Behind them came Koyomi Yamanaka's breathless wail. "W-wait for me! I'm seriously gonna die!"
"Senpai Koyomi, now is not the time!" Yomogi shouted without looking back as he nimbly ducked into an alley. "Those people behind us don't exactly look like they're here to invite us for tea!"
Yume glanced back. The crowd with red-glowing eyes was pursuing them mechanically and relentlessly, clutching all kinds of everyday objects as weapons. The sight was so bizarre it sent chills down her spine. "What happened to them?" she asked, panting.
"I don't know, but it's definitely not normal!" Yomogi pulled her into another sharp turn. "Let's shake them off first!"
Koyomi was almost in tears, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. "I-I can't run anymore... You young people... have way too much stamina..."
Just then, Yomogi suddenly skidded to a stop—the alley ended in a high wall.
"A dead end!" Yume cried.
The chaotic footsteps behind them drew closer and closer. The controlled people were pouring into the alley mouth, slowly closing in and forming a half-circle around them. Their eyes were hollow, yet their movements carried an eerie coordination.
Koyomi collapsed onto the ground, staring in despair at the shrinking encirclement. "It's over, it's over... I haven't even found a new job yet. I haven't started my new life!"
Yomogi shielded Yume behind him, his mind racing.
His gaze swept over their surroundings—the trash cans by the wall, the stacked cardboard boxes, a ventilation window high above...
"Senpai Koyomi, get up!" Yomogi suddenly shouted, shoving several trash cans toward the approaching crowd at the same time. "Yume, give me a hand!"
Yume understood at once and, together with Yomogi, pushed over the stacked cardboard boxes with all her strength, creating obstacles. It temporarily slowed the crowd's advance.
"Senpai Koyomi,