The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 59

“Umm~”

A woman with glasses and a ponytail crossed her arms, staring suspiciously at the monitor.

The computer screen displayed the interface of some game.

Under the title [Romance in Arkesia~ Love and Dead~], two Japanese sentences read, “[Congratulations on clearing the tutorial!]” and “[In this demo version, you can only play until the tutorial. Look forward to the official version coming out later!]”

Below that, an illustration showed a man in a butler outfit fleeing from zombies while carrying a blonde woman in a fancy red dress.

“Love and Dead, huh…”

Haruka, a 28-year-old office worker, along with Miyako, had just invested part of their precious Sunday to clear the demo of [Love and Dead].

“Well, the protagonist, Renit, has a decent character design, and it’s okay to have the villainous noble lady from the previous game as the main heroine. But…”

As she spoke to herself, her dissatisfied expression tightened, and she suddenly exclaimed…

“But why suddenly zombies?!”

Finally unable to hold back her frustration, she blurted it out.

“Doesn’t it sound weird? The previous game, [The Four Jewels], was just a plain otome game, right? The gameplay, the setting, the story—it didn’t feel fresh overall, but I liked how it stayed true to the basics of otome games… Plus, it was a plus to showcase the ‘villainous noble lady of the otome game’ that was rarely used in games, only seen in manga.”

She was getting more and more worked up, her voice rising.

“The previous game was well-received, and it gained decent recognition even in Japan for a game developed in Korea, so if they released a sequel with a similar vibe, success would be guaranteed. But suddenly zombies? Not even in a spinoff, but as a direct sequel to the previous game? I just don’t get it. Is this kind of vibe trending in Korea?”

As she kept ranting about the game, Miyako suddenly seemed to have a realization and closed the game screen, opening up her internet browser.

She typed something in Japanese into the search bar and clicked on an article at the top.

The title of the article in Japanese read: “Interview with the Creators of the Korean Otome Game [Romance in Arkesia]: Is the Sequel based on a Zombie Apocalypse?”

“‘The sequel to Romance in Arkesia is centered around a zombie apocalypse. This work will explore the coexistence of romance and zombies while unraveling the secrets of the world, creating a new horizon for otome games through the fusion of two completely different genres…”

As she read the main producer’s statement, Miyako sighed in disbelief.

“This producer sounds like a cultist, spouting all these impressive-sounding words while the content is just hollow…”

As she quickly scrolled down the article, she came to a stop at the end and began reading the comments.

“Look. There are only about ten comments, but they’re all negative towards the producer’s claims. Most of the reactions don’t understand why an otome game and a zombie apocalypse would be mixed together…”

Finally feeling defeated, Miyako took her hands off the mouse and collapsed back into her chair, staring up at the ceiling.

“It really feels strange. A few months before this article came out, the production company announced they were developing a game based on the zombie theme following the previous game’s setting, but they said it was just a spinoff and an official sequel was in the works. Why suddenly change the direction of development?”

As she coldly analyzed the sequel’s direction with a discontented expression, her face unexpectedly turned serious.

“…Yuria-chan will be in the sequel too, right?”

When she mentioned Yuria’s name, the expression on her neat face was heartbreakingly nostalgic. There was something beyond merely recalling her favorite character captured in that expression.

“I wonder how Yuria-chan is doing. Of course, being Yuria-chan, she must be doing well after becoming a princess. Ah~ I still want to see her again. And now that the sequel is a zombie apocalypse, I can’t help but worry…”

“Then shall I assist you in meeting her again?”

“EEEEK!!!!”

Startled by a sudden voice from behind her, Miyako jumped up from her chair.

She almost stumbled as she hurriedly regained her balance, slowly beginning to back away while locking her gaze on the intruder who had appeared behind her.

“W-Who are you? How did you get in here?”

Despite her gaze filled with suspicion and confusion, the boy merely smiled gently at her.

“I expected it, but you really don’t remember me.”

“What are you talking about? Get out! If you don’t, I’ll call the police…”

“Once again, I need your help, Haruka. Or should I say, ‘Piyo.'”

Miyako’s demeanor immediately changed upon hearing the last word.

“…How do you know that?”

“Well, because we’ve met before. If I were to say I’m your twin brother’s younger one, you might remember. Though, even borrowed, it’s the first time I’ve come to meet you in this body, so it’s natural you don’t recognize me.”

“I can’t believe this. Really?”

“Yes. I’m the one who gave you that ability just before your reincarnation.”

“…”

Miyako’s hostile attitude softened after hearing the boy’s explanation, but there was still wariness left in her expression.

“Is it weird to say it’s been a while? Anyway, why have you come to find me again? Didn’t you say you’d send me back to this world and that I couldn’t return to [Romance in Arkesia]?”

“Yes, I did think so…”

A shadow crossed the boy’s face.

“To get to the point: Your brother has dragged two innocent souls into his scheme for destruction in this world. If his plan succeeds, all living beings, including humans, will become embroiled in a terrible disaster. And of course, Yuria will be no exception.”

“That’s just insane!”

Thud!


With a powerful leap off the roof, I jumped.

“How long has it been since I came out and got caught?!”

I leaped over two or three buildings in a single bound, landing before jumping again with all my might. I quickly checked my status screen, which I had forgotten to turn off.

[Zombie][Status: Surviving]

[HP: 331/348] [MP: -/-]

[Strength: D+] [Agility: B+] [Durability: C]

[Mana Amount: -] [Mana Manipulation: -]

[Intelligence: -] [Skill: -]

[Traits]

[Sharp Sense (Ver.Z): A modified version of a skill the entity possessed in life. While the range that applied to all targets was limited to living beings, it has increased dramatically to a radius of 1km, ensuring the entity never misses its prey. / Cannot level up]

-Kiyeeek!

-Kyaak!

-Grrr, grarrr!

Less than five minutes after leaving the temporary shelter to head towards the royal palace, agile mutant zombies began to pursue me.

Ultimately, I had no choice but to engage in a chase while leaping across rooftops to evade three mutant zombies.

-Grrrraak!

One of the zombies, emitting a particularly strange scream, had a long sword embedded in its left shoulder.

“Well, this is it then. Only after shoving a sword into one of them could I drive them away… But I’ve already been bitten in several places.”

“Ah, so those thugs were the ones who attacked the restaurant owner…!”

Realizing their identities, a faint surge of anger flared up in my chest.

Even though we were practically strangers having only spoken briefly before his death, the image of him suffering up to his last moments before deciding to take his own life lingered in my mind, torturing me.

…Alright. Let’s do this.

I made one last landing, stopping my run and turning to face the relentless zombies chasing me.

“O Flame of Herta, become a sword and slay my family’s foes!”

I completed the incantation and aimed the sword, now engulfed in dark flames, at them.

“Haah…”

Taking a deep breath.

Thud, thud, thud—

I focused on the zombies rushing toward me without losing momentum as they leapt over the rooftops.

-Krrrk… Kyaak!

The zombie with the sword embedded in its shoulder finally bared its teeth, charging at me—

Whoosh-

I ducked low to evade its bite.

In the split second that followed, I thrust my sword upward, plunging it into the creature’s lower jaw.

Fwooosh!

The flame sword pierced through its head, setting it ablaze in an instant.

-Kiiieeek!

The creature collapsed, letting out a final scream.

-Kek?

-Kekek…

As one of its comrades fell in an instant, the remaining zombies froze, confused about the situation.

Whoosh-

I swiftly slashed across their heads, beheading them simultaneously.

Thud.

The other two zombies fell lifelessly, unable to let out a scream this time.

“…Phew.”

I sighed in relief, recovering the mana infused in my sword.

“Alright. That wasn’t too hard after all.”

Thanks to my boosted stats, I could read the movements of the mutants more easily, and my own body felt faster.

“Okay, now let’s head back to the royal palace…”

-Kigigig.

…That sound feels familiar.

Hoping my gut was wrong, I turned towards the direction of the voice.

Two mutant zombies, hunched over with abnormally long arms and legs—those were the very ones that had kidnapped Esmela—were staring at me from about two rooftops away.

“…Who in the world would design monster placements like this? Damn developers…!”