I'm Female Lead In Their World: Living in the High School of the Dead

After everyone finished their meal, they went upstairs to hang out. With Niikaz expanding the space and adding cozy touches, the place felt like a haven, almost as if the chaotic world outside no longer existed. Laughter and teasing filled the air, momentarily transporting everyone back to simpler times. Saeko leaned against the wall, gazing out at the veranda. From the outside, the house appeared dark and vacant, thanks to the barrier Niikaz cast to mask their presence, even though the lights inside were bright.

But the happiness didn't last long. Niikaz, the last to come upstairs, turned on the TV.

The screen flickered to life, showing grim news coverage of a barricade on a bridge. Police officers were desperately holding back hordes of undead while panic surged among the living. Survivors clamored to cross, but the officers delayed them with thorough body checks to prevent infection. As tensions escalated, people began transforming into undead before making it through, sowing chaos.

The breaking point came when a police officer shot a survivor, the loud crack of gunfire echoing through the house. The scene left everyone silent, the joy from before disappear as it's never happened before.

The group exchanged tense glances. Unspoken questions hung in the air, and finally, Takagi broke the silence, her voice calm but serious.

"Niikaz, it's about time you told us what's really going on," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Everything you've done so far is not logic to me. Your abilities—"

Takashi interjected, "Yeah, we've all seen it. Care to explain?"

Niikaz stood in the center of the room, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed and sat back, her gaze steady. "I suppose it's time." She took a deep breath.

"I'm from another world," she began, her voice soft but firm.

A chorus of disbelief rippled through the group.

"Another world?" Hisashi narrowed his eyes. "Are you messing with us?"

Niikaz smiled faintly. "I know it sounds crazy. But where I come from, imagination is everything. Our minds shape reality."

"That explains the magic earlier when the room got sooo big!" Alice chirped, grinning. "I knew magic was real!"

Takagi gave Alice a sideways glance. "You also think unicorns run on rainbows huh"

Alice puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "That's because they do! Right, Niikaz-neechan?"

Niikaz chuckled softly but didn't answer directly. Instead, she raised her hand, and the book on the table lifted into the air. Everyone watched in stunned silence as it floated, spinning slowly, before gently returning to its place.

"You're saying... that's normal where you're from?" Saeko's voice was uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Yes," Niikaz replied calmly. "But here, this world is different. It's incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Rei frowned. "What does that mean?"

Niikaz raised her hand again, and a hologram appeared, displaying scenes from the original story. Everyone stared at the images—Hisashi being bitten and killed by Takashi, Kazu and Okada's tragic ends, and Nishinoya being kicked on his face and abandoned by Shido-sensei.

Hisashi when he saw the scene went silent , also Takagi looks slightly to his friend then look down. Rei saw Hisashi with concern until Hisashi break the silence. "What is this scene you showed to us?"

"This is an original world," Niikaz explained, "it was created by an author in my world. But the story wasn't finished, and when the writing stopped, this world was at risk of vanishing. I came here to help this world find its proper ending, to prevent it from disappearing entirely."

"So means all of us it just characters in some story!?" Takashi asked with angry face, feeling betrayed by he heard.

"Remember I told you that in our world, the mind ability to turn into reality is a norm. This story is practically a universe made by him. However, something happen to him mades this world incomplete and in risk of vanish and I came here to avoid that."

"Heh~ so he made a story that kill all of us?! I bet he is satisfied with his own ideas creating a some kind undead and made us suffer huh! Am I wrong!?" Takashi can't help but feeling emotional and angry. Not only he didn't know whether his mother alive or not and he just killed his own best friend in original story.

"Takashi, calm down" Hisashi hold his friend's shoulder and tried to make him sit back.

"I want to know why the author created us? Isit some of sort entertainment like what know here?" After he calm Takashi, he then turn towards Niikaz.

"That, I can not answer", Niikaz hesitate a bit.

"Why?"

"It will cause a butterfly effect" Niikaz answer firmly as she monitor the story flow status in her eyes vision.

"What do you mea-" Takashi try to ask but got interrupted by Niikaz.

"I will not say. Its something that you can not know." After a while then she continue "Until I see you are ready enough to know about it"

Silence filled the room as the weight of her words settled.

Takagi adjusted her glasses, skeptical. "But why help us? What's in it for you?"

Niikaz smiled slightly. "There's no grand reason. I just don't like seeing things left unfinished."

Hirano, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward excitedly. "Wait, so your weapons—they're from your world, right? Can I study them? With my knowledge , I can help you to enhance the weapon. I've got a million ideas!" He don't want to missed this chance. As a honourable military nerd, there is so much part and structure he believes will come to reality with Niikaz's help.

Niikaz nodded. "Sure, as long as you don't blow yourself up."

Okada snorted. "You mean like a while ago when Hirano-senpai nearly tried to kill Takashi-senpai with a archer?"

"Hey!" Hirano protested. "That was a test run!"

"So I am your experiment subject! Are you going to kill me ,oi!" Takashi startled by Hirano answer.

Laughter rippled through the group, breaking some of the tension.

But Kazu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, his tone unusually serious. "Niikaz... why did you save me?"

The room went quiet again. Okada blinked. "Whoa, Kazu. You idiot!, why you say that?"

Kazu ignored him, his gaze fixed on Niikaz. "According to that hologram, I'm just a side character. Why me?"

Niikaz hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Because I like you."

The room erupted into chaos.

"WHAT?!" Nishinoya nearly fell out of his chair, pointing accusingly at Kazu.

Okada grabbed Kazu's shoulder with ugly crying face, shaking him. "You Lucky bastard! What did you do to Niikaz? Teach me your ways!"

Kazu turned beet red. "N-No, wait, I—she didn't mean it like that!"

Niikaz watched their antics with a soft smile before turning to Naomi, who had been quietly observing. Naomi asked cautiously, "So...are you going to save all of us?"

Without hesitation, Niikaz answer "No, I will not and I dont plan to do so"

Rei interrupted "so, you'd only save people you like?"

Niikaz's expression turned serious. "Yes. I'm not a hero. I save who I care about."

The room went still again.

Marikawa-sensei broke the silence with a sharp breath. "And how far do your abilities go?"

Niikaz's tone hardened. "That's also not something I share freely. If I did, it would put us all in danger. Only three people can know my full limits, and they'll have to sign a soul contract to protect the information."

"Soul contract?" Takuzo asked.

"Soul contract means you will get to know my ability and how far it can go. Of course I don't have to share it if I want to,. But this one it just a ticket for you to trust in me and I can accept 3 people only , no more than that"

"Why only three people?" Nishinoya asked.

"Oi Nishinoya, I think we can stop asking for now. Too many question will burden Niikaz. It's already good enough that she willing to share up to this point" Kazu stop him by raises his arm Infront of Nishinoya.

"Oouh, I'm sorry!" Nishinoya apologies while combine his both hands forming a apologetic form.

Maresato was the first to step forward. "I'll do it. You saved me and Alice. I owe you my life."

One by one, others volunteered, until nearly everyone had stepped up.