This was a matter far more pressing than whether or not she was from another world. After all, Ryuji himself was already wounded by a zombie and was practically done for.
And now, the girl he had just barely managed to save was in the same dire situation. It was truly disheartening.
"Forget everything else for now—your leg has been scratched. You've seen zombie movies before, right? You should know what happens after you get wounded like this."
Ryuji pointed at the girl's calf, where blood was steadily dripping onto her black stockings and delicate leather shoes, forming crimson trails. Her once flawless, pale skin now bore an ugly, vicious wound.
Blood rarely made anything look beautiful, and with such a grotesque injury, there was no aesthetic to be appreciated here.
"Ah!"
The girl—who had introduced herself as Erina Nakiri—let out a startled cry. She stared at her leg in shock before collapsing onto the ground.
Though she was a prestigious young lady from a culinary dynasty, she had watched enough movies to understand how zombie infections worked. Panic flooded her face as she looked at her wound. Her trembling hands hovered over it, hesitant to touch it.
Previously, her hunger had overshadowed the pain, but now that Ryuji had pointed it out, the searing agony was all too clear. The realization sent her spiraling into despair.
Hunger. Her God Tongue—no, her curse—had made it impossible for her to eat the canned meat.
And now, just when she thought she had found salvation in another person, she was cruelly reminded that she might already be infected.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Erina was always a strong, proud person—but that pride was built upon everything she had once possessed.
Her noble lineage, her exceptional talent, her relentless training. These had been the foundation of her confidence. But in this brutal, zombie-infested world, none of it mattered anymore.
Only survival did.
"Looks like we're all at the mercy of fate, huh?"
Ryuji chuckled softly. He had felt the same despair not long ago, though his situation had been worse—he had been attacked the moment he arrived, with no time to prepare.
Unlike Erina, who had merely made a mistake.
He wasn't exactly gloating, but there was a bitter irony to it all. Fate could be so absurd sometimes.
Under Erina's astonished gaze, he unwrapped the bandages around his arm, revealing his own gruesome wound.
"See? Me too. So let's make the most of whatever time we have left. Besides, who knows? Maybe getting scratched doesn't necessarily mean we'll die."
He crouched down and pulled out several bottles of water from his backpack, along with what remained of his medical supplies. Then, without hesitation, he reached for her shoe.
The delicate leather encased an equally delicate foot—small, refined, and surprisingly pretty.
If not for the blood staining it.
Erina stiffened as Ryuji grasped her leg, her face heating up. But she didn't pull away. Instead, she watched nervously, her hands fidgeting as he worked.
There was nothing else she could do now—only trust him.
Ryuji carefully cleaned her wound with gauze and bottled water before pouring the remaining alcohol over the gash, ensuring every inch was sterilized.
The burning pain made Erina clench her fists, but she gritted her teeth and endured it without a sound.
That, at least, surprised Ryuji. He had been ready to gag her with a cloth if she started screaming.
To distract her from the pain, he asked casually, "Earlier, you said you suddenly appeared in this world?"
Erina nodded, her gaze shifting to his dwindling medical supplies. There were no antibiotics, no advanced treatments. Either Ryuji had never had them, or he had already used them up.
But then again, if medicine really worked, this world wouldn't be overrun with zombies, would it?
A wave of hopelessness washed over her, and she tilted her head back, staring blankly at the sky.
"Yes, I suddenly ended up in this world."
She had initially considered hiding the truth—after all, the man before her was a complete stranger. But given that they were both infected, she no longer felt the need to keep secrets.
"I see. You seem to have a high pain tolerance, so why did you cry out just because you couldn't eat something?"
Ryuji was aware of the so-called "God's Tongue," but he hadn't finished the anime, so he didn't quite understand. In such a dire situation, no matter how bad the food tasted, survival should come first.
"Because of a curse."
"A curse?"
"That's right. I bear a curse that others envy, something called the 'God's Tongue.' No matter how delicious a dish is, its flaws are amplified a hundredfold on my palate. And because of my lifelong culinary training and the high-quality food I'm used to, industrially processed food like this… all I can taste are additives, oil, poor-quality ingredients, and shoddy craftsmanship."
Talking about her ability seemed to bring a slight glow back to Erina's face, giving her a bit of the noble air she once had. However, due to blood loss, she still looked rather weak.
"I see… I don't really get it, but you should be able to eat honey, right?"
Ryuji wrapped the gauze around her injured leg. He had done everything he could for her, but unfortunately, this was the best he could manage. He hadn't found any medicine nearby—just some alcohol, gauze, and various vitamins.
"I… I think that should be fine?"
Erina nodded hesitantly. Honey also had different grades, and factors like storage conditions could affect its taste. But at the very least, it should be something she could swallow.
"Then, a toast to despair."
Ryuji wiped his hands on his clothes and took out an unopened jar of honey. He thoughtfully removed the lid before handing it to her.
As the sweet aroma of honey filled the air, Erina's tears welled up. She couldn't understand how Ryuji could still smile in such a situation. But she wiped her tears away, tapped her jar of honey lightly against his, and repeated his words.
"To despair."
Ryuji took a large gulp of honey and grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. He had thought he would die alone, but unexpectedly, he had met a cute girl. That alone made him feel lucky.
At least, if these were the final moments of his life, he wouldn't die alone.
The honey was thick and overly sweet—cheap, low-quality honey. All Erina could taste was its sticky texture and chaotic floral notes.
But it was very, very sweet.
Despite everything, she forced herself to swallow it. Hunger, fear, and the looming threat of death made for the best seasoning.
Still, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath as she wiped away her tears.
"This tastes awful…"
The words contradicted how she felt inside. She screwed the lid back onto the honey jar, stood up with Ryuji's help, and tried to walk a few steps on her own.
"No choice—it's the best we have in times like these."
Ryuji reassured her with a smile, then let go of her arm, letting her test her footing alone.
Unfortunately, due to her weakness and injury, she couldn't walk properly. Ryuji had no choice but to remove his backpack and carry her on his back.
It wasn't until her soft chest pressed against his back that Ryuji realized how ample she was. An unfamiliar sensation washed over him.
As he passed her his backpack and adjusted his grip around her thighs, he couldn't help but notice how smooth and warm her skin felt. The sensation was oddly comforting in a world where warmth had become a rarity.
For Erina, the smell of sweat and blood on him was somewhat unpleasant. But compared to the overwhelming sense of safety he provided, it was something she could easily overlook. Instinctively, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Ryuji carefully made his way to the shelter he had chosen—a stranded RV with deflated tires.
He had checked it before. The RV had two separate rooms, sturdy metal walls, and windows with protective bars. Most importantly, the gas tank was full, and the keys were still in the ignition. Clearly, the previous owners had tried to escape but had failed.
Ordinary zombies wouldn't be able to break in. After all, even the undead were just flesh and bone—how could they compete with steel?
Moving cautiously through the trees, Ryuji ensured that no zombies were nearby. Even though the forest wasn't necessarily dangerous, he conserved his strength as much as possible in case of unexpected encounters.
Neither of them spoke much along the way, quietly focusing on their surroundings and each other's presence.
After nearly half an hour—three times longer than it had taken Ryuji alone—they finally reached the RV. He eyed the zombies still wandering through the ruins of the nearby houses, took a deep breath, and quietly shut the RV door behind them.
"Alright, one room for each of us."
Ryuji exhaled in relief and pointed to the two separate rooms inside the RV. Then, he handed Erina an axe.
"Make sure to lock the door, and keep this with you. If one of us turns into a zombie, the other has to deal with it and survive. Also, block your door with a cabinet—it'll help."
After a brief pause, he reached into his backpack, took out the unopened can of luncheon meat, the honey Erina had drunk from, and a bottle of water. He handed them to her.
"I'll leave the rest of the food in the RV's kitchenette. Don't eat everything at once—we need to conserve our strength for tomorrow."
His tone was calm, without any hidden demands. The girl was undeniably beautiful, and carrying her earlier had stirred some reactions within him. But…
How should he put it?
Ryuji felt that the first half of his life had been filled with enough frustrations—school, work, social obligations. Now, at what could be the end of it all, he just wanted a bit of peace.
Well, as much peace as this world allowed.
Of course, if she were willing, he wouldn't mind stepping into that kind of relationship. But right now…
They barely had enough food. They were exhausted. And what if he wasn't actually infected?
More importantly…
He was just too tired.
Ryuji touched his forehead, feeling the heat radiating from his skin.
During his earlier fight with the zombies, he had pushed himself to the limit. Otherwise, carrying a girl on his back shouldn't have taken him half an hour.
Now, the symptoms were setting in—fever, weakness, exhaustion.
If this wasn't an infection, then what else could it be?
The symptoms weren't too severe yet, but Ryuji had no intention of wasting his energy on unnecessary things.
Besides, if the girl resisted, it would only make things worse. If she fought back with everything she had, they might both end up dead.
He just wanted to live his final days with as little conflict as possible.
Erina didn't say anything. She understood that what Ryuji was doing was for her own good—it was the most reasonable plan. If either of them got infected, the other could still escape.
Even if the infected one turned and tried to break down the door, the weapon in hand would ensure their survival.
But still…
Why was he so calm?
"Nakamura-san" Erina pressed her lips together.
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
She had read enough stories to know what usually happened to girls like her in a world like this. But instead of taking advantage of her, Ryuji had given her food, medicine, and a weapon.
"Because I want to live the last moments of my life without regrets."
Ryuji smiled, dragged a cabinet in front of the RV's entrance, then waved at her before retreating into his own room.
"Living without regrets, huh…?"
Erina stared at his door.
A heavy sense of powerlessness washed over her, followed by unease.
And sadness.
Holding the food he had given her, she entered her own room. After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the axe and brought it inside with her.
Ryuji, meanwhile, sat down and started eating.
The luncheon meat tasted awful. If he had the option, he would've liked to heat it up, but even though the RV had a working stove, making noise was too risky.
The honey's sweetness helped a little, even if it wasn't the best quality. By the time he finished the can of luncheon meat, he had eaten half the jar of honey.
Afterward, he lay down on the soft bed, the comfort making him realize just how exhausted he was.
"It's been a long time since I slept like this," he muttered to himself. "No work, no social obligations… just resting. What a joke."
Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly.
He glanced at the cabinet blocking the door.
Then, he allowed himself to fall asleep.
After all…
There was no guarantee that he'd wake up.
His sleep didn't last long.
A sudden, urgent pressure in his bladder forced him awake.
Groggy, he sat up and made his way toward the bathroom—
Then stopped.
Something was wrong.
Something was hitting the RV.
Instantly alert, Ryuji grabbed his axe and quietly approached Erina's room.
"Already turned…?"
A sigh escaped him. He gripped the doorknob.
To his surprise, it wasn't locked. That was unexpected—though he had a spare key, so it wouldn't have mattered much.
But what did concern him…
The cabinet wasn't blocking the door.
A bad feeling crept into his gut.
"She wouldn't jump at me the moment I open this, right?"
Just in case, he switched his grip on his hammer, preparing to shove anything that lunged at him.
Deep breath.
He shoved the door open.
A short, sharp scream filled the room.
Erina was in the corner, terrified—but very much alive.
The sound wasn't coming from her.
It was coming from the window.
Or more precisely—
From the glowing green eyes peering inside.
Wolves.
Dozens of them.
Ryuji had just enough time to process that before Erina, in her panic, nearly let out another scream.
Reacting on instinct, he lunged forward, clapping a hand over her mouth, pulling her close as he shut off the room's lights.
The girl trembled in his arms but didn't struggle.
Outside, the wolves continued to snarl and scratch at the RV—until another presence made itself known.
A blur.
A shadow.
Then—
BANG!
Something slammed against the RV.
Lit by moonlight, their grotesque figures became clear.
Zombies.
"Already?! Are they weaker in the daytime?"
Ryuji's breath caught in his throat.
These weren't the slow, stumbling creatures he had imagined.
These things ran.
They moved fast.
And they weren't just chasing the wolves—
They were hunting them.
As more and more undead creatures joined the fray, the wolves gave up the fight and turned to flee.
The zombies, one by one, pursued them into the night.
Some passed by the RV, but they ignored it—too focused on their chase.
Then, just as suddenly as it began—
Silence.
The last of the zombies vanished into the distance.
Ryuji released Erina, but he didn't say anything. He didn't turn on the light.
He just stood up, ready to leave.
But—
A small, trembling hand grabbed his wrist.
In the pale glow of the moon, Erina—wearing nothing but an oversized shirt—looked up at him.
And in a voice so soft it was barely audible—
"Don't go…"