The sun had risen.
Zeroy stopped her night-long beheading and looked toward the dawn.
She let out a slow breath and wiped away sweat that wasn't there.
Her points had reached around 2000. Normally, because zombies were more active and agile at night, her decapitation speed would increase slightly.
But tonight had been spent dealing with the survivor base.
First—the base's location.
After much searching, she still hadn't found the perfect site, so she settled for the best available: the current base.
It was a large shopping mall, with two smaller malls a few streets away, all located in a bustling commercial district. Food and supplies were abundant.
It was also near the river, so water was plentiful.
The downside: the nearest gas station was far, and since it was in the city center, far from the wilderness, natural resources were scarce.
After choosing the site, she had to clear the zombies.
This was tedious work and slowed her pace.
Zombies were troublesome not only for their extreme infectivity, but also for the problem their corpses created. Large gatherings of bodies could cause unknown issues, and their natural decay would devastate the environment.
Even in the cool spring, rot would come soon enough, making the area uninhabitable.
Burning them was no solution—the sheer number would choke the surroundings.
Elsewhere, she could lure zombies together and slaughter them freely, but not near the base.
Here, she had to lure them away before killing them.
And being in the heart of the city, their numbers were immense—costing her the whole night.
But by dawn, it was done.
From above, part of Tokonosu City had transformed—corpse mountains stood at intervals, severed heads scattered, the ground dyed red.
Only the area she'd protected was spotless, devoid of corpses or zombies, silent and empty.
'Strange…'
Her brow furrowed.
I've made so much noise, yet no one's come out?'
She meant other reincarnators.
She had no interest in shadow games—it wasted time and cut into her point gains. So she'd made no effort to hide, openly slaughtering zombies into spectacular corpse seas.
She even slowed down at times, feigning fatigue to bait others out.
No response.
Her detection radar showed nothing unusual near her or the school.
'Surely I'm not the only reincarnator?'
Her thoughts turned to the shattered sphere of light.
'It couldn't be that bad... could it?'
...
Back in the schoolyard, she used Mana to project her voice.
"Wake up. This isn't the time to sleep in. Bring what you're taking and gather here."
Soon, the students came down—only to vomit at the sight.
Zeroy didn't mind. To her, corpse stench was unpleasant but hardly sickening. War machines didn't balk at blood and flesh.
Once they were assembled, she noticed a few were missing.
She wasn't surprised—she'd tagged every survivor with a micro-mechanical insect for constant monitoring.
Three had left the school overnight; two were already dead, and the third likely wouldn't last.
She sighed and let it go. She wasn't a savior to all.
Her gaze swept the group. "Who can drive?"
A slightly tense voice answered, "I... I can."
A striking, mature woman stepped forward—the only adult among them. Unlike the students, she seemed composed despite some nerves.
"Name."
"Shizuka Marikawa. I'm the school nurse."
"Good." Zeroy nodded, eyes assessing. "Do you know where the campus bus keys are?"
Shizuka thought. "I think... in an office."
"Fine." Zeroy's tone was crisp. "Pick someone to go with you, get the keys, and bring the bus here."
She chose Saeko Busujima. Saya Takagi and Rei Miyamoto asked to go too, eager to escape Zeroy's pressure. She allowed it.
No others volunteered. Takashi Komuro hadn't appeared yesterday—likely dead before Zeroy arrived.
The heavyset Kohta Hirano stayed hidden in the group.
Soon enough, Shizuka returned with the bus.
"Everyone, drop your food and supplies—the base has plenty. Keep only personal belongings and get on."
It wasn't large, holding only fifteen, but they could squeeze.
"From now on, follow me."
...
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