That 233: Dark Elf Woman

Well.

Still.

Even without Nightku's eager enthusiasm, my answer was already decided.

"Let's help. As the saying goes, kindness is not wasted."

"Good. That's the way it should be."

Nightku immediately removes the safety from the Thompson machine gun.

While the gun's accuracy doesn't promise much in terms of destruction, it should at least serve to draw the enemy's attention.

"But how do we attack? With that many enemies, we can't just charge head-on."

"What if we just ram them with the bus?"

I asked the driver, who replied,

"The vehicle won't hold up. It'd also violate traffic laws."

Koji seemed to have reached a level of comfort with the driver, joking just two days in.

"Then, from a safe position, let's provide support—just enough magic to keep them from overwhelming us."

"That's fine, but wouldn't it be better to find a supply base first?"

That's true.

"Over here, there's a convenience store... I think it was just a little further down the road, turned right—there was a Seven-Eleven there."

"Then let's make that our supply point. —Satori, Rinne, you two handle securing the location first."

"Understood.""Got it."

"Yokku, draw the zombies away from the road and reduce their numbers. …Don't push yourself too hard—come back immediately if you feel even the slightest sign of magic depletion."

"Got it."

Under Koji's guidance, someone familiar with the area, they quickly shared contact methods in case the nearby convenience store became unusable, and identified potential alternative supply points… and just like that, the plan was set.

"…What about me?"

At that moment, Aizuki Miyako spoke up.

While entrusting her with my grandfather's heirloom sword, I said,

"You'll be guarding our safe return—this bus, specifically."

"...Muu."

"Understood? This is a very important mission. If this place gets overrun by zombies, we'll be completely lost....Agreed?"

"Muu."

I'll take the second "muu" as a sign of acceptance.

I gently ran my fingers through the top of her head, and since she didn’t seem to mind, I took that as agreement.

At that moment, I heard the rhythmic, satisfying sound of Yoi-ku’s footsteps—tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap…—already in motion.

Following suit, I leapt out from the bus’s entrance.

▼

My assigned role, as previously discussed, was to—right now—make contact with the four who were currently engaged in combat with the zombies.

The easiest way to get there... yeah.

Probably the route along the rooftops.

Once, I couldn't even manage to jump over the lowest hurdle without grunting "yokkore," but now even the slightest foothold—just enough to catch my toe—was enough.

Popping, popping—like a ninja—I leap onto the two-story rooftops, looking down on the crowded yakitori street as I move forward.

途中、目が合った”ゾンビ”さんに、

「ハロー！」

と、挨拶。

『ウォオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオ………』

『ヴァアエエエエエエエエエェェェェェェ……………』

『コオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオ』

もちろん彼らはなんの反応も示さず、もみくちゃにされたまま。

I moved across the rooftops as if I were gazing at the mysterious lives of marine creatures in an aquarium, heading toward the group of four.

All four wore deep green outfits reminiscent of military uniforms, each sporting identical caps adorned with a badge.

One was a petite girl, wielding a saber and precisely piercing the "zombie's" head with a precise thrust.

The other was a large, older brother, his entire body tattered and covered in wounds.

One was a fairly tall, sun-kissed woman whose silver hair shone brightly even from a distance.

The other was a somewhat plain-looking boy wearing glasses, flipping through a book rapidly while giving instructions to his companions.

"Here, here, here, here, come on, come on, more! Come on, more! Come at me!"

One of them—the tall older brother—shouted.

From the looks of it, he acted just like a fighter—carrying no weapon at all, smashing the zombies' heads off with his bare hands.

"Hey! Hey! You're going too far ahead, So Ga!"

"Hahaha! So much fun! So much fun! This is amazing!"

"...Idiot! You're such an idiot! Absolutely ridiculous!"

Their energy was through the roof, seemingly oblivious to me appearing on the roof ahead of them.

The fact that my faint presence was so annoying.

Just as I thought, "Well, I suppose I'll shout out with some energy once in a while..."—

"Yaa, yaa, aren't you the one who's supposed to 'end it'? It's been about a week, you know."

I startled, turning toward the voice—behind me.

There she was, the woman with silver hair and tanned skin, the one who had just been fighting the 'zombies'—sitting calmly.

"–W-What!?!"

I had only looked away from her for an instant.

My spine froze. Being taken by surprise from behind meant I could have been assassinated without realizing it.

"W-What!? A, what kind of magic is that!?"

"It's not magic—just plain old *Shukuchi*. …What, did you lose your memory or something?"

And she hit me straight in the core without warning.

"Um… you're…?"

"Ah, seriously? Amnesia? I never forget people I've met before."

Indeed, this woman had quite an impressive appearance.

The thing is, she just doesn't look like a typical Japanese person at all.

In fact, it's not even human, more like.

Ears.

Their ears are pointed.

Her skin was tanned, her hair silver, her breasts so large they seemed ready to pop open the front buttons of a military uniform, and her eyes—deep purple, unsettling to look at, making one feel uneasy.

From her appearance, the word "dark elf" vaguely came to mind.

Then she removed the leather glove stained with zombie blood, extending her hand.

"Sonja, it's a pleasure to meet you again."

"…Likewise."

She tightly returned my handshake, her skin smooth and silky.

"I'm Tōr. Tōr Bladimīru, or Vladimia. But the most accurate pronunciation is Vladimirova. I'm a Russian immigrant."

"Uh, uh... Vladimirova?"

"Vladimirova."

Caught off guard by the sudden foreign pronunciation lesson, I'm flustered.

"Ah, just call me Tōr. It's fine."

Is that really okay?

Tōr is a male name, but since in Japan "Tōru" is also used for girls, my dad gave me that name. Oki ni iri.

"Huh?"

"By the way, my hometown is Finland. Slammappagi!"

"Eh... uh... slamma...?"

"Wait, are you seriously greeting someone from Finland in Hindi? That's kind of a joke, isn't it?"

"O-oh... yeah..."

She has a tanned complexion and is smiling with a cheeky, mischievous grin.

She was definitely the kind of person you'd never forget after meeting once.

Still, though...

Just what kind of acquaintances were we, her and I?