The crosses we bear [A Honkai impact fanfic]

The first crozzo

We have always thought that life would be peaceful but we were wrong. 

A 16-year old young man ran through the streets by himself while dressed in a pair of jogging pants and a white t-shirt with a pair of rubber shoes on. His dark hair clung to his skin with sweat as his dark eyes tried to find a way out and held a knife tightly. 

"Putangina!" the young man shouted as he saw an opening and entered into it. 

Why was he running? well... The whole area of metro manila was filled with zombies and he was one of the lucky few to survive not only due to luck but betrayal. It all happened a week ago. 

[Flashback, a week ago]

It has been a few months since the Honkai eruption happened in Manila and zombies have appeared as well as Honkai beasts. His school; was one of the few areas unaffected and where most people were still the same but supplies have run out quickly and many people have been causing trouble. 

A young man with dark hair sighed as he lit a cigar and inhaled some smoke. he had developed a habit of smoking as it helps keep the hunger away for a while. Right now, he was all alone yet dressed in a button-up shirt with some sort of forearm protection and a makeshift flak jacket and a helmet. 

"Ren, let's go." Looking at his childhood friend, the young man nodded at the blonde French teen. "We have to scavenge and look for supplies again." 

"I see," Ren said as he handed her the cigarette and she inhaled some smoke. "You ready, Joanna?" He asked as he took out an expandable baton. 

Sadly, this last expedition ended up in failure. 

Ren could be seen carrying a deathly pale Joanna in his arms as he kicked at the door. Their original group of 7 was now reduced to two. 

"PUTANGINA NIYO! BUKSAN NIYO TO!! (Fuck you! Open this!) Ren shouted as he kicked at the gate of their school.

"Oh, Sorry Ren. But you and the scouts are no longer needed." Griffith Shirobane said with a smug smile with girls following around him. He had Sapphire and Janna in his arms while Jeanne looked at him in shame and into the ground. 

Ren merely growled and tried one last kick only to scowl as he looked at Joanna. 

"DON'T JOKE AROUND! JOANNA'S GONNA DIE IF YOU DON'T LET ME IN!" The young man shouted as he bowed. "Please... just keep her safe." The young man begged. He already lost his family and many of his friends, he can't lose joanna." 

Hearing the gate open, Ren thought. He hoped and prayed that they would at least help Joanna, but. They pushed him to the ground and took the supplies that he risked his life to take. 

"Sorry, Ren." The bastard lied as he kicked Joanna out of his arms and kicked him on the stomach. "But your usefulness ran out!" Griffith said with a smug smile as he took the bag 

Usefulness... Gritting his teeth, the young man stood up and ran after the bastard with his knife out. Sapphire and Janna got in front of him, each one taking out their weapons to try and defend Griffith but Ren was too fast. 

he grabbed Sapphire, his childhood friend... enemy, and used her as a shield to not get hit by Janna's bat. Using his strength, he used Sapphire as a ballistic shield and rammed her towards Joanna's elder sister while he grabbed a surprised Griffith and stabbed him on the back, once, twice, thrice, four-five until he was blown away by a hit from Sapphire's escrima stick, making him bleed and blinding his right eye. 

Ren grabbed his eye and snarled as the girls and his former co-survivors rushed after them. joanna's sisters even focused on him rather than her as well as the rest of their friends. Only Joann stopped and tried to help her but was pulled back by her elder sister. 

"I curse you..." Ren snarled as he carried Joanna. It was clear that they can't come back and won't accept them now. "I curse you all to never find rest, that you all suffer even after you're dead. And once you live the rest of your days, remember my rage." He hissed with a glare as he looked at them. 

[Flashback end]

Joanna did not make it and died after a day and she did not turn, he would not let it. Wiping the blood off of his knife, the young man sighed as he looked around. 

He was tired, dirty, and hungry. 

"At least... I lasted this long." Ren whispered with a smile, tears falling from his eyes. Looking at his left hand, the young man chuckled as purple lines can be seen. "Honkai virus, huh? At least... I lasted this long." 

Smiling, the young man closed his eyes and took out a gun. An M1911 he took from the police office he raided during the first expedition they did. The young man smiled as he removed the magazine and counted seven rounds before he loaded it and cocked the slide. 

"21 bullets and a knife, versus a horde," Ren said with a chuckle as he looked outside to see the huge amounts of zombies approaching him. Eyes widening as he let out a chuckle as a Honkai beast appeared. "And an archer. Well, I'm screwed." He said with a chuckle as he decided to do it. 

"At least, I'll go down with a fight." He said as he held his gun and knife with a nod and started to move only to hit the deck and over his ears and head with his hands as several explosions killed all honkai zombies. 

"What the?" Ren asked as he peeked outside only to come face-to-face with a young man with white hair and blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" The man asked and Ren could only nod. seeing the state Ren is in, the young man can only smile in relief and look at him. "You did well, holding out for so long. My name is Kevin, Kevin Kaslana, and you are?" 

"R-Ren, Ren Cruz." The young man answered with a shaken voice. He was alive! And so the generations-long alliance between the knights of Kaslana and the Soldiers of Cruz/Crozzo was forged.