Chapter 28 28: Found the Mission Targets

— — — — — — Located on the northwestern tip of Kyushu, this was a U.S. military base in Japan. Surrounded on three sides by the sea, it had a natural harbor tucked into the west, and the only land connection to Kyushu was a narrow strip of road—built along a thin stretch of land where the sea flanked both sides like a bottleneck. If there were ever a perfect example of the phrase "easy to defend, hard to attack," this base was it. Right now, on the narrow road connecting the base to the mainland— A girl with purple hair and blue eyes, wielding the famous blade Murata-tou, was carving a path through the undead horde. Every time she moved, another infected lost its head to her swift blade. There was no need to worry about stragglers—two companions flanked her left and right, each armed with a long spear, covering her back. She didn't fear rushing too far ahead either, since a sniper stationed back at the base, armed with an anti-materiel rifle, was keeping a close eye on her movements. There was a spotter who was ready to sound the alarm if a large group of infected appeared down the road, giving the girls time to fall back. Most importantly, though the infected still vaguely resembled humans, they were no longer people. They were just mindless things that fed on humans—or anything alive. So, Saeko could let loose and unleash her violence without guilt. "Saeko, you've passed the third safety line." Amid the sound of slicing flesh and collapsing corpses, a voice came through her earpiece. "Before you hit the urban area, take a breather." "Got it." Busujima Saeko came to a stop. After finishing off a few more zombies that had been drawn toward them, she accepted a pack of chocolate from her companion—Miyamoto Rei, a fellow student from Fujimi Academy's high school division, back before the world went to hell. As the two girls rested, the one who'd called out earlier—Rei's mother, Miyamoto Kiriko—climbed to a higher vantage point nearby to keep watch, making sure nothing caught them off guard. Suddenly, all three of their earpieces crackled with a voice full of disbelief: "Wh-What the hell is that?!" Something's up! Saeko immediately dropped the half-eaten chocolate, gripping her sword as she scanned the surroundings. Rei raised her spear defensively. Following the direction given in the communications, all three turned toward the city up ahead—the very place they were heading to scavenge supplies. And then they saw it—why the spotter had sounded so shaken. In the middle of that concrete jungle, two humanoid figures were leaping across rooftops—moving faster than speeding cars—heading straight for them. "Are those the mutants Yuriko mentioned?" Kiriko stared in shock. "They've already developed the ability to cross oceans from America to Japan... or maybe that organization has a base here in the east too?" "No time for theories, Kiriko-san." Saeko dropped into a defensive stance from the Busujima style of swordsmanship. "You and Rei, fall back to the base. I'll try to hold them off... and maybe give a shot at taking one out." "...Alright. Be careful." Hesitation only gets people killed in the apocalypse. Seeing the speed of those figures, Kiriko knew that she and her daughter would only slow Saeko down. With a quick nod and a final glance, she pulled Rei toward the military jeep a few meters away. "Sounds like you know something about the people behind all this. Mind filling us in?" Before they could reach the vehicle, a calm voice cut them off. Soft pink petals fluttered in the air. "No need to be so tense. We're not here to hurt you." A young man appeared out of nowhere, stepping between them and the jeep, politely addressing Kiriko. Whoosh— Kiriko didn't reply. She just snapped her rifle up, pointing the barrel straight at the guy's chest. Soft pink petals fluttered in the air. Seeing the sharp resolve in both their eyes, the young man—Veyron—tilted his body just slightly, dodging a sniper round fired from the base's observation tower like it was nothing. Then, still calm, he continued: "Even if we were hostile, it's not like you could stop us." With that, he swung his hand in a casual chop. A flying slash, invisible to the eye, cut through the air—splitting the ocean itself and instantly crushing any fighting spirit Kiriko had left. At the same moment, the two figures charging in from the city—Gwen and Selina—reached Saeko. Gwen, moving faster than thought, snatched the sword from Saeko's hands before she could even react. "Alright, you guys can come out now." Veyron looked off to the side, toward an empty patch of road. "Aside from this girl who just lost her sword, none of them—or the women back at the base—seem like they're in the mood to keep fighting." Just like when he appeared, pink flower petals fluttered as the illusion faded. One by one, the others revealed themselves—Chika, Fubuki, Hancock, and Merlin, stepping out from behind the illusion magic. "Busujima Saeko, Miyamoto Rei... that's you, right?" Fubuki held up two photos pulled from Fujimi Academy's files, confirming the identities of the girls. They didn't need to answer. As soon as their names were spoken, a soft glow shimmered over Saeko and Rei's bodies. The light only lasted a second, but it was enough. The group had found their mission targets. "...Who are you people?" The only one not named, Miyamoto Kiriko, narrowed her eyes and asked. "To put it simply—we're the ones here to help. You can trust that much." Veyron nodded toward the base. "Mind if we wait until we meet the rest of your group before we start introductions? No point in repeating ourselves later." . . .