Zombie Crush: Shadows of Survival

The world was broken. The big cities were gone. The streets were empty and quiet, except for the sound of wind and the moans of zombies. People no longer lived here. Only the dead walked now.

Takashi Arata stood in the middle of the ruins. He held his sword tightly. It was covered in black zombie blood. He looked around carefully. His dark eyes were sharp and focused.

"I need to keep moving," he said softly to himself.

The road in front of him was cracked and full of broken cars. Some windows were shattered. Trash and dirt covered the ground. The sky was red because of the setting sun, but the air was gray with smoke. Everything felt cold and dead.

Takashi heard a sound behind him. A low groan. He turned quickly. His heart didn't race—he was used to this.

It was a zombie. Just one. It moved slowly, dragging one foot behind it. Its face was pale, and its mouth was open, showing sharp, bloody teeth.

"Just one," Takashi said, raising his sword.

The zombie moved closer, its arms reaching out. Takashi stepped forward and swung his sword. The blade cut through the zombie's neck with a loud crack. Its head fell to the ground, rolling a little before it stopped.

Takashi wiped his sword on his jacket. "Done."

But then he heard more groans. Not just one—many. He looked up and saw shadows moving in the distance. Zombies were coming from the alley ahead. There were too many to fight all at once.

Takashi clenched his jaw. "Great. Just what I need."

He turned and started to run. His boots hit the ground loudly as he moved, but the zombies followed, their moans getting louder.

As he ran, a face came to his mind. A woman with long black hair and bright violet eyes.

Rika Kazami.

The name was clear in his head. He had heard stories about her. They said she was bitten by a zombie but didn't turn into one. If the stories were true, she might have the cure. She might save everyone. Or maybe she was a lie.

Takashi shook his head. He couldn't think about that now. He had to survive.

Far away, on a broken bridge, a woman stood alone. Her name was Rika Kazami. Her black cloak moved in the wind as she looked down at the destroyed city.

Her violet eyes were calm. In her hand, she held a small knife. The blade was sharp and covered in blood.

"You're close," she whispered, her voice quiet but steady.

Behind her, a zombie crawled toward her, its body weak but determined. Rika didn't even turn around. She swung her knife backward, stabbing the zombie in the head without looking.

It fell to the ground, dead.

Rika cleaned her knife and looked at the horizon again. A small smile touched her lips. "He'll come," she said softly.

Takashi ran into an open square. His chest hurt from running, but he didn't stop. He looked around. The place was full of broken statues and smashed fountains. Everything was silent.

Then he saw her.

Rika Kazami.

She stood at the other side of the square. Her black cloak made her look like a shadow, but her violet eyes shone brightly in the fading light.

Takashi froze. She didn't look like anyone else in this world. She wasn't scared. She wasn't running.

She raised her voice and called out, "Takashi Arata."

Takashi's eyes widened. She knew his name.

"How do you know me?" he asked, his voice low.

Rika smiled faintly. "I've been waiting for you."

Takashi's hand gripped his sword tightly. "Why?"

"Because you're different," she said. "And because you won't give up."

Takashi frowned. He didn't trust her. "What do you know about me?"

"More than you think," she said, but she didn't explain.

Before he could ask more, a loud groan came from behind. Zombies were coming again.

Rika turned to face the noise. She held her knife tightly. "We'll talk later," she said. "If you survive."

Takashi frowned. "You're only carrying a knife. That's not enough to fight them."

Rika laughed softly. "And you talk too much."

The first zombie ran toward them, and the fight began.