Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Shion immediately heightened her senses. Though she was currently just a captive, if those people dared to touch Nozomi, she was ready to fight with everything she had.
As the door fully opened, Shion could finally see who had entered—it was the woman who had initially offered to get bandages for them and had shown hesitation when making decisions.
"What do you want?" Shion asked, her voice cold.
"Calm down. I'm only here to treat this girl's wounds and bring you both some food," the woman replied.
Shion froze for a moment, realizing she had been too tense to notice the tray the woman was holding, which indeed contained medical supplies and a small amount of food and drink for both of them.
While Shion was still processing, the woman approached Nozomi and began treating the wound on her left arm—cleaning, disinfecting, and bandaging with swift, professional movements.
Seeing that the woman genuinely had no ill intentions, Shion relaxed slightly, but as long as they were restrained like this, she couldn't fully let her guard down.
"Will she be okay?" Shion asked, her worry for Nozomi creeping back.
After finishing the treatment, the woman carefully examined Nozomi's body.
"No other injuries, no signs of poisoning, stable body temperature, and steady heart rate. I can confirm that both of you are completely fine," the woman said.
"Then can you let us go?" Shion asked quickly, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
The woman shook her head.
"Why not!?" Shion's briefly relaxed emotions surged back into agitation and worry at the response. She nearly lunged at the woman but, at the last moment, recalled Nozomi's advice to stay calm in every situation.
"It's not my decision to make," the woman said, her face darkening, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Even if you're truly fine, Hachiro and Naoki won't let you go so easily."
"Huh? Hachiro and Naoki—who are they?" Shion asked, confused.
"The man with the gun is Hachiro. The woman is Naoki. The other one is Kenja. Here, Hachiro holds the most power because he has the gun. Naoki has done some shady things with him to secure her position."
"There's something like that?" Shion couldn't hide her shock.
"Then why are they keeping us here?" she pressed further.
"In times of chaos like this, there are many things to consider. For example, having a shield to protect yourself in dangerous moments or a scapegoat can be useful," the woman said casually, but her words sent chills down Shion's spine.
The woman paused for a moment, then placed the medical kit and food tray on the ground. "In short, cooperate a bit. This girl has good potential, so they won't rush to harm you."
Shion watched the woman's every move, then suddenly asked, "…What's your name?"
The woman seemed momentarily surprised but answered curtly, "Saya."
"Thank you… Saya-san. For taking care of Nozomi. But are you sure she'll be okay?" Shion couldn't help but ask again, her worry persistent.
"I used to be a nurse. I'm quite confident in handling basic issues like this," Saya replied.
"Oh… I see… Then thank you again," Shion said, bowing her head.
Saya gave a slight nod and turned to leave. But just before the door closed, she paused. "If you want to save your friend, keep yourself alive first. They'll probably come for you in a day or two."
Clack.
The door shut, leaving the room in silence once more, filled only with Nozomi's faint breathing and Shion's heavy breaths.
Shion sat quietly for a while, her eyes fixed on the closed door. She had clung to a sliver of hope, but Saya's information plunged her into confusion.
If those people were holding her and Nozomi merely out of suspicion that they might be infected, that would be easier to resolve. But now, knowing their true intentions, Shion was at a loss for what to do…
Meanwhile, as Shion grappled with her thoughts inside, outside, Hachiro was leisurely cleaning his gun. Though he possessed a firearm, it was stolen during the chaos, along with just one magazine of ammo. Not much time had passed since the disaster began, yet he had already used over half his bullets.
Thinking about this, Hachiro's mind drifted back to a scene from not long ago, when he had first acquired the gun.
Everything around him was in chaos. Hachiro couldn't recall how he had survived the rubble and pandemonium, but he had sustained numerous injuries. He dragged himself into a narrow alley, resigned to dying there, when suddenly, the sound of rescue operations echoed from nearby. Survivors swarmed toward the rescue vehicles like ants.
The hope that had just faded in Hachiro reignited.
"…Over here…!" he called out, his voice weak, crawling forward bit by bit.
Fortunately, a soldier spotted him. With assistance, Hachiro was hoisted onto a rescue vehicle, but misfortune struck immediately after.
Before the vehicle could move, the ground beneath it cracked, trapping the wheels. Before the passengers could react, a massive, grotesque creature erupted from under the vehicle.
The sudden appearance claimed lives instantly. Hachiro survived only because he was seated at the edge of the vehicle. A few others who were still alive jumped out and fled, leaving only the soldiers to fight the monster, but their gunfire seemed useless against it.
Hachiro dragged himself a short distance before a massive explosion behind him sent everything flying. With no other choice, he hid to wait out the shockwave.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
After a few minutes, the dust settled. Hachiro prepared to slip away quickly but noticed a soldier who had been blown near him. Despite being fully armed, the soldier was gravely injured.
Upon closer inspection, Hachiro recognized him as the soldier who had helped him earlier. He approached.
The soldier lay motionless, the light in his eyes fading. When he saw Hachiro—the man he had saved—he opened his mouth, pleading for help, desperate for a chance to survive.
Hachiro stood there, his face expressionless, staring down at the dying soldier.
Then he crouched down—not to help, but to pry the gun from the soldier's hand. The soldier's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth opening to speak, but before he could, a bullet pierced his body, killing him instantly.
Hachiro's demeanor remained unchanged. He crouched again, this time to strip the soldier's gear, donned it, and left the chaotic scene behind.
"Today's been a mix of luck and misfortune," he muttered nonchalantly before disappearing into the dust.
"Hachiro-sama!" A voice interrupted Hachiro's thoughts, snapping him back to the present. He frowned, looking at Naoki.
This woman had actively sought his favor to secure his protection, but that only proved she would betray him if he ever fell into danger. Thus, outside of their intimate moments, he maintained constant vigilance—not just toward her, but toward the other two as well.
Kenja was an enigma, mostly silent and unquestioningly obedient, which made Hachiro suspicious. In contrast, Saya was the one he trusted most. He knew she was soft-hearted and reasonable; a few words were enough to ensure her compliance, without needing force.
For now, everything was still under Hachiro's control.
"Hachiro-sama, what are you thinking about?" Naoki asked, deliberately sitting on his lap and beginning to flirt.
Hachiro didn't resist; in fact, he played along. "Thinking about which position we should try tonight. I'm in the mood for something new."
Naoki giggled, pressing her body closer, her hand lightly tracing over Hachiro's shirt as if to stir something. However, Hachiro's eyes held no real desire—his mind was filled solely with plans.
"The usual room, right?" Naoki asked, her voice sweet as honey.
"Yeah, it's quiet there, soundproof too. No one outside will hear even if someone screams," Hachiro said with a smile, his gaze drifting indifferently to the window, where the sunlight had turned a reddish-orange hue.
"Hachiro-sama is so bold, but you always deliver. I'll make sure to please you well, but I don't understand why you're keeping those two girls. Why not drive them out to save food, or… turn them into food?" Naoki said, her tone half-serious, half-teasing.
"Why would I do that? Survivors are hard to come by these days. Having two more companions isn't a bad thing, is it?" Hachiro replied with a faint smile, his eyes darkening.
Naoki smiled back, but her expression lacked any genuine warmth.
Then, Hachiro gently pushed her off, stood up, and began buttoning his shirt. "Alright, I'm going to check the perimeter. Stay here."
"Yes, sir," Naoki said with a smile, but as soon as Hachiro left with his gun, her smile vanished.
She stood, adjusted her clothes, and headed deeper into the building. She sought out Saya, who was managing their remaining supplies. Though the supermarket was large, most of its goods had been looted, forcing the four of them to ration carefully.
"How's it going?" Naoki asked.
"Everything's normal," Saya replied, not looking up.
"Is it possible?" Naoki pressed.
"I've gained the basic trust of that girl. The next steps won't be too difficult," Saya said.
"Good, but don't be too obvious," Naoki said, brushing her hair back, her eyes glinting with a faint smile before she walked away.
Saya nodded.