Chapter 74: Sword Drawing Technique, Sword Qi

“This must be a large-scale infectious disease, spreading rapidly across the world, just like the Black Death in the fourteenth century, when a third of Europe perished,” Saya Takagi said.

“How was it dealt with afterward?”

“When most people had died, and there was no one left to succumb, the virus simply ceased,” Saya’s voice was low and somber. Shizuka Marikawa suddenly remembered, “It’s summer now, so the corpses should rot. Once they’ve all turned to skeletons, everyone will be safe!”

“How much time will that take? And even if it doesn’t take long, will those dead bodies really behave like ordinary people? Right now, the most important thing is to ensure our families are safe, survive, and gather the remaining survivors together!” Takashi Komuro, who usually seemed a little slow, suddenly shouted, then, like a leader, declared, “The main entrance leads most directly to the parking lot. Let’s move!”

Without waiting for anyone, Takashi dashed out on his own. The others could only follow, resigned to the situation; there was no better option. As the strongest fighters, Saeko Busujima and Yexing took the lead, clearing the path by exterminating the zombies ahead—of course, Yexing had his own reason for killing as many as possible. Takashi Komuro and Rei Miyamoto protected the non-combatants Saya Takagi and Shizuka Marikawa, while Kohta Hirano provided support with a nail gun.

On the way from the office to the parking lot, every zombie they encountered was dispatched by Yexing with astonishing speed, leaving even Saeko, with her formidable strength, barely able to assist, and Takashi’s group without a chance to even engage.

Their swift, relentless slaughter brought them to the second floor, where they paused. Along the way, Saeko and her companions had rescued several students, increasing the size of their small group. Yexing remained silent, content to observe, never offering an opinion.

Meanwhile, the ground floor lobby was teeming with zombies, packed so tightly that there was no gap to slip through. Most of the fleeing students had run downstairs, only to be trapped in the lobby and ultimately transformed into zombies themselves. The sheer number of undead in the hall was beyond anyone’s imagination.

“They have no vision, but their hearing is extremely sensitive. If we don’t make a sound, we should be able to get through…” Saya shared the conclusion of her recent experiment.

“But with this many people, isn’t it impossible to cross without making some noise?” Rei questioned.

“Someone has to check, but who will it be?” Everyone feared death and hesitated to be the guinea pig. Takashi’s lips moved, about to speak, but Yexing spoke first: “I’ll go and kill them all.”

To Yexing, these zombies were a treasure trove of souls for his recovery, so he volunteered for the high-risk task, though he had rarely spoken until now.

No one expected Yexing to take on such a dangerous mission so willingly. Saya sneered at him—no matter how strong you are, you can’t handle that many zombies without getting hurt, let alone wipe them all out. Her tone was unfriendly: “No matter how amazing you are, you can’t possibly deal with so many zombies. You’re far too arrogant!”

In Saya’s eyes, this aloof, reticent man had become a delusional egotist—he’d killed a few zombies and now thought himself invincible. Yet Yexing paid no heed to their opinions, stepping forward; to him, these people were insignificant, and how they viewed him mattered not at all.

“But…” Rei, worried, tried to object, unwilling to let Yexing go to certain death alone.

Saeko stopped her, saying, “A good woman respects a man’s resolve.” Her gaze was fixed on Yexing, hands gripping her wooden sword tightly. If anything went wrong, she would be the first to rush in and help, even if success was impossible—she would always stand by his side.

Yexing descended the stairs slowly. Ahead, a dense cluster of zombies huddled together. He gently touched the blade of the Phantom Twin Swords. The passive effect of advanced sword-drawing technique increased his draw speed fourfold, his attack speed fivefold. Its active effect allowed him, relying solely on physical strength without energy, to unleash a sword aura about five or six meters wide.

Of course, Yexing would never use energy. If he did, the devastating moves of the Night Star Chronicle would be enough to obliterate the entire academy and shatter Saeko’s worldview—and he would be consumed by uncontrollable fury, an utter waste of power.

The Phantom Twin Swords angled toward the floor; Yexing held the same stance he’d used when defeating Saeko, making her eyes widen as she focused, not wanting to miss a single detail. Yet his attack this time was not the same as before.

Dust on the ground began to swirl, a faint current flowing through the hall. It seemed as if Yexing was the source; his garments fluttered in the breeze, and a subtle vortex spun where the sword tip pointed. The zombies seemed to sense something, slowly turning toward Yexing, drawn by the wind.

Seeing the zombies advancing toward him, Yexing smirked coldly, raised the Phantom Twin Swords, and swung. An immense, invisible arc swept forth, carrying a fierce gale. Everything in its path—metal shoe cabinets and zombies alike—was torn apart in an instant, reduced to a mass of mangled flesh.

Watching from the stairs, Saeko and the others felt a gust whip past them. Staring at the blood-soaked lobby, nearly devoid of zombies and resembling a hell on earth, those with weaker stomachs couldn’t help but vomit.

Those who didn’t vomit weren’t much better; they were profoundly shaken by Yexing’s attack—was this even human? He was like an exaggerated swordsman from ancient legends. Sword aura truly existed, and its power was terrifying. The group now looked at Yexing with awe and fear.

Except for Saeko. With her deep-seated urge for violence, she felt nothing but exhilaration and joy at Yexing’s strength. A man like him surely wouldn’t care about her darkness.

Once everyone recovered, they stopped vomiting and, taking care not to make a sound, dashed toward the main entrance. Saeko was the first to run down, sticking to Yexing’s side and scanning the surroundings. Thanks to his attack, almost no zombies remained in the hall, and although the destruction was immense, the noise was minimal, so the zombies outside hadn’t noticed.

As they were about to leave, everyone relaxed a little. A timid man, carrying a huge metal pole, accidentally struck the metal railing of the stairs, and the clear, ringing clash echoed throughout the academy.