Bio Defense ~A City Built in a World That Has Ended~ - Chapter 4-8

Chapter 4-8

The next morning. From early on, Kanata and the others were enduring the grueling task of climbing a mountain in full gear. All because of Daigo.

***

“I understand! If there’s anything we can do to help, we will.”

Without hesitation, he said so in response to Gon-san’s request. It was so unexpected that those around them, the housewives, were overjoyed and surrounded them, showering them with gratitude. They couldn’t back out now, and so they were heading to the blacksmith’s residence.

“Ahh! Why the hell would someone live in a place like this?! There’s no path at all!”

Swinging a crowbar to clear the brush, Subaru vented his frustration. After returning to Matsushiba-san’s mansion, he had been subjected to a long sermon. Daigo had apologized profusely, but… well, he probably wouldn’t change, even if he lived a lifetime.

“Well, Subaru, think of it as a favor owed. Gon-san also said he’d be more proactive about facilitating migration.”

By accepting this request, regardless of its outcome, Kanata and the others had secured a promise that migration to the city would be supported. Though Gon-san himself wouldn’t leave, those who wished to go and weren’t bound to the land would be given the opportunity to relocate. Given the discussions at the community center, it was clear that Gon-san held considerable influence in the village.

Getting his approval was a big deal. At the very least, it would eliminate situations where people wanted to go but couldn’t bring themselves to say so, or where they went along with the crowd.

“But we’re going to a place where there might be a group of infected people. You saw those in the tunnel, right? After seeing that, I don’t think we’ll make it back alive.”

“I’m sorry, Subaru-kun… If something happens, you can use me as a shield. I’ll attract their attention, so the two of you can escape.”

Daigo said so, sounding truly sorry. He seemed to regret having involved Kanata and Subaru without their consent, and he had been like this since yesterday.

And Daigo was capable of doing such a thing. If they were surrounded by infected people, Daigo would probably carry out his plan without hesitation.

“Ugh… Fine! I understand. Just don’t do anything weird, okay? If you try anything, I’ll punch you!”

Subaru also understood Daigo. In the end, they couldn’t leave either of them alone.

“Thank you, Subaru-kun… Kanata-kun too.”

“Ugh, this is way too much! Don’t hug me! Wait—hey… you’re squeezing too tight…!”

“Oh, Daigo, Subaru’s about to fall, so stop it. It’s too quiet, though. Don’t you usually hear birds or insects?”

When Kanata said so, Subaru, who had been released from Daigo’s embrace, coughed and moved away.

“What?… Yeah, it’s weird.”

They were deep in the mountains, far from civilization. In such a lush environment, the absence of wild animal sounds felt strange, and it gave them the sensation of having wandered into another dimension.

“Is this because of the infected?”

Subaru muttered, taking in their surroundings.

“No, rather, something abnormal might be happening, and the infected are reacting to it, forming groups…”

Daigo replied, also looking around.

Gon-san had two requests. The first was to inform the blacksmith about the abnormality, and the second was to find the cause of the current abnormality. He had said that they could do either, and if they felt their lives were in danger, they should abandon both and return.

But Kanata and the others intended to do their best, within their capabilities. In the end, they were all good-natured people. If they wanted to fulfill Gon-san’s conditions, they could just waste time and return, saying it was impossible, without any complaints.

Sensing the abnormal atmosphere, they proceeded with even more caution. They were in the middle of nature, not their field of expertise. Their opponents were infected people, and in groups at that. If they were to encounter them head-on, it would be difficult to return alive.

After an hour of progressing through the unusually quiet natural surroundings, Kanata and the others’ concentration was starting to wane. The first to notice something was Subaru.

“Wait!… Do you hear something?”

He squatted down and listened intently. Kanata and the others also stopped moving and tried not to make any noise.

“There’s someone there. It’s… running. Multiple people! They might be being chased. Let’s go!”

Kanata and the others had also heard the sound. Someone was running, pushing through the grass and bushes, and it sounded panicked.

The direction they were heading in was toward the blacksmith’s house, so it might be someone related to it. They hurried in the direction of the sound.

Subaru, who was ahead, raised his hand and signaled for them to stop. There was a two-meter drop-off, and they could see a figure below.

It looked like a parent and child, with a man desperately holding a wooden stick and swinging it, and three infected people closing in on them.

It was immediately apparent that they were exhausted. If they continued like this, they would be caught by the infected.

“Let’s go!”

Subaru led the way, running toward the infected people. Fortunately, there were no other infected people in sight besides those three. They seemed to be separate from the group.

The man’s strength was waning, and his swings were becoming wider. The girl was backed up against a large tree and couldn’t move.

“We’ll save you! Hold on a little longer!”

Subaru shouted as they ran.

Whether it was good or bad…

The man’s expression clearly showed relief when he heard the voice, but it also seemed to relax his guard.

“Shit! Ugh!”

For a moment, he seemed to be distracted, and his swing was delayed. The infected person latched onto his arm and bit down.

The man let out a cry of pain, and the girl, unable to scream, could only watch.

“Damn it!”

Subaru’s bar struck the back of the infected person’s head, crushing its bones. It fell to the ground like a broken toy.

Meanwhile, Kanata had sliced the infected person’s neck in half with a drawn sword, and Daigo’s axe had shattered its head.

The infected person stopped moving, and the three of them stood still, panting. Their gaze fell on the man, who was holding his arm and groaning in pain.

Eventually, he looked up at Kanata and the others and began to speak, his breath coming in gasps.

“I’m… sorry. Please… take care of my… daughter… Please!”

No one could bring themselves to speak to the man, whose words sounded like a bloody cough.

“Please… Please… Ugh!”

“Dad!”

The man, who was in pain, responded to his daughter’s voice and turned slightly in her direction. But as soon as he spoke, he seemed to be in pain, pressing his hand to his chest as if enduring something.

Then, he looked at Kanata and the others again, dropped the stick he was holding, and fell to his knees, his eyes pleading.

“Kill me.”

The man’s bitten wound was bleeding profusely. Eventually, the blood vessels in the wound began to stand out, rising up his body.

“Ugh! Ugh…”

His suffering increased with it.

However, Kanata and the others had faced infected people many times before, but this was the first time they were facing someone who was about to become infected, and they didn’t know what to do.

No, they knew what they should do. They just didn’t have the courage to do it.

“Hurry… Ugh!”

As the man’s suffering reached its limit, it was neither Kanata nor Subaru nor Daigo who moved.

The girl, who had been standing still like Kanata and the others, pursed her lips and unexpectedly quickly snatched the sword from Kanata.

“Ah!”

By the time they realized what was happening, the girl was already swinging the sword.

The man’s, the father’s, head fell to the ground like a slip, and the girl sat down in shock.