Part 222: Under the Light

With the monster before me, I placed my hand on the throwing knife at my waist.

This was one of the supplies acquired from a yakuza office near Sōtō, distributed to every refugee who volunteered for combat training.

Those undergoing training could choose one weapon from among three types.

One was a handgun.

One was a knife.

The third was a shovel with a sharpened tip.

The knife was the least popular weapon. It might have had something to do with the fact that the teacher, Kotaro Imano, was a somewhat eccentric person.

But even more importantly, the knife was avoided because it required getting dangerously close to the "zombies." Who wouldn't dread facing those walking corpses up close?

The class was always just the two of them—Master Imano and Miharu.

He had never felt lonely. Master Ritaro’s endlessly cheerful personality was so vibrant that it made the fact they were just the two of them easy to forget.

"Haha! Then, shall we go obliterate some corpses today! … Wait a second—hey, do we really say 'kill' corpses? They're already dead, aren't they? Hmm. Oh well, whatever!"

To the girl with the gentle demeanor, his unrefined way of speaking was oddly comforting.

Freedom.

He moves with greater freedom than anyone else.

In this world at the end of all things, there is no one who celebrates life as he does.

Aizuki Miyako had always thought this way.

I want to become someone like a master.

And.

The two knife-wielders occasionally sneaked out to the town without the adults' knowledge.

The meat I hunted at that time—wild dog.

I still can't forget it—the stiff, rigid feeling, the taste of blood.

Remember it! That taste.

Awaken the power of the wild.

Migen narrowed her eyes, studying her opponent's movements.

In her mind, her master's words echoed once more.

"Miho... observe. Observation is everything..."

What is your opponent thinking? What are they aiming for?

Is there some injury in their body?

You don't need to be bound by animal instincts or the常识 of living things.

Humans, just like animals, don't act in a monolithic way. What should I have for lunch tomorrow noon? Which clothes should I wear today? What time did I go to sleep yesterday? Not every action follows a rule—many decisions are made "just because."

In reality, the dog I hunted with my master acted according to a mysterious hierarchy: "Eating feces >>> An insurmountable wall >>> Protecting itself."

"You..."

Staggering forward like a zombie, the man approached the beauty with a clumsy gait.

"You're quite appetizing yourself. But you're just an ordinary human. A shame."

First and foremost, I understood one thing clearly.

—This guy really is one of those "zombies."

The face I saw a moment ago—pale, lifeless, devoid of blood.

A face that looked like a corpse.

"...I’ve got a bit of a full stomach right now... but I suppose it’s not impossible to take it in."

It happened in an instant. A gut feeling flashed through his mind—anticipating the attack—just before it was carried out, he ducked sharply.

At the same moment, he felt something brush past the top of his head.

Good, he thought. That was one more piece of the enemy’s strategy figured out.

—He’s not actually able to see well in the dark.

In the darkness, the advantage was clearly on his side.

If it had been that usual dog that eats dung, things wouldn't have gone this way. Its nose could read my position as clearly as if it were seeing me with its eyes.

"――!"

He threw the knife toward the shadow. Thud, thud, thud—definitely felt it pierce home.

'Nuu...'

"Gotcha!"

Without pause, Meigen swiftly threw four knives from around her waist.

One struck the head.

Another hit the chest, one the belly, and one the leg.

Any ordinary creature would have died from that.

But she didn't let her guard down. If the creature was some kind of zombie, it was entirely possible it wouldn't die from such damage.

In that sense, one could say it was her childlike imagination that saved her life.

With careful caution, she kept her distance and hid behind what looked like a leather sofa.

Dugong!

A sound like something being slammed into the darkness echoed from somewhere in the shadows.

"Ow... I can't... I can't let go... It's like a worm crushed under the summer heat..."

The glass bottle lying nearby shattered, scattering shards in every direction.

That was close. If I hadn't hidden, I would've been struck directly by the fragments.

"Damn it... No good. If I don't act now, he'll get away."

A real chatterbox, isn't he?

In the darkness, Miharu tightly gripped her knife.

Just two left—saved for close combat.

『Ah, but I just had a great idea.』

Then, once again, the unsteady, shuffling footsteps.

『Earlier, he told me, "Wouldn't it be better if the one who turned off the lights stayed?" That's right, that's exactly what he said.』

A chill runs down my spine.

I see. It seems this place is designed to allow for a modest daily life. It wouldn't be surprising if electricity were available.

She, with her sharp instincts, had already drawn her conclusion from just that.

—If it became bright again.

The slim chance, already as fragile as a flickering light, would vanish.

Die.

"——Hey."

"Hey, Miko."

In an instant, her mind recalled her master's words.

They were as vivid as ever.

As if he were whispering in my ear.

"You're strong. Among your peers, there's no one who can beat you."

"Even I'd be in danger without the power of a 'slave.'"

"But don't forget—there are people in this world who simply don't fit in."

——I know, Master. You mean 'Players,' right?

"What's with that sullen look?"

"Are you really that bothered by being a 'Player'?"

I hate them. They're all cheating. They're strong, but they don't even try at all.

"Yeah... I guess..."

"I can understand how you feel, but..."

"Still, there are some you can actually respect, you know?"

"Who?"

As I asked, my mind felt cloudy.

I knew. The person my master truly valued.

The "Player" in the red jersey.

I didn't know exactly who it was, but...

I gripped the knife tightly.

This place will surely be illuminated by light from now on.

I'll charge at him simultaneously, jam the knife into his head, and kill him.

But... really?

If he can survive a single stab without flinching, can he really die from a second or third?

The odds were clearly turning against me.

I gritted my teeth.

The flashbacks were still vivid in my mind.

Memories of the days I spent with my master.

"Hey, for someone like me who's lived this way, it's completely normal. Something I can actually understand."

"But that person was in the midst of utter despair, and they taught me, 'There's light over there.' That's what they did."

"Maybe..."

"If you can do that much, isn't that enough? Isn't that enough to be called a hero?"

With a clink, the alleyway brightened.

—Let's do this. Let's move out.

That was when it happened.

"Ah... um. Greetings. You've been working hard."

The woman appeared, looking rather silly.

Dressed in pajamas, she spoke quickly:

"Um, I think I came out at the wrong time... Would it be alright if I stepped out again?"

In her left hand, a Japanese sword was neatly sheathed.