As dusk fell, Yurizono Huaxiu stood atop the newly built watchtower, her bright eyes fixed on the one and only road leading up and down the mountain.
Miranda stood beside her, watching the distance as well.
Although Kyoko had already said before leaving that morning that she would be back late, Huaxiu still could not help worrying.
Miranda, who had accompanied Kyoko out on several excursions before, knew very well how capable she was, and so she gently tried to reassure Huaxiu.
"Don't worry so much, Huaxiu. You know how strong Kyoko is. Besides, doesn't she have a radio with her? You could always just contact her channel."
"No. Kyoko is outside right now. We should wait for her to contact us first," Huaxiu replied, her tone a little sharp.
Her relationship with Miranda had become rather delicate now. Though she had already accepted what had happened that night, the moment she looked at Miranda, she still felt annoyed. As a result, when speaking to her, Huaxiu could not help letting a little emotion leak into her voice.
"Mm... that's true too. It wouldn't be good if the radio noise distracted her on the outside."
Miranda did not mind. After all, what she had done that night really had been improper. Strictly speaking, she ought to have been called the third party who inserted herself into the relationship between Takashiro Kyoko and Yurizono Huaxiu. It was only because neither of the two involved had really made an issue of it that she was able to remain one point in this strange triangle.
"So you do understand. People living comfortably at home shouldn't create extra trouble for the ones working themselves ragged outside."
Huaxiu had only just said that when the handheld radio at her side crackled to life.
"Huaxiu? Miranda? Which one of you is there? We'll be home soon. Get people organized to move supplies—we had a huge haul today."
"Ah! Okay, got it! We're coming!"
Huaxiu hurried off to call the others, with Miranda right behind her. Before long, the sound of engines grew louder and louder, and the iron-plated wooden gate was opened.
As the vehicles drove in one after another, they began unloading.
The vehicles were splattered with infected blood. On the way back, there had been more infected than expected. Kyoko had run over quite a few with the armored vehicle, and had even used the autocannon to gun down a grotesque infected creature covered in tumors.
"You all go get checked over, then wash up and get ready for dinner. I'll stay here and direct the unloading. Don't wait for me," Kyoko said as she got out, sending the others ahead while she stayed behind.
There was too much stuff, and Kyoko did not even bother counting it all. She swept the virus detector over the cargo, confirmed it was safe, and then directed everyone to move it inside by category.
"Ah, there's so much... we're going to have to clear out even more storage space at this rate."
Huaxiu had fallen into the pleasant sort of distress that came with having too many supplies. The house was nearly out of room to store them.
"Don't worry. We're going to expand the safe zone sooner or later anyway. At present, the buildings here can still house twenty or thirty more people without a problem. As for storage, we can make use of the smaller buildings nearby and post guards there."
"Great idea. As expected of my Kyoko. Kiss."
Hearing Kyoko's plan, Huaxiu immediately approved—and planted a pink lipstick mark on her cheek.
"No fair, I want one too!"
Miranda took the chance to sneak in and kissed the other side of Kyoko's face.
"Mmph—you two asked for this."
Attacked from both sides, Kyoko retaliated by pulling them both into her arms and kissing each in turn.
"Big sis! Dinner's ready!"
At that exact moment, Tōrisu came over and loudly announced dinner.
Her timing was so perfect it nearly ruined Kyoko's fun.
After dinner, the outside was still brightly lit.
There were so many new people now that, for safety's sake, they were still building wooden walls and laying out defensive structures even at night.
But the buildings in the ski resort were simply not enough. There were not many livable structures nearby, and even counting the few smaller cabins around them, both living space and storage space were already feeling cramped. Kyoko had never imagined she would end up taking in this many survivors. If more people joined later...
Then they would either have to build houses on the mountain themselves, or expand the safe zone down toward the foothills.
Building houses from scratch was far too troublesome, so expanding the safe zone was obviously the better option.
This place was remote and safe, yes—but that very remoteness also made gathering supplies inconvenient. Fortunately, it was close to water.
There was no point thinking too far ahead for now. If necessary, once they had cleared out the villages around Inawashiro Town, they could always move everyone down there.
As for the threat of another zombie tide, Kyoko felt that even when summer came and temperatures rose again, the infected were unlikely to migrate north in large numbers. Compared with worrying about that, it made far more sense to think about how to deal with the armed thugs from the Apostles.
When the workday finally ended, the lights outside went out, and the sawing and cutting noises gradually died away as well.
Inside the house, Kyoko distributed the gold and silver jewelry she had found among the girls. The poorer-quality pieces she planned to melt down and recast into ingots—but unfortunately she did not even have a full hundred grams yet, so that could wait.
"Yay! Darling, did you rob a jewelry store today?"
"Something like that. I found a luxury section inside the shopping center."
"This is yours, and this is yours. Here, Tōrisu, you get some too. Don't just stand there—come take it."
"I get some too? Though... shouldn't you keep it as reserve capital?"
Back in Italy, Tōrisu's family had owned all sorts of luxury items. These trinkets would never even have earned a place in her own jewelry cabinet. Although she did not particularly care for such baubles, she still had not expected Kyoko to give her any.
"I'm giving everyone something. Of course you get a share too, little Tōrisu. As for reserve capital, don't worry—I've still got plenty of this kind of stuff, and there'll be lots more chances to find it. I think it's about time I took a trip through the rich neighborhoods and brought back even more for all of you."
As she said that, Kyoko glanced at Miranda. Miranda, in turn, gave Tōrisu a nod, and only then did the girl accept the gift.
"I think we ought to keep these for you instead. They're more useful in your hands."
Huaxiu started to remove the ring she had put on her ring finger, but Kyoko pretended to get angry and refused.
"This little? I'm not hurting for that amount. That's yours now. Don't say things like that again, Huaxiu, or I really will get mad."
"All right, all right, don't be angry, darling. I was only thinking of you."
"That's more like it. I'm going out on the night patrol. I'll be back soon, so go warm my bed for me."
Grabbing her rifle, Kyoko prepared to head out, but not before leaning in to steal another kiss from Huaxiu, leaving the other girl's face glowing red.
"Hey, there are still other people here!"
Everyone else present immediately did their best to act like air, saying nothing—but the smiles on their faces did not disappear.
Nothing happened that night.
After one circuit outside, Kyoko checked the live map, saw that everything was clear, and came back in to sleep.
And yet, at that very moment, something new did occur.
That light flying in the distance...
Was that an aircraft?
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 150)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter225)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 195
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 225
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 210
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 100
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 75
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 71
Checking In in Demon Slayer 75
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 36
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 35
The Uma Musume Who Became 30
I'm Definitely Not the King of 25
After Maxing Out Every Class 25
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