Chapter 100

Arriving at the rooftop of the building next to the department store, I surveyed the situation from there. Gunshots had already been heard several times, and it was suspected that a battle was taking place inside.

On the rooftop of the department store, there were familiar faces of evacuees. It was likely that they had agreed to gather there in case of an unforeseen event. Indeed, that place was not connected to the multi-story parking garage, so it was a reasonable judgment to defend it. Even if defense points were set up on each floor, if the multi-story parking garage was breached, all floors would be accessible.

Faced with the events unfolding before my eyes, I couldn't immediately rush to help.

This hesitation stemmed from the incident with the semi-gang group at the police station, where I had previously thought I had "deprived the Otada group of a world-appropriate experience." It was also due to my reluctance to show my power in front of them.

After some hesitation, I shook my head and jumped off the building. In mid-air, I took out the katana given to me by the old man from my item box and held it in one hand.

No, what is there to hesitate about?

Kaede and Yuki are there too.

The possibility of being feared for showing my power, and the risk of their lives being lost, which side would the balance tip towards? It's cowardly of me to even consider such a thing.

Moreover, I've already had more than enough of this despicable experience. The sound of gunfire must be deeply ingrained in the consciousness of the Otada group.

Wrapping myself in magic, I landed quietly and walked towards the main entrance of the department store without hiding. Although there were no zombies moving around in the vicinity, several cars were parked in a semicircle to block the entrance, probably to prevent their entry from behind.

"Pretty tough, huh?"

"There's no place to run, we can take our time chasing them."

"Yeah, I hope the women we saw on the roof the other day are all safe."

"It would have been easier if they had surrendered completely. They gave us food so easily, they must have stockpiled a lot of supplies and found a good spot."

From behind, a typical conversation could be heard, and I frowned.

"......I see. Then they are indeed looters, no doubt about it."

After jumping over the cars, I called out, and they finally noticed my presence, immediately aiming their guns at me.

"What!?"

My appearance in a rider jacket, full-face helmet, and carrying a katana must have been quite eerie. One of the men, looking as if he had seen a ghost, called out, but their judgment was swift.

Without hesitation, they fired. Several bullets hit my body, and the last one was aimed at my head.

"What!?"

"......Good, that's the appropriate response."

The men's eyes widened as the bullets hit the ground with a metallic sound, as if blocked by steel. More bullets were fired, hoping it was a mistake, but they had no effect on me.

From their earlier conversation, it was clear they were criminals, but in a way, they seemed to have adapted to this world. They were prepared to kill without hesitation if necessary. While I don't think it's right to do so for their own desires, their resolve was somewhat admirable to me.

But.

"......Of course, you're prepared to die too, right?"

Facing them, I slowly drew my katana from its sheath.

+++++

The looters' invasion routes were likely from three directions: the escalator from the main entrance, the emergency stairs at the back, and the multi-story parking garage. I followed their path up the escalator, assuming they had used it because the makeshift barricade on the second floor, set up to prevent zombies from entering from the first floor, had been broken.

Initially, I thought about giving a retreat order to the ones at the entrance, but unfortunately, there was no leader among them, so I had no choice. Besides, I had no intention of letting such scum live; I planned to cut them all down.

The escalator to the upper floors of the department store is located a bit away from the main entrance. As I moved towards it, I didn't kill everyone without question, despite my intentions. This wasn't because of the soft reasoning I used when dealing with the semi-gang group, but because I was concerned that evacuees might be among them.

"Constant Battlefield" presence detection has registered everyone I knew from my previous stay here, but it's been a month. It's not unusual for new evacuees to have arrived.

Still, they spoke and acted as expected, so selecting them wouldn't be difficult.

"Hey, respond, you outside!"

"There's a weird guy coming from behind! What is this guy!?"

"Shoot! Shoot!"

The looters pulled their triggers at the mysterious enemy approaching from the direction they had invaded. It was a futile act, and in a way, it only hastened their demise. The outcome would be the same either way.

"......That's quite a way to describe someone."

"Wait...!"

As I raised my katana overhead, the man in front of me started to beg for his life. I ignored his pleas and mercilessly swung the blade.

A moment later, the man's body split in half from the top of his head to his groin, spilling his internal organs as he fell to the floor with a thud.

"Ah, ah..."

Seeing his comrade die a gruesome death, the man next to him, now paralyzed with fear, looked at me in my full-face helmet. I watched his face, filled with terror, with a detached gaze.