While on the road, out of the corner of his eye, Nanashi caught a glimpse of something.
"Stop for a moment."
Shizuka slammed on the brakes.
Nanashi barely flinched, but Lemuel bumped right into him.
Hmm… the halo hit my chin.
"What's wrong?" Shizuka turned around, puzzled.
"I thought I saw someone."
Without hesitation, Nanashi stepped out of the vehicle.
He turned toward the spot that had caught his attention—
And there she was.
A little girl with pink hair, standing next to a white puppy.
She was crying, kneeling beside a lifeless body.
Meanwhile, several zombies slowly crept toward her.
Alice Maresato.
A familiar character from this world.
Nanashi acted instantly.
He pressed his foot firmly against the ground.
The earth sagged beneath him.
By manipulating energy flow, he could focus it, reshape it, and amplify its effects.
A single step—when concentrated properly—could launch him forward with immense speed, as if teleporting.
Just like now.
In an instant, he appeared before Alice and her dog.
"Woof!"
The white puppy barked.
"You…?"
Alice looked up, eyes filled with confusion.
Ignoring her question, Nanashi clenched his fist.
A surge of murky black lightning crackled through the air.
With a single sweep, the bolts spread outward—
Enveloping the approaching zombies.
Zzzzt!
A burst of black thunder erupted.
Within seconds, the zombies were reduced to nothing but charred husks.
Nanashi's gaze shifted to a nearby building.
Through the cracks of the door—
He spotted several pairs of fearful eyes, secretly watching.
"Hmph!"
He snorted coldly.
Then, with a sharp stomp of his right foot—
The ground beneath him surged like a rising wave.
It crashed into the house with devastating force.
The last thing those hidden figures saw—
Was their shelter being obliterated before their very eyes.
Before Alice could even process what had happened—
Nanashi had already scooped her up with her dog, one in each arm.
Then, with another powerful step—
He teleported.
Appearing in front of the car, he tossed them inside, climbed in himself, and slammed the door shut.
All in one fluid motion.
"Eh?!?!"
A chorus of startled gasps filled the vehicle.
What the hell just happened?
Nanashi had left for a few seconds—
And returned with a girl and a dog.
Alice blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar faces surrounding her.
"Umm… why am I here?"
Alice's Story
After Alice explained her situation, everyone finally understood what had happened.
When the outbreak began, she and her father had managed to escape the initial chaos.
But then—
Her father was murdered.
Not by zombies.
But by a family who refused to help them.
"Oh my god! It's one thing not to help, but to actually kill someone?!"
Shizuka was horrified.
"Where are those bastards?! I'll kill them myself!"
Saya's fury ignited instantly.
"Me too!"
Rei, having regained her composure, clenched her fists in righteous anger.
"I agree. Scum like that don't deserve to live."
Lemuel's smile was sweet—
But there was a chilling murder in her eyes.
"No need to worry."
Saeko, ever calm and composed, analyzed the situation.
"A house collapsed just now. Judging by what we saw… I'd say that was Nanashi's doing."
Nanashi simply nodded.
Then, placing a large hand on Alice's head—
"That scum is already buried."
There was no need for further discussion.
Everyone silently approved of his actions.
"Thank you."
Alice's eyes shimmered with gratitude.
And just like that—
They decided to take her with them.
The journey continued smoothly.
Following Saya's lead, they drove straight to their destination.
But something was wrong.
There was no sign of a gathering place.
All they found was wreckage.
The entire area was in ruins, overrun with wandering zombies.
"Saya… are you sure this is the right place?"
Rei frowned, confused.
"Of course it is! How could I be wrong?"
Saya pulled out a map and pointed at the location.
"Look! It's right here!"
Nanashi, observing the surroundings, finally spoke.
"Saya's right. This was the gathering place."
His expression darkened.
"Something must have happened here."
"What?! Dad! Mom!"
Saya's panic exploded.
She bolted from the car, running toward the ruins in desperation.
Her home—her family—
What had become of them?
"No… I don't believe it!"
Just as she was about to charge into the wreckage, Nanashi grabbed her arm.
"Calm down. Rushing in won't change anything."
"But my parents—!"
Before she could finish—
"Nanashi, over there!"
Lemuel suddenly pointed toward a distant building.
Gunshots echoed in the air.
Without hesitation, they all sprinted toward the source.
And then—
"Mother!"
Saya's eyes widened as she caught sight of her mother—
Yuriko Takagi.
…
The gathering place had been overrun—
A relentless wave of the zombies had torn through it.
Her husband, Soichiro Takagi, was dead.
Yuriko Takagi had managed to escape—
Only to find herself surrounded once more.
Da-da-da-da-da!
The last of her bullets tore through the air.
Click.
Empty.
She let the gun slip from her fingers.
"Is this it...? Am I going to die...?"
She collapsed to the ground, exhausted, helpless.
There was no way out.
"Mother!"
Suddenly a voice sounded in her ears.
And a familiar voice at that.
Could it be… my daughter?
Was this a dying hallucination?
Weakly, she lifted her head—
A tall figure stood before her.
Not a corpse.
A man.
He reached out his hand.
And then—
The ground around them twisted.
Patches of black liquid writhed like living shadows, slithering, flowing, latching onto everything in their path.
Bzzt—!
Then a deafening crack of black lightning erupted!
The zombies surrounding them collapsed instantly—
Like flickering candle flames, snuffed out by the storm.