Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 61: The Matter of Infiltrating Shiiya Station

Chapter 61: The Matter of Infiltrating Shiiya Station

“This is…”

“Yes, just as we expected.”

Spread out before me and Kanzaki-san is a sea of zombies.

We’re on the rooftop of a building across the street from Shiiya Central Station, the biggest station in our city.

We parked the truck in a lot a bit away and walked here.

By the way, the student zombies loitering in the building’s stairwell were quietly sent to nirvana.

Were they skipping school or something, hanging out in a place like that?

The zombie outbreak probably hit during the day on a weekday.

From the rooftop, we scout with a monocular and binoculars.

Shiiya Station has three entrances: the main “Central Entrance,” the “North Entrance” on the opposite side, and the second floor of the eight-story station building.

Right now, we’re looking at the Central Entrance, but it’s so swarmed with zombies we can’t even see the entrance itself.

“No way we’re getting through from here…”

“With about five times more ammo, we might manage.”

Why’s this lady thinking about wiping them all out?

Her brain’s wired like an action movie star.

That’s fine for Kanzaki-san, but I’d be done for in a heartbeat.

At best, I could handle five or six zombies at once.

“…Well, let’s circle around to the North Entrance for now.”

“Right. …That was a joke, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“No, really!”

“Suuure.”

Kanzaki-san starts flustering, and we begin moving.

We skirt around the station, avoiding zombies, heading to the back.

…Looks like most of the zombies around here are concentrated at the station.

Makes moving easier, but the inside’s probably a mess.

I’m in my usual gear, plus a backpack stuffed with fireworks and rope.

It’s pretty heavy, but compared to Kanzaki-san behind me, I’ve got it easy.

“Kanzaki-san, want me to carry some of those grenades?”

“Good idea. I’ll hand over four. Remember how to use them?”

“Pull the pin and throw, right?”

“Yes, since they’re zombies, they won’t throw them back, so… that should do it.”

I take four small, spray-can-shaped grenades.

They’re heavier than they look.

I’ll save them as a last resort if the fireworks run out.

“…Isn’t your gear heavy?”

“I’m used to it.”

Kanzaki-san’s wearing her usual military uniform (Type 3 camouflage, she called it) with a bulky vest like you see in movies, stuffed with magazines.

At least eight grenades are clipped on, from what I can see.

She’s got a boxy pistol in a hip holster, her rifle in hand, and a jam-packed rucksack that looks heavy.

…How many kilos is all that?

“It’s fine. It gets lighter as I use it.”

…Oh, right, yeah.

Too reliable.

It’s like having a fully armored G*ndam as my escort.

…I gotta at least pull my weight like a Z*k or something.

“…Hmph, as expected.”

“A bit less than the front… maybe?”

We creep to the North Entrance.

It’s just as swarmed with zombies as the front.

This entrance leads through a ticket gate, down an underground tunnel, to the platforms.

That tunnel’s probably packed tight with zombies.

Phew, this side’s a no-go too.

Guess the outbreak hit during commuting hours.

…Wait, commuting?

This might work.

We move again, arriving at the back entrance of the station building.

“Bingo…!”

There’s an automatic door, but a cone’s blocking it.

Saved!

No matter when the outbreak hit, with that many people, it was probably between 8 and 10 a.m.

The station building opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays.

It shouldn’t have been open yet.

“Let’s go in here.”

“Right.”

We confidently approach the entrance.

But the automatic door won’t budge.

No power, so that’s expected, but it’s physically locked at the top.

I’ve seen security guards lock doors like this at the top or bottom.

No time to find a guard, so it’s time for muscle power.

The lock’s a simple hook type—it should work.

I wedge my fingers into the tiny gap of the door, take a breath, and slowly apply force to avoid noise.

“Nngh… grrr… ooooh! (whispered)”

Clenching my teeth, I pour in all my strength, and with a crack, the lock breaks, and the door opens.

“Got it… Strength is power!! (whispered)”

“I don’t quite get it, but well done. (whispered)”

Now that the door’s open, we slip into the station building—UGH, IT STINKS!!

My nose is dying!!

We retreat briefly, wrap towels around our faces like masks, and re-enter.

Kanzaki-san seems fine, but I hand her a spare towel.

No harm in avoiding the smell.

“This floor had cafes and snack shops, right? Let’s head up quick.”

“Y-Yes.”

Kanzaki-san’s face is red—maybe the smell’s getting to her?

The rotting food confirms no one’s here, and the power’s out, as the door already showed.

But zombies don’t care about the stench.

On the way to the escalator, we spot a zombie in a cafe uniform.

Three of them.

I make some noise to scatter them…

“I’ll shoot.”

Pop pop pop—three light sounds, and the zombies drop, heads neatly shot through.

That was fast.

I turn to see Kanzaki-san holding her smoking pistol with both hands.

Whoa… so cool.

Silencers really do muffle sound.

“Silencers are amazing…”

“These are subsonic rounds with less powder, so they’re quieter.”

Huh, didn’t know that.

But less powder means less power, right?

“As long as you hit the head, it’s fine.”

…So reliable!

Is there even a job for me?

We climb the escalator to the second floor.

This is the women’s clothing section, I think.

Straight through here should lead to the station’s connecting passage.

I spot a shop clerk zombie ahead.

I stop Kanzaki-san from shooting, sneak up, and bash its head from behind.

As it collapses, I thrust, crushing its cervical spine.

If it’s this close, I can take it out without wasting bullets.

After sending a few zombies to nirvana, we reach the connecting passage.

Peering through the glass, I see a zombie in a station worker’s uniform.

I check with the monocular.

…Not him. No need to check the photo.

Misa-neesan gave me a photo of her husband, Sakurai Atsushi-san, so I’d recognize him even though we’ve never met.

His face… well, he’s got a massive build, so I can spot him by that alone.

When I first saw the photo, I thought he was a humanoid bear.

He looks more like a mountain lodge keeper or a rescue team member than a station worker.

I laughed when Misa-neesan said he’s into mountain climbing—it fits too perfectly.

She also shared, unprompted, how they met.

They’re from the same university, and it was love at first sight for her.

“He was so cool and cute, like a bear~ I knew I wanted to marry Atsu-kun right away!♪”

Apparently, Misa-neesan’s always been into rugged, cool guys.

She said if I were 20 cm taller and had 30 kilos more muscle, I’d be a total catch.

Bending physics is a bit beyond me.

The only ones who’d fall for that are Misa-neesan and wild bears, probably.

“Ojisan’s like a bear? So cool!” was Miku-chan’s take.

…Looks like taste in men runs in the family.

“Being strong—actually, strength is very attractive, Tanakano-san! Of course, personality matters too…”

That was Kanzaki-san’s comment at the time.

Yeah, I can tell she’s into that type too.

Moriyama-kun, you better bulk up, or you won’t even make the starting line.

Like the entrance, we pry open the door and finally enter the station.

Kanzaki-san takes a shot—pop—neutralizing a station worker zombie.

“Here we go. This is the real deal.”

“There’ll be way more zombies from here. Stay sharp.”

Holding our breath, we slip through the door, climb over the powerless ticket gate, and enter the station floor.

Shiiya Station has eight platforms.

It’s the city’s biggest, but it’s still just a regional city, so that’s the scale.

We’re on the elevated walkway connecting platforms 1–2 to 7–8.

Right now, we’re between platforms 3 and 4.

Misa-neesan said her husband usually hangs out at the staff room on platform 6 during breaks.

The Central Ticket Gate area is swarmed, so we’ll check that last.

Zombies probably can’t work ticket gates, but if they spot us, they’d smash through.

I extend a stick with a hand mirror taped to it from the edge of the walkway to check.

…There they are.

Two on the left, two on the right.

“(Left two are far, so they’re yours.)”

Kanzaki-san nods.

She holds up three fingers, counting down.

Three… two… one!

We leap out.

The nearest zombie’s facing away, so I smash its head from above.

Beyond it, another’s facing me!

Before it can scream—

I lunge forward, thrusting my bokken into its mouth with all my strength.

Teeth crunch, and its neck snaps.

So, hitting the mouth or throat stops the scream.

Another lesson learned.

“(Nicely done.)”

I give Kanzaki-san a wry smile as she thumbs up, and we head toward platform 4.

Looking down at the tracks, zombies are scattered everywhere.

Some trains have derailed and flipped, and rotting flesh litters the platform.

It’s a hellscape.

Worse than any zombie movie.

But humans put up a fight—plenty of non-rotting zombie corpses lie around.

No zombies near us, so I ask Kanzaki-san to keep watch while I scan with the monocular.

…No sign of the husband on the platforms from here.

We cross platform 5 and reach platform 6.

Peering out, I spot the staff room right below, in the middle of the platform.

From here, the windows and door look intact.

Gotta check it out.

“(There’s a lot of zombies on the platform, so I’ll throw fireworks toward platform 4.)”

“(Got it. I’ll cover the rear.)”

So dependable.

I lower my backpack and pull out a firecracker tied to a stone, prepped yesterday.

Careful not to make noise, I descend the stairs halfway.

Alright, that spot.

I aim for the tracks toward Ryuugu City—upbound—to lure zombies away from the station.

I light the fuse with a lighter, hold my breath, and throw.

The firecracker arcs and lands past the upbound platform.

A moment later, rapid pops echo.

“““AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”””

Here they come—zombies pour out from all over the station.

We’re on the stairs, so they don’t come our way.

Normal people would use the walkway, but zombies just sprint straight ahead.

We stay quiet until the zombies gather around the sound.

I throw another firecracker even farther.

The horde races off.

Good—if they’re that far, they won’t notice minor noises.

The firework plan’s a huge success!

We split up, descending the stairs.

Most zombies are gone, but half-bodies or stragglers might remain.

One slip-up, and it’s all for nothing.

We move cautiously, scanning for threats.

Sure enough, a half-body zombie’s at the bottom.

Kanzaki-san signals me to stop, leaps lightly, and lands a boot on its neck, silencing it.

So picturesque.

We finally reach the platform.

The stench of blood and rot hits hard—this place was a battlefield.

The staff room’s right there.

We approach, wary of zombies.

Up close, the windows and door are still intact.

I check around and knock lightly—three times, pause, once more, in a pattern zombies can’t mimic.

…No response.

Is he not here?

Where could he be…?

“(Hey, over here, over here.)”

A voice comes from above.

I look up and see…

Above the staff room, on the walkway’s framework, there’s a tent-like thing made of patched-together fabric.

Like what mountaineers use when they bivouac on cliffs, hammering in huge pitons.

“(Man, you guys saved me.)”

A man in a station worker’s uniform peeks out, thanking us quietly.

Or rather, a humanoid bear.

His face is so bearded from long-term survival, he’s practically a bear.

No doubt about it…!

“(Sakurai… Atsushi-san?)”

“(Oh? Have we met?)”

A friendly bear—no, Misa-neesan’s husband and Miku-chan’s dad.

…He’s surprisingly lively!!