Still planning to keep hiding? Everyone who heard this sentence involuntarily trembled.
Why did they hide? Wasn't it to avoid these monsters, to survive from their jaws?
Today, their previous worldview had completely changed. Peaceful life had vanished, and man-eating monsters were everywhere.
Most of them were ordinary office workers, doing the same things every day, living very ordinary lives.
They originally thought this life would continue, but after the disaster struck, they became afraid.
This was not an anime; they didn't think they were protagonists of any anime.
Facing those monsters, they didn't even resist, only watching helplessly as they approached, watching them tear apart the bodies of others.
This included their most important people, and tears streamed down the faces of some of those hiding.
This was a man. When the disaster first broke out, he fled with his wife and daughter.
But they didn't notice that their daughter was infected, and his wife was holding her.
As a result, a tragedy occurred: the daughter, held in her mother's arms, bit her mother's neck right in front of him, turning her into a monster as well.
A heavy atmosphere continuously spread, mixed with an unsettling smell of blood, making it exceptionally oppressive.
"Humans in primitive society faced beasts many times, even dozens of times, stronger than themselves without any fear. They fought these beasts with only stone weapons, yet they still lived tenaciously. Though these monsters seem terrifying, they are not unkillable."
"Humans are weak, yet these weak humans have survived for thousands of years. Neither natural disasters nor man-made calamities have destroyed the human legacy. Look at your current behavior; what have these monsters scared you into?"
"Without even trying to resist, you think you are incapable of fighting these monsters? Most of you are adults. Some of you even have families, and some have seen their loved ones die protecting them from these monsters. But if you just cower in a safe place, can it truly protect you?"
"Hoping to wait for rescue in a safe place? Don't even think about it. Didn't the images broadcast on TV just now make you sober up?"
The tender voice reached everyone's ears, as if it possessed some magic, gradually calming their emotions.
"The army? There's no army! Only police officers are maintaining order at Yubie Bridge. Just hiding and waiting for rescue is completely useless; you must learn to save yourselves to survive."
The army had not appeared at all; besides the occasional helicopter passing by during the day, no trace of any military presence was seen.
It could basically be confirmed that military personnel could not appear, and it was even possible that, like the protesting crowd on Yubie Bridge, this disaster was caused by a bioweapon experiment by the US and Japan.
Perhaps the army would not send out any rescue personnel; on the contrary, they might take actions that would make the situation for living humans even more difficult.
Therefore, they could not trust the army. What they needed to do was protect themselves, not rely on others, but only on themselves.
Soon, the tightly shut doors opened, and one human after another emerged from inside; they were all the people who had been hiding in the houses.
Their eyes no longer held the previous fear. They held their self-made weapons and gazed at Inaba Tsukiyo in the middle of the road.
Inaba Tsukiyo was surrounded by slain zombies. Standing among these zombies, Inaba Tsukiyo was like a legendary Valkyrie, and her valiant fighting posture just now was worthy of that title.
[Smack!]
She casually shot a zombie in the head that was slowly approaching. After most of the surrounding people had come out, Inaba Tsukiyo turned in a circle, looking at them.
"Is this your answer? Preferring to die standing than live kneeling. If you don't strive to adapt to this world, you will be eliminated. The law of survival in nature is survival of the fittest; weakness will only lead to greater weakness. But as long as you take the first step, you will find that these monsters are not as simple as you imagine."
She pointed to the zombies lying on the ground. If one observed closely, they would find that most of these zombies were not dead; they had merely had their limbs broken by Inaba Tsukiyo, rendering them immobile.
These still-living zombies made these people retreat a few steps in fear, but then, remembering Inaba Tsukiyo's words, they gritted their teeth and stepped forward again.
"Now is the time for you to take your first step. Pick up your weapons and pierce the heads of these monsters. Practice is often more important than theory; only by experiencing it firsthand will you understand that these monsters are not as terrifying as imagined."
Under Inaba Tsukiyo's guidance, the hesitant crowd picked up their weapons and fiercely pierced the heads of these monsters.
Watching these zombies lose their lives in their hands, the fear in these people's hearts gradually disappeared. Some remembered the arrogant past of these creatures, pulled out their weapons again, and repeatedly performed the same action.
This action was effective; everyone knew that these monsters were not as invincible as they had imagined, and as long as they found the right method, even they could deal with them.
The people who had personally dealt with these monsters came near Inaba Tsukiyo with blood-stained weapons, standing about a meter away from her.
This feeling was like two gangs having a shootout on a street, and a Little Girl innocently appeared on that street.
Hirano Toda, Takagi Saya, and Miyamoto Rei watched this scene with some tension, but Busujima Saeko patted their shoulders, signaling them not to worry.
The crowd whispered, discussing something. At the same time, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do next.
Soon, a man wearing a suit and shirt, holding a girl, walked out from the crowd.
He nervously swallowed, coming before Inaba Tsukiyo. He could be considered the representative of these people.
"You are very capable. You are much more capable than any police officer I've seen. Little Miss. I must say, you have successfully persuaded us, giving us the idea of wanting to resist these monsters. However, a team must have a leader to guide us. Without a leader, a team can easily run into problems. Is your purpose in standing up to these monsters to gather us and make us part of your team?"
Although he was nervous, the man calmly looked at Inaba Tsukiyo.
With Inaba Tsukiyo's abilities, fighting these zombies alone was not a problem, and the lives of these people, or how they survived in such an apocalypse, had nothing to do with her.
She had no need to specifically stand up and say these words to make them develop a fighting spirit.
Facing the man's question, Inaba Tsukiyo nodded with some satisfaction.
Her purpose was very similar to Kouichi Fujitō's actions on the school bus: she wanted to gather these people to make them part of the safe zone she would establish in the future.
It seemed these people were not all cowards who feared death; at least, their ability to discern was up to par, as they could see her intentions.
"You are not wrong; I do have this idea. Esteemed unknown sir. My goal is to establish a safe zone that belongs to no organization, no government, but solely to an individual."
Inaba Tsukiyo stated her plan without concealment, which made the people on the street look at each other, somewhat slow to react.
"Not belonging to the government or an organization? Is your purpose in gathering us to make us members of this safe zone you speak of?"
"Exactly. Most of the people here are working adults, so you should be very clear about what is needed to establish a safe zone. I am strong, strong enough to disregard the threat of those monsters. But I am not omnipotent. Establishing a safe zone, besides having excellent combat power, also requires many talented individuals. You possess various excellent skills, and you can help me establish this safe zone."
"It's not just those who can fight who are needed; talents in construction and management are also essential. A safe zone is a small community. To make this community function, talent is a must. So, I need the help of many people."
"Of course, everyone has their own pride. Perhaps some people here are thinking, 'Why should I listen to this brat?' 'She's just a kid who hasn't even fully matured, yet she dares to say such things; she's too arrogant!' Such thoughts. But none of this matters; after all, these are your concerns, not mine."
Inaba Tsukiyo smiled mischievously at those who looked guilty. It was obvious that their unspoken thoughts had been guessed, otherwise, they wouldn't have reacted this way.
They indeed felt that Inaba Tsukiyo was very arrogant; she was just a Little Girl, yet she wanted to become their leader.
"For those who have such thoughts, I will not force you. If you believe you can survive in this environment without relying on others' protection, you are free to leave. If anyone is willing to stay, I warmly welcome you. However, if anyone joins this team with ill intentions, then do not blame me for being impolite. Do not think that there are still so-called laws protecting you; if you make a mistake, you must be responsible for it."
"Just like the leader who instigated the rebellious crowd at Yubie Bridge, if you think I won't kill, you can certainly try. After all, using an example to warn others, though bloody, is the most effective method."
As she spoke, a terrifying killing intent permeated the surroundings, causing the legs of those present to tremble uncontrollably. Some even fell to their knees, their faces drenched in cold sweat.
This is a ruthless person—this was the thought that appeared in everyone's minds. There were some retired soldiers in the group, and they immediately perceived this as killing intent, but such terrifying killing intent was something they had never witnessed before.
For a moment, no one dared to underestimate this seemingly tender child; everyone abandoned their dismissive thoughts.
"I will give you one night. Please tell me your answer tomorrow."
"Good night, everyone."
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