The second-to-last day of the joint camp, Chiba Village welcomed a rare clear day.
The sky after heavy rain appeared clean blue, the air so fresh it seemed capable of cleansing the soul. Students were truly relaxed, scattered throughout the village in small groups. Some were fishing by the river, some playing cards on the grass, and some holding cameras, trying to capture these final poetic moments.
Everything appeared so peaceful, so normal.
Except Darius.
He didn't rampage, didn't disturb anyone, and didn't make any statements about the apocalypse. He only carried a clinical experiment notebook and a pen, walking around the village in silence like an antisocial scholar.
Sometimes he stopped by the river, observing the direction of water flow, and drawing something in his book. Sometimes he squatted on the rice field embankment, took a bit of soil, smelled it, then immediately took notes. Sometimes he stood at a high place, gazing at the entire village layout with an empty stare, as if calculating complex data.
His calmness was actually more unsettling than any commotion he had ever made before.
Yukino sat on the front steps of the west building, reading a hardcover edition book titled The Stranger. However, her gaze always drifted unconsciously toward the black figure wandering in the distance.
Too abnormal. Everything abnormal must hide something strange. This madman must be planning something terrible again.
She closed her book, stood up, and walked toward Darius's direction. Rather than passively waiting for disaster to come, better to move actively, at least to find out what that person actually wanted to do.
When she arrived behind Darius, the man was standing under a large tree, looking up at a bird's nest without moving at all.
"What are you doing?" Yukino asked in a cold voice.
Darius didn't turn around, as if he already knew she would come. He slowly lowered his head, turned to face Yukino.
His eyes no longer showed the usual madness or joking, but were replaced by a calmness that almost felt numb—emptiness after all data processing was complete.
"Data collection, finished." He said softly.
Yukino furrowed her brow: "What data?"
"Regarding this isolation zone's ecosystem, geographical environment, and... infection spread model." Darius opened his notebook, filled with various symbols, arrows, and numbers that Yukino didn't understand.
He pointed to one of the conclusions on a page and showed it to Yukino.
"Based on my calculations, as of ten o'clock this morning, the infection rate of non-target organisms in this area has reached ninety-eight percent."
Yukino stared at Darius's eyes that showed not the slightest emotional ripple. Hearing him utter those words in a tone like stating a fact, a sudden coldness crept up from her back.
For the first time, she couldn't distinguish whether this person was being crazy, or stating a truth he himself deeply believed.
"You..." Yukino opened her mouth, but found she couldn't say anything.
Just then, Yui ran over carrying a bottle of mineral water.
"Commander! Yukinon! So you're here!" She smiled and offered water to Darius, "Commander, you haven't talked much all morning, are you too tired? Drink some water!"
Darius's gaze shifted from Yukino to that water bottle. He didn't accept it.
"No." He shook his head, his voice heavy. "Water source, most likely already contaminated."
The smile on Yui's face froze: "Eh?"
"Virus spreads through the underground water system, that's one of the most efficient transmission routes." Darius stepped back one step, as if that water bottle was a highly toxic substance. "From now on, stop consuming any local water source that hasn't been purified. This is an order, Agent 'Pink Hazard'."
After speaking, he no longer looked at the two of them and turned to walk toward another direction.
Yui stood frozen holding that water bottle in confusion. Yukino stood in place, staring at Darius's back.
The man didn't return to the west building, but walked straight to the edge of the village. There, was an old wooden bridge. It was the only road connecting this village with the outside world.
Darius stood at the bridge's base without moving. Separated by the small river, he gazed far to the other end of the bridge.
His shadow under the bright sunlight stretched long, appearing very lonely, yet also very dangerous.
Yukino's heart suddenly sank. She had a premonition. This calm before the storm would soon end.