Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 56: The Great Akizuki Town City Hall Escape

Chapter 56: The Great Akizuki Town City Hall Escape

“Hey! Everyone! It’s my friend! It’s all good, all good!!”

Misa-neesan calls out to the third-floor window.

“They came to rescue us! The SDF’s with them!!”

Technically, I came to find Misa-neesan… but whatever.

“Standing around’s no good, so come on in, Ichirouta, Rin-chan.”

With that, Misa-neesan slips through the second-floor window into the building.

“…You got pretty close with her in no time, huh, Kanzaki-san? What were you talking about?”

“M-Martial arts, just a bit…!”

Figured.

That’s about the only common ground Misa-neesan and Kanzaki-san would have.

We crawl through the window into the city hall.

This place… a storage room, maybe?

Copy paper, stationery, and tools are scattered around.

Plus, a ton of bloodstains.

“This way, this way!”

We step into the hallway, following Misa-neesan up the stairs.

At the third-floor entrance, there’s a barricade with a door clearly added later.

We open it and head deeper into the third floor.

Misa-neesan beckons us in front of a large door labeled “Main Conference Room.”

“Everyone, they’re good to come in!”

At her call, the double doors swing open from the inside.

“C’mon, get in.”

I step into the conference room as told.

※

It’s a typical conference room, with the floor rising toward the back.

Despite its size, there aren’t many people.

A quick count—22.

Mostly students, with a few elderly and what look like city hall staff.

It’s a miracle they survived this long… Misa-neesan must’ve worked hard.

“This is my friend, and this is an SDF member from the general hospital.”

“Hey, hi. Name’s Tanakano.”

“Sergeant Kanzaki.”

Some students mumble greetings, but the rest stay silent.

Hmm, it’s grim.

Though, thinking about it, being cheerful would be weirder.

“Sorry, I need to contact the hospital.”

Kanzaki-san walks to the window with a light.

Oh, right, she knows Morse code too.

The SDF’s amazing.

“There were about 50 people here at first, but… zombies broke in, and…”

“Some turned inside and it fell apart…?”

“Yeah, yeah! That catcher-looking zombie you took down? Four days ago, he suddenly turned, and it was a mess.”

“Oh, that guy!”

“He never took off his gear, so I thought something was up… probably hiding a bite.”

“But he was wearing a helmet…”

“I put it on him and kicked him down to the second floor.”

So that was thanks to Misa-neesan.

Saved my skin.

“Well, lucky or not, with fewer people, food wasn’t an issue, but we were running out of time.”

No way to grow crops here…

They’d have run out of supplies eventually.

“Sorry for the wait. I’ve confirmed—the hospital can take everyone.”

Oh, great news.

The hospital must have plenty of room.

The evacuees perk up at the news, their faces lighting up with joy.

“But…”

Kanzaki-san murmurs hesitantly.

“You’ll all need to travel to the hospital on your own, using the rooftop route through the shopping arcade we took.”

Yeah, makes sense.

The roads are packed with zombies and cars, and clearing them takes time.

“Oof, as expected… What if we clear the cars?”

“Probably a month or so.”

“…Food’s barely holding out.”

Misa-neesan grasps the situation perfectly.

You can see it just by looking outside.

※

“Don’t mess with us!!”

A man in his sixties suddenly shouts.

“Make the SDF hurry up! Walk the arcade roofs? No way!!”

Uh, we came that way…

“Hey, Ariyama-san, that’s all we’ve got right now. I’m heading out today.”

Misa-neesan chides him.

Kanzaki-san adds,

“The hospital’s got a lot of evacuees too. We can’t focus only here.”

“No way! I’m not going!!” “Me neither! Roofs? No chance!”

A few others chime in.

They sure got lively fast.

“…Then stay.”

“Huh?”

Misa-neesan says, exasperated.

“I want to see my daughter ASAP, so I’m going with Ichirouta and them. I only stayed because there was no way out before.”

The protesters look stunned.

What’s so surprising?

Misa-neesan, a mere clerk, doesn’t have to babysit everyone.

“…So, we’re leaving in about 30 minutes. Anyone coming, meet at the warehouse roof from the second-floor window!”

This is getting tedious, so I cut the conversation short.

I came for Misa-neesan, that’s it.

Nobody looks too frail to walk, so they can do what they want.

Some guy whines about the SDF not helping, but I shut him up by juggling my sword naginata while staring him down.

Weakling.

Also, I’m a civilian.

I’m outta this noisy conference room.

I call to Misa-neesan, and Kanzaki-san comes along.

※

“Oh, these’ll do.”

I grab some ladders from the second-floor storage and set them on the roof.

We’ll use them to climb to the arcade’s ladder.

Once we’re there, it’s a straight shot.

From the convenience store roof to the bridge’s maintenance walkway, we can walk and climb a ladder.

Overturned cars and buses block the way like a makeshift barricade.

So, I sit on the roof for a smoke.

Found matches in the storage, so I’m using them.

Hmm, the match’s scent adds a different flavor than an oil lighter!

I like this!!

“Gimme one!”

Misa-neesan sidles up.

“Sure, but you smoke, Misa-neesan?”

“Quit after marriage, but in this mess, I need one… Ugh, you’re smoking Mandrake!?”

“It’s my favorite, so what?”

This brand’s got no fans.

“Rin-chaaan, gimme a cig… This is Mandrake too!? Did this become a hit brand while I wasn’t looking!?”

In the end, Misa-neesan smokes the Mandrake since it’s all we’ve got.

“Ugh… weird taste…”

“Don’t smoke it if you hate it…”

“But it’s kinda growing on me…”

“Is that so.”

Oh? Kanzaki-san found a lighter somewhere.

She’s calmly lighting up.

When our eyes meet, she whips her face away.

…Smoke in her eyes?

※

After a break, people start coming out the second-floor window.

Hmm, 15.

Seven are staying to wait for the SDF.

Do what you want, not my problem.

With this many, Misa-neesan’s leaving her naginata behind since it’d be a burden.

I lower a ladder from the roof to the ground.

Zombies on the city hall grounds are blocked by the sturdy gate.

Like the bridge, overturned cars form a makeshift barricade, creating a safe zone.

I go down first, confirm it’s safe, and wave to the lead evacuee.

I take point, Misa-neesan’s in the middle, Kanzaki-san’s at the rear.

I offered to take rear, but Kanzaki-san said she’s better suited with her gun, so I let her.

I’ll do my job.

I carry the ladder, checking surroundings, and set it against the arcade’s ladder.

The ladder’s base isn’t too high, so it’s stable.

I test it with my weight a few times, then climb.

Reaching the roof, I check for zombies, then wave down.

“Come up slowly, don’t look down!”

I help some evacuees up, pulling the shakier ones by hand.

Everyone makes it to the roof, so we move.

Unlike coming here, we’re a big group, so we limit numbers on the arcade canopy and move slowly.

Don’t want it breaking.

Thanks to our earlier cleanup, we pass without meeting zombies.

“Hey, we good?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Alright, keep it up! Almost there!”

“Thanks, mister.”

“No worries, no worries.”

Carrying a kid who freaked out at the half-body zombie was rough.

Can’t blame them for panicking at a zombie.

“You’ve always been good with kids, huh, Ichirouta? ‘Cause you’re so caring?”

“Come to think of it, Miku-chan’s super attached to you.”

“Hey! I’m not giving Miku away as a bride, Ichirouta!!”

“No way, Tanakano-san!!”

“I’m not marrying a fourth-grader!! What is this, the Heian era!?”

Misa-neesan’s nonsense made the kid on my back flinch!

Stop trying to socially murder me!!

We reach the arcade’s end, so I set the kid down, climb down to the street, and scale an overturned car.

I pull evacuees up, and we use a ladder to the bridge’s maintenance walkway.

The bridge below’s still swarming with zombies…

I tell everyone not to look down and keep quiet as we cross slowly, then jump to the overturned bus.

Alright, we’re safe here.

But letting my guard down was a mistake.

One evacuee slips, nearly falling to the zombie-filled side.

Crap!

My body moves on instinct, grabbing their arm and yanking them back.

It worked with Kanzaki-san, but this panicking evacuee thrashes, and the recoil sends me falling.

“Guh…!?”

I can’t break my fall and crash left shoulder-first into the ground.

Ow!? My left arm won’t move!?

Damn it, worst-case scenario! A subluxation!

Not fully dislocated, just slightly off—Master did this to me once, so I know!

What rotten luck.

Worse, the evacuee’s scream alerted the bridge zombies!!

“Ichirouta!?” “Tanakano-san!!”

Kanzaki-san’s about to jump down.

It’s a huge tour bus, so she must’ve judged she can’t reach me from above.

“Don’t come!! I can handle this!! Get the evacuees to the hospital!!”

“…!!”

I draw my sword naginata with my right hand and yell at Kanzaki-san, who’s frozen.

“You think I’d die from this!? Go!!”

That said, what now?

The bus blocks the bridge behind me.

With my left arm like this, I can’t climb it.

The zombies have noticed me and are running through the car gaps.

They’ll reach me soon.

Jumping off the bridge is a no-go.

It’s too high, and the riverbed’s concrete.

Even a groomed riverbed’s a pain.

The zombies’ roars grow louder.

A quick glance—over 30.

I’ll die if I take them head-on…

What to do… Wait, that’s…!

It’s lame after my big talk, but no choice…

“UOOOOHHH!!”

I sheathe the naginata and charge forward.

I fake a rush at the lead zombie, then veer right.

“DASHAAAA!!”

I leap off the bridge!!

The ground rushes up, and…

“Here!!”

A sturdy tree on the riverbed.

I grab a branch with my right arm.

Crack, snap, branches break as I slow my fall, landing on the ground.

“Guh!?”

The speed was more than expected, and I slam my left arm into the ground.

A crunching sound—crunch!?

Oh… it’s fully dislocated now.

My arm’s like a doll’s, flopping around…

“GIIIIII!!” “GYABAAAA!!”

Crap, crap, zombies are falling off the bridge!

If any land safely and chase me, I’m done!

There’re already a few right in front of me!!

Clutching my throbbing left arm, tears in my eyes, I sprint up the riverbank toward the hospital.

I can’t climb the fence like this, so I trace the perimeter to the main entrance.

“The gate!! Open it!!”

No time for polite words—I shout like some Scythian warrior.

“Hurry! This way!!”

Kanzaki-san yells desperately from the gate’s gap.

SDF members fire from inside, taking down some chasing zombies.

I dive through the gate.

“Tanakano-san!! Tanakano-saaan!”

“AH!!”

Kanzaki-san catches me, but my left shoulder slams into her helmet.

“Wait! S-Sorry, sorry… Tanakano-san!? Tanakano-saaaan!!”

The relief and searing pain hit, and my consciousness fades.