Part 26, I'm back!

I dashed through the drugstore, now turned into a pool of blood, and ran down the shopping street.

'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...'

Four "zombies" blocked my path ahead.

Facing corpses that crave human flesh, I was surprised at how little fear I felt—more surprised than I expected.

All I felt was the clear sense that I could do this.

"——!"

I gripped tightly the Japanese sword, a keepsake from my grandfather.

Now, I could feel it as if it were a part of my body.

Through the blade, I could touch things.

I could sense the boundaries of my reach, intuitively.

I swung the sword with minimal force.

First, the "zombie" in front of me.

Grazing its forehead.

With just that motion, I裂 the skull, successfully destroying its brain.

Then, the next one.

Sword raised high, I glide it along the abdomen like a caress.

Next, without pause, thrust it into the eye.

Finally, deliver a single blow aimed straight at the crown of the head.

With a crisp *pahnn* sound, the zombie’s skull shattered completely.

"……Good."

I mutter under my breath.

Now that I’ve acquired the skill《Sword Technique (Intermediate)》, zombies no longer feel like enemies at all.

……Well, I suppose getting too full of myself will probably end up hurting me sooner or later.

More importantly, those things have a bite attack that can kill in one hit.

Hubris is dangerous—absolutely not allowed.

That said, the path to school, which felt like a long journey yesterday, now feels like a轻松 stroll.

I didn’t actively hunt down the “zombies” along the way.

My top priority right now is simply getting back to school. If I get surrounded by those slow-moving "zombies," it won’t be a laughing matter.

Overall, it seems there aren’t too many "zombies" roaming the streets. The ones who were gathered around "Captain" appear to have scattered neatly throughout various parts of town.

Still, it seems the "zombies" have noticed that survivors are still present at the school.

The number of "zombies" that needed to be overcome gradually increased.

By the time we reached the school's main gate, we were being chased by a pack of dozens of "zombies."

First, I quickly eliminated the two "zombies" clinging to the main gate.

At the same time, I shouted as loudly as I possibly could,

Is anybody there?

And asks.

Then,

"...Senior?"

A boy's voice came from behind the door.

I could see Takehisa Yuuo, a skinny boy, dropping a paperback book.

"Wait, no way... That's incredible. Just like a senior. I saw the fireworks last night. So it really was safe after all!"

"Later! Open it already!"

"Hold on, hold on, wait a second...!"

Realizing the "zombie" approaching from behind me, Takehisa suddenly frantically rummaged through his pocket.

"We had guards posted at every gate, just in case the senior came back anytime..."

Enough with the excuses—just get on with it.

"Ah! Oh! There it is! Wait a second! I'll open it right away!"

By then, the "zombies" were already dangerously close.

Ah... Come on.

Still so slow.

I swiftly swipe at the fastest "zombie"'s shin with a peak strike, then cleave its head in two.

Using the shoulder of the "zombie" on its knees as a springboard, I leap high into the air like a pole vaulter.

The main gate was just slightly over three meters tall.

I cleared it in a single bound.

"――Huh!?!"

Takamatsu-kun stood frozen, half his key still inserted into the gate, utterly stunned.

"Back I am!"

"Eh... Ah... Huh....Good job, senior."

A dazed reply.

A moment later, Takenaka-kun seemed to regain his usual demeanor.

"We were all worried. I’ve been keeping watch all night."

"Oh? Is that so? I guess I did something wrong."

"Not at all!"

Takenaka-kun spoke with genuine surprise.

"I can't fight like you seniors or Kousuke. But I can handle something like this."

Well, sure.

While he was freezing out in the cold, I was just reading my 'kon' or something.

Thinking about it, I feel a bit guilty.

"Anyway, what about Kōsuke-kun's parents?"

"All three are safe. They'd love to meet Kōsuke... they'd be thrilled."

"Huh."

I just did what I had to do—I don’t really feel anything special about it. But in the end, I did get to enjoy a nice bath, so that was something.

Sure, I ended up being forced to see some random old man’s private parts, but that’s life.

"Anyway, was there anything else after that?"

"Um, not much really... Oh, wait, there was one small incident. Do you remember that guy, Nakata, senpai?"

"Nakata... Nakata. Hmm, was there someone like that?"

A new character, maybe?

"Anyway, I think we met briefly. He was a pretty serious-looking guy, tall and all..."

"What about Nakata-kun?"

"He's been giving trouble to three different girls lately, and now the girls are all giving him a hard time."

"...? Shaku?"

"Shaku" refers to the shakuhachi, you know.

...Shakuhachi?

Why is the topic of the traditional wooden wind instrument, originating from China, coming up here?

I don't really understand, but maybe something like a heated argument between boys and girls happened, or something along those lines.

"Public lynching, you say? Not exactly peaceful."

"Yeah... no, not exactly like that. Well, maybe he did get slapped once or twice... Anyway, the point is, he became the target of criticism."

"Ah, I see."

"To us guys, it's absolutely hilarious. 'How can someone named Nakata actually be told to shut up with words like that?'"

Chikana chuckles heartily.

Only then do I finally grasp the true meaning behind his words.

I grimace slightly.

"...Isn't it a bit inappropriate to be so excitedly talking about this kind of thing in front of girls?"

Upon hearing this, Chikana quickly begins to make some hasty excuse.

"Yeah, well. But as far as I know, when it comes to incidents, that's about all there is..."

I see. Extremely peaceful, then.

"Besides, you kind of give off this vibe that you'd casually accept topics like this, don't you?"

What kind of vibe is that?

I mean, is that actually a compliment?

"You know, seniors tend to have this slightly more 'boyish' mentality, emotionally speaking."

Boom, boom, boom...

I was quietly hurt by those words.

"D-d-d-d-does that mean I'm... boyish...?"

"Aah... um. No, no, it's not like that. I think seniors are super charming... but, I don't know, they just seem to have this free-spirited mindset, you know? Like how you can talk about anything with a guy friend. Ugh, why am I even saying this...?"

Apparently, Takanaka-kun was just as flustered as I was.

"Anyway, I like you, Senpai—not just for being someone easy to talk to... Um, of course, I think everyone else feels the same way too."

Takanaka-kun is clearly trying hard to recover, but it doesn’t really help much.

After letting out a deep sigh, I turned toward the school building.

Suddenly, my eyes caught the paperback Takanaka-kun had been reading just a moment ago.

Dazai Osamu’s—No Longer Human.