Everyone had their own doubts, but this was clearly not a place where they could linger.
Kisaragi Akira looked toward Saeko Busujima.
"Saeko, do you know where we can find a car? Preferably one big enough to fit all of us so we can leave the school first."
"You can just call me Saeko, Akira-kun," she replied calmly. "As for a car…"She hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't know."
"I do!"
At that moment, Shizuka Marikawa raised her arm high.
Her exaggerated movement caused a noticeable sway, almost dragging Akira's gaze with it. Fortunately, his willpower held.
"I have a car," she said cheerfully. "It's parked in the lot behind the school."
"Good. Lead the way," Akira replied.
Under Marikawa's guidance, the group headed toward the parking lot.Rei Miyamoto remained silent the entire time, her expression cold.Saya Takagi, meanwhile, kept glancing curiously at the strange, water-like substance faintly lingering around Akira.
Parking Lot
There weren't many undead here.
After clearing out the zombies near the entrance, the area quickly became safe.
"This is my car!"Marikawa proudly unlocked a Jeep.
"Since it's yours, you should drive," Akira said.
Everyone boarded one after another. Marikawa started the engine, and the vehicle rolled toward the exit—
"Wait!"
A bespectacled man led a group of students running toward them.
Marikawa instinctively slammed the brakes.
In moments, the Jeep was surrounded.
The man adjusted his glasses, calmly scanning the occupants of the vehicle. Several female students, a clueless school doctor, a girl dressed strangely, and only one boy.
A subtle smile crept onto his face.
"Hello," he said gently. "I'm Fujiwara Koichi, a teacher at this school."
"There are corpses everywhere now. We should unite for survival."He paused, then smiled."Would you like to join us?"
Saya Takagi and Rei Miyamoto both frowned, feeling uncomfortable under his unrestrained gaze.
Saeko Busujima calmly rested her hand on the hilt of her katana.
Exusiai, seated casually, continued cleaning her gun without even looking up.
"Hm… when did—"Confused, Marikawa instinctively wanted to agree—
—but she suddenly felt a chilling stare.
Akira was looking at her.
Cold. Sharp.
A shiver ran down her spine, and the words that came out of her mouth changed completely.
"Of course not."
"Oh?"
Fujiwara Koichi was momentarily stunned.
He had assumed this woman was easy to manipulate.
Then he noticed it.
The only boy in the vehicle.
Irritation flickered through his eyes, but his smile remained intact.
"It seems Professor Marikawa and her group are unwilling to cooperate," he said calmly.
"However, I am the oldest here. These students escaped danger under my guidance."He adjusted his glasses."Perhaps you could leave the vehicle to us instead?"
He turned to the students behind him.
"What do you think? Don't we need this car more?"
The students immediately echoed him.
"That's right!""We need it more than they do!""Please leave the car here, Professor Marikawa!"
"We'll go find reinforcements and come back to save you!"
Their voices overlapped, righteous and loud.
"Bastard."
Rei Miyamoto clenched her fists, fury burning in her eyes.
"We found the car. Why should we give it to you?"
Fujiwara Koichi slowly turned toward her, smiling thinly.
"Didn't you hear?""This is the will of the people."
It was obvious.
Strength in numbers. Bullying the few with the many.
To say it so openly was disgusting.
"This is the true ugliness of adults," Exusiai muttered, shaking her head.
"Have you finished talking?"
Akira finally spoke.
Fujiwara Koichi froze.
He hadn't expected this boy to speak now.
He was about to apply pressure—
Whoosh.Bang!
Fujiwara Koichi's head exploded.
It happened in an instant.
No one saw the attack.
His body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
Only then did the screams erupt.
"D-Dead…! Teacher Fujiwara is dead!""What just happened?!""W-What was that?!"
Panic spread through the crowd.
Exusiai, Saeko Busujima, and the others had seen it clearly.
Akira had merely flicked a coin.
That was all.
"Marikawa," Akira said calmly. "Drive."
"Ah—! O-Okay! Yes!"
Blood and fragments splattered across the pavement.Marikawa's hands shook violently as she stepped on the gas.
The Jeep surged forward.
The students rushed to block it.
"Stop—! Leave the car—!"
Bang!
Another head exploded mid-sentence.
Silence.
The remaining students immediately retreated.
They understood perfectly.
Stopping the car meant death.
No one dared move again.
A vast field of dark, water-like energy quietly spread over the vehicle as it drove away.