Volume 02

Volume 02 is the second volume of the Highschool of the Dead manga. It focuses on the group rejoining and settling in at Rika's house. Also, Alice is rescued and joins the group.

Chapters

 * Act.4 Running in the Dead
 * Act.5 Streets of the Dead
 * Act.6 In the Dead of the night
 * Act.7 Dead night and the Dead ruck

Act.4 Running in the Dead
Summary:

The chapter opens with a view of the destruction in Tokonosu as Takashi and Rei drive down the highway on the motorcycle. As they see the destruction, Takashi says in his inner dialogue that they came to understand what it meant for something to end. A jet flies by close beside them and takes a photo of Rei as she smiles and waves. Her smile fades when the jet flies away and Takashi stops the motorcycle. Though Takashi says nothing, Rei gets angry at him for always talking like everything is hopeless. Takashi explains to her that the jet is like the helicopters they had previously seen in that the Self-Defense Force does not have time to save them. He tells her they will just have to do everything they can. Rei gets upset with him again, saying he has always been a downer, even in kindergarten. As she begins to tell at him, Takashi looks down and realizes they are almost out of gas. He says they will need gas soon and says there is a station a couple blocks ahead of them. They speed off in the direction of the station.

As they make their way to the station, they pass a number of scenes, including two cats eating what appears to be human remains and abandoned buildings and cars. Rei suggests that the people all ran away, pointing out that, if the people had died, there would be more of "them" around. She then spots a police patrol car, and Takashi drives over to it. In his inner dialogue, Takashi says that was the first time they realized everything had ended. Arriving at the patrol car, they find that a truck has crashed into it, and the officers inside are dead. Rei approaches the wreckage, and Takashi tells her not to because it is leaking gasoline. In his inner dialogu, Takashi says Rei was right since they were able to find a real weapon. Inside the patrol car, they find the handgun, a nightstick, and handcuffs. Takashi takes the gun and Rei asks if he knows how to use it. He thinks he can based on what he has seen on television. He realizes they will only have five shots, but Rei gives him bullets she found in the other officer's gun. When Takashi remarks that she knows a lot, she answers that her father has shown her his gun. As they get back on the motorcycle, Rei asks whether they should throw away their bat and broom handle. Takashi says to keep them as backup since he has no practice with a gun. Rei says it is a relief having a gun with them. The two set back out on the motorcycle heading towards the gas station.

They arrive at the station and investigate the pumps. A hand holding a knife is briefly seen during this time. Takashi realizes that the station is self-serve, so they will have to put money in. Takashi has no money, so Rei says he is stupid. This causes Takashi to become angry, and he says he is sorry he can't be Hisashi. Rei then gets angry, asking when she compared him to Hisashi. Takashi says that if she thinks he is stupid, then there must be someone who is smarter than him who must be Hisashi. Rei calls him stupid again, and he raises his arm towards her. She braces herself, thinking he is going to hit her, but, when she opens her eyes, she sees that he is holding his hand out in front of her. He asks her for money, but she does not have her wallet. He tells her she shouldn't treat him like an idiot when she is no better. He tells her to wait there while he goes into the station. As Takashi enters the station, Rei is seen from behind and there is heavy breathing coming from an unknown source. Takashi finds the station deserted, and, when he can't open the cash register, he gleefully smashes it with his bat. In his thoughts, he explains the he understood that he was enjoying himself, and he started to like the new world.

Outside of the station, Rei is watching Takashi as he breaks open the register. As Takashi is collecting the money from the smashed register, he hears Rei scream. He runs outside to find her in the arms of a thug who is holding a knife to her throat and laughing. Takashi, holding his bat up, tells him to let go of Rei, but he doesn't want to, saying there aren't many girls left since the outbreak. Takashi asks if he is insane. The thug says he is and explains that his entire family turned into "them," and he had to kill them, including his parents, grandmother, and younger brother and sister. He calls himself a freak and firmly squeezes Rei's breasts. As Takashi watches in horror, the thug talks vulgarly about Reis body as he continues to grope her, and he asks Takashi if he has sex with her. He laughs at Takashi when he finds out that they have never had sex. The thug then tells Takashi to get rid of his bat and give him the motorcycle. Takashi throws the bat away, and it hits the ground, making a loud noise and attracting many of "them" in the area. As Takashi is forced to put gas in the bike, he asks the thug to let Rei go, saying they are trying to find their parents. The thug tells him they are probably dead like his parents. Takashi finishes filling the tank of the bike, and he asks the thug again to let Rei go. He refuses and yells at Takashi, raising his knife up. Takashi pulls out the handgun, pushes him back, and holds the gun up to his arm. He says that, though he hasn't used a gun before, he won't miss from this distance. The thug is scared and tells him he will blow the entire station up if he shoots. Takashi tells him he would rather have that happen than have Rei taken away from him. He shoots the thug's arm just below the shoulder, and Rei is released. As the thug falls to the ground, she pulls out a police baton and prepares to begin beating him, but Takashi tells her to leave him, saying they don't have time for people like him. He also points out that they were making a lot of noise, and Rei looks up to see many of "them" approaching.

As Takashi and Rei ride away on the motorcycle, the thug begs them for help. Takashi, in his thoughts, says that they finally understood. They leave the thug screaming and rolling around, and he is soon surrounded by "them." Takashi tells Rei this isn't the last time they will have to deal with people like this. He then continues in his thoughts, saying they understood they were experiencing the end of everything they knew. Behind them, the thug is attacked and killed by "them." Takashi gets upset about something, but, when Rei asks what it is, he waves it off, saying it is nothing. However, in his thoughts, Takashi says it wasn't nothing, and that it had only been half a day, and they had already left someone to die.

Characters in order of appearance:


 * Rei Miyamoto
 * Takashi Komuro
 * Them
 * Thug

Act.5 Streets of the Dead
Summary:

Characters in order of appearance:
 * Them
 * Tajima
 * Rika Minami
 * Shizuka Marikawa
 * Saeko Busujima
 * Koichi Shido
 * Saya Takagi
 * Kohta Hirano
 * Rei Miyamoto
 * Takashi Komuro
 * Hide
 * Kurokami

Act.6 In the Dead of the night
Summary:

Characters in order of appearance:


 * Them
 * Zeke
 * Shizuka Marikawa
 * Rei Miyamoto
 * Saeko Busujima
 * Saya Takagi
 * Takashi Komuro
 * Kohta Hirano

Act.7 Dead night and the Dead ruck
Summary:

Characters in order of appearance:


 * Them
 * Zeke
 * Takashi Komuro
 * Saeko Busujima
 * Kohta Hirano
 * Alice Maresato
 * Saya Takagi
 * Shizuka Marikawa
 * Rei Miyamoto