Once separated from the group, Takashi, Hisashi, and Morita headed to Takashi's house. Riding motorcycles, they arrived earlier than Allen's group, but as expected, Takashi's mother was not there. They also checked Rei's house, but her mother wasn't there either, so they moved to their next objective.
They decided to go to Hisashi's house, then Morita's, and finally head to the Second Elementary School 3º, where Takashi's mother worked.
Meanwhile, Allen had another goal.
The Higashi Police Station — a place that had previously served as a shelter for survivors, but eventually fell due to an infected slipping inside.
One of the objectives was obviously to look for Rei's father, but also to search for weapons. After all, the police had their own armory.
"Is there an armory in the police station?" Allen asked Anemone, who was driving the Hayabusa beside him.
"Not before, but in recent years the restriction on weapons had to change because of the rise in illegal arms trafficking."
Everyone remembered that since the apocalypse began, they had seen several people carrying weapons.
Saeko smiled. "It's ironic that the problem back then is now the salvation for many people."
A firearm isn't omnipotent — in fact, it can be more dangerous than helpful. Using one attracts zombies, and without training you can barely land a headshot, which is the only way to truly kill a zombie. With all these disadvantages, are guns useless?
The answer is no. No matter how inconvenient they are, having one can save your life, either in a desperate situation or against other humans.
"Allen…"
Yuuki called from the back of the vehicle.
"What is it?"
Yuuki looked a little uncomfortable, but seeing Allen's calm expression gave her courage.
"Actually…"
....
....
Yuuki Miku had lost her parents at an early age and had been living with her aunt and uncle ever since. However, her relationship with them didn't seem very close. After all, both in the original timeline and this one, she showed little concern about searching for her family. Still, when she realized they were close to her relatives' house, she wanted to check if they were still there.
The house was two stories high, with three bedrooms — a place that must have cost quite a lot considering this was Tokyo.
Only Allen and Yuuki entered the house, while the Humvee was parked nearby beside the bus. Anemone took a quick lap around the block to make sure there wasn't another horde nearby.
As for the house, none of its windows were broken, and there were no bloodstains — something that had already become common — which was a good sign. Even so, Allen checked the minimap and saw no enemies.
Upon entering, Yuuki called out to her aunt and uncle, but they didn't respond. While the girl searched the house, Allen examined the living room. It was an ordinary room, but something in the photographs caught his attention — they only showed a strict-looking man, a stern woman, and a boy with an arrogant expression.
This is repeated in every picture. There were no photos of Yuuki.
"They care a lot about their image, so having a gyaru niece isn't something they'd want to show off…"
Yuuki, who had approached at some point, stood beside Allen, looking at the photos.
"What superficial people…"
Yuuki laughed and grabbed Allen's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. "Even so, they took care of me when I was left alone in this world."
"Yeah, you can be grateful for that, but I've never liked artificial relationships."
Although there was no trace left of the antisocial kid Allen once was, there had been a time when he was very solitary. But instead of pretending to be someone he wasn't just to make "friends," he chose to walk alone — until his life suddenly became full of people.
"I envy you…" Yuuki murmured.
"Why?"
"That version of you that isn't afraid to be honest… who doesn't force smiles or hide behind a mask... I love it~"
Allen smiled and suddenly pushed Yuuki onto the sofa. The girl was caught off guard and panicked as her face turned red.
"Eh, I… wait!"
"Oh, that's a cute reaction for a 'slut.' I wonder if this is also part of the service."
Yuuki had been completely taken by surprise, and of course, she didn't have time to get into character.
'Impossible!'
She tried to compose herself but failed, because Allen's "attack" had only just begun. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"I clearly remember you wanted to thank me, but Saya interrupted us last time…"
Yuuki's breathing quickened as her pupils dilated. Maybe it was embarrassing, but she didn't resist. After so many failed attempts at being liked, maybe this really was for the best.
She was aware she wouldn't be the "main girlfriend." She knew she had little chance of monopolizing him. But so what?
In Allen's eyes, there was a hint of mockery — from the beginning, he had never fallen for her act. Yuuki felt embarrassed, yet happy, because this man had always seen the real Yuuki, not the one everyone expected her to be.
'I never understood until now what it feels like to be genuinely appreciated ❤️~' Yuuki smiled blissfully. 'I'm so glad the world ended~'
Their lips met in a kiss…
....
"They're taking too long…" Saya grumbled.
Saya's comment made everyone tense. It was true Yuuki had a reputation for being a slut, but she was searching for her family — would she really be shameless enough to make a move in a situation like this?
"I'm going to check!" Rei said, jumping down from the Humvee.
"I'm going too, I'm not letting that slut get ahead of me!" Saya yelled.
Yuriko and Kiriko laughed at their daughters. As for Teshima, pouring water onto the bus engine, he watched the scene before shaking his head.
"That idiot is going to get himself stabbed one day."
From the second floor of the bus, Shimada licked his lips while staring at Kiriko.
'Another beauty…'
"You seem pretty relaxed considering your situation…"
Shimada turned around to see Hirano, who was eating a sandwich. Shimada wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but after noticing the loaded shotgun next to Hirano, he held his tongue.
"Tsk…"
Shimada went down to the first floor, leaving Hirano alone.
'We need to get rid of him…'
Hirano wasn't a killer, but after seeing how dangerous people could become when all social restraints disappear, he had hardened his heart. However, he was still not capable of killing someone in cold blood. And despite Shimada's thoughts, he hadn't done anything yet, unlike the deserting soldiers.
Hirano grabbed his walkie-talkie to call Allen.
"What happened?"
"It's about one of the survivors who came with us…"
On the first floor, Teruma and the three remaining survivors looked at each other.
"Are we going to die?" asked the woman in the group.
Normally Teruma would try to stay positive, but he said nothing. They had naïvely believed help would come — that even if the world didn't return to normal, perhaps they could live in peace. — but that wasn't the case…
What they had witnessed, what they had experienced… seeing so many zombies charging at them had shattered all of their hopes.
Humanity was going to be wiped out!
"Don't worry…"
Teshima's voice came from the bus door. After finishing some maintenance, he climbed aboard.
"How can you say that after seeing that horde of monsters?!" shouted a bald, obese man. This guy had been extremely lucky to survive — he'd run ahead of the others due to his instincts/cowardice, giving him enough time to reach the bus.
"Because we have Allen," Teshima smiled.
"Huh?"
"It's…" Teruma's words got stuck in his throat. He had seen Allen's fighting style — it was too surreal, enough to make anyone think he wasn't human.
"But even he had to run, right?"
Teshima shrugged. "Allen is a sensible guy. He picks his battles. If there's an option to escape, he'll take it. What would he gain from fighting that entire horde? But I've seen him fight the impossible and come out victorious. Honestly, I wouldn't want anyone else to bet my life on. Haha!"
Teshima's declaration shocked everyone. They had never seen someone place this level of confidence in another person.
"Nonsense!" Shimada stepped down from the second floor and mocked them. "Okay, I get that guy is strong, but in the end, he's still a human. If you hurt him, he bleeds, and if he's bitten, he'll turn into a rotting corpse like the rest."
"What did you say?" Tesima got upset.
"Shimada!"
Teruma stood up, walked toward him, and grabbed him by the shirt.
"How can you say that about the person who saved your life!"
"It's true! That was supposed to be your job, you idiot!"
Shimada headbutted Teruma, knocking him to the ground. "You insisted on being the leader only to get everyone killed!"
Just as a fight was about to break out, an invisible pressure appeared, freezing the atmosphere.
"What's going on here…"
Shimada's body began to sweat coldly, his legs trembled, and every part of him started failing. He had felt this sensation before; back then he thought he was sick — but experiencing it a second time made him understand exactly what it was.
"Allen Walker…" Teruma gasped, his nose broken.
He could also feel the chilling aura radiating from Allen.
Allen extended his hand, placed it on Shimada's shoulder, and forced him to kneel instantly.
"Ugh!"
Shimada's knees slammed against the bus floor, sending pain up his legs.
"Listen. I'll only say this once. I'm good at reading people. Not long ago I met a guy smarter than you, but he had the same eyes — eyes full of greed and depravity…"
"No…" Shimada tried to defend himself, but the moment he looked into Allen's eyes, he froze. He felt like he would be killed if he uttered even a single word.
"I know. You already realized there's no law in this world, no police to stop you, and you thought you could let your darkest desires run free. But let me tell you something…"
The hand on Shimada's shoulder grew heavier. Then came the pain — as if he were being crushed by a hydraulic press. His shoulder crackled, threatening to break under Allen's strength.
"Shimada, even if there are no judges or juries in this world, I still exist. And I won't let bastards like you turn this hell into something even worse…"
Allen's eyes turned red, his aura becoming even more terrifying.
"You just need to give me an excuse. Just one…"
Shimada wet himself in fear.
"I see you understand…"
Allen released him, and Shimada crawled on the floor despite all eyes on him, not caring how pathetic he looked.
In front of everyone — including the mall survivors, the women from the Humvee who had approached after hearing the commotion, the girls from Fujimi who had stepped outside for air, and Teshima and Hirano — Allen declared:
"I don't care if you think I'm a tyrant. Any bastard who throws away their humanity and becomes a beast — I'll drag them out myself and throw them to the zombies!"
The survivors were terrified, but the rest smiled at such a declaration.
Yuriko smiled. "It's a shame the world ended. Allen-kun could have become Prime Minister. Well... although I don't think that would be possible since he's not Japanese."
Anemone shrugged. "That could be easily solved if he married Saya."
"Ara Ara, but my silly daughter doesn't have such seductive skills~
Kiriko sighed. "I'm worried my Rei's heart will break. I doubt she can catch that young man on her own"
"I'm more worried she'll be eaten to the bone by Allen," Anemone said with a mocking grin. "You know, if that guy has manhood even half as big as his strength, she'll end up in a wheelchair for a month."
"Anemone-chan!"
"What are you saying?!"
Anemone laughed at the reactions of both women, despite their age. Still, they couldn't help imagining it. After all, Japanese male genetics were known for lacking in "volume," and Allen wasn't Japanese.
Saeko chuckled…
Saya and Rei covered their ears. They had heard the whole conversation, and the embarrassment made them want to bury their heads in a hole.
Leaving all that aside, time was running out, and Allen decided to keep moving toward the police station.
....
Elsewhere, Ada and Rika were still in the helicopter, flying over Tokyo.
Ada tapped her nail nervously while staring at a tablet. "I lost the signal again…"
Rika saw the frustration on Ada's face and couldn't help asking:
"Are you going to tell me what's going on? Is it a secret?"
Ada exhaled in annoyance, then calmed herself and crossed her arms — pushing her chest forward, making the men from Rika's unit swallow hard until she glared at them, shutting them up instantly.
"I guess it doesn't matter. I'll tell you."
Ada showed the tablet to Rika. It displayed a map of Tokyo.
Nothing on it seemed special, which confused Rika.
"And what exactly am I supposed to see?"
"Exactly." Ada looked out the window. "What I'm looking for is a metal container that emits a signal we can track. It shouldn't be easy to block. Yet it vanished. It only appeared briefly for a moment and then disappeared again."
"So that's why you had us wandering around aimlessly?"
The pilot checked the fuel gauge. "Captain Minami, I only have fuel for a few more hours."
They had been searching for the container for two days. However, since it was inside Allen's inventory, its signal was completely blocked.
"This is a problem. Isn't there another way to track that container?"
"No. It's already hard enough to hack the signal without that man noticing… but we're not flying blind. The last relative location narrowed the search area."
"Seriously. Where are we going?"
Ada smiled. "Suginami."
She looked out the window once more. Of course, she was searching for the container — but her true mission was something else entirely.
She was looking for someone.
'I hope you'll recognize me…'
Ada's eyes dimmed, almost saddened for a moment, but she recomposed herself.
Rika didn't miss that expression, but didn't ask. It felt too personal.
And of course, not only Ada and Rika were heading to Suginami — so was a massive cargo helicopter carrying who-knows-what.
---
The Higashi police station was completely silent, filled only with standing corpses — inactive zombies waiting for any stimulus to trigger a frenzy.
The station doors burst open.
The first zombie reacted, but its head was smashed apart by a steel pipe.
"Ok, let's go."
Growls erupted all around — dozens of them.
"Do you guys want to dance?~" With a mocking grin, Allen rushed forward.
He clenched his fist and punched the first zombie, sending it flying and knocking several others down in the process.
He pulled out his knife and threw it, piercing the skull of another zombie.
One of the fallen zombies tried to get up, but Allen crushed its head.
Two zombies leaped over the reception desk. Both wore police uniforms. Allen tossed his pipe into the air, reached out, and grabbed both zombies by the head. They used their hands and inhuman strength to try to bite him, but they were nothing compared to Allen and couldn't even break free.
Allen smirked before smashing their heads together.
RAAHH!
A Charger burst through the door and charged at Allen. He made no attempt to dodge — because before it reached him, Saeko decapitated it.
"Don't get ahead of me," the girl said angrily.
Allen raised his hands in surrender.
Saeko sighed. Sometimes she missed the cold, distant Allen.
More zombies appeared from everywhere, surrounding the pair — but they only exchanged a glance before vanishing.
Heads burst apart or were severed instantly. One after another, the zombies were annihilated with terrifying ease, and soon none were left in sight.
At that moment, Rei entered, accompanied by her mother and Anemone.
"The zombies outside are dead…" Rei said while looking at the corpses inside the police station, hoping her father wasn't among them. Fortunately, he wasn't.
"Rei, Kiriko-san, if you want, I can take care of the cleanup."
Mother and daughter shook their heads, determined and serious.
"Don't worry. This is something I won't run away from," Rei said.
"That man is my husband. It is my duty to give him rest," Kiriko answered.
Anemone beside her gave Allen a glance, asking for permission. As if telling him, she could quietly go handle Tadashi Miyamoto's zombie if he wanted — but Allen shook his head.
"It's fine. I'll respect your decision" Allen said.
Rei approached Allen and hugged him. Allen comforted her — she was about to experience one of the most painful things someone could live through in this world: seeing her father turned into a zombie.
"Everyone, clean the police station. But if you find the police chief, Tadashi Miyamoto, don't kill him," Allen ordered, and the group split up.
In the sky above, the same drone that had attacked Allen kept its distance, observing his actions closely — as if waiting for someone… or something.
Without knowing it, Allen had arrived at the second-to-last known location of High School of the Dead's storyline.
====
A/N: In the previous chapter, I got a name wrong. The bastard's name is Shimada, not Shimoda.
Sorry XD
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