I Built a Safe Zone in the Dead World

Cold water dripped endlessly from the cracked underground ceiling while emergency alarms echoed through the darkness behind them. The sound of distant infected screams continued shaking the collapsing parking structure as Arata and Akari ran deeper through the emergency maintenance tunnel beneath the university. Their footsteps splashed through shallow rainwater covering portions of the floor while dim red emergency lights flickered weakly overhead.

Behind them, the Apex Mutation roared again. The sound echoed through the tunnel like an earthquake. Akari’s breathing became heavier beside him while she tightened her grip around the metal baseball bat still stained with infected blood. Despite exhaustion, she never once complained or slowed down. Arata noticed that immediately. Most survivors panicked after experiencing something like that creature. Akari didn’t. Fear existed in her eyes, but she kept moving anyway.

The tunnel curved sharply downward while steam escaped from damaged pipes lining the walls. The deeper they moved, the colder the atmosphere became. Rusted maintenance doors appeared along the sides while old emergency signs flickered through the darkness.

Then suddenly the entire tunnel shook violently. Dust fell from the ceiling instantly. Akari stumbled slightly from the impact before Arata grabbed her arm instinctively to steady her. For one brief second, their eyes met again. Her violet eyes looked colder up close. Not emotionless. Lonely. Then Akari quietly pulled her arm away again.

"...Thanks." she said.

Arata nodded silently before continuing forward.The silence between them afterward felt strangely awkward. Not uncomfortable. Just unfamiliar. Because both of them were people unused to relying on others.

Another roar echoed somewhere behind them.Akari looked back briefly. "...It’s following us."

"Yeah." Arata replied.

"You sound calm about it ?." she ask him.

Arata glanced toward her slightly. "Panicking won’t help." Akari stared at him for several seconds afterward, "...You really are strange."

Before Arata could answer, a loud metallic crash suddenly echoed ahead. Both stopped instantly. Something moved in the darkness. Low growling followed shortly afterward.

Infected.

At least six of them slowly emerged from deeper within the tunnel beneath flickering red lights. Their bodies looked partially decomposed while black infection veins covered their skin unnaturally.One infected immediately sprinted toward them, Arata moved first.

His blade flashed across the tunnel instantly. The infected’s head separated cleanly before crashing across the wet floor. Another rushed from the side. Akari swung the bat hard enough to crush its jaw sideways before Arata finished it immediately afterward.

The tunnel erupted into chaos.

Three infected charged simultaneously while screaming violently. Akari dodged backward instinctively before smashing the bat into one infected’s skull repeatedly until it stopped moving. Another grabbed her jacket from behind.

Arata intercepted instantly.

His blade pierced directly through the infected’s throat while blood splattered across the nearby wall. The final infected lunged toward Akari suddenly. Without hesitation, she pulled a combat knife from her boot and stabbed directly upward through its eye.

Silence returned.Only heavy breathing remained afterward.

Water dripped quietly from nearby pipes while the infected corpses slowly stopped twitching across the tunnel floor.

Arata glanced toward Akari briefly, "...Nice reflexes."

Akari wiped blood from her cheek silently before answering.

"I survived this long somehow." she replied.

Simple response, But Arata noticed something important, She adapted quickly.

Most civilians froze during close combat.

Akari didn’t, Even under pressure.

Then suddenly her knees weakened slightly. Arata caught her shoulder immediately before she collapsed completely.

Akari looked annoyed instantly. "...I’m fine."

"You’re exhausted." Arata said .

"I said I’m fi—" Her body betrayed her completely after that sentence ended. The adrenaline finally faded. Arata noticed the shaking in her hands immediately now. And the blood. A lot more blood than before.

Several deep wounds covered portions of her arms from fighting infected earlier inside the cafeteria.

She hid them until now, Of course she did.

Arata sighed quietly before looking around the tunnel carefully.

"There." he said , A small maintenance room stood partially open nearby. The room looked abandoned but intact enough for temporary shelter.

Akari frowned slightly. "...Stopping is dangerous."

"So is bleeding to death." he replied.

The room itself remained surprisingly untouched compared to the rest of the underground tunnels. Old maintenance equipment filled the corners while emergency batteries still powered one flickering ceiling light overhead.

Rainwater dripped softly through nearby pipes while distant roars echoed faintly far behind them.

Arata blocked the damaged door entrance carefully using broken equipment afterward before finally turning toward Akari again.

"Sit." he said to her .

Akari crossed her arms slightly. "...You sound bossy."

"You sound stubborn." he replied.

"...I am stubborn."

"Yeah. I noticed."

For the first time since meeting her, a tiny smile almost appeared on her face.

She finally sat near the wall afterward while breathing heavily.

Arata crouched nearby before opening medical supplies taken from the armored vehicle earlier. Airi always forced extra supplies onto him before missions. Now he understood why.

Akari watched silently while he prepared bandages.

"...You know medical treatment too?" she asked.

"A little."Arata replied.

"That answer sounds suspicious." she said .

"I learned after getting injured repeatedly."

"...That makes more sense."

Arata carefully cleaned one of the wounds on her arm. Akari immediately flinched slightly.

"You’re injured worse than you thought." arata said

"I’ve had worse." she replied

"You say that too casually."he said . Akari looked away quietly afterward.

Silence filled the small maintenance room again while distant infected screams echoed faintly through the underground tunnels outside.

Then suddenly she spoke quietly.

"...Why did you save me earlier?" she asked.

Arata continued wrapping the bandage calmly.

"You were about to die." he replied .

"That doesn’t answer the question."she said .

He finally glanced toward her slightly.

"...Leaving someone behind feels worse." he said

Akari stared at him silently after hearing that.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then she looked down quietly toward the fresh bandages around her arm.

"...You really are strange." she said.

Arata ignored the comment completely.

A few minutes later the atmosphere inside the room finally became calmer. The distant sounds of chaos felt farther away now while the emergency light flickered softly above them.

Akari leaned quietly against the wall while holding the metal bat across her lap.

Arata sat opposite her while checking system notifications silently.

[New Companion Candidate Detected]

[Compatibility Evaluation In Progress]

He closed the screen immediately.and start speaking in his mind. Absolutely not, The system needed to stop acting weird.

Akari suddenly glanced toward him again. "...What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."he replied

"You looked annoyed." she said.

"Because I am."

"...Interesting."

Arata narrowed his eyes slightly. "You analyze people a lot."

"I studied psychology." she replied

"That explains it."

Akari rested her chin lightly against her knee afterward while watching him quietly.

"You carry pressure strangely."

Arata looked toward her slightly.

"You don’t act like someone trying to survive." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You act like someone trying to carry everyone else."

Silence followed immediately, Because she wasn’t wrong.Arata looked away afterward.

"...Somebody has to."

Akari stared at him silently for several seconds before speaking again.

"That mindset destroys people eventually."

"Maybe."

"You say that like you already know."

Arata didn’t answer.And somehow that silence itself became his answer.

The atmosphere grew quieter afterward. Not awkward. Just heavy.

Rainwater continued dripping softly through nearby pipes while thunder echoed faintly somewhere above the underground tunnels.

Then suddenly Akari’s stomach growled loudly, Complete silence followed. Arata slowly looked toward her.

Akari froze instantly.For the first time since meeting her, she actually looked embarrassed.

"...You didn’t hear that." she said while blushing.

"I definitely heard that." Arata replied.

"...No." she said.

Arata opened one of the emergency food packs calmly before tossing it toward her.

Akari caught it automatically.

"...Thanks." she said.

"You protected students for weeks with barely any supplies." Arata leaned slightly against the wall afterward. "You need food."

Akari stared quietly at the packaged food for several seconds.l, Then muttered softly, "...Nobody shared food without wanting something in return before."

Arata frowned slightly, "What?"

"Nothing." But her expression changed afterward, Softer now, Less guarded.

Yuna would absolutely lose her mind seeing this moment, Arata thought silently.

The image alone almost made him laugh slightly, Almost.Akari noticed immediately.

"...Did you just almost smile?" she said

"No." Arata replied

"That was definitely almost a smile."

"You’re imagining things."

"...Interesting."She looked strangely satisfied afterward.

Several minutes later the atmosphere became calmer enough for exhaustion to finally hit both of them properly. The nonstop fighting, escaping, and chaos earlier had drained almost all their energy.

Akari rested quietly against the wall while finishing the emergency food slowly.

Then suddenly she spoke quietly again.

"...Do you think your friends survived?"

Arata remained silent briefly then -"...Yeah."

"You sound certain." she said

"Because they’re strong."Arata replied.

Akari lowered her eyes quietly afterward.

"...I used to think that too."

Arata noticed the slight pain hidden behind her voice immediately. People she trusted before probably died here, Or abandoned her, Maybe both, Then unexpectedly he spoke quietly.

"You should sleep for a little while."

Akari blinked slightly. "...What?"

"I’ll keep watch."

"You don’t trust me enough for that."

"Probably not."

"...Honest at least."

"But you’re exhausted."

Akari looked like she wanted to argue again. Then her body betrayed her completely once more.She looked away annoyed afterward.

"...Fine."

A few minutes later, she finally fell asleep quietly against the wall.And somehow she looked completely different asleep.

The cold guarded expression disappeared entirely, Now she just looked tired, Lonely, Human.

Arata watched silently while distant thunder echoed softly through the underground tunnels outside.

Then his eyes moved toward the metal bat resting beside her, A normal weapon, Cheap, Damaged.

Yet she survived this long using only that, Protecting others, Alone.

Arata understood now why he respected her already, Because despite fear, she never stopped fighting.Hours passed slowly afterward.The underground tunnels remained strangely quiet now while rain continued falling endlessly somewhere above the city.

Then suddenly Akari moved slightly in her sleep.

"...Don’t leave..."Her voice sounded barely audible, Weak, Almost frightened.Arata froze slightly after hearing it.Then silence returned again. Several minutes later Akari’s eyes slowly opened. And immediately realized she accidentally fell asleep.

She sat upright instantly while gripping the bat again.

"...How long i have been sleeping? " She ask.

"About two hours." he replied.

Her expression changed immediately afterward.

"...You stayed awake the whole time?"

"Yeah."

"...Idiot."

Arata frowned slightly. "What?"

"You’re injured too."

"...Not as badly."

Akari stared at him quietly again, Then unexpectedly she spoke softly.

"...Thank you." No cold tone, No sarcasm Just honesty.

For one brief second, the atmosphere between them felt strangely warm despite the cold underground tunnel surrounding them.

Then suddenly the entire maintenance room shook violently, Both stood instantly.

Another roar echoed through the tunnels outside.

Closer again, The Apex Mutation found them.

Akari tightened her grip around the bat immediately.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me."

The creature roared again while heavy footsteps approached through the underground darkness. Closer. Arata grabbed his weapon immediately before looking toward the tunnel exit.

"...We move again."

Akari stepped beside him silently afterward, Not behind him, Beside him.

And somehow that small detail mattered more than either of them expected.