A dozen minutes later, they arrived at a luxurious residential area.
This wasn't your typical single-family neighborhood it was a genuine villa district.
The car pulled into a secluded courtyard. Directly ahead stood a three-story residence that blended modern and traditional Japanese architectural styles. Two stone lanterns flanked the entrance, and a cobblestone path led all the way to the front door.
On either side of the path were soft, manicured lawns, where several fragrant camphor trees stood tall and lush. Their thick branches extended past the three-meter-high perimeter wall. The nearby parking area was nearly empty, save for a single Toyota Coaster and two sedans that had collided and lay askew.
After so much hardship, they had finally returned.
Seeing the familiar place didn't lift Yukino Yukinoshita's spirits. The courtyard gate stood wide open, eerily quiet, with fragments of bodies scattered on the ground. Flies crawled over the remains.
"We're here," Sosuke Kitahara parked near the edge of the lot. He had already noticed that one of the second-floor windows was wide open and smeared with blood. It was likely her parents hadn't made it out.
Yukino and Haruno Yukinoshita were the first to leap out of the vehicle. Yukino scanned the area and suddenly ran forward, crouching to pick something up. The moment she saw what it was, tears welled up as she cried out in a daze, "Sis… this is Mom's wallet. I recognize it."
"Yuki, a wallet doesn't mean anything yet! Dad's car isn't here either. Maybe they've already left safely!" Haruno forced back her own tears and hugged Yukino tightly. But deep down, the thought of mutated creatures roaming land, sea, and sky made her heart heavy. Even if they escaped, would they ever reunite?
"Let's go inside. If they're not here, it means they're still alive…"
Sosuke sighed quietly. People could be both strong and fragile sometimes one emotional blow was all it took to shatter them.
What he said was just a last bit of hope. As long as there was no body, there was still a chance someone survived. However slim, that hope could become the very thing that kept someone moving forward in this apocalyptic world.
Utaha Kasumigaoka remained silent, gripping her weapon and following Sosuke closely. Haruno patted her sister's shoulder, and after wiping away her tears, Yukino took a deep breath and joined them. The group approached the ominously shut front door, careful not to make a sound.
Using a key, they unlocked the heavy wooden door. A wave of stench rushed out the unmistakable odor of the undead. The floor was dusty and covered in bloody footprints, circling wildly as if someone had been pacing in panic.
"Hold on," Sosuke warned, stopping the others. He tapped the wall with his scabbard thump, thump.
"Graaaah!"
A short figure leapt from around the corner. Its eyes were a lifeless gray, skin shriveled, and it emitted a dry, raspy snarl. There was no doubt it was a zombie, and a small one at that.
Sosuke calmly held the scabbard against the little zombie's chest. No matter how much it thrashed and bit, it couldn't get closer. He didn't strike immediately. Instead, he tilted his head, carefully examining the creature. It looked like a young child, its once innocent face now twisted in ferocity, razor-sharp teeth clicking together with loud snaps.
"I recognize him… he's the son of my dad's coworker. We met at a family gathering last year," Haruno said, her face conflicted as she stepped beside Sosuke.
He gave a subtle nod. The only reason he hadn't killed the child outright wasn't out of mercy. In a world where civilization had collapsed, mercy was a liability for both yourself and those you protected.
No, what piqued his interest was the rare sight of a child zombie. Kids had the weakest chance of surviving the outbreak. Their fate was left entirely to their parents or sheer luck. Sosuke was curious how had this little one managed to survive in this villa until now?
But curiosity didn't stop his hand. He drew his blade in one swift motion.
The little zombie collapsed to the floor in a heap of dust. Its face was no longer feral, but strangely peaceful as if finally released from torment.
"Haruno, guard the entrance. If needed, fire a warning shot. Utaha, Yukino, with me. We'll sweep the house floor by floor. Leave no corner unchecked."
…
Twenty minutes later, Sosuke descended from the third floor, his blade stained black with undead blood. Yukino followed behind him, looking less pale than before, her face flushed with tension.
"They're not here," she said to Haruno, who was standing by the door.
"Thank goodness," Haruno let out a long breath, visibly relieved. Even Utaha's usually reserved face lit up with a soft smile. She was happy for them.
"We should stay here tonight," Utaha suggested. "It'll be dark in just a few hours."
Sosuke nodded. "Alright. Let's make use of the time. Shower if you need to, sharpen your blades if you must. Let's eat before sundown. After dark, no lights understood?"
Most villa districts were located in remote areas. Being far from the city made them relatively safe. As long as a zombie horde didn't come, they'd be fine overnight with locked doors and windows.
Yukino said, "I'll check the ground floor windows. See if any security grilles came loose."
Haruno added, "The power's still on, so the security monitors should work. But one of the windows only has curtains, we'll need to board it up."
"I'll help with that," Utaha offered.
Each of the three girls found a task. Under the pressure of survival, they were growing quickly. Their little team was beginning to operate with coordination and discipline.
The only real downside was that the front gate the heavy iron one was electric. The control system had been sabotaged, meaning it couldn't close.
When they finally wrapped up all the work, everyone gathered in the spacious second-floor master bedroom. The sunlight outside had faded entirely. The clock now read 6:30 PM.
"It's eerily quiet around here. Not even a sound," Yukino said, peering out the window through a gap in the curtain with binoculars. She could still spot a few flickering lights in the distant city center.
"That's normal," Haruno replied, rubbing her sore shoulders. "Just think about who used to live around here. Most of Chiba's powerful and wealthy lived in this area. They had more resources than average people. When the outbreak hit, they definitely evacuated first. Anyone who didn't… probably didn't make it."
Freshly showered and in clean clothes, Utaha Kasumigaoka stretched her fingers and sighed. "It's still so early. How are we going to get through the night without going stir-crazy? It's not even seven yet…"
"There are novels in my room if you want one," Yukino offered.
But as she pulled back the curtain a bit more, her expression suddenly changed. Her brows furrowed as she stiffened. Cautiously, she leaned closer to the glass and peeked outside.
What she saw made her nerves instantly tighten.
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