On the third day after arriving in this world…
At the first light of morning, Zeroy gathered all survivors.
Her golden hair stirred in the breeze, the black-red Striker Unit resting in her hand, her cold gaze sweeping the crowd with unquestionable authority.
She gave concise orders: part of the group would continue clearing corpses and remains from the base, while the others would collect and organize supplies.
With her orders given, she didn't linger. She lifted her Striker Unit and joined the clearing effort—her targets were the wandering zombies.
Even in the area she had already cleared, some still strayed in.
To keep the base safe, she had to cull them regularly.
With each flash of her blade, heads fell, blood mist spreading—but her expression stayed cold.
Once the zombies were dealt with, she began another task—claiming territory.
She intended to completely isolate this clean zone from the uncleared danger outside, building a solid wall for the base.
Her method was unconventional.
She used her Striker Unit to precisely cut down nearby abandoned buildings, stacking the rubble and steel into rough but sturdy barriers.
The work took her all day.
For hours, dust filled the air, and the clash of blade against stone echoed through the streets.
Sweat dampened her military-style skirt, golden hair sticking to her pale skin.
Regardless, she never stopped, her slim figure moving tirelessly through the ruins.
The result was good.
The wall of building debris was tall and thick enough to hold back ordinary zombie hordes.
As for special zombies… so far, she hadn't seen any, and thus didn't know what kind of wall could stop them.
By the time the wall was done, night had fallen.
....
Zeroy returned to her room and sat on the bed, eating bread she'd taken from a shelf.
Her mind wasn't on the bread, but on a problem…
Who would lead the survivor base?
She was the leader now, but what about when she left?
Even if they didn't need a leader yet, she needed someone to help manage things.
The base now held over a thousand survivors, with only two main tasks—clearing and managing supplies.
It was already too much for her alone.
She still had to clear more zombies and bring in more people from the cleaned areas.
She needed one—no, several—trustworthy people capable of managing this many.
Just then, a gentle voice came from outside her door.
"...Ma'am, are you in?"
She had never told anyone her name—there'd been no need and no chance. Her approach was always high-pressure intimidation.
So none of the thousand-plus survivors knew it; they could only use respectful titles, with fear and awe.
She rose and opened the door—
Seeing Saeko Busujima and Shizuka Marikawa surprised her.
Saeko wore a plain apron, her demeanor gentle, holding a steaming pot of stew.
The aroma was mouthwatering, her gaze respectful with a hint of surprise.
Behind her, Shizuka looked as airheaded as ever, waving casually and smiling brightly as if the apocalypse had left no shadow in her heart.
"What is it?" Zeroy leaned against the doorframe, eyes passing over them.
Saeko's stew filled the narrow hall with its scent, evoking the warmth of neighbors sharing food—especially since their rooms were next to Zeroy's.
Though Zeroy had shown no special favoritism toward the main group, she had arranged for them to stay near her to keep track of them.
Still, their visit was unexpected. Most of the base avoided her like the dangerous black-red blade she carried.
Some even whispered of her as an "unknown monster," as if she'd stepped out of some game.
"You saved us, gave us shelter and supplies, so we want to do what we can in return," Saeko said earnestly, gripping the pot a little tighter. She was calm, but clearly a bit nervous.
"Mhm!" Shizuka nodded vigorously in agreement.
Zeroy's gaze moved between them. Their eyes held only gratitude and respect, without fear or scheming.
After a moment's silence, she stepped aside. "Come in."
...
"Miyamoto, Takagi, and Shizuka-sensei—the food's ready."
"Wow! Smells amazing!"
"As expected of Senpai!"
The base's supplies were abundant, and though fresh meat was rare, Zeroy had distributed some.
Not much, but pooling Saeko's, Rei's, Saya's, and Shizuka's shares was enough for a big pot of stew.
As soon as it hit the table, Saya, Rei, and Shizuka began eating eagerly.
They'd been working hard the past two days, clearing and organizing supplies—tasks that required plenty of physical effort.
Meat was badly needed to replenish their energy.
But after a few bites, they noticed Saeko hadn't sat to join them.
"Senpai?"
...
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