"Wait, what?" This was Aura's first reaction to the sudden outbreak of, what seemed to be, a zombie apocalypse. She couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening at first, but something clicked in her mind, people were dying. Her uncle had mentioned that, when combat hit, it was important to keep calm. So, Aura being a good little student, did exactly that tried to keep her calm. She didn't though...she was silently crying, even as she watched Kazuto's foot slam down on a student...but he'd been crying out for it, hadn't he? It...was the best choice, that much was clear, and Aura didn't like how easily she'd come to that conclusion. Frankly, it was terrifying how easily she accepted what was happening, but there was nothing to do for that right about now. It was around that time that she noticed Kazuto's eyes...they were empty, and for a moment she felt a tinge of fear. Would he kill her too, just like that junior? She couldn't fight Kazuto up close, she never could, but then, blessedly, he said they needed to go, wrapped his strong hand around her arm, and began to pull her along.
Thankfully for Aura, physical fitness was a big part of her upbringing, not that she mentioned it to anyone. She'd actually once been a runner, though nobody ran Cross Country in Japan. She, however, was barely keeping pace with Kazuto, and couldn't hold on to this pace forever. Thankfully, he seemed to note this, and slowed down, allowing her to keep up sustainably, though still not comfortably. He pulled her into a maintenance room and rammed his fist through the glass of an emergency case. The fire axe he drew out was dangerous, a quality weapon for facing the undead, but it seemed what he'd done was catching up to him. He half-walked half-stumbled to the door, shut and locked it, and collapsed onto his butt. He pinched himself for a moment, confirmation of his existence and his life, and Aura debated what to do. "Alright Aura, morale is important right now. Not only is Kazuto your friend, he's presently your best shot to survival. Keep him calm, cool and deadly....wait why do I care about him being deadly? What's happening to me? I'm not usually such a pragmatist."
She shook the thought from her head and gingerly sat before him, looking him in the eye, and saying from the bottom of her heart "Thank you so much Kazu-kun, you saved my life in there." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, purposefully leaning into it such that her chest pressed against his. He needed the reassurance for now, so pride be damned she would have to give it. She whispered in his ear then "You know, Kazu-kun, my uncle was an American soldier. He told me about combat, about what it's like to have to kill. He told me that protecting your own, protecting your comrades, is the most important thing ever. You protected me Kazu-kun, and I'll always be grateful for that. I want you to know you didn't do anything wrong, you did what you had to. If you hadn't killed that poor boy, he'd have turned into one of them, and maybe killed some of his friends, you did the absolute best you could. Thank you, thank you so, so much."
And then her phone rang, and she mumbled a cuss as she checked to see who it was, promising revenge on whatever telemarketer was calling in the middle of hell. Thankfully for every man in telephone advertising that ever existed, it was Alex, and she sighed in relief. That meant he was still alive, and Alex was plenty good at fighting. She answered, and was flattered to hear the first thing he asked was if she was alright. "I'm fine Alex, and it sounds like you are too. Kazuto and I are in the maintenance room, first floor, right side of the school building. If you can, try to get to us Alex, I don't want to leave you behind. I've gotta go, saving phone battery." Her speech done, she put hung up and put away her phone...just to hear banging on the door. She sighed and gently shifted Kazuto away from the door at the sounds of screaming.
The damn fool had probably attracted some of those undead with that, since noise was the classic zombie apocalypse faux pas. She opened the door, and standing before her was a man with a bokken, standing with another student who still seemed to be in shell shock. Sure enough, a pair of undead students were shambling towards them. With a muted sigh, she grabbed the two and yanked, pulling them inside. The undead, thankfully, didn't seem too fast, and she slammed the door shut, locking it again. With a sigh and a deep breath from all the physical exertion, she slid to the ground beside Kazuto. She looked up at the two and, since all she go from them was a vague tickle of familiarity, introduced herself "H-hi....I'm Aura Lockheart, glad to see more people. How are you two?"
Thankfully for Aura, physical fitness was a big part of her upbringing, not that she mentioned it to anyone. She'd actually once been a runner, though nobody ran Cross Country in Japan. She, however, was barely keeping pace with Kazuto, and couldn't hold on to this pace forever. Thankfully, he seemed to note this, and slowed down, allowing her to keep up sustainably, though still not comfortably. He pulled her into a maintenance room and rammed his fist through the glass of an emergency case. The fire axe he drew out was dangerous, a quality weapon for facing the undead, but it seemed what he'd done was catching up to him. He half-walked half-stumbled to the door, shut and locked it, and collapsed onto his butt. He pinched himself for a moment, confirmation of his existence and his life, and Aura debated what to do. "Alright Aura, morale is important right now. Not only is Kazuto your friend, he's presently your best shot to survival. Keep him calm, cool and deadly....wait why do I care about him being deadly? What's happening to me? I'm not usually such a pragmatist."
She shook the thought from her head and gingerly sat before him, looking him in the eye, and saying from the bottom of her heart "Thank you so much Kazu-kun, you saved my life in there." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, purposefully leaning into it such that her chest pressed against his. He needed the reassurance for now, so pride be damned she would have to give it. She whispered in his ear then "You know, Kazu-kun, my uncle was an American soldier. He told me about combat, about what it's like to have to kill. He told me that protecting your own, protecting your comrades, is the most important thing ever. You protected me Kazu-kun, and I'll always be grateful for that. I want you to know you didn't do anything wrong, you did what you had to. If you hadn't killed that poor boy, he'd have turned into one of them, and maybe killed some of his friends, you did the absolute best you could. Thank you, thank you so, so much."
And then her phone rang, and she mumbled a cuss as she checked to see who it was, promising revenge on whatever telemarketer was calling in the middle of hell. Thankfully for every man in telephone advertising that ever existed, it was Alex, and she sighed in relief. That meant he was still alive, and Alex was plenty good at fighting. She answered, and was flattered to hear the first thing he asked was if she was alright. "I'm fine Alex, and it sounds like you are too. Kazuto and I are in the maintenance room, first floor, right side of the school building. If you can, try to get to us Alex, I don't want to leave you behind. I've gotta go, saving phone battery." Her speech done, she put hung up and put away her phone...just to hear banging on the door. She sighed and gently shifted Kazuto away from the door at the sounds of screaming.
The damn fool had probably attracted some of those undead with that, since noise was the classic zombie apocalypse faux pas. She opened the door, and standing before her was a man with a bokken, standing with another student who still seemed to be in shell shock. Sure enough, a pair of undead students were shambling towards them. With a muted sigh, she grabbed the two and yanked, pulling them inside. The undead, thankfully, didn't seem too fast, and she slammed the door shut, locking it again. With a sigh and a deep breath from all the physical exertion, she slid to the ground beside Kazuto. She looked up at the two and, since all she go from them was a vague tickle of familiarity, introduced herself "H-hi....I'm Aura Lockheart, glad to see more people. How are you two?"