07 Chapter: Searching for a Bicycle

"First, we make Yui's house our base."

"Why?"

Hayato, having used sacred magic to treat Yui, outlined their next strategy.

Yui tilted her head slightly in response.

"Moving Yui, whose virus has been removed, risks another zombie attack."

"Is that so?"

"At least, that was the case in the other world."

She did not know if it mattered, but she recalled having contracted influenza twice.

She had no desire to test whether an attack would occur, and so accepted the possibility.

"Yui knows her own home better. She managed to keep zombies at bay, more or less. My house had its windows broken, searched thoroughly."

Three zombies had attached to Yui's house, but intrusion had been prevented, at least for now.

Hayato’s house had its windows broken, allowing zombies entry.

— Even my manga from my room had been taken.

Hayato’s house had been thoroughly ransacked.

All necessities for living had been removed.

Hayato judged Yui’s house to be far better in comparison.

“Ah. That’s fine.”

There was hesitation in Yui’s voice about sharing a room.

Hayato sensed the faint unease in her words and offered his own suggestion.

“My room will be on the first floor. I can handle zombies there.”

“Then there’s my father’s room.”

Natsuki nodded, selling her father off with bright enthusiasm. Hayato secured a room.

“Then I’ll go look for supplies. First, I need a bicycle.”

Hayato considered acquiring a bicycle as a means to gather supplies.

Even with bear-level physical ability, riding a bicycle is easier than running on foot.

The current city of Kogane is not peaceful. Avoiding fatigue is a necessary action.

——Was there a bicycle shed at the school without a lock?

Perhaps someone’s bicycle still had a key inserted.

But immediately after returning from the other world, moral constraints had worked unconsciously, and he had avoided it.

Now, looking back, there had been no humans at the school, only zombies wandering around. There had been no need to consider the owner.

"I have a bicycle of my own."

"Yeah, well, I guess."

Yui’s height was under 150 centimeters. She appeared to be around sixth-grade elementary school age.

Hayato’s height matched that of an average Japanese adult male.

The bicycle size did not match their body proportions.

"Say what you want to say."

"I was wrong."

Apology made. Policy unchanged.

Hayato had imagined the station's bicycle rack as a source for bicycles.

The nearest station, Kirioka North, was about three kilometers from Yui's house.

"Even in normal times, someone forgets to lock their bike and rides off, never to return to Kirikou City."

Someone always forgets, even in calm periods.

During the zombie outbreak, with everyone scrambling, it would be easy to forget.

Hayato thought it likely that at least one bicycle would be unlocked.

"Are you okay?"

Hayato answered lightly, to Yui's hesitant question.

"Grizzly bears can run at over fifty kilometers per hour and hunt wild boars. Plus, I have a spear."

The tip of the spear, drawn from its sheath, glinted. Yui's expression turned incredulous.

"Be careful."

No "be safe" was spoken.

Hayato left Yui's house and headed toward the station.

The city was silent. The phrase "ghost town" passed through Hayato's mind.

Along the way, he saw several vehicles abandoned at the roadside, but no other obstacles.

—Zombies that spotted me and chased might have existed.

Zombies that saw me from afar might have existed.

But Hayato did not walk to the station. He moved at a brisk pace.

The speed to locate a bicycle was likely already underway.

That speed could not be caught by a zombie.

Even if the rear became a mass of citizens running a marathon, it would not matter as long as they were not caught.

Hayato, forward-moving, did not look back. He arrived at Kogura Kita Station without incident.

The bicycle rack at the station held many bicycles, fallen over.

They had been arranged neatly at one time, then knocked over by strong wind, or abandoned in haste by someone who never straightened them again.

Hayato approached the rack and looked down at each fallen bicycle, beginning to search methodically for one with a lock attached.

"The rear wheel lock can be broken, but the front wheel lock engages at the same time."

It was faster to find a bicycle without a lock than to struggle to fix one.

Humans traveling by train from the station are mostly high school age or older, so their bicycles are larger than Yui's.

Looking around, he thought it would be enough if the key were inserted. A groan came from behind.

Turning back, three zombies appeared, moving at a pace unusually fast for their kind, as if capable of a commendable performance in a civilian marathon.

"Elite Zombie?"

Such a classification of Zombie does not exist.

Hayato, having arbitrarily categorized things, paused his search for the bicycle and drew a spear from the void.

At the tip, Damascene steel forged in another world gleams.

The handle retained the texture of wood, soaked through with blood from the battlefield.

Three zombies advanced toward Hayato, unswayed by the conditions that would make an ordinary human flee.

The cold February wind blew through the bicycle rack at the station.

The next moment, Hayato’s body rotated half a turn.

The spear swung with the motion, severing the neck of the first zombie.

A dull sound accompanied the blade slicing deep into the neck.

"Next."

The spear, having cleaved the first, was yanked back by a powerful arm, tracing an arc before piercing the chest of the second.

Hayato braced the shaft, lifted the zombie still impaled upon it, and hurled it onto the road.

The spear freed itself at nearly the same instant as the third approached.

Cut. Pierce. Kick.

Hayato thought it could go either way. He brought the spear down in a swing, striking the third in the head.

A dull thud. The third fell face-first onto the pavement.

Hayato flicked the spear to shake off the grime, then returned it to spatial storage.

"Let’s get moving."

The elite zombie had not yet arrived.

Hayato muttered as he resumed searching for a bicycle.

The bicycle rack still held many bicycles.

After searching for a while, he finally found one with the key still attached.

"Marginally safe."

As Hayato looked up from the bicycle, he saw the trailing group of the Koganei City Marathon approaching.

Hayato mounted the bicycle and pedaled in the opposite direction, abandoning the marathon.

He pushed hard on the pedals and glided away smoothly.

On the way, he considered detouring to a drugstore.

A slight detour from the station would require little effort.

He visited a few stores that remained in memory.

All had broken entrances and signs of looting.

The shelves visible from outside were empty.

In addition, he saw the shape of a zombie.

"Everywhere."

Hayato felt the effort was pointless. He turned the bicycle and left the store.

Fortunately, the spatial storage contained military supplies. Water and food were sufficient.

The bicycle was acquired. The objective of this trip was fulfilled.

Even if Hayato could not obtain supplies from the drugstore, it was not fatal.

He pedaled the bicycle to distance himself from the zombie.

Once inside the neighborhood of Yui’s home, he moved with increased caution.

He confirmed thoroughly that no zombies were following, then used the handed-over key to quickly enter the front door.

Returning, Hayato ascended the second floor and went to Yui’s room. He called out first.

"Welcome back."

Hearing Hayato’s voice, Yui finally opened the door and appeared.

"Welcome home. How did it go?"

The bicycle was acquired. This should make物资 exploration easier.

Hayato answered Yui's question with calm detachment.

Yui’s expression relaxed upon hearing Hayato’s report of his safe return.