"Inventory preserves food freshness… Furnaces double as stoves…" Hisashi chewed his looted lunchbox (the meatiest one), marveling at the absurdity. Not that he minded—the more bullshit their powers were, the better.
"Uh… Can I have another bento?" Kohta rubbed his belly. His appetite was always huge, and today's zombie-slaying spree had burned calories like crazy. Even Rei, usually diet-conscious, was inhaling her third serving.
"Eat all you want. It's Day 1—the city's packed with untouched food."
"Y-Yeah…" Kohta accepted another bento but didn't heat it immediately. The reminder of why food was so plentiful killed his appetite.
"Actually, Kohta… Mind taking a bite from every bento?" Liz grinned like a gremlin.
"Huh?"
"A global zombie outbreak on the same day? No way that's natural. Probably some shadow org's bioweapon." Liz sipped juice. "Hisashi said zombies appeared inside the school too, right? So how'd patient zero get infected?"
If the outbreak started outside, most students would've escaped. The school's halls shouldn't be crawling with undead.
"Airborne's unlikely—everyone would've turned at once. So… tainted food or water?" Liz's smile widened. "No system buffs? Congrats, Kohta! You're our control group!"
"THAT'S EVIL!" Kohta wailed.
"Relax! If you turn, Hisashi'll kiss you to save you!" Thumbs up. (Liz would sooner die than lock lips with a dude.)
"Kohta! Please don't turn!" Hisashi begged, dead serious.
"W-Wait! You would save me, right?!"
"I… guess…?"
"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AWAY?!"
Kohta was on the verge of tears.
"Welp, time for my bath~" Liz whistled, grabbing a bucket of hot water.
"…What a menace." Saya shook her head, elegantly continuing her meal.
"How can you eat after that?!" Rei had lost her appetite.
"Starving weakens us." Saya's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Eat now—or regret it when our powers vanish."
"…Good point."
———————————————————————————————
Moon high, Liz sat atop the shack's roof, freshly showered and in a spare uniform.
Rustle—
Not zombies. Saya emerged from the trees, dragging a bloodied stone katana.
"…Testing weapon stats." Results: decent. Already matched her pre-system wooden sword. Iron katanas would be monstrous.
"Did I recruit a battle junkie?"
"…Perhaps." She didn't mention middle school, but the thrill of combat terrified her.
Liz, oblivious: "As long as you slash the right things." Says the guy farming zombies for EXP.
"…Then what are we to you?"
"NPCs, duh." Liz shrugged. "Skilled+likeable = party members. Skilled+hot = romanceable. Recruit them, dump 'em in my hub world as villagers."
(Not quite human himself, he saw others as game elements.)
"So you're here to 'romance' me~?" Saya teased, unoffended.
"Nah." Liz waved her off. "Your lovebirds downstairs are sobbing loudly, and Kohta snores like a chainsaw."
"…" Rei and Hisashi weren't that shameless. The "sobs" were…
"She's just a scared girl."
Rei, breaking down in her boyfriend's arms—fear suppressed until now.
"You too, right?"
"Me?" Saya stared at her gore-crusted blade, stashed it, and climbed up.
"??? Wait, are you trying to seduce me?"
Not entirely narcissistic. His game system was apocalypse gold. Most girls would've thrown themselves at him by now. That Saya and Rei hadn't spoke volumes.
But—
"Another misunderstanding." Saya brushed her hair back, gazing at the moon. "Just needed air."
Even here, the wind carried rotting stench—a reminder of the world's collapse.
A killer like her? Maybe she belonged with this alien player, who saw corpses as EXP fodder.