Untouched by the Outbreak

Yumi's brow furrowed as she leaned forward, her voice a whisper of awe and unease. "But Sachiko… Ryo's power, it's different. My prototypes wouldn't stand a chance against his zombies. He can control wild ones effortlessly. How does he do it?"

Sachiko paused, regarding Yumi with a quiet smile. "Honestly, I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "And to be fair, I don't really care how he does it. Ryo's strength—whatever the source—is why we're safe. That's all that matters."

Yumi's gaze lingered on Sachiko, surprised. Sachiko noticed and chuckled, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "I was a researcher once, yes," she continued, her tone lighter, almost amused. "But these days, I'm just someone who knows what side to stand on. Ryo's power is something I respect, not something I question."

Yumi absorbed this, feeling a growing sense of acceptance. Ryo's mystery was daunting, but if Sachiko, someone so analytical, could find peace in following him, then maybe she could, too.

"You're not going to research him? Maybe his blood?" Yumi asked, curiosity piqued.

Sachiko's face grew serious as she regarded Yumi. "Research him?" she echoed thoughtfully. "Well, if anyone truly thinks his blood is the answer, perhaps they're not wrong. But here's the truth—if anyone tried to take it by force, Ryo's command over the zombies would override whatever advantage they thought they had. With or without his blood, if he wants someone dead, the zombies will obey."

Yumi felt a shiver run down her spine, the weight of Sachiko's words settling heavily. Ryo's influence ran deeper than she'd realized.

"But," Sachiko continued, her gaze hardening, "saving humanity… that's not something I care about anymore. Ryo told me something once. He said, 'What do you think will happen if the virus is cured and humanity returns to normal? People are selfish. When this is over, they'll just go back to fighting for power, for territory…I've seen it happen.

There's no point in putting hope in a species that so easily forgets the lessons of the past."

Yumi looked at Sachiko, startled, sensing a bitterness in her voice. Sachiko leaned closer, her words calm but cutting. "Think about it—have you ever seen zombies form a faction and start attacking each other over something as petty as power?"

The question stunned Yumi, leaving her silent as she tried to process. Sachiko continued, her voice softer, yet filled with conviction. "In a strange way, there's a kind of peace in their world. They don't destroy each other for control or ambition. Maybe we should be learning from that."
Find exclusive stories on empire

Sachiko's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she continued, her tone probing. "Yumi, you've traveled between places, right? Moving from town to town, seeing other territories… Before Ryo's zombies brought you here, did you ever see zombies fighting each other? Have you ever witnessed a Brute crushing a regular zombie just because it's weaker?

Or a Creeper attacking another mutant for territory, food, anything?"

Yumi shook her head slowly, her mind racing back through her journey. She'd seen horrors—zombies slaughtering humans, the living tearing each other apart in desperate attempts to survive. But zombies fighting zombies? No. She never once seen that.

Sachiko leaned in, her voice dropping to a knowing murmur. "It's something I realized not long after staying with Ryo. Zombies don't fight each other, not even the ones from other places we've encountered. It's as if they're connected in a way we can't understand, united under this strange, silent code.

And here, around Ryo's bases and in this town, they're more organized than ever, obedient like they share one mind…"

Yumi's eyes widened, absorbing Sachiko's words as a strange clarity began to form. Ryo's influence wasn't just limited to survival—it was creating a kind of unnatural harmony, a peace enforced by something far more powerful than fear or control.

Sachiko looked away, her face softening. "I used to think I'd study this, analyze the mutation that made them this way. But now, I think… maybe it's Ryo himself. It's almost as if he's the cure humanity could never create."

Sachiko laughed, the sound light and teasing, breaking the serious tone that had filled the room. "So if you think about researching Ryo…" she paused, looking Yumi directly in the eyes with a playful smirk, "…you better not."

Yumi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Sachiko's demeanor.

"Because if you try," Sachiko continued, leaning back with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Ryo will turn things around and research *you* in a way you can never imagine." She chuckled, tapping her fingers playfully on the side of her laptop. "And trust me," she added with a knowing look, "it won't be in a lab, but in bed."

Yumi's cheeks flushed a deep red as she stammered, feeling both embarrassed and slightly overwhelmed by Sachiko's bluntness. There was something both reassuring and intimidating in how Sachiko spoke of Ryo with such confidence.

Sachiko stood up, stretching her arms and glancing at Yumi with a casual smile. "Well, it's time to get some exercise. Staying inside all day would make my body go stiff."

Before Yumi could respond, Sachiko was already heading for the door, her posture relaxed as if she didn't have a single concern about the zombies outside. Yumi blinked, shocked by how confidently Sachiko stepped out, as if the threat of zombies was the last thing on her mind.

Gathering her nerves, Yumi slowly followed Sachiko outside. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, catching sight of her own prototype zombies loitering nearby. As she stepped closer, she raised her voice, calling out, "Are you guy…okay?"

The prototype zombies turned at her voice, their blank expressions softening slightly in response. They didn't look aggressive or hostile toward her, and Yumi felt a wave of relief, mixed with wonder. These were creations she once viewed as distant, experimental subjects, but here they were—obedient and seemingly at ease, like loyal shadows awaiting her command.

Yumi's gaze shifted to the handgun strapped securely at Sachiko's side. She raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why do you carry that? I thought the zombies wouldn't attack us."

Sachiko's lips curled into a smirk as she gave Yumi a sidelong glance. "Oh, this gun?" She patted the gun lightly. "It's not for the zombies. It's for humans. Just in case they decide to attack or get too curious."

She shrugged, her expression growing serious. "There are some out there who'd do anything for power, supplies, or revenge. Ryo may control the zombies, but he's not always around to deal with the living. And people can be more dangerous than any zombie."

Yumi fell silent, absorbing the weight of Sachiko's words. She had seen glimpses of humanity's desperation before but hearing it laid out so plainly added a new layer to her understanding of this new world.

Yumi glanced around, her eyes darting over the nearby zombies shuffling aimlessly outside the house. She turned to Sachiko, her voice low and hesitant. "Where is Ryo? Shouldn't he be nearby? What if the zombies decide to attack us without him around?"

Yumi's cheeks flushed as Sachiko laughed, her tone light yet laced with meaning. "You're worried the zombies might attack if Ryo isn't here? Don't be," Sachiko said, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Those zombies aren't as mindless as you think. They know who belongs to Ryo."

Yumi looked away, feeling her face grow warmer. Sachiko leaned in, her voice dropping to a knowing whisper. "That's why he… marked us the way he did. By claiming us, he's telling them—without a doubt—that we're his."

A chill ran down Yumi's spine, mingling with her curiosity. Everything about Ryo's world, from his control over the zombies to the way he possessed those close to him, was complex and layered, unlike anything she'd ever known.

Sachiko's expression turned serious as she looked at Yumi, a hint of warning in her eyes. "If you hadn't let Ryo claim you last night," she said quietly, "today would be a different story. The moment you stepped outside, every zombie around here would sense it, and they wouldn't hesitate. They'd tear you apart in an instant."

Yumi's face went pale, and she looked down, processing the weight of Sachiko's words. The reality of her place here had settled in: her survival wasn't just due to her own decisions but entirely tied to Ryo's power and the way he had marked her as his.

"You're marked as his," Sachiko continued, her eyes holding a mix of understanding and sympathy. "Your survival is tied to his strength and the zombies' fear of him. Without his claim, you'd be nothing more than a tasty snack for those creatures."

Yumi's eyes widened, taking in the full extent of what Sachiko was saying. She had always felt a sense of dependence on Ryo, but this brought a new level of clarity to their dynamic. Her life, her very existence, was dependent on Ryo's power and the respect he commanded from the zombies.