The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the desolate landscape as Kazuichi and Arisu made their way to the Tokyo Stronghold. The stronghold was a mobile fortress of steel and concrete, built to withstand the apocalypse that had ravaged the world. It stood on a hill, a beacon of hope in a land of despair, but the journey to reach it was fraught with danger.

Kazuichi’s muscles still throbbed from the recent battle, but that didn’t impede him from carrying the unconscious woman on his shoulders. Her body was battered, her breathing shallow, but she was alive.

Arisu walked beside him, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. Well, she was also stealing glances at Kazuichi from time to time, gesturing at him not to do any funny business.

Quite frankly, she wished that it was her taking the woman’s place.

Since they were going to the Tokyo Stronghold, they had to take a little detour from their usual route, going to the far side of the West Yamanashi Stronghold and traveling by the main road to the heart of Tokyo. There they expected the mobile stronghold to appear.

"We got a huge haul of meteorite ores. We should probably hand them out to Ayaka, Jurou, and the others." Kazuichi said, balancing the sack he carried on his other shoulder.

"You know how they are, they wouldn’t take you up on the offer. Then again, now that you’re on Stage III, it’s much better if you keep all those to yourself. Who knows, maybe you can reach Stage IV at the end of the year."

"That sounds more ominous than usual." Kazuichi commented.

The road ahead was littered with the remains of civilization. Abandoned cars, crumbling buildings, and the occasional skeletal remains of the unfortunate littered the path. But the real danger lay in the shadows, where the undead lurked, drawn by the scent of the living.

As they moved, Kazuichi’s heightened senses picked up the faint, guttural moans of zombies in the distance. He signaled to Arisu, who nodded and tightened her grip on her weapon, a long, serrated blade she always kept in her pockets. They moved silently, their footsteps barely audible against the cracked pavement.

Engaging hordes in combat is just another Monday for the duo, but not only do they have large amounts of meteorite ores, putting a huge target behind their backs, they also had a straggler with them— the woman— and she could wake up and start thrashing at any second, and that could attract more mindless zombies.

"They’re coming," Kazuichi grunted, tightening his grip on his baggage as he prepared for the arrival of the horde. For once, he felt a tad of anxiousness overcoming him.

Then again, he trusts Arisu with his life. She was a fierce warrior, her senses honed by the seasons of surviving in this brutal world. Together, they make a formidable duo, and their unwavering faith on each other had brought them countless times from hell and back.

In preparation, Kazuichi held both the sack of meteorite ores and the woman on just one shoulder. No one knows how he was able to efficiently carry both with one hand, but he made it look super easy.

The first wave of zombies appeared from the shadows, their eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger. They staggered forward, their decayed bodies barely holding together, but their numbers made them a formidable threat. Kazuichi adjusted the woman on his shoulders, his muscles rippling as he prepared for combat.

Arisu was the first to strike. With a swift, fluid motion, she decapitated the nearest zombie, its head rolling away as its body crumpled to the ground. She moved with the grace of a dancer, her blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Kazuichi followed suit, his free hand a blur as he smashed through the zombies with brute force. His Hybrid powers, coupled with a rush of adrenaline, coursed through his veins, enhancing his strength and speed, turning him into a whirlwind of destruction.

Despite their combined prowess, the zombies kept coming, a relentless tide of death. Kazuichi and Arisu fought back to back, their movements synchronized, each protecting the other’s blind spots. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the sound of battle, but they remained focused, their determination unwavering.

"Let’s keep moving. We can’t stay here and tire ourselves out." Kazuichi calmly shouted over the din, his voice grunting as he did so.

Arisu nodded, dispatching another zombie before following Kazuichi’s lead. They moved swiftly, cutting through the horde with brutal efficiency. Kazuichi’s muscles burned with exertion, but he pushed on, his mind focused on protecting his burden as well as Arisu who stuck close to him like glue.

The road ahead led through a narrow alleyway, the walls close and claustrophobic. It was a risk, but it was also the fastest route out of there. Kazuichi signaled to Arisu, who nodded in agreement. They plunged into the alley, the sounds of the pursuing zombies echoing behind them.

In the confined space, the battle became even more intense. The zombies pressed in from all sides, their decayed hands grasping for flesh. Kazuichi’s fists were a blur, each punch sending a zombie flying, but their numbers seemed endless. Arisu’s blade flashed in the dim light, each strike precise and lethal.

"Almost there!" Arisu shouted, her voice strained with effort. "Let’s keep going, Kazuichi!"

Kazuichi grunted in response, his focus entirely on the battle. He could see the end of the alleyway up ahead, the open space beyond promising a brief respite. With a final surge of strength, he barreled through the remaining zombies, his powerful form carving a path through the horde.

Arisu’s lips curved upward as she sliced through three more undeads, causing them to collapse on the ground like useless pieces of rotten meat. Following Kazuichi’s lead, the two of them held on, they still had quite a distance to travel before arriving at the safety of the Tokyo Stronghold.