Chapter 10: Groping in the Dark, Completely at a Loss, Surrounded by Enemies on All Sides

Chapter 10: Groping in the Dark, Completely at a Loss, Surrounded by Enemies on All Sides (暗中模索、五里霧中、考えたって四面楚歌！, Anchūmosaku, gorimuchū, kangae tatte shimensoka!) is the tenth chapter of the spin-off manga series of Zombie Land Saga, titled “Zombie Land Saga Side Story: The First Zombie”.

Synopsis
Higashino finds himself up to something with a Sagako he recently encountered. Meanwhile, the Busters search for a way to bring Eikichi back from his depression.

Plot
Higashino's experiments with the Sagako continue. Now, he and Araki are at the Karatsu beach as Araki asks what they are doing there because carrying a Sagako in a fish tank is not a safe thing. Higashino had already acted suspiciously since morning, showing interest in those creatures. Higashino's plan is to raise the Sagako, regretting that the day before, he lost his sanity and killed those they had encountered. He tasks Araki with taking care of and raising the captured Sagako for a few days, while he takes care of the tank and food. Araki complains to him because he lives in a small room and his complex does not accept pets.



The following days, he fulfills his promise by leaving food and water for the Sagako to survive. But as a result of taking in a Sagako, the poor rookie officer has to deal with this Sagako, leaving his whole house covered in mud. After several days with Doro-chan, he still doesn't show any change despite not eating or drinking, and he keeps spitting out mud that doesn't fit his size. This only further exposes Higashino's curiosity, who questions whether he really is a truly supernatural being. Being a living being, he must have a purpose for which to live. He remembers what Anna told him before, that the Sagakos are the symbol of the end of Saga. What makes him curious about why they appear in Saga and what the Sagako mean.

They both return to the beach where they were previously and Higashino proceeds to carry out the experiment that he had planned days ago. He explains to Araki that the rock later on is called Tsutsumiichi, being a border between the former Hizen prefectures and the Chukuzen provinces. In other words, the border with Fukuoka. Higashino throws the Sagako across the border and as soon as he crosses the border, he begins to bubble and explode as a black mass as the remains fall to the ground. Shocked, Araki quickly leaves the place, while Higashino remains unfazed.



Suddenly, something happens that makes him dizzy; in front of Higashino appears a mysterious figure of a girl with a demon mask who tells him that Sagako are God's castaway children, whose source of power is human hatred. She introduces herself as Magatsuhi, a part of God. Understandably taken aback, Higashino can't believe how many strange things he's been living with ever since he came to Saga. Magatsuhi explains to him that Sagako's purpose is to destroy Saga and that thanks to him for destroying that Sagako, as now she can once again appear in that form and appearance. Higashino tells her if there will be any reward for what he did, and Magatsuhi tells him that if he destroys all the Sagako, her true power will return, and she will grant his wish.

At the mansion, the Busters are worried about Eikichi and MJ, who looks weak and old, as if he has aged 10 years at a time. Tae informs them that he convinced MJ to talk to Eikichi and reveal what happened. Higashino apparently hit Eikichi, leaving him psychologically affected by it. They have no time to waste, as MJ warns them of another Sagako outbreak. Arriving at the location, the group sees numerous Sagako of the type that Higashino had previously shot at. As a result of that, the curse multiplied. Since they can't leave them in that place because they would cause damage, the group takes the Sagako to their mansion, so that when Eikichi recovers, they can seal them.

A week later, the group unsuccessfully tries to get Eikichi out of his room. Anna is very upset with Higashino and promises that when she finds him, she will make him pay the consequences of his actions. Hanako will look for a solution to not sit idly by, and she will look for a way not to depend on the power of the onions.

Tae talks to Eikichi from the other side of the door and tells him that if he wants, he could file a lawsuit against Higashino for what he did to him. Eikichi in a state of negativity says that it's not worth doing. Tae tries to cheer him up by mentioning all the times that no matter the situation, Eikichi always managed to pull through even with Tae treating him harshly. He has been working hard to take his sister's place in the group. Thanks to him, Tae realizes that she can change. Eikichi's strength is to carry his feelings to others.



Tae tells Eikichi that he has endured enough, since she didn't think he could be hurt by human evil. Since the Sagakos will get stronger in the future, she won't let Eikichi get hurt again and asks him to stay put while the group finds a way to fix it. Contrary to what she thought, Eikichi leaves the room crying, running away from the mansion. From his perspective, he just wanted the group to get him out of his room and a “we need you” to feel part of them.

Depressed and broken, he begins to question himself. He's not like Yuko, who helps everyone. He just needs a place where he can feel that he is really needed. Clouded by negative thoughts of him, he accidentally finds himself in the path of a blonde girl who is about to run him over with her bike.

Characters

 * Saga Sagako Busters
 * Tae Yamada
 * Jofuku
 * Eikichi Hyodo
 * Yuko Hyodo (flashback)
 * Anna Shuri
 * Hanako Hakase
 * Keiji Higashino
 * Araki Aiba
 * Saki Nikaido (debut; young)
 * Sagako Curses (debut)
 * Mudskipper Sagako
 * Magatsuhi

Locations

 * Saga Prefecture
 * Saga Sagako Busters' Mansion
 * Karatsu Police Station
 * Tsutsumiichi
 * Araki's apartment

External Link

 * Gaiden Chapter 10 Unofficial English Translation

Trivia

 * This chapter is the second of the manga in which a character related to Franchouchou, in this case Saki Nikaido, makes her appearance.

es: Capítulo 10: A tientas en la oscuridad, perdido entre la neblina, asediado por sus pensamientos