Five minutes later, the three women stood outside the car, dusty and worn, while Sosuke Kitahara once again took his seat behind the wheel, the katana resting by his side.

"Alright. Time to move as planned."

He rested his hand on the edge of the window, pointing down toward the massive traffic jam tangled on the lower roadway. "I'll draw the main horde away. You three stay clear for now. Once you see most of the zombies lured off, make your move. Slip down quietly, and if all goes well, head straight to the yacht and get it started. Wait for me there."

"Mm! We'll be waiting for you on the yacht," Utaha Kasumigaoka replied confidently.

She reached into her bag to retrieve a bottle of water. Beside her, Haruno Yukinoshita, now more experienced, unzipped her backpack and began tossing everything aside except the medical supplies reducing weight was key.

Sosuke chuckled. "Carried that stuff all this way, and now you're just tossing it? What a waste. At least take a bite out of something."

Haruno brushed the hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear with a smirk. "Once we're on the yacht, you can eat whatever you like."

"Smart thinking. Since the road's completely jammed, just hop across the car roofs. Nobody's going to stop you, and those cars aren't anyone's anymore," Sosuke suggested, glancing over at the three.

"You've got a point," Utaha mused. "But what if the alarms go off?"

"As long as you don't try to break in, car alarms aren't that sensitive. That said, it's just a suggestion. Do whatever works. I won't be with you this time, so you'll have to manage on your own."

Haruno adjusted the strap of her rifle with a squeeze and smiled at him. "We'll see you on the yacht then."

Sosuke gave them a nod and rolled the window down. The car slowly pulled away.

As the black sedan disappeared into the distance, Yukino Yukinoshita stared after it, her eyes tinged with worry. Haruno gently patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Even if all of us die, Sosuke won't."

Despite knowing him for only a few days, Haruno had immense confidence in him. So did Utaha, who had witnessed his growth firsthand. For mere zombies to pose a threat to him? Not a chance.

If he said he'd meet them on the yacht, then he would.

Rather than worrying about him, they should probably worry about themselves. That thought passed through Utaha's mind as she recalled the breathing technique Sosuke had taught her. She hadn't felt much change yet but having it was better than nothing. She inhaled deeply and began to breathe in rhythm.

Two minutes later, Sosuke's sedan appeared at a fork along the jammed road. As soon as he braked, several zombies nearby noticed the car. They rushed over, baring yellowed teeth, pressing up against the windows with saliva dripping as they growled and scratched.

Unfazed, Sosuke slammed his palm on the horn.

The blaring alarm ripped through the air like a scream. In moments, the silent port became chaotic. Shadows began to shuffle into view behind the barricade of cars, stumbling toward the sound.

In no time, the vehicle was surrounded, rocking under the weight of the undead.

"Damn, when there's enough of them, even Tier 1 zombies are no joke. Better get going before they block the front."

He eased onto the gas. The car began crawling forward, knocking a few zombies to the ground. Others behind them climbed over without hesitation, trampling their own.

"Raaagh!"

"Groar!"

More and more zombies appeared on the coastal highway, all lured by the constant, wailing horn. As Tier 1 undead, they hadn't evolved yet. Their walking speed was average, though a few outliers were slightly faster not enough to matter.

Sosuke calmly watched them in the rearview mirror, luring them slowly while maintaining just the right distance.

From a bird's-eye view, it would look like a black sedan drifting forward at a steady pace, with a massive, writhing black wave following behind.

He wasn't aiming to kill the zombies just buy time and draw them away from the girls. To keep the horde from tripping or getting distracted, he drove in a straight, even line. At points, he kept nearly the same speed as the undead.

His method was bold, and the visual was dramatic: a rolling zombie wave like a miniature corpse tide.

The noise was deafening and it caught someone else's attention.

On a nearby ferry loaded with armored vehicles, a stunning woman stood alone on the deck.

She looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Tall, graceful, with strikingly simple clothes that couldn't even begin to hide her breathtaking beauty.

At first, she hadn't noticed the chaos on the highway. She'd been gazing down at the waves breaking on either side of the boat, deep in thought. Several boats were approaching in the distance, and the light of the setting sun painted the water in brilliant hues.

The sea breeze lifted her hair like butterflies caught in flight. She raised a delicate hand to shield her eyes and peered into the horizon just then, something strange on the shoreline caught her attention.

Before she could get a closer look, soft footsteps approached behind her.

"Mom, the wind's strong. Let's go inside," came the gentle voice of a blond girl with twin tails.

In her daughter's eyes, the woman radiated elegance, poise and a faint sadness. Thinking of the crumpled note she had seen, the girl's heart sank.

The woman gave a soft, nasal "Mm," brushing windblown strands behind her ear. The motion, casual and unhurried, made even the beautiful seascape around her feel dull in comparison.

Before stepping away, she glanced toward the shore one last time. The black car was gone, replaced by a long trail of zombies.

Back on the road, Sosuke had pushed the undead to their limit. Any further, and it would lose meaning.

He kept scanning his surroundings, looking for a way out.

"There!"

His eyes lit up. About fifty meters ahead, a long downhill slope led to a pair of large, three-meter-tall iron gates completely shut. Beyond them, a dock waited, with a dozen zombies still wandering nearby.

"I hope those three didn't run into trouble…"

He cast a glance in the mirror. A flood of zombies was still behind him, a wave with no visible end.

While driving, he pulled out a rubber hose. Originally, it was meant for siphoning gas from other cars.

Fifty meters wasn't too far but not exactly close either.

The downhill ramp loomed ahead.

He shook off all distractions, every muscle tensed.

The car kept its steady pace. He didn't know how many more zombies were still coming but now wasn't the time to worry.

Sosuke flashed a grim smile and suddenly yanked the wheel, slamming the gas pedal down.

The iron gate rushed up fast. In seconds, the car slammed toward it at full speed. At the moment of impact, Sosuke flung the door open and leapt out.

"Bang!"

As expected, the front crumpled on impact, the body jolting violently but the gate held firm, proving its strength.

Sosuke rolled to absorb the fall, then sprang to his feet, sprinted to the car, twisted the fuel cap open, and shoved the hose in. He took a deep breath, sucked hard on the other end, then tossed it away.

Gasoline began to trickle out.

Without sparing a glance, he gripped his katana, launched himself off the ground, bounded up onto the roof, and leapt again soaring clean over the three-meter gate and landing nimbly behind it.

"Grrargh!"

Two zombies instantly lunged at him.

He didn't flinch.

The stench hit first, like rot and smoke fused together. Three sets of jaws gaped wide. From their twitching cheeks, they clearly thought he was already theirs.

But just as they pounced, Sosuke's eyes flashed cold.

He stepped forward.

Their distance vanished.

The zombies grew more excited, their cloudy eyes stretching wide in anticipation.

"Moon Breathing, Second Form, Pearl Reflection of the Crescent!"

In a blur, crescent-shaped arcs of steel glinted in the air.

"Slice."

"Slice."

Two heads were severed cleanly, their bodies crashing into one another with dull thuds.

Sosuke didn't stop moving. He silently counted in his head and charged forward.

"Flick!"

A lit lighter flew behind him, landing squarely in the spreading pool of fuel.

The flame whooshed to life rising like the curtain call of a play.

Under normal conditions, cars don't explode from crashes.

But this time.

Sosuke grinned.

Just as the severed zombie heads hit the ground.

"BOOM!"

A massive blast shook the ground.

Thick black smoke coiled skyward like a vengeful serpent, clawing at the heavens.

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