"Yusuke-kun, tonight we…"
"You go to the bedroom. I'll stay in the living room for the night. Here's a sleeping bag."
Haizaki handed her a sleeping bag. With the villa's blankets unusable, sleeping bags were the best option.
Taking the sleeping bag, Yukino glanced toward the corner where the wolf and dog were resting—more precisely, the wolf. She felt it wasn't safe for Haizaki to stay alone in the living room.
The issue of a man and woman sharing a room—as long as nothing happened, what did it matter? There was no need to worry about such things now.
"Let's stay together!"
Yukino made her decision. The living room wasn't safe, and the other rooms… the smell of dust and mold was too strong, unsuitable for rest. If anyone had to sleep in the living room, it should be her.
"Together?"
"Mm. It's just sharing a room. No need to think too much. Or do you have other thoughts, Yusuke-kun?"
Her words were like a provocation.
Haizaki thought for a moment, then nodded. The more he worried, the more awkward it would become.
After a simple wash-up, the two entered the bedroom.
"Click…"
The door opened. One sleeping bag was placed on the bed, the other on the floor.
April in Chiba still carried a chill. Outside, the wind and rustling leaves could be faintly heard.
"I'll turn off the flashlight."
"Mm."
Once the light was off, the room fell into darkness and silence. Yukino felt her heartbeat and breathing more clearly.
"Rest early, Yukinoshita-san."
In the dark, Haizaki quickly removed his jacket and slipped into his sleeping bag. Seeing this, Yukino also removed her jacket, but her movements were slower. Perhaps the presence of a man in the room made her instinctively feel shy.
"Good night, Yusuke-kun…"
Inside her sleeping bag, Yukino looked upward. She felt the situation resembled camping in elementary school, everyone sleeping in one tent. The only difference was that back then, she slept beside girls. Now, it was Haizaki.
With age, awareness of gender had grown stronger. If not for the current circumstances, Yukino thought she would never have suggested sharing a room with Haizaki.
"Good night. Rest well. We have a lot to do tomorrow."
Haizaki yawned and closed his eyes. Today's exhaustion was more mental than physical.
The fact that Yukino was the assistant was something he couldn't accept. To hide his true identity from her, he had built a massive lie. A lie that could be exposed at any time.
But Haizaki considered another possibility. Perhaps someday, Yukino would notice his inconsistencies but choose not to expose him. If it were her, that was possible.
He stopped thinking.
Ten minutes later—
"Clang, ding…"
A faint sound came from outside the door.
Haizaki, half-asleep, instantly woke.
Unlike him, Yukino, though tired, hadn't truly fallen asleep. She was only resting with her eyes closed. The noise outside worried her.
At this hour, what could it be? Was the husky doing something?
Hearing Haizaki stir, Yukino noticed in the dim moonlight that he was awake. She finally asked, "What's outside?"
In this unfamiliar environment, sudden noises made her uneasy, her imagination running wild. Could it be something frightening?
"Nothing. Go back to sleep!"
At first, Haizaki didn't know what was happening in the living room. But now, hearing the sound, he realized.
That stupid dog—after eating its fill, seeing no one around, now it was…
Really enjoying itself.
"But…"
She was still worried. Realizing Haizaki knew what caused the noise, she asked, "Yusuke-kun, you know what's happening outside, don't you?"
She felt that if she didn't know, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
"I think it's better you don't know. For you, it would be… stimulating."
"Stimulating?"
What could be stimulating about this?
Haizaki sighed. "The husky is… doing its part to expand its species."
At that, even Yukino understood what was happening outside. Her body, which had started to rise, instantly lost strength and fell back onto the bed. Her face flushed red. Outside… it was…
She never would have imagined.
Haizaki wondered if he should learn veterinary skills and neuter the husky. If a litter of puppies came, the next nine months would be chaos. Especially for Yukino, who feared dogs—facing a pack of destructive mixed-breed huskies.
That scene…
Oddly… somewhat amusing.
Haizaki stopped thinking. Better to sleep. Tomorrow held plenty to do.
Noticing his breathing steady, Yukino relaxed, drowsiness overtook her, and she finally fell asleep.
…
"Awwooo…"
A wolf's howl rang out.
"Clatter…"
The sound of claws scratching at the door.
Haizaki jolted awake.
What happened? The husky acting up again? Hadn't it just been busy earlier? Now, in the middle of the night, it was causing trouble.
Haizaki thought he might have to make husky hotpot.
"Awwooo…"
The husky barked twice, its posture urgent.
Haizaki crawled out of his sleeping bag, noticing Yukino had also been awakened.
"What's there to bark about?"
Opening the door, Haizaki spoke irritably.
But seeing him open the door, the husky grew more agitated, barking and snapping at the entrance.
This was…
Haizaki instantly sobered. He grabbed the flashlight and shone it.
Nothing at the door. Was the husky mistaken? Maybe…
But Haizaki heard footsteps. Many footsteps.
"Yusuke-kun, what's happening…"
Half-asleep, Yukino couldn't grasp the situation. She had low blood pressure, and waking left her mind foggy. If not for the apocalypse's deep impression, she might have thought she was back in her apartment.
"Enemies. Get up quickly…"
The urgent footsteps drew closer.
Haizaki rummaged through his backpack, pulled out a gun, and placed a pistol beside Yukino, who was dressing.
"Be careful not to misfire. Aim at the enemy."
He gave her two quick instructions, then hurried to prepare.
Fortunately, they had weapons. Otherwise, facing a large number of hostile creatures, he truly wouldn't have had any guarantee of survival.
Chaotic footsteps. And the sound—rather than beasts—it was more like… humans.
There were still people alive? And in such numbers? Haizaki couldn't help but think this.
"Bang, bang…"
The locked front door shook violently under impact.
"Who's there?" Haizaki shouted loudly. He tried once to communicate.
"Bang, bang…"
The door continued to be struck. Then even the windows began to suffer blows.
"Crash…"
Near the female wolf, a window shattered. Glass fragments scattered, reflecting flashes in the firelight.
Yukino instinctively looked over. In the beam of the flashlight, she saw—a pair of eyes glowing blue-white, as if laughing, yet crying.
Yukino froze, her hair standing on end, cold sweat pouring, her mind blank. Her body instinctively leaned closer to Haizaki.
What were those creatures outside? She didn't know. But instinct told her she wasn't safe.
Haizaki also noticed the unknown beings outside the window. Blue-white reflective eyes, grinning expressions, half-smiling, half-mocking. These weren't humans.
"Crystallization Mutants detected. Main Mission Three issued: Find the cause of the Crystallization Mutants' appearance."
At that moment, Haizaki finally confirmed what the attackers were.
On the first floor, thanks to the locked door and barred windows, the mutants couldn't break through yet. They still had time.
"Bang…"
Haizaki decisively fired at the mutant pounding on the window. The shot hit, and the mutant collapsed.
"Yukinoshita-san, they're mutants… protect yourself."
He had no time for explanations. The best choice was to make sure she stayed safe.
The husky and female wolf moved closer to Haizaki, snarling at the mutants. They seemed familiar with them, showing no fear.
Haizaki quickly overturned tables and chairs in the living room, setting up obstacles. The reinforced door and barred windows still held…
"Crash…"
A loud impact came from upstairs.
Haizaki's face changed. The mutants had entered the villa from the second floor. These creatures could climb.
"Yukinoshita-san, stay in the bedroom…"
At least that area hadn't been attacked yet. But the ceiling already echoed with chaotic footsteps. The mutants upstairs would soon come down.
These were real monsters—creatures beyond communication.
"Duke, you too…"
Hearing this, the husky immediately turned, howled, and led the female wolf to guard Yukino.
Yukino felt tense and uneasy, but faced with the dogs' friendly presence, she forced herself to endure. Compared to them, she feared those grinning, uncanny creatures far more.
"Bang…"
Haizaki, watching the stairwell, fired the moment a figure appeared. His "Solitary Apocalypse" training—bullets and time—had honed his shooting to C-level skill.
One mutant fell. Three more followed.
"Bang, bang…"
The mutants roared, claws out, charging at Haizaki.
He kicked the coffee table forward, blocking one, then fired again.
Gunshots rang out. One after another, mutants fell.
"Click, click…"
The bullets ran out.
Haizaki immediately switched to an assault rifle. The weapons and ammunition from the "Solitary Apocalypse" proved invaluable.
"Bang…"
A gunshot rang behind him.
Yukino had fired. Whether by talent or luck, her shot struck a mutant coming down the stairs.
"Crash…"
Another window shattered upstairs.
More mutants poured in.
"Click…"
Reloading, Haizaki pulled back from the stairwell, pressed against the wall, ready to fire.
More footsteps echoed from the stairs.
They were coming.
Haizaki pulled the trigger.
"Ratatatat…"
Four or five mutants leapt out, howling, lunging at him.
Bullets struck, blood sprayed. Their screams filled the air.
One after another, mutants collapsed, twitching, bleeding. The stench spread.
At the bedroom door, Yukino kept watch, worried the window might be attacked.
Suddenly, she noticed the backpack. She ran, dragged it to the doorway. Inside were more guns… and grenades.
She hadn't expected Haizaki to have grenades. But whatever the case, they were weapons for survival.
Haizaki noticed her actions, thought quickly, and said: "In the right-side bag, there are flashlights. Throw two toward the stairwell."
The faint moonlight wasn't enough for him to see clearly.
"I understand."
Yukino searched frantically. Finding the flashlights, her face lit up. She switched one on and tossed it toward the stairs.
The light gave Haizaki better vision.
Yukino stood, holding another flashlight, reducing his blind spots. This was all she could do.
As for shooting—she knew her skill was poor. Random shots would waste bullets and cause trouble. For now, she would leave it to Haizaki. She would assist from the side.
At that moment, Yukino gripped the pistol tightly, both hands straining, fingers white, showing her tension. No one could remain completely calm when attacked by monsters.
"Bang, bang…"
The doors and windows downstairs were still being struck, but weaker now. Most mutants were entering from the second floor.
"They're coming…"
The tremors of footsteps made Haizaki realize another wave was approaching.
He had no idea how many there were. If the bullets ran out before they died, that would be trouble.
But maybe it was almost over. The sounds had lessened. He didn't hear more mutants approaching from afar.
Survive two more waves, and it should end.
This time, it was truly thanks to the husky. If not for its warning, the mutants' attack would have caught them off guard. He and Yukino would have been in danger.
Haizaki couldn't help but admire Yukino's decision for their safety. She was afraid of dogs, yet…
Haizaki spotted more mutants in his sight and fired again.
"Ratatatat…"
They had wandered Chiba all day without seeing mutants. But at night, these creatures attacked in swarms.
Nocturnal beings. Bloodthirsty nocturnal beings.
…