I stepped out of the room into a long hallway, blood traces marring the otherwise mundane surroundings. I'd ventured outside to get some fresh air when I stumbled upon a scene that can only be described as a nightmare – a schoolmate of mine was being chased by a group of grotesque figures, like zombies.

He was frantically trying to escape, and upon seeing me, his shock was evident, although I couldn't quite comprehend why. Nevertheless, I felt no fear. I took a heroic stance, full of bravery and hope.

"Have no fear; I'm here to thwart these malevolent forces!" I declared with unwavering determination.

I fired my weapon with a resounding bang, but my aim wasn't as precise as I'd hoped. Instead of hitting the zombies, my shot accidentally struck the very person I was trying to save. They swarmed him, and I couldn't deny my involvement, even if it was entirely unintentional.

"Eh..." I found myself at a loss for words, bewildered by my own actions.

The absurdity of the situation couldn't help but make me laugh, and my laughter felt like it was tearing at my lungs. Simultaneously, I couldn't suppress the tears welling up in my eyes. It all seemed so comical, even though it was far from a laughing matter. I had wanted to be a hero, and yet here I was, caught in this absurdity.

Heroes make mistakes too, I mused. Sometimes, those mistakes can push them toward a darker path, even when that's not their intention. A single misstep can alter everything. Perhaps, by releasing my unfortunate classmate from further suffering, I had spared him from a more gruesome fate.

"Aw, crap," I muttered, feeling a sudden jolt of pain. I hadn't noticed the zombies closing in from behind, having been too preoccupied with my own amusement.

"Gah?! That hurts!" I protested as they clung to me, savoring the taste of my flesh. Their numbers continued to grow, and their weight pressed down upon me.

The pain was excruciating. It was as if I was being consumed by the fires of hell, every muscle and fiber of my being wracked with torment. The agony pierced through me, searing my soul, and each breath felt like a struggle. It was an unbearable suffering that I couldn't ignore.

"I suppose... I'm just too delicious... for them to resist," I muttered bitterly.

Despite the odds, I still possessed my strange metallic arm, and I attempted to fight back. Unfortunately, the zombies were too close, and my wild shots resulted in me accidentally injuring myself, causing half of my face to be torn away.

"Arggggh!" I groaned, not only from the searing pain but also from sheer frustration.

Pain had always been my constant companion, an unrelenting torment that clung to me no matter what I did. It was a daily struggle, and I felt as if I were caught in an endless cycle of suffering. Every day, I awoke with a heavy weight on my chest and a sense of dread in my heart. Nothing brought me joy, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer weight of it all. I felt lost and trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

Pain, agony, despair, anguish, torment, sorrow, suffering – they never relented. Life was a ceaseless battle, and I felt as if I were drowning in an endless sea of tears. It was a pitiable existence, one that left me sighing in resignation.

Yet, I couldn't afford to give up. I shouldn't give up. Gradually, I began to heal, and the intensity of the pain lessened as I grew stronger. Fueled by a burning heart and the power of despair, I forced myself to stand up, ignoring the agony that still coursed through me.

Summoning my inner strength, I spun like a human whirlwind, hurling the monsters away from me. "You're all dead to me now," I hissed, my anger boiling over. This was meant to be a perfect dream of me as a girl, but it had turned into a nightmarish ordeal.

I swung my strange weapon with a sense of ruthless determination. There was no smile on my face; I was dead serious, unwilling to appear anything less than focused. "Rest in peace," I intoned, striding gracefully through a macabre landscape of corpses, side by side, strewn all around me.

++++

For some inexplicable reason, I had not succumbed to the fate of becoming one of those I'll refer from now on as zombies. It was as though I was somehow immune, a unique exception in this nightmarish scenario. I couldn't help but feel as if I were the protagonist of a story, always at the center of attention. A wry smile played on my lips as I mused about my peculiar situation.

My body was weary, and exhaustion weighed heavily upon me. The ordeal I had just experienced had drained my energy, even if this was just a dream world. I leaned against the classroom wall near the door, seeking a moment's respite. After all, being outnumbered and overwhelmed was no laughing matter.

"I really need a bath..." I muttered, feeling uncomfortable about the stains and the mess that clung to me. I was nearly half-naked, and it was clear that I needed fresh clothes. As someone who valued their dignity and appearance, I had no intention of wandering around in a state that would make me appear pitiful.

I found myself staring aimlessly at the ceiling, lost in thought. The silence enveloped me, and for a moment, I reveled in the quiet. But that tranquility was short-lived.

A scream, along with the frantic sound of running footsteps, shattered the peace. I sprang into action as I heard a girl's desperate plea.

"Help me!" Her words were a common trope for an NPC in distress, and she was running for her life. Drawing on my newfound heroic and magical girl persona, I pulled her into the classroom and quickly slammed the door shut. I pressed my body against it, determined to keep the intruders out.

However, the girl's reaction was far from what I expected. Instead of gratitude, she responded with a horrified scream, her eyes widening in shock at my bloodied appearance. Admittedly, I couldn't blame her. Even I would be taken aback if I saw someone drenched in red, like they had just emerged from a murder scene.

"Don't worry, I'm not a monster like them. This isn't even my own blood," I assured her, trying to convey trustworthiness and goodwill.

"R-really?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty.

"Now that I think about it, I was bitten by them many times," I confessed, hoping to ease her concerns. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect as her expression darkened, and she seemed to be on the brink of despair.

"Hey, I know they look like zombies. Still, it's not confirmed that getting bitten turns you into one. I still look pretty human to you, right?"

"But that's how they all became one! Sooner or later, you'll become like them! If you hadn't pulled me in, I might have had a better chance of escaping. But now, I'm stuck here with you!" Her desperation and frustration were palpable as she voiced her fears.

Hearing her words, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was as if she had branded me as a monster due to my appearance. I stared at her with eyes of disbelief.

"Oh, really? That sounds bad," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. Without warning, I grabbed her by the neck and lifted her effortlessly with a single hand. "Sure, I've always considered myself a monster. But don't lump me with those brainless cannibal imbeciles, as I am superior." 

She struggled in my grasp, and I took a moment to appraise the situation. Her screams had become too much to bear, so I decided to take action. With a swift motion, I opened the window and flung her through it. We are on the third floor, so she'd probably land alive. Unfortunately, she won't be left alone unless I go after her. 

With a screech of frustration, I turned my attention back to the relentless pounding on the door. I swung it open, allowing the zombies to cling to me as their weight bore down upon me.

Yet, their presence didn't deter me. I harnessed the power of pain, using their grasping hands as my makeshift armor. I marched forward, every step accompanied by my undead entourage.

With determination, I sprinted towards the window and leaped through it, sending the zombies hurtling into the air with me. My landing was far from graceful, but I managed to rise to my feet.

"Would you like me to escort you to a safer location?" I inquired, addressing the girl who was gasping for breath on the ground. Her silence was my answer, and without further hesitation, I hurled her into the sky.

"Ahaha! I'm terribly sorry! I had intended to carry you on my back, but I lost control of my strength when I lifted you!" I called out as she hung in the air, refusing to wait for her to fall. I aimed my cannon and fired, creating a spectacular firework like display in the sky.

I then summoned a radiant light, clearing anything and everything from my immediate vicinity. "Since this is my dream, I can wish for anything, right?" I said, the aura of a new, clean uniform for females of this school enveloping me out of nowhere. "I suppose this will suffice."

Amid the chaos of a zombie apocalypse, I had a choice. While I could use my powers for good and save people, I found myself leaning toward a different path. I am going to be a menace. 

With my cute appearance, I wondered whether it would be easy to deceive others.