It seems my physical condition has completely returned to normal.

In contrast to Rea, who looked happy to see me like that, Mitsurugi san was glaring at me resentfully.

"Mitsurugi san, did something bad happen?"

"...Don't get carried away."

"What are you talking about? I'm just acting perfectly normal."

"That's your 'perfectly normal'? Don't joke around."

"Are you upset that I'm acting normally? Do you hate me just for breathing? We've barely even spoken properly, so is there a reason for you to hate me so much?"

"Ugh..."

"W-Well, Erika, let's leave it at that. You're still recovering."

"If Rea says so. By the way, why did everyone escape to the infirmary? I'd like to know what the situation outside is like."

It was Ushizawa san and Shimakawa kun who answered my question.

"It's probably almost exactly what Kuragane san saw. Suddenly monsters appeared, and Ai panicked and escaped to the seemingly safe infirmary. I got separated from my friends, though..."

"Same for me. After heading for the entrance, I realized it was impossible to escape outside, so I was desperately running around the school. But the shape of the school had changed and I got completely lost. I somehow managed to run in here and avoid dying."

"And it was my idea to build that barricade, which is why we've survived so far."

Tatsuoka senpai said this somewhat proudly, pushing his glasses up.

He must be talking about the entrance to the infirmary, which is blocked by shelves, chairs, and such.

"So outside of that red hallway, it's the same as what we saw."

"I wish everything had gone back to normal once we got through the hallway..."

"Kuragane kun, now it's our turn to ask. Please tell us the true nature of that magic like power from earlier. Why do only you have such power?"

Tatsuoka senpai asked in an overbearing manner, looking displeased for some reason.

It seems he's unhappy that I have this power.

"I also want to ask why only I have this powers. If you ask what it is, it's probably just magic as it is, since my MP decreases when I use it."

"Such a vague answer!"

"There's no need to get so angry, senpai. We don't know what we don't know."

"Are you going to trust this woman?"

"We have no choice but to do so in order to survive. As long as we don't have the power to fight the monsters. Before believing or not believing, we have no choice but to rely on her."

"Ugh... that's true, but..."

It seems there's no one else here who has obtained abilities similar to mine.

I am in an overwhelmingly advantageous position.

Even Mitsurugi has no choice but to rely on me in the end.

"Hey Erika, how long will that barricade hold..."

Rea whispered to me while looking at the infirmary entrance.

"If the zombie leader or whatever it was that I fought comes, I think it'll be destroyed in one hit."

That's the undeniable reality.

Even with my enhanced physical body, I couldn't have stopped that punch without raising my stats.

The barricade won't even be a minor comfort.

"As expected, that alone makes me uneasy."

Naturally, Meiji sensei also seemed to have some thoughts about the safety of this room.

Resting her hand on her chin, she looked in the same direction with a slightly uneasy expression.

"Besides, this room has no food or water, you see."

"Isn't there a water supply?"

When Rea said that, Meiji sensei approached the faucet with a troubled expression.

What came out of it was dark red water.

"Do you think this is drinkable?"

"Impossible..."

Even if this room were a safe zone, as long as the water pipes run outside, the water has been exposed to some kind of anomaly.

However, if we don't even have drinking water, our survival today is in jeopardy.

"Ai doesn't think it's good to rely too much, but... Kuragane-san, can you produce water with magic?"

I would also be in trouble without water.

If there conveniently is such a magic, I should learn it first, but...

"It seems I can."

"You can..."

It's properly prepared, how convenient.

The skill name is just "Water".

The MP cost is 2 at level 1.

It says it's a skill that attacks by throwing a water ball at the opponent.

I opened the window, held out my palm, and activated the skill.

"WATER."

A water ball is generated in front of my palm.

It's quite large, about 50 centimeters in diameter.

And it seems that just because it's activated doesn't mean it's fired immediately.

When I willed it to fire, the water ball shot out vigorously.

And it immediately hit the "scenery" itself and burst.

Upon receiving the impact, the scenery warped and distorted.

"...As expected, there's a wall outside."

Meiji sensei muttered sadly.

Next, I took the bucket that was in the infirmary and activated Water at the sink.

Without firing, I tried releasing the firing preparation stance.

Then, the water ball immediately lost its shape and splashed down.

The bucket was filled to the brim with water.

"Here, water."

"Whoa... that's amazing."

"Is it actually drinkable?"

"Senpai, you're too suspicious."

"It can't be helped, it's water created by magic."

"If you say that, I'll drink it."

"Wait, Rea, I don't know if it's drinkable either, so I'll do it myself first."

"Hmph, it seems even the person herself says so."

"Senpai, you're annoying."

"You're out of line, Ushizawa kun."

"Annoying things are annoying."

"I think water made by Erika should be fine."

"Ahaha... thanks for trusting me."

I scooped up the water from the bucket, brought it to my mouth, and swallowed.

It's ordinary, cold water.

There's no premonition of anything unusual happening to my body.

"Mmm, it's good. Seems fine."

"See, I told you."

Rea looked at my face and smiled brightly.

The others were also relieved that we had successfully secured water.

"With this, we can feel relieved about water. I was scared to death when you guys came out of that light, but it's a huge help that you came."

"I thought it was drinkable from the start."

This teacher is too convenient.

"We want to secure as much water as possible."

"I can't just produce an unlimited amount. The number of times I can use magic is limited."

"Using magic decreases Erika's points, right?"

"I think they'll recover if I rest, and the maximum amount should increase if I allocate stats. I only have enough left for one more use right now, so securing a large amount is impossible."

"Things aren't always so convenient... I was hoping, if possible, that you could also provide food with that magic."

"Senpai, you're dreaming too much. Ai doesn't think there's magic to create food... right?"

Ushizawa san checked apologetically.

However, a tiny amount of expectation was mixed in her gaze.

I also think food is necessary, but I can't give what I don't have.

"From what I can see, I don't think so."

"I knew it..."

"There's agriculture and cooking under production skills, but without soil or seeds, cultivation is probably impossible."

"We don't have that kind of time anyway."

"As for food, maybe there's some left if we go to the school store."

"So someone has to go outside to get it."

"...It's impossible for us."

"For this too, Ai and the others have no choice but to rely on Kuragane san."

Well, since I'm the only one with the power to fight, it comes to this.

I'm being relied on.

Without me, everyone won't be able to survive.

Yeah, it feels good.

"It's fine, we can't just stay here if we want to find clues for escaping anyway."

"If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me. I'll really do anything!"

Rea squeezes my hand again.

I told you, you're too close... too much light attribute...

"...Hmph."

Meanwhile, Mitsurugi san is looking displeased in the corner of the room.

I wonder how long that attitude will last.

"Since the conversation has reached a good stopping point, why don't we have something sweet? I'm exhausted from all these depressing things."

"Do we have anything sweet?"

When I asked, Meiji sensei approached the refrigerator with a proud look.

Then she opened it and moved the oral rehydration solution placed in front.

Then a box of snacks appeared from the back.

 "Ta-da! The teacher prepared this just in case something like this happened."

"You were just hiding it..."

"Now, now, don't say that, Kuragane san. All's well that ends well, right? Ah, by the way, there isn't enough to replace a meal, okay? Just enough for a snack."

"It sounds to Ai like you confessed it's just your snacks."

"Sigh, what an unserious teacher."

Tatsuoka senpai sighs in exasperation.

Even so, Meiji sensei is smiling brightly—but her eyes didn't seem to be smiling.

The teacher distributes the bite-sized stick cakes that were in the box to everyone.

We each sat wherever we liked, replenishing our sugar levels and gaining a momentary peace.

I sat on the edge of the bed, and Rea is sitting right next to me, almost clinging to me.

...I won't say anything anymore.

"Ahhh... the sugar is seeping into my brain..."

Rea looked happy.

Next, I ate my cake too, and embarrassingly, I was surprised it was tastier than I expected.

Come to think of it, when was the last time I ate cake?

I've never had a birthday cake prepared for me, after all.

Even when my sister was celebrating her birthday, I wasn't there.

The snack vanished into my stomach in no time, and I looked up at the empty space, letting out a deep sigh.

It's only been about two hours since I killed Shudou kun.

So many unpredictable things have happened that I feel like I've aged about a month.

"I wonder what's going to happen to us."

Perhaps because her brain was replenished with sugar, Rea seems to have started thinking about the future.

If we step one foot outside the infirmary, it's full of man-eating monsters.

We can't escape outside, and we can't expect help from outside.

The future is pitch black.

But the future being pitch black is as usual for me, so I don't feel much tragedy.

"First, we have to survive the present. Thinking about the future won't do any good."

"...You're right. There's no point in being negative when we don't know anything."

As expected of Rea, she recovers quickly.

Although it seems the true meaning of what I wanted to say didn't get across.

"I'll say it again, but thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Erika, I really think I would have died a long time ago."

"It was just a coincidence I was there, and that I got this power."

"But that doesn't change the fact that you saved me. Even with power, it's up to the person to choose whether to save someone or not, right? You're kind, Erika."

"...I don't think so."

"There you go being modest again."

It's not modesty.

Because I didn't save Rea out of a sense of justice.

She probably wouldn't understand, with her eyes that don't know how to doubt people, but I had much more calculating and desire-filled, messy reasons—if she knew them, surely even Rea would despise me.

Just like other people have done.

Just like everyone else except Yumemi has done.

For better or worse, Mitsurugi san, who knows this, is also here.

Going outside to get food means there will be a situation where only I am not here.

How much malice will she spread during that time?

Malice grows much more easily than vegetables.

This pleasant time we're spending like this is probably only for now.

"Yawn... now that I've calmed down, I'm getting sleepy. Erika, won't you rest with me?"

Rea seems relaxed.

The others, perhaps because there's a "person who can fight" like me, are also closing their eyes and resting their bodies.

As if to shatter that peaceful silence, Bam! There was a sound of something hitting.

Everyone flinched, and their gazes simultaneously focused on the entrance.

"What's that sound...?"

Rea grabbed my sleeve tightly.

Then, Bam, Bam, someone hits the barricade.

"Ai doesn't think it's a survivor who escaped here."

As if to betray Ushizawa san's expectations, a hoarse voice said, "Uaaaahh..."

Furthermore, the number of hits increased.

It wasn't that the intervals shortened; it seemed the number of monsters hitting the barricade had increased.

"Looks like they found us."

"Kuragane kun, you can fight, right? Eliminate them right now!"

I could if I wanted to.

But that wouldn't be a fundamental solution.

This place will be defenseless while I'm outside anyway.

I should take measures beforehand.

"There's no need to eliminate them. I have a better way."

"What are you intending to do?"

"Sanctuary Deployment."

Along with the activation of the newly learned skill, the area around the room brightened for an instant.

I also felt the air clear a bit.

And the hitting sounds that we were hearing disappeared.

"Please explain, what happened?"

Without particularly answering Tatsuoka senpai's words, I moved to the entrance of the room and removed the barricade blocking the door.

"She moved that shelf with one hand... it took three of us just to manage it..."

"The monsters will come in!"

"It's fine, I've made it so they can't come in anymore."

If it worked, that is.

The obstruction is removed, revealing the door.

There's a zombie standing right in front, which startles me a bit.

When the zombie saw me, it thrust it's hands forward and attacked, but it was repelled and blown away by an invisible wall.

"To Ai, it looks like there's electricity crackling."

"It's like a barrier. I don't think monsters will be able to invade even if I'm not here now."

"So this room is safe?"

"According to the skill description, I think so, probably."

Tatsuoka senpai looked exasperated, saying, "Those are unreliable words...", but I can't say for sure either.

Because I have no choice but to believe the contents displayed on the smartphone.

"What kind of description is written?"

"I think it's faster to actually see it than to say it."

When I showed the smartphone, everyone gathered and peered at the screen.

Mitsurugi san, perhaps also curious, was watching from a distance.

And Rea read the contents aloud.

"[Sanctuary Deployment Lv.1], [Deploys a barrier that rejects the intrusion of Kaigyo's Gangrene, creating 1 base]... Kaigyo's Gangrene?"

"Ai has never heard the word Kaigyo."

"Isn't that what those monsters are?"

I think it's unnatural that there's no explanation of what Kaigyo means.

In the first place, even though this app imitates a game, it has no tutorial.

It's extremely inconvenient because I have to find and test the functions myself.

"Gangrene, huh... Wouldn't the knowledgeable Tatsuoka senpai know?"

"Of course I don't, the occult is outside my field of expertise. In times like this, I think we should rely on the teacher rather than me. What do you say, Meiji sensei?"

"..."

"Sensei?"

"...Didn't everyone notice?"

"Notice what?"

"That zombie just now, it was wearing a uniform. In other words, it's a student from our school."

"Meaning... the students have turned into zombies."

Tatsuoka senpai couldn't hide his surprise.

Rea was also frozen with her mouth half-open.

The others were similar.

"If we get killed, we'll end up like that too."

Meiji sensei's voice echoed strangely in the room.

Like the zombies we know well, the decay of the flesh is contagious.

And I have one question.

If so, where did the zombies that suddenly appeared turn into zombies?

Their clothes weren't uniforms, nor did they look like regular clothes.

Their facial features also seemed different from Japanese people. Does that mean they were teleported from overseas?

"I have no intention of becoming such an ugly figure."

"In movies, people who say that are the first to die."

"Meiji sensei, that remark just now is really problematic, you know?"

"It slipped out."

Meiji sensei, are you holding a grudge over what senpai said earlier?

She might be an unexpectedly dark hearted person.

Even so, the fact that she doesn't show it openly in her attitude makes her feel like an adult, I guess.

Tatsuoka senpai has a tense relationship with his surroundings, and Mitsurugi san is still silent as usual, but as long as the teacher is here, I suppose nothing harmful will happen to Rea.

"Since safety is secured, I'm going."

"Erika, where are you going?"

"Outside."

"Right now!?"

"I figured the sooner I look for food at the school store, the better. And if there's a way to escape nearby, it's ridiculous to stay holed up in here."

"That's true, but..."

Just because time passes doesn't mean the situation will improve.

No, rather, it's highly likely to worsen.

—That's the official reason. To be honest, I wanted to try out various things.

With these skills, I want to see how strong I can become.

"Be careful not to get lost."

"Ai thinks the current school building is completely a maze."

"I know, I'll keep that in mind."

"Don't push yourself. If you get tired or hurt, come back immediately."

Rea pleads, holding my hand and shaking it up and down vigorously.

Her childlike behavior makes me smile involuntarily.

"I know, I know."

"It's really dangerous, so be careful."

"Yeah."

"Take care."

"I-I'm going."

This is another unfamiliar exchange.

In a normal household, family members see you off, but they don't do that for me at home.

For a failure of trash like me.

Seen off by Rea, I leave the infirmary.

Immediately, cold, stagnant, unpleasant air clung to my body.

There's no sign of zombies around, but the air is faintly mixed with the smell of decay.

The scenery spreading before my eyes resembles a familiar sight, but it's a bizarre landscape that continues endlessly, as if copy-pasted.

"Phew... being alone is easier after all."

Even though the air is bad, my heart is light.

Since I'm originally shy, I should be praised just for gathering with strangers and holding a conversation.

Maybe getting power has made me feel bolder.

"I need to test out various things while I can."

If I can't find an escape route, I'll be trapped here for days.

Even if I can secure food, it will be incredibly stressful.

When that happens, Tatsuoka senpai is probably the type to become hysterical.

I don't think that gathering in the infirmary, with no common ground, will continue without conflict.

I only have leeway now, so I must finish experimenting with this "ability" while I can be alone.

For now, so as not to be seen from the infirmary, I take a left at the corner in front of me.

The fact that there's a corner means it really is a different place from the hallway earlier.

However, the hallway remained the same, stretching so long that they seemed to never end. The inside of the school has expanded, and its structure seems to have become complicated with numerous corners.

It's completely beyond understanding.

Who on earth caused this phenomenon, and for what reason?

Since I could see something like the outside from the infirmary, that room must be at the edge, for now.

In other words, this hallway must also have an end point, for now.

"Thanks to defeating the zombie leader, I have 4 stat points left... Considering I lost 8 HP in one hit, I want to increase my stamina, and I want to increase my magic power to secure drinking water. But with this kind of thing, if you raise them in a balanced way, you end up weak..."

For now, to confirm if HP and MP really increase, I try allocating 1 point each to magic power and stamina.

[Kuragane Erika]

[Level: 7]

[HP: 12/12]

[MP: 5/12]

[Strength: 13]

[Magic Power: 6]

[Stamina: 6]

[Agility: 7]

[Remaining Stat P: 2]

Ah, they increase by 2 points.

But I'm glad that the remaining amount also increases by the amount the maximum increased.

There's no bonus like full recovery when leveling up, after all.

"Hmm... Since the level itself seems to go up relatively easily, should I secure MP for now... No, before that, I should look at the skills. There might be convenient magic I've overlooked."

I swiped to display the skill screen.

Magic is lined up by attribute.

Below the Water magic, that I just learn, a magic called Ice Spear is written.

The learning condition is Water Lv. 3.

It seems water and ice are grouped into the same attribute.

Going further down, there are strong-looking magic like Aqua Pressure and Waterfall, but is there a need to be particular about water?

I feel like Water Lv. 1 is enough to secure the water necessary to live.

Other attack magic of the same level are Fire, Spark, Wind, and Rock Shoot.

There's also a dark attribute like magic called Darkness, but the description says it deprives the opponent of their vision with black mist, so it's probably what's called a debuff.

Moving to another screen, this time it's production skills.

It's troubling that skill points are shared with magic.

The Sanctuary Deployment I learned earlier is classified in this category.

Furthermore, the next screen even has skills related to weapons.

These seem to be attack skills using Dreamer, and some increase the performance of the weapon itself.

Of course, skill points are shared.

"It doesn't seem like I can reallocate... Once I learn it, that's it, huh. This is tough."

Though agonizing over it like this is sometimes the most fun part.

However, my remaining skill P is—

[Remaining Skill P: 3]

[Learned Skills]

Dual Slash Lv. 1

Healing Lv. 1

Water Lv. 1

Sanctuary Deployment Lv. 1

Since I only have 3, it's a fact that I can't waste them.

No, should I think that I even have 3 more points? I can just pour them all into skills for defeating monsters, quickly level up, and earn more points.

In that case, right now I should pour points into strengthening Dreamer, because magic requires MP.

It seems attack skills using this weapon can be activated without consuming HP or MP.

Instead, a cooldown of tens of seconds is required before the next use.

In short, the more types I learn, the more consecutive powerful attacks I can unleash.

Instead of concentrating on raising one skill, first I'll learn two types of attack skills at Lv. 1: "Power Stab" and "Illusion Dagger".

With this, combined with "Dual Slash", I have obtained three types of attack skills.

It seems there are also enhanced versions of each skill—basically, they're divided into those specialized for single-hit power, continuous attacks, and throwing, I guess.

Then I learn "Weapon Enhancement Lv. 1", increasing Dreamer's attack power by 5.

...I just took it without thinking much, but what is attack power?

The appearance of the knife hasn't changed, and I don't feel like my own power has specially improved.

It's probably an effect like making it sharper. Let's go with that.

Anyway, I'll know when I actually use it.

As if on cue, a zombie's voice came from the corner ahead.

I gripped Dreamer and took a stance.

And the moment the enemy poked its head out from the corner, I unleashed a skill.

"Illusion Dagger, go!"

When I unleashed a slash into the empty air on the spot, a single semi-transparent knife was generated and flew straight toward the enemy.

The knife hit the zombie brilliantly right between the eyes, pierced through its head, and opened a large hole with a thwack.

The enemy, its face hollowed out, fell forward.

"It's... s-stronger than I thought."

I thought it was just the power of a throwing knife, but it was actually like firing a bullet.

As expected, I'm a little scared.

This is a "skill".

The remaining Dual Slash and Power Stab, unlike Illusion Dagger, need to be used in close combat.

I already know the convenience of Dual Slash, but since I used it suddenly when cornered, I haven't fully grasped how to use it yet.

First, I want to do some test cutting.

That sacrifice appeared from the same corner, drawn by the sound of the defeated zombie falling.

A female zombie in a uniform.

Although her body is decaying, she still retains the vestiges of a human.

So I knew immediately who it was.

"Yoshioka san..."

A girl in the same class.

I can't believe she had already turned into a zombie and died.

"Why... couldn't you at least wait until you were killed by me..."

A tear spilled out.

I don't have a huge grudge against Yoshioka san.

At best, she's on the same level as Mitsurugi san, she didn't necessarily have to die.

But, if she was going to die anyway, without wasting the preciousness of that life—I would have wanted to properly burn the sight of her suffering into my eyes.

"Uaaaaah..."

The squeezed-out voice was clearer than the others, perhaps because her throat was still fresh.

She must have been alive until just recently.

By the way, does that zombie still have consciousness?

Is she completely dead and her personality erased, or is she watching her decaying self from the inside?

If it's the latter, there's hope.

"Aaaaaaaaahh!"

The moment she spotted me, Yoshioka san ran toward me with her eyes wide open, screaming.

"Yoshioka san, it's me. It's Kuragane Erika, the one you hate so much!"

I called out desperately, but there was no reaction.

She's already nothing but a beast dominated by murderous intent—

"I see, it's no use."

But, maybe I should think positively.

I didn't get to see her suffer while turning into a zombie.

But she appeared before me like this, giving me a chance to clear my grudge.

"Dual Slash!"

To repay her, I will thoroughly destroy that body.

When I unleashed a horizontal slash, a vertical slash floated in the air exactly intersecting it.

The zombie was cut into four pieces, falling apart and collapsing to the floor.

Not only did the number of attacks increase, but the slashes themselves were also strengthened.

There's no huge difference from Illusion Dagger, but it seems it can reliably deal damage to the opponent.

"Thank you, Yoshioka san."

I put my hands together in front of her remains.

And lastly—a filthy zombie ran toward me from down the hallway to become a punching bag for Power Stab.

Perhaps someone with a long history as a zombie, the degree of decay is clearly different from the girl who fell at my feet.

Just by running, colored juices are scattered from its body, emitting a foul stench.

Furthermore, before arriving in front of me, its back began to swell and bubble.

No, not just the back.

Its entire body, excluding its face, hypertrophied, becoming a figure just like the zombie leader I encountered in that hallway.

No, not "like", it is the exact same thing.

"They aren't born as powerful individuals, but rather they naturally strengthen if left alone... Are cellular things multiplying inside their bodies? Or are they absorbing it from the air? If I had waited a little longer, would Yoshioka san have turned into a figure like that too?"

But with this, the reason why I must hurry to escape has increased by one.

However, there's no need to panic right now.

I've already defeated a zombie leader once.

There's no reason to lose in a one-on-one fight.

"Uaaaaaaargh!"

The grotesque figure clad in armor of muscle roared, swinging its fist down to strike me.

"Power Stab!"

I thrust Dreamer toward that fist.

A short swish! sounded, and the zombie leader's arm was blown away.

No, not just that, the base of the arm, and even half of its torso was blown away, and its body tilted unsteadily.

"You have killed the monster 'Zombie Leader'. Congratulations, your level has risen to 8!"

"U..a...?"

Unable to understand what had happened to it—with that expression, the monster fell.

"This is nice. It feels good. Right now, I feel like I can do anything!"

Every time my power increases, the choices of actions I can take increase.

While powerless humans have no choice but to hole up in a safe zone, the fact that I can move freely like this is undoubtedly thanks to this power.

The students and teachers had two choices: to join me, or to assist me.

They chose the former.

My family and the police had two choices: to ignore me, or to help me.

They chose the former.

Because it was easier, going with the flow of the situation, they sacrificed me and obtained peace.

But now, it's completely the exact opposite.

Everyone has no choice but to rely on me.

On someone like me.

I know perfectly well that I'm a twisted piece of trash.

But no one here will blame me for that.

In that case, it's fine if I surrender myself to this pleasant feeling, right?