31. Mission II
Three hours had passed since April's 1st Platoon began searching unpurified zone 4A, but progress was minimal. Palmer, the self-appointed platoon leader eager to lead by example, kept scouting ahead personally, forcing the platoon to halt every 20 minutes. At worst, they'd stop again after just a few steps, exhausting the patience of platoon members who found it difficult to criticize this foolish leader who ran around harder than anyone, firmly believing he was leading the platoon brilliantly.
"Please wait a moment. The path ahead splits three ways—we can't know which direction madmen might emerge from. I'll scout briefly to find the optimal route."
This time planning to check all three paths, Palmer tightened his loose shoelaces and frantically ran around looking for cover ahead.
"Seriously..."
Supremer said while squatting against a building's outer wall and pulling out a cigarette.
"Madmen don't shoot guns, so why does he keep looking for cover? Does he have a brain or not?"
"...Leave him. It's his first field deployment. He wants to look good."
O'Brien unbuttoned the top of his protective suit and lit his cigarette.
"Ugh, really. I want to smack that fist right on the back of his head."
Other nearby platoon members giggled in agreement with Supremer. April, who had been silently watching from behind, approached Palmer, who was looking around just 5 meters ahead.
"Hey, platoon leader."
Palmer turned to see April, then spoke in a surprised whisper.
"April. It's dangerous standing there. Come here."
Palmer gestured with four fingers for her to come behind him. April sighed and slowly walked behind him.
"Seems hard to drag the whole platoon around alone. How about moving in squads?"
Palmer perked up at April's words—he'd heard the concept of squads somewhere but didn't know exactly what it meant and couldn't readily answer. April added, seeing his wavering eyes.
"I mean let's split up."
Finally understanding, Palmer said with a bright expression.
"That sounds like a good idea! I was just about to split into squads anyway."
"Really? That's fortunate. Since there are three paths, me, that baldy, and that beanpole—we three will take that path."
"Understood. Be careful. If anything happens, call me, Palmer, on the radio anytime!"
"Sure."
April smiled and approached Supremer.
"What'd he say? Lost?"
"Did he even know the way to lose it?"
April shouldered the backpack next to Supremer and headed down the right path. Supremer and O'Brien followed her with bewildered expressions.
***
At the end of April's chosen path stood a large department store building. Entering, the wide hall interior was open all the way to the ceiling. Escalators were installed on each floor so you could look down into the hall while going up and down—probably a structure to focus attention on large events held in the hall. The store interior was empty except for scattered mannequins and fixtures, whether items had been removed long ago or stolen. Occasionally clothes hung on racks, but nothing you'd want even for free.
April began searching for madmen, scanning the stores from the first floor. As always, building interiors were much eerier than outside. It felt like madmen would come rushing out from some floor after hearing their footsteps.
"You know why department store food courts are on the top floor?"
Supremer spoke, unable to bear the eerie silence.
"I heard from a department store manager once—if restaurants are on the first floor, people just eat and leave. Then business suffers, right? But if you put the food court on the top floor, hungry people go up first to eat. When they're full, they have peace of mind, so they slowly come down browsing and buy things they don't even need. Even store layouts are all planned."
"That's not right. What about food courts in basements?"
At O'Brien's rebuttal, Supremer seemed suddenly at a loss, scratched his head, then said with an annoyed face.
"That's so poor people like you can get a taste of department stores too."
"Ah, such deep meaning."
"You still can't make eye contact with staff when passing stores, right? You poor bastard with no money to buy anything, asking about prices. Trembling afraid of getting scolded. So you can't even enter clothing stores, always finding peace of mind at the bookstore corner pretending to look at books you don't read. Right? Right? Huh?"
"Your story?"
"No, yours."
"Not really."
"Yeah? Then I guess not."
As April ignored them and went to the next floor, unlike other floors, a long passage to the adjacent building appeared. The passage shone brightly with sunlight through glass windows. Outside the window, the department store's exterior scenery was clearly visible. The position was quite high, giving a view of various parts of the neighborhood. In that wide outside area, one or two madmen might be wandering the streets, but as if disliking photosynthesis, outside was just bright sunshine. When the three crossed the passage and arrived at the opposite building, it was a typical windowless department store structure—pitch dark everywhere with hardly anything visible ahead.
"Damn. Creepy."
The three immediately put on combat masks and turned on night vision. Then the space that had been invisible revealed itself clearly in green light. Naturally talk decreased and even breathing became quiet. Where they arrived was the fifth floor infant goods section. Perhaps people had no interest in baby products—some brand stores still had inventory. Only the cash registers were completely empty.
Traces of something hastily swept away remained on the floor, and following them led to an escalator. The three descended floor by floor searching along the stopped escalator. Even reaching the first floor cosmetics and sundries section, strangely not a single madman was visible.
'Is there nothing in this building?'
O'Brien's words appeared at the top of the mask screen.
'Wait.'
April turned her gaze toward the escalator descending to basement level 1. As she slowly stepped down and looked around the basement, several mannequin-like 'white objects' entered her view that she hadn't seen on other floors. The green night vision screen couldn't identify what they were. After brief consideration, she added infrared mode to the mask. A function detecting heat-emitting objects, showing hotter things redder. Then the white-appearing things suddenly turned reddish.
'Here!'
On basement level 1 that she'd found, beings appearing to be madmen stood in light sleep states breathing roughly. Roughly enough to fill the basement store.
'More than expected? How do we catch them?'
April pondered. Since it was the first mission day and she'd thought it would be light reconnaissance, no one had properly brought satellites or personal firearms. To discover madmen hiding in masses in the basement in such a situation. She mentally drew combat positions but no suitable method came easily. Only two paths for madmen to come up—the up and down escalators. Even blocking both paths and fighting, corpses would pile up and madmen would surely climb over them.
'Gas pipes. Are they still alive?'
Supremer spoke as if reading April's thoughts.
'Gas explosion? Too dangerous. The whole building could blow! And how do you plan to handle gas pipes? Someone has to go down and cut them?'
April and O'Brien looked at him silently.
'...What? Me? Ha... kidding?'
Both nodded without words.
'Ah, these bastards really...'
'I'll cover you.'
'Forget it. Cover from where? You joking?'
'Wear my protective suit.'
'Not wearing it, man. I'm XL.'
Supremer squatted down as if helpless and scratched his head hard. These two who unhesitatingly thought of him first at every dangerous moment were absurd.
'This won't work. This'll keep happening. I should at least register a coupon.'
Supremer opened the coupon registration window and entered 『#1 Gas Pipe Work (Five Stars)』.
'What's five stars?'
'EX! TREME! LY! Dangerous!'
'Keke. Okay, good now. Go.'
'Geez, wait. Let me think...'
Supremer alternated looking at the up and down escalators gauging angles, then after long consideration began descending step by step toward the down escalator. April and O'Brien waited behind him about midway on the escalator.
Supremer carefully pushed through between madmen in light sleep states and moved forward. The madmen stood but twitched slightly, making threatening whooshing sounds whenever they bumped into each other. Each time those sounds intensified, Supremer's heart shrank more.
Barely escaping through the crowd in front of the escalator, he headed to the restaurant area. Past the ice cream corner into a shabu-shabu booth. Fortunately no madmen were in the kitchen. He hurriedly looked for gas pipes.
'Found it?'
'What. They're all induction.'
'Ah. Right.'
'...Right?!'
When April spoke as if she hadn't thought of it, Supremer made an incredulous expression.
'Try another place.'
'...Isn't that too easy to say?'
'...'
'Ugh...'
Supremer shook his head and stood briefly surveying the surroundings. Madmen still panted and twitched in light sleep states. More movement increased the possibility of stimulation. He quickly picked out places in his mind that might use gas pipes.
'How about a Chinese restaurant?'
'Chinese restaurant?'
'Need good flame flavor.'
'...Where is it?'
April looked around briefly, then checked the directory on a pillar next to the escalator. As her gaze passed store names, information appeared on the mask screen.
'Left corridor end.'
'Going.'
Supremer took a deep breath like a diver going back underwater, then bent down and emerged from the booth. At the corner turning toward the left corridor, a madman staggered around. He held his breath watching its movement. The madman staggered past the corridor entrance in another direction and moved away.
'Phew...'
He quickly passed the entrance heading to the corridor end. Nearly reaching his destination, a wide space connecting to the next area appeared, and next to it he saw the Chinese restaurant he sought. However—
'Damn. The entrance is blocked!'
The restaurant entrance was a swing door, with a madman planted right in front refusing to move.
'What now?'
'Kill it.'
'What!?'
Looking around, it was some distance from other madmen. Supremer sighed and removed a knife from his right ankle with his gloved hand. Slowly approaching the madman, he quickly went behind and covered its mouth with his left hand. The madman struggled unable to make sound, and he unhesitatingly stabbed the knife into the crown. The struggling body soon lost strength and went limp.
'Phew...'
'Success?'
'Yeah yeah...'
'Hurry inside.'
'Stop nagging, bastard. You're not even helping.'
'...'
Supremer opened the restaurant door, went inside, and headed straight to the kitchen. Fortunately as expected, there was a gas range. He cut one of the gas pipes connected to each burner with his knife.
'...'
But no sound came from the cut gas pipe. No smell of leaking gas either.
'Cut it?'
'Yeah, but... no gas.'
'Oh no.'
April and O'Brien regretfully turned direction and hurried up to the first floor. They might have to block the entrance and fight head-on. Whether the supplied ammunition could handle the number of madmen was questionable, and there was no guarantee those in the basement were all.
"The three of us can't handle it. Let's request support from the main unit."
At O'Brien's words, April came up to the first floor as if she had no choice and radioed Palmer. But only static returned. Shortly after, O'Brien approached asking if support was coming, but she shook her head. O'Brien sat on a nearby sofa.
"How about luring the madmen?"
"Where to?"
"The top floor. At least we'd only face ones coming up from below, so it'd be better."
"No. If isolated, there's no escape route."
"Ugh."
O'Brien ran his hand through his hair with a troubled expression.
"You bastards!"
Then Supremer came up the escalator glaring as he approached.
"If you're going to cover, do it to the end—shooting the breeze here?"
"What's that?"
Supremer set down the square containers he held in both hands, saying.
"Oil!"
***
April sat on the escalator steps without her protective suit, silently fiddling with the gun in one hand. Her right thumb slowly traced the bumpy magazine surface. She carefully reconsidered the operation just planned.
"Not enough numbers to burn with two oil containers."
"At least half the ones coming up will burn."
Supremer tried hard to look hopeful as if the oil containers he brought weren't futile. April didn't think the oil was meaningless either. Rather, if used well, it seemed they had enough chance of winning.
"Then let's do this."
April said as if decided.
"Herd the madmen to one place so both oil containers can soak them all."
"How?"
April pointed to the event hall they'd first entered.
"Drive the madmen to below that railing. And prepare to pour oil from the second floor railing. When madmen start clustering climbing the wall trying to reach the second floor, pour oil on them."
"How do you herd the madmen?"
"I'll do it this time."
"Hey, no. Too dangerous. How fast are madmen? The distance is far too. And even if you herd them, how will you escape?"
"I'll attach this in advance."
April took out a rope gun from her back pocket.
"When I grab this and climb to the second floor railing, pour the oil right then."
O'Brien and Supremer couldn't readily agree. But no other method came to mind either.
"Can you really do it? If you get isolated midway, it won't be easy to rescue you..."
O'Brien looked at her with worried eyes.
"Won't happen. I'll definitely finish in one go."
She seemed to have already made up her mind, showing not the slightest hesitation. The two men couldn't say anything more.
『Coupon list added. #2 Madman Herding (Six Stars)』
When the coupon notification appeared, April looked at Supremer as if dumbfounded.
"Gave one more star."
April snorted.
***
After some time passed, April stood up. After briefly stretching her legs and rolling her neck once, she carefully descended midway down the escalator, judging further waiting meaningless. Raising her revolver, the madman aimed at the gun barrel flinched.
[Gunshot]
The first shot pierced straight through the back of the head of a madman showing its back. As the madman collapsed, surrounding madmen all turned their faces toward where the sound came from.
[Gunshot] [Gunshot]
April continued aiming at madmen's heads and pulling the trigger. Seeing them fall one by one, madmen finally shrieked and rushed toward her. Though climbing paths varied, madmen mysteriously simply surged only toward where she was. April backpedaled while continuing to shoot.
Madmen corpses began piling at the escalator entrance. Madmen climbed over them approaching with claws extended toward her. April kept retreating while shooting. Soon reaching the escalator end. Madmen shot by her fell rolling down, and madmen climbing from below tumbled together struck by those corpses.
That moment. A madman rushed at her from behind shrieking. She tried turning to aim but missed timing and fell backward. The madman with a horribly contorted face shedding bloody tears struggled to bite her nape. April grappled with his arms, barely pushed him away, and shot his head. Looking around, other madmen began emerging from first floor stores everywhere hearing gunshots. Judging the promised time had come, she fired a few more shots at the surging ones then ran toward the escalator leading to the second floor. Madmen immediately began chasing her.
To cross to the opposite building with the event hall required using the fifth floor connecting passage. April controlled her speed so madmen followed at appropriate intervals, climbing floor by floor. Those rapidly closing in had their heads unfailingly pierced by her bullets. As expected, madmen hidden not only on basement level 1 but other floors revealed themselves drawn by gunshots.
She went straight up the escalator to the fifth floor. But something unexpected happened. Madmen began pouring down toward her from the fifth floor side. Without passing through the connecting passage, she couldn't reach the adjacent building. She hesitated momentarily. Should she force through that group? But looking at the numbers pushing from below, it didn't seem easy. Eventually she turned direction heading to the fourth floor store's emergency exit. Madmen appeared shrieking from all directions, but April calmly shot one by one opening a path. Reaching a nearby emergency exit, the door was locked.
'Damn.'
She quickly scanned surroundings looking for another emergency exit. Meanwhile the number of madmen kept growing. All shedding bloody tears baring fierce teeth rushing toward her. In night mode, accurately distinguishing objects wasn't easy either. She ran to the next emergency exit, but it too was locked. Aiming at rushing madmen again, after the last shot no more ammunition to load. Only empty chambers spun futilely. She threw away the empty gun and ran toward the last emergency exit. That moment, regret washed over her like a wave—had she taken the plan too lightly?
Would she be caught by madmen and torn to death like this?
The moment she gripped the emergency exit handle, a madman lunged covering her.
***
No news came after the last gunshot from the opposite building. The two men leaning on the second floor railing holding oil containers grew increasingly anxious. The planned time had already long passed. By now April should have appeared herding madmen through the fifth floor connecting passage, but she wasn't visible. The two could only wait. However, Supremer's patience reaching its limit finally exploded.
"Damn. I'm going."
"Wait... phew..."
"She should've arrived already!"
O'Brien thought briefly then nodded as if decided.
"Let's go."
The moment both men grabbed firearms and ran toward the escalator heading to the third floor. Bang—a door-tearing sound rang out and April's figure appeared from the fifth floor connecting corridor.
"April!!!"
Both men called her almost simultaneously.
"Get ready!!!"
April jumped from the escalator running to the first floor event hall. Behind her, tremendous numbers of madmen poured out like a swarm chasing.
"Damn! Isn't that too many?!!"
"Let's go quick!"
Supremer and O'Brien turned direction, picked up oil containers, and crouched below the railing. Madmen coming down from the second floor fortunately didn't see them and jumped straight down to the first floor event hall. Ones surging late threw their bodies straight from the fifth floor toward April running across the first floor. Heads burst one by one crashing into the floor, blood splattering everywhere. When April reached the event hall corner, she grabbed the rope gun set up in advance. Turning on the switch, the line quickly retracted pulling her body up into the air. Madmen leaned against the wall frantically reaching out trying to grab her going up.
"Oil!"
Both men poured oil toward madmen surging below April. They shrieked suddenly drenched in pouring oil. Countless madmen stepped on each other's bodies trying to grab her, but slipped on oil and toppled down.
"April!"
Supremer shouted meaning he'd finished pouring oil. April took out a silver Zippo lighter from her pocket. As the lid opened, red flame bloomed. She looked briefly at madmen's faces shrieking beyond that flame, then threw the lighter down.
[Whoosh]
The moment the small flame touched oil, massive flames shot up instantly, and madmen were engulfed in fire all at once.