“Damn it….”

Ken Sasaki couldn’t help feeling utterly desperate.

The view inside offered no answers.The central control center — a facility that boasted a surprisingly large interior — was packed to the point of saturation with citizens.And they couldn’t be sent outside. Outside, screams and the sounds of collisions continued without pause.

TEREONGK-AAAAAK!

Maybe that noise was the worst part of it all. The place was like walking on thin ice. With ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) roughly ten thousand people crammed in, the stench of shit had already spread through the interior. Food was scarce; if things stayed this way, trouble was inevitable.Meanwhile, the people Ken had thought of as comrades now shot him cold looks. That hurt him the most. ‘I had no choice.’

At the start of the disaster he couldn’t turn his back on civilians in danger. Some people stepped forward to help, and even those who didn’t seemed to tacitly agree to use this place as a refuge. But when the results turned terrible, the person responsible — Ken Sasaki — instantly became the target of blame. “Phew….”

Ken felt betrayed by his colleagues’ expressions, yet at the same time he tried to understand them. If he didn’t, he didn’t think he could hold on.

‘They’re just too on edge. I’d be the same in this situation…’ Then, for some reason, someone’s face came to mind. Words he’d heard kept circling his head.

‘If news gets out that people are trapped here…’

‘I’ll come to save you.’

For some reason he felt like that person really might come to save them. He smiled bitterly to himself and shook his head.

‘There’s no way. Even if he came, we wouldn’t survive until then.’ In a short time everything could collapse. Putting hope in that was only asking for a deeper despair.

‘I’d like to get some air.’

With the passage to the outside cut off, even the simple pleasure of feeling the wind was painfully missed.

‘I want to be away from this damn smell even for a little while.’ He moved without thinking. Barely aware of the citizens’ stares, he went to the outer wall where a barricade had been set up. Through the gaps there might be at least a glimpse of the outside. When he reached the wall he couldn’t help but force a bitter laugh. Even the windows that would let them see outside were surrounded by monsters. “Fuck.”

A curse slipped out. All he could do was watch the sun that forced its way through the cracks. An inexplicable stubbornness rose in him. He started searching for a hole to look through to see the scene beyond those gaps. Had he simply hallucinated? “I must be losing it too.”

Through a narrow slit he saw the sky. Someone in an aircraft was looking down. But the sword slung across that person’s back looked familiar. ‘That sword looks like that man’s sword.’ Just when he thought the hallucination had faded, auditory hallucinations came.

KKWAAAAAAANG-!!!!

“Huh?”Maybe it wasn’t a hallucination?

KKWAANG-! KKWAANG-! Many people murmured in confusion.

‘Wait—if it’s not an auditory hallucination, was what I saw not a hallucination either?’

How on earth…? More than that: what the hell was happening? “Uh, uh! They’re—”

A trance-like voice led the unfolding scene, and the citizens’ mouths fell open.

“They’re moving! The monsters!”

“Quiet…! They react to sound…!” The monsters on the outer wall began to move toward a new target. Perhaps because of that, the previously smudged outer wall looked cleaner; the narrow slits that let in a little sunlight now offered a clear view of the outside. And in that revealed scene:RRRREEEE-!!! “Kyle… Han?”

Ken Sasaki felt, somehow, that it really might be him. *** ‘The crisis must be over.’

They’d been lucky. If things had been only moderately handled, it would have been too late.

‘Food must be scarce too…’

In an apocalypse not only other beings become the enemy. You fight food shortages, cold, and a thousand other factors. If you’re surrounded without a gap, you’ll simply wither away.

‘Maybe the radio problem’s been fixed too.’

He couldn’t be certain, but since some breathing space had been created, that seemed likely. This is enough.

To try and save everyone blindly would be close to arrogance. He didn’t have the ability or the situation for that. So one decisive help would be sufficient. “Phew.”

He was lost in those thoughts while watching the collapsing clock tower when a calm voice came from behind.

“I didn’t expect you to have such romantic notions.”

“…….”

She looked down at the clock tower with satisfaction.

“Let’s go.”

They returned to practical matters. “Huh? Is this really the end?”

“Yes. There are many problems to go back and solve.”

‘By now they must have finished the incineration.’ They didn’t have time to leisurely watch the scene. Besides, red dots were visible here and there.

【Crisis detected】Your senses are sharp. You sense an unknown crisis. ‘Not great.’ The key — the top-tier trait they’d obtained from hunting Jimba, Crisis Detection — told them this place was dangerous. It was the kind of trait that later lets you predict enemy attack routes. It meant many mutants had gathered and strange variants were mixed in.

‘At least five here.’

It was like hell. 'Once communication with the central control center is restored, we can guide them along the survival routes'.

Aside from those thoughts, Black Wing began to accelerate again. He felt much more at ease.

*** The problem they expected appeared sooner than later.

“Are you the commander?”“……?”“We want protection. We need food and daily supplies as a matter of urgency.”

Citizens, unable to bear their anxiety, pushed forward. There was something natural, almost unquestionable, in what they blurted out. It was enough to make Benjamin frown.

“Please wait.” ‘I don’t want headache-inducing situations.’

First, they needed to be ignored.Ben shifted his gaze away without answering their questions. Following Kyle’s words, there was a communal logistics warehouse that could supply a considerable amount of provisions. Occupying that place, the guarding troops looked extremely stern. 

‘The problem is how to move all that.’ Just then the core members of the 5th Defense Force approached carefully.

“Ben.”“Howard.”“Dao, Melanie. Ah, Tyrone is here too.”

Between the uncomfortable faces, between Dao and Melanie Marily, a huge black man with blue eyes watched them. “What are you thinking, Howard?”“Is that man’s order?”“Yes.”“Hmm, I’m curious what he’s thinking. From what he’s shown so far, he seems to have his own ideas.”

Benjamin and Tyrone spoke. Melanie, who had been quiet, nodded.

“If Mr. Han said so, it’s best to follow for now.”

Dao grumbled in reply.

“Somehow you’ve become his subordinate. He’s completely got a hold on you, that man.”“Dao, right now that man’s choice is the best.”“What am I supposed to be if Tyrone says that too?”

Tyrone wore a strange look as if lost in thought. Then he addressed Benjamin.

“Are you okay?”“What do you mean?”“What do you think?”“Honestly, it’s not bad. There’s nothing lacking.” Melanie and Dao observed without joining the conversation. In that situation Benjamin snorted with a smile.

“Even I’m following his orders right now.”“Can I consider that an answer?”“Yes.”

Benjamin looked at Melanie and Dao at the same time. There was already tacit agreement in their eyes. And as that conversation was ending, they could confirm the person in question with their own eyes.

‘Considering the time the explosion occurred… you returned pretty quickly.’ Now that he had descended from the smoky, acrid-smelling sky where it had been hard to breathe, he breathed in and looked at those who had been waiting. A brief silence hung, but it was broken by Yevgeniya.

“I’m back!!”

Benjamin immediately shot her a scolding look; Yevgeniya retreated sheepishly.

‘Yevgeniya’s natural enemy is Benjamin.’ “You’re here, Mr. Han?”“It seems everyone’s been waiting.”“Yes. We disposed of the bodies, as you said.”

It had been done cleanly. They’d confirmed that up above they’d been reduced to ash. The creatures don’t react much unless there’s the scent of blood, so burning them was effective.

“Good work.”“Oh, we also brought some things just in case.”“Things you brought?”“Yes. Would you like to see?”“Very well.” What had they prepared? Following Benjamin’s lead toward the logistics warehouse, they came upon piles of miscellaneous items stacked like a mountain.

“This is….”“These are depleted implants, jewelry, and firearms. Some had food on them, but we didn’t pick that up for fear of infection.”

From artificial organs onward, implants that could enhance bodily abilities caught the eye. Their internal circuitry had been burned so they couldn’t be used now, but once technicians settled in, they could someday be restored — valuable loot. A smart decision. It was right to be meticulous with spoils. “You did great. These are items that will be hard to get again.”“Is that so? Good to hear.”

It must have been hard to carry. For plans to rebuild the city, every resource like this was precious.

“Must have been tough. Are you all okay?”“Hmm… it was a hassle to do every time. But if it’s something scarce we’ll make every effort to procure it.”

If they could do that, it would be of great help someday. “By the way….”

Ah. The most important problem remained. His gaze went to the citizens gathered in a mass in the distance.

“We’ve sent people to move daily necessities; they’ll arrive soon. We already sent personnel to the base. But the problem with the citizens hasn’t been resolved yet—” “Yes, we can’t leave them as they are.”

The citizens were terrified and wary. Without military help, survival seemed unlikely. The image of the ferocious mutants being slaughtered would already be deeply engraved in their minds. “Let’s break through slowly.”“A breakthrough… you mean?”

The reason they had left those people alone was to show that military protection wasn’t something to be taken for granted. That alone would rearrange their positions greatly. “Good to see you.”“Ah, hello….”

Someone answered in a timid voice.Some were already hostile.

‘Hmph.’​​​​​People who refuse to acknowledge being saved and complain when the situation is unfair to them.

‘I have no room to support anyone else.’

Before taking action, Han concealed his emotions behind a mask.

[‘Actor’ trait activated] “May I ask why you’re staying here?”“Well… there’s nowhere else to go….”“Can’t you all just help each other and live? If you abandon us like this, what else are you telling us but to die?”

The rebellion began. The moment the outburst flared, it was snuffed out just as quickly.

“If we take you all in, what exactly do we gain from it?”

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