Chapter 12: Tokyo TV Breaks In With News

The sun gradually sank into the west, and the gentle glow of the sunset spilled over the campus of Fujimi Academy, casting a faint layer of melancholy over this land that had once been filled with laughter.

The rampage of the infected had plunged the campus into a deathly silence and terror, as if it had been forgotten by the world.

After a period of rest, Igou Hisashi’s wounds were less painful thanks to the professional treatment provided by Marikawa Shizuka.

Glancing at the infected wandering downstairs, Lin Yi took a deep breath and said, "Alright, next we need to head to the staff room in the administration building to get the car keys. Stay safe on the way."

Everyone nodded, indicating they understood.

Immediately after, they began to move. To increase their protection, they put on as many layers of clothing as possible, just in case.

Although this would slightly reduce their agility, the extra protection undoubtedly increased their hope of survival when facing the infected.

Komuro Takashi and the others put on rugby helmets and carefully moved the tables and chairs piled up at the rooftop exit, preparing for the move ahead.

On the way to the first-floor lobby, Miyamoto Rei specifically detoured to the second floor to check on the survivors hiding there, trying to persuade them to join the group and leave together.

However, when these girls learned that Lin Yi and the others planned to leave the teaching building and head to the administration building, their faces immediately filled with panic and unease.

They all expressed their desire to stay put, unwilling to risk going to an unknown place.

Looking at their nervous yet firm expressions, complex emotions welled up in Miyamoto Rei's heart. She understood that everyone had their own choices and decisions; she could not, and would not, force them to take risks.

Therefore, Miyamoto Rei could only silently wish these people well, hoping they would be able to weather the storm safely during this difficult time.

Lin Yi stood on the first floor of the teaching building, cautiously observing the infected outside through the window.

Compared to the morning, the number of infected outside the teaching building had significantly decreased, with only a dozen or so wandering aimlessly nearby.

Lin Yi speculated that as time passed, some of the infected might have left or were no longer lingering in this area for other reasons.

This observation was good news for him, as it meant the threat they faced had diminished.

He turned back and gave a gesture, a signal to Komuro Takashi, Miyamoto Rei, and Busujima Saeko, indicating that they were ready to take action.

These individuals were the core combat strength of the team, and dealing with this small number of infected was more than enough for them.

In a brief skirmish, they accurately and effectively sent the nearby wandering infected back to hell one by one.

After clearing the threats on the path, Lin Yi waved his hand toward the back, signaling that they could bring Igou Hisashi over.

With the close cooperation of everyone, they successfully crossed the perimeter of the teaching building and pushed toward the administration building.

Upon entering the administration building, Lin Yi adopted the same strategy, finding a sturdy object to jam the door shut to ensure safety.

Fortunately, the virus outbreak occurred during class time, so the number of infected in the administration building was not high.

This allowed everyone’s tense nerves to relax slightly.

However, for Komuro Takashi, his heart was filled with rage.

He looked at the classmates and teachers he had once known so well, who were now in such a terrifying state, and the fire of anger burned fiercely in his heart.

He gripped his weapon tightly and struck down the infected one by one without mercy.

Every swing felt like he was venting the dissatisfaction and anger in his heart.

It wasn't until the last infected fell that Komuro Takashi stopped, panting, his inner rage having subsided slightly.

In the staff room, the glow of the sunset shone softly through the windows onto the tidy desks, casting a golden luster over the notebooks.

This office, usually busy and noisy, was now immersed in a deep tranquility, as if time had quietly stood still at this moment.

Having experienced a series of tensions and dangers, everyone's nerves were finally able to relax a little.

After confirming there were no infected in the room, they put down their weapons and began to search for useful supplies in an orderly manner.

Komuro Takashi, exhausted, leaned against an office chair and tried to turn on the television, hoping to get some valuable information.

The flickering images and sounds on the TV screen added a touch of life to the quiet space.

"Breaking news! Breaking news!" the reporter on the TV said urgently.

"The government has begun discussing emergency countermeasures regarding whether to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to maintain public order, but for now, both the ruling and opposition parties have denied this."

At this critical moment, neither the ruling party nor the opposition wanted to give their political rivals ammunition by violating the constitution to deploy the Self-Defense Forces, which would affect the upcoming general election.

"At a time like this! Those politicians up there are actually still hesitating about whether to send the army; what on earth are they thinking?" Hearing this, Komuro Takashi slammed his fist heavily onto the desk in anger, the sound echoing in the empty office.

He could not understand how, at a time when the country was plunged into an unprecedented crisis, those government officials could still be so cold and selfish, caring only about their own political interests while ignoring the safety of the people.

At that moment, Komuro Takashi suddenly understood Lin Yi's previous decision. Lin Yi had not communicated with the Japanese government in advance, likely because he had seen through the true colors of these politicians.

If it were him, he would probably have made the same choice as Lin Yi—not to cooperate with a bunch of people who only knew how to fight for power and ignored the suffering of the people.

Busujima Saeko glanced at Komuro Takashi calmly. Seeing that he was losing control of his emotions, she silently picked up the remote and changed the channel.

The new channel was a local station in Saitama Prefecture, which was also closely following the sudden viral disaster.

Unlike the previous reports, this broadcast did not use the term "zombie," but instead referred to the infected as victims of a "killer disease."

This subtle difference reflected the gradual shift in media and public perception of the disaster.

On the TV screen, the scene behind the reporter was chaotic.

Police officers were fighting the infected with all their might, but they clearly did not understand the characteristics of the infected.

Many police officers were accustomed to shooting the infected in the legs, trying to knock them down that way.

However, this approach had almost no effect on these infected, who had lost all sense of touch.

Even if their legs were hit, they would only stumble for a moment before stubbornly dragging their broken bodies forward.

Suddenly, the image on the TV screen began to shake violently, and then the camera was thrown heavily to the ground.

What followed were the screams of the cameraman and reporter from off-screen. This sudden turn of events made everyone in front of the TV feel a jolt of terror.

The next second, the TV screen went completely dark, leaving only the piercing screams and chaotic shouts echoing in the empty staff room.

Busujima Saeko shook her head slightly and switched to TV Tokyo. A food variety show that had been playing was suddenly interrupted.

The host took a note handed to him urgently, and his originally relaxed and happy expression instantly became grave.

He began to report the current infection situation seriously, his tone filled with unprecedented urgency.

"How is this possible? Even TV Tokyo is reporting this; could it really be the end of the world?" Hirano Kohta could not accept this sudden reality. He knelt on the ground, powerless, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

The others were also too shocked by this sudden turn of events to speak.

Seeing this, Busujima Saeko decisively turned off the TV; she did not want this panic to continue to spread and affect the morale of the entire team.

Miyamoto Rei stared blankly at the black screen of the TV, her confusion and bewilderment surging like a tide.

"What should we do?" she muttered to herself, her voice filled with endless confusion and helplessness.

She took out her phone once again, trying to call home with a glimmer of hope.

However, all that came from the receiver was the same cold, busy signal, as if mocking her helplessness and despair.

(End of chapter)