Volume 2 Chapter 21 (1/2)

Watching the zombies crowd around the elevator doors, Yusuke gets up.

“Ouch–…………, d.a.m.n, their feet even left marks.”

He lightly dusts off his clothes.

“Seriously, what were they doing?”

(They suddenly come down the elevator, get attacked by zombies, then run back…)

Yusuke couldn’t understand their reasoning at all.

“Anyway, I have to do something about these guys huh….”

Three zombies were scratching at the elevator door. Because Mizuki and her brothers had moved far away, the zombie’s aggression had died down.

“Right…..” (TL: “U—n…..”)

He put his hand on his holster. He was scared of using the gun before, but now, if he shot the head of the zombies, they would die.

However, with Mizuki and her brothers already safe, there is no need for him to go that far. The floor would get dirty, cleaning up the corpses would be a ha.s.sle, and it would shrink the defense personnel. If he reduced the number of zombies too much, in the off chance that humans come across this place, the food would be in danger. If possible, he wanted to keep as many zombies here as he could.

“Hey, come here for a second. Oi, I told you there’s no longer anyone there!”

(TL: he says “feed” in place of “Anyone”.)

He tries pulling on their bodies, but the zombies are more persistent than expected. Hooked on the lingering sent of humans, the zombies refuse to leave the elevator doors.

“s.h.i.+t…..”

Fed up, he looks around and notices food scattered all over the floor. Both his bag, and Mizuki’s bag were lying there.

“She brought the food while trying to escape….? Meaning she wasn’t suicidal… Did she think she could escape?”

Yusuke tilted his head.

If Mizuki’s willfulness ever caused her to pull something like this again, he decided he would abandon her. Even if they are prospects for a labor force, he has no need for a madman.

“Well, whatever. First I need to move these guys.”

If he left them as they were, they would leisurely stand there for about a week. He could use the stairs to come and go, but climbing them every time would be troublesome. Borrowing several ropes from the 2nd floor misc. goods corner, he ties one end to one of the zombie’s torso, and connects the other end to his bike parked at the rear entrance. He puts the engine in low gear, and while leaving a skid mark on the ground, slowly pulls it away from the door.

So that it wouldn’t be able to leave the area out in front of the automatic doors, he ties it to a nearby fence with the rope. Repeating this process, he drags the other two zombies out as well.

This way, if anyone intrudes, the zombies will attack them. If the zombies remained in good condition, that entrance would be safe.

“I say it as if it’s a sure thing…”

Looking at the zombies tethered to the fence near the automatic doors, Yusuke nods in satisfaction.

“Speaking of which…..”

Prowling around the road by the parking garage, were 10 or so zombies; and there were another three… no, four zombies in the department on the first floor. Like the previous ones, they were wandering monsters.

If a decent number of people were to cut through, they would need to be well armed. It was like that all around the supermarket, and thinking this, most of his worries are put to rest.

“Actually, exactly how much is the combat potential of the zombies?”

If they were the slow moving zombies, you could easily end them with a single blow to the head using an axe or something; but when they speed up….

Even equipped with a handgun, it would be hard for Yusuke to slay one of them, coming at him from a distance. He isn’t experienced enough to hit their moving heads, and even if he hit their torso, they don’t stop moving. Therefore, they have to be hit with something first, to stop their movements, then shot in the head.

(But wouldn’t it be fine if I used the gun as a melee weapon?)

“Also, I haven’t been able to find a sharp weapon.”

Hatchets, machetes, or knifes. If a time ever came where he had to quickly dispose of the zombies, they would be convenient.

With that thought, he completed his work. At that time, the sun was starting to set, and the sky became red.

Yusuke returns to the elevator, picks up the bags lying on the floor, and presses the b.u.t.ton calling it down.

The first to notice Yusuke enter the room were Mizuki’s brothers. Their eyes became wide, and started sparkling. When he asked them about her, they pointed to the desk in the back. When he peeked at the Mizuki underneath the desk, she was rolled up, sitting with her face buried in her knees.

“What the h.e.l.l are you doing….?”

At that spectacle, Yusuke felt himself become weak. Mizuki raises her face, and seeing Yusuke holding the bags, stiffened with a dumbfounded expression. As if she had been crying, her eyes were swollen red.

“Ah…..eh…..wh, why……?”

Mizuki leaks out a voice.

“What do you mean why? What were you doi….”

There, he noticed the gazes of her two brothers. Setting the bags in front of the two brothers, he speaks to them.

“You two haven’t eaten yet right? You don’t have to worry about saving any, so eat your fill. You know how to open it right?

The two nod their heads.

“Good. Your sister and I have something important to discuss, so don’t get in the way, alright?”

Feeling their gaze on his back, Yusuke left the room with Mizuki trailing behind him while looking as if she had lost her strength. Leaving the office and entering the hallway, the two face each other.

“So? Why did you do such a thing?”

“………….”

Mizuki held her gaze to the floor without answering.

“Say something. You guys were going to die you know?”

“…..n’t…..I…..thought…..”

“Speak up.”

“I thought….. outside…… was safe…….”

“What?”

“Dad….. mom, they were waiting for us…… to return…..”

“…………..”

Yusuke was silent.

Mizuki also kept her mouth shut, and like that, the neither of them said a word.

After a while, Yusuke slowly opens his mouth.

“Did you check if the phone connected? The office has a phone right?”

“………….”

Mizuki shook her head.