Chapter 29 - Cremation and Vision

Nearly a hundred corpses were lined up on the school grounds.

It was an overwhelming sight—so striking it was hard to put into words—but even so, this was only one-eighth of the total.

That realization drove home just how vast the grounds of this school really were.

"They look alike..."

Tooru found himself murmuring without thinking.

He remembered a time long ago when they had bought a watermelon.

His mother had split it open right in front of him, and despite being untouched, the seeds were lined up in a perfectly straight row.

Back then, he had excitedly pointed out how neatly the seeds were arranged—but now, what lay in rows before him were corpses, and any excitement would be wildly inappropriate.

About as inappropriate as shouting “Wasshoi!” while carrying a festival float, right as the audience rises to their feet at a film festival, cheering “Bravo!”

The liquid pouring from the plastic container soaked into the clothing of the corpses.

Its sharp, unmistakable smell made it clear—it was kerosene.

They were about to burn the bodies.

“Ryuu, better pour on a lot more. I’m not in the mood for rare or medium, thanks.”

“I got it. I like my meat rare, but when it comes to zombies, I’m all about well-done—charcoal style.”

With that, he tilted the container and poured more kerosene over the bodies.

It felt a bit wasteful, but it was still far better than leaving them half-burnt.

After all, even with regular meat, undercooked is said to be the most dangerous.

Not that it’s relevant here.

He checked whether the lighter—taken from a drawer in the faculty room—would spark, then confirmed the kerosene had soaked everything thoroughly. With that, he set it alight.

In no time at all, the line of "seeds" was consumed by flames.

Like the red tongue of some monstrous beast licking its prey, the once-small flame grew larger, steadily charring the bodies.

"Namu Amida Butsu..."

As Ryuu muttered the chant, he made the sign of the cross over his chest. ...What matters isn’t the religion—it’s the sentiment.

Crackle. A spark flew toward him.

Thinking it might be a human’s burnt remains, he instinctively brushed it off, not wanting to touch it.

Humans contain a lot of moisture.

Therefore, it takes considerable firepower to completely burn a body.

However, without such facilities or firepower, the only option is to burn them slowly over time.

That being the case, acquiring gasoline or kerosene is absolutely essential.

He used a stick made from a branch cut from a tree in the schoolyard to wedge between the ground and the corpse, and flipped the body over.

Although it was already charred black, it was still far from becoming just bones.

It would probably take a long time to burn all hundred bodies completely.

Tooru placed his hand on his chin and began to think about what to do next.

Where is the safest place to gather supplies?

A shopping mall likely has too many zombies, and it may already have been looted.

Even if he went to another shelter, it's unlikely they'd be willing to share supplies, and if he tried to live there, infection would likely spread soon enough.

Then what about the shopping street he passed through before coming to this school?

There were a few zombies wandering around, but there was no clear sign of looting.

There should be supplies there. But the shopping street is basically a single road.

If they got surrounded, there’s a high chance they wouldn’t make it back alive.

He might have to consult everyone again on this.

And what’s really concerning is that red monster.

How was it created, and what kind of abilities does it possess?

There might be some unexpected hidden powers.

It’s currently restrained, but it might regenerate and go on a rampage eventually.

It would be easier to burn it now, but as a valuable test subject, he doesn’t want to kill it if possible.

Dealing with that monster is a serious issue too.

Then there's the zombie that doesn’t react to sound.

He doesn't know why it doesn’t respond to sound. Perhaps it mutated like that monster and became deaf.

Finally, there's the matter of a stable food supply.

First, they’ll need a field.

He vaguely remembers a stone mill in the equipment storage room, so maybe they can grow wheat and make bread.

Vegetables can probably be self-sustained to some extent if they grow them.

But the real problem is meat.

You can't grow meat in a field.

For the time being, they may have to rely on soybeans.

Still, how long will that last...?

He’s half-seriously thinking of finding a pair of pigs or cows from somewhere and trying to breed them.

That would make the school grounds a ranch.

Thinking that makes him chuckle a little.

Turning the grounds where students used to exercise into a place where animals roam—what a humorous turn of events.

But it might not be such a bad idea.

They could dig up some of the sand in the schoolyard and cover it with soil from the flowerbeds around the school and soil brought from a home improvement store, turning it into a farm and ranch.

The idea is oddly exciting.

As he imagines it, he feels as if the fresh scent of grass is being absorbed into his body.

The remaining issue is water.

Zombies likely transmit infection through bodily fluids.

A stable water supply would ideally come from a river, but if a zombie is in the river, everyone who drinks from it would instantly become zombies.

Is there no way to set up some kind of barricade at the water’s edge?

The idea of using constant loud noise to lure zombies in another direction is far-fetched.

Electricity will likely go out soon.

If that happens, they won’t be able to use sound equipment to emit noise.

So they won’t be able to lure them away.

…Come to think of it, he once heard that hospitals have backup generators.

Actually, even solar panels are legitimate power sources.

If they install panels and generators, they might at least manage to get some lighting.

There are tons of problems, but he's starting to feel a little excited.

Just then, as if mocking his optimism, a spark flew from the fire with a crackle.