A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

It clearly didn't exist before.

No, it's hard to say, because she was focused on driving the vehicle and didn't have time to observe her surroundings. Maybe it happened last time.

Uesugi Genshin slowed down the accelerator. "Shall we go take a look?"

He posed the question to the two people in the car, which immediately silenced the car.

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

Chapter 237: Execute First, Report Later

"Let's go take a look." Yukino Yukinoshita exhaled softly, placed her bent fingers to her lips, and looked up at him.

“My opinion is to keep going.” Hayasaka Ai, who was behind her, gave a completely opposite answer.

As if to make herself more convincing, she continued, "I used to see people waving at me from the windows of apartment buildings when I was out on the street, and then what? Climb ten floors and clear out all the zombies in the building to save her? Leaving her alone is the right choice."

Her tone was quite cold, but her gaze was downward, and she dared not meet Uesugi Genshin's eyes as he looked in the rearview mirror.

“But this is clearly a cry for help,” Yukino Yukinoshita pointed out briefly. All three of them understood the meaning of SOS.

If it were just people, they could simply walk by without any problem. But since there's an SOS sign hanging there, it means the situation inside is not optimistic, and it's hard to just ignore it in this case.

"There are risks," Hayasaka Ai advised again.

Who knows when this SOS was posted, and are there really any living people inside? And what if the surrounding area is full of zombies?

That's why I said I'd go take a quick look.

"..." Hayasaka Ai clenched her fist on her lap, but she stopped talking.

"Have you made a decision yet?" Uesugi Genshin asked. He had been keeping the accelerator off since earlier, otherwise, if he had stepped on the gas, that place would have been left far behind.

"Hmm." Yukino Yukinoshita in the passenger seat simply nodded.

Uesugi Genshin saw all of this, including Hayasaka's subsequent actions.

Ah... Yukinoshita wasn't as resolute as I'd imagined, and Hayasaka wasn't as cold-hearted as her words suggested.

"Then it's decided." After saying that, he turned the steering wheel sharply, adjusted the direction, and drove towards the building with the SOS sign.

Since it was still in sight, it only took about two minutes to turn around and stop in front of that building.

This is a three-story building, probably an office or company, with a small open space in front of it.

The glass in front of the building was shattered, with shards of glass mixed with black bloodstains, and dark red streaks of blood on the ground below.

Two zombies could be seen in the building near the entrance. Because Uesugi Genshin braked very lightly, they hadn't noticed the person coming from outside.

"I'll go take a look." Uesugi Genshin picked up the sword beside him and prepared to get out of the carriage.

“I’ll go too.” Yukino Yukinoshita picked up the baseball bat she had prepared and prepared to go as well.

"I..." He originally wanted to say that he was fine with just one person, but seeing the determination in her eyes, he realized that refusing would hurt her pride.

She is just that kind of proud person.

As Uesugi Genshin stopped and opened the car door, he had been looking out the window of the small building ahead, where a shadow seemed to have flashed by.

"Hayasaka, you stay in the car." With that, Uesugi Genshin reached out his hand towards Yukinoshita.

Yukino Yukinoshita remained motionless, watching his approaching hand until he opened the glove box in front of her.

Inside was a police revolver, which was not very useful, but it had always been kept inside.

Uesugi Genshin took it out and handed it to Hayasaka in the back seat, saying, "You sit in the front and watch your surroundings. Don't turn off the engine."

“I know.” Taking the revolver from the minister, Hayasaka Ai nodded clearly, her thumb instinctively resting on the trigger.

"Let's go." After giving these instructions, Uesugi Genshin told Yukino Yukinoshita to get out of the car.

The two got out of the car from opposite sides and gently closed the door, but even so gently, it still made a crisp click to make sure it was closed.

It might not have much to do with the sound; maybe it's just that the zombies saw them.

The two dogs near the door started walking towards them, covered in blood and wearing tattered clothes, letting out hoarse howls.

At that moment, Uesugi Genshin looked up again at the curtains on the second and third floors that weren't drawn very tightly.

The SOS banner was hung from the rooftop, meaning that if there were any living people there, they would only be on the roof.

"I'll go." Before Uesugi Genshin could speak, Yukino Yukinoshita stepped forward first, perhaps wanting to prove herself.

After all, this is her first time playing.

Uesugi Genshin rested his sword on his blade, watching as she swiftly and decisively smashed two zombies down with a baseball bat, killing them both with a single blow.

Two walking corpses are still within the range of what an ordinary person can handle, let alone Yukinoshita.

"So this is what it feels like."

When Uesugi Genshin approached, he heard her muttering to herself. Then she immediately looked up at him and said, "It's nothing."

"Are you feeling alright?" Uesugi Genshin quietly walked to her side.

"Surprisingly, there really wasn't." I had expected to feel aversion to killing or a nausea from contact with blood, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy.

"That's good, let's go in." After saying that, he took the lead and walked to the building entrance.

There were no lights on inside, but luckily it was daytime, so it was only a little shady and well-lit.

Yukino Yukinoshita followed cautiously behind him, holding a baseball bat. She had already vented her desire to show off earlier, so now she should just obediently follow behind. She knew exactly what to do and when to do it.

Both of them were trying to keep their footsteps quiet, so the soft footsteps and the slapping of shoes on the floor that could be heard in the silence were definitely not theirs.

It's obviously a zombie.

Passing the reception desk and entering the first-floor lounge, a quick glance at the small space revealed that there were already more than ten zombies.

After attracting the attention of several zombies facing him, Uesugi Genshin quickly retreated with Yukinoshita.

With a series of sounds caused by the movements, zombies emerged from around the corner and pounced straight at them.

Uesugi Genshin dealt with the first zombie first, then dodged to the side, thus attracting the second and third zombies.

With a swift stroke, he severed their neck bones, and as blood gushed out, they all fell to the ground, motionless.

Yukinoshita over there also dealt well with the two zombies that were heading towards her.

After Uesugi Genshin killed the last one, a new one appeared around the corner, probably attracted by the sound of their battle.

They continued their attack without stopping until no more zombies appeared around the corner, and then they returned to the now cleaned-up living room.

The first floor is filled with small spaces made up of soft sofas and small glass round tables.

The wallpaper and lighting fixtures have a fresh feel because a lot of blue was used.

However, whether it was potted plants, items on the table, or decorative bookshelves in the distance, everything was scattered on the ground, clean yet messy.

He tapped the ground with the hilt of his knife, the sound echoing in the hall, but no new zombies appeared.

“Safe,” Uesugi Genshin said, turning to look at Yukino. “How’s your stamina?”

"It's okay." After taking a few deep breaths, Yukino Yukinoshita at least had a calm expression on her face, although her heart was probably still pounding.

After briefly checking the surroundings, they started heading up to the second floor.

Unlike the spacious feel of the entire first floor, the second floor consists of individual small rooms, each clearly serving a specific purpose.

Wooden tables and chairs were piled up at the top of the stairs, as if to block intruders.

However, it didn't work well; there were too few of them, and they could easily climb over them, so they didn't serve as any obstacle.

She waited quietly for Yukinoshita to come over; wearing pants made it easy for her to move around.

So Uesugi Genshin ignored her and held his breath. There was no unusual movement in the corridor, as if no one was there.

Since the doors are all closed, we might as well go to the third floor and check the situation first. With that thought, Uesugi Genshin suggested, "Let's go to the third floor and check the situation first."

"Mmm." He responded with a soft hum, barely audible to him, a cute sound coming from his nose.

Uesugi Genshin led her up to the third floor, which was also quiet, with no one and no zombies.

He walked forward quietly until he heard a sound.

It was coming from one of the rooms.

It's bubbling away, like rice is being cooked.

This couldn't have been done by zombies; it must have been done by a person, a living person.

Uesugi Genshin stopped at the doorway and exchanged a glance with Yukinoshita.

She blinked lightly, but there was a sense of disbelief in her eyes.

Cooking makes you feel relaxed, as if you've instantly returned to a peaceful, everyday life.

He tilted his head towards the door, making a gesture as if to open it, while Yukino Yukinoshita took a step back, gripping her baseball bat tightly, remaining alert.

Uesugi Genshin grasped the doorknob, slowly turned it, and finally opened it.

There are two adult men inside; I'd say they're around thirty or forty years old.

Because they all had beards, very long beards, looking like they hadn't been groomed for over a month, it made their ages somewhat ambiguous.

There was also an indescribable odor in the room, which seemed to be emanating from people.

"What?!" one of them exclaimed, noticing them. "How did you get in? What do you want?"

The other person turned around and looked surprised as well, still holding a kitchen knife in their hand.

Both of them looked visibly haggard; no, "haggard" was an understatement to describe their current state.

He was in a daze, and when he saw Uesugi Genshin and the others, he subconsciously showed a fierce expression, his eyes flashing with malice, which made Uesugi Genshin almost think that he would rush over with the knife in his hand.

But in the end, it didn't happen.

The four of them were silent for a second, and the only sound at that moment was the bubbling of boiling water.

"Um... you guys put up that SOS sign on the outside of the building, right?" Yukino Yukinoshita was the first to step forward and speak.

The man holding the kitchen knife was also taken aback, then his fierce expression instantly disappeared, replaced by a calm demeanor as if nothing had happened. He quietly admitted, "Yes."

The man stared blankly at Yukina, as if he had never seen such a beautiful girl before.

Greed? Or curiosity?

At least Uesugi Genshin didn't have a good impression of him. An ordinary office worker who didn't clean himself up looked disgusting, like a homeless person. One thing is that appearance reflects the heart, but of course, he wouldn't let his guard down just because of a person's appearance.

As for the other one, he was also stunned by Yukino Yukinoshita, completely ignoring Uesugi Genshin who was still standing there with his sword.

"...Are there only the two of you here?" Yukino Yukinoshita's question brought them back to their senses.

"Yes, yes," the man with the knife replied somewhat hesitantly.

But after answering, they looked at each other and then said nothing more, which made Uesugi Genshin a little wary.

...Is this because this is the state of people waiting for rescue?

"I see." Yukino Yukinoshita frowned, then immediately looked around. "Are you cooking?"

"Yes." The man with the kitchen knife grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and invited, "Want to eat together?"

"What's good to eat?" Uesugi Genshin, having sheathed his sword, stepped over the snow and stood in front of him.

Only then did the person holding the knife look at him properly. "Ah~, it's meat. It's delicious."

“Yes, yes,” another person echoed, trying to convince others.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" The man with the knife stared intently at Uesugi Genshin and asked slowly.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Uesugi Genshin said with a smile, spreading his hands out as he removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.

This made Yukino Yukinoshita glance at his back, and then she nodded and said, "I haven't eaten yet today."

"Perfect timing, almost done." The man with the knife proudly lifted the pot lid, and white steam rose from the pot.

"This pot probably won't be enough." Uesugi Genshin walked to the pot, looking at the boiled meat inside. The blood foam hadn't been skimmed off, and the surface of the water was covered with fine pink scum.

He also noticed that the man's hand holding the knife suddenly trembled as he approached.

"Then, then I'll cut some more and put it in." The man with the knife said this, then walked to the table over there, and indeed took out a piece of meat with bone in it, and started cutting it.