Crackle, crackle!
Amid the wreckage near Tokyo Tower, crystalline fragments resembling flying insects gradually reassembled as though they were alive, ultimately reforming into a human figure within several minutes.
"Heh... I see. Her strength truly is formidable..."
Recalling how that woman had cut him in half with a single slash, the restored Da'ath could not help chuckling in admiration, as though he had not been the one struck down.
Fortunately, he had thought quickly and played dead, deceiving them. Otherwise, things would have become troublesome. There would still be another opportunity after the plan's failure, but if he died, everything would be over. That was why his first thought at the time had been to preserve his own life.
Don't think you're the only one who isn't human, woman.
He sneered and searched through the surrounding ruins. After turning over several piles of shattered debris, he finally found the person he was looking for—the director of the Anti-Bodies, Shuichiro Keido.
Keido was already on the verge of death. His mouth hung wide open, his eyes were bloodshot, and a mangled slash wound stretched across his chest. The Apocalypse Virus had also infected him, crystallizing half his body.
"Regrettably, I know you're in pain, but your mission is not yet complete, Shuichiro."
He grabbed Keido and hauled him up.
"At the very least, you can't die before the final stage arrives. Heh heh!"
Hum...
Carrying the man, he transformed into crystal amid the darkness and slipped into a spatial rift, leaving behind an eerily cold smile.
The second stage has begun...
...
Time flew by... Several dozen days had passed since the disaster in Tokyo—
[This is the GHQ Public Relations Department. In accordance with Article 9, Clause 3 of the Epidemic Prevention Act, we are issuing an urban quarantine declaration. Leaving the area within the Seventh Ring Road is strictly prohibited.]
Several days earlier, GHQ had issued that announcement over the radio.
In the two weeks that followed, Tokyo had been left devastated by the previous disaster. The once-prosperous city had been heavily corroded by the virus, and sinister crystals could be seen everywhere.
This large-scale outbreak of the Apocalypse Virus became known as The Reenactment of Lost Christmas. The internet and telephone networks were unusable, while television and radio had fallen completely silent.
People gathered at evacuation shelters across the city, while students assembled voluntarily at Tennoz First High School. They could not contact their families, and since their homes were outside the sealed zone, they could not return home. Thus, they began living at the school.
Although GHQ's broadcast claimed that the quarantine would soon be lifted, causing many people to instinctively believe it, the Shogun and her companions did not share their optimism.
Still, the previous incident should have ended there, right?
For the time being, that was what they believed...
Gai's condition was neither especially good nor especially bad. Although he had suffered severe injuries, he had fortunately received treatment in time. With both the Shogun and Hare working together to heal him, they had managed to snatch his life back at the critical moment.
However... traces of viral corrosion also remained within his body. His condition had already been poor enough to require daily medication, and now he had suffered grave injuries to vital areas such as his head and internal organs. Even though they had saved his life, he remained in a deep coma. No one knew when he might awaken, or whether he would ever awaken at all.
He had now been placed in the school's infirmary. Although it was merely a school facility, it was fortunately well equipped.
As for Funeral Parlor, Ayase and Tsugumi, who were around the same age as the students, had integrated into the school and become students themselves. The remaining members had scattered because of the quarantine, while a large portion of the organization had already been consumed by the Apocalypse Virus during the previous incident.
And so, roughly a month passed.
"...Mio?"
"...?"
Hearing the soft voice beside her ear, her brows shifted slightly. She then opened her hazy eyes and lifted her head from the crook of her arm, staring blankly toward the person beside her. Brown hair and a blurred face entered her vision, but the voice was familiar...
...Hare?
"Mio?"
Hare's blurred outline called to her again in a whisper. Perhaps sensing that she was not fully awake, Hare reached out and gently pressed the slightly cool back of her hand against the Shogun's cheek.
"...Hare?"
The cool touch helped her regain her senses, clearing her vision somewhat.
"Mm... It's me. Are you tired, Mio?"
Hare's eyes were filled with concern.
"...Tired?"
She did not quite understand.
"You fell asleep during the meeting just now."
Hare answered.
...The meeting?
Ah... I remember now.
We're... in a meeting? Did I fall asleep during it?
"Mio, are you all right?"
Seeing that she still looked dazed, Hare pursed her lips and gently stroked the back of her hand, voicing her concern in a soft tone.
"Mm... I'm fine. Perhaps I'm simply a little tired."
Feeling Hare's touch against the back of her hand, she thought for a moment before nodding slightly in agreement with her assumption.
"I knew it... You've had to handle nearly everything at the school lately, while I haven't been much help at all."
Hare spoke guiltily.
"Haa... How could that be? It isn't that serious..."
She smiled faintly and reassured her.
Only then did her mind truly return to the present... She looked around at everyone attending the meeting in the conference room. They were all familiar faces and fellow students of Tennoz First High School.
"Right, some students have been complaining lately that they're receiving too little food."
Souta, seated on the other side, raised a hand and brought up the issue.
"Too little? That can't be helped, can it?"
Yahiro, who was leaning against the wall, replied.
"How many people have complained?"
President Arisa asked.
"About forty percent, I think?"
Souta calculated.
"..." ×N
The others fell silent.
"What do you think, Mio?"
At that moment, Arisa turned toward the somewhat distracted Shogun and asked in a gentle tone.
"...?"
She came back to herself and glanced at Arisa. After recalling the question they had just been discussing, she exhaled and spoke.
"What about all of you? Do you feel the food portions are relatively small?"
She looked around at everyone.
"..."
They exchanged glances.
"It's fine. You can speak freely... What do you think, Kanon?"
She looked at the bespectacled girl across the table, who was holding a document.
"Um... Well... Personally, I do think they're a little small."
Kanon answered apologetically.
"...Hare?"
"Me? I'm fine with anything... These are extraordinary circumstances, after all. You can decide, Mio."
Hare remained as gentle and compliant as ever.
"...?"
She then looked toward Inori.
"Me too. You decide, Mio."
Inori nodded as well.
"W-Wait—both of you! Saying it like that makes it sound as though I'm the one being picky! Honestly..."
Kanon suddenly blushed and complained.
"Ah—over here! I think the portions are a little small too."
Souta raised his hand and shouted.
"In that case, let's increase them slightly. Kanon, do we still have enough food in reserve?"
She looked toward Kanon.
"Yes. We still have sufficient stock. Combined with the supplies transported here by the Kuhouin Group, we should be able to last quite a while longer."
Kanon adjusted her glasses and smoothly answered while reviewing the document.
"Good. Then increase everyone's portions evenly, but keep the increase within a sustainable range. Kanon, I'll leave the precise amounts to you."
After all, Kanon was very good at mathematics...
"Understood!"
Kanon smiled at her and wrote it down on the document.
"Hehe... As expected of you, Mio."
Arisa smiled.
"...You're the student council president."
She retorted speechlessly.
"Mm... But aren't you the vice president, Mio?"
Arisa smiled again.
"Haa..."
In truth, she had never wanted to become vice president. However... after considering various factors, everyone had agreed she was the most suitable candidate. Even Hare and Inori had supported the decision. She could not quite understand it. Was it because of her abilities? Her martial strength? Or how dependable she seemed?
Come to think of it, why was she not the president instead? The answer was that Arisa already held that position. Of course, Arisa had offered to hand the presidency over to her, but she had immediately refused. Accepting would have made it feel as though she were usurping the position, which would have been terribly awkward. Besides, Arisa possessed her own strengths, so there was no real difference.
"Um, there's also the matter of our vaccine supply. I'm not particularly confident about it..."
Kanon spoke again with a frown.
Indeed, the students currently needed regular vaccine injections to prevent disaster from striking within the school. However... just as Kanon had said, their supply was an issue.
"I'm also worried about the virus. I hope we can ensure an adequate stockpile. Could you help us with that?"
Yahiro looked at Arisa as he asked.
"Understood. I'll try speaking with my grandfather."
Arisa nodded.
"Aren't all of you being too tense? The quarantine won't drag on that long, will it?"
Souta scratched his head and teased them with carefree optimism.
"We must avoid being overly optimistic. Two weeks have already passed, and everyone is beginning to let down their guard. There was also a riot in Shinjuku several days ago."
Yahiro glanced at him and sighed as he explained.
"That's true. Minor conflicts between students have also become more frequent."
Arisa lowered her head and murmured.
"Everyone is exhausted. Many people want to go home but can't. It would be nice if there were something that could help everyone relax."
Hare lowered her gaze and used her mechanical pencil to sketch a little bear. The drawing depicted a bear collapsed from exhaustion.
"More than that, I'm somewhat concerned about the riot in Shinjuku."
The Shogun rested her cheek on one hand while deftly spinning a pen with the other.
"...?" ×N
The others looked toward her.
"Mio?"
Yahiro asked.
"To outsiders wandering the city, or even raiders, this place is an ideal source of supplies. Aren't you worried they might set their sights on this high school?"
She raised her eyes and swept her gaze across everyone.
"!" ×N
Everyone was startled.
"Right... Now that you mention it, that really is dangerous. I'd completely forgotten about that risk. This is bad... We should strengthen the defenses around the school afterward and make sure everyone remains vigilant."
At present, only Inori and the Shogun could truly be counted as combatants... Ayase did not count without a mecha.
Still, that should be enough.
After Yahiro spoke, everyone's expressions darkened again.
"..."
Hare was the same. She pursed her lips. As she had just said, everyone was already mentally exhausted.
"Ah—! That's right! Why don't we hold a cultural festival?!"
At that moment, Souta once again drew everyone's attention. He stood, grabbed the calendar beside him, and loudly made the inexplicable proposal.
"...?" ×N
Everyone stared at him blankly.
"Huh?"
Yahiro looked astonished.
"Sigh..."
Kanon covered her face wearily, as though merely watching him was embarrassing her too.
"We were supposed to have a cultural festival this month anyway, right? Right?! So let's hold one!"
Completely ignoring the atmosphere, he continued shouting his proposal at everyone present.
"What nonsense are you talking about? At a time like this—"
Yahiro could not stop himself from arguing.
"That's exactly why we need one! We should hold a spectacular event, get everyone excited, and sweep away all this gloom at once, right?"
Souta answered.
"...?"
The Shogun watched the exchange with complete bewilderment.
"You bastard—!"
"It's a good idea."
"Huh?"
Yahiro froze and stared in confusion at President Arisa, who had voiced her agreement.
"Even the president?!"
"Food isn't currently a problem. If we keep it small, we should be able to manage it."
Arisa answered.
"Exactly! Senpai is absolutely right!!"
Souta was the first to agree.
"Listen..."
Kanon wearily opened her mouth to object...
No. Please don't. I'll be the one responsible for distributing the food... Does that mean I'll have to recalculate all the allocations we've already decided?!
"But—!"
"Read the room, Yahiro~"
Souta wrapped an arm around Yahiro's shoulders, looking smug.
You're the bastard who never reads the room!
Yahiro retorted inwardly.
"...What is a cultural festival?"
The Shogun leaned toward the person beside her, Hare, and quietly asked.
"Huh? Oh... It's something similar to a holiday. Basically—"
After Hare whispered an explanation into her ear... the Shogun's eyes gradually narrowed, and her brows furrowed.
Wait. Put that way, doesn't it sound terrible?
"I don't see any problem with holding a cultural festival. We have enough food, and this situation will soon be over. There's no need to worry."
Arisa reassured them.
"B-But..."
Kanon still looked troubled.
"It sounds nice... Especially if it can help everyone recover from their exhaustion... Right, Mio?"
Hare also voiced her agreement and looked toward her. However—
"I disagree."
What she heard was the Shogun's rejection.