Kuragari was staring at the clock again. Yes, there was nothing else to do. In this damned shelter, she had been reduced to babysitting the survivors.
All she wanted was for the colonel to return to the shelter. She hoped for nothing else. Then she heard a voice,
"Sir, there are people at the gate. They seem to have been abandoned. They're asking for supplies. What should we do?"
It was suspicious. First, she thought about what the colonel would do. Of course, he'd put a bullet in their heads. After all, they might carry deadly infectious diseases. Letting them die would be better for everyone, she thought.
"Increase security at the gate. Also, activate the loudspeakers so I can speak to them."
Major descended from the second floor to the first, stuffing a pistol into his pocket. This was unprecedented. Since that one immune guy six months ago, it was the first time people had been seen. He wondered how they had survived. Maybe they had radiation-proof suits.
"First of all, you damned wretches. Get the hell out of here. We're not taking in diseased freaks like you."
She said this, acting exactly like the colonel would have. Maybe they could loot these abandoned people, but even so, he had once been a soldier. In today's annihilated Japan, no one could be trusted. Still, out of a sense of mercy:
"I'll count to three. If you're not gone by then, I'll shoot you. Understood?"
Then Kuragari noticed something shocking — those people were actually wearing radiation-proof suits. That could only mean they came from a military shelter. You couldn't find those suits anywhere else.
Among them was an old man, limping, missing his right arm, and blind. This suspicious man stepped forward calmly and said:
"You don't need to count to three. We didn't come to fight. We have an offer."
His voice wasn't threatening — it was polite. Kuragari was suspicious, but there was nothing she could do. Because that old man was her father.
"Fine!" shouted Kuragari. She was a cold woman, but she wouldn't kill her father outright.
"But only that old man comes in!" she ordered.
They let the old man inside but kept him at a distance for radiation precautions. Then Kuragari appeared before him. Ten meters apart, many soldiers stood behind her.
"So, Dad, what do you want?"
"Well, well, look who we have here. My precious daughter."
The soldiers were surprised.
"Yes, this guy is my father, so I'll listen to what he has to say — but that doesn't mean I'll do it just because he's my dad. If he died out there, I wouldn't give a damn."
"Then why let me in?"
"No matter how much I hate you, I can't kill my father immediately."
"Alright, let's put family matters aside. In this ruined country, family doesn't mean much anymore. I came here for a trade. I invite you to join our cult. If not, no problem. But in that case, I demand all children under the age of fifteen in your shelter. In return, we'll give you plenty of weapons and ammunition."
For Kuragari, it wasn't the worst offer. Even the colonel had said civilians should be thrown out of the shelter. But this was about children. Innocent people. Could she hand them over to this bastard? No matter how despicable she was, she thought, I'm not that kind of monster.
"What do you want with the children? Sorry, I can't do that. Now get the hell out of here."
"I see, daughter. That means your end is near too. What a pity."
"SOLDIERS, KILL THIS BASTARD!"
The soldiers riddled him with bullets. But suddenly, the shelter door burst open. Trucks stormed in — they had been invaded. The war had begun.
---
Since then, Kaito hasn't spoken to me. The only thing he said was:
"Don't ever show me your face again, you piece of shit. You're the most disgusting lunatic I've ever met. If I see your face at the shelter, I'll kill you."
That was his threat. But the real issue is... how could I eat my own wife alive? Am I a cannibal? No matter what happens to the world, it will never be good again.
Our journey to the shelter was short. We saw a few irradiated dogs, but they were easy to kill — two or three bullets and they were done. What truly scared me was what I saw when we arrived at the shelter: the gates had been broken... and screams were coming from inside.
To Be Continued...