08: Vehicle Search

"Yui, I need to talk."

Hayato spoke, and Yui tilted her head slightly.

"What is it?"

"This time, on the way back from searching for a bicycle, I stopped by a drugstore. All of them were looted. Nothing remained."

The reason was clear. Raids had spread. Refugees had collected supplies from the city.

I did not search past the front of the store. But since the entrance was open, the interior without cover had also been collected.

Otherwise, the refuge could not have lasted a year.

But with no production, the remaining supplies in the city would deplete.

Hayato and Yui now used water and food brought from the other world.

Enough for 1,000 people to travel for ten days. Ten thousand days' worth.

Split between Hayato and Yui, it might last five thousand days. About thirteen years.

But Hayato was twenty-one, and Yui claimed to be eighteen. Even with strict rationing, it would not last until the end of their lives.

Water was used not only for drinking but also for washing dishes and flushing toilets.

Cleaning the body was necessary as well.

"If we stay in Kirihara City much longer, I think our stored water and food will eventually run out. Water especially will run out sooner than we think."

Yui frowned at Hayato's words.

Even Yui, whose viruses had been removed, had concerns about the future.

"If they find us—those who exiled Yui—and learn that Yui has been cured, they'll examine both me and Yui."

Hayato's words made Yui's face tighten.

"Immunity, right?"

"A world overrun by an unknown virus, with one person surviving."

"They might investigate."

It would be more surprising if they didn't.

Yui's virus is being removed by Hayato using sacred magic.

But Yui's body might have developed immunity to the virus.

"I'm not well-versed in immunity, but during the coronavirus outbreak, television covered it repeatedly. If infected by a virus..."

A virus enters cells in the body and replicates.

Immune cells then recognize the virus and attack.

Normally, immune cells prevail and eliminate the virus. But zombie virus activates using mana, making it strong.

Pre-civilization collapse patients on Earth were defeated by the virus in every case.

"How did you handle it in the other world?"

"Sacred magic. Either they carried nanomachines from a hyper-advanced civilization, or they could use sacred magic. The scale differed. Power varied greatly between individuals."

Whether Hayato, who used the transfer device, was the original first generation or possessed power exceeding that of the Archbishop from the other world remained unclear.

If he had quietly arranged to become a priest, he might not have been sent back.

He had not considered becoming a clergyman, so the thought never occurred.

"Recovery from infection may grant resistance. After the first infection, subsequent exposures might be contained for a period. Perhaps the nanomachines activated. It is not certain."

"Can't you tell what will happen to me?"

"There are no precedents."

In the other world, humans with resistance were not noticed.

Sacred magic served as treatment. Immunity itself was unknown.

Without knowledge of how to utilize immune cells, humans with resistance had no value. Those with resistance might have existed, but gone unreported and unattended.

But on Earth, it was otherwise.

Deciphering the mechanisms of immune response from blood and cells might yield clues toward a treatment.

Until a treatment is established, Yui will not be allowed to leave the research facility.

Incidentally, Earthlings do not understand mana, so her confinement will last her entire life.

"For this reason, I intend to secure a vehicle as a safe means of moving away from this city."

"Understood. It might be better to move."

Hayato felt relief at Yui's understanding.

If Yui is captured, Hayato will be caught as well, by extension.

Thus, escape is the only option.

"An SUV should be durable and suitable for long-distance travel."

"What is an SUV?"

SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle, which translates to "sports multi-purpose vehicle" in Japanese.

Utility refers to practicality, vehicle to automobile.

Ground clearance is high. The undercarriage rarely contacts the road on rough terrain, such as uneven mountain paths. It handles curbs and off-road conditions effectively.

"A high-clearance vehicle, sturdy, capable of traversing mountain roads and rough terrain."

"Even if attacked by zombies, it maintains high safety?"

"In short, yes."

Yui pondered Hayato's proposal, then nodded.

"Yui, stay at home. I'll find one."

"Understood. Be careful."

Hayato departed, waved off by Yui, and exited the house. He mounted his bicycle.

"I need something impressive, sturdy."

Hayato sought a vehicle that would become his legs and protect Yui.

Choosing a vehicle that rides smoothly, remains functional, and is strong is natural.

A vehicle meeting these conditions inevitably has a high price.

Hayato holds a driver's license, but owns no vehicle.

It was natural he had no car when summoned to the other world—he was a third-year high school student, having just obtained the license.

The school had allowed students to acquire the license during their studies, as a precaution for those who would enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

He had intended to attend university, but obtained the license anyway.

He never imagined a world where obtaining a driver's license would be impossible.

"How old would I have been if I had gone to university and earned enough to buy an SUV?"

Even if he had, it would have been on loan.

Or, he might have compromised on price and never acquired an SUV at all.

Yet unexpectedly, an opportunity to obtain an SUV arose.

He does not feel gratitude toward the empire that summoned Hayato, forcing him to live in extreme inconvenience, merely to introduce the zombie virus.

Hayato rode the bicycle through the residential district, thoughts lingering on the matter.

A wealthy household might have an SUV, then.

Pedaling the bicycle, scanning the surroundings carefully.

A brief sensation of being a thief, and the shock of his own actions struck him.

Moving through the residential area, mentally listing excuses such as the right to survive and emergency evasion, eventually a house with an imposing gate and expansive grounds came into view.

Hayato dismounted the bicycle and peered into the parking lot of the house.

But what was there was an ordinary passenger vehicle.

If you're rich, ride a better car.

Complaining under his breath, he pressed the pedals again.

After advancing further through the residential area, a house where an SUV was parked was finally found.

The house was surrounded by an imposing gate and a spacious yard, clearly indicating wealth.

Hayato dismounted the bicycle with care and approached the SUV.

It was a domestic SUV, expensive but not rare like foreign luxury models.

The production volume of the series reached several tens of thousands nationwide.

About thirty units were distributed per Japanese municipality on average.

— Covered in dust.

The vehicle had not been operated for some time.

Yet it remained in decent condition, appearing functional enough to ride.

The car door would not open. Hayato studied the exterior of the house.

"Where could the key be?"

The front door was unlocked. Hayato stepped inside.

No sound of household appliances, not even a refrigerator, echoed within. The interior was silent.

Hayato checked the front-entry shoebox first, but found no key there.

— Next, the living room or the kitchen.

Hayato entered the house barefoot and searched each area of the living room and kitchen.

Furniture and decorative items inside were of high quality, indicating the resident’s wealth. Yet the space was disordered, and signs of a thorough search were evident.

No useful supplies were found. Without the key, the search yielded nothing.

"If this were my own home, I’d know where to find the key. But in someone else’s house, it’s impossible to tell."

Hallway, living room, bedroom.

Hayato searched each room in sequence, looking for where the key might be placed.

Before entering a new room, he maintained basic caution against zombies.

He could win in close combat, but he disliked being touched by saliva.

On that matter, he would not change his stance even if the zombie were once a beauty queen.

He preferred to ask that before the transformation.

While imagining, Hayato searched the bedroom drawer until he finally found the car key.

The key was inside the bedroom drawer, stored in a radio-shielded case.

Hayato removed the key built into the smart key and exhaled.

— Please work.

He had gone to such trouble to find it. It had to work.

Hayato exited the front door and immediately attempted to start the car.

He had not driven in about three years, but he could still manage to press the brake while starting the engine.

He pressed the brake first. The brake lights did not turn on.

A bad feeling rose. He tried starting the engine. The car did not respond.

— Maybe the battery is dead.

Given how long it had been left idle, that was not surprising.