Tanaka asked while working. He dug up information from Haruka regarding what he was going to do. It was a mission to rescue Haruka's friend Makise.

Based on Haruka's statement, Makise was trapped with about a dozen other people. Do not have sufficient food supplies and water that only comes from rainwater that penetrates from a leaking roof.

"Are you sure that Makise is still alive?"

Tanaka in a serious-relaxed tone asked. Haruka while carrying things to put in the truck approached.

"I-I don't know. I only know that there was an SMS message last night... It was a truncated message... Tanaka-san, are you really going to help me to save her?"

The proof of the message on the cellphone is shown. Haruka continued in a somewhat sobbing tone.

"Haruka, I'll give it a try. You're a member of my camp, so it's normal for me to help you!"

Tanaka calmed Haruka who was about to burst into tears. That man really shouldn't be able to control Haruka about how he should have emotions. However, this urgent situation required Tanaka to keep Haruka calm and focused.

"Th-thank you..."

One tear fell. Haruka, the girl who was known to be cold by her surroundings, gave off an emotion that was usually suppressed.

"Yosh, save your tears for later... Yuki, get Haruka a weapon!"

Tanaka turned to where Yuki and Taki were. The two women had no idea what was really going on. However, they know that they must also prepare for their work.

"The key?"

Yuki asked for the thing that she needed to open the room’s door. She was also in a panic right now.

"This..."

Tanaka tossed the key he took from his pocket. Yuki rushed to room number six on the second floor aka Tanaka's room.

"Food, drink, medicine... Yosh, that's pretty much all!"

Tanaka checked one by one the objects that were already in the truck. He is now heading towards Taki and Yuki.

"Taki, Yuki, I'll be going first. When I get back, prepare food and medical supplies as well as a place for other people to stay!"

The two women nodded. Haruka was now waiting beside the truck.

Tanaka and Haruka are now in the truck. Yuki opened the boarding gate for vehicles to exit. With that all done, Tanaka and Haruka went to the school where Haruka used to study.

......

...

Arriving at the area school gate, Tanaka stopped and turned off the engine of the truck. He saw that the gate of the territory was too thick and obviously couldn't be penetrated directly by the truck.

Tanaka turned towards Haruka. The girl was staring intently at the hundreds of zombies making a terrifying chorus.

"Haruka, listen... Honestly I have a special ability... In short, my ability is not being detected by zombies. You don't have to worry about me and just focus on finding Makise later. I'll try to block the zombies!"

Haruka called out and faced Tanaka. The man explained while making gestures that helped Haruka to understand.

"I understand!"

With a serious face, Haruka nodded. She was still watching Tanaka who looked like she still wanted to talk about something else.

"Okay, the plan is that I will open the school gate and then after that we will break into the building. You will direct me to the location. Once we arrive, we will break the door and you will look for your friend... Please remember, no matter what the results are, you have to come back!"

Their eyes met each other. Tanaka told Haruka in detail. The girl was worried and at the same time trying to believe in Tanaka.

"... okay!"

Haruka's nod meant the end of the discussion. Tanaka opened the truck door.

"Okay, then I'll open the gate first."

A flock of zombies that were aware of the movement of the truck was moving. Move towards their end.

Tanaka, after finishing off the approaching zombies, then headed to the gate according to the plan he said earlier. It was seen that there were very thick chains knotted at the handles on both sides of the gate.

The gap is quite narrow. The thickness does not reach the width of an adult hand. However, for Tanaka it was enough.

The sledgehammer is swung from top to bottom. The chain that bound the two gates then shattered into two pieces. Thanks to that, a loud noise was also created, so that the zombies approached Tanaka.

Haruka, who was worried about going out to help Tanaka. However, seeing Tanaka taking care of the zombies quickly made her deny her intention.

Zombies that are at least hundreds of them die in piles. Tanaka realized that was a bad thing since it was an area that trucks would pass through.

Finally Tanaka herded the zombies by throwing two trash cans in different directions. One towards the street and one towards the school. Both throws were made simultaneously.

The zombies are now out of the way. Haruka now fully believes in Tanaka's abilities because she has obtained real evidence that is happening right before her eyes.

"Haruka, the directions!"

Tanaka's return made Haruka somewhat surprised. The man with blood on his clothes had a slightly fishy and foul smell. Eve

n so, Haruka couldn't protest at all.

Tanaka stepped on the gas pedal. After getting past the giddiness of passing through the zombie corpses, Haruka started pointing in a direction that Tanaka could see.

"Left here...right then left at the first turn!"

Haruka told the direction that Tanaka should take. The driver followed.

"Here?"

Arriving in front of a fairly large building, Tanaka asked.

"Yes!"

Along with Haruka's answer, Tanaka unlocked the truck door and the two of them got out. Get out of the truck without turning off the engine.

Hundreds of zombies, who were aware of the existence of the truck and a prey namely Haruka, were moving towards it. Slow movement.

Tanaka swung his sledgehammer toward the door. The clear sound of a loud crash will lure zombies from the entire school or even those in the vicinity of school.

Door is open. Tanaka saw a little that there was a man holding another man. It was quite a strange sight for Tanaka, but his focus right now was on inhibiting the zombies.

Haruka's shoulder was tapped. The girl who was ready to shoot if there was a fast-moving zombie immediately shifted position. She headed inside the warehouse and saw the same scene as Tanaka had seen earlier.

Strange sight.

"Makise!"

After all, Haruka was only looking for Makise. She didn't really care what happened to other people.

"Wh-who are you!"

The man holding the knife asked. He was named Kuro and the other man he was holding onto was Okata. The man named Okata was in a coma.

"Who are you? Where is Makise!"

Haruka replied loudly. With a normal glance, this girl could tell that the man holding the knife was not a good person. Haruka remembered Makise's text message that said 'save me'. She thought about the many bad possibilities that could happen and tried to blame it all on the man if it did.

"Are you saviors from outside?"

With his eyes wide open, Kuro looked at Haruka. Eyes filled with hope and perhaps also happiness.

Two other people got out of the thing Haruka recognized as a high jump mat. There was no Makise at all in sight.

Just coming into consciousness, the stench that was thick enough made Haruka react. Her left hand, which was not holding the weapon, tried to cover her nose so that the smell wouldn't disturb her focus.

"Yes, and I want to save Makise. If she wasn't here, I wouldn't save anyone here!"

Haruka snapped at the unknown man in front of her. The intimidation worked and made the male students falter.

"Ma-Makise is here! She's just hiding right now. I don't know where she is!"

Answered one of the two men who had just come out from behind the object of the mat. Haruka immediately went around to see where her friend might be hiding.

"Makise! It's me Haruka!"

Haruka shouted loudly. The voice echoed through the wide room.

"Ha-Haruka?"

A low voice emerged from behind a basket. Or so that is what Haruka heard.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Makise!"

The girl with the gun came closer to the basket containing the volleyball. There was no Makise behind the basket. Trying to search the surroundings, Haruka noticed that the ball in the basket was moving.

Haruka immediately got rid of the balls. She found her friend, Makise, in a pretty pathetic state.

Even so, Makise was still able to smile and replied to Haruka's expression quite normally. Haruka lifted Makise from there.

With happy sobs, Haruka embraced her precious friend. They moved towards the outside of the building.

"... Thank goodness you're still alive. Let's get out!"

Haruka while stopping her aim at Kuro tried to quickly check Makise's condition.

"Wait... Okata!"

The girl named Makise pointed to the man named Okata. Haruka now realized that it was highly likely that the man she was pointing at was the one who helped Makise in her message story.

Looking at the others, Haruka now realized that it would be bad if they were left behind. Tanaka had smashed the lock on the door where the people were hiding from the zombies.

"... You all come with me... And don't you dare mess around!"

Haruka gave a signal which invited them to follow her. She also pointed his gun at Kuro who was carrying a knife.

The students then moved quickly out. Kuro, who was dragging Okata on the floor, was glared at by Makise. Haruka realized that it was a bit too much, but the current situation was still too precarious.

"Haruka, have you found her!"

Tanaka asked. He was surrounded by piles of school-uniformed-zombie corpses. That man really deserved to be called a zombie slayer to Haruka.

"Have found her, with a few extra people!"

Haruka replied. She whose only intention was to save Makise eventually brought more people than what she should.

"Put everyone inside!"

Said Tanaka which made them all enter the box-truck. Haruka joined in because she was afraid that something might happen if Makise was left alone there.

Tanaka is still killing the zombies. He with his katana and who was already covered in blood tried to pave the way first.

As soon as the road cle

ared a bit, Tanaka returned to the truck to move. Hundreds of zombies came from all directions except the front because it was a boundary wall.

Tanaka, with blood still dripping on the surface of his body, drove the truck out.

"Food!"

Kuro is a male student who can be said to be stubborn and mischievous. Haruka knew the identity of that one person, but she was too hesitant to say that she knew him.

"..."

There was no response to Kuro who was euphoric seeing the food provided by Tanaka. Haruka takes care of Makise and Okata. The two men that Makise knew by the names Rai and Kanji were whispering about something.

"Hey, fierce girl. Do you have a gun? Give us a gun too!"

Kuro suddenly called out to Haruka who was in the middle of doing her own thing. She who was fed up with how the annoying man was talking fiercely replied.

"...This weapon is exclusive to sane people only. It's also exclusive to killing insane people like you if you don't shut up in an instant!"

Kuro, who could be said to be somewhat immune to bullying just smirked, mocking Haruka who was raising her voice. The ignorant fool who didn’t know of being saved. That's what Haruka thought.

"Haruka,"

Makise softly called the name back. The name which had always appeared in her mind the last few days.

"Makise, I must have taken too long, I'm sorry!"

"No, you're just in time... Can Okata be saved?"

Makise slowly spoke. Looking at the defenseless body, Makise asked very sadly towards Haruka.

"...Yes, he can still hold on!"

Haruka checked it. The man named Okata still had a heartbeat and a pulse. Despite being weak, at that point Haruka still knew how to save him.

"Thank you,"

Makise gave her thanks. The girl's eyes were full of dried up water as if she had permanent weeping marks. Her lips look very dry.

The man called Kuro had already taken quite a lot of food. The other two looked a bit hesitant, though in the end they also took it.

Haruka slowly gave Makise and Okata a drink. She also prepared food for her friends to eat.

"Makise, drink this first and then eat this... So, can I ask what happened just now?"

Haruka looked at Kuro. The incident at the beginning certainly requires an explanation. It was impossible for someone to position a knife in front of the neck of someone who had passed out for no apparent reason.

"W-What did you mean just now? Just now it was nothing!"

Kuro answered nervously. This was because he knew that he had been caught very clearly doing that. He couldn't deny it and could only make such obscure excuses.

"He's lying! That bastard has captured Okata and is about to kill him!"

Makise, who was eating her food, interfered in the conversation. Haruka looked back at Kuro.

"Is it true?"

"Aghhh, yes that's true. That kind of thing is also normal out there! You guys often do it too, not just to survive! Scramble for food and kill each other!"

Kuro explained somehow angrly. He slammed one of the food packets he had been holding. Haruka couldn't help but stare at his impolite attitude.

"Maybe that's what you're thinking, but I'm not! I'm asking you why you kept this man captive!"

Haruka replied to Kuro's words while asking again. Even though she really didn't want to deal with such a creature, she still wanted to refute his argument about survivors as he thought.

Childish thinking. That's what Haruka thought for the pity Kuro guy.

"Ughhh... Because he sucks!"

This time Kuro answered furiously. He squeezed the bar he was holding.

"Haruka, he was about to rape me. But because I managed to hide, Okata was used as bait to lure me out!"

Makise explained. She tugged Haruka's sleeve. This made Haruka remember her friend's annoying habit.

She always hangs in the body of the girl who is physically strong.

"Aghh, yes that's right! She's right! I didn't tell you, anyways, this kind of thing is normal when the situation is like that!"

Kuro denied his accusation for being the one at fault. He admits that he acted as Makise said, but he didn't want to feel guilty at all.

"I guess if I was in that situation I'd just starve. I don't even have time to think about raping someone else!"

Haruka coldly answers Kuro’s statement. Kuro, as usual, took Haruka's serious remark as a joke.

"Hah, poor life! Hunger isn't just about the stomach... it's about the bottom too... It seems you haven't tasted it yet. Want to try it with me?"

Kuro kept trying to provoke Haruka with anger. He made a gesture that mocked the fire armed girl.

"Shut up or I'll add a hole in your head!"

"Woo, woo alright..."

The firearm was aimed at Kuro's head. The man then immediately shut up and just did their respective activities.

The two people from earlier didn't talk to Haruka at all. She still didn't know their identity and also they looked suspicious in Haruka's eyes.

"Whose side are you on?"

"We're not on either side,"

One of them answered Haruka.

"Hah, traitor..."

Kuro responded to the man who answered that. The two of them stared a

t each other for a while until finally Kuro's opponent's gaze stopped.

Haruka returned to her activities. They were silent while feeling that their bodies were being carried away by the movement of the space.

It's not dark at all. Unlike how Haruka had felt before, this time there was a kind of electronic lantern placed in the center. The duct tape helps the thing not to move to and fro.

A few moments passed. The two strangers in Haruka's eyes ate quietly. Kuro has been eating while playing with some food. Okata looks better. Makise also looks like that.

"Makise, are you feeling better?"

Haruka tried to confirm.

"I don't know. It just feels cold all over,"

Makise replied in her shivering.

"...Sorry, I didn't bring a blanket!"

Hearing Makise's answer, Haruka immediately looked for a blanket or something that could cover Makise's body. However, such an object was nowhere to be found.

"It's okay, I've been feeling better while you're here..."

Makise replied. She was now holding Okata's head and looking at her very gently. Haruka tried to avert her eyes for fear of interrupting the two's time.

However, what she saw now was the sight of Kuro putting chocolate into the rice. He didn't eat it and instead made some kind of snowman with it.

Kuro noticed Haruka's gaze. He stopped moving his hands for a moment.

"...Yo, what's wrong?"

The man tilted his head with a grin. It was an unpleasant face for Haruka because she knew that it must be just an inducement to cause a commotion.

"You better not mess with that food!"

After all, Haruka had a reason. Since Kuro was actually making food a waste, obviously she couldn't let it go freely.

"Ohhh, come on,"

Kuro then smashed his 'snow doll'. As Haruka had expected, he was making food a waste.

Several minutes passed. The atmosphere was quiet again. Only small movements occur.

Vibration stops. They realized that the truck had stopped.

There was the sound of the engine shutting down followed by the truck door opening. The sound of footsteps that led to the back of the truck could also be heard quite clearly by them.

"Alright, all of you out!"

It was Tanaka who opened the box-truck somewhere safe from zombies. According to Tanaka's words, they all came out one by one. Except for Okata who was unconscious.

"Where is this?"

Kuro started asking. The place was quite foreign to him because he hadn't been out in a long time.

"Well, all of you please pay attention. I hope you are doing well and can answer my questions... Do you want to be released right away or does anyone want to join my camp?"

Tanaka asked while facing the students. He made an offer which was supposed to be for Haruka's friends only.

Kuro's question was ignored by Tanaka. He didn't want to give out such information because for him there were still things he had to do first.

"Before answering your question, I'll ask you. Does your camp have enough food?"

Kuro raised his hand as he immediately spoke.

"... Food is an easy thing. We have plenty!"

Tanaka gave an expression like he was thinking before he answered. It was a foolish move Tanaka made to make them think that he was an easy person.

"Then I will come!"

Smiling Kuro answered.

"Me too..."

The others except Haruka and Okata also answered the same.

"Alright, before that I'll give you an interview first... Haruka, come here!"

Tanaka explained while waving his hand towards Haruka. Haruka came closer and now they were talking in whisper mode.

"Oi, you can help me, can't you... I don't know how personal each of them is. I want to know what's been going on in the warehouse before. You have to help me keep an eye on those I haven't asked so they don't make up story discussions, okay!"

Haruka nodded in response to each of Tanaka's words. She understood the camp master's intentions and goals.

"Okay!"

Haruka then headed towards those who were standing in front of the back of the truck. Tanaka was still quite a distance away and was getting further and further away.

"Yosh, please go here one by one... Starting with you!"

Tanaka pointed at someone. It was a man which Haruka didn't know for sure his nature is.

"Okay..."

he replied as he headed towards Tanaka. He didn't know what his fate would be after this. Trembling is a normal thing to happen all over his body.

"Can you explain what happened inside when you were trapped from day one? This includes anything you did whether it was good or bad!"

The man explained. The first important piece of information is the man's name Kanji. The second important piece of information is how their group survives. The third important piece of information is the chronology of events involving Kuro, Okata and Makise.

"Next... You!"

Next up is the man who is Kanji's close friend. His name is Rai. The explanation given is also more or less the same as his friend, Kanji.

"Then... You!"

This time it was Kuro who was summoned. The man replied with a slight hint towards information regarding the

benefits of being in the camp. Tanaka ignored it and Kuro was aware of it.

"Lastly... You!"

She is Makise. The girl's explanation was quite the opposite of what Kuro explained regarding the chronology of events. However, in some ways what Makise said is valid with Rai and Kanji's statement.

Tanaka hung up his phone. He doesn't need notes anymore to do analysis. He already has his decision.

To Tanaka, his camp didn't need bad people. Obviously Kuro was eliminated. In addition, Tanaka also made a rather heavy decision regarding the cannibalism that Rai and Kanji had carried out. They were also forced to have Tanaka eliminated for fear that it would make the other camp members too wary.

"What is your purpose in doing this?"

Kuro asked. He actually already knew Tanaka's purpose for doing that.

"It's okay, just looking for a new recruit!"

"If that's the case I guess what happened to us in the warehouse doesn't need to be discussed!"

"That's my decision... Well, listen. The three of you can't get into my camp!"

Tanaka pointed at Kuro and the two other men who had come to their senses. It was a sign that Kuro, Rai and Kanji were not accepted by Tanaka.

"I know that. You just chose that girl and that little bitch Okata right!"

"Well, more precisely Makise and Okata. But still, aside from that, I will give each of you a box of food!"

Kuro heated up and Tanaka responded calmly.

"Haha, that's good. One box of food to survive~ How generous isn't it~"

With a clearly mocking tone, Kuro pointed it at Tanaka.

"If you don't stop saying things like that, you-"

"Haruka never mind... Just let him go!"

Haruka, who aimed the weapon at Kuro, was cut off by Tanaka. Now Tanaka was blocking Haruka's view of Kuro.

"Tanaka!"

Haruka said loudly. He saw a hand holding a knife raised behind Tanaka. She panicked.

However, before the hand reached Tanaka's body, the katana in Tanaka's right hand had already pierced and froze the movement of someone’s hand. Tanaka then raised his katana up, splitting the hand that Haruka guessed belonged to Kuro in two.

“Aghhhhhhh…-You bastard!”

Kuro, whose right hand was split open, shouted loudly. A scream which summons the zombies to come around.

Without further ado and deliberation as before, Tanaka immediately cut off Kuro's head. He realized the potential danger that existed in that one individual actually happened.

"All of you come back in!"

Tanaka said firmly. They all went back into the cramped box-truck without Kuro as before.

......

...

"We've arrived!"

"Welcome back, everyone!”

"Taki, this guy passed out in a more or less hungry state... Can you take care of him?"

"Leave it to me!"

"All of you rest first. Haruka, take them to the room next door... Except for room number six!"

"Well!"

"Yuki... I'm going to tell you something. I want to ask your opinion!"

"Humu,"