"It's… already hopeless…"
The man muttered blankly, yet a flicker of resolve crossed his eyes.
At the very least, he wanted the lady he loved deeply but never dared confess to survive.
He looked toward Yuriko Takagi, biting back tears, gritting his teeth. "At least… Madam, you must live! Please go!"
"Don't say such foolish things!"
Yuriko rebuked him, tossing aside her empty pistol and swiftly grabbing a homemade spear.
"Hopeless? I don't understand those words. Until the final moment comes, no one has the right to give up!"
"—!"
The man trembled, then clenched his teeth and hurled himself back into battle.
After rallying morale, Yuriko allowed herself a bitter smile.
Run? To where?
The flood of zombies was far too massive, born from the sheer number of people in the shelter.
They were completely trapped atop this rooftop, like castaways stranded on an island surrounded by the deep sea, with no escape.
In truth, she had a small pistol strapped to her leg. Two bullets. One had already been fired. The other was reserved for herself.
She had already prepared to use it to ensure her daughter would never see her turned into a monster.
Just as a rotting hand reached for Yuriko's ankle, a crimson flash carved through, sending a zombie's head spinning through the air.
A golden figure landed lightly on the battered roof, her skirt snapping in the firelight.
"Mom!"
That familiar voice shook Yuriko's entire being.
She raised her head in disbelief, only to see Saya rushing toward her.
The spear slipped from her hand as she instinctively spread her arms, clutching her daughter tightly. That familiar warmth of embrace drove away some of the apocalypse's chill.
"Saya?! How are you…"
Her gaze lingered on Saya's tear-streaked face. For a fleeting instant, joy shone, only to be crushed by dread.
Before she could voice her questions, her eyes were seized by the golden-haired figure.
Zeroy did not pause.
Her icy gaze swept across the seething horde below. The black-red blade spun in her hand, and then she launched upward, soaring into the sky above the shelter's center.
Time seemed to stop.
The few survivors left stared blankly at the figure overhead.
And then—
BOOM!
In an instant, she fell like a meteor. The air rippled visibly, a shockwave exploding outward from her!
Zombies nearby were blasted apart, broken limbs scattering, their howls drowned in thunder.
In the firelight, Zeroy stood at the heart of the ruins, golden hair flying, blade glinting cold—like a god of death descended upon the apocalypse.
Yuriko stared, stunned, arms tightening around Saya.
Her daughter trembled in her embrace, but not from fear. Her eyes gleamed with the light of survival.
What followed was one-sided slaughter.
The terrifying corpse tide, overwhelming to humans, was fragile and laughable before Zeroy.
Numbers meant nothing.
With each light sweep of her blade, arcs of sword-light flashed—something out of fantasy.
Dozens of heads flew skyward with every strike.
The horde surged at her, only to collapse layer after layer.
The entire shelter's undead drew toward her, forming in moments the beginning of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
"Is she… a god?"
Yuriko whispered the only words her heart could form.
Never had the world felt so unreal.
She thought of mowing grass. Yes—mowing grass.
A sharp blade spinning fast, sweeping once, leaving the dense field toppled in clean rows.
Neat. Final. Even soothing.
She and Souichiro had believed that the figure their daughter spoke of, the seas of corpses outside, was the work of some mysterious faction. A group.
…That one person alone could do this? Slaughter tens of thousands, maybe more, within mere days?
The thought had never crossed their minds.
But now…
She understood why survivors, when speaking of the red shadow that had cleansed the zombies, paled instantly.
What was this being?
…
Within minutes, the bloody massacre at the shelter ended.
The once-lively refuge was nothing but rubble. Blood and bodies tangled among shattered walls.
In their place stood another mountain of corpses and an ocean of blood, created single-handedly by Zeroy.
She stood atop the ruin, her black-red blade dripping dark blood, absurd against the desolation.
Zeroy sheathed her sword. Beads of blood traced down the gleaming edge, blooming like crimson plum blossoms on the scorched ground.
"Thank you, Zeroy! Thank you for saving Mom!"
Saya stumbled forward, tears brimming, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Yuriko followed, still shaken, but with the poise of elegance, bowing slightly in thanks.
"It's nothing," Zeroy said coolly, golden hair lifting in the smoky air. "Check if there's anything left to deal with. If not, prepare to return with me."
"Ah…"
Saya froze.
They had all been expelled by Zeroy. By rights, she should have returned alone, Saya left behind.
Abruptly, then it struck her… she had begged through tears, saying she'd do anything.
So while the others would be expelled, she was the exception. She would go back with Zeroy to fulfill her promise, to pay the price…
Her fingers trembled, unease and fear roiling within, but quickly replaced by resolve—she would not break her word, nor regret it.
She dared not. Could not.
The memory of moments before was seared in her mind—had Zeroy not intervened, her mother would have been devoured. She could not imagine that horror.
Saya drew a deep breath, suppressing her shaking. She nodded firmly.
"I… I understand."
...
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