Bio Defense ~A City Built in a World That Has Ended~

Chapter 3-4

“Hah!”

As Hinata exhaled sharply, her mighty strike with the Onimaru sword shattered the bone in the infected person’s arm, causing it to dangle limply.

She heard someone else’s scream and headed in that direction, but it seemed the infected individuals had also picked up on the noise and were gathering in the same area. Since they were heading in the same direction and coming towards her, she couldn’t afford to show any mercy.

“I’m sorry!”

Another infected person appeared, so she apologized in advance and swung the Onimaru. The strike landed perfectly on the back of the person’s head, causing them to collapse and fall.

“… Yeah, that’s it. The head, specifically the lower back of the skull. Is it the spinal cord or the medulla oblongata? I’m not sure, but that area!”

Hinata realized that a clean hit there could almost instantly stop their movement.

While it was a well-known theory in zombie movies that the head was a weak point, she had witnessed some individuals who, even after having their skulls cracked open and their brains exposed, continued to move. It was a traumatic sight, and she vowed never to do it again.

But it was still a work of fiction. Without a proper scientific basis, it was wrong to apply it to reality. From now on, she would aim for the back of the head and the medulla oblongata.

As she considered this, she took down the last infected person. Now, there were no more visible threats in her range.

“Phew.”

She took a deep breath and cautiously peered around the corner ahead.

There were about three infected individuals there, but the alley beyond was a dead end.

She had no intention of engaging in an unnecessary battle, so she tried to move quietly, unnoticed. That’s when she noticed a man kneeling in shock, with his back to the dead end.

(He doesn’t seem to be infected…)

She focused her eyes a little more to confirm, and as she did, light returned to the man’s eyes, and their gazes met. Hinata, who had completely stopped in her tracks, stared at him intently, and the man’s lips moved. He was too far away for her to hear clearly, but for some reason, she thought she heard him say:

“Ken…za… Hi…na…ta…chan…”

“!”

The man had said her name. It was impossible for him to have heard it, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had. She couldn’t just leave him there, as she was too kind-hearted to do so.

She moved quietly, taking a few quick steps towards him. The man, who seemed on the verge of being captured by the infected, had tears and saliva running down his face, but upon closer inspection, she recognized him as a classmate.

At school, Hinata mostly talked to girls. Her usual group consisted of quiet girls, and she had little interaction with boys, so she didn’t know their names and assumed they rarely came to school.

Although their relationship was limited to that, she couldn’t abandon him. Especially now, when she was in top form with the Onimaru in her hand.

Hinata stopped trying to conceal her presence and closed the distance quickly. The last infected person sensed her presence and turned to look, but Hinata didn’t let him.

She swung the Onimaru at the back of the infected person’s knee, causing it to buckle, and then used the person’s shoulder and head as a stepping stone to jump over the second infected person.

She landed on the first infected person’s head and then struck the leader’s neck with the Onimaru.

As the impact of the shattered bone was transmitted through her hand, Hinata twisted her body, corrected her collapsed posture, and landed gracefully, ready for the next move.

“Umm… eh?”

She heard a strange voice and looked in that direction. The man, who seemed to be her classmate, was staring at her in disbelief.

Perhaps her entrance had been a bit dramatic. She had been in a hurry and her spirits were high.

Also, she had only intended to go to the dojo today, so she was wearing a casual outfit of a skirt and a sweatshirt.

… Maybe it was a bit embarrassing to jump around in a skirt.

But she couldn’t afford to be concerned about that now.

She felt her cheeks getting a little hot, but she focused her attention on the remaining infected individuals.

The infected person she had attacked while jumping was now lying on the ground with their neck twisted in an unnatural position.

Another one was right behind, and the individual she had used as a stepping stone was also approaching. The distance between them was about three meters.

The infected individuals were reaching out with their hands, drawn to Hinata. She calmly measured the distance and, as the infected person entered her range without any caution, she took a step forward and swung the Onimaru.

From Katsuya’s perspective, it looked like she had taken a step forward and then immediately returned to her original position.

However, Hinata’s sharpened strike did not miss its target, and it pierced the base of the infected person’s neck from the side.

A dull thud and the sound of the infected person’s breath escaping simultaneously filled the air, and the person collapsed.

“Wow…”

Katsuya whispered, but Hinata, focused on the task at hand, didn’t hear him. She had already taken down the next infected person.

“Umm… eh, thanks, Hinata-chan.”

As Hinata released her focus, Katsuya spoke to her. To Hinata, Katsuya was more than just an acquaintance; he was barely a classmate whose face she recognized. She had no reason to be called by her name so familiarly.

She felt a slight sense of discomfort, but she quickly brushed it off, thinking it wasn’t the time to dwell on such things.

“I’m sorry. You’re in the same class, right? I probably don’t remember your name because we’ve never talked.”

Hinata faced Katsuya with a polite smile and a hint of apology.

“Yeah, we didn’t have many opportunities to talk. It’s understandable.”

Katsuya replied calmly, trying to hide his desperation. It was clear that he was trying hard to put on a brave face, but the traces of tears and saliva on his face hadn’t been completely wiped away.

“I’m Okura Katsuya. Just call me Katsuya.”

He flashed what he thought was his coolest smile. In Katsuya’s mind, his encounter with Hinata, who had come to his rescue and defeated the enemies, was already destined.

He felt a little bit like the roles were reversed from what he had imagined…

Hinata was a beautiful girl on the outside. Remembering their few interactions at school, she had never looked down on him like the other female students or blatantly ignored him. Her personality was also good.

And the way she faced the infected individuals without fear, her serious expression and skill with the iron pipe—she was impressive. There was a small injury and a trace of blood on her forehead, but even the sweat that ran down her face seemed to shine.

“Here comes the heroine!”

Katsuya couldn’t help but clench his fist and say those words.

“Huh?”

Hinata tilted her head and looked at Katsuya, having heard the words he had muttered.

“Umm… no, nothing… By the way, Hinata-chan is strong, huh? Have you been doing something?”

Katsuya’s overly familiar tone was starting to make Hinata uncomfortable. She had heard from her friends and other female students that Katsuya had a terrible reputation. The reason they looked down on him or ignored him outright was often because of his own behavior. He had an overly high self-esteem, unfounded confidence, and quickly became enraged when things didn’t go his way. Yet, he couldn’t stand up to stronger people. It’s no wonder he wasn’t popular with the girls.

Well, Hinata didn’t know all that, but she just didn’t like his overly familiar and close attitude.

“Umm… yeah, I’ve been going to a swordsmanship dojo since I was little.”

“You did kendo? That’s cool. And you were aiming for their vital spots too. But maybe you should aim for their heads more accurately.”

Hinata wanted to correct him and say it wasn’t kendo, but she was overwhelmed by his enthusiasm and decided not to say anything.

Also, she decided not to say that hitting the head wasn’t always a surefire way to take them down.

He just kept talking and talking. Starting with the fact that their weak point was the head and that they didn’t need such powerful weapons, he went on to describe their characteristics and behavior, and now he was talking about guns, saying things like 5.56 and 7.62 and their respective power…

Hinata was a sword enthusiast, but she knew nothing about guns and had no interest in them, so she just stood there, staring blankly. Katsuya, noticing her expression, finally stopped talking.

“Oh, sorry. I just wanted to share what I knew. In this situation, I think it’s necessary to know these things.”

Hinata responded with a half-hearted “Hmm…” Katsuya seemed a little annoyed by her reaction, but Hinata thought that no one would understand if he kept talking about things that were hard to understand.

“Umm… Okura-kun seems to know a lot. Anyway, could you show me the way?”

She didn’t want to linger here and talk, as the infected individuals might gather again, which would be a nuisance. She wanted to move on quickly.

“Oh, of course! I’m a local, so ask me anything. And I’m not a fan of formality. Call me Katsuya.”