Chapter 55 - Chapter 53: A Story of Promising
Despite the car crashing with vigor, the stone wall only had a large crack and tilted slightly, and did not collapse. Looking closely, the wall was a grand one made by combining several pieces of cut stone, and it seemed to have quite a bit of thickness.
On the other hand, the passenger car that collided was heavily damaged. The front part of the car body housing the engine was completely crushed, and the car body was also mangled. Somehow the driver's seat and rear seat seem to be safe, but even if there were a skilled mechanic, the car would probably never move again.
"Infected, they're still alive!"
When I looked around the car at Naomi-san's words, two infected were lying on the ground. One of them, perhaps run over at the moment they were shaken off from the car, is coming toward here while dragging legs bent in an impossible direction, crawling on the ground. Since the other one was trying to stand up while staggering, I immediately readied my crossbow and pulled the trigger.
The bolt loosed from close range had sufficient power to pierce the hard, rounded skull. The bolt plunged into the space between the eyebrows, and the infected fell flat like a doll whose strings were cut. Naomi-san, who thrust a knife into the head of the infected crawling on the ground with both legs broken, said, "Come here!" and started running toward the car.
The car horn, which seemed to have gone haywire in the wiring, was still continuing to ring. If such a loud horn sound continues to ring, we'll be noticed by the infected in the town. It might already be too late, but we have to stop it quickly. If we don't, a large number of infected will surge here.
"We have to help those people!" saying that, Yui also started running. The driver's seat where the window glass was shattered into pieces had the airbag deployed, and a person's figure could also be seen between it and the seat. There was also a human shadow in the rear seat, and they seemed to be alive. Although I also started running driven by a sense of duty and conscience to help the injured, I also had the thought that things had become troublesome.
If this car had caused an accident one kilometer away and we were watching that state with binoculars from the roof of the apartment, we probably wouldn't have felt like helping. After all, the risk is too great. Even if we wanted to help, we surely wouldn't have taken action.
This time, simply because an accident was caused right in front of us, we are just trying to help the people on board without being able to look the other way. Originally, we have no obligation to help them with whom we have no connection. If possible, we help; that's all there is to it.
Three infected were clinging to the passenger car, but two were disposed of by me and Naomi-san. Then where is the other one? That question was solved the moment I went around to the side of the crashed car.
Between the front part of the car where the exterior was mangled like scrap paper and the stone wall that was tilted and cracked by the impact of the collision, the last one was pinned. Even with the torso completely crushed by the car body and the wall, the infected is moving energetically. Although they cannot move from the spot, they are swinging both hands and rocking their upper body back and forth, reaching their hands toward the driver's seat.
Probably a human would have died instantly, but the infected have extraordinary durability. Since the internal organs must be ruptured, they would die eventually even if left alone, but they would be in the way of the rescue work for the car's occupants, and above all, if they are allowed to continue raising roars any more, more infected might start a large migration aiming for here. Naomi-san, who reached the car first, gripped a knife in a forward grip and swung it down vigorously onto the head of the infected who was flailing their upper body.
Confirming that the infected stopped moving, we immediately set about helping the people inside the car. On the opposite side of Naomi-san who was prying open the mangled door, I peered into the car from the rear window and caught my breath.
A child seat was installed in the rear seat, and a young woman was slumped over it. The woman had her seatbelt removed, but there are no noticeable external injuries. Though, if she had hit her head hard or something, she might be dead, and I hoped that was the case. If so, we wouldn't have to stay here any longer.
However, when the crying of a baby was heard from the child seat under the woman's body, I unintentionally clicked my tongue. A baby was on this car, and on top of that, despite such a big accident, they are alive!
"Is a child on board?"
Yui, who went around next to me, peered into the car and tried to move the woman's body slumped over the child seat. But the next moment, that body moved slightly, and a groan was emitted from that mouth.
"Where, is this...?"
The words "Why couldn't you have been dead?" came to my mind.
"How many are in the back?"
"Two, how about over there?"
I could see Naomi-san deflating the airbag and cutting the seatbelt with a knife. There is no sign of other fellow passengers in the car. The one sitting in the driver's seat was a young man; it seemed only three people were on the car. Since it's a young man and woman and a baby, are they a family or something?
"For now, there's a pulse. First, we have to do something about the horn..."
However, there was no sign of the horn stopping, and it seemed there was nothing we could do. To stop it, it would be necessary to remove the dashboard cover and cut the wiring itself, but we don't have the leeway to be doing that. Now, the first priority was to wake the three of them up and leave this place. If we dally, we'll end up fighting that many more infected.
"Hey, are you okay!?"
While saying that, Naomi-san was delivering round-trip slaps to the face of the unconscious man, but we didn't have the need for that. The young woman who was slumped over the child seat in the rear seat raised her face and muttered, "You guys are...?" Maybe she used to dye it; only the tips of her short-cut hair were gold and the roots were black, and several piercing holes were open in her earlobes. Is she what they call a 'young mom'?
"That's right, what about Shota? Is Shota safe!?"
There, with a face as if she had realized something, the woman peered into the child seat, but she seemed to have understood he was safe upon seeing the baby who continued to cry. While showing a relieved face, the man in the driver's seat also seemed to have woken up while raising a groan.
"You guys are...? Did you help us?"
"We can't say you're saved yet, though. What about you guys? Where from?"
"We ran away from those monsters... But we were caught up to by several of them on the way, and we were distracted by them..."
The young man seemed to be in a daze. On the nape of the man wearing work clothes soiled with mud here and there, a single stylish tattoo is engraved.
"Are you okay? We'll help you now!"
I was about to tell Yui not to say unnecessary things, but I closed my mouth. As expected, if I said let's leave these three alone in this situation, it would surely drag on later. But if the one who happened to be present at this place were me alone, I certainly would have abandoned them and run away.
"Please, Shota! Help this child!"
Saying that, the woman picked up the baby, who probably hadn't even finished growing hair yet, from the child seat. I became even more irritated that the one on board was a baby who probably hadn't even reached one year of age. As expected, abandoning a baby would prick even my conscience.
Yui, who received the baby through the broken window, seemed surprised by that weight. Next, she pulls the door with all her might to get the woman outside. It didn't go very well because the car body was distorted, but when she thrust a crowbar into the gap between the door and the car body and rocked it back and forth, the door came off as a whole along with a sound of something breaking.
"Can you walk?"
Without answering that question, the woman crawled outside in silence and snatched the baby back from Yui's hands. While looking at the woman who was smiling at the baby beside the dumbfounded Yui, anger suddenly welled up. Despite having gone out of our way to help her while risking danger, is there not even a single word of thanks?
But that might be unavoidable. They were chased by infected and then caused an accident, and met with a life-threatening experience. In such a state, thoughts are not normal, and I understand that rejoicing in the safety of one's own family comes before stating thanks to others.
"H-Hey! Hurry and get me out too!"
"I know, your leg is caught in the seat... Can you help me for a bit?"
On the other hand, the work of helping the man in the driver's seat seemed to still be having difficulties. When I went toward the driver's seat, the young man seemed unable to move because his leg was caught between the seat and the dashboard. Because the car body was distorted by the collision, the space between the leg and the dashboard, which should originally have enough space, seemed to have been crushed. Since there is no sign of the man suffering from pain, it probably doesn't mean he is being crushed, but it seemed difficult to pull out his leg.
At the moment I put my hand on the driver's seat to help too, a familiar roar echoed in the surroundings.
Infected are coming near here. Since the broken horn is continuing to ring, it's natural if it's natural, but the man who heard the infected's roar seemed to have fallen into a panic. He shouted to hurry and pull out his leg with a pale face, but he doesn't seem to have noticed that it's an act that could further attract infected. Naomi-san tried to calm the man down, but faster than that, a single human shadow had jumped out from the intersection.
"Nooo!"
Faster than the woman raised a scream, I readied the shotgun I had been carrying slung across my shoulder and pulled the trigger. Catching the figure of the infected beyond the sights, I pull the trigger. Suddenly an impact as if my shoulder were kicked away ran, and immediately after the gunshot roared, I saw the infected's head half blown away.
The girl infected, who took the buckshot head-on from close range, died with her head blown away. The gunshot had echoed, but the horn has been continuing to ring at a high volume since a while ago. Whether I shoot or not, our position has been exposed to the infected.
"This is bad! Let's leave here quickly!"
"A little more... the leg won't come out!"
Looking at Naomi-san's desperate face, I couldn't say let's leave such a guy and run away quickly. Releasing the lock and folding the barrel from the base, I eject the empty shell and take out a new one from my pocket to load. The fact that the woman has been shouting since a while ago to help Shuji or whatever further rubbed me the wrong way.
"They're coming again!"
When I looked back at Yui's voice, this time several infected were about to jump out from the shadow of another intersection. Leaning the crossbow against the car, I again readied the shotgun and fired. Naomi-san also drew her revolver and pulled the trigger toward the approaching infected.
The shotgun, which was equipped with a buttstock, was easier to hit with than a handgun. Besides, since buckshot spreads to some extent, it sufficiently hits infected several dozen meters away even with a rough aim. Naturally only two rounds can be loaded into the over-under shotgun, but while I was reloading, Naomi-san was bringing down the infected with her revolver.
The five infected that showed themselves were brought down to the ground in the blink of an eye. But this won't be the end. By this family having come, the peace of this town has been broken. Since there are still few infected in this area, the number that attacks at once is just small.
Doing unnecessary things... was my honest feeling right now. Even though we found a base that seemed safe, it was ruined in just one week. If this family hadn't come to this town, we should have been able to live peacefully.
The horn that continues to ring, the man in the driver's seat who shouts to get him out, the woman who clings to Yui to do something, Yui who is flustered despite having a handgun in hand, and the baby who is crying. All of those irritate me. Until now we have spent quiet days, but now it's full of noise.
"Alright, the right leg is out! You help too!"
At that voice, when I went toward the driver's seat again, Naomi-san had somehow succeeded in pulling out the man's right leg from under the dashboard. Whether he thought he would be saved by the right leg being pulled out, the man's relieved expression was reflected in the rearview mirror that slightly remained.
"H-Hurry, the left leg too!"
Even if she says so, the left leg doesn't seem likely to be pulled out so easily because the shift lever and handbrake are in the way. Besides, since the dashboard is crushed as if wrapping around the man's left leg, it will be difficult to get the man out of the car unless a rescue team or something is called.
But now, even if we call 119, it won't connect to the fire department, and in the first place, phones cannot be used. If sufficient equipment were at this place and sufficient time were taken, it might be possible to rescue the man safely. However, the tools on hand are at most a crowbar, and the time left for us is small.
Looking, something is coming toward here from the west side of the main road where there was nothing until a while ago. When I peer through the binoculars, its true identity was a swarm of infected surging in a line across the road.
In a quiet environment, a car engine sound echoes surprisingly loudly. This family probably drew the attention of a large number of infected while escaping by car. They seemed to think they had somehow shaken them off, but the hungry infected seem to have chased the family tenaciously. It could be said to be a matter of time before the swarm of infected that chased the car and came to this town rushes to us.
"Just how many are there, that..."
Looking at the swarm of infected surging like a tsunami, Yui turned pale. Since that many infected are coming aiming for here, this town can no longer be said to be safe.
"Naomi-san, please take Yui and that woman to the apartment. I'll help this person and then follow after you later."
"But, by yourself..."
"I'll manage. Mana-chan is also at the apartment, right? This town is no good anymore; please go ahead and prepare for escape. If anything happens, I'll contact you by radio."
Naomi-san was staring back at my face, which I said with determination, with a perplexed expression, but whether she understood that time was precious now, she was about to start running while pulling the woman's hand. However, the woman holding the baby would not move from the spot, just like a child throwing a tantrum because they weren't bought a toy.
"I'm not going anywhere unless I'm with Shuji! If you're going, take Shuji too!"
For a moment my hand reached for the holster thinking I should seriously shoot her dead, but the one who calmed such a woman was, surprisingly, the man called Shuji who was still unable to escape from the driver's seat.
"Yuko, please listen to what these people say. Shota is still a baby; do you want to commit suicide?"
"But, Shuji..."
"It's okay, I don't intend to die in a place like this yet. I'll follow after you, so please go ahead and wait. My leg will come out in a little more, and we can meet soon."
It's a scene that makes one cry, I thought. If this were a movie or something, the audience would be moved to tears at this scene. This man called Shuji, he might be an unexpectedly good man despite looking like a delinquent type.
But this isn't a movie. Not everything ends in a moving conclusion; rather, the opposite is more common.
"Yeah, I understand... definitely come later!"
The woman called Yuko was looking back here many times as if reluctant to part, but she started running toward the apartment while being pulled by Yui and Naomi-san. I'm worried that the baby is still crying, but we probably disposed of the infected in this area mostly just now. For a while, infected that would attack Naomi-san and the others heading toward the apartment shouldn't come.
"...Sorry, for making you go to the trouble."
"Quite so."
While saying that, I also go around to the passenger seat side for now and check the state of the left leg that remains caught. A slight gap is open, but it seems difficult to pull it out.
Should I just cut it off? My eyes went to the holder housing the axe unintentionally, but even if I hacked off the man's leg and got him out of the car, who would drag him along after he became unable to walk? In the first place, if I cut the leg, a large amount of bleeding cannot be avoided. With me who has no sufficient medical knowledge or skill, letting him bleed to death would be the end of it.
That said, I cannot stay here forever. If I look back, the distance with the leading group of the swarm of infected filling the road is steadily closing. At this pace, the infected will reach this place in a few more minutes.
Although I tried rocking the dashboard several times or thrusting a crowbar to move it, the car body itself seems to have been greatly distorted. It became possible to pull it out up to around the ankle, but the heel and toes get caught and it doesn't move any more than that. Unless the car body itself is dismantled using an engine cutter or something, it will be difficult to get the man out of the car.
The man, who had shown a relieved expression thinking his leg might come out, also seems to have his feelings of anxiety growing upon seeing the figures of the infected in the rearview mirror becoming steadily larger.
"Hey, please. Hurry and pull out my leg, or I'll be eaten by those guys."
"I know. Come out, you...!"
I also want to help people if possible. But now is a situation where I can't say that. The distance with the infected has already cut below 500 meters. With that swiftness, the tsunami of infected will reach this vicinity soon.
Although I tried several times, the man's leg did not come out until the end. If it has come to this, there is nothing more I can do.
"Please, hurry and pull out my leg! I'll be killed like this!"
The man was flailing his leg like crazy, but it's not possible to go outside. The broken horn still doesn't stop ringing, and that sound has ended up drawing the swarm of infected to this place.
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I'm really sorry."
"Hey, you're kidding, right! Don't abandon me, what will happen to Shota if I'm not here!"
"I'm sorry, but this is something that can't be helped. I don't intend to commit suicide with you; I don't want to die yet."
The man's extended hand grabbed my arm, but I forcibly shook it off and moved away from the car. The man's angry voice of "Hey, wait! Help me! Get me out of here!" echoed, but I no longer had any intention of helping him.
Because of them, this town, which was becoming a safe place, will become a den of infected. Even though we have to give up the base we finally found, I'd like him to be grateful just for having tried to help. Because if they hadn't even caused an accident, no, in the first place if they hadn't escaped to this town, it wouldn't have become like this.
I have no obligation to lose my life for such people. If I'm going to die trying to help a stranger, I choose the way of surviving even if I abandon them.
Picking up the crossbow that had been leaning against the car body, I start running after Naomi-san and the others. Have Naomi-san and the others already reached the apartment by now?
"No, I don't want to die! This kind of way of dying is too much!"
When I looked back just once when turning the intersection, the infected were already starting to gather around the car that caused the accident. If I had stayed with him just like that, I would have become food for the infected by now. That said, to protect the man who couldn't move from the car until the end, the ammunition on hand was too little and the number of infected was too many.
I thought about whether I should euthanize him before he was eaten, but then all the infected would change their aim to me and chase me. In order for me to escape from here safely, I had no choice but to sacrifice the man. If he continues to scream and go on a rampage, the attention of the infected will first head that way.
Yes, this is a sacrifice that can't be helped. After turning a few corners and entering a residential area, I heard the man's scream from behind, but I continued running toward the apartment without looking back.