Chapter 44 - Chapter 42: A Tale of the Explosion
The launched bolt struck the neck of the man 50 meters away with force from the side. The man, staggered by the impact of the bolt hitting him, didn't seem to know what was happening and put his hand to his neck.
And the moment he realized a bolt was growing from his neck, he spat out blood that had entered his trachea from a ruptured artery and fell on the spot. The moment I confirmed that, I leaped out of the irrigation canal where I had been hiding all at once.
My clothes had absorbed water and my body was heavy, but I still sprinted by swinging my limbs desperately. With the momentum of someone who could set a Japanese record in a 50-meter dash, I crossed the ridge and the road and ran to the side of the fallen man.
Since I didn't have time to stop, I snatched the handgun from the hand of the fallen man as if scooping it up while running. This was also a revolver handgun of the same type as the one I got earlier, the kind used by the police. I'd like to recover the bullets too if possible, but if I leisurely search the corpse, I'll be found immediately.
Carrying the crossbow and readying the handgun I just picked up, I stepped into the back of the gas station. A fence was strung around the gas station, but part of it was a door, perhaps for the employees' entrance. I intended to smash the lock, but the fence door opened easily when pushed.
Beyond the passage where plastic cans and hoses were placed haphazardly, the target drums were there. There were about 50; if I set them on fire, I'd see a flashy campfire.
The trucks loaded with generators were visible from where the drums were lined up, but fortunately, there was no sign that the men refueling the generators had noticed me. Confirming that, I took the axe in hand and slammed it with force into the side of a drum.
The blade of the tomahawk, which could cut through metal chains and destroy barricades, easily penetrated the thin steel plate of the drum. There was a violent sound of metal hitting metal, but the fuel stored inside absorbed some of that sound. In the first place, the men around the generators didn't turn this way, perhaps because they couldn't hear the surrounding sounds well due to the engine noise.
When I pulled out the blade, a transparent liquid flowed down to the ground like a waterfall from the puncture hole. While sensing the gasoline smell drifting around becoming even stronger, the moment I swung back the axe to open a hole in another drum, the sound of a whistle echoed in the surroundings.
"Enemy attack! Mitamura's been taken down, no gun!"
That shout came from the south, so the guard who was on guard at the perimeter of the gas station must have found the corpse. Though finding the corpse was already factored in; I just wanted more time if possible.
However, now that it's come to this, I have to leave here quickly before the remaining 7 surround me. I might be able to take them down with surprise attacks one by one, but taking down 7 together is impossible. I opened a hole in another drum and ran toward the large trash can lined up next to the employee waiting area.
"This way! There are footprints!"
Along with that voice, multiple footsteps approached from the fence I had entered through. Because I came here soaking wet, water droplets had dripped on the ground as if tracing the path I took. Though that was also considered from the start. When I surveyed the pumps lined up and the parked trucks from the shadow of the trash can, which was large enough for a person to hide their body, the men had also stopped refueling and each held a gun.
On the other hand, the footsteps were also getting quite close. Just as I was about to ready my handgun to meet them, I noticed that gasoline was still flowing onto the ground. If I fire a gun here, an explosion might occur if the vaporized gasoline ignites. I clicked my tongue and tucked the handgun into my belt, and instead loaded a bolt into the crossbow. At the same time, I took the flashlight out of my backpack and gripped it in my left hand along with the crossbow's handguard.
Once again, I realized I was doing something reckless. It's just me, and the enemy is seven. To make matters worse, I'm in a pincer attack situation. In the worst case, I have to consider setting fire on the spot. Since I'm soaking wet, I probably won't have to worry about getting burned immediately, but I won't be safe if I'm caught in an explosion.
"Be careful..."
Judging from that voice, the enemy seemed to be pressing right nearby. I steeled my resolve, leaped out from the shadow of the trash can, and turned on the flashlight I was gripping with the handguard. In the next instant, groans rose from ahead. I saw the men clutching their faces and groaning.
"Guh...!"
"My eyes...!"
Even though lighting was installed in the employee waiting area in the back, they had taken the light of a flashlight that could easily illuminate 100 meters away full in the face. Their eyes won't be useful for a while.
There were 2 guards at the back of the gas station; apparently, the guys placed to the north and south had found the corpse and my footprints and jumped in here. They seemed to have been so full of thoughts about their comrade being killed that they proceeded without even doing a proper clearing.
The lead man had a handgun, and the man behind had a shotgun. While thinking it was good I wasn't shot when I bathed them in the flashlight light, I fired the crossbow.
The launched bolt pierced the arm of the lead man, and his groan turned into a scream. I actually aimed for the chest, but the aim went off because the man was thrashing around. But I don't have time to reload bolts one by one. I clicked my tongue, left the lead man who was on his knees clutching his bolted arm, and sprinted toward the man who was about to ready a shotgun behind him. The man with the shotgun seemed to have been able to see to some extent thanks to the man in front serving as a shield. Even so, he seemed surprised by me suddenly jumping out and stood rooted to the spot for a moment.
I didn't have time to fight one by one, so I pushed aside the man who had frozen in a posture of about to ready his gun and ran. Perhaps the man pulled the trigger by accident when he was pushed; along with a flashy gunshot, the fluorescent light installed at the back entrance of the employee waiting area shattered into pieces with sparks.
"What was that!"
"It's the kid, the one who escaped from the bunker!"
Perhaps they came from the trucks after noticing the gunshot; multiple footsteps were pressing from behind. With this, I can't look back and fire the flare. I jumped over the corpse of the man named Mitamura I killed earlier, crossed the road, slid into the irrigation canal, and pulled the handgun from my belt.
"He escaped over there!"
Along with that voice, multiple gunshots rang out, and dust kicked up in front of my eyes. Apparently, my location has also been exposed; I feel like the situation has worsened even more, but this might be fine. If I'm having a shootout over here, the forces diverted to Naomi-san and the others will also be fewer.
But this is a losing game. It was good up until I killed one and seriously injured another, but there are still 6 enemies left. When I poked my face out for just a moment to check the situation, the men were trying to sprint toward the irrigation canal, taking advantage of the fact that I wasn't counterattacking.
Don't underestimate me. I muttered that, leaned out from the irrigation canal, readied the handgun, and pulled the trigger. The moment I fired, an impact like being kicked ran through my shoulder, and my ears went momentarily deaf from the gunshot. The muzzle kicked up from the recoil, and the bullet hit in a completely wrong direction.
Even so, from their perspective, I, who held a gun, seemed to be a threat. The men who were trying to cross the road hurriedly retreated into the gas station premises and fired while using trash cans and the like as cover. Multiple muzzles flashed at the back entrance of the employee waiting area, and a pillar of dust stood upright in front of my eyes.
"He has a gun!"
"I told you so earlier!"
I heard such voices. Could it be that they are inexperienced in fighting an opponent who has a gun? Such a thought suddenly came to mind.
The infected don't fire guns, and very few people in this Japan have guns. When they welcome survivors into the village to feed them to the infected, their weapons are confiscated, so even if there were people like me who tried to resist, they probably weren't much of a threat. In other words, they haven't fought humans in earnest.
When I raised my face again, this time their state of panic was clearly visible. Some were staying hidden behind cover and hardly moving, and the others were also firing while only poking out their muzzles.
I readied the handgun firmly with both hands, took aim, and pulled the trigger. Perhaps because I fired with the correct posture this time, the recoil I felt was less, and the launched bullet hit the trash can one guard was hiding behind. The bullet didn't penetrate the metal trash can, but even so, a frightened scream was heard from behind the trash can.
The enemy fired again. This time it was accurate shooting, and I heard the whiz of a bullet grazing over my head. The weeds growing at my side disappeared from the roots, and I hid back inside the irrigation canal.
If I keep having a gunfight like this, it'll be my loss once the bullets run out. The other side is winning in numbers, guns, and the number of bullets. Besides, if reinforcements are called, I won't even be able to escape, let alone set fire to the gasoline.
There were 7 human figures visible at the back entrance of the employee waiting area; apparently, everyone around the gas station had rushed there upon hearing the gunshots. Which means, the north side where I first came from is now wide open.
They also seem to be flustered by their first gunfight, and their heads don't seem to have turned to things like flanking me or guarding other places. If this were a military or something, I'd be dead by now from a concentrated barrage, but they are just a group of amateurs who were given guns after being trained by a policeman.
I might be able to do it. Thinking that, I leaned out again, fired the handgun, and moved toward the north inside the irrigation canal. Since the irrigation canal is strung around the gas station, I can circle to the north side while staying hidden. From here, the men are in the way, and even if I fire a flare, they would become obstacles. I hoped the vaporized gasoline would ignite from the muzzle flash when the men fired, but it doesn't seem to go that conveniently.
The fact that the men are firing without hesitation might mean they haven't noticed the gasoline is leaking. Since a gasoline smell was originally drifting around that area, it won't be noticed so easily.
"Go, kill him!"
Hearing those words, I knew I had already changed from a capture target to a kill target. An hour has already passed since I took down the first person; the fact that a death occurred among the guards must have spread long ago. It's not worth it if more than double the number of people die to catch one person, and above all, the village order would be destroyed. Did Yamato, thinking so, give up on making me fodder for the infected and decide to kill me?
Well, it must be somewhat better to die instantly from a bullet to the head than to have my body devoured by the infected while alive.
Seeing that I wasn't firing much as an opportunity, several people tried to cross the road. When I immediately fired the handgun, the men retreated into the gas station premises. And far more bullets than I fired came flying, but by then, I had succeeded in circling to the north side of the gas station through the irrigation canal.
"He's escaping to the north! Ide, Kashiwagi, stay here. The rest of you, follow me!"
The voice of the man who seemed to be the leader echoed, having noticed that the position of the muzzle flash I emitted was gradually moving. They seem to have stepped into the trap of thinking I'm escaping to the north, but I dare to go back the way I came. Thinking normally, a 1-on-6 shootout is more than just disadvantageous. An ordinary person would naturally run away, but unfortunately, what I'm trying to do isn't ordinary.
Until just now, I intended to fire the flare from the north side, but change of plans. I'll make them think I escaped to the north, approach from the west side again, and from there, fire the flare and ignite the gasoline.
I quickly went back through the irrigation canal and circled to the west side of the gas station. As expected, only two human figures are visible. The remaining two were illuminating the rice paddies spreading around the gas station with lights, but they were directing their attention to the northwest, perhaps thinking I had escaped. Thanks to more than half of the men who were swarming at the back entrance of the employee waiting area just now having circled to the north, the view is quite good.
The two human figures who hadn't noticed I came back were visible flickering beyond the trash can, but I didn't have time to deal with them now. I took out the signal flare which had become completely wet, and unwound the ignition string wrapped around the bottom. I can only pray that it's waterproof since it's for emergency use. If not, I'd end up having to go directly to the drums and set fire.
"He's not here, how about over there!?"
"It's dark and the light isn't reaching, make the lighting stronger!"
Such voices were still echoing from the north. They seem to still think I escaped to the north. Before they notice and come back, I have to finish the job.
"Please ignite properly..."
I muttered that, leaned out from the irrigation canal, and readied the signal flare. The target is the drums lined up beyond the trash can where the men are hiding.
I've never fired a signal flare before, so I don't know the trajectory, and I only have this one shot. If I miss, at worst, I'll have to directly ignite the gasoline with a lighter. I agonized over the angle to fire for a while, but steeled my resolve and pulled the string extending from the bottom of the signal flare.
When I pulled the string, along with a shushing sound, a dazzlingly bright signal flare was launched. While emitting a strong red light, the signal flare flew across the road, grazed the trash can and the men hiding there, and flew toward the other side of the employee waiting area. The ball of light bounced on the ground a few times, and then flew into the shed with only pillars and a roof where the drums were lined up.
And in the next instant, the back of the gas station suddenly became bright. The signal flare had successfully fallen onto the leaked gasoline and caught fire. Orange flames rose suddenly in the background, and the men hiding in the shadow of the trash can all turned around at once.
The gasoline pooled on the ground raised fierce flames and was roasting the lined-up drums. Although an explosion hasn't occurred yet, it will soon. The gasoline vaporized by the heat of the flames will increase in volume and try to break the drums to get out. If it ignites then, an explosion should occur.
"Fire! The drums are burning!"
Hearing those words, I crawled out of the irrigation canal and sprinted toward the south without looking aside. They must have noticed me escaping by tracing the trajectory the signal flare flew. Along with shouts, gunshots were heard from behind, and I felt the presence of bullets grazing right nearby.
"He was there!"
"Bring a fire extinguisher, at this rate...!"
"A fire engine! Call a fire engine!"
Along with the words of the scurrying men, gunshots rang out again. Perhaps they can't even take aim calmly in a situation where drums are burning behind them; this time the bullets seemed to have flown in a completely irrelevant direction.
After running about 100 meters, I jumped into another irrigation canal and looked back the way I came. The men seem to be so busy extinguishing the fire that no human figures chasing me are visible.
Immediately after, a large pillar of fire rose from the back of the gas station, followed by an ear-splitting explosion sound that shook the air. Apparently, one of the drums exploded. Come to think of it, those drums had been left outside all day in the midsummer sun. Because of the high temperature, gasoline might have already been vaporizing inside the drums.
As if my thought was correct, explosions occurred twice, thrice. Immediately after several human figures were seen hurriedly leaving the gas station, an orange flash filled my vision.
"Whoa...!"
Even 100 meters away, the heat wave of the explosion hit me. Pushed by the strong heat wave, I fell into the irrigation canal and noticed that the sky was bright even though it was night. And in the crimson night sky where the stars had disappeared, something clad in flames was dancing.
Its true identity was a drum blown away by the explosion. It was a surreal sight to see a drum so heavy it couldn't be carried without a cart dancing in the air, but if such an object fell, it wouldn't end well. Noticing that the drum blown high into the air was falling toward me, I hurriedly stood up.
The drum clad in flames fell a few meters ahead of me like a meteorite. Along with a roar, burning gasoline was scattered, and I avoided them in the nick of time. The drum bounced a few times in the rice paddy and then flew into the premises of a farmhouse built nearby.
"Oh boy..."
Immediately, flames began to rise from the traditional wooden Japanese house. Looking back, the gas station was already engulfed in flames, and black smoke was rising high into the sky. Burning drums blown away by the explosion fell here and there, and fires began to break out in various parts of the village.
Perhaps the truck loaded with the generator was blown away by the explosion, or the power lines were cut. After the streetlights flickered two or three times, they blacked out, and the light of the fluorescent lamps under the eaves of the private houses went out. However, the village will not be engulfed in complete darkness, because fires are occurring everywhere.
"Is this a success after all...?"
I had planned to smash the generators and engulf the village in darkness, but it's still bright everywhere because of the fires. However, that explosion must have been visible from all over the village, and it must have been visible from outside the village too. The village people will have to work on fire extinguishing, and the infected who noticed the explosion might also swarm the village. The goal of throwing the village into chaos was achieved.
However, gunshots are still ringing out. And the source is quite close. Apparently, Naomi-san and the others are right nearby.
Maybe we can meet up like this. While holding such a hope, I sprinted to get even a meter away from the blazing gas station.