Chapter 5

"......Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

I swung open the door with force, blowing away the zombie that was plastered against it, and then I slowly got up and cracked a joke at it. A groan, more like a breathless sigh, came from the zombie as it took its first unsteady step.

I infused the metal bat in my hand with magic and gripped the handle tightly.

It seems I can channel magic into weapons just like they can.

My class in this different world, the unique class for a transferred person, Samurai, specializes in close-range physical attacks using sword techniques. It has little internal magic and cannot release magic into space, meaning I can't use spells. However, in exchange, I can use magic very efficiently to enhance my physical abilities. Additionally, this enhancement can be applied to objects as long as I touch them, and its efficiency is as good as enhancing my body.

I swung the metal bat, enhanced with magic, at the approaching zombie's head. A dull, squelching sound of bones breaking filled the air, and brain matter splattered everywhere.

"......"

I watched the zombie collapse with a thud, puzzled by the strange sensation.

Actually, I intended to "slash" it.

Since I was able to crush its head with a light metal bat, it must have been infused with magic. But perhaps the way the magic permeates is the problem. Looking at it, there was a new dent on the surface that wasn't there before.

"I guess I'll have to try a few things."

Perhaps the materials in this different world and in my world are similar but have slightly different properties.

For now, as long as my body can move the same way, there shouldn't be any issues.

To confirm this, I first adjusted one of my skills.

"Battlefield Presence"

This skill integrates various perceptions such as danger, threats, and enemy detection. The advantage of this integration is that I can finely adjust the level and type of each perception.

Before the battle with the Demon King, I set this adjustment to be quite "dull." By "dull," I mean it only reacts to significant damage or the presence of a very strong enemy nearby.

This way, it wouldn't react to feints that cause little damage or minor enemies that can be ignored. I wanted to focus on the Demon King in front of me and rely on Eris and Robelia's healing for any minor damage, so I could give it my all.

Thanks to this, when I faced the Demon King one-on-one, I was able to hold my ground. I still believe that this choice was correct.

In any case, because the setting was still the same, I didn't notice the zombies outside when I returned from the different world. Even if I had noticed them with the skill, I might have thought it was a mistake.

I readjusted the skill's sensitivity and then began searching my apartment building.

Since this isn't a perception based on diffusing magic, it doesn't have the wide range of a hero like Rindou, but by readjusting the skill, I can now sense the weak presence of zombies.

I went through the five-story apartment building, but the only presences I felt in other rooms were those of zombies. In the end, there was not a single living person.

However, I was able to confirm that the "Battlefield Presence" skill was functioning properly.

+++++

I avoided the main streets and used back alleys, hiding behind buildings to avoid encountering zombies as I made my way to the city hall.

It's not that I couldn't move through the main streets while defeating large numbers of zombies, but there was something that concerned me.

What if survivors saw me effortlessly fighting against a large number of zombies?

From what I've seen while moving around, it seems that this world, at least Japan, is on the brink of destruction.

That's my honest impression.

I haven't seen a single living person, and the hordes of undead in the streets are more numerous than the people I used to see.

There are abandoned police cars on the roads, and some of the zombies are in police uniforms.

Is the government still functioning?

Honestly, I don't think the Self-Defense Forces, who know the basic method of destroying zombies by crushing their heads, would be outmatched by zombies. If the officials and the Self-Defense Forces have evacuated and survived somewhere, there might be some hope.

In that case, while it might not be like before, there's a possibility that the country could gradually regain its functions.

I don't want a world with only zombies and me, and of course, I don't wish for that.

However, if that happens, it's clear that things will get very complicated if my current strength is known.

That's why I'm being cautious while moving around now.

A few meters ahead, I made eye contact with a zombie in a school uniform, swaying back and forth.

I lightly swung the already warped and dented metal bat, and a red flower bloomed from the zombie's head above the neck.

"This thing is about to break."

Even with magic, it seems the metal bat's poor magic conductivity and lack of durability are causing it to deteriorate rapidly.

There should be a hardware store on the way to the city hall.

I'll stop by there and get a crowbar or something more durable.