Shizuka-sensei was chatting happily with her friend. Saya, standing beside them, let out a sigh at how carefree she seemed. She looked off into the distance, thinking about which route they should take to reach the East Police Station. She also recalled that Takashi's mother was a teacher who worked at Shintoko Third Elementary School. His father was a businessman, so she had no idea where he might be now.
She pushed those thoughts aside when she saw Takashi running toward her.
"What's going on?"
Saya asked.
Takashi was clearly out of breath; he looked like he'd been running ever since he left that room—and he hadn't been mistaken.
"Mission accomplished,"
Takashi said, raising his thumb.
That cheered Saya up. At the very least, she wouldn't be stuck there with her parents any longer.
"But we need to talk. We have to come up with a plan to reach the East Police Station. It's the closest location from here."
Takashi began thinking seriously about what to do, fully embracing his role as leader. The most important thing wasn't just searching for their families, but also resupplying ammunition. The police station was a critical checkpoint if they wanted to reach the area where his mother was—Shintoko Elementary School.
At that moment, a massive flash lit up the sky. It was instantaneous and blinding. The phone in Shizuka-sensei's hand began to smoke, and the sound of streetlights exploding and others instantly burning out echoed around them.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Rei came running toward them, and shortly after, Saeko arrived alongside Saya's parents and their men. They had reacted immediately after hearing the sound and seeing the flash in the sky.
Kohta also ran toward the group in a panic. While he had been inspecting a vehicle with the Takagi family's mechanic, a short circuit occurred. The mechanic ordered Kohta to go outside and see what was happening, since Kohta wasn't helping at all there. The mechanic stayed behind, trying to figure out what had caused the failure.
"H-Hello? Rika? What's going on? Why did the phone shut off?"
Shizuka-sensei asked anxiously, clutching the device and trying to reconnect.
Everyone turned to look at Saya. They relied heavily on her intellect— even her parents were watching her, waiting for an explanation. One of the scenarios she had feared had come true, and she began to explain with a grim expression.
"Out of fear that this outbreak was caused by a major power, all the other world powers have started blindly attacking one another. They want to inflict as much damage as possible on any potential aggressor."
Saya bit her nail in frustration, then raised a finger and pointed toward the sky, declaring a bleak conclusion.
"What just happened in the sky was the explosion of a nuclear warhead in the upper atmosphere. It didn't reach its intended target—it was intercepted by Japanese destroyers and the national self-defense system."
The detonation of a nuclear weapon caused a massive electromagnetic pulse that fried electronic systems. It likely left the entire city of Tokonoso not only without electricity, but without any usable electronic devices.
"Maybe we were lucky… or unlucky,"
Saya said with a sigh.
"What do you mean? Didn't we just lose power everywhere?"
Shizuka-sensei asked, sounding even more distressed at the thought of the entire city losing electricity.
Saya ignored her and continued explaining; everyone was waiting for her to go on.
"That warhead could have been aimed at this city, or it may have been intercepted while targeting somewhere else. All we can do now is hope we aren't a priority target—because several other cities probably weren't as lucky, and all that's left of them is a crater."
Silence fell over the group. If that bomb had been aimed at this city, none of them would still be alive. They were grateful it had been intercepted, even if it meant losing all power.
As soon as Saya finished explaining, Takagi Soichiro wasted no time and began issuing orders. He needed to assess the damage immediately.
"Check which equipment is no longer operational! Some of you, find anything we can use for lighting! We can't afford to waste time! With or without electricity, our plans move forward!"
Soichiro didn't care if the EMP had affected the water and power plants. As long as he could take control of the electrical facilities, he could find the necessary components to restore them—or at the very least secure electricity and clean water for his own refugee camp. His ultimate goal was always the reclamation of all of Japan, and minor setbacks wouldn't slow him down.
Takashi's group felt a sense of despair. Searching for their families had just become far more difficult. But after hearing Soichiro's firm declaration, they found renewed motivation to continue their journey with determination. This wasn't the time to lose heart.
Several men arrived carrying makeshift lamps filled with alcohol and began placing them around the mansion's entrance and its surroundings, illuminating the vast property.
Thunderous noises began to echo from outside the mansion. People ran in to report what was happening, while others tried to keep the zombies at bay around the perimeter. The situation looked grim—many of the zombies were managing to break through. Takagi Soichiro's men began using firearms, which not only pushed the zombies back but also drew even more of them in. They fired as they retreated toward the gate, desperately seeking refuge.
Soichiro shouted without hesitation:
"Close the gate!"
"But sir, there are still workers outside!"
"If we don't do it now, we'll lose everything."
His firm tone left no room for doubt, and his orders were obeyed. The zombies began piling up against the gate. Everyone knew it wouldn't hold for long. Takagi's men and Takashi's group began preparing for combat, awaiting Soichiro's next command. If they failed to stop them now, not only would Soichiro's ambitions collapse—but so would the chances of finding their families.
The gate finally gave way, and the zombies poured in like a horde. They moved toward any source of noise. The roar of gunfire filled the air, and heads began to explode. They fought bravely and effectively—but every shot only attracted more zombies toward the mansion.
The lit lamps were knocked over, spilling their fuel. Flames began to spread—not only over the burning zombies, but also toward the surrounding trees and vegetation.
The screams of civilians as they saw the zombies approaching only drew more of them in. Several zombies near the entrance fell and were trampled to death, but it was impossible to notice amid the overwhelming numbers. The narrow entrance restricted them—but it was also the only way out.
Although escaping through the forest was possible, the encroaching darkness made it easy to get lost, and there was still the danger that the uncontrollable fire could spread in that direction.
Soichiro hadn't expected the situation to spiral out of control so quickly. He had underestimated the number of zombies surrounding the area. Now, only a frontal assault remained.
He looked at the civilians huddled together in fear—and roared.
"Anyone who wants to survive! Anyone who wants to see tomorrow's light again! You'd better get up and fight! Fight for your survival!"
With that shout, all the civilians rose to their feet. Even though they were terrified, no one wanted to die. Soichiro looked straight at Takashi; not once did he show weakness.
"Komuro-kun, you're going to look for your families, right?"
Takashi was startled to hear Soichiro address him directly and nodded, still surprised.
"Then I entrust my daughter to you."
"Dad! What are you talking about?!"
Saya protested as soon as she heard her father's words. Her heart trembled, and she reacted hysterically to what she believed was about to happen. Her mother slapped her across the face to calm her down.
"Mom…?"
"We have a duty to fulfill here. I know you understand what that means. The only thing we can do is leave you in the care of your friends. We know this hurts us too, so don't make it harder. Go."
Tears streamed down Saya's face as she understood what her parents were about to do. She knew her father's character all too well: just as he had the courage not to wait for orders from the Prime Minister, he now had the courage to face the consequences of the decisions that brought him here. He could not run away like a coward and leave his subordinates to die. That would not be honorable.
"Throw the dynamite!"
Soichiro shouted, and several bundles of dynamite were hurled toward the groups of zombies.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fire spread even further; everything looked like a burning hell.
Saya and the others ran, following their mother's orders to find a functional vehicle. When they reached it, they saw it was still under repair—damaged circuits were being replaced, people desperately trying to fix it. They had to hold out until it was ready.
Saeko spoke up when she realized they could escape using that vehicle.
"I'll defend here. Takashi-kun, Kohta-kun, could you please call Nanashi?"
Takashi and Kohta froze. Everything had happened so fast that they had completely forgotten about Nanashi. As much as they wanted to go back inside the mansion to look for him, they could see that even with the dynamite, the number of zombies wasn't decreasing at all. Saeko was cutting down zombie after zombie, but the sheer number approaching was no joke.
Takashi and Kohta exchanged a glance, nodded, grabbed their weapons, and started firing. Between gunshots, they shouted:
"Nanashi!"
"Nanashi, get out!"
Even with firearms, the situation looked grim from several other parts of the mansion. Ammunition wasn't infinite—it would run out sooner or later. That was when Soichiro instructed the civilians to act, dividing them into groups positioned behind the shooters, trembling as they waited for their turn. He wanted to avoid crossfire: when the shooters had to reload, the civilians would step in to defend.
At the moment the shooters began reloading, something happened that shocked them so much some dropped their magazines onto the ground.
A man wielding a sword appeared at the front of the main group, where the largest horde of zombies was advancing. His back was turned to them; only the sword in his hand was visible, illuminated by the surrounding flames. It looked as if it were burning with black fire—terrifying just to behold. But something even more shocking followed.
Like a ghost, the man vanished. As if he had teleported, he reappeared at the opposite end of the zombie horde—then disappeared again.
The survivors were stunned. Some rubbed their eyes, convinced they had lost their minds and seen a phantom. But the true horror came when the zombies tried to advance and began collapsing into pieces—some split clean in half, others decapitated.
The same scene repeated itself in several other locations, almost simultaneously. Most of the zombies had been shredded to pieces. All the groups began regrouping, and Takagi Soichiro saw it too, utterly astonished. He let out a breath of relief—whoever that man was, he had saved them. Only his shadow and the mangled zombie corpses proved he existed.
Saeko saw him as well while she decapitated the surrounding zombies. Like a violent gust of wind, everything around her was torn apart. She caught a glimpse of that shadow, and her heart pounded with excitement.
Nanashi?
Everyone gathered together, watching in disbelief as the shadow appeared and vanished, erasing zombies until only a sea of fire remained.
Saeko, overwhelmed, ran toward him when she saw him finally stop—only to see the man drop to one knee and vomit a mouthful of blood. She ran faster, panic tightening her chest.
"Nanashi!"
Takashi stared in shock. It really was Nanashi. Relief washed over him, quickly followed by doubt—how could he have accomplished something like this? Rei trembled beside him, instinctively hiding behind Takashi.
"It's Nanashi…"
The civilians were stunned, many of them cheering in relief at the sight of their savior. The brush with death had sent them into a euphoric state; they wanted to thank him. The shadow heard Saeko's footsteps and the shouting, stood up, and turned to face them.
Everyone froze. Even Saeko stopped dead in her tracks.
Red markings ran across his face—but what truly shocked and terrified them were his eyes. They looked like empty sockets, devoid of light. Yet the reflection of the flames proved there were eyes there, making the sight even more horrifying. Some screamed in terror. Others collapsed—not just because of his eyes, but because of the black object protruding from his hair: a horn.
"A d-demon!"
Several people fainted. Soichiro and a few others remained standing. Demon or not, he had saved them. Still, they stayed where they were, watching as more zombies continued to pour in.
Saeko saw it too—the zombies were still coming. She didn't care what had happened to Nanashi. She stepped in front of him, raised her sword, and cut down the approaching zombies. But before she could continue, the zombies around her were suddenly torn apart.
Takashi and the others were moving in to help as well. They trusted Nanashi. He was their companion—and they had to help him regain control of the situation.
Nanashi appeared in front of Saeko and raised one hand. She was worried; she wanted to say something, but he was silent. She noticed the sword in his other hand, leaking a black miasma. It looked terrifying. Deeply unsettling. She had heard countless legends about cursed swords—blades that incited violence or brought misfortune. She had always believed they were myths, born of superstition.
Now, she was certain she was staring at one.
"Huh—?"
Saeko cried out as sudden pain exploded in her chest. Everything happened too fast. She was airborne.
Takashi lunged forward, trying to catch her. Saeko had been flung several meters back with terrifying ease by Nanashi. Both of them crashed to the ground.
The next words the group heard were cold and absolute:
"Mind your own business."
Takashi could feel those terrifying eyes staring at him. He thought they were fixed on him; he didn't know for sure—he just had a gut feeling. Those words had been firm, like a verdict, an order—but Takashi could see Nanashi's face twisting and blood dripping from his mouth.
Saeko didn't care about Nanashi's words. She stood up and tried to run to his side; she wanted to fight alongside him. Something was happening with that sword, and she had to take it away from him after dealing with the problem.
Seeing this, Takashi grabbed Saeko, holding her tightly.
"Takashi, let me go!"
Saeko shouted, shocked by what he had just done. Nanashi nodded at him, turned around, and vanished once more.
Nanashi was gone, but the zombies at the entrance began falling apart. Takashi could see flashes indicating that he was heading toward one of the streets that was packed with zombies.
"No… no!"
Saeko began to struggle, but seeing him disappear instantly weakened her resistance. Takashi let her go once she stopped fighting.
PA!
Takashi fell to the ground, clutching his face. A burning pain ran across his cheek, but he made no sound; he only looked at Saeko in silence.
Soichiro and his men began running around them, avoiding Takashi's group. Although Nanashi was dealing with the street where most of the zombies were, there were still others trying to enter from the suburban road—some drawn by the gruesome sounds of zombies being torn apart by Nanashi, others trying to break into the estate.
"I won't forgive you."
Takashi received those harsh words as he watched tears fall from Saeko's face. He felt bitterness, but this was what Nanashi wanted. Even though he didn't know what had happened to Nanashi, he understood that he didn't want to be followed.
Saeko turned around and walked away.
"Being a leader is tough, huh?"
Rei said with a forced smile, trying to comfort Takashi—though she was still scared that Nanashi hadn't killed her. Seeing him disappear actually relieved her a lot; knowing that he had saved them, she decided to say nothing. She was relieved that he was gone.
Takashi smiled bitterly. Now he understood the burden of leadership; this was what he had to deal with. He sighed as he recalled Nanashi nodding at him—it felt like the right decision. Deep down, Takashi swore to himself that he would become stronger.
Saya remained silent, processing what had happened. Neither the speed nor the strength Nanashi had displayed was scientifically possible; it was far too unreal. She heard murmurs that irritated her even more.
"A sword shouldn't be that strong… A sword shouldn't be that strong…"
Kohta was in a trance, having witnessed Nanashi slaughter hundreds of zombies with a katana.
Saeko moved closer to the entrance. Zombies were still coming from the opposite street, and she watched Takagi Soichiro's men struggling to seal the entrance while holding back the remaining ones. She jumped and stood atop the wall, surveying the entire scene. The pavement was completely covered with dismembered zombies; some were still crawling, spilling their internal organs across the ground.
Saeko watched bitterly, unaware that tears were streaming down her face. She remembered how she had treated Nanashi when they were alone—how she had mistreated him, and yet he had forgiven her. She had seen sincerity in his eyes and had never doubted him. Her heart ached because, at that moment, she had wanted to confess that she didn't deserve forgiveness—that she was broken, that she enjoyed tearing zombies apart, that she had been willing to torture him back then. And yet, she had been comforted. Nanashi didn't hate her for what she had done.
That was why she had vowed in her heart to protect him.
And now, she was the one being protected by him. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She didn't know or care how Nanashi had obtained a sword she had only ever heard about in legends. She just wanted to be by his side—and now she was left behind, unable to follow, saved once again.
She took a deep breath and screamed.
…
Nanashi felt a euphoria that slowly consumed him. His senses sharpened to the point of pain; he could see the world moving in slow motion while he moved casually through it. This was the monstrous power of Murasame's trump card. His physical abilities had increased to a terrifying level, but they were nothing compared to the speed he had gained—and because he could feel everything flowing slowly, his movements were precise.
Although he felt it wouldn't last long and that his sanity was slipping away, he tried to eliminate all the zombies around the mansion. As he prepared to finish off the main horde piling up at the entrance, his body staggered, forcing him to his knees. He felt something in his mouth, and when he opened it, blood began to pour out.
This was bad.
He quickly pulled out a seed and shoved it into his mouth. Although Nanashi didn't feel pain from using the trump card, his body was being damaged by exerting that terrifying power. Several of his bones had fractured, and some of his organs had been damaged, causing this result. Once he consumed the seed, all that damage began to heal instantly. His body started trying to adapt—though Nanashi didn't notice, as he was desperately focusing on maintaining his sanity.
He heard Saeko's scream behind him. He saw her worried, but it didn't matter—there wasn't much time left. He turned and shoved her toward Takashi, who was running toward them.
He couldn't allow them to follow him. If they did and he lost control, he was certain he would kill them. Seeing Takashi holding Saeko tightly, Nanashi said:
"Mind your own business."
He hoped they would understand. Seeing Takashi restraining Saeko firmly, Nanashi felt relieved and nodded.
Now he could focus on what truly mattered.
He vanished and slaughtered every zombie at the entrance. He had already identified where most of them were coming from and headed there. With Saeko and the others, the rest should be manageable—that was his hope.
His speed was so terrifying that no zombie could touch him. Every time they tried, he vanished and reappeared atop a wall or a house to gain momentum and continue clearing them out.
He merely swung his sword, and dozens of zombies were split in half. Though not a single drop of blood touched him, he could feel his clothes tearing; the soles of his shoes felt like they were about to give out. That terrifying speed was destroying his clothing.
He tried to move even faster.
He could hear sounds coming from his body.
Crack. Crack.
He knew some of his bones were on the verge of breaking, but he kept going while eating another seed. This didn't restore clarity to his mind—it merely prevented one of his arms from flying off or his legs from snapping under the strain of that overwhelming power.
He had gone far, and his mind was on the brink of collapse. The euphoria kept rising; his movements grew more ferocious, and the sounds of bones breaking intensified. Then he heard a shout in the distance that startled him.
"You'd better live! Because if I ever find you as a zombie… I'll kill you—and then I'll kill myself right there!"
Nanashi let out a bitter smile with the last fragments of reason he had left. He thought that she probably wouldn't want to see him after learning about all the atrocities he had committed. Or maybe, when they met again, it would be to settle accounts. Still, he hoped he wouldn't be so weak by then—and that he could run away.
With that small fantasy, his mind sank completely into the darkness of battle; his bloodlust took over.
…
He regained consciousness at some point. His eyes were slightly open, but all he could see was darkness. He was lying on a large concrete surface. He could feel the rough ground beneath him, confirming it. Much of his clothing was torn, and he could feel his skin pressed directly against the concrete. His mind was filled with blurred details, barely remembering fragments after losing control. He tried to move his body, but it didn't respond—nothing did.
Chomp, chomp, crack, chomp.
A disturbing sound froze him. He heard biting close by. Bitterly, he thought that his fate really had been tragic—but in a twisted way, he felt grateful that at least he couldn't feel pain in his final moments.
He let out a soft, grim laugh, thinking that maybe Saeko would find him—and if Rei told her everything, she would probably end his existence. Or, given her sadistic tendencies, maybe she would dismember him. Ironically, that thought made him shiver, and with a barely noticeable smile, he slowly closed his eyes as darkness fully consumed him.
At that moment—just as the zombies slowly approached the unconscious body—a dark brown door, like that of an ordinary house, appeared beneath Nanashi's body. With the darkness of the night, it would have been impossible to see or distinguish.
The door opened into infinite darkness, and the body disappeared.
Creak.
The door closed and vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.