna pretended not to care while secretly carrying extra food portions toward weaker survivors when nobody watched her. Even Miyu quietly adjusted supply distribution records overnight to make sure medicine reached elderly civilians first.

Everyone was changing slowly, This tower was affecting them.

Near evening, Arata finally found Daichi alone on the rooftop.

Cold wind moved across the building while the ruined city stretched endlessly beneath the darkening sky. Fires burned faintly in distant streets while infected cries echoed somewhere far below.

Daichi stood near the edge staring silently at the horizon.

"...You should rest," Arata said calmly while approaching.

Daichi laughed quietly without looking back. "...I forgot how."

For several moments neither spoke.

The wind carried silence between them naturally, Then Daichi finally spoke again.

"You know..." he said quietly, "...before all this happened, I hated coming home tired." A faint smile touched his face briefly. "Akari used to yell at me every time I skipped dinner because of work."

Arata listened silently.

"She said I cared more about responsibility than living." Daichi’s eyes remained fixed on the city below. "...Maybe she was right."

For the first time since meeting him—The captain looked old, Not physically, Emotionally.

Like a man slowly running out of strength but refusing to collapse because too many people still depended on him.

"You remind me of myself," Daichi said suddenly.

Arata looked at him slightly.

"The way you observe everything. The way you carry responsibility silently." Daichi exhaled slowly. "That kind of strength is dangerous."

"...Why?"

"Because eventually you start believing you have to carry everyone alone."

Arata remained silent.Deep down—He understood those words more than he wanted to admit.

Daichi finally turned toward him fully. "...The people here trust me," he said quietly. "But trust is fragile." His tired eyes narrowed slightly. "The moment they see weakness... fear takes over."

Before Arata could respond, loud gunshots suddenly echoed from below.Both reacted instantly.Then screaming followed, More screaming than before.

Daichi grabbed his radio immediately. "Report!"Static crackled loudly, Then a terrified voice answered.

"Captain! Lower barricade breached!"

Daichi’s expression changed instantly, "...How many?"

"Too many!"

The rooftop door burst open moments later as one injured soldier stumbled upward covered in blood.

"T-The infected..." he gasped desperately. "...Something huge broke through the outer gate..."

Yuna’s voice suddenly echoed through the radio system.

"ARATA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

Everyone moved immediately.The moment they reached the lower floors—The tower had already become hell.

The main entrance barricade was destroyed completely. Twisted metal and broken concrete covered the hallway while survivors ran screaming in every direction. Gunfire echoed nonstop as soldiers desperately tried holding back massive groups of infected flooding inside.

But worst of all—A gigantic infected stood near the destroyed entrance.Nearly three meters tall, Massive arms, Thick mutated flesh covering its body like armor.Its roar shook the entire floor.

"...What the hell is that..." Airi whispered in horror.

The creature swung one enormous arm violently, smashing directly through defensive cover and sending several soldiers flying across the room.

People screamed everywhere.The infected behind it flooded into the tower endlessly.

Daichi immediately started shouting orders. "Fall back to secondary barricades! Protect civilians first!"

The soldiers obeyed instantly despite fear spreading rapidly through their lines.

Arata’s team moved into battle immediately.

Reina fired controlled bursts toward advancing infected while Kaede eliminated targets from elevated positions with terrifying precision. Miyu coordinated evacuation routes through upper floors while Yuna charged directly toward the giant infected without hesitation.

Her bat slammed against its arm with explosive force, The creature barely moved.

"...Okay," Yuna muttered while jumping backward quickly. "...That’s annoying."

The giant infected roared again before charging directly toward a group of trapped civilians near the collapsed hallway.

Too fast, Too close, The civilians froze completely.

And Daichi moved Without hesitation, Without fear.

The captain sprinted directly between the monster and the civilians while firing his rifle repeatedly toward its head. Bullets slowed the creature slightly but failed to stop it completely.

"MOVE!" Daichi roared toward the civilians.

They finally reacted, Running, Escaping.

But the giant infected swung its massive arm directly toward Daichi before he could retreat.

Arata saw it instantly, Too late, The impact sounded horrifying.

Daichi’s body slammed violently through broken concrete before crashing against a pillar hard enough to crack it.

"...CAPTAIN!" soldiers screamed.

Everything slowed for one second, Then chaos exploded again.

Yuna roared furiously before smashing her bat directly into the giant infected’s face while Arata charged forward simultaneously, his blade tearing deeply across the creature’s neck. Together they forced the monster backward long enough for Reina and Kaede to target weak points repeatedly.

But Arata’s eyes kept moving toward Daichi.

The captain tried standing , but Failed.

Blood covered the floor beneath him now.

Airi rushed toward him immediately. "...Move! MOVE!" she screamed at nearby civilians while dropping beside him.

Her expression turned pale instantly, Too much blood.

Daichi looked at her quietly, And understood immediately.

"...Ah," he whispered weakly.

"No..." Airi’s hands trembled while desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "No"

Daichi gently grabbed her wrist.

"...It’s okay."

"It’s NOT okay!" tears filled her eyes immediately. "You can survive this! Just stay awake!"

Nearby, soldiers fought desperately against advancing infected while survivors screamed through collapsing hallways.

But around Daichi—Everything suddenly felt strangely quiet.

The captain’s eyes slowly moved toward Arata, who had just reached him after helping push the giant infected back temporarily.

For several seconds Neither spoke.

Then Daichi smiled faintly despite blood covering his chest.

"...Looks like..." he breathed weakly, "...the tower finally became too heavy."

Arata’s expression hardened slightly.

"You’ll survive."

Daichi gave a weak laugh. "...Bad liar."

Daichi slowly looked upward toward the ceiling, Toward the world above them.

"...Akari..." he whispered softly. "...Sorry I’m late."

Those words shattered something inside the nearby soldiers immediately, One turned away crying.

Another lowered his weapon while trembling.

Because suddenly—Their captain no longer looked like a soldier.

He looked like a father who simply wanted to go home, Daichi’s eyes moved back toward Arata one final time.

"...Protect them," he whispered weakly. "Not because you can save everyone..." His breathing slowed painfully. "...But because someone has to try."

Airi froze completely.

"...Captain...?"No response, "...Captain...?" Nothing.

The hand holding her wrist slowly fell lifelessly against the floor.

And Daichi Moriyama—The man carrying the tower—Was gone.

For several seconds, nobody moved, Nobody spoke.

Even the battle sounds around them felt distant.

Then one soldier suddenly screamed in grief before firing furiously toward the infected. Others followed immediately.

Rage replaced fear.

Yuna’s expression darkened completely while Arata slowly stood beside Daichi’s body.

The giant infected roared again nearby, But something had changed now, The tower had lost its pillar.

And Arata understood the terrifying truth immediately.From this moment forward—Everyone would start looking at him instead.