Chapter 59

The hideout was a department store located a short distance from the station. The entrance to the multi-level parking lot was blocked by a line of wagons, preventing zombies from entering. The glass doors at the main entrance on the first floor were broken, allowing zombies to enter, but according to the bald man, they had barricaded the stairs and escalators inside, and were using the floors above the second as their base.

It seemed that they usually entered and exited through the parking lot, and there were also lookouts stationed there.

While pretending to struggle a bit with the zombies blocking my path, I approached the area. I had already sensed the gaze from the parking lot.

It would have been possible to get in without being noticed, but it didn't matter. I climbed over the wagons blocking the entrance and proceeded up the slope. At the turn, there was another row of wagons.

"Stop."

A man appeared from behind one of the wagons, his upper body protruding as he aimed a pistol. As he said, I stopped in my tracks.

"Bro, there's some weird guy here."

The man was probably talking on a radio, and another man's voice came from behind the wagon. After a few exchanges, the man who had been talking on the radio appeared from behind the wagon.

"What do you want? Where are you from?"

"…I came to kill you."

"Is that so."

With a dry sound, a high-pitched whine followed.

"Huh?"

I had sensed his murderous intent from the start, but he shot me quite casually. Well, I suppose they wouldn't hold back when someone says they came to kill them.

The man who fired the gun let out a foolish sound, seeing the sound that didn't seem to have hit anyone and the fact that I didn't fall despite being hit.

"In a case like this, I don't know if it can be called self-defense. But I'm afraid I have to kill you."

I closed the distance in an instant with a flash step, leaped, and circled behind them. Then, I swung the crowbar I held in my hand, slicing diagonally from the shoulder of the man who had shot me. A clean diagonal line appeared, and his body split into two, spilling blood with a delay.

"..."

The man who was cut, as well as the man next to him, couldn't make a sound.

The upper half of the split body slid down and hit the ground with a splash, and the lower half slowly followed.

"Ah..."

Seeing this, the man next to him finally let out a small scream.

Immediately, a new undead reaction appeared in my presence detection. It was the man I had just cut. So, what the bald man said seems to be true.

I crushed the head of the newly born zombie, which had only one arm, with one foot, and grabbed the remaining man by the collar.

"Where is your boss now?"

I asked the man, who was wide-eyed and breathing heavily in fear.

+++++

Flashlights darted through the dark store, and I ran around freely. Bathed in the intense hostility and murderous intent, I swung the crowbar infused with magic, cutting down the people who emitted it in one stroke.

The floor was now almost equally populated by the living and the newly born undead.

"Damn it! Everyone, head for the stairs! We'll take them out up there!"

Someone said, and the presence on the floor moved toward the emergency stairs. They were conveniently gathering, saving me the trouble.

I slowly approached the stairs and directed my gaze at the group standing on the landing.

"Fire! Kill them!"

At the sound of the command, bullets rained down like rain.

Yes, like rain.

"Damn, monster..."

Infusing my body and clothes with magic, the bullets were no different from rain. Seeing me standing calmly after the gunfire stopped, someone muttered those words.

As I slowly climbed the stairs, the group, who should have had the advantage in numbers, stepped back in unison and eventually ran up to the next floor.

I climbed the stairs "all at once" and landed in front of them.

"I don't intend to let anyone escape."

I declared and swung the crowbar as I descended the stairs. With each swing, the presence of the living disappeared, and the presence of the undead appeared.

"P-please, spare me..."

The last living person in the stairwell, who had collapsed against the wall, looked up at me with moist eyes and spoke softly. I grabbed the hair of a newly born zombie approaching from behind and threw it at the man.

"W-wait... gah..."

I glanced at the zombie focused on the prey in front of it and leaped up to the next floor. Now, no one would be able to use these stairs. All that was left was to deal with the boss on the upper floor.

Still, a monster, huh.

I chuckled at the word someone had muttered and continued my advance.