The Hummer sped down the coastal highway, its interior packed to the brim. With eight people crammed inside, everyone was pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in a tangle of limbs.
Among them, only Son Goku was in a state of blissful contentment. Surrounded on all sides by the warmth and softness of the girls, he couldn't have been happier. If he were to suffocate in this intimate crush, he thought with a smile, it would be a worthy way to go.
Saya had already quietly explained Goku's extraordinary origins to her mother, Yuriko. After the initial shock had subsided, Yuriko had readily agreed to accompany them to his world. With society here in ruins and no family left to tie her down, the promise of a stable life in another reality was not just appealing—it was a lifeline.
Goku was thrilled. Another beautiful, mature woman for the collection, he mused, a grin spreading across his face. The future possibilities were… intriguing.
As the vehicle jostled along the uneven road, he allowed himself to be lulled by the proximity of his companions, his mind adrift in pleasant fantasy.
---
The journey continued until they passed a small, overrun police box. Rei, gazing listlessly out the window, suddenly stiffened. Her eyes locked onto a shambling figure in a torn police uniform.
Her breath hitched. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her face draining of color. "Otōsan…? No… It can't be… Stop! Shizuka, stop the car!"
"Huh?!" Shizuka slammed on the brakes. Rei was out the door before the vehicle had fully stopped, sprinting toward the figure. Goku was right behind her, a silent guardian who swiftly disabled the few zombies in the immediate vicinity. Saeko, wooden sword at the ready, took up a defensive position by the Hummer.
"Otōsan…" Rei whispered, staring at the groaning, lifeless eyes of the creature that had once been her father. Anguish twisted her features, and tears traced silent paths down her cheeks.
Goku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turned and collapsed against his chest, her body shaking with silent sobs.
The zombie that was her father lunged forward, jaws snapping. With a sigh, Goku delivered a controlled kick that sent it sprawling five meters back.
Rei pulled away, her expression hardening through the tears. She took the spear Goku offered, its bayonet glinting coldly in the sun. She walked slowly toward the fallen creature, her steps heavy with finality.
She looked down, her voice a whisper thick with pain. "Otōsan… Oyasumi nasai." The bayonet thrust forward, precise and merciful. Dark blood spattered across her uniform and face.
Eyes glistening, she walked back to the Hummer in a daze. The girls enveloped her in silent comfort, and she finally broke down, weeping openly in Takashi's arms. The ordeal with her brother, Kohta, had hardened her, but some wounds cut too deep to ever fully callous over.
The Hummer started again, its mood somber as it continued toward the sea.
---
"We're almost there! Rika works at the airport over the water! Hold on tight, we're going amphibious!" Shizuka announced, pointing at the expanse of ocean ahead. With a burst of acceleration, the heavy vehicle plunged into the waves with a tremendous splash. "Rika-chan! Just wait for us!"
---
At the Offshore Airport, the situation was dire.
Minami Rika and her partner, Tajima, were fighting a desperate, running battle.
"This is hell… We're officers of the law, and we're mowing people down like garbage!" Tajima yelled, swerving their armored car to crush a cluster of zombies.
After a heavy pause, Rika corrected him, her voice flat. "…They stopped being people a long time ago."
They skidded into a maintenance garage, the doors slamming shut behind them. A zombie immediately thudded against the windshield, pounding relentlessly.
The two seasoned officers shared a look of grim understanding. "Janken… pon!" Rika showed paper. Tajima showed scissors.
They slipped out of the car and made for a nearby refueling truck. "I'll cover you. Can you hotwire it?" Tajima asked, raising his sidearm and dropping two zombies with clean headshots.
"I had a… 'tutorial' from a kid in Traffic Division once," Rika said, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she hauled herself into the cab, legs still dangling out. She yanked open the panel and began twisting wires together.
Tajima stood guard, methodically clearing the area. The truck's engine roared to life. "Yes! Good! Get us moving!" he shouted, climbing onto the rear access ladder.
"Roger!" Rika called back, shifting gears.
The massive truck began to roll out of the garage. Suddenly, a zombie clambered onto the roof behind Tajima, lurching toward him.
"Kuso!" Tajima jerked back, lost his footing, and fell from the ladder. The zombie tumbled after him, landing at his feet. Before he could react, it lunged, its teeth sinking deep into his right ankle. He cried out in pain as it tore away a chunk of flesh.
Gritting his teeth, Tajima put his pistol to the creature's temple and fired.
"We're almost in position! What's the plan?!" Rika's voice crackled in his earpiece.
He leaned against the truck, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Hah… no problem now. Open the main fuel valve. That should do it."
Rika did as instructed, the scent of aviation fuel immediately filling the air. She ran to the back of the truck, and her blood ran cold at the sight of Tajima's wound.
"…Am I still human?" Tajima asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
Rika looked down, her blonde hair shadowing her eyes. "…Any last words?"
"Cough… cough…" He spat blood, then pulled a grenade from his vest. "But I still know how to use this." He glanced at his assault rifle on the ground. "It's a waste to burn it… Take my gear."
"Heh. So I'm supposed to run all the way back to the hangar alone?" Rika forced a weak laugh.
"Sorry, partner. I'm gonna hog the hero moment." Tajima gave her a lopsided grin, twisting the safety cap off the grenade to reveal the pin. "You should go."
Snap.
Rika's sunglasses fell to the oil-stained concrete. She drew herself up and gave him a perfect, solemn salute. "You were the best partner I ever had."
She turned and ran, not looking back.
Tajima watched her retreating form, a flicker of regret in his eyes, replaced by resolve. He pulled the pin. "I really did want to feel them up close just once…"
BOOM!
A titanic explosion erupted behind Rika, the fuel truck becoming the heart of a raging fireball. Zombies were engulfed in the inferno, yet horrifyingly, many continued to stumble forward, burning and melting but not stopping.
Rika scooped up her fallen earpiece, shouting into the mic. "Dahlia to Sakura! The hostiles remain mobile even while engulfed in flames! The situation is critical—prepare for immediate intercept and containment!"
A strained voice, Sakura's, replied. "R-roger that… And you… Ah! Kuso! Where did they come from?! Aaaaagh!" The transmission dissolved into screams and the staccato rip of automatic gunfire before cutting to static.
"Sakura! Sakura! Answer me! What's happening?!" Rika yelled into the dead mic, panic clawing at her throat. "Damn it!"
The implication was clear. Command had fallen. As she processed this, the groaning figures around her multiplied, drawn by the noise and the fire.
"Kuso! So Sakura's position is gone too…!" She gritted her teeth, a cold dread settling in her stomach.
Two zombies lurched into her path. In one fluid motion, she drew her sidearm. Bang. Bang. Two precise shots, two collapsing bodies. Her movements were efficient, lethal—a lone figure of grace and fury dancing through the encroaching hellscape.
Nearby, in another fortified section of the airport, the last of her surviving comrades were making their final stand.
"Shoot! Don't let them breach the door!"
"Bang! Bang! Tat-tat-tat-tat!"
The air was thick with the smell of cordite and death. It was no longer a rescue operation or a holding action. It was a slaughterhouse, and the walls were closing in.