Chapter 19: The Silent Station

  Cold wind swept across the empty highway as the jeep rolled slowly through the quiet countryside of northern Tohoku Region.

  It had been nearly two days since the group left Hokkaido.

  The road ahead stretched endlessly toward Tokyo, but the journey had become slower than anyone expected. Burned vehicles blocked highways. Entire towns had been swallowed by silence.

  Inside the jeep, exhaustion hung in the air.

  Natsuki leaned back in his seat and groaned.

  “Tell me we’re close to something useful.”

  Kaito glanced ahead through the cracked windshield.

  “We’re approaching a station.”

  Red lifted his head slightly.

  “A station?”

  Aoi nodded as she checked the old map spread across her lap.

  “There’s a railway line that passes through here. If the tracks still work… we could reach Tokyo much faster.”

  The jeep slowed as the abandoned station came into view.

  Nezuko lifted the binoculars they had taken from the military facility and looked toward the building ahead.

  “Guys… I see the station. The electricity still works fine but…” she paused.

  “…there seems to be a problem. A huge problem.”

  Rust covered the metal sign above the entrance. The platform was cracked and overgrown with weeds.

  But that wasn’t the real problem.

  The station was full of infected.

  Dozens… maybe hundreds of zombies wandered aimlessly across the tracks and platform.

  Low growls echoed through the empty air.

  Natsuki whistled.

  “Well… that’s inconvenient.”

  Kaito rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

  “Ugh… this is going to be a huge problem, huh?”

  Nezuko lowered the binoculars.

  “Even if we manage to secure a train to Tokyo, we’ll still be in danger. God knows how many infected are already on the tracks. The last thing we need is a train accident.”

  She paused before adding quietly,

  “Even for ability users… that could be fatal.”

  Aoi and Natsuki responded at the same time.

  “Nezuko’s right.”

  Red glanced toward Aoi.

  “And besides,” he added, “unlike the military facility we cleared before, this place is too tight for proper combat. If we get surrounded on those platforms, we’re finished.”

  He crossed his arms.

  “We may be ability users… but that doesn’t make us immune to the virus.”

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  The others stared at him for a moment.

  Surprised.

  Kaito blinked.

  “…Dude.”

  Natsuki nodded slowly.

  “This might be the first time I’ve ever heard you talk this much.”

  The rest of them nodded in agreement.

  Red frowned slightly.

  “Seriously…?”

  He looked like he wanted to say something else.

  But in the end, he simply sighed and looked back at the station.

  Aoi studied the station carefully.

  Zombies drifted slowly across the railway line, bumping into each other like mindless shadows.

  “If we want the train,” Aoi said quietly, “we need the tracks cleared first.”

  Kaito crossed his arms.

  “There are too many to fight head-on.”

  Aoi pointed toward the empty road behind the station.

  “Kaito. Natsuki. You two will be bait.”

  Natsuki grinned immediately.

  “Now you’re speaking my language.”

  Aoi continued.

  “Your job is to lure them away from the tracks.”

  Nezuko remained silent, calmly observing the infected through the binoculars again.

  Red nodded.

  “We draw most of them away… then eliminate whatever remains.”

  Everyone prepared themselves.

  Kaito picked up a heavy metal pipe from the ground.

  He glanced toward the empty road behind the station.

  “Here goes.”

  Using his gravity ability, he launched the pipe across the road.

  The pipe crashed violently against a rusted truck.

  CLANG!

  The noise echoed across the station.

  Dozens of zombies turned their heads instantly.

  Low snarls filled the air.

  Natsuki raised his hand.

  Lightning sparked between his fingers.

  CRACK!

  A bolt of electricity struck the road in the distance.

  The explosion of sound echoed across the entire area.

  Like a swarm responding to instinct, the majority of the infected began staggering toward the noise.

  But not all of them left.

  Around twenty zombies still remained on the platform.

  Red stepped forward.

  “Looks like we still have work to do.”

  The remaining zombies noticed them immediately.

  Rotting bodies lurched forward.

  The fight began.

  Natsuki moved first.

  Lightning exploded from his hands, tearing through three zombies at once.

  The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

  “Next!”

  Kaito raised his arm.

  Gravity surged outward.

  Several zombies were slammed violently into the pavement.

  Bones cracked.

  Aoi lifted both hands.

  A piece of broken metal twisted and reshaped itself in the air, forming a sharp spear.

  She launched it forward.

  The spear pierced straight through a zombie’s skull.

  Meanwhile, Red moved through the battlefield like a storm.

  One punch shattered a zombie’s jaw.

  Another kick launched one across the platform.

  His body moved faster than before.

  Stronger.

  The longer the fight continued, the more his body adapted.

  Within minutes, the final zombie collapsed.

  Silence returned to the station.

  Natsuki wiped sweat from his forehead.

  “Well… that was easier than I expected.”

  Then suddenly—

  A shadow moved behind Nezuko.

  A zombie that had been lying beneath the platform suddenly lunged forward.

  Its rotting hand reached toward her throat.

  Before anyone could react—

  BANG.

  The gunshot echoed like thunder.

  The zombie’s head exploded instantly.

  Its body collapsed at Nezuko’s feet.

  Everyone froze.

  Red slowly turned toward the station building.

  Standing on the rooftop was a man.

  Calm.

  Relaxed.

  Holding a rifle.

  The man looked down at them with a faint smile.

  Red’s eyes narrowed.

  The man spoke casually.

  “Impressive.”

  Wind brushed through his dark hair.

  “Most survivors wouldn’t last ten minutes against that many infected.”

  Aoi’s expression darkened.

  “…Who are you?”

  The man’s smile widened slightly.

  “Most people call me Vice Captain…”

  He tilted his head slightly.

  “…but my friends call me Hoshina.”

  Silence fell over the station.

  Natsuki scratched his head.

  “Vice captain…? Vice captain of what exactly?”

  Hoshina chuckled softly.

  “That’s a good question.”

  His eyes slowly scanned the group.

  Nezuko.

  Kaito.

  Natsuki.

  Aoi.

  Then finally—

  Red.

  For a brief moment, his gaze lingered there.

  “Watching you fight was… quite entertaining.”

  Aoi stepped forward.

  “You’ve been watching us?”

  “Of course,” Hoshina replied casually.

  “You didn’t really think this place was just conveniently empty, did you?”

  Before anyone could respond—

  WHUMP. WHUMP. WHUMP.

  The thunderous roar of helicopter blades filled the sky.

  Everyone looked up.

  Two military helicopters descended from the clouds.

  Dust exploded across the station as they landed.

  At the same time, armored vehicles rushed into the area from every direction.

  Soldiers poured out.

  Rifles raised.

  Laser sights locked onto the group.

  Kaito looked around slowly.

  “…We’re surrounded.”

  Natsuki clenched his fists.

  "You've gotta be f*cking kidding me!?"

  Aoi exhaled.

  “Well… this escalated quickly.”

  From the rooftop, Hoshina calmly watched them.

  Then he gave a slow clap.

  “Congratulations.”

  The soldiers tightened their formation.

  Hoshina’s voice drifted down from above.

  “You’ve officially attracted our attention.”

  Red stepped forward slightly.

  Dozens of rifles instantly aimed at him.

  Hoshina smiled.

  “So tell me…”

  He leaned forward slightly.

  “…are you going to surrender peacefully?”

  The wind howled across the empty station.

  No one answered.