Kurumi briefly recounted what had just happened on the playground to the others present.
Besides Kurumi and Inaba Tsukiyo, there were two third-year students and one teacher here. They were Takenouchi Yuki, Wakasa Yuri, and Sakura Megumi.
The three girls listened to Kurumi's narration, feeling a sense of dread about what she had just experienced.
Although Inaba Tsukiyo was a powerful helper, if she hadn't been there, no one knew what Kurumi would have become.
Except for Inaba Tsukiyo and Kurumi, no one else had personally seen zombies, but they could clearly see the terrifying scene from the Rooftop.
Even the school gate was being attacked by zombies. The fear and helplessness brought by the zombies still lingered in their hearts, refusing to dissipate.
Takenouchi Yuki tugged at Sakura Megumi's sleeve, lowering her head, a bit nervous.
"Sister Megumi, what should we do next? We don't have food, and there's nowhere to sleep. Although it's safe here, what if it rains?"
Yes, while the Rooftop was a relatively safe place, staying there indefinitely was impossible.
The most important things were food and water. Without them, they couldn't last for more than a few days.
"If it's just food, this is the gardening club, and there are some ingredients and produce stored here, as well as water. It's fine for a short time, but there are five of us, so we can't last long."
Wakasa Yuri's face was filled with worry. Although there was no immediate threat to their lives, they had many things to consider.
They didn't know the situation of the school, so what they could do now was to establish a safe activity space on the third floor, ensuring that the zombies below couldn't come up.
However, these things would be difficult for them to accomplish alone, unless they could leverage Inaba Tsukiyo's power. Otherwise, it would be impossible.
Sakura Megumi took a deep breath. As the only adult here (in her own opinion), she had to remain steadfast.
Without her teacher identity, she felt she couldn't even compare to Kurumi.
But even though she was very scared inside, at least on the surface, she had to show confidence to her beloved students.
Inaba Tsukiyo didn't join the four girls' conversation. Instead, she went to the edge of the Rooftop, slightly opening her lifeless eyes and looking at the zombies below.
The school no longer echoed with the terrified screams and chaotic sounds of people running. What could be heard were mostly the low growls of zombies.
Not only that, Inaba Tsukiyo also sensed some of the zombies leaving the school and slowly moving outwards.
"Unconscious actions... Although a decrease in numbers is good, it's too early to draw conclusions."
Although some of the zombies left the school, a large number of them were still slowly moving on the playground. This felt like they were exercising?
"It seems these zombies' actions are not unconscious. While this idea can't be fully confirmed yet and requires more observation, it's a possibility."
Having obtained the answer she sought, Inaba Tsukiyo went to the four girls.
After the initial panic, the four gradually calmed down, and there were no abnormal sounds from their bodies, indicating they hadn't been infected.
"There are no other survivors left in the school."
This first sentence made the four girls' previously eased expressions turn much paler. This was not good news.
Sakura Megumi had just received a call from a colleague, who told her that the office had been overrun.
Although she had thought the problem was very serious, she didn't expect that in such a short time, there would be no other survivors left in the school.
"You were lucky to be here from the start. If you had been in a more crowded place like the playground, you probably would have become one of them."
"No... don't say such scary things, Tsukiyo-chan. Everyone is scared by you."
Kurumi tugged at Inaba Tsukiyo's miko outfit. Her words just now had terrified everyone. They didn't have her level of resilience.
"Eh? Is that so? I see. I'm not very good at joking. But, it's also a fact. Some of those zombies just now have left the school. Perhaps the zombies inside the school have also left with them."
Inaba Tsukiyo briefly explained what she had heard, including her conjecture.
"Maintaining their subconscious? So, because it's after school now, they've left the school?"
"Yes, that should be it. Although this theory can't be fully confirmed yet and needs time to prove, what we need to do is ensure safety. After all, being bitten means death."
Even a mere scratch could turn one into a zombie. In game terms, these zombies had a one-hit kill cheat.
Everyone nervously swallowed. The sunset glow was like fresh blood, dyeing Inaba Tsukiyo's beautiful silver hair with a hint of crimson.
If they had seen such a sunset before, they would have found it beautiful, but now, looking at the red, they could only associate it with blood.
Although they hadn't witnessed Inaba Tsukiyo fighting zombies, they learned the entire process of Inaba Tsukiyo's rescue from Kurumi, and they were very confident in Inaba Tsukiyo's combat power.
"But... why did it turn out like this? Why are things that happen in movies appearing in reality?"
"Why? It could be some kind of virus leak, or the beginning of the end of the world. I think something must have happened today, right? Like frequent helicopters, police cars, or ambulances."
"Speaking of which, the siren sounds this morning were indeed more frequent than usual. Does that mean, from the morning already..."
Sakura Megumi's face was pale. When she drove to school this morning, she noticed that ambulances and police cars appeared much more frequently than usual.
Earlier in the classroom, her mother had sent her a text message, telling her to quickly evacuate, and the message also contained an address, detailing news about Megurigaoka City.
Megurigaoka City experienced a large-scale traffic accident, a large-scale brawl at the shopping center, and the subway was forced to stop due to someone trespassing on the tracks.
At first, she hadn't realized there was anything amiss, but now, thinking about it, the government might have known about the virus leak early on but didn't tell the students?
'Wait a minute... I remember the principal gave me a guide... Could it be related to this?'
She recalled a [Emergency Evacuation Guide] that the principal had given her once. Because it could only be opened in an emergency, she hadn't read its contents until now.
The more she thought, the paler Sakura Megumi's expression became. She even lost the strength to stand, leaning against the wall with a blank look on her face.
"Sister Megumi, what's wrong? Don't scare me."
Takenouchi Yuki worriedly supported Sakura Megumi. As the only adult here, Takenouchi Yuki had developed a sense of reliance on Sakura Megumi.
"N-nothing, Yuki. Don't worry, I'm just a little dazed. Also, when we're at school, you should call me Teacher Sakura."
As Sakura Megumi comforted Takenouchi Yuki, Inaba Tsukiyo silently watched her. She hadn't forgotten Sakura Megumi's identity as a teacher.
Leaving the school now was impossible. From the explosions happening all over the city, one could guess that Megurigaoka City was definitely in chaos. Leaving the school would be the most unwise choice.
They couldn't stay on the Rooftop indefinitely. Daytime was fine, but it would be cold at night, and they could easily catch a cold if not indoors. After some discussion, everyone decided to go down and check.
Just as Inaba Tsukiyo said, there were almost no zombies on the third floor, and significantly fewer on the second floor. It seemed these zombies had left the school.
Swinging the blade, swinging the blade, continuously swinging the blade.
Although Inaba Tsukiyo specialized in Iaijutsu, she was not like her original self, only knowing Iaijutsu.
Their plan was to clear out the third floor, making it their future living space, and ensuring the absolute safety of the personnel.
Kurumi found a sturdy shovel on the Rooftop. Unlike the others, she and Inaba Tsukiyo cleaned the zombies on the third floor together.
"They don't seem good at climbing stairs, Tsukiyo-chan. After the third floor is cleared, we should block the stairwell, right?"
"Yes, block the passageway with tables and chairs. Don't block it completely; leave a gap so we can climb out from above. Since they're not good at stairs, they probably can't climb either."
To ensure everyone's survival, Inaba Tsukiyo temporarily set aside alaya's task and began planning for the group's survival.
Inaba Tsukiyo first cleared the remaining zombies in the school building, then Sakura Megumi would take Kurumi, Takenouchi Yuki, and Wakasa Yuri to clean the third floor, so they would have a place to sleep at night.
Kurumi wanted to help, but Inaba Tsukiyo refused her.
Although she didn't hear any movement on the third floor, Sakura Megumi and the others had never dealt with zombies before. If any danger arose, Kurumi could help.
Kurumi, who had originally intended to say something, gave up the idea of going after hearing this. She clearly understood that she needed to stay behind.
"I'm sorry, Classmate Inaba. I'm the teacher, yet I'm letting you do all these things."
Sister Megumi felt a little guilty. As a teacher, she should be a pillar of support for her students, but now she could only watch Inaba Tsukiyo deal with those zombies alone.
"Please don't say that, Teacher Sakura. Do what you can. As a teacher, you need to stay with the others. Compared to me, you have other classmates to care for."
As she spoke, she pointed at Takenouchi Yuki, who had been pulling on Sakura Megumi's clothes since earlier, clearly in a state of anxiety.
Not just her, Wakasa Yuri was also very nervous. If any of them had a problem, this small team would instantly collapse.
Sakura Megumi could be said to be the spiritual backbone of this small team. If she had any problems, the others would quickly crumble. Of course, this didn't include Inaba Tsukiyo.
"That's not right, Classmate Inaba. You should call me Sister Megumi. That's how you should address me."
"Oh? So you prefer to be called 'Sister'? Haha~ That's not bad, it seems like a way to get closer. Sister Megumi."
Looking at Takenouchi Yuki's nervous prompting, Inaba Tsukiyo couldn't help but smile and say "Sister Megumi," which made Sakura Megumi a little overwhelmed.
"Honestly, I've told you all, when we're at school, you should call me Teacher Sakura."
"Yes, Sister Megumi. I understand, Sister Megumi."
"Mo~ Everyone, honestly~"
While everyone was joking around, Inaba Tsukiyo turned and walked downstairs.
"This time... I also have someone I need to protect. Just like protecting you, Little Vi."
Caressing the ring on her ring finger, remembering those days of unparalleled strength, Inaba Tsukiyo's pupils widened, and a terrifying aura gradually unfolded.
It was a warm summer day, but if anyone were there, they would be drenched in sweat from this aura.
Carrying such an aura, Inaba Tsukiyo stepped into the shadows.
The hunt had begun.