Zombie Domination-Chapter 86- Wish

The atmosphere had shifted. What was once a somber courtyard now rang with laughter, clapping, and music from makeshift speakers. Survivors gathered in groups, showing off their hidden talents, singing, dancing, juggling, and even fire-breathing. It was like a festival born out of the ashes of a broken world.

Julian, now changed out of his ridiculous sumo outfit and back into his usual gear, approached the others who were sitting by a long wooden bench under the soft glow of solar lanterns.

Veronica was the first to notice him. She turned with a smirk, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Hey, hey! How does it feel to be the sumo champion, huh?"

Julian groaned. "It was terrifying," he muttered. "I’m still trying to process what just happened."

Clarissa, sitting gracefully beside her, gave him a gentle smile. "But Julian... because of you, everyone seems so much livelier now. I think many of them were still hesitant to enjoy themselves, probably still shaken by the old leadership. But that ridiculous sumo match... it gave them permission to laugh again."

Julian paused, glancing around at the celebration. It was true. People who had once walked with hunched shoulders now stood tall, even playful.

Then Emma practically jumped onto the bench next to him, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "You were so cool earlier, Julian! Next time, teach me sumo too, okay?!"

Julian gave her a half-hearted glare. "That would be absurd, Emma."

"But fuuun!" she teased.

Aya, who had been sitting more quietly with a drink in her hands, looked away shyly, her cheeks faintly red. "...I-I’d like to see you sumo again... sometime..."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Not happening. One match was enough."

Then Celestia, arms folded, stepped beside them with cold expression on her face. "You could’ve gotten hurt, you know," she said flatly. "But... you were impressive. I didn’t expect you to actually win."

As the night deepened, the celebration mellowed into something warmer, less boisterous, more heartfelt. The stars shimmered above, unobstructed by city lights, and the fire pits crackled softly around the courtyard. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Survivors gathered closer, blankets wrapped around their shoulders, laughter giving way to quiet conversation and the comfort of companionship.

Rayden stepped up onto the central platform, holding a portable mic cobbled together from salvaged tech. His usual flamboyance was subdued now, replaced by a tone of sincerity as he looked out over the crowd.

"We’ve survived the worst of it," he began, voice steady. "But surviving isn’t the end. We’ve got something rare here, a second chance. And I believe... we owe it to those we lost, and to ourselves, to do more than just survive."

All eyes were on him now. Even the chatter hushed.

"We rebuild," Rayden continued. "Not just these walls, but the idea of a home. A real one. We make this shelter a place worth calling a future."

Cheers broke out, soft at first, but growing. Heads nodded. Hands clapped shoulders. People looked at each other with a kind of unspoken understanding. Something old stirred inside them, hope.

After the speech, people began to open up. Barriers fell. Survivors who had barely spoken before were now talking about their pasts, their fears, their dreams. The air was thick with something more powerful than celebration, connection.

Rayden stepped down from the platform and made his way toward Julian, who was sitting at the edge of the firelight with his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hey," Rayden said with a casual grin. "Thanks. For agreeing to that ridiculous request."

Julian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Only this once," he muttered.

Beside Rayden, Naria chimed in with her usual flat tone. "You’d make a good sumo wrestler."

Julian scowled. "Absolutely not."

Clint laughed from a few steps away. "Eh? Why not? That was the most fun I’ve seen in weeks!"

Julian shot him a look. "Once was more than enough."

Then Naria suddenly grinned and said, "Hey Julian, Rin here said she wants to challenge you to a sumo match."

Julian blinked in confusion, turning to look at Rin.

Rin’s eyes went wide in panic, and she frantically shook her head. "W-What are you talking about, Naria?! I never said that!"

Her voice cracked slightly from the sheer embarrassment, and her cheeks flushed a deep red. She looked like she wanted to vanish on the spot.

Then he turned to Rayden with narrowed eyes. "Still... that whole sumo thing, was pretty clever. Got everyone laughing, talking, opening up. You planned it well."

Rayden rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah... truth is, I just wanted to see someone do sumo."

Julian blinked. "Wait, what?"

Everyone nearby turned toward Rayden in disbelief.

Rayden held up both hands, grinning. "Okay, okay! It wasn’t just for me. One of my old buddies used to beg me all the time, ’Rayden, I wanna see a real sumo fight someday!’ He never got the chance. Figured I’d grant his wish. Guess I got a little carried away."

The group fell silent for a moment.

Then Rayden placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder and smiled, his voice softening. "But still... thanks to you, I think everyone’s heart feels a little lighter tonight"

Julian nodded lightly and glanced up toward the sky. "Maybe your friend up there’s smiling too, seeing you grant his wish."

Rayden let out a soft chuckle, the kind tinged with just a bit of emotion. "Let’s hope so."

The atmosphere mellowed again, filled with warmth and quiet comfort.

Julian excused himself, weaving through the crowd until he reached a quieter corner where Mr. Elien, Ms. Lucia, and Claus were gathered.

As Julian approached, Claus lit up. "Big brother Julian! Teach me how to fight, please!"

Julian smirked slightly. "If I have time later, sure. Promise."

Claus pumped his fists in the air excitedly. "Yay!"

Mr. Elien gave a satisfied nod. "You know... I think Rayden made the right call with this event. It brought something out of the survivors, courage, maybe. A reminder of who they were before all this."

Ms. Lucia folded her arms gently and added, "And it also revealed some skills that could be useful for the shelter’s future. It’s a good sign."

Clarissa chimed in beside Julian, her voice soft. "I think the shelter’s future might be brighter than we thought."

Veronica leaned against a wooden post, sipping from a tin cup when she noticed Rin staring at her. Her brow arched. "You keep staring at me, girl. Something you need?"

Rin’s eyes widened slightly. She fidgeted. "U-um, I just... wanted to check something about your body."

Veronica almost choked. "...Excuse me?"

Before Rin could fumble out an explanation, Melinda, who was nearby, jumped in to clarify. "She means her skill. It’s... unique. Only she can use it. But during that last fight, you two kind of, how do I say this, ’overlapped.’ You synchronized, and now she’s confused."

Veronica blinked. "I’m not feeling any weird effects, if that’s what you’re worried about."

Rin looked thoughtful. "Maybe... maybe our skills resonated. Like they were compatible somehow."

Veronica tapped her chin. "Hmm. So what, you wanna join my group or something?"

Rin looked torn. "I can’t. I promised I’d stay with my friends. I don’t want to leave them behind."

Veronica smiled, faintly impressed. "That’s a shame... but admirable. Maybe that’s why our abilities clicked. Same kind of conviction, huh?"

Rin nodded with a small smile. "Maybe."

Emma sat beside Julian near one of the dwindling campfires, her eyes reflecting the flicker of orange light. She leaned a little closer, curiosity dancing in her tone. "Julian... when are we continuing our journey?"

Julian took a moment before answering, his gaze drifting to the softly lit crowd still enjoying the night. "After we’re done with things here. Once this place is a little more stable."

Emma nodded slowly, understanding.

Just then, Aya stepped closer, holding a small worn-out journal in her hands. "Julian... the book Clint gave me, it’s here. But there’s a problem."

Julian turned to her. "What is it?"

Aya flipped it open, showing some of the cramped pages filled with strange symbols and dense writing. "There’s a mixture formula in here, but the instructions are incredibly vague. It’s like... the ingredients are written clearly, but the method to combine them isn’t just complicated, it’s encoded. This might be impossible without a skill like Clint’s. An Alchemist-type skill."

Veronica raised a brow, arms crossed. "Seriously? I thought all you had to do was follow the recipe. Throw A and B together and boom, potion."

Aya shook her head. "It’s not that simple. The ingredients are listed, yes, but the creation process is instinctive. It’s like... it was written by someone who assumes the reader already has the Alchemist skill. The book doesn’t explain the timing, the reaction temperatures, or the essence infusion, things only an Alchemist would naturally understand."

Clarissa’s expression softened with concern. "So we need to find someone with that skill... an actual Alchemist."

Celestia, ever calm and precise, added, "That will be difficult. Alchemist is a rare."

Julian remained quiet for a moment before nodding. "It’s fine. We’ll figure it out when the time comes. No need to rush. Thanks for working on it, Aya."

Aya smiled faintly. "Of course."