"Is everyone ready to go?" – asked Rika, as after gathering the remaining weapons and supplies, they had decided to head toward the Takagi Estate, since it was the closest place connected to their families.

"It's good that you're here, Rika-chan. Now we can take turns driving," said Shizuka with a relieved smile. She had been the only one capable of driving in the group, something extremely unfavorable, as it forced her to bear the heavy burden of staying awake and alert both day and night behind the wheel.

"It's fine, I'm here now," Rika smiled faintly as she playfully ruffled Shizuka's hair. She knew well that, despite Shizuka's strong willpower, she was surprisingly fragile when it came to witnessing others die. With this catastrophe turning human lives into mere trash, Shizuka must have been pushing herself beyond her limits these past two days.

"By the way, are you really not planning to come with us to the Takagi Estate?" Rika asked, glancing at Kojou, who was riding a motorcycle with Akatsuki and Akame. The Humvee M1025 couldn't fit many people; Takashi and Rei, Saeko, Alice, Kohta, Rika, Shizuka, and Saya were already crammed inside, leaving no more space—especially since Takashi and Kohta were forced to sit on top of the vehicle to avoid turning the interior into a sardine can.

As for Akatsuki and Akame, although Akatsuki could drive, her height didn't allow it, while Akame knew nothing about handling cars.

"That's right. I'll only accompany you halfway before parting ways—I have a different goal than yours," Kojou said calmly as he started the motorcycle's engine. He had already decided to separate from Takashi and the others; his priority was finding Shito rather than helping them reunite with their families.

[Ding! Notification to all adventurers in High School of the Dead World]

The message appeared before Kojou and his group, as well as Saeko—who was also an adventurer of the guild.

[A Level 5 Threat has been detected in High School of the Dead World. Therefore, the guild will dispatch a group of traders to aid this world's inhabitants in developing resistance against the threat.]

[Estimated time until trader deployment in High School of the Dead World: 2:59:59]

"…" Kojou stared at the guild notification before his eyes with a serious expression. Though he didn't know what exactly a Level 5 Threat meant, it was obvious that things were about to become far more dangerous from now on.

"Did something happen?" Rika asked in confusion, noticing how the atmosphere had suddenly shifted to tension as Kojou and the others wore grim expressions instead of the relaxed ones they had just moments ago.

"It seems the real hell is about to begin," Kojou said gravely. Even though he was confident in his own strength, that didn't mean he was invincible—especially when facing an unknown threat. He wasn't afraid of zombies; after all, he couldn't turn into one even if they bit him, being a being above them in the hierarchy. But that didn't guarantee this new danger wouldn't be able to threaten him.

According to Kojou's speculation, Shito must have been gathering magical power to leave this world. But with this guild notification, if his guess was right, something must have gone wrong with Shito's dimensional transfer—perhaps an invasion from another world, or a being from another dimension.

"The real hell? Are you saying this nightmare was only the beginning?" Rika couldn't keep her composure for a moment as she recalled how many of her comrades had already died since the start of the catastrophe. But now it seemed that wasn't all—things were only going to get worse from here on.

"I don't know for sure, but there's a high chance of something greater. The zombies might suddenly start evolving—gaining senses beyond hearing. They could become stronger, faster, and worst of all… they might begin developing intelligence," Kojou explained seriously. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but based on his experience with movies, novels, and anime about zombie apocalypses, evolution was highly probable. Especially since these zombies were created from the cells of one of the strongest beings in the multiverse: Vampires. It wouldn't be strange if, after devouring enough human flesh and blood—or even their own kind—they evolved into something closer to the original species. In fact, devouring other zombies could be more effective than humans, as it would allow them to absorb Vampire cells directly.

Of course, all of this was just Kojou's speculation. Nothing was confirmed, so they had no choice but to wait for the guild to provide more information—or witness what was to come.

"This isn't the time to dwell on that," Saeko said firmly as she fixed her gaze on Rika. "It's better for us to move now and reach the Takagi Estate as quickly as possible. Whatever happens, our chances of survival will be greater with more people."

"I understand…" Though still doubtful, Rika decided to follow Saeko's advice. She knew that Kojou and his group possessed supernatural powers. At first, she couldn't believe it, but after seeing it with her own eyes, she had no choice. It was impossible for a human body to generate lightning and unleash it, yet Kojou had done exactly that about an hour ago to clear a path through the zombies.

It wasn't just Rika who felt fear and unease—everyone did. Especially since the fate of their families remained unknown. But everyone agreed with Saeko; no matter what happened, joining the others would increase their chances of survival. As for their families, while the worry weighed heavily on them, there was nothing they could do.

And asking Kojou and the others to risk their lives to rescue their families? Unfortunately, none of them were shameless enough to do that—especially considering they would be putting them in even greater danger. Even if they had supernatural powers, that didn't make them any less human. They still got tired, needed food and water, and if they were bitten by zombies, that could very well be their end too.

And so, lost in their own thoughts, the Humvee and the motorcycle sped through the streets of Tokonosu City, their destination the Takagi Estate—where Saya's family was supposed to be. Although they didn't have high hopes, from what Rika had told them about Takagi Yuriko and Takagi Souichiro, they still carried some faint hope that the two were alive.

...

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