That 209: Preparing for the Journey

So, the next day.

I changed back into my sailor uniform first.

Packed spare underwear and a red tracksuit into my bag.

Also brought along my grandfather's heirloom sword, kept in its专用 case.

As I nervously stepped out of the apartment building, wondering if maybe no one would be there, everyone was already perfectly gathered.

Rinon, Yeku, Tsumuri, Mada, and several adult figures who seemed to be car inspectors.

Everyone appeared to have woken up just a little earlier than me, already in the midst of preparing to depart.

What immediately caught my eye was a heavily armored vehicle that looked like it had been改造ed from a kindergarten接送 bus.

At first, I was simply stunned by its imposing presence.

The cheerful image of a cat, bear, and rabbit holding hands on the vehicle's body had vanished completely, replaced by a spinning circular saw that cleaved through the air as if severing their heads.

Thick iron bars were embedded in the windows, and steel spikes resembling rat traps jutted out from the ceiling.

The tires had also been thoroughly modified, now replaced with rugged, military-grade ones.

On the upper part of the windshield, where once "Miyabi-ga-oka Yōchien" had been written, large letters now read "Don't Panic."

"Hmm..."

To a girl untouched by corruption, the violently aggressive design would be enough to make her faint on sight. The end of the century, indeed.

Once an "innocent girl" herself, Rinne joyfully carried luggage onto the接送 bus while,

"Wait, there was only the No. 3 unit available? What about the No. 2 and No. 1 units?"

"The No. 1 unit is with the advance party, and the No. 2 unit is at the Aviation Park on Sotari-san's request."

"I see. The No. 3 unit's always been considered unlucky, isn't it? It was attacked before, after all."

I get it—feels like it's about to get possessed by an Angel.

"Anyway, it's fine. The 'Haku' was using an armored vehicle for the first time, right?"

"I'm experiencing most things for the first time right now."

"Right, yeah. That was a dumb question."

Then she handed him a cardboard box containing a sandwich large enough to hold in one arm,

"Here. Eat it while you can. You'll feel sick if you eat after moving."

"Um... Are you going to give these to everyone?"

"No, it's just for one person."

"I don't eat much, you know."

"Relax. You can handle it. That's what a 'player' is like."

Really?

Still, after yesterday's battle, I was a bit hungry.

Thanks to that so-called Hunger Resistance, I wasn't starving anymore, but it still nagged at me a little.

I quickly took a bite out of one of the sandwiches, and suddenly felt something different—like this wasn't the same as before.

Back then, just one sandwich would’ve been more than enough for me.

And yet, here I am—just picking at a single potato chip, really.

Chewing on snacks with a casual, "hey, just one more" mindset, I found myself, before I knew it, completely emptying an entire cardboard box of them.

And still, my stomach felt like it could take more.

Throughout my life, I’ve never really worried much about getting fat from overeating—but this time, I felt a slight unease.

"Are we even at risk of getting fat?"

"Probably fine....Besides, you'd look better with a little extra weight."

"Is that so..."

"Yeah. That way, some nutrients might even reach your breasts?"

"Hehe. Should I just kill you?"

"Hahaha."

The wrestling-style banter made me feel a little warm inside.

Just then, Yoriku rode by on his bike,

"Sorry to interrupt your friendly chat, but what should we do about those 'zombies' gathering near the gate?"

"Zombies?"

"Yeah. They're swarming. If you want, I can take care of them."

Rinon tilts her head.

"Strange. I thought I'd already cleared out most of the 'zombies' around here."

A memory of the live show from two nights ago flashes through my mind.

Wasn't that part of the "zombie" hunting... something like that?

"That's right..."

Yogu let out a slight sigh,

"Since I've already informed the school's upper management about this incident, it'll eventually become widely known. But... the 'zombies' are apparently going to keep appearing endlessly from now on."

"Wait—what?"

"There was something like that in the announcement for 'Phase Three.'"

"Is that..."

"I don't know exactly what this so-called 'infinite spawning' actually entails or how frequently it occurs. But for the foreseeable future, it might be wise to conserve bullets and weapons."

Rinne makes a bitter face.

"They're not an opponent we can't defeat... but then again, if their numbers keep increasing... that changes things."

"Yeah. There's a risk of accidental death. If their blood or saliva gets into your eyes or an open wound, even a strong 'player' would be done for. We still haven't clearly figured out how to remove the 'zombie toxin' yet."

Rinne silently nods.

As for me, I understand the meaning of those words just as clearly as before, but I still can't quite grasp it on a personal level.

Among those who had heard the story, the one whose face turned the palest was Asada Rika.

"Eh..."

After staring blankly for a moment,

"Wait a minute... But if that's the case, it seems a bit different from what Hakka-san said...?"