Apocalypse - Fairy Tail

9

"We could only wish that a whole horde of zombies didn't await us," Levy expressed her concern.

"You really believe that?" asked Lucy her. Levy and Lucy sat in the back of the car, while Gajeel and Natsu were in the front. Natsu was steering the vehicle while the others were in vehicles in front and behind them.

As they passed through Zone 6, which was marked by a prominent red flag, a sense of unease spread. As they moved through Zone 5, a grim picture presented itself - hordes of zombies feasting on the remains of pitiful victims, human or animal.

Levy's question brought up a legitimate concern: "How do we actually find our way to Zone 3? It's on the other side, and the last remaining bridge was destroyed before more zombies could overrun the city."

A brief moment of reflection passed as they weighed the logistical challenges ahead.

Natsu spoke up reassuringly, "I think Jellal knows an alternate route." Despite the convenience of the helicopter that sped the trip to the other side at that time, a long 3-hour journey lay ahead. The sun was already leaning, casting long shadows, and 6 p.m. was approaching. The onset of darkness brought its own challenges - zombies would be less visible, making navigation dangerous. Therefore, finding a suitable stopping point was critical. The need for a gas station added to the complexity. The tanks had to be refilled, a task that had to be done before the fuel tank ran out - easier said than done...

A muted gray spread across the sky, while the air carried the unpleasant smell of decay. Involuntarily, one wondered if the world would ever return to its former normal state. The continuing threat of the zombies made such a return seem almost unthinkable. Nature had begun to reclaim the land, and grass grew amidst abandoned urban sprawl. The sun's merciless rays burned down, enveloping everything in warmth. Fortunately, the car's air conditioning offered relief from the heat. Inevitably, they planned to look for more suitable clothing as they passed a shopping mall. The current leather jumpsuit was unbearable in these conditions. Suddenly, the train came to a halt as Jellal's car slowed. Natsu reacted promptly and applied the brakes as well.

"What's wrong?" asked Lucy anxiously as she leaned over to see what had happened. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual.

"There," Levy pointed out, indicating Jellal's hand signal. He backed up unexpectedly. Natsu shifted into reverse and backed up. Quickly, she reached for the handheld radio.

"Team one, please come in. What happened? This is dispatch. Over," she inquired.

"There are too many zombies on the road ahead to cross. We have to take the side streets. Over," Erza replied.

So they turned around and followed Jellal's change of direction. While they were on the side streets, they suddenly heard shouting and brought the vehicle to a halt. A crowd of people poured out of a high-rise building onto the street. Zombies were close on their heels. None of the cars were moving.

"Why aren't we helping them?" asked Levy.

"Because we don't know if anyone is infected or not," Gajeel explained.

Suddenly, Levy opened the door, grabbed her gun and rushed out. Cursing, Lucy also drew her gun and ran after her to grab her hand. With an annoyed look and a slightly furrowed brow, Levy looked toward her.

"Okay, I'll help you," she said, and together they ran past Jellal's car. Skyscrapers towered on either side. Windows had been smashed on the lower floors, and shattered glass covered the ground. Abandoned cars lined the streets, some with bodies inside, others with zombies desperately trying to get out. The only reason the zombies didn't escape was because of the seat belt. An amazingly simple barrier for them. They couldn't even undo a car seat belt. It was absurd. Between the abandoned cars and the zombies, Levy and Lucy moved purposefully toward the "survivors," not knowing if any of them were infected. The thought of why not help, if they were able, drove them on. After all, it wasn't just the members of the base who had the right to survive. The other people had a right to life as well. The rest of the group hurried after the two women. Although Levy was small, she surprised everyone with her speed. She reached a car, used it as a jumping-off point, and pulled a knife from her right pants pocket. With a fluid movement of her hand and a diabolical grin on her lips, she thrust the knife toward the nearest zombie. The zombie woman, her dress torn and showing her exposed chest, was overwhelmed by Levy's well-aimed attack. One zombie down - but more still stood between them and safety. Levy slowly rose and began to attack the remaining zombies with a determination that filled the battlefield with an aura of resolve. The metallic smell of blood hung like a leaden cloud over the field where this battle raged. The crackle of gunfire filled the air, causing the zombies to turn their attention from the survivors to Natsu. Juvia and Gray deftly sprinted past the menacing creatures and hurried to join their group. Their goal was clear: get the survivors to safety. The two worked in unison as they rushed toward the group. In this desperate effort to buy time and take out the zombies to give Gray and Juvia a chance to evacuate the survivors, Erza suddenly found herself facing two zombies. She didn't flinch for long: she kicked one of the attackers aside while putting a bullet directly into the skull of the other. Before the remaining zombie could even show a reaction, she deftly dodged, only to plunge her knife deep into its neck the next moment. The zombie's eyes froze into lifeless dots as she met Erza's intense brown eyes. A moment later, every emotion in him faded.