The Creatures that We Are

The plan was simple: draw rune corpses to the auditorium, then burn them all.

The problem was how they were going to maximize the number of rune corpses they killed. After some discussion, they came to a viable plan.

They first piled up the tables found in the auditorium to make a three-meter platform. It had to be stable, and it had to be near the center of the auditorium.

At least three people would be standing on the platform. Two would be in charge of throwing the molotov cocktails in different directions to cover all parts of the auditorium. And the remaining one or more would cover the two bombers.

To ensure their safe retreat, the platform was assembled near a window. Gray Bear broke it beforehand so that after doing what they had to do, the group on the platform could escape through the window.

Yellow Butterfly and Can found two foam mats and laid them on the ground outside the window for safe landing. Then the other chairs, tables, curtains, and flammable items were scattered around to fuel the fire.

They planned the escape routes and assigned work for everyone else as well.

Half an hour later, Can stood on the stage with a microphone in hand.

“Hello, ahem…”

She felt a little embarrassed. “Evening, teachers and fellow students. Although you’ve all turned into something different, I know it’s not by your own will. Tonight, I’m gifting you with a song. I hope that in your next lives, you will be classmates and colleagues again, and you will be happy.”

Unlike her usual clumsy image, Can sang with a clear, emotional voice.

Soon, her singing could be heard without accompaniment, broadcasting from the auditorium.

Tomorrow, will you remember

The diary you wrote yesterday.

Tomorrow, will you think about

The cry baby you used to be.

The teachers have long forgotten

The student who can never guess the right answer.

Even I, only when I went through the photos

Did I remember you, who once sat next to me[1].

The aimlessly roaming rune corpses were gradually drawn by the singing. At first, they ambled slowly toward the auditorium, their faces numb. However, as they got closer and closer to the singing voice, they also moved faster and faster, their expression increasingly vicious.

Bam!

Half a minute later, what had been a student slammed the front door open. It was a uniformed highschool girl, hair messy and body covered in blood. Her right elbow had been torn, leaving her arm dangling.

“Gah…”

“Grrr…”

She staggered and rushed toward Can.

More and more undead students came rushing, swarming toward the stage. With the barricade built around the stage blocking their way, however, the rune corpses couldn’t get to Can, at least not in the short term. All they could do was brandish their claws and teeth at her, raging futilely.

Can paled and staggered back, her singing stopped.

Then a hand found her shoulder. It was Yellow Butterfly. “Don’t be scared. I’m with you. Keep going.”

Can took a deep steadying breath and opened her mouth again.

Who married the sentimental girl you are.

Who read your diary.

Who put up your long hair.

Who made your wedding gown.

You were so timid

Asking to borrow an eraser from me.

You once let it slip

That you liked being with me.

The sky was always so blue then,

And the days so slow.

You always said the graduation was so far away,

Yet we parted ways so suddenly.

More and more rune corpses rushed in. Soon, the auditorium was packed full of them. Quietly perching on the platform made of tables, Gao Yang, Nine Frost, and Xiuyi held their breaths since a hit from the rune corpses swarm would topple the platform like a house of cards.

“Now?” Nine Frost mouthed at him with a molotov cocktail in hand.

“Wait.”

Gao Yang was holding one as well, and his other hand was holding a lighter they got from the shop.

More rune corpses rushed into the auditorium, swarming toward the singing voice. The barricades preventing them from getting onto the stage were close to falling apart.

Can continued to sing despite her trembling voice. She was trying her best to tamp down her fear so that she wouldn’t just stagger back and run.

Finally, rune corpses stopped rushing in.

“Shut the door!” Gao Yang shouted.

Bam!

Gray Bear and Lithe Snake jumped out of the bushes they had been hiding behind and shut the auditorium door. A few rune corpses heard and turned to throw themselves at it, but the door held firm.

Can dropped the microphone and, alongside Yellow Butterfly, yanked the ropes connected to the stage drape, bringing it down to the barricades and triggered a collapse. Immediately, the two rushed backstage and shut the door, escaping through a small window.

Meanwhile, Gao Yang had lit the molotov cocktail in his hand and hurled it where the rune corpses were most dense.

Clang!

Splash!

The bottle shattered, and flames burst and spread, creating a small sea of fire. The rune corpses caught in the splash writhed, struggled, and cried out in suffering.

Clang, Clang!

Splash! Splash!

Two bursts of flames bloomed in the auditorium. Now that they had lost the target on stage, the rune corpses started rampaging about, spreading the flames on their bodies as they came into contact with other rune corpses.

Soon, the auditorium was flooded with blazing flames.

The temperature surged, and the waves of heat carried the repulsive smell of burning blood and flesh.

Gao Yang, Nine Frost, and Xiuyi covered their noses and mouths with the wet towels they had prepared beforehand as they scanned around. Then they threw the rest of the molotov cocktails they had made.

More and more rune corpses were coming toward the makeshift platform of tables. Thankfully, they were rushing in from all directions, and under the evenly distributed forces, the platform remained standing.

Still, some were already climbing over their fellow rune corpses and slowly made their way up.

Holding his breath, Xiuyi pulled out an arrow from his quiver and drew the composite bow, prepared to fire.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Pierced in the heads by the arrows, the rune corpses fell, but more were climbing up continuously. With his share of molotov cocktails thrown, Nine Frost grabbed his rock pick hammer and joined the fight with his breath held.

Thud.

The pointed end pierced through the temple of a rune corpse that had almost reached them, and it fell without making a sound.

Gao Yang had thrown the last molotov cocktail as well and made sure there was no part of the auditorium left untouched.

Violent waves of flames devoured all as black smoke rose with scatterings of embers. The cries of madness, fury, and pain threatened to reach heaven. The auditorium had transformed into a purgatory.

The thick smoke prevented Gao Yang from breathing or speaking. He held his breath and patted Nine Frost and Xiuyi, making a gesture at them. Out of the window! Now!

Xiuyi nodded and put his bow on his back before leaping toward the window. Above the burning rune corpses, he jumped out.

Outside were two foam mats, and Old Joe was keeping watch.

Nine Frost was the second to make the jump, and he made it through the window.

That left Gao Yang. Just when he was going to jump, however, the platform beneath his feet wavered. It was never that stable, and without the weight of his two companions holding it down, the platform became even more vulnerable. In the end, it collapsed from the swarming rune corpses.

Gao Yang’s breath hitched. He knew he didn’t have the time to make a proper jump on the collapsing tables. Thankfully, there was a dense pillar of rune corpses under him, and he landed on the shoulder of two rune corpses. Before they could bite him, he stepped onto another rune corpse.

He could make it!

With a strong jump, he made it out of the window and landed on the foam matts.

“You alright?” Old Joe helped him up.

Gao Yang nodded. “I’m alright.”

He lifted the hem of his pants to check his legs. There was no wound.

Then two burning rune corpses were lifted to the window by the converging swarm, and they squeezed through the frame

Nine Frost immediately broke their heads with the rock pick hammer.

For a while, they stayed outside the windows to take care of the stragglers they didn’t manage to burn to death. Only when the fire grew in intensity and spread outward did they draw back.

Outside the auditorium was the running track. Panting, Gao Yang, Nine Frost, Xiuyi, and Old Joe rested on the cinder track.

Soon, they were joined by Yellow Butterfly, Can, Ronnie, Gray Bear, and Lithe Snake.

The ten of them stared at the burning auditorium and the sky dyed red by the firelight behind it. For a moment, none of them said anything.

“Did we…succeed?” Can said in disbelief.

“We did.” Gray Bear rested his hands on his hip, his expression complicated.

Gao Yang rose to his feet and helped Nine Frost and Xiuyi up. Just when he was going to say something, Lithe Snake caught his eyes.

With his back to the auditorium, Lithe Snake’s face looked steely with the warm backlight outlining his figure.

He was looking over Gao Yang’s shoulders at the running track behind. “It’s coming.”

Gao Yang whirled around.

It was Li Zhuanghu.

1. Lyrics of You, Who Sat Next to Me by Lao Lang ☜

Houseau3's Thoughts

My prayers have not been heard. The author continues to quote songs😰

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