《Blood Eclipse》 The Red Moon Rises Tokyo, Friday Night The night sky over Tokyo was bleeding. A deep crimson hue painted the clouds, stretching across the city skyline like an open wound. Neon lights flickered against the darkness, their glow competing against the unnatural red tint. Down below, the city pulsed with its usual rhythm: the hum of car engines, the murmuring sea of people moving through the streets, the occasional laughter echoing through narrow alleyways. But beneath that, something felt... wrong. Off. Unnatural. Takashi Kuroda leaned against the rusted fence of Shibuya High''s rooftop, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. The cool night breeze ruffled his silver-dyed hair, but his mind was elsewhere. The city had always been a chaotic mess, but tonight¡ªtonight it felt different. Something gnawed at the edge of his senses, a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite shake. ¡°Taka, you know they¡¯ll suspend you again if they catch you up here.¡± The voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. Yui Nakamura stood at the doorway to the rooftop, arms crossed over her school blazer, dark eyes narrowed in disapproval. Her sleek black bob barely moved in the wind, and as always, she carried an air of superiority¡ªlike she had everything under control. Takashi smirked, rolling the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Let them. School¡¯s a waste of time anyway.¡± Yui sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. ¡°And getting expelled is a productive use of time?¡± Before Takashi could respond, the heavy metal door behind her was shoved open. Ren Okabe stepped onto the rooftop, his signature smirk plastered across his face. The warm city lights caught the edges of his wavy brown hair, giving him an almost golden glow. ¡°You two lovebirds done fighting?¡± Ren teased as he leaned against the railing. ¡°Not in the mood, Okabe,¡± Yui muttered, shooting him a sharp glare. Ren chuckled. ¡°Relax, Nakamura. We¡¯ve got bigger problems.¡± Takashi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Bigger problems than my suspension?¡± Ren exhaled slowly, drumming his fingers against the metal railing. ¡°Something¡¯s happening downtown. Just came from Shibuya Station¡ªthere was a fight. But not the usual salaryman brawl.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Takashi took the bait. ¡°Oh yeah? What happened?¡± Ren¡¯s smirk faltered slightly. ¡°One guy bit another.¡± Takashi frowned. ¡°Bit?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not some weak-ass scuffle. I mean, he tore into the guy¡¯s neck.¡± Ren¡¯s voice dropped slightly, his usual playfulness dimming. ¡°Blood everywhere. The guy went down screaming. Then¡ª¡± he hesitated. ¡°Then he got back up.¡± Yui shifted, her arms tightening around her torso. ¡°Got up? Like, he wasn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ren said slowly. ¡°I mean, he should have been dead, but he wasn¡¯t.¡± A chill settled over the rooftop. Takashi flicked his cigarette over the railing. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. People don¡¯t just stand up after their necks get torn out.¡± Ren shrugged, though his grip on the railing tightened. ¡°I know what I saw.¡± Before anyone could respond, another voice called out. Haruka "Haru" Shimizu and Daichi "Dai" Fujimoto stepped onto the rooftop, their faces uneasy. ¡°You guys feel weird tonight?¡± Haru asked, pulling her mechanic¡¯s jacket tighter around her small frame. ¡°I was walking here, and the crows were¡­ off.¡± Takashi frowned. ¡°Crows?¡± Daichi, the towering judo champion, nodded. ¡°Yeah. They weren¡¯t moving. Just¡­ watching people. Not flying away, not making noise. Just staring.¡± Yui checked her phone. Her screen was flooded with unconfirmed reports¡ªrandom acts of violence, people collapsing in the streets, emergency lockdowns in certain areas. But there was no official news. Just panic bubbling beneath the surface. Then, in the distance, a siren wailed. Long. Piercing. Unsettling. Ren let out a slow breath. ¡°Something¡¯s coming.¡± --- One Hour Earlier ¨C Shibuya Station Masaru Ito was already having a bad day. His girlfriend had dumped him, his boss had humiliated him at work, and now he was crammed into the evening rush at Shibuya Station, suffocating in the sea of people. Hundreds of bodies pushed against him, impatient to get home. And then he heard the scream. At first, it barely registered over the noise of the train announcements, but it grew¡ªragged, wet, filled with something that clawed at the primal part of his brain. Masaru turned just in time to see a man lunge at another commuter. And bite into his throat. For a split second, no one reacted. The train doors beeped. The station announcement droned on. Then the blood sprayed, painting the tiles deep red. The victim staggered, hands clutching his torn throat, gurgling on his own blood before collapsing against the train doors. Then he twitched. Then he moved. Masaru took a step back. ¡°What the hell¡ª¡± The man, the one who should have been dead, suddenly jerked upright. His neck was still gaping open, arterial blood still leaking down his suit, but his eyes were vacant. Hungry. And then he lunged at the closest person. The station erupted into chaos. Screams filled the air as people shoved and trampled over one another, desperate to escape. The first victim sank his teeth into a woman¡¯s shoulder, tearing through her uniform. Her shriek was raw, desperate, before she, too, collapsed. And seconds later, she got back up. Masaru turned and ran. This wasn¡¯t a fight. This wasn¡¯t normal. This was something else. --- Back on the Rooftop ¨C Shibuya High The sirens hadn¡¯t stopped. In fact, more had joined them. Firetrucks, ambulances, police. All heading toward downtown. ¡°Okay,¡± Takashi muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°So maybe something¡¯s going on.¡± Yui¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. ¡°We need to get home.¡± Ren shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Haru looked up. ¡°Why not?¡± Ren hesitated. Then, quietly, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is something you can run from.¡± Takashi turned back toward the city. The red glow above Tokyo was darker now, heavier, pressing down like a weight on his chest. Somewhere, far below, another scream echoed into the night. And for the first time in his life, Takashi felt afraid. Into the Abyss The hallway smelled of blood. Akira pressed his back against the wall, crowbar gripped tightly in his hand. The school had fallen into absolute chaos¡ªscreams echoed from classrooms, bodies littered the tiled floor, and the infected roamed in clusters, drawn to every new sound. A few meters ahead, an infected teacher stumbled forward, jaw slack, eyes milky. The front of his uniform was soaked in dark, glistening crimson. Tatsu inhaled sharply beside him. Akira knew what he was thinking¡ªthat was our math teacher. But there was no room for hesitation. Akira motioned with two fingers, signaling Tatsu to stay low. He crouched, inching forward with the crowbar raised. His heart pounded, but his mind was eerily calm, already calculating the force needed to crush the infected¡¯s skull in one blow. He waited until the creature lurched forward. Then he swung. The sharp, metallic crack of skull against iron echoed through the hall. The creature staggered, gurgling, before collapsing in a twitching heap. Akira wasted no time. He wiped the blood off the crowbar and turned back to Tatsu. ¡°We move. Now.¡± Tatsu exhaled through his nose, gripping his makeshift chair leg club. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, man.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Akira started forward again. ¡°Fear keeps you alive.¡± The school was a battlefield of flesh and shadows. Bodies¡ªsome still twitching¡ªlay in the hallways. Blood smeared the walls. The occasional infected shuffled aimlessly, jaws snapping at the air. Akira moved like a ghost, searching for anything useful. He had read about scavenging strategies before: In a nearby janitor¡¯s closet, he found a box cutter, duct tape, and a hammer. Not great, but it was a start. ¡°We need bags,¡± he muttered. Tatsu nodded, running into the next classroom. He emerged with two backpacks. ¡°One of them had snacks. Hope you like potato chips.¡± Akira didn¡¯t care about food yet. He found an emergency fire axe in a locked case, smashing it open with the crowbar. Tatsu whistled. ¡°Now that¡¯s a weapon.¡± Akira handed him the axe. ¡°Take it.¡± Tatsu hesitated. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°I have the crowbar. You¡¯re stronger. Swing fast, aim for the head.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Tatsu took it with a grim nod. They were past the point of debating morality. Reaching the school entrance was impossible. The infected swarmed near the gates, drawn to the sound of students screaming for help. Most were dead already. That left one option. ¡°The roof,¡± Akira decided. Tatsu frowned. ¡°And then what? We jump?¡± Akira scanned the school¡¯s layout. The next building over was the gymnasium, its rooftop only a few meters lower than the main school building. If they could find a way down from there, they had a chance. They climbed the stairs carefully, avoiding the occasional wandering infected. When they reached the door to the rooftop, Akira stopped. ¡°Wait.¡± Tatsu froze. ¡°What?¡± Akira ran his fingers over the lock. It was latched from the inside. Someone had barricaded it. Which meant someone was already up there. He knocked lightly. ¡°Anyone there?¡± Silence. Then, suddenly¡ªa gunshot. The bullet shattered the wood inches from Akira¡¯s face. He barely had time to react before Tatsu grabbed him and yanked him aside. ¡°Shit! Shit! They¡¯re shooting!¡± A voice¡ªshaky, male¡ªshouted from the other side. ¡°S-Stay back! Don¡¯t come up here!¡± Akira exhaled, mind racing. Humans. That was worse than zombies. He chose his next words carefully. ¡°We¡¯re not infected. We¡¯re just trying to get out of here.¡± A pause. Then the door cracked open slightly. A pair of fearful eyes stared back at them. It was a younger student¡ªHaruto Nomura, the quiet kid from the robotics club. He held a rusty revolver, his hands trembling. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ alive?¡± Haruto muttered. ¡°For now,¡± Akira replied. ¡°Are you going to let us up, or are you going to waste another bullet?¡± Haruto hesitated, then stepped back. The door swung open. Akira and Tatsu slipped inside. The rooftop was empty except for Haruto and one other student¡ªSayaka Morioka. Akira barely knew her, but her reputation was infamous. Sayaka was the coldest, most calculating person in school. A straight-A student, daughter of a high-ranking politician, and a girl who could manipulate anyone with a single sentence. Right now, she sat on a metal bench, arms crossed, eyes like ice. She wasn¡¯t scared. She was analyzing them. Akira met her gaze. ¡°You two have been up here since the outbreak started?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sayaka answered. ¡°The roof was the safest place.¡± Haruto fidgeted beside her. ¡°W-We saw what happened inside. It was¡­ bad. But Sayaka said waiting was smarter than running.¡± Akira took that in. ¡°She¡¯s right. But staying here forever isn¡¯t an option.¡± Sayaka narrowed her eyes. ¡°And you have a better plan?¡± Akira nodded. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the subway. Underground is safer. Less exposure.¡± Sayaka considered it. ¡°How do you know the subway isn¡¯t overrun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Akira admitted. ¡°But I know what happens to people who stay put. They die.¡± Haruto swallowed hard. Sayaka remained silent, studying him. Then, finally¡ª ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± Akira glanced at Haruto. The kid hesitated but nodded. ¡°T-Then I will too.¡± Akira sighed in relief. Numbers meant survival. But he also knew this meant more risks, more personalities, and more danger. And soon, the real horrors would begin. They moved quickly. The sun was beginning to set, and nighttime meant death. Akira checked the edge of the rooftop. The gymnasium rooftop was just below. If they timed it right, they could jump. He tested the ledge first, balancing himself. It was just three meters down. He jumped. Landing hard, he rolled to break his fall. It hurt like hell, but nothing broke. ¡°Come on!¡± he called. Tatsu followed, then Haruto. Sayaka hesitated last but finally jumped, landing with practiced ease. They made it. Now, they just had to find a way off the gym roof. But then¡ª A deep, wet growl rumbled from below. Akira tensed. The infected inside the gym had heard them. Then something slammed against the rooftop door. And this time, it wasn¡¯t just a normal infected. A clawed hand ripped through the wood. Something huge was trying to break through. Akira¡¯s heart pounded. This wasn¡¯t just a regular infected. It was something worse. And it was coming for them. The First Aberration The wooden door splintered apart with a sickening crack. A hand¡ªno, a twisted mass of elongated fingers, sharpened into unnatural claws¡ªripped through the frame. The infected inside the gym weren¡¯t just normal mindless monsters. Something else was in there with them. And it had heard them. Akira took a step back, crowbar gripped tightly in his hands. His brain worked on overdrive, scanning for options, exits, and weaknesses. Tatsu swore under his breath, hoisting his fire axe. ¡°Okay, what the hell is that?¡± Sayaka¡¯s sharp gaze flickered between the door and Akira. ¡°That¡¯s not normal, is it?¡± Akira shook his head. No, it wasn¡¯t. Regular infected didn¡¯t mutate that fast. This wasn¡¯t a normal virus. It was something worse. Haruto was shaking beside them, clutching the revolver with white-knuckled fingers. ¡°We¡ªWe need to move¡ª¡± Another slam. The doorframe cracked further. Then they saw it. A hand. Gray flesh stretched too tightly over bones. Fingernails lengthened into black, needle-like claws. The thing¡¯s arm was disproportionate¡ªtoo long, too thin, like someone had stretched its body past human limits. And then, it spoke. Not words. But a grotesque mockery of speech. A deep, distorted, broken voice, as if its vocal cords were unraveling and trying to reform at the same time. ¡°WrrrraaaAAAHHHhhhh.¡± Haruto screamed. That was all it took. The creature lunged. Akira moved first. He shoved Haruto aside and swung his crowbar with everything he had. The metal cracked against the creature¡¯s skull. It barely flinched. "Shit." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Tatsu let out a battle cry, swinging his fire axe straight into the monster¡¯s shoulder. The blade sank deep. The creature screeched. Then¡ªit grabbed the axe with its clawed hand and yanked it free like it was nothing. Tatsu stumbled back, cursing. Sayaka was already moving. She grabbed Haruto and dragged him toward the rooftop¡¯s opposite end. ¡°We need to jump!¡± Akira¡¯s brain worked at hyperspeed. No stopping power. No hesitation from pain. This wasn¡¯t a human anymore. Which meant¡ª Go for the spine. He adjusted his grip and swung low, smashing the crowbar into the creature¡¯s lower back. The vertebrae cracked, and for the first time¡ªit collapsed. Akira didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He dropped onto its back, raised the crowbar, and brought it down¡ªagain. Again. Again. A sickening crunch. The creature twitched, spasmed, then finally stopped moving. Silence. Heavy breathing. Haruto was curled up, shaking violently. Tatsu wiped blood from his face, exhaling heavily. ¡°Jesus.¡± Sayaka knelt beside the body, inspecting it without touching. ¡°That was¡­ different.¡± Akira wiped his crowbar clean. He didn¡¯t say anything. But he already knew. The infection was evolving. And this was just the beginning. "Move," Akira ordered, scanning the rooftop edge. The building below¡ª**a storage shed attached to the gym¡ª**was their best option. It was only a one-story drop. Tatsu took a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯re really doing this?¡± ¡°Unless you want to fight another one of those things.¡± Tatsu didn''t argue. Sayaka jumped first, landing in a roll. Akira nodded approvingly. She was disciplined. Efficient. Dangerous. Tatsu followed, then Haruto. Akira was last. He dropped, landed, and immediately scanned their surroundings. Nothing moved. Good. Now, they had to get to the subway. The streets were unrecognizable. Fire spread through the city. The air reeked of blood and burning flesh. Cars were abandoned, their alarms blaring uselessly into the night. And the dead? They were everywhere. Shambling figures dragged themselves through the streets, gnawing on the remains of the fallen. Some moved fast, sprinting on broken legs. Others were bloated, twitching, as if something inside them was waiting to burst. Akira took a breath. Noise attracted them. Smell, too. They needed to move quietly. Tatsu adjusted his grip on the axe. ¡°Which way?¡± Akira pointed. ¡°Subway station. Three blocks south.¡± Sayaka frowned. ¡°And you¡¯re sure the subway is safe?¡± ¡°No,¡± Akira admitted. ¡°But we don¡¯t have a better option.¡± She studied him for a moment. Then she smirked. ¡°I like you.¡± Akira ignored her and led the way. The walk was hell. They ducked into alleyways, avoiding larger hordes. Once, they had to crawl under a crashed bus, holding their breath as dozens of infected stumbled above them. They were almost at the subway entrance when they found them. Other survivors. A group of seven people¡ªadults, armed. At first, Akira thought they were friendly. Then he saw their eyes. Predators. Not desperate. Not terrified. Hunters. One of them¡ªa tall man with a shotgun¡ªgrinned. ¡°Well, well. Look what we have here.¡± Haruto froze. Tatsu tightened his grip on the axe. Sayaka remained perfectly still, analyzing. Akira? He was already considering the fastest way to kill them. Because in this world, humans were just as dangerous as the dead. And this was a test of survival.