Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 44: Exploration and an Unexpected Truth [Revised Edition]

Chapter 44: Exploration and an Unexpected Truth [Revised Edition]

“Alright, let’s get going.”

“Occhan, I could’ve handled this alone…”

“Gotta move sometimes or I’ll get rusty. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the heavy lifting.”

Mondo-occhan’s request?

Believe it or not, it was to fetch a DVD player.

My stories got him itching for one.

“Every day’s boring as hell. Spent big bucks on that box set, but the power’s out, so I can’t watch.”

“I’ve got tons of recorded dramas and movies I haven’t seen either…”

The box set occhan’s talking about is that Edo hitman series.

He owns every season and movie with his favorite actor.

No way… how many hundreds of hours is that?

Sure sounds like a way to kill endless boredom.

So, we’re at a home center ten minutes from Nakamura Martial Arts Store, toward the next town.

It’s a big store—might have a player.

If not, we’ll hit an electronics shop next.

Sharpening a sword costs a fortune, so this is nothing.

Mondo-occhan strolls ahead, bokken on his shoulder, looking carefree.

From behind, he seems wide open, but I can’t imagine landing a hit.

“…Occhan.”

“Keep quiet and follow. Tense up now, and you’ll tire out later.”

As expected.

“Stop! Freeze right there!!”

We walk a bit, and three armed guys burst out from the entrance.

“Oi, oi, what’s this? This ain’t your store, is it?”

“Shut up! Everything here’s ours!! Old man, don’t move if you wanna live!!”

“Hey! You, hand over the truck keys!!”

Ignoring occhan, a guy yells at me.

Huh? Why my truck?

“Why? There’s plenty of vehicles lying around.”

“Shut it! Obey or die!!”

…A presence behind.

Two more guys emerge from the parking lot’s car shadows.

Looks like they never planned to let us leave alive.

“Don’t be so harsh. How ‘bout some mutual help?”

Occhan walks toward the guy, calm as ever.

“Look, kid, I ain’t asking for everything. Just humor an old man’s short life.”

“Can’t you hear!? Move and you’re dead, geezer!!”

The guy heats up, but occhan keeps closing in.

I grip a shuriken at an angle the guys behind can’t see, ready to throw.

“I said don’t come closer!! You wanna die!?”

Occhan steps into range in a flash.

His sharp move is nothing like his earlier stroll.

“Kill me quick if you’re gonna, punk.”

Occhan’s bokken swings casually, crushing the yelling guy’s throat.

The guy clutches his neck and collapses.

“Guh!?” “Gya!?”

The bokken flows left and right, smashing two more faces.

Another hit to each guy’s exposed head.

Three down in seconds.

No wasted effort.

Perfect angles, perfect targets, minimal force.

…Glad I didn’t get killed at the shop.

His moves look slow but are lightning-fast.

Every action’s optimized.

Mondo-occhan’s unreal… a different kind of strength from Kanzaki-san.

“Bouzu! Don’t let ‘em escape! Scum like this’ll just pull the same crap elsewhere!”

Occhan’s shout snaps me to it.

Got it, occhan.

Guys like these don’t leave my sight alive.

I spot a dazed guy, turn, and hurl a shuriken while charging.

The rod shuriken buries deep in his eyeball.

I swing my bokken, smashing the other guy’s shin.

“Argh!?”

As he falls, I slug his face mid-air like a slugger.

His skull caves in, convulsing and foaming on the ground.

I crush his neck bone with the bokken’s tip.

“Stop! Stop!!”

The last guy tries to drop his weapon.

I bash his temple, knock him down, and slam the bokken into his medulla with my full weight.

He’s done forever.

“Oi, I took out one more than you, bouzu. Let the old man take it easy.”

“…Then move a bit slower, occhan.”

“Move faster yourself. Don’t slack.”

Occhan steps over the bodies like they’re pebbles and heads inside.

I hurry after him.

“P-Please spa—”

“Here’s the last one.”

Three more inside, but they’re panicked and easy to handle.

The final one’s neck snaps under occhan’s bokken.

They came to kill, so no complaints about dying.

Piles of looted goods—clothes, supplies—lie around.

Guess they were raiders.

The city’s a bit safer now.

…He’s not even breathing hard after all that. Total monster.

Time to scavenge.

I push a cart to the AV section.

There—DVD players.

I grab two rechargeable ones for occhan and auntie.

Also, a solar battery, a regular high-capacity battery, and a small generator like mine.

There’s a gas station near their place, so this’ll do.

Mission complete, so I look for my stuff.

Iron rods and plates for shuriken.

Nails for booby traps.

Underwear, socks, and spare work boots.

Found a soundproof plywood box—now I can run the generator at night!!

Oh…!?

This…!!

Emergency Immersion Bath Heater!?

This is it! What I’ve been craving!!

Plug it in, dunk it in a tub, and in three to four hours, a hot bath!?

Home centers are gods! Buddhas!!

I pitch it to occhan, but he says they use mountain water and firewood for baths, so no thanks.

Low-tech’s strong in times like this…

Near the registers, I spot kids’ DVDs.

That cat-and-mouse chase one—loved worldwide.

Miku-chan and the kids’ll love it.

Gotta grab some veggie seeds too…

“Oi, bouzu, you’re hauling more than me…”

Occhan smirks, but you gotta grab stuff when it’s there.

Lastly, I stack as many useful boards as the truck can hold and leave the home center.

Back at the martial arts store, I set up the generator and explain the player.

The generator’s covered with the soundproof box.

Nice—barely any noise! Test passed.

The player’s simple—pop in a DVD or Blu-ray, and it plays.

Occhan and auntie catch on quick.

They insist I stay for lunch, so I gratefully accept.

Homemade zaru soba comes out.

Occhan’s favorite, grown in their backyard garden every year.

Served with wild wasabi from nearby!

Chilled with mountain water—ice-cold!!

Ohhh, fresh soba’s divine!!

Delicious!! Tasty!! Amazing!!

Peak human food!!!

Living’s worth it!! Life’s the best!!!!

I’m crying as I devour it, and auntie piles on more, looking at me with pity.

Occhan urges me to eat up.

What a luxurious wanko soba!!

Urp, ate so much my stomach might burst…

I could die tomorrow with fewer regrets…

They tell me to stay, so I take them up, sprawling on the tatami.

Heaven… no, paradise…

Lying there, I glance around and see occhan fiddling with a smartphone, charged via the generator.

“Occhan, I tried a ton, but phones don’t work.”

“Nah, not that. Wanna see my grandkid’s pics. Oi, dear! Power’s on!”

Grandkid? Huh, didn’t know they had one.

I knew their two daughters, one married, and they doted on me back in the day.

“Occhan’s a full-on grandpa now. How old’s your grandkid?”

“Fourth grade this year. Hope they’re surviving out there…”

“Yeah, hope they’re safe somewhere…”

They stare at the phone, looking somber.

Must be worried…

Elementary schooler, huh? Reminds me of Miku-chan…

“I wonder if Misa’s doing okay… Heard Akizuki Town’s office is a shelter…”

“Atsushi-kun’s a station worker. Wonder how the station’s holding up…”

So, Misa-nee’s at the town office.

Her husband’s a station worker…

(´・ω・)?

“Papa’s a station worker, and Mama works at Akizuki Town’s office!!”

“Wow, that’s cool.”

“Papa and Mama are super close!”

“Jealous!”

“Ehe, Mama calls Papa ‘Akkun, Akkun’!”

“Ojisan’s gonna puke sugar, ehe!”

（　゜A゜）!!?!?!?!?

“Occhan… Auntie…”

“Hm?” “What’s up, Ichirouta-chan?”

“Your grandkid… isn’t named Sakurai Miku-chan, is it…?”

“Miku!!” “Miku-chaaan!!”

“Ojii-chan, Obaa-chan…?”

“You’re okay…! Thank goodness…!!”

“You did so well, Miku-chan… Come here.”

“…Ojii-chaaan! Obaa-chaaan!! Waaaaah!!”

Miku-chan’s sandwiched in hugs from occhan and auntie.

Auntie’s sobbing, occhan’s eyes are brimming, and Miku-chan’s bawling.

She’s always smiling, but finally meeting family must’ve snapped her tension.

Cry it out, cry all you want.

See this, Yokota-sensei?

This is thanks to you.

“Miku… Miku-chaaan… You’re okay…!! You’re okay…!!”

“Oi, Yukiko-chan, you’re crying too much…”

“Tanakano-san, can you even see with those tears? Here’s a hanky.”

“Sakashita-senpai, here’s a towel!”

After my words, time unfroze, and occhan and auntie bombarded me with questions.

Once we confirmed Miku-chan was their grandkid, they jumped into their car.

“Lead the way, bouzu!! Drive under 100 kph, and I’ll kill you!!!”

“Sorry, Ichirouta-chan! 80 kph’s fine!!”

Scariest drive of my life.

Murderous vibes from behind, soba rioting in my gut, and the home center haul bouncing in the truck bed.

Not puking was a miracle.

“Moriyama!! Open the gate!! Open it nooow!!!”

Screaming like a Scythian, occhan forced the gate open, drifted into the lot, and charged into the school.

I explained to Miyata-san, grabbed Miku-chan from the schoolyard where she was playing, and sprinted her to the lot, cradling her.

She loved it.

Then we got to this scene.

Thought I’d die…

But this sight makes that death drive worth it.

“Didn’t know Miku-chan was your granddaughter…”

Miyata-san’s stunned at the small world.

Me too.

But Miku-chan’s insane vitality makes sense now.

Mondo-occhan’s grandkid? Yeah, checks out.

“Tanakano-bouzu!!”

After soaking Kanzaki-san’s hanky with saltwater tears, occhan runs up.

“Miku told me! You… you saved her!! Thank you!!!”

“Ow! Oww!?”

Tearful occhan slaps my shoulders.

It hurts! My shoulder blades are gonna pop off! Is this a palm strike!?

“I’ll sharpen ten, twenty swords!! Bring ‘em anytime!! Slash all the enemies!!”

That’s pretty violent! Thanks, but stop! My shoulder blades are dust!!