Untouched by the Outbreak

Ryo's voice carried over the room with a mix of cold anger and resignation. He paced slowly, the warmth of the portable heater barely touching him. "Do you see any zombies fighting over territory?" he asked, his words cutting through the silence like a knife. His sharp gaze settled on Sachiko as he continued. "Do you?"

Sachiko shook her head, knowing better than to interrupt him when he was in this mood. His words had weight—everything he said carried the burden of his experience, of the pain and betrayal he'd endured.

"No," Ryo scoffed, answering his own question. "Zombies don't fight over territory. They don't care about power, resources, or whatever else humans are willing to kill each other for. They don't fight unless we make them. But humans? We're the problem.

We always have been."

He stopped pacing and turned fully to face Sachiko, his intense eyes locking with hers. "We haven't seen any other survivor camps around here, but when we do..." His voice trailed off, his expression darkening. "You'll understand what I mean. You'll see how they act. Desperate, vicious, willing to tear each other apart for scraps. Like animals, but worse, because humans pretend to be better."

Sachiko lowered her gaze, feeling the sting of his words. She knew Ryo was right. In the early days of the outbreak, the government had tried to maintain order, but it quickly crumbled under the weight of chaos. And when things got bad enough, they didn't hesitate to abandon people—people like her.

Ryo's voice softened, but there was still a hard edge to it. "And remember?" he said, his tone quieter but no less sharp. "You were tossed out by 'your government,' right? Left for dead when they didn't need you anymore."

Sachiko clenched her fists, the memories flooding back. The cold, sterile government facility, the desperate experiments, and the moment when everything fell apart. They hadn't even given her a chance to pack her things before throwing her into the streets. The outbreak had just begun, and she had been a disposable pawn in their eyes.

"I remember," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "They didn't care about me. Not really. I was just another body they could use until I was no longer useful."

Ryo nodded, his expression softening just a bit. "That's what I'm talking about. The government, the survivors, all of them... they're no better than the zombies we see every day. But at least the zombies are predictable. At least they follow their nature."

He moved closer to her, his hand resting on her shoulder in a rare gesture of comfort. "That's why I don't trust anyone. That's why I don't give a damn about what happens to the world beyond these walls."

Sachiko looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And what about us?" she asked softly.

Ryo's gaze softened as he looked down at her, his thumb gently brushing against her arm. "We're different," he said quietly. "I'll protect us. As long as we're together, I'll make sure we survive, no matter what happens out there."

Sachiko nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. In this world of chaos, uncertainty, and betrayal, Ryo was her constant. And as long as she had him, she knew she could face whatever came their way.

Ryo's voice dropped low, a quiet intensity in his words. "You know what happens to the women out there, Sachiko?" He paused, his eyes narrowing as if the very thought repulsed him. "It doesn't matter how old they are. Young, old—it makes no difference. In a world like this, there are no rules, no laws to protect anyone. There's no country left to enforce any of it."

Sachiko listened, her heart sinking as she sensed the bitterness in his tone.

"All that talk about freedom of speech, rights, laws... that's for a world that doesn't exist anymore. You think any of that still applies? Maybe before the outbreak, people believed in those things—civilization, order, justice. But now?" He let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head. "Now, it's survival of the fittest.

The strongest make the rules. And anyone weaker? They're prey."

Sachiko stayed silent, but the weight of his words pressed down on her. She had seen it too, in the brief glimpses of survivors, in the desperate looks of those left behind by the government. Women, especially, were vulnerable in this chaos, and the reality was far darker than anything she had imagined before the outbreak.

Ryo clenched his fists, the anger bubbling under the surface. "That's why I don't trust anyone. I've seen what men will do when they think no one's watching—what they'll take just because they can. And I'll be damned if I let that happen to you. Or to anyone I care about."

His eyes met hers with a fierce determination. "Out there, there's no protection. No law, no system. The only thing that matters is power, and I have enough of it to keep us safe. But don't think for a second that this world will ever go back to the way it was. That time's gone."

Sachiko nodded, understanding all too well. In this new world, safety came not from society's rules, but from the people strong enough to enforce their own. Ryo was one of them, and as long as she stayed by his side, she knew she had a chance.

Ryo's eyes darkened further, his voice turning cold with disgust. "You think they care if the girl's underage? Overaged? Beautiful or ugly?" He paused, his face hardening. "No. They don't care about any of that.

To them, it's just opportunity, another victim to use and toss aside. Do you really think the higher-ups in the government give a damn about what happens to people out here?"

Sachiko's grip on her portable heater tightened, the truth of his words sinking in.

"Rules?" Ryo scoffed, his voice thick with contempt. "There are no rules left in this world. They only care about one thing—power. And if you're in their way, you're done. The survivors you haven't met yet, the ones hiding in those so-called camps, are probably no better than the monsters they're trying to avoid."

He paced a bit, the icy wind swirling around him, but he barely seemed to notice the cold. His mind was elsewhere, reliving the dark memories of the people he had encountered, of the way the world had crumbled, revealing its worst side.

"The government's higher-ups? Those so-called leaders? They're probably the ones doing the worst of it behind the walls of their so-called 'safe zones.' They're just as rotten as the rest. If they're not enslaving the weak, they're selling them out. They aren't protecting anyone.

That's why I don't give a damn about ending this outbreak or going back to 'normal.'" He spat the last word out like a curse.

Sachiko didn't interrupt, absorbing every brutal truth he laid bare. Ryo's view of the world wasn't softened by hope or illusions. He saw things as they truly were—raw and stripped of any false veneer. The outbreak hadn't just destroyed society; it had exposed its ugliness.

Ryo's voice softened, though his anger was still palpable. "The only rule now is that there are no rules. And if you don't understand that… you won't survive." His eyes flickered toward Sachiko, protective yet distant, as if shielding her from the harshness he knew too well.

Ryo's laughter echoed through the room, cold and filled with bitter amusement. "You were a researcher at the government stronghold before, right?" he asked Sachiko, his voice dark and deliberate. "You know why they hunt me, don't you?"

Sachiko's eyes flickered with unease, the weight of her past still heavy on her shoulders. She nodded slowly, recalling the conversations she'd overheard among the scientists and military higher-ups. She knew exactly why Ryo was their target.

"They want to capture me, turn me into a test subject, and do whatever they please." Ryo's voice dripped with disdain, the memories of what he had learned swirling in his mind. "Once they figure out how to use what's inside me, they'll have everything they need to gain power. And once they have that power... well, you know how it goes. The so-called citizens, the ones they pretend to protect?

They'll become nothing more than slaves. They'll be ruled by fear, forced to obey, or worse."

He paused, his laughter breaking into something more sinister. "But here's the thing—they made a mistake. A mistake they shouldn't have made. They messed with me." His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "And once they try again, that'll be the end of them. I'll make sure of it."

Sachiko listened in silence, knowing deep down that Ryo wasn't exaggerating. His immunity, his ability to control the zombies—they were things the government desperately craved. And Ryo, more than anyone, knew exactly how to use his power to his advantage.

"They think they can control everything," Ryo continued, his tone sharp. "But they have no idea what they're dealing with. Once they make their move... I'll turn their little 'stronghold' into a feeding ground for zombies. Their soldiers, their leaders, their precious plans for domination... all of it will crumble."

Ryo smirked, his eyes narrowing as he leaned back. "They think getting my blood is the answer to everything," he scoffed, his voice thick with disdain. "The cure, the control over the zombies, immunity from being attacked—they believe it's all tied to me. They believe if they get their hands on my blood, they'll have the power to control everything."

He shook his head, the mockery in his expression clear. "What a joke. As if it's that simple. They think they can just draw my blood, inject it into themselves, and suddenly the zombies will bow down to them? Pfft... fools."

Ryo's smirk widened into a dangerous grin as he looked directly at Sachiko. "Remember what I told you? Over and over again? No matter how many times I spray my blood on someone, no matter how much they think they're immune or protected—it doesn't mean a damn thing."

Sachiko listened intently, recalling the instances when Ryo had used his blood to shield her from attacks. She knew, perhaps better than anyone, that it wasn't just about his blood—it was his control over the zombies. The command he held over them that made them stop, made them hesitate, made them obey.

"If the zombies want to attack," Ryo continued, his voice lowering, "they'll attack. Blood or no blood. But the difference is... not with my command. I'm the one in control. I'm the one they listen to, not my blood.

Not some serum. Me."

Sachiko nodded, understanding the gravity of his words. It wasn't the blood itself that held the power—it was Ryo's will. The government, in their desperation, had completely missed the point. They thought they could use him, but in reality, they would only be playing right into his hands.

"The moment they think they have the upper hand," Ryo muttered, "will be the moment they lose it all. I'll make sure of that." His voice darkened, and for a moment, Sachiko saw the depth of his resolve. This was more than survival for Ryo—this was about ensuring that no one could ever control him again.

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