CH 92

Within some office building.



In the lobby, several men and women wearing suits were engaged in a battle with monsters.



“Gigii!!”



Roaring, the goblin rushed towards them. Upon seeing the grotesque appearance of the goblin and hearing its voice, one of the women that were at the rear screamed a short “Hiii!”. Despite having fought against goblins many times, it was not something that one could easily get used to.



“This damn…!”



Suddenly, a woman with glasses that looked like a secretary stepped forward with a sasumata, using the sasumata’s tip to capture the goblin’s neck and hinder its mobility.



“Ikeda-kun! Now!”



“Yes!”



Quickly, the one named Ikeda used his shovel to pound on the goblin’s head.



“Gigaa!?”



Along with the goblin’s cry of death, a magic stone dropped to the ground. The announcement is made within his head. The man who landed the final blow does a small guts pose.



“Yossh. Easy win.”



“Don’t put your guard down… Nijou-san, do you sense other monsters nearby?” “Um, yes… I think… we’re safe right now.” “That’s good. Since that is the case, let’s take a break. Ikeda-kun, can you head upstairs and call for the next group of people?” “Okay.”



“Also, if you see any boards or nails leftover, bring them with you. We have to fix the damaged parts of the barricade.” The secretary-like woman swiftly gave instructions. Watching this scene unfold, Nijou Kamome, the woman from before who was frightened by the goblin, wondered.



How long would this situation persist?



It was already the third day since monsters started overflowing the world. They stayed in the company while maintaining a tight line of defense. By sealing off the entrances and performing shifts, they kept an environment where they could deal with anything unexpected quickly. Thanks to this, they were able to keep the casualty at zero until this day.



Even so, they were approaching their limits. They had continued to fight against monsters without knowing when help would arrive. Furthermore, they weren’t able to eat or sleep satisfactorily. More than anything, they weren’t able to take showers, and they had to keep wearing the same thing for the past few days. On both hygienic and mental level, she had reached her limit.



“Um, Shimizu-san.”



“What is it?”



“So… for how long are we supposed to do this?” “…”



Facing Kamome’s question, the secretary like-woman, Shimizu, showed a bitter expression.



“…. I suppose until we can guarantee and secure our safety.” “…! And when will that be!? It’s already the third day! There’s no sign of help arriving, and we have no idea what’s happening outside! What’s going to become of us from now on? And that person —” Nijou screamed as if to exhale all the stress that accumulated up to that point. The thing that came to her mind was the face of a senior who left the workplace late, although only by about two hours, around three days ago.



That person also had a dull face while he worked. His performance was below average, and he was someone who kept his distance with others, claiming that he was himself and others were others. Despite this… he exuded a peculiar feeling of attraction. That person might not have noticed this, but many of her colleagues were conscious of him. Was he safe? Was he still alive? She felt her heart ache just thinking about these questions.



“Calm down, Nijou-san. I also think that it isn’t good to maintain this situation.” “Then…!”



“But… there are people that don’t think this way. There are people that are waiting, believing that rescue would arrive if they are patient.” This was primarily the opinion of the higher-ups. To maintain the status quo without taking unnecessary risks. The idea was not illogical. However, time did not allow this.



“… How are we going to address the issue about food? Even water… we don’t know for how long water would be available…” Listening to this, Shimizu’s expression sobered up. The food in vending machines and emergency reserves were running out.



“I’ve been trying to speak with the directions many times.” Yesterday, when she saw that the food stock was running out, Shimizu tried to consult with her bosses. She suggested leveling up and sending a few elites outside to secure food or establish contact with other survivors. However, the replies were always the same.



–Let’s maintain the status quo.



That was it. A proper conversation was never made.



“Do they even understand the current circumstances? Those people are not raising their levels either…” “Well, uh…”



Speaking of this topic really brought about a wave of headaches. Currently, there were thirty-two people inside the company building. Among them, only nine people slew monsters to gain levels. These people were all young, ranging from those in their twenties to their thirties. On the other hand, none of the senior employees were willing to raise levels. When they held votes, these people’s opinions always took precedence over their own.



(Why are these directors’ opinions prioritized over ours when we are the ones fighting with their lives…) To Kamome, the situation felt too unreasonable. She understood that the directors’ opinions were absolute before because they were operating under a company. However, in this situation, she felt like the opinions of those that fought with their lives on the lines should have a voice. How much authority did the baldies who always cower in fear have anyways? Was she wrong to think this way?



“I can understand what the chiefs are trying to say… Since we don’t know what is outside, leaving the building recklessly is dangerous. Even the manager who went to inspect the building undergoing redevelopment never returned…” “Let’s get real here. Isn’t it just because there would be less people guarding them if we leave?” “That’s just how companies operate, Nijou-san. People in different positions have different opinions. In the workplace, it isn’t rare to see the opinions of the boss and subordinates conflict. And it isn’t like we can really judge which side is more correct. Even so… there is clearly insufficient food right now, so the higher-ups would eventually have to give their approval. I’ll try my best to persuade them, so until then, please be patient.” Listening to Shimizu’s words, Kamome began to understand what her boss has been feeling up until this point.



(This person must have had it hard as well…) She was sandwiched in-between the high-ups and the bottom workers. She must be the most exhausted out of them all. The dark circles under her eyes and her tired expression speak for themselves. Her beauty was being wasted. This person, if she remembered correctly, was 28 this year. Did she have a boyfriend? Well, it didn’t really matter in this situation.



“Shimizu-san, umm… please don’t push yourself too much. I’ll try my best to help you. After all, if you were to fall, it’ll be a disaster.” The only reason a riot didn’t occur in the company was because this woman tried her best to persuade everyone. Without her, it was highly likely that this group of people would have collapsed by now.



“Fu fu. If you say so, I guess there was some point in doing this. Look, Ikeda and his guys are here. Let’s go to the resting area and I’ll brew you some coffee while the gas is still usable.” That was right. To respond to Shimizu-san’s efforts, she had to be patient and cooperate. As such, Kamome smiled forcibly.



“Yes, the coffee that Shimizu-san brews is really delicious.” Having said so, she was about to begin walking. However, it happened the very next moment.



Zuntsutsutsu!



Along with a loud sound, the building they were in shook violently.



“H-huh?”



“An earthquake? And a big one at that?” “Everyone, don’t move from your positions!” Unrest ran among everyone present.



Zuun! Zuuun!



Accompanied by such sounds, the shaking intensified.



“Is this the sound of… footsteps?” “D-don’t make… such a joke… footsteps this loud can’t … possibly…” If these were the sounds of footsteps, how large of an existence must it be? There shouldn’t be such a creature. It was impossible for such a creature to exist. There mustn’t be. There shouldn’t be. Please let there not be. Nevertheless, as the sound and the vibration continued to increase, their hopes were denied and their fear turned into certainty.



“…”



The sound ceased. And they saw “that” in their view.



“…!?”



Suddenly, five rugged pillars appeared, breaking through all the walls and barricades. Battering rams? No, they weren’t. The pillars, which looked like they were made of rocks, bended the next moment, moving as if to remove and transport the materials of the destroyed walls and barricades. The scene outside became apparent from the large hole which was created.



“Wha…!?”



“Impossible…”



“You’re kidding…”



They learned what the pillars were. The things which they thought were pillars turned out to be a part of something bigger. It was a part of a rock giant which was as tall as a mountain. The giant possessed an egg-shaped body which was so large that it could be mistaken as a building. Furthermore, it had short legs and long arms. What they initially believed to be pillars were actually the giant’s fingers.



The giant brought the materials of the walls and barricades near its head. Then, a huge hole appeared where the giant dumped the materials in. Following that, the giant chewed as if it was eating peanuts.



“Is… is it eating?”



A meal. Witnessing this event, they were stunned. After swallowing everything, the giant turned its head and extended its arm in their direction.



“Run! Everyone! Leave the building!” Shimizu’s shout rang across the floor. Finally, the employees came out of their daze and started moving.



“Nijou-san! Quickly!”



“Y-yes!”



Shimizu grabbed onto Nijou’s hand and sprinted out. Fortunately, the giant wasn’t targeting the two of them. They ran, ran, and ran. When she looked back, she saw that the giant was directly biting and devouring the building. The building, which was made of concrete, was losing its shape as if it was made of tofu.



“…What is… what is that…”



Unbelievable. Was that also a monster?



“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”



They heard a scream from behind. It was likely the chiefs that remained in the upper floors. The giant continued to eat the building without minding.



(Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.) Without realizing that they had left the building for the first time after three days, they kept running frantically.



“Senpai.”



Only the face of a certain senior came to her mind. The building which they were at continued to collapse. She could only hear people screaming and the rock giant chewing.



“Kazuto-senpai…”



Help. She prayed desperately. In this world, hell had just begun.