Chapter 25 - Chapter 23: The Story of TOUGH BOY
(T/N: The author includes a note here about their lack of motorcycle knowledge.)
I only have a regular driver's license, so I don't really know how to operate a motorcycle. I looked it up here and there, but if the description is wrong, please point it out. I'll fix it. I only understand things like the clutch, though, because I stalled it so many times.
Incidentally, it seems I've hardly driven since leaving the driving school.
At the same time I pressed the play button, the theme song of a certain end-of-the-century savior legend began to flow rhythmically from the radio-cassette player. The song, played at max volume, broke the silence and echoed through the city where a slight darkness of night still remained. The buildings reflected the song, and this commotion would surely be heard far away. I immediately jumped onto the bike, turned the engine key to turn on the ignition switch, and stepped hard on the kick pedal just as Naomi-san had taught me. Suddenly, the powerful sound of the engine echoed through the town, mixing with the song from the radio-cassette player.
The infected must have noticed my presence too. The ones who had been facing every which way until now suddenly turned around. And with a roar, they began a mad dash, closing the distance between us in an instant.
"Good, come on!"
Shouting that to the infected approaching from behind, I stepped on the gear pedal under my left foot and put it into first gear. When I released the front brake and revved the throttle, the bike suddenly started. The number of infected visible in the side mirror was increasing, but strangely, I didn't feel fear. Honking the horn like a bonus, I started riding on the road in front of the apartment.
Around the point where it stopped accelerating, I stepped on the gear pedal, adjusted the gear to second, and accelerated. I increased the speed further and put it into third, but as expected of the infected, they were persistent. The distance between me and the infected right behind me only increased a little, and they doggedly pursued. Though I didn't think I could shake them off from the start.
Glancing at the side mirror, I could see Naomi-san and the others jumping out of the underground parking lot beyond the swarm of infected chasing me. There was no sign of the infected noticing the three of them, because there was a noisy prey right in front of them. While remembering the driving procedures Naomi-san taught me, I just rode around the area. It was fortunate that there were no other people or cars, so the only thing was not to get into an accident by hitting someone.
"Uwah, gross gross gross!"
The moment I passed in front of a certain building, I saw the infected crawling out like ants from the broken windows and entrance on the first floor. I shudder at the thought of being attacked by that many infected if I were on foot. Like Moses parting the sea, I rode through the urban area leading the infected—not Israelites—who were steadily increasing behind me.
Since it was my first time riding a motorcycle, I had a resistance to increasing the speed too much. If I got into an accident at top speed and was thrown to the ground, I'd die before being eaten by the infected. And the faster the speed, the more difficult it is to drive. But it was also true that the infected were about to catch up because of that. The advantage is that I don't get tired unlike walking, but it's meaningless if I'm caught. Is it about time to reduce their numbers?
I took a lighter out of my pocket, stretched my arm, and lit one of the Molotov cocktails lined up in the front basket. I felt a chill for a moment thinking I might lose my balance and crash, but that didn't happen, and the rag blocking the mouth of the Molotov cocktail successfully caught fire.
"Filth is to be disinfected!"
Shouting that, I threw the Molotov cocktail I was gripping backward with an underhand toss. The moment the Molotov cocktail broke upon hitting the ground, the lead group of infected charged into it. Covered in the scattered burning fuel, the infected were engulfed in flames.
It felt good. If I gave myself a mohawk and attached shoulder pads now, I could become a mob character from somewhere. But that feeling withered the moment I confirmed the infected chasing me while engulfed in flames through the side mirror.
Although it was expected from the start, the sight of the infected running while burning was surprising. Whether they are shot in the stomach, have an arm torn off, or have a leg severed, the infected can act as long as they don't sustain a wound that causes immediate death. I've witnessed that many times until now, but I've never seen an infected person continue running even when they've become a human torch. They might eventually die of shock from severe burns, but until then, they will continue to run.
However, the infected engulfed in flames were clearly slowing down their running speed. The infected who became human torches vanished into the rear in an instant, and subsequently, other infected came to the front of the group. There were probably over 100 infected chasing me; burning one or two was nowhere near enough.
"Get even hotter!"
Shouting that, I threw several lit Molotov cocktails backward and just rode. I had gotten quite used to riding the bike, and although I occasionally wobbled, I didn't do anything like stalling the engine. I wonder where Naomi-san and the others are now? Thinking that, I looked at my wristwatch, but not even five minutes had passed since leaving the apartment. It felt like I had been riding for thirty minutes already.
"Damn, you paparazzi..."
I muttered that and turned the handle to head south. Before Naomi-san and the others recover the hybrid car, I have to pass in front of the car dealership and lure away the infected in the area. That way, Naomi-san and the others can safely get into the car, but conversely, the number of infected chasing me will increase. It's dangerous, but I volunteered for this role knowing that. It's too late to complain now.
I could see the wreckage of passenger cars that seemed to have had a collision in the center of a wide intersection. A route bus and a car seemed to have collided head-on, but there was a gap of about one meter between the two. I thought about avoiding it, but I want to reduce the number of infected a little here. I summoned my courage, revved the throttle, and charged straight into the gap between the accident vehicles.
Immediately after passing through the gap in the car wreckage, a dull sound of meat being crushed echoed from behind. Looking at the side mirror, the infected who had gathered until they spread across the entire road were swarming the gap, and those who couldn't pass were being crushed between the cars and the other infected. The infected have no concept of comrades, nor do they think of efficiency. Like housewives gathering at a bargain sale, the infected swarmed the narrow gap, and the infected who couldn't pass were being crushed by the group coming from behind.
I wondered if about half of them would be crushed to death, but reality is indeed harsh. There were many infected who passed through the gap, and the rest were climbing over the vehicle wreckage to chase me.
"They're so persistent...!"
Muttering that, I now turned my course to the east. If the memory of the map I hammered into my head over the past few days isn't wrong, if I keep riding east like this, I'll reach the car dealership that is Naomi-san and the others' destination. I have to pass in front of there in advance to lure the surrounding infected, and then pass in front of the apartment again to ensure the safety of Naomi-san and the others who are returning. I'll be circling the town, and there's a high risk that that many infected will gather, but it's a small price for their safety. Even if I die, the three of them must be saved.
Eventually, the sign of a car dealership bearing the name of a famous car manufacturer appeared ahead. According to Naomi-san, there should still be over a dozen cars left at the dealership, but are they safe? Well, there probably aren't any other survivors in this town, and the infected won't drive cars, so there's no need to worry about that.
I passed in front of it in an instant, but the state of the dealership was clear. The show windows were smashed, and several cars that should have been displayed indoors were gone. Someone might have taken them when escaping from this town. New cars were also lined up in the outdoor parking lot, but one of them was completely covered with a gray sheet. That's probably the target car; Naomi-san might have covered it with a sheet in advance to prevent further deterioration.
When I passed in front of the dealership honking the horn like crazy, I saw the infected coming out of the building one after another. There were about twenty, but even Naomi-san might have a hard time. While despairing at the fact that the infected following me had increased further, I prayed that Naomi-san and the others could fulfill their objective safely.