Untouched by the Outbreak

Ryo and Sachiko walked ahead, their pace casual and unhurried. Sayako followed closely behind Ryo, her eerie presence unsettling with every step. Her white eyes scanned the surroundings, ever vigilant, her smooth, pale skin a stark contrast to the usual decayed look of other zombies. She was faster, stronger, and more dangerous than even the Striders, and Yumi knew it.

Yumi trudged along behind them, surrounded by a menacing circle of Striders and Brutes, their hulking forms cutting off any possibility of escape. Her prototype zombies, once her pride and protection, were now powerless, pinned by the overwhelming strength of Ryo's horde. She had no choice but to comply with Sachiko's conditions, knowing full well there was no fighting back here.

These were not the mindless government soldiers she was used to outwitting or killing—this was something far more terrifying, something she couldn't control.

Every step felt heavier, the looming threat of what awaited her weighing down her body. She had seen many zombies before, but none like this. The mutants in this town were different. And Sayako, the first female zombie she had ever encountered, was unlike anything she could have imagined—too fast, too agile, too powerful. The sight of her alone had paralyzed Yumi with fear.

Her thoughts raced as she followed closely, her mind replaying Sachiko's chilling ultimatum. Ryo hadn't spoken a word since gripping her hair, and that silence was almost worse than anything else. She knew she had no power to fight back, and that realization was sinking in deeper with every passing moment.

If this had been any other situation—if she were facing off against government forces, she might have stood a chance. But here? Against these creatures? Against Ryo?

Yumi's thoughts spiraled as she recalled her past encounters with mutant zombies. She had seen Brutes before, but never like this. In a town far from here, she had once witnessed a lone Brute lift an abandoned car and hurl it like it weighed nothing, its raw strength seared into her memory. But that was just one—one terrifying Brute that she had barely escaped.

Now, surrounded by hordes of them, Yumi felt utterly overwhelmed. She had never seen this many in one place. And they weren't just more numerous; they were different. Unlike the decayed, rotting monsters she had faced in other places, the zombies here looked disturbingly fresh. Their greyish skin was the only sign that they were anything but human. No decay.

No rot. Just pure strength and speed.

Even the Striders and Brutes here moved with terrifying agility. The Brutes she had encountered before were slow but immensely strong. But here, they were faster—far faster than any she had ever seen. Their ability to move so quickly, combined with their overwhelming power, made them nearly impossible to escape from or outmaneuver.

And the Striders, always fast, seemed almost invincible in this town, their speed and agility far beyond the norm.

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Yumi's heart raced as the reality set in: this was a different breed of horror. There was something about this place, something that made the zombies here stronger, faster, and more coordinated than anywhere else. Whatever it was, she had walked into a nightmare far worse than she had imagined. There was no fighting back, no escape.

These zombies were in a league of their own, and she was trapped in the center of it all.

Sachiko glanced over her shoulder with a sly smile, her sharp eyes narrowing as she caught Yumi's troubled expression. "Are you thinking of how to escape?" Sachiko teased, her voice smooth and taunting.

Yumi instinctively shook her head, her body tense with fear. She knew she couldn't run. Even if she commanded her prototype zombies to shield her while she tried to make a break for it, survival would be impossible without them. Those were her only defense against the terrifying Striders and Brutes surrounding them.

She could already picture the outcome. If she somehow managed to escape Ryo, Sachiko, and the girl with white eyes—if they even allowed her to flee—there would still be the inevitable death waiting for her just beyond this place. The streets were swarming with the enhanced zombies that had no equal, unlike anything she had ever faced before.

Her prototype zombies had kept her alive thus far, but without them?

Yumi's heart sank as the grim reality weighed on her. She wouldn't last a single night alone. The Striders would track her down with their unnatural speed, and the Brutes would crush her without hesitation. She was trapped in every sense, not just by Ryo and his terrifying group but by the entire world beyond. The thought of running, of trying to escape, was laughable at best.

She was cornered, not just physically but in every possible way. Her only chance was here, with them—no matter how bleak or terrifying that seemed.

Yumi's mind raced, but the harsh truth was clear: even if this man—Ryo—commanded the zombies in this town not to attack her, it wouldn't matter. Survival beyond his domain was a different story. In the other towns, she would be left defenseless, surrounded by hordes of regular, rotting zombies. Without her prototype zombies by her side, she would be nothing but prey.

She recalled her encounters with the decayed zombies in other areas. They may have been slower and less powerful than the mutants here, but there were so many of them. Without her prototype zombies, the regular undead would tear her apart just as easily. And that didn't even account for any new mutants she might run into.

She couldn't rely on anyone else; no one knew how to control zombies the way Ryo did. Her only safety lay in the small measure of protection she had now.

Running wasn't an option. She was utterly dependent on her prototypes, and even they were helpless against the powerful Striders and Brutes that surrounded her now. Yumi knew deep down that any attempt to flee would only lead to her death, slow and agonizing.

She exhaled shakily, her body trembling as she resigned herself to her fate. Running wasn't an option. She had no choice but to stay, to accept Sachiko's conditions, no matter how much it tore at her pride. The alternative was unthinkable.

Yumi's thoughts spiraled as she replayed Sachiko's words in her mind. "Become his partner in bed or become zombie food." The weight of it hit her harder now, sinking in deeper. She had never even had a boyfriend, let alone a partner. Her life before all this had been isolated, focused on survival and her work with her prototypes. She had never imagined being forced into such a situation.

The idea of being someone's partner—especially a man like Ryo, who commanded zombies and showed no mercy—terrified her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her hands trembled. What kind of person was Ryo, really? His cold demeanor, the way he casually gripped her hair and spoke to her with such disdain—it was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

She couldn't shake the image of his smirk when Sachiko teased her, or the way Sachiko whispered those unsettling options.

Yumi felt trapped, cornered by circumstances she never imagined she'd face. The idea of submitting to this man, of becoming just another one of his "possessions," disgusted her. But then she thought of the alternative—becoming zombie food. She'd seen enough horror to know what that fate would be like. Her prototypes were pinned down, powerless, and she knew that without them, she stood no chance.

Could she really bring herself to agree? Could she survive in this world without sacrificing everything she had held sacred? The uncertainty clawed at her, and for the first time, Yumi realized just how fragile her situation truly was.

Yumi's mind raced, but she knew one thing for certain—she had no choice. Scraping for food and running from the government had been her life for as long as she could remember. But now, that endless running had stopped. Not because of her own decisions, but because of these two—this girl in the doctor's coat, Sachiko, and this man, Ryo, who somehow commanded not just zombies but mutants as well.

The terrifying reality sunk in deeper as she walked, guarded by the Striders and Brutes. She had been strong, capable of fighting off government soldiers and surviving with her prototype zombies. But this... this was beyond anything she had ever encountered. The sheer power Ryo held, the dominance he showed without lifting a finger—it was overwhelming.

The government had been dangerous, but at least she understood their tactics, their weaknesses. She could run from them, hide from them. But Ryo? How could she possibly escape a man who controlled the very monsters she feared most? The ones that no other survivor could face? The ones that pinned down her most powerful prototypes with ease?

Yumi swallowed hard, her throat dry. She had always prided herself on her independence, on not needing anyone. But now, as she was target along like prey, the truth was glaring: she couldn't run. Not anymore. She wouldn't survive without her prototypes, and even with them, she'd be no match against the horde Ryo commanded.

And what's worse, she realized that escaping wouldn't even guarantee her survival. The zombies in other towns—rotting, decayed, but relentless—would tear her apart without a second thought.

The weight of her situation pressed down on her, suffocating. She had no options left. Either she accepted Sachiko's deal, or she faced a fate far worse than death.

Her body trembled as she took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for what was to come. The running had stopped. And now, she had to make the hardest choice of her life.