Part 213: Last Struggle

The back of the bus had sliding doors, allowing us to immediately start riding our bicycles.

We each mounted our mountain bikes and set off in turn.

Leading the way was Rinne, followed by me, and bringing up the rear was Tsuzuri.

The sight of the three girls—wearing cycling jerseys, school uniforms, and maid outfits—racing down the mountain on tuned-up mountain bikes (apparently costing around 300,000 yen if bought from a store) was surely something only the apocalypse could bring.

"I actually wanted to try out road bikes while we're at it..."

"Yeah—then I'll ask Grandpa next time. He used to run a bike shop, after all."

"Hoo~!"

I wholeheartedly believe that the most exciting sports manga in this universe is "Weakling Pedal," and I'm feeling just a bit energized as a result.

"By the way, I have a simple question—may I ask?"

"Hmm?"

"Even if it's just a personal guess—do you have any idea what's waiting for us ahead?"

"Yeah, I don't know for sure, but if that guy Kū sent off a signal flare last night, it probably isn't just some ordinary horde of 'zombies'."

"Which means the rumors about..."

"Yeah, it's gotta be a 'monster' for sure."

"I see."

At that moment, Rinnō spotted a single 'zombie' from the general passage shambling toward them, and with a speed too fast to see, she hurled a pebble with a precise throw.

Without even bothering to see what became of the "zombie," we continued our conversation.

"What kind of creature is this 'monster' usually like, generally speaking?"

"Mostly, monsters are imagined as giant, aggressive versions of existing animals. They can be almost any kind—bugs, beasts, you name it....The only thing they have in common is that their flesh is edible."

"Wow... So you've actually eaten insect 'monsters,' Rinne?"

"Yeah, of course. Tasted kind of like fish, surprisingly decent."

"Seriously?"

A beautiful woman eating bugs.

Just imagining that scene is already pushing the boundaries of niche kinks.

"Since fresh meat is rare these days, eating monsters has become pretty commonplace among people."

"Hmm, I see..."

Reacquainting ourselves with the rules of the world after the changed "end of the world."

It seemed Yoru had been ahead of us, and after pedaling for about ten minutes from there, we arrived at the location.

In the middle of a wide three-lane road, we spotted a suspicious figure in a black mask stopping a motorcycle.

"Your imagination was off the mark, Rinne."

"Indeed."

Yukihisa was kneeling on one knee without hesitation, even as his beige coat became stained in the sea of blood visible from afar.

What he held in his arms was a woman in her early twenties.

We increased our pedaling speed and came to a sudden stop beside Yukihisa.

A dizzying, foul stench hung in the air.

Lying on the asphalt were the corpses of dozens of "zombies."...No. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that there was more to it than that.

Among the zombies, several fresh corpses—apparently just recently killed—were scattered about.

"What on earth is this...?"

The man in the mask didn't answer, raising a hand to stop me.

The woman was missing a large portion of her left shoulder, still gushing blood as we watched.

"W-What are you doing, Yagura-san?! Hurry up and use《Healing Magic》!"

"No... it's too late. She's already been bitten."

His words were clear and sorrowful, and I reflexively turned to Rinne and Satori.

Both were staring down at the woman with identical expressions.

Just from that, I realized—surely, events like this happened regularly, unnoticed by me, in ways I couldn't imagine.

"When I arrived, this was already the situation."

The woman seemed to fully understand what was happening to her, looking up at us with a calm, rational expression.

"K… ha…!"

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

As if unable to bear it, Rinne suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Ya-san... Don't you think we should just put that person out of their misery already?"

"I know that, but it seems like they're trying to say something."

"What do you mean?"

"Take a closer look at the bodies around here....Are there no marks like those from being shot by a cannon, whether they're zombies or humans?"

He scans the surroundings again.

Now that you mention it, it's true.

I've never actually seen a "corpse shot by a cannon," but his words felt oddly fitting.

It felt like I was blown away in one hit by some immense force.

The only ones I know who can create corpses like this are "players"—something like an enhanced punch from a "fighter," for example. What do you think?

Now that you mention it, you're right.

The woman continued, desperately trying to steady her ragged breath.

"Ah... ah... ah..."

"Miss, what happened? Who did this to you? Tell me..."

"A man..."

"Hmm. A man? Any distinguishing features?"

The woman coughed several times, then let out a painful groan. "Uu... u..."

That voice had been familiar since this morning.

The sound of something not human. The moan of the dead. The groan of a "zombie."

Rinne pulled a knife from the pouch at her waist and handed it to Yoi.

"If things change, then this. Using your hands would just get messy."

"Thank you."

Amid the calm exchange, the woman summoned her last ounce of reason, crying out in her final moments.

"It was... the man who... ate people...!"

And then, silence.

A few seconds later, Yoi, without a word, gently drove the knife into the back of her head.

So she would no longer be trapped by the pain of this world.

Amidst the scent of blood, a heavy silence flowed between us.