Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 74: The Matter of Shiiya Fisheries Center

Chapter 74: The Matter of Shiiya Fisheries Center

“Behind me! Run to the pickup truck!!”

“Ahh! Y-You’re that guy from before! Thank you!”

“Just run!!”

I pass the fleeing ossans, eyeing the zombies charging toward me.

Count… seven for now!!

They’re scattering as they run.

“Tanakano-san! Leave the finishing blows to me!!”

Kanzaki-san’s voice rings out from behind.

So reliable.

Alright! First priority: knock ‘em down!!

“AAAAAAAH!” “GUUUUUH!!” “GYASHAAAAAAA!!”

Noisy bastards! Act like proper corpses!!

“OOOOOOH!!”

I yell back, charging in.

“Zeyaa!!”

I start by sweeping the legs of the leftmost one.

A dull crack.

Broken!!

“Ooh!!”

I shoulder-tackle it, taking down two more in the process.

“Shi!!”

One reaches for me, but I slam a thrust into its chest.

Won’t kill it, but it flips backward as planned.

I leap over the fallen zombies to clear Kanzaki-san’s line of fire.

“Shaa!!”

Using my momentum, I land a flying kick to another’s face.

A dull sensation travels through my leg from its neck.

I ride its face to the ground, crushing its skull as I land.

Brains splatter.

Next!

Move, move! Keep moving!!

Stop, and you’re dead!!

Gunshots echo from behind.

Kanzaki-san’s taking them out.

Thank you!!

I roll forward without losing momentum, spring up, and smash another’s shin.

Next!!

“Nua!!”

I keep my swing’s momentum, spin, and slam a weighted strike into the last one.

The bokken roars, twisting its knee joint backward, sending it flying.

Nagumo-ryu, “Tumbling Slash”

A nasty technique—rolling low, relentlessly targeting the legs from angles hard to defend.

…Worked with a bokken, somehow.

Good thing I ditched my backpack…

I catch my breath, scanning the area.

No second wave… Good.

Time to regroup with Kanzaki-san.

The zombies I knocked down are all headshot, sent to nirvana.

Man, her precision’s unreal.

Kanzaki-san’s incredible!

“Thank you, Kanzaki-san!”

“You were impressive yourself, Tanakano-san.”

“Nah, you’re the reliable one.”

“No way… Hehe.”

I call out to the ossans hiding behind the pickup truck.

“You can come out now. Any injuries?”

Relieved, the two ossans peek out cautiously.

“Phew… Saved our skins. Thought we were goners…”

“Yeah, yeah! Thank you, man, I thought we were done for!”

Come to think of it, there were four ossans last time.

Where’re the other two?

“You said this area had few zombies before… What happened?”

“Ah! Right…!”

One jumps up like he’s been shocked.

He bows deeply to me, followed by the other.

“It’s a lot to ask from someone we barely know, but… please, help! Kids are in danger!!”

“I know it’s sudden, but we’re begging you, with your skills!”

“…What’s that?”

This sounds bad.

“Come to the Fisheries Center, please! We’ll explain on the way!”

“We’ll do whatever we can to repay you… Please!”

They drop to their hands, practically prostrating.

…These guys taught me a lot last time, and they’re asking sincerely, not acting high and mighty.

Gotta repay courtesy with courtesy.

I glance at Kanzaki-san, who smiles and gives a small nod.

…She sees right through me.

Best partner ever.

“…Alright. Let’s go now!”

Fine, no choice!

I decide who to save or abandon!

Can’t just say, “Oh, is that so? I’m heading home~” now, can I?

※

I grab shuriken, wakizashi, and helmet from the pickup.

The Fisheries Center’s close, so we’ll walk.

On the way, the ossans explain.

Apparently, a fence suddenly broke, and zombies poured in.

The four ossans were heading out to fish as usual.

Two escaped toward us, but the other two spotted kids about to be attacked by zombies.

They rescued the kids and fled to a truck in the parking lot.

The escaping pair tried to regroup but were cut off by zombies and had to run.

That’s the situation.

“How many kids?”

“Uh… Four, I think. Was kinda frantic…”

“Four, yeah. Pretty sure none got bitten.”

Good, they’re safe on the truck.

Zombies are brain-dead—literally.

They can’t climb.

As long as the truck doesn’t get flipped by sheer numbers, they’re fine.

…Not a jinx, okay?

As we near the Fisheries Center, zombie roars and kids’ cries echo.

Good, they’re still alive.

“Sorry… We dragged you into this…”

“If we were tougher…”

“It’s fine. Leave it to the pros.”

The two ossans are non-combatants, so I have them climb the Fisheries Center’s fence and wait.

Fighting while protecting unarmed civilians is too much.

…Wait, I’m technically a civilian too.

I wave off their repeated bows, and Kanzaki-san and I step quietly into the grounds.

※

The parking lot in front of the Fisheries Center.

Zombies, as expected.

Count… uh…

“(Twenty-five.)”

Kanzaki-san counts fast!

Twenty-five… More than I thought.

We exchange a glance, observing.

That’s the broken fence, huh.

Collapsed on the ground.

No zombies beyond it.

So, we just need to deal with these twenty-five.

In the middle of the zombie horde, a mid-sized truck.

On its bed, the two ossans from before and four kids.

The ossans clutch the wailing kids tightly.

The zombies, responding to the cries, roar back.

The truck sways as zombies bump into it.

…It might tip over if this keeps up. Dangerous.

I look toward the Fisheries Center.

Through the front door, I see evacuees.

A young woman—probably a mom—is being held back by others, ready to rush out.

…Stalemate.

Opening the door could let zombies flood in.

It’s the right call, but tough on the parents.

“(Kanzaki-san, got any grenades?)”

“(Always. Two today.)”

As expected.

We can make this work.

Quick strategy meeting.

“(…Don’t push yourself, okay?)”

“(Plenty of cars here, so we’re good.)”

Kanzaki-san reluctantly agrees.

Alright, let’s do this!

I tie a towel to my bokken and wave it slowly, silently.

After a few waves, one ossan notices, eyes wide.

I gesture, “Get down.”

After a few tries, they get it, hugging the kids and lying flat on the truck bed.

“(Kanzaki-san, now!)”

“(Got it!)”

I brace to run, bokken over my shoulder.

Kanzaki-san swings her arm, and a grenade flies.

It arcs perfectly, landing at the edge of the zombie cluster.

A beat, then a boom.

The blast and flash blow several zombies away.

Body parts scatter.

Another throw.

It lands in the gap, another explosion.

More zombies go flying.

I sprint as soon as I see it.

I beeline for the truck, knocking down zombies from behind.

I crush the fifth one’s skull, and the rest finally notice, roaring and turning to me.

That’s right! Come at me! Chase me!!

I run toward the broken fence.

Time for the forbidden Bakumatsu warrior tactic!!

I lead the zombies, running in circles.

Occasionally, I turn, smack the lead zombie, and keep going.

When I tire, I jump onto a parked car to rest.

Unlike before, Kanzaki-san snipes the trailing zombies.

Shooting near the truck risks ricochets hitting the ossans and kids.

Here we go! Wipe ‘em out!!

I leap off a pickup, smashing a zombie’s head.

I tackle another, taking down more, then thrust at one’s throat.

“Uoooh!!”

I break legs.

Crush necks.

Cave in faces.

I keep at it for a while.

“Haa!!”

I drive a weighted thrust into the last zombie’s throat.

The impact confirms a critical hit.

Its head flops backward, and it stops moving.

…All the parking lot zombies are in nirvana now.

“Phew… Haa… That was rough…”

Twenty-five was a lot.

Though grenades and shots took out over half.

“Good work.”

I regroup with Kanzaki-san and approach the truck with the ossans and kids.

“Hey, it’s safe now.”

They peek out cautiously.

“It is you from before… Wow…”

“Thank you! Thought we were done for… Wow…”

They’re stunned by the parking lot carnage.

Looking back, it’s a mess.

…Can’t let the kids see this.

“Mamoru!” “Kana!” “Kumi!” “Takashi!!”

As I think that, the Fisheries Center door flies open, and four women run out.

Moms, probably.

The kids cling to their mothers, sobbing.

They’re shaken but seem unbitten.

Good…

“Thank you… Thank you so much!”

“No, no, just how it went. Don’t worry about it.”

A teary ossan grabs my hand, shaking it wildly.

Glad these two are unhurt too.

Oh, gotta signal the two ossans on the fence that it’s clear.

※

“Man, what a haul in every sense.”

“Truly a great day.”

I chat with Kanzaki-san in the truck, cigarette in mouth as I drive.

“Though, it’s a bit annoying not seeing behind.”

I glance at the rearview mirror.

…Just blue.

“Didn’t expect this much as thanks…”

The truck bed’s loaded with a tarp tied down.

Under it? Tons of dried fish from the Fisheries Center.

After, the fishermen running the temporary shelter gave it as thanks.

Apparently, the police used to run it, but they went to check Shiiya City and haven’t returned.

Local fishermen stepped up to manage the evacuees.

Fishermen are something else.

I said it was too much, but they insisted they’ve got plenty preserved.

Before I knew it, they loaded the truck.

Dried fish, but it’s heavy.

…Hope the front wheels don’t lift.

The ossans shared tons of secret fishing spots around Shiiya.

They offered high-end fishing gear, liquor, and jewelry, but I declined.

I don’t drink, I can scavenge gear, and jewelry’s out of the question.

…Ossan, I appreciate the gratitude, but a wedding ring’s too much…

The info’s more valuable to me.

…Those ultra-expensive rods—over 100,000 yen—felt too much to take.

Those guys are hardcore anglers like my old man.

Wanna fish with them next time.

“Be nice to trade veggies and fish regularly.”

“Yeah, sane human communities are rare.”

I’ll leave that to Miyata-san and crew.

Not my deal.

Oh, no missing persons from the binder were there.

Guess I’ll drop off some dried fish with Kanzaki-san, then head to Mondo-occhan’s to share.

“Tanakano-san, take me fishing again, okay?”

“Absolutely, let’s go!”

“…Promise?”

“…Pinky swear?”

I joke, but she actually makes me do it.

…If I break it, I’ll get a thousand bullets instead of needles.

A chill runs through me as I hit the gas.

“Tanakano-san, about that ground-crawling technique…”

You notice everything!!