Kelly was undoubtedly a warm and enthusiastic girl. Aside from today, Leo could barely recall ever seeing her unhappy. Only in moments like this—situations that felt hopeless no matter how you looked at them—did she show a serious expression.
But now, as Leo lit his lighter to illuminate their path, he noticed that Kelly was smiling again.
Seeing the pained look on Leo's face, Kelly laughed softly, pulled him over to sit beside Tsunade, placed a cup of alcohol next to Tsunade, and then waved at Leo with a grin.
"Well, don't look so miserable. In a situation like this, there's really nothing we can do anyway."
Leo felt a trace of melancholy. If he remembered correctly, he had once said those exact words to Erina. Now Kelly was saying them back to him. It gave him a strangely indescribable feeling, leaving him unsure of what to say.
"Yeah… when there's nothing you can do, you might as well make friends with despair."
Leo smiled. His life had always felt borrowed. Whether it was the earlier infection, the first Blood Moon, or the long struggle back when he was still weak, his life had been balanced on a razor's edge. Even if the steel fortress was breached and he died now, it wouldn't be all that surprising. There was really no need to take it too seriously.
If there was a chance to fight back, then fight. If there wasn't, then smile and live out whatever time remained. The outcome wouldn't change anyway.
"Drink!"
Kelly cheered, raising her cup. Leo smiled and clinked glasses with her. Only Tsunade, still trembling, didn't drink. She continued to clutch her head and shake, as if Leo and Kelly beside her were nothing more than illusions.
Leo and Kelly drank several cups, finishing almost all the remaining beer amid the zombies' continuous howling and scratching sounds. It might not have been appropriate, but given their situation, there was nothing left to criticize.
The zombies kept roaring, and the steel walls rang with loud clangs. Before long, however, the tearing sounds stopped, leaving only the zombies' howls, along with the occasional biting and scraping noise.
Then, the last bit of light in their dark shelter disappeared.
Leo and Kelly both knew this didn't mean the zombies had stopped attacking. It meant the house was now completely surrounded. Zombies from farther away pressed in around those closer, while the ones at the very center were crushed beneath the weight, unable to move. All they could do was slide their arms and grind their teeth helplessly against the steel walls, making chaotic noises.
Soon even those sounds faded, leaving only distant howling. Leo relaxed slightly. Exhausted, and aided by the alcohol, he soon found himself slumping drowsily against the most vulnerable spot—the main door. If anything happened, he'd be able to react immediately.
The two of them chatted on and off about all sorts of things—differences between their homelands, local foods unique to where they came from. They talked a lot, yet at the same time about nothing in particular.
Tsunade also seemed to recover a little as the zombie noises gradually faded. She picked up her cup and slowly leaned closer to Leo and Kelly, drinking quietly. She still didn't speak, only listening to their conversation while silently tasting the alcohol of this world.
Leo had to admit that the beer in this world called Seven Days to Die tasted pretty good. Aside from being a bit strong, there was little to complain about.
If he actually liked drinking, he probably wouldn't have held back.
In the darkness and the gradually quieting atmosphere, the zombie sounds grew softer and softer. At first, Leo thought it was just because he was getting sleepy. He quickly splashed his face with cold water, only to realize it wasn't his imagination—the sounds outside really were fading.
He checked the time. Without realizing it, it was already four o'clock. He leaned his head against the steel wall, listening carefully. Aside from a few scattered howls, there was nothing left.
Still, he didn't try to go outside. He stayed leaning against the door, waiting for dawn.
Kelly did the same, staying close to Leo as they guarded the door together—the place most likely to be breached.
But as the darkness deepened and the silence grew, Leo's consciousness gradually became hazy. Even while chatting idly with Kelly, his lack of food caught up to him, and he started to feel dazed.
"Damn it…"
He splashed his face again with bottled water from his inventory and rubbed his temples, forcing himself a bit more awake. But just as he shifted his posture, he realized that at some point, Tsunade had fallen asleep against his chest.
He moved slightly and immediately felt a soft sensation. Tsunade's shorter height combined with her full figure created a feeling that was hard to describe.
How should he put it?
An overwhelming sense of fullness. Just having her leaning against him made it feel like something inside him was about to explode.
In fact, something really was about to explode.
Earlier, when his head had been foggy, he hadn't noticed. Now that he was more awake, he clearly felt that excessive softness.
And as a result, what had been overly soft before was now starting to harden.
Even though he was mentally exhausted, his body showed no hesitation at all, as if that part of him had gained five times the strength and ten times the stamina and endurance.
"..."
This was really something.
Lighting his lighter, Leo looked at Tsunade's sleeping face, still marked with fear and tear stains. He sighed helplessly, wrapped an arm around her shoulders so she could sleep more comfortably, then leaned back against the door and continued waiting for daylight.
Still, he didn't forget to glance at Kelly.
Kelly was playing with her revolver. When she noticed Leo looking at her, a smile curved her lips.
"What, one not enough for you?"
"…I meant, do you want to rest for a bit too? I've already rested."
Leo was telling the truth. He really had dozed off earlier, and now he had no chance of sleeping again. Seeing the tired look on Kelly's face, he made the offer.
Kelly flashed a mischievous smile. The next moment, the tall beauty stepped over the barricade blocking the door and lightly landed beside Leo.
"Then I won't hold back. After all, sometimes even a big sister like me wants to lean on someone too."