I Became a Hero in a Pandemic

chapter 63: Pleased

“The two of you are on the lookout”

Let’s leave it to Aya-chan who has the absolute advantage against zombies, and the sisters on top. I support Aya-chan by using a flashlight while patting the head of a crying girl. It is the perfect lineup.

“Hmm”

After confirming that there were no zombies in the surroundings, Aya-chan got down to the bottom, while I flash the way for her. Although we didn’t decide a signal in particular, the intention is fully transmitted.

“Kurumi-chan go ahead”

“Yes”

There is no figure of zombies on the ground and underground as well. Kurumi-chan, Shizuyo-chan and then Honjo-san climbed down. I also check the surroundings before I climbed down and made sure that the manhole is closed properly.

After closing the underground……should be dark enough not to see the sewer ahead, but thanks to Kurumi-chan who is lighting up, I did not slip. Aya-chan and Shizuyo-chan are lighting the way ahead and dont fail to watch out for zombies.

“Honjo-san, do you know the way?”

“Yes……just go straight as it is. Because there is a big door on the right side, I think that you will surely understand……I’m sorry, to mess up”

“Don’t worry about it. If you’re going to blame yourself, think about me. What you want me to do, what I want you to do……think about it”

Failure is a failure. That’s a common thing. What is important right now is not to feel responsibility more than necessary. The body won’t move well when strained by all means and it leads to the next mistake. It may be difficult, but it is important to relax.

“I want to do……there are lots of things”

“That’s good. You can tell me later, so think about it without forgetting”

“Yes!”

Just a little bit of the mind, the innocent voice of Honjo-san echoed in this space.

However, aside from that voice, the expressions of everyone else became stiff. ……Of course, as it is taught beforehand that there are many zombies here, we wont be able to talk loudly. Aya-chan looks ahead and the sisters seem to be looking behind while alternating.

Although the history of zombies is dull, the darkness behind it is psychologically hard. Zombies that were not in the aisle might get up from the water and attack. We might catch up with a relatively new, fast zombie.

An almost impossible future flickers in my head. Therefore, the fear that it is likely to become separated from everyone else this time arises when consideration is turned behind though we advances while carefully being wary of our back.

It is safe behind us from the speed of the zombies. Such a calculation does not make any sense in reality. The accuracy of ninety-nine percent is only a proof of one percent of errors.

Of course, I’m good at the back, but now I’d better be next to Honjo-san. The two of us will be over reliant, but there should be no particular problem. Kurumi-chan will rebound by giving priority to Honjo-san, but it is not a relationship of trust that is wavering that much. Aya-chan wont say anything.

“……You walked pretty well”

Honjo-san only said that there is a research institute in the basement, but it is probably located in the university premises. In that case we won’t walk a kilometer, but I feel like we are going to walk a few kilometers.

Besides, there was a tremendous death smell on the way. Nobody said anything, but bitterness is felt on the tongue even if you stop breathing with your nose. A half-liquefied solid matter floated in the glittering water.

“It should be almost there. ……There is an electronic door on the right side, please move on with caution”

“Okay, please be careful everyone”

The door was easily found after a few minutes though a answer was not returned from anyone.

“You certainly will not miss this thing unless something great occured”

Although the sewer is rounded as if to draw an arch, there was a door in the space made by scraping the rounded part. Even though some light is secured thanks to the flashlight, it will not miss the flickering light in the dark.

“Uwaa, SF-like”

Kurumi-chan had lost her breath, when she touched the door with a relaxed look. Aya-chan also seems to be interested in the electronic door, because she is holding the blinking part with her finger. ……It was natural, but it was Moe in the age-appropriate movement.

“Well then, Honjo-san, thank you”

“……? What?”

Honjo-san lovely tilts her small head. Why does she overemphasis there?

“No, the door is unlocked”

“Door key……key……open…………ah”

The smile gradually disappeared and her lips began trembling.

……No wonder, I guess you cannot sweat so much on your back. But this ratio was different from the sweat on her forehead.

“――――Is there a key?”

Honjo-san crumbled down on her knees.

Everyone is looking at Honjo-san with a face like “Oh, really”. Because even I have thought so, there is no other way. And she does not raise her face whether she knows the answer to my question.

“Emm”

It’s easy to comfort here. However, it is not a situation to be comforted and not to mind. I had completely forgotten the possibility of zombies being in the sewer. Honjo-san does not have an irresponsible character, such as not having to worry about a single mistake twice.

Would we go back or wait for people inside to notice us……as soon as the answer came out, they appeared.

「っ」

Aya-chan who realized it first runs with full power. Of course it’s about zombies……would it be nice to count the shoji and concrete walls in line?

“Run away!”

The option of staying disappeared in a moment. There is no option to fight from the start.

So what? How do you fight against zombies that are in line far ahead of the light of the flashlight?

“Senpai, the back also!?”

Shizuyo-chan shrill scream can be hears. Aya-chan knocked down the zombies in front of her and pushed them to the mass. The zombies which broke the balance at the beginning was crushed by the zombies in the back row, and never got up again.

“Aya-chan, do not push yourself! The two of us are behind! Honjo-san, it may be impossible but somehow the door!!”

I draw my bow while giving instructions. Although the arrows are limited in number, the zombies are pierced by them.

“Shit!”

Aya-chan realized that she would not make it in time as long as she was killing them, so she dropped the zombies from the handrail to the sewers. Certainly once she drop them, then the zombies will not go up which is efficient. But we can not use that strategy.

Since the height of the handrail is only up to the waist, even the small Aya-chan can manage to drop an adult zombie, but it is difficult if it gets even a little away from the fence.

Zombies are coming closer little by little. There is no escape place. ……No, there is a way to escape, the sewage. Aya-chan has dropped the zombies, yet there are no zombies on the other side…….

It’s a dangerous bet but it’s okay if you only live a little bit if you live.

“Everyone! Over the fence――――!!?”

Suddenly caught on someone’s feet and falls. The pain struck as the illusion that the ankle was crushed just as it was.

“Kazuya-san!?”

“Focus on that! Ugh, this……!”

Moving so that the hand stretched from the bottom of the fence rub against the ground, was it becoming brittle or it broke away from the bottom?

Apparently there are zombies in the sewage.

“Kaede-san! Kaede-san!”

“You two, do not approach the fence!”

The intense sound of banging on the wall echoes.

It is too dark to pick up the bow I dropped when I fell. Because the zombies were still approaching, the light of the flashlight at my feet shines at a zombie’s head.

“Kurumi!”

“Understood!”

Kurumi-chan picks up the flashlight at Shizuyo’s instructions. I guess the intention is to change the position with Kurumi and Shizuyo draw her bow. The progress of the zombie accelerated until I retrieved my bow and became able to aim accurately thanks to Kurumi-chan who shines at the zombies´s heads.

“T, This”

Shooting at the knees, I kick the head of a collapsed zombie. Even if you do not shoot a headshot, the zombies in the back row will stop breathlessly.

“Kurumi-chan! Light is already good! Shoot the knees to neutralize them!”

“Understood!”

Again, we shot arrows with three people. Sometimes we help Aya-chan.

“Aya-chan. Come”

It’s over now. I think so and call Aya-chan.

Aya-chan shook her head and stabbed her knife in a nearby zombie.

“Enough”

I forcibly pull her arm. This is the last one. The end.

Aya is the only one who isn’t targeted by zombies and can safely survive. But that’s a pity. She cannot even speak, so it is too hard to live in such a world.
　
So at least for the Kasai sisters, I want them to stay alive with Aya-chan.

“Kurumi-chan, Shizuyo-chan. Please take care of Aya-chan”

“Senpai, that……”

“Kazuya-san……”

There is no time to spare a farewell. It is necessary to escape by displacement the zombies in the passage or pass through side by side.

“You two think only about living. Absolutely do not let you bite, because I can not help you. ……Aya-chan is a little unreasonable, but……she is not selfish”

I hug my Aya once again who tries to free her hand.

“Aya-chan, please do not ask me to die in vain as a request”

Although it may be bad, but Aya-chan trembled as I said so. And she scoldly looks up at me.

“Flee to a safe place and live…… Can you do it?”

Aya-chan nodded.

“Well, Matoba-san……! What should I do……?”

Honjo-san who silently looked at the series of interactions asked me while holding down her bitten left arm as it hurts.

If I die, Honjo-san will not be saved anymore. It is no longer in time for vaccines to be made in the future. That’s why I have no choice but to say. While embracing the calculation that she surely will accept.

“Honjo-san……will you die with me?”

I don’t have to bother with words that come back a moment later.