Chapter 30 – March 30, Sakurazaka Yae

When I set up the usual barbecue set in the backyard and lit the fire at noon, everyone gathered around.

After confirming that glasses were distributed to everyone, my younger brother stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“Now, let’s start the celebration!”

“Yaaay!”

Everyone raised their glasses and quickly drank the contents.

While this would be an unhealthy way to drink if it were alcohol, the contents were only tea or juice.

“Well, we won’t get excited without alcohol, will we?”

“Just because we won doesn’t mean the remnants won’t come and bother us. Don’t let your guard down! Wasn’t it the senior who said that?”

Hinoyama scolded, imitating Jinuichi’s tone.

Finally, all the people brought in by Mikishima, whether Modoki or not have retreated.

It was an impressive and clean exit, but we never knew when the enemy’s mood would change.

That’s why alcohol has been excluded from the celebration.

“It’s been just one day, but the fatigue doesn’t seem to go away, huh?”

“Well, we were busy with the aftermath too.”

Diya-chan was engaging with my younger brother, leaning against him.

I felt a slight unease, but I held back today. It’s a joyful celebration, after all.

Just because the enemy retreated doesn’t mean everything disappears like in a game. We have no choice but to handle the disposal of the Modoki’s body and the aftermath of the battle ourselves.

We dug a hole with a shovel in a slightly distant location, carried the Modoki’s body there, and then sprinkled gasoline before setting it on fire.

We definitely put an end to it, but there’s no guarantee that it won’t come back like a zombie. That’s why, I’m sorry, but we have no choice but to incinerate it.

We burned all of the Modoki’s bodies and cleared out all the barricades in front of the gate. In their place, we have positioned heavy machinery.

This way, it can serve as a defensive barrier, and it’s easier to maneuver.

“Hmm, actually defending it made the shortcomings apparent, so there’s room for improvement!”

“Are you still going to modify it?”

“Of course. First, we need to do something about the moat. The logs aren’t durable enough, and the fire mechanism is cumbersome!”

“When you set it on fire, the logs burn.”

“That’s why we should reinforce it with concrete! We have plenty of materials!”

I found it strange that there were bags labeled “mortar” stacked beside the soil and sand that came out when we dug the moat. It turns out those were supplies that Diya-chan had stockpiled.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You look down. Have some meat, carnivore.”

Jinguichi was carrying a plate piled high with cooked meat.

There was a man in a wheelchair ahead of him.

He was wearing pajamas, but they were small-sized, barely containing the bulging muscles pushing through. The buttons seemed like they could burst off at any moment.

“If you think I look energetic, senior, you might as well throw those eyes away.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“We have quite an unattractive bunch of juniors.”

Jinguichi shrugged his shoulders as he was being scolded by the two.

But all three of them seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Just before the enemy retreated, Iwaro-san was thrown out along with his wheelchair in front of the barricades.

His limbs peeking out from the pajamas were wrapped in bandages, and he was in a painful state. However, he was conscious and able to converse.

Jinguichi shed tears of joy upon their reunion.

Vaccines and treatment drugs were also placed together, so we collected those as well.

Iwaro-san still had lingering effects and it would take some time for him to move as he wished, luckily he didn’t look like infected by the modoki. If he were….. it would be really troublesome.

We somehow managed to overcome a shocking and hectic day.

However, it wasn’t all over. On the contrary, it hadn’t even begun.

In terms of a game, it was just the early stages. We had finished the tutorial.

The zombie crisis couldn’t be stopped. It was only a matter of time before the world became filled with modokis.

Even if the mastermind was dead, this course of events would probably… remain unchanged.

I heard from my younger brother about the world he saw in his premonitory dream, one month into the future.

There was no internet or television broadcasting, and the lifelines had ceased to function.

However, the radio was still operational, broadcasting at fixed times.

If we were to believe that information, Japan was in a state of devastation, but some Self-Defense Force bases and police stations had become shelters. The surviving individuals had gathered there, struggling to get by.

I felt relieved knowing that we had made preparations and weren’t living in hardship.

However, my brother quietly revealed something to me, something he had told only me.

“It was originally planned for just the two of us, so the rate at which the food is depleting is faster than I imagined. It might be impossible to endure here for many years.”

We thought we had gathered more than enough supplies, but that was based on the assumption of just the two of us.

Now we have a total of six people. Simple math tells us we need three times as much.

In addition, the issue of food consumption arose due to the body sizes of Hinoyama-san and Iwaro-san, as it was evident they required more food.

Both of them seem to be holding back and eating less than they need, but they still consume significantly more than me.

Therefore, we have plans to go shopping this afternoon and tomorrow. We have a truck, so we’re determined to go to as many stores as possible and gather food and daily necessities.

For now, daily life in society hasn’t been significantly affected. Even when watching television or browsing the internet, you can only catch a glimpse of the zombie panic through small news articles. The majority of people are unaware of the impending threat that looms upon us.

From a few days ago, using my online persona, ” Nunu Gensei,” I have been repeatedly conveying the message of the impending crisis to the world. However, lately, there has been a growing proportion of criticism such as “the jokes are getting repetitive” and “it’s not funny anymore.”

The number of views has also been decreasing day by day. The current reputation of ” Nunu Gensei ” is that of someone with mental health issues who spouts delusional ramblings, despite her accurate predictions in fortune-telling.

“Big sister, you don’t seem well.”

“Diya-chan.”

In contrast to my gloomy self, Diya-chan always brightens up with a radiant smile. When I’m feeling down, she behaves even more energetically.

“We are safe, but we couldn’t convey it effectively to others, huh?”

“But some of our fans have received the message properly. It doesn’t mean that no one was helped!”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

While there were many distant fans, there were also those who sincerely listened to our story and believed us. These people have taken precautions based on our warnings.

I want to believe that our efforts were not in vain.

“Y-yeah, and there are still two days left! We have a chance to deliver a decisive blow and turn things around!”

Overwhelmed by Diya-chan’s confidence, I find myself nodding.

…But I can’t think of a way to overturn the current situation.

However, seeing Diya-chan filled with motivation, I can’t help but have some fleeting hope that maybe something can be done.

“Yae-nee, don’t have such a gloomy face. We should be happy that everyone has survived and there is a future.”

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re absolutely right!”

Moping around or feeling down won’t change anything.

I’ve decided to live with my brother… with everyone. Let’s move forward.

From now on, we’ll encounter nothing but difficulties, but let’s step forward with courage!

…

“No way.”

I rejected my younger brother’s tempting offer by the car.

“You want me to die?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. Compared to yesterday, it should be a piece of cake.”

He says it casually, but he doesn’t understand how much of a hardship it is for me.

It feels unfair to compare it to yesterday’s life-or-death battle.

“We might not be able to go shopping ever again, you know?”

“W-Well, that might be true, but…”

My brother is inviting me to accompany him on the shopping trip.

It’s not something to brag about, but yesterday was the farthest I’ve been from home in years.

I just can’t handle diving into a densely populated commercial area like that. I wish he wouldn’t ask the impossible of me.

“If it’s really too much, then it’s okay. But I wanted to walk together with you, my sister, in the places where I’ve gone shopping alone so many times. Is that not possible?”

My younger brother extends his hand with an embarrassed smile.

When he says something like that… There’s no way I can refuse, right?

As I grasp his hand, he firmly clasps mine in return.

“How was it, Yae-nee?”

“Well, I think I had fun.”

I answered from the driver’s seat while hugging the spoils of our shopping, a plush toy.

I’m a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed myself.

I was so scared of venturing out into the outside world, but once I knew that the future might no longer allow us to do so, I mustered up the courage.

The scenery outside the car window and the unfamiliar town all appeared radiant.

I’ll engrave them in my memory. The scenes of the peaceful times.

After going around the shopping district and replenishing our supplies to some extent, we headed towards a huge shopping mall. We had a great time there after our shopping, but we had to return home considering the shortage of goods.

Our other companion is sleeping soundly next to me.

“Diya-chan was playing with all her might in the game corner, saying, ‘This might be our last farewell in this lifetime, so let’s enjoy to the fullest!’ It seems like she’s exhausted now.

We couldn’t take Iwaro-san with us because he needs to take care of his body, Jinguichi-san, and Hinoyama-san also stayed behind.

We considered the possibility of remnants from the settlement attacking.

We have confirmed the safety of everyone until one month later through my brother’s premonition, but there’s no guarantee that the enemy won’t attack.”

“We’re late. I wonder if those three are eating properly.”

“Diya-chan said she told them that she’ll be late and for them to just have a meal without her.”

“It’s a bit late to ask, but can those two cook?”

“Iwaro-san seems capable, but he needs to rest. I’m not sure about the other two.”

I can’t imagine Jinguichi-san being able to cook, but they say you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Since they seem to have been living alone for a long time, it’s possible that they’re actually good at cooking.

“Uncle is completely incapable, ‘yawn’. It seems like Hinoyama-san is also not good.”

Diya-chan, who had woken up, let out a big yawn.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“No, it’s okay. But, Iwaro is really skilled. He occasionally posts cooking videos, and they’re well-received. People find it cute to see him cooking with that big body.”

Indeed, it might be cute and create a gap in expectations.

Diya-chan operated her smartphone and showed me a cooking video of Iwaro-san, where he was earnestly making character bento boxes.

“Oh, I can see why this is popular. I should subscribe too.”

As I took out my smartphone and turned it on, my fingers stopped.

In the day after tomorrow, the internet would no longer serve any purpose.

Then, this action would be meaningless. That, in itself, is just sad.

“You’re making a gloomy face again.”

“…Don’t look away while driving.”

I worried my brother while he was driving.

I had decided to be strong and move forward, to face the future. I should stop feeling down so easily.

As long as I’m with my brother and Diya-chan, the apocalypse world doesn’t seem so bad, right?

..

“Tomorrow, even if I wanted to, I won’t be able to do it anymore. Before that, just one more time, I wanted to give it a try. To switch my mindset and challenge the extraordinary.”

I enjoyed it to my heart’s content and satisfied, I put down the controller with a sense of fulfillment.

Checking the time, it was already past 11 o’clock.

I guess it’s time to go to bed. There’s a lot to do tomorrow.

As I got into bed and was about to turn off the lights, I heard a rhythmic knocking sound on the door—knock, knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Diya. Can I come in?”

“Just a moment.”

I removed the safety lock just in case and invited her into the room.

She was adorable in her fluffy pink pajamas.

“Sorry for coming so late at night. There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Sure, what is it?”

Given that she came at this hour; it might be something serious.

I straightened my collar and prepared myself to listen attentively.

“Actually—”