Following the map's directions, Haizaki drove the SUV for ten minutes into the nearby mountains. Japan's forest coverage had always ranked among the highest in the world, with wild animals—especially herbivores—abundant. Unless luck was extremely bad, it was impossible not to find wildlife. All the more so with him.
"Duke, it's up to you…"
At least in finding prey, the husky was better than him. Besides serving as a night watch guard, Haizaki had discovered another use for it.
"Awwooo…"
The husky raised its head proudly, full of confidence. Two years of living as a stray had given it hunting skills. Hunting prey with its packmates had been its most frequent activity during those two years.
Haizaki made a "quiet" gesture, and Duke immediately stopped howling.
"Go, work."
Haizaki gestured.
"Sniff, sniff…"
The husky began its task. It sniffed the air, then seemed to catch a scent, quickening its pace.
Haizaki followed carefully, armed with his gun and backpack.
Two minutes later, Haizaki and the husky stared at each other. Haizaki almost wanted to stew the dog. He had followed it with high expectations, only to find… a pile of dung.
Finding the wrong thing was one thing, but wagging its tail proudly as if it had accomplished something? Stop wagging that tail.
"Keep going. If you don't find anything, we'll go hungry tonight. And after that, you'll be eating dog food for half a year."
The husky's expression stiffened, and it worked harder. Living with its master meant good food and comfort every day. That was why it had decided to leave its pack and return. As for the female wolf abandoning it, running off with the wolf king, and it being bullied—those weren't the real reasons.
Thinking of the foolish dogs and wolves in the pack still eating raw meat and living primitively, it felt disdain. Cooked food was far better than raw. Even dog food tasted better than raw meat. Though dog food every day was boring, it wasn't bad.
…
Deep in the forest, only the sound of footsteps and faint breathing could be heard. The husky acted as a hunting dog, sniffing the air for traces of animals. In its pack days, it had often joined others in searching for prey, setting traps, driving, surrounding, and killing. This was not unfamiliar to it.
The husky suddenly stopped, looked back at Haizaki, then turned its head. Haizaki nodded, signaling he understood.
With the husky, finding prey was much easier. But what had it found this time?
Haizaki stepped lightly, carefully approaching. Bending down beside the husky, he parted the grass.
Three… mice. Three mice drinking water by the stream.
Short tails and plump bodies made Haizaki judge them to be field mice. But only three—far from enough.
Haizaki began to doubt the husky's hunting ability. Half an hour of searching, and only three mice?
He gestured, and the husky lay flat on the ground. Its actions gave Haizaki a bit of confidence. They would hunt bigger prey later. As for these three mice? He would catch them. Even mosquitoes were still meat. At least they were fat field mice.
Haizaki observed the surroundings and found what looked like their nest. If startled, the mice would likely run there.
He took a net from his backpack, moved quietly to the predicted spot, then signaled the husky.
"Awwooo…"
The husky leapt up, charging forward.
The three mice, startled mid-drink, trembled and bolted toward the nest. Instinct drove them to run at extreme speed.
But they hadn't expected a shadow to drop from above.
"Chii, chii, chii…"
Trapped under the net, the three mice squealed and struggled, trying to escape. But Haizaki gave them no chance. He pinned the net with his feet and stabbed with his knife.
"Chii…"
Their final cries echoed. The forest stirred with the sounds of animals fleeing in fear.
"Done…"
Within a minute, the three mice were dead. Haizaki bled them, then placed them in a plastic bag.
The husky wagged its tail, imagining tonight's dinner with an extra dish of mice—whether braised or steamed, it was excited.
"Let's go. Find something bigger. I doubt Yukino will eat these."
Girls, after all. They avoided creatures like mice and cockroaches. Though he called her "Snow-Cat," she wasn't like a cat that loved mice. Impossible.
If she did want them, he wouldn't mind catching more. As her companion, he should do his best.
But Haizaki was sure Yukino would be startled and avoid them.
"Awwooo…"
The husky barked.
"You want them? Fine. If Yukinoshita-san doesn't want hers, it's yours."
This husky was smart. Had the crystallization virus increased animal intelligence? Or was this husky an exception?
Haizaki stopped thinking. It was pointless. He would consider the virus later during research.
"Awwooo…"
Its tail wagged harder, more eager.
…
Haizaki raised his gun, aimed, and slowly pulled the trigger at a sheep thirty meters away, grazing calmly.
"Bang…"
The shot rang out. Birds and beasts scattered. The sheep cried out and collapsed, while its companions fled in panic. Faced with death, survival instinct drove them to run with all their strength.
"Awwooo…"
The husky charged forward.
The sheep lay in a pool of blood, struggling, bleating weakly. Its eyes still held life, but soon its pupils dilated, losing all light.
…
"Tonight it's mutton, but…"
There had been more than ten sheep earlier, and he chose the smallest adult sheep as the target. Haizaki estimated its size—it would take considerable effort to carry it back to the SUV.
"Dissect it here, handle the innards. Keep watch nearby…"
The husky circled once, then sat not far away, while Haizaki used rope to hang the sheep and then worked with his knife to skin and gut it.
This was based on his prior experience dissecting crystallization mutants. Though sheep and mutants had very different structures, that experience was still useful.
Half an hour later, Haizaki finished. The innards and similar remains were buried beneath the soil. Throwing them carelessly into the forest felt wrong. Burying them was the best choice.
"Let's go back…"
Hoisting the sheep, Haizaki spoke to the husky. He actually wanted the husky to carry it, but didn't trust it. Still, just imagining the dog struggling to carry the sheep back for dinner made Haizaki smile. It was funny.
The husky had no idea its master was entertaining such malicious thoughts about it.
Ten minutes later—
"You stupid dog, don't tell me you don't know the way back!"
The husky grinned foolishly, acting as if it hadn't lost the trail.
"I trusted you, followed you, and now you're telling me you don't know the way…"
Unreliable, as expected.
"Whimper…"
"Don't sulk, don't look away to the right. If I trust you, we'll end up camping here overnight. You stupid dog, just like Yukinoshita-san—you're both hopeless with directions."
Even Haizaki hadn't expected the dog to forget the way back. A disaster. Whether it was truly directionless or just messing with him, Haizaki made a note of this grudge.
After many twists and turns, Haizaki relied on his memory to find the mountain path they had taken. Following it, they finally reached the SUV.
Seeing the vehicle safe and sound, Haizaki breathed a little easier. He placed the sheep in the rear compartment, then sat in the driver's seat to rest for a while.
In the back, the husky looked full of energy, clearly anticipating dinner.
"Let's go, back now…"
Haizaki started the car. It had already taken more than three hours. If they didn't return soon, night would fall.
Yukino should be fine. Still, Haizaki occasionally worried about her safety.
…
After Haizaki drove away, Yukino continued cleaning.
Japanese houses were generally small. Even in this sparsely populated town, the two-story house wasn't very large. She didn't plan to clean every room. Aside from the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, she only cleaned the two bedrooms they would use.
Two hours later, she placed two bags of trash at the door, removed her gloves, and wiped sweat from her forehead.
She was tired. It was the first time in her life she had cleaned so much at once. Even back in Chiba, she had never cleaned this extensively.
"Phew…"
Stretching slightly to ease the fatigue, Yukino exhaled deeply.
After setting down the trash bags, she looked toward the town's entrance. The town was silent. Apart from the wind and the rustling of leaves, there was no sound.
The eerie silence unsettled her.
"He's not back yet?"
In this world, Haizaki was the only other human besides her. He was her only companion to talk to.
Now, after finishing her work, Yukino felt a stronger desire for Haizaki to return soon.
"Don't think about it."
She meant not thinking about the silence and the apocalypse.
Images of crystallization mutants flashed in her mind—their grotesque forms, the feel of pulling the trigger, their howls as they fell, the blood. Scenes flickered like slides, making her tense and uneasy.
"Don't think about it anymore…"
She shook her head hard. The more she thought, the more afraid she became. She was scaring herself.
There were no mutants in the town. Even if there were, she had a gun to deal with them. She didn't need to be afraid. So she mustn't dwell on it.
Yukino reminded herself to shift her focus.
After disposing of the trash, she returned to the house and locked the door again.
She went to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed her hands. Even with a mask and gloves, she had still gotten dust and dirt on herself.
Looking in the mirror, she saw herself covered in dust, her face grimy. She barely recognized the girl in the reflection.
If anyone saw her like this, it would be humiliating. She absolutely didn't want Haizaki to see her in such a messy state.
"Sniff…"
She smelled herself slightly. Appearance aside, scent mattered too. She didn't notice anything, but two hours of cleaning had made her sweat. There had to be some odor.
So…
"Bath…"
She felt tempted. Really tempted.
The first thing she had cleaned was the bathroom, because she wanted to shower and soak. And now Haizaki wasn't here.
Like any normal girl with modesty and shame, the thought of bathing while Haizaki was nearby, able to hear the sound of water, made her uncomfortable. It felt awkward, embarrassing.
But now was her chance. Haizaki was gone. She had finished cleaning. She could enjoy a shower and bath before he returned.
Even if he came back while she was bathing, she had locked the door. He wouldn't accidentally walk in.
And Haizaki wasn't the type to peek or take advantage. If he had wanted to, he would have already. In this world without law or morality, the only restraint on Haizaki was his own character.
Ten days together had shown Yukino his nature. He was trustworthy. He wasn't like the men she had imagined, harboring improper thoughts about her.
So, after weighing everything, Yukino finally gave in to her desire.
She would bathe first. Other matters could wait.
She was, after all, a girl who liked to be clean.
…
-----
Gimme your stones, please.
( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)