Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 108: The Assault, Part 1 (※Contains Cruel Depictions!)

Chapter 108: The Assault, Part 1 (※Contains Cruel Depictions!)

I wake up.

It’s morning.

Chuckling at Sakura sprawled out like a starfish, I fold the futon.

As the noise wakes her, I pet her while grabbing clothes.

Kanzaki-san, sleeping in the next room, hasn’t stirred—still quiet.

Hugging Sakura and my clothes, I leave the break room and head to the second-floor president’s office.

※

I change as usual.

The inner layer’s from a bike shop.

Pants are for fishing.

I tighten a reinforced belt.

Keeps the scabbard secure.

Fabric’s sewn inside so the scabbard moves freely.

Important for iaido.

I slip on fishing gloves labeled as tactical.

On both wrists, I strap leather belts loaded with rod shuriken.

Repurposed from my dad’s belt—high quality, no wear yet.

Normally, I’d wear a fishing vest, but not today.

Instead, a heavier black vest.

A bulletproof vest, a farewell gift from Miyata-san.

I rotate my arms, squat.

Good, it doesn’t restrict movement much.

Finally, I pull my “Bamboo” grade sword and revolver from the safe.

I start to sheath the sword… no, too early, I need to drive.

The revolver’s loaded, safety on, slipped into a holster.

I modified the holster to attach to my belt.

It goes on my right hip.

Spare ammo—fifteen rounds—in the vest’s inner pocket.

No quick reloads for me, so this’ll do.

Two grenades in the vest’s pockets.

Overkill, but why not.

…Alright, add the wakizashi, and I’m set.

No need for the kama-yari this time.

…The enemy isn’t zombies.

※

“…How do I look, Sakura? Your dad’s pretty cool, huh?”

“Wan! Wauun!”

Sakura circles me, paws on my knees.

I lift her, and she whines, licking my face.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

“Aon! Hyan!”

Stairs are still tricky for her, so I carry her down.

…Hey, stop sniffing my pajamas.

Sniff something nicer, like flowers.

※

“S-Sorry, Tanakano-san! I overslept…”

Kanzaki-san rushes out of the next room, flustered.

Oh, bedhead.

She must be really rattled.

“Overslept? It’s only 7 a.m. Come on, breakfast’s ready.”

Heh, I beat her to it today.

“I made it, so… Kanzaki-san, you’re on bath duty!”

“Y-Yes…! I’ll do my best!!”

Why’s she so flustered?

Is bath cleaning that bad?

Anyway, the two of us and one pup enjoy a delicious breakfast.

※

After post-meal exercise and playtime with Sakura, I grab a key from the first-floor keybox.

It’s for the medium-sized truck in the lot.

We’re using it today.

“Man, we look like anti-government guerrillas.”

“That’s a weird take…”

Kanzaki-san, working on the truck bed, gives me an odd look.

I mean, that’s my first impression…

On the truck bed sits that massive machine gun.

Not fixed in place, but a heavy machine gun on a regular truck bed is straight-up fantasy.

“No issues with operation. Ready to fire anytime.”

“That’s reassuring. Long range is on you, Kanzaki-san.”

“Leave it to me… I won’t let a single one escape.”

Her eyes burn with resolve.

She’s fired up… well, so am I.

I climb into the driver’s seat and start the engine.

The truck rumbles with a deep engine roar.

Nothing like my light truck—so reliable.

Kanzaki-san stays in the bed.

“Departure!”

I yell out the open window, flooring the gas.

The truck rolls forward slowly.

Kanzaki-san opens the gate, and we leave the compound.

Destination: the abandoned school.

After yesterday’s return, we discussed and decided to strike today.

To take them out before they hunt for “prey.”

From what we saw, they seemed ready to venture out soon.

The school only had corpses, it seemed.

Sorry to those already dead, but we can prevent future victims.

We’re heading to Ryugu City for scouting anyway.

No way I’m leaving a pack of lunatics nearby.

※

The walk took time, but by car, it’s quick.

Nearing the end of the residential area, I stop.

The engine noise shouldn’t tip them off here.

“Let’s do this, Kanzaki-san!!”

I shout out the window.

“Anytime!!”

Her fired-up reply comes back.

The bed has ropes to secure her.

Should hold against impacts.

“Charge!!!”

I slam the gas, and the truck surges forward.

We clear the residential area in no time, hitting the field road.

The school’s gate looms ahead.

Barbed wire for reinforcement? Unless it’s fortified like Ooki-kun’s place, it’s useless!

Without slowing, I ram the truck into the gate.

A jolt hits, but not as bad as crashing the shutter before.

“Uooooooohhh!!”

I smash through the gate into the courtyard, aiming for parked cars.

I see stunned men in the courtyard.

Ignoring them, I plow through five cars, drifting the truck to face the school building.

No clue what they were doing, but I send a half-naked couple scrambling from a car flying too.

Yes! That should cripple their mobility!!

I unbuckle, grab my sword, and fling open the passenger door.

As I hit the ground and sheath my sword, a gut-rumbling burst of gunfire erupts from the bed.

Kanzaki-san.

She brought a ton of ammo this time.

Bullet hell, unrestricted.

I peek with a hand mirror from the truck’s shadow.

Yesterday’s men scream as they’re mowed down.

Some hold bows, but they’re shot through before nocking arrows.

Serves you right.

“Let’s go!!”

“Be careful!!”

I yell to the bed, and Kanzaki-san shouts back between gunfire.

“Nagumo-ryu… Tanakano Ichirouta, here I come!!”

Shouting to psych myself up, I sprint toward the school building.

※

Yesterday’s plan:

• • Ram the truck, destroy their cars.

• • Kanzaki-san uses the machine gun to pin or take out courtyard and school shooters.

• • I storm the school, clear the rest up close.

Simple is best.

Kanzaki-san wasn’t thrilled about my charging in, but since she’s practically the decoy, she agreed.

“If you die, I won’t forgive you,” she said with a dead-serious face.

Scary… Sakura was spooked too.

I pass through the front entrance into the school.

Almost simultaneously, a nearby classroom door opens.

“What the hell!?” “It’s the SDF! They’re attacking!!” “L-Let’s get outta here!!”

Three men with bows.

“Ora!!”

Using my sprint’s momentum, I draw and slash the lead man’s throat.

Blood sprays as he collapses, eyes wide, and I body-check him, knocking the other two down.

“Gah!?” “Urgh!?”

While they freeze, I slit their throats and move on.

I peek into the classroom.

Empty.

Next!

I’ll clear the first floor first!

A man with a bow steps out from a classroom at the corridor’s end.

Quick reaction!

“What the hell are you!?”

“Your enemy, pretty boy!!”

I fling a shuriken with one hand as I retort.

“Gah… guh!?”

He pauses from the pain of a shuriken in his gut.

That pause is fatal!!

“Aaaah!!”

I swing down from above, cleaving his head—and bow—in two.

…Cleaving’s an overstatement, but a slight cut to the brain kills.

“Bamboo” grade’s sharpness is unreal.

I enter his classroom.

One stunned young man inside.

“H-Hi…! D-Don’t kill me!! Don’t!!”

He scoots back, paralyzed, seeing my bloodied sword.

What, trying to sink into the wall?

I could watch—pretty pathetic.

“…Answer honestly. Did you lot mess around in the other settlement? Kill women and kids?”

He nods frantically.

“Y-Yes! We did! B-But Mayu-san and them killed the most!! W-We didn’t kill that many!!”

“Got it, thanks, scum… Die!!”

I hurl a rod shuriken into the eye of the guy looking up, kicking it deeper for good measure.

Mayu’s one of the women from yesterday’s sick target practice.

Sounds like she’s high up in this group.

…Good, no more doubts.

No chance of mistaken identity or them being decent survivors.

I can slaughter them without hesitation.

※

Before stepping into the corridor, I check with the mirror.

Men with bows creep closer.

They’ve got way too many bows…

Did they raid a bow factory or something?

I hold my breath, waiting.

As they near the door, I pull a grenade from my vest, yank the pin, and toss it.

“Huh, what’s thi—”

A dumbstruck voice, then a flash and explosion.

I hide behind the last guy’s corpse, dodging glass shards.

“Ugh… hurts… hurts…”

I step out—one survivor, cushioned by his buddies’ bodies.

The rest are colorful corpses.

He’ll die soon anyway.

“H-Help…”

“No way. Die.”

I crush his throat as I pass.

No time to wait for him to croak.

Half the first floor’s left.

Wait for it, scum.

Decades early, but the grim reaper’s here.

※

Seems that was everyone on the first floor.

Sporadic gunfire still echoes from the courtyard.

Hiding behind cover?

Keep it up, Kanzaki-san.

I climb the stairs to the second floor slowly.

Voices from above.

“What do we do!? We can’t win against guns!”

“Don’t panic! They’ll reload when they run out, right? Aim then!”

A man and a woman.

One of yesterday’s women?

No, there were others, so I’m not sure.

Sorry, lady, you’re out of luck.

Kanzaki-san’s got a rifle and handgun too.

And that machine gun’s belt-fed.

No running dry soon.

I doubt she’d burn through it all at once either.

Plus, I’m here.

Think I’ll give you time, idiot?

I reach the second floor, heading toward the voices.

Peeking into a classroom, I see a group crouched under windows or behind pillars facing the courtyard.

The woman, maybe.

A long-haired woman with a bow spots me and opens her mouth to scream.

I hurl my last grenade into the room.

“Hia, aaaaaaah!?”

A scream, then an explosion shatters the windows.

Pushing through the dust, I look—everyone’s nicely dead.

I enter and hide by the entrance.

Soon, multiple footsteps run down the corridor.

Of course they’d check on their buddies.

“Hey! What happened!? You okay!?”

A man peeks in, stretching his neck.

I slash his throat with an upward strike from below.

Throats are easy.

As he collapses forward, I kick his gut, sending him into the corridor.

“Shouji!? What the—hi!”

Another man calling to him sees me and freezes.

“What’re you!?”

Before he finishes, I thrust my drawn wakizashi into his mouth.

I pull it out, piercing his palate, and check the rest.

Three left.

I slash at another stunned guy.

Damn! Too shallow, not fatal!

I slipped!

Lucky bastard.

“Gyaaaah!!”

As the guy whose face and right eye I cut falls, I press forward.

“Die!!”

A man nocks an arrow, aiming at me.

I leap forward, leaning in, ignoring him.

Idiot, at this range, a sword’s faster!!

“Shaa!!”

I slash his exposed leg.

No stopping, still forward.

I pass the guy with the cut leg, charging deeper!

“A-Aaaaaaah!!”

The last man fires an arrow, but it’s shaky, barely aimed.

It flies wildly off-target.

You’ve only shot at fleeing or begging targets, huh?

Think I’d get hit by your pathetic arrow!?

“Nuuuahhh!!”

Using my sprint’s momentum, I rise and slice through his torso.

The blade cuts his bow, passes under his arms, and exits his back.

“Ah… aaah… aaaaaa…”

Spilling guts, he collapses in the corridor.

I turn back to the writhing leg-cut guy and the face-slashed one.

“G-Giiii…! H-Help, help!?”

“Please, d-don’t kill… don’t!”

I finish off the two still alive.

No variety in their begging—zero points.

Better luck next life.

I check the second-floor classrooms.

Signs of long-term living.

They’ve been here a while.

…No one’s here.

Third floor or rooftop?

Maybe the gym.

Gunfire still sounds outside.

I’ll prioritize clearing the building.

I open the last unchecked door on this floor, labeled “Art Room.”

Finish here, then the third floor.

※

Stepping inside, I forget to breathe.

For a moment, I can’t process what I’m seeing.

No, I don’t want to.

On the art room’s long desk, a human corpse is fixed, laid out.

A naked young woman.

Her face is swollen blue-purple.

Marks of relentless violence.

Her body… I can’t tell.

Because…

Her hands and feet are pierced with metal stakes, like for tent pegs.

From throat to groin, she’s sliced open, skin spread like a frog dissection.

Guts fully exposed.

Her expression, beyond agony into despair, shows she was alive when this was done.

This happened here—blood splattered everywhere on the floor.

The room’s thick with rot and blood stench.

A paper’s pinned beside her.

In cute handwriting, it reads:

“Mayu’s Masterpiece!!”

“…!! G-Guuuh!!”

I swallow surging vomit.

As it subsides, rage boils from my gut.

Like with the construction company.

These aren’t humans.

Something far worse.

I’m a murderous beast, but better than them.

I approach her, feeling like I’m walking on clouds.

“Damn it… damn it…!!”

With all my strength, I yank out the four stakes.

I rip down a curtain and cover her.

Gently, I close her eyes.

Once this is over, I’ll bury her properly.

Not now.

I clasp my hands briefly and head to the exit.

“I won’t forgive them…”

My vision blurs.

Tears fall.

“I won’t forgive them…”

Blood tastes from my bitten lip.

“Scumbags!!!”

I kick the art room door off its hinges into the corridor.

A loud echo rings through the school.

Waiting for silence, I take a deep breath.

※

“You bastards upstairs!! Scum!! Can you hear me!!!”

I yell, not caring if they know my position.

“Wash your necks and wait!!”

I stomp forward.

“Now it’s your turn!! To get butchered!!”

I draw my sword with force.

“You’ll die pathetically!!”

As I walk, power surges in my legs.

My body feels light.

I could pull off any technique now.

“Not one left!! Not one forgiven!!”

The stairs come into view.

“Chant your prayers while you can!!”

Roaring toward the third floor, I shoulder my sword and march.