Randall Company was a very large building, at least twenty stories high, and it was also where Inaba Tsukiyo felt the strongest sensation.
After abandoning the car by the roadside, Inaba Tsukiyo walked towards the building's main entrance. Without surprise, the First floor lobby was almost entirely filled with various zombies.
These people might have been Randall Company employees, or perhaps internal researchers of Randall Company; Inaba Tsukiyo wasn't very clear about any of this.
But she could feel that the Original Body of the energy she was looking for was at the top of this building, and she had to go there to check the situation.
"Let's begin... Without everyone around, I don't need to hide anymore. Before that..."
She took out the hidden syringe from her backpack. This was a vaccine hidden in the school, and Inaba Tsukiyo had secretly taken one.
Although not infected with the virus, Inaba Tsukiyo injected the vaccine without hesitation.
She couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't be harmed in the upcoming battle, but she had to remain rational before completely dealing with this matter.
A cold machine, with emotions completely sealed deep within her heart, she completely abandoned rationality, becoming a rampaging demon.
Smash!
With a single blow, the glass door on the First floor was shattered. Before the zombies could react, Inaba Tsukiyo swiftly approached them, knocking them all down.
Without engaging in prolonged fights, Inaba Tsukiyo continuously broke through the zombies' defenses. Soon, she reached the second floor, where the situation was much the same.
However, starting from this floor, most of the zombies were actually hiding around corners, preparing to attack Inaba Tsukiyo as she approached.
This was quite interesting, making them seem like hunters who knew how to conceal themselves and deliver a fatal blow when their prey drew near.
But such tactics were useless against Inaba Tsukiyo. Able to sense any subtle sound, even a mere breath could expose their whereabouts to her.
The special zombies on the second floor were thus cleared. Third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor—Inaba Tsukiyo continued her advance.
Like a machine, Inaba Tsukiyo, without using magic, could handle most situations using only ordinary sword skills.
Parts of Inaba Tsukiyo's miko outfit were already stained with blood, but she didn't care. Having completely abandoned her reason, she only acted on instinct.
While the preceding floors were easy, the situation began to change on the tenth floor. The four-legged zombies, similar to those seen at Nishikowa Elementary School, appeared on this level.
Like Guardians of a checkpoint, the closer one got to the source of the abnormal energy, the more numerous and stronger the zombies blocking Inaba Tsukiyo's path became.
However, upon encountering these zombies, Inaba Tsukiyo noticed that they didn't immediately attack her.
As if possessing reason, they slowly crawled on the ground as Inaba Tsukiyo approached. Although their movements were cautious, they showed no intention of attacking, seemingly probing Inaba Tsukiyo's attitude.
Inaba Tsukiyo didn't understand why these creatures acted this way. The last vestiges of her reason recalled a similar situation the first time she encountered these four-legged zombies.
But... this time, Inaba Tsukiyo didn't sense any energy reactions from these zombies; none of them possessed any abnormal energy.
So, could it mean that zombies closer to the source of abnormal energy evolve into stronger zombies?
This thought sent a shiver down Inaba Tsukiyo's spine, but she had no way back. She had secretly taken a dose of the academy's vaccine, and now she could only hope that the zombies' virus would be controlled by the vaccine in her body.
Clang!
Drawing her sword instantly, Inaba Tsukiyo was wiser this time. She didn't use too much magic, but rather used it to enhance her speed, making her Iaido Slash even faster.
The even faster Iaido Slash left no room for evasion. The four special zombies within Inaba Tsukiyo's fatal range were all eliminated.
Seeing their companions' deaths, these zombies, who had been in an observation phase, finally couldn't help but launch an attack on Inaba Tsukiyo.
The zombies encountered this time had a more agile speed than the previous one, but Inaba Tsukiyo already had the relevant information, making these creatures less troublesome than before.
Un'yō: Instant Flash
Cloud Radiance: Swift Thunder
Shukuchi
Inaba Tsukiyo's body moved swiftly among the zombies. Every time she appeared beside a zombie, one would be decapitated, losing its ability to move.
Blood splattered onto Inaba Tsukiyo's face. Zombie blood wasn't as fresh as imagined, but the smell of blood continuously stimulated Inaba Tsukiyo.
'This scene, it feels familiar. Oh, right, right. It was like this when that guy planned to send his subordinates to take Little Vi away from me.'
That night was when Inaba Tsukiyo came closest to death. Because of Little Vi's importance, the scumbag father wanted to take her back, but Inaba Tsukiyo fiercely resisted.
Seeing that they couldn't take her away peacefully, these people resorted to force, attempting to use weapons to bring Little Vi back—namely, firearms.
Facing these people's guns, if it were only one, Inaba Tsukiyo wouldn't be afraid. But with over a dozen people all pointing guns at her, even Inaba Tsukiyo felt it was a close call.
That night, Inaba Tsukiyo dealt with everyone present, but her left hand was also injured. Fortunately, the injury wasn't severe, requiring only a few days of rest.
It was from that day on that Inaba Tsukiyo's hands were stained with blood, but she felt no guilt, instead developing a sense of accomplishment.
Because she protected Little Vi, she fulfilled her promise to protect Little Vi and prevent her from being harmed again.
However, a dangerous seed sprouted within Inaba Tsukiyo. As time went on, she quickly realized the danger of this seed.
But even if there was danger, what of it? Anyway, they had already reached an agreement: as long as neither party crossed the other's bottom line, peaceful coexistence wasn't impossible.
"What a monster... Is she also an adapter like me?"
At this moment, someone in a monitoring room on the top floor noticed an anomaly on the monitor, spotting Inaba Tsukiyo fighting the special zombies.
He hadn't expected Inaba Tsukiyo's small body to unleash such powerful strength, and immediately thought that Inaba Tsukiyo might be in the same situation as him.
"How interesting. Is she sensing the same energy? If that's truly the case, she should recognize me. No, she will definitely recognize me."
Thinking this, the man pressed a button on the control panel, and the doors to various floors leading to the top floor automatically opened.
At the same time, Inaba Tsukiyo had also dealt with all the zombies. As she was about to rest and recover her magic before heading to the next floor, she noticed an unusual sound.
"This is the sound of a door opening... Are there other survivors here? Could it be... on the top floor?"
From earlier until now, Inaba Tsukiyo hadn't seen any traces of survivors on the floors she passed. The only explanation, then, was on the top floor.
"Was I discovered? I thought the monitors had stopped working. I didn't expect them to still be able to see?"
In a building of this caliber, how could there be no monitors? This was a blind spot, she thought, surprised that the other party was still monitoring here.
However, this also avoided many things. If the zombies on the upper floors also chose not to attack her due to the energy within them, she might be able to save some strength.
Although she hadn't recovered much strength, Inaba Tsukiyo chose to continue forward.
This time, she didn't advance quickly like on the previous floors, but rather slowly, carefully observing the situation on each floor.
However, there were no zombies on the subsequent floors at all. There was no zombie presence, nor were any hiding in corners, which puzzled Inaba Tsukiyo.
Finally, when Inaba Tsukiyo reached the place where the abnormal energy was sensed, she finally felt that the energy was not far away.
"Welcome, lovely lady. I didn't expect you to come to my castle alone."
Continuous applause sounded, and a man in a suit walked towards Inaba Tsukiyo, looking at her with approval in his eyes.
"Castle? A castle filled with dead people? It seems your interests are truly unusually strange. Do you intend to turn Randall Company into a haunted house? If you really do that, it might attract a lot of popularity."
Using zombies as a horror element might indeed bring a lot of popularity. If some gunfight elements were added, it might even become more popular.
"Haunted house? No, no, no, they are merely tools. Although they no longer qualify as human, they are still excellent tools. Don't you agree? A virus that can spread through the air and blood—this is a perfect viral weapon, isn't it? This is precisely the research objective Randall Company has always pursued."
Randall Company had been secretly researching bacteria and virus experiments, concealing them from the government. Of course, it was impossible to completely hide them from the government's eyes; these were the contents of their in-depth research.
To develop a perfect weapon, Randall Company acquired many corporations in Megurigaoka City. The MNC Company, to which Kyonohoka Academy belonged, was also connected to Randall Company.
Of course, Randall Company did not fully disclose the content of its virus research. Crucial parts were blacked out, those being merely part of the employment contracts.
"So, even though some information about the experiment was known, the most crucial parts were not released. Although it appears to be a disaster caused by a loss of control, this was entirely guided by you... or rather, by you. Even if... it means all members of Randall Company turn into those inhuman, ghostly things, it doesn't matter."
"No, not exactly. This wasn't something I initiated, but rather the company's higher-ups. However, those fools died due to their own stupidity, believing that as long as they injected the vaccine, there would be no danger. But… but I am different!"
"I am the one chosen by God!"
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