As for the final character at Fujimi Academy, the busty school nurse, Juurou Shizuka, there wasn't much left to introduce about this ditzy blonde.
Beyond her height of 176cm and eye-popping measurements of 108(J)-62-94cm, what else truly needed attention? Did it?
Far more noteworthy was actually her close friend, Minami Rika.
A mature beauty with sun-kissed skin and an equally stunning, athletic physique. She was the top sniper in the SAT (Special Assault Team), known for her bold personality and deadly accuracy.
In the original story, Minami Rika was ordered to provide security at the Bedmain City Seaside Airport. After the virus outbreak, she was tasked with clearing the Dead from the airport to secure the runway for evacuation flights. When the situation deteriorated beyond control, she escaped with her team via aircraft.
Despite her limited screen time and never having direct contact with the main protagonist, Kouta Takashi, and his group, this Minami Rika played an indirectly crucial role in the original plot.
Bedmain City derived its name from the Bedmain River, which split the urban area in two, connected only by the massive Oohashi Bridge.
In the original story, after leading the group out of Fujimi Academy, protagonist Kouta Takashi discovered the Oohashi Bridge sealed off by police. Following Juurou Shizuka's suggestion, they sought temporary refuge at Minami Rika's two-story villa.
This single decision led them to a massive cache of firearms and ammunition. They also acquired a new mode of transport: a military-grade amphibious Humvee. The group's combat capability underwent a qualitative leap forward.
However, unlike static treasure troves, the location of Minami Rika's villa randomly refreshed whenever The Illusion restarted. The only person possessing the precise address was the school nurse, Juurou Shizuka.
Precisely because of this, this utterly defenseless, busty, adorable creature became a hot commodity coveted by many players within this Illusion.
Indeed, within just one morning, several players who had infiltrated Fujimi Academy under false identities visited the infirmary under flimsy pretenses like headaches or colds, attempting to cozy up to Juurou Shizuka.
Unfortunately for them, they lacked Nightjar's special buff that granted an instant +30 favorability points upon meeting someone. After a perfunctory examination by Juurou Shizuka, they were simply handed some random medication and sent on their way.
Given Juurou Shizuka's notoriously hazy memory, they probably hadn't even managed to become a familiar face.
As the virus outbreak drew inexorably closer with no progress made regarding Juurou Shizuka, the players targeting her grew restless. They finally turned their attention to Nightjar, currently the only person with a close, personal connection to the nurse.
"Excuse me, classmate?" A delicate voice sounded outside the infirmary door. "Could I trouble you to step out for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss..."
A pretty girl stood there shyly, clad in Fujimi Academy's signature white-and-green female uniform. Her slightly flushed cheeks and the long, pale legs visible beneath her short skirt radiated an innocent, girl-next-door charm.
To the casual observer, she seemed indistinguishable from any other student. Yet Nightjar knew with absolute certainty that the person before him was a player from the real world.
Because the bust size was off... (Smirk)
Alright, jokes aside. The original work was an ecchi series, resulting in every female NPC within this Illusion world possessing exceptionally generous proportions in that department. Aside from the sole nine-year-old loli, Saya Tomizawa, later on, even random zombie extras started at a C-cup minimum.
The nickname Highschool of the Dead wasn't given lightly...
"Juurou-sensei, I'm stepping out for a moment." Nightjar turned to inform Shizuka, who was painting her nails at her desk.
With over nine days remaining until the mission concluded, if he didn't want to become the public enemy of both Chinese and Japanese player squads, some strategic alliances were necessary.
Seeing the "bashful" girl at the door, Shizuka clearly misunderstood. She clenched her fists, giving Nightjar an encouraging "Go for it, I believe in you!" gesture.
However, the busty airhead had momentarily forgotten one crucial thing.
"Ahhh! My freshly painted nails—!" Her wail followed him out.
Nightjar silently facepalmed – a gesture he'd repeated so often that morning it was becoming a reflex. He shut the infirmary door behind him.
The delicate girl offered him a shallow smile. "You get along remarkably well with Juurou Shizuka. I'm curious how you managed that."
"Care to find out?" Nightjar stopped walking, looking back at her with an enigmatic smile.
Her reaction was instantaneous. Like a startled cat, she skittered backwards several meters in a flash. Only when she saw Nightjar still standing there, hands casually in his pockets, did she realize she'd been played. Her face flushed crimson with anger. "Our captain," she stated coldly, "along with people from several other squads, are waiting for you on the rooftop terrace. Now."
Nightjar chuckled noncommittally, deciding against provoking this unusually young female player further.
...
Rooftop Terrace.
In the original Highschool of the Dead, the school rooftop was a pivotal location, arguably the very place where the entire story began.
Yet, at this moment, with the world-shattering virus still dormant, it was merely an unused, ordinary rooftop for Fujimi Academy students.
Nightjar followed the girl up the stairs at a measured pace. Three figures stood waiting on the concrete expanse, ringed by chain-link fencing.
Though outwardly they resembled ordinary male students, Nightjar instantly discerned the subtle differences in their bearing and demeanor that marked them as players, distinct from the NPCs. Their spaced-out positions clearly indicated they belonged to three separate squads.
Before any of the three could speak, Nightjar raised a hand, cutting them off. His gaze swept over their faces. "Apologies," he stated calmly. "I only collaborate with teams from my own country. Players from the Japanese squads, kindly leave."
Within The Illusion, the system automatically translated all communication between players and NPCs into the listener's native language. Nightjar had no concerns about being understood.
"Baka!" (Idiot!)
The Japanese players, dismissed before uttering a word, visibly stiffened. One youth, sporting a distinctly punkish hairstyle, reacted instantly. With startling speed, he snatched a wakizashi (short sword) seemingly from nowhere and lunged toward Nightjar's abdomen.
While The Illusion imposed no restrictions on player-versus-player combat, during these early stages, cooperation for mission completion was still the norm. Even if grudges existed, they were usually settled discreetly. Such a brazen, public attack over a minor slight was rare.
"Stop—!"
Everything happened too fast. The others present, stunned by the punk-haired youth's sudden lethal intent, moved to intervene – but it was already too late. The blade flashed forward.