The moment Daichi Moriyama died, the tower changed forever. The atmosphere holding the building together shattered like glass. The soldiers who once moved with calm discipline now screamed in grief and rage while firing wildly toward the infected flooding through the destroyed entrance. Civilians cried openly while carrying wounded survivors deeper into the upper floors. Children screamed for parents lost in the chaos while smoke and blood spread through the corridors like the building itself was bleeding. The tower no longer felt like humanity’s last shelter. It felt like a grave collapsing from the inside. And standing silently in the middle of that nightmare, Arata Kurozawa stared at Daichi’s lifeless body while blood slowly spread beneath him across the broken floor.

For several long seconds, Arata didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t even blink. But everyone around him felt it. Something inside him had changed. Airi remained kneeling beside Daichi desperately gripping his hand despite already understanding there was no pulse anymore. Tears continued running down her face uncontrollably while her shoulders trembled violently. "Captain..." she whispered weakly. "Please..." No response came. Daichi’s eyes remained closed peacefully now, strangely calm compared to the chaos surrounding him. Yuna looked away sharply, gripping her metal bat so tightly her knuckles turned pale white. Even she couldn’t force out a joke anymore. Reina lowered her weapon slightly while Kaede silently closed her eyes for one brief moment. And the soldiers—the soldiers looked completely broken. Because Daichi wasn’t just their captain. He was the reason they still believed people could survive without losing themselves completely.

Then suddenly the giant infected roared again. The sound shook the entire floor violently while infected continued pouring through the destroyed entrance behind it. Its massive body towered above the ruined barricades covered in bullet wounds, blood, and shattered flesh, yet somehow it still moved forward like pain meant nothing to it. One wounded soldier froze completely after seeing the creature charging toward him. Fear paralyzed him instantly. The giant infected raised its enormous arm to crush him—and suddenly stopped. Everyone froze. A hand had grabbed its wrist. Arata stood directly in front of the creature now. Completely still. His expression looked calm. Too calm. But his eyes no longer looked human. Cold. Sharp. And burning with something terrifyingly quiet. Anger.

The giant infected roared furiously before trying to overpower him through pure strength, but Arata didn’t move even one step backward. Instead, the concrete beneath his feet cracked from the pressure while his grip tightened slowly around the creature’s arm. "Arata..." Airi whispered weakly through tears. The monster swung its second arm violently toward him. Arata moved instantly. Nobody even saw the exact moment his blade moved. One second the creature still had both arms. The next, black blood exploded across the hallway while its massive severed arm crashed against the floor heavily. The roar that followed sounded almost human from pain. The giant infected stumbled backward violently, but Arata didn’t stop. Not this time. He stepped forward immediately before the creature could recover and drove his blade directly upward through its mouth. Bone cracked loudly beneath the force while black blood sprayed across Arata’s face and clothes. Still, he pushed deeper. Harder. Until the blade pierced completely through the back of the creature’s skull.

Silence hit the hallway for one brief second. Then the giant infected collapsed. Its enormous body crashed against the floor hard enough to shake the entire entrance area. Dead. Completely dead. The remaining infected hesitated after seeing it fall. And that tiny moment of hesitation changed everything. "PUSH THEM BACK!" Reina shouted instantly. The soldiers finally reacted. Gunfire exploded across the floor again while Yuna charged directly into the infected groups with a furious grin that looked almost unstable now. "COME ON THEN!" she screamed while smashing skulls apart violently. "YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE THIS PLACE?!" Her bat crushed through infected bodies with horrifying force while Kaede’s rifle shots echoed constantly from elevated cover. Every bullet landed perfectly. Every shot killed instantly. Miyu coordinated civilian evacuation routes rapidly while shouting instructions through the chaos.

But Arata walked forward alone. And the infected started dying. One after another. Every strike clean. Every movement lethal. Blood covered the hallway behind him while terrified survivors watched silently as he carved through the advancing infected almost mechanically. No hesitation remained inside his movements anymore. No wasted energy. Only destruction. Yet inside his mind, nothing felt calm. Daichi’s final words repeated endlessly through his thoughts. "Protect them." Not because you can save everyone. Because someone has to try. The memories kept returning between every strike. Daichi standing exhausted on the rooftop while still worrying about civilians. Daichi carrying supplies personally instead of resting. Daichi smiling gently toward frightened children despite barely being able to stand himself. Daichi continuing to fight even after understanding he would eventually break beneath the burden. And suddenly Arata realized something painful. Daichi died exactly the way he feared Arata eventually would. Carrying everything alone.

An infected lunged toward Arata from the side. Its head separated instantly. Another appeared behind him. Dead. Another. Dead. Another. Dead. The soldiers nearby stared at him with expressions filled somewhere between awe and fear now. Not because he looked powerful. Because he no longer looked entirely human. Meanwhile deeper inside the tower, panic continued spreading among civilians despite the soldiers slowly regaining control. Some survivors tried abandoning lower floors completely while others screamed accusations at injured civilians suspected of infection. Fear poisoned everything. And fear always created mistakes.

A little boy suddenly stumbled near the center hallway after getting separated from his mother during evacuation. Smoke filled the corridor heavily while infected moved toward him rapidly through the chaos. The mother screamed immediately. "MY SON!" She tried running toward him desperately, but nearby soldiers grabbed her before she could enter the infected-filled corridor herself. Then a shadow moved past everyone instantly. Arata. He reached the boy seconds before the infected did, his blade cutting through both attacking creatures before lifting the terrified child into his arms. But more infected appeared immediately afterward. Then more. Then even more. The hallway behind him began filling rapidly with moving bodies. "ARATA!" Yuna shouted loudly. Too many infected. Even the soldiers hesitated now. The hallway had become a death trap. Airi’s eyes widened in panic. "He’s trapped!" But Arata simply looked down at the trembling boy in his arms. "Close your eyes," he said calmly. The child obeyed immediately.

Then the hallway exploded into violence. Bodies slammed violently against walls. Blood sprayed across shattered windows. Infected rushed endlessly through the smoke only to collapse seconds later beneath overwhelming force. Arata pushed forward relentlessly while protecting the child the entire time, his blade moving faster and faster through the chaos until even the soldiers could barely follow his movements anymore. Yuna watched while breathing heavily herself. "He’s seriously angry," she muttered quietly. Finally Arata emerged from the corridor completely covered in blood before placing the terrified boy safely beside his crying mother. The woman immediately hugged her son tightly while sobbing uncontrollably. "Thank you... thank you so much..." Arata didn’t answer. Because nearby, Daichi’s body still rested beneath the broken pillar now covered carefully with a soldier’s jacket. That sight pulled something painfully heavy inside Arata’s chest again.

For the first time in a very long while, Arata truly hated this world. Not because zombies existed. Not because people died. But because people like Daichi were forced to carry impossible burdens until they finally collapsed beneath them. Hours passed before the fighting finally ended completely. The tower survived. Barely. Bodies filled the lower floors while exhausted soldiers sat silently against blood-covered walls trying to recover enough strength to continue moving. Civilians cried quietly while helping carry wounded survivors upstairs. The destroyed entrance had finally been sealed temporarily using debris and remaining barricades. But nobody celebrated. Because this wasn’t victory. Only survival.

Later that night, the soldiers gathered silently around Daichi’s body. No speeches came. No dramatic ceremony. Just grief. One younger soldier eventually stepped forward while trembling slightly before carefully placing Daichi’s military badge on his chest. "Thank you, Captain," he whispered weakly. Others followed afterward one by one. Some saluted. Some cried. Some simply stood silently unable to speak at all. Airi cried quietly beside Reina while Kaede remained near the back with lowered eyes. Even Yuna stayed completely silent now, her usual energy gone. Then slowly, everyone’s eyes moved toward Arata. Not intentionally, Not consciously, It simply happened naturally. Because Daichi was gone now, and Deep down, everyone already understood who carried the weight next.