Beta read by Shigiya
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-Tokonosu, Takagi Estate-
He had honestly lost count of how many times he'd woken up with this groggy sensation seeping across his body. The simple act of trying to recall any of the past events brought nothing but a splitting migraine, a headache fierce enough to make it feel as though he'd drained several barrels of mead the night before. Unfortunately, unlike the prior times where such mornings came tied to pleasant memories — nights spent carousing with friends, a beautiful woman warm against his side — this one came with the realization that a certain nurse had once again nearly killed him, exactly as he'd feared she would.
"Burgh…"
Pushing himself up from the mattress, it did not take Cu long to figure out he had been knocked out for a solid handful of hours. The remnants of whatever concoction Shizuka had cooked up still clung to the inside of his veins, a sluggish thickness in his blood that caused a quick application of his magecraft to flush out of his system entirely.
"She could probably knock out a Servant with that…" the Irishman muttered under his breath, a shiver running through him as he remembered the sensation of his limbs going slack one after another, control slipping away faster than he could grab hold of it. Him, of all people. Someone who had survived having his own guts spilled across the dirt and kept fighting regardless, a fatal wound that would have dropped any other Heroic Spirit on the spot. His Battle Continuation skill had proven that much over and over again. And yet a single dose of that woman's medicine had folded him like wet paper. It genuinely baffled him.
"In any case, I'll just keep my distance from her. Oh?"
His mind still woozy from the ordeal, it took the blue-haired man a few seconds to register that he was not, in fact, alone. The mattress underneath him shifted, the blankets pulling away from one side, and a light snore reached his ears from somewhere close by.
Turning around, the former Servant of the Spear was nearly taken aback. A waterfall of orange hair lay sprawled across the bed, a certain young woman having somehow joined him at some point, now resting peacefully without a care in the world. Unlike him, though, Rei remained fully clothed, even with her shoes still on her feet, which told him she'd likely dropped down beside him by accident rather than design and simply hadn't woken since.
A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, and the unpleasantness of the morning no longer felt quite so unpleasant. His hand came to rest against her head, fingers carding through her hair before drifting down to pinch lightly at her cheek. The girl stirred in her sleep, brow twitching, but stayed lost in her slumber.
"Sleep tight, you need as much rest as you can get."
With the group about to head out soon, the Irishman held no delusions that things would go smoothly. Hoping for that sort of thing was just stupid. One always had to prepare for the worst, and doing so with a rested body and a clear mind beat anything else. So he carefully slid out of the bed, leaving Rei undisturbed, and went looking for something to fill his stomach.
"These people, would you look at that, a coffee maker in every room."
He couldn't tell whether this was special treatment reserved for him or simply the standard luxury of the Takagi mansion. Either way, the spearman didn't question it, brewing himself a cup with a few presses of a button. Coffee in one hand, he wandered toward the balcony to clear his head, genuinely beginning to wonder whether that nurse was his natural enemy or some manner of walking curse.
"Glad to see you're still alive."
An amused voice spoke from behind him. Cu didn't even need to turn his gaze to know who had wandered into his room.
"For now, at least," the Irishman replied, taking a sip. "That is until Shizuka gets her hands on me again and I wake up with a dagger near my heart, for all I know."
He'd meant it as a joke, though only about half of it actually was. He wasn't willing to dismiss the possibility entirely.
Turning around, he found Saeko standing there, the swordswoman's eyes settled on Rei sleeping in his bed with an expression he couldn't decipher so easily. Whatever ran through her mind stayed a mystery to him, so he simply cleared his throat to draw her attention back and raised his cup.
"Care for some coffee? Best to take advantage while you still can. It might become a luxury later on in this apocalypse."
He offered in order to distract her from whatever thoughts were going through her mind.
The latter smiled, but shook her head. "It's fine. Coffee has never been my favorite drink. Though I can imagine many will be devastated if it ever becomes impossible to acquire."
"Igou would agree with you there. He's pretty addicted to the stuff, but he hasn't touched a drop these past few days," Cu said almost cynically, not that he could even blame the guy with how stressful things have been lately. At least, that was better than turning to becoming a drunkard… or worse. "Being chased around by the undead and watching the whole world crumble around you would do wonders for keeping a man stable without the distraction of caffeine keeping him stable, I suppose."
The purple-haired girl stepped up beside him, and the two of them stared out over the grounds where the survivors' camp went about its day below.
"Unfortunately, no other survivors came looking for shelter in the past twenty-four hours," Saeko mentioned, leaning her forearms against the railing. "It's very likely that none of them are left, or they're stuck somewhere we can't reach, or they've already formed their own groups. At least, that's if we don't count the SOS message from the mall."
Cu nodded. So much had happened that he didn't doubt most people caught out on the streets for several days straight had little chance of surviving. Yet others banding together into their own little groups to defend themselves was hardly impossible, there were certainly such groups spread across the town. Unfortunately, trusting all of them and trying to herd all of them here would not be a good idea since he doubted they all had the intention to work together.
"The people at the mall count as one such example. Any further word on them?"
"None, I'm afraid. We couldn't get back in contact after that last conversation." The swordswoman's mouth pressed into a thin line. "I don't want to sound pessimistic, but to me it sounds like they were overwhelmed by the zombies eventually."
He sighed, turning the thought over carefully. "A mall is actually a fine place to hole up. Plenty of resources and if acted upon quickly, a good place to bunker up. They'd have enough to live off whatever's stocked in there for several days or even months if they can manage. If the place has a weapons store, even better, though I doubt it does." A flicker of hope danced across his eyes, dim as it was, he refused to let it fade so easily. "Then again, it's still somewhere surrounded by a lot of people. Wouldn't surprise me if hundreds of civilians were packed inside the moment the outbreak hit and well… "
"If it helps," Saeko offered, "there was a gathering organized for a particular politician. With the elections coming up, the whole town was rather invested in it. It's a possibility that the place happened to be mostly deserted on that day — but that's just me guessing at this point."
Yoshito did mention something along those lines the day before the outbreak, back when they were still trying to find the teacher.
"I suppose you're right," the man answered, knowing she had a point even as the picture only grew murkier in his head. "Before we go, we'll need to bring some extra supplies in case things are worse than we think over there. And reliable weapons for the others, I'll stick to my spear as usual."
Saeko nodded, then narrowed her eyes to something below. Noticing the shift in her demeanor, the Irishman followed her gaze, and a small chuckle escaped him almost at once. He realized that a certain schoolmate of his had already begun spinning her web, exactly as their arrangement called for.
"Well, would you look at that… that lass is already flirting with her target."
In the distance, tucked out of the general public's sight but still visible from the height of the balcony, Miku stood talking to a middle-aged man. The way she held her body, the way she kept glancing up at him before shying away so cutely, told him everything he needed to know.
"Do you truly trust her?" Saeko asked, her tone so even it was hard for him to tell whether the deal sat well with her or not.
Still, he answered by pointing one finger toward the girl below. "I know she's not the most trustworthy of the bunch, but people like her can be useful if given the right incentive and not just left to rot. Push someone like that into a corner and they tend to become more dangerous, no different from a feral animal wanting to drag everyone down with them."
"She's a single person. With no combat experience to speak of."
"Don't underestimate a snake just because it cannot hold a sword. She can charm others just as easily as we can fight. She managed it with that Shido, didn't she? Nothing's stopping her from doing the same to others, people more important, people with real power."
The purple haired woman did not seem to share his thoughts, merely giving him a side glance. "You really think so?"
He shrugged, taking another sip before letting out a small laugh. "Maybe I am overestimatin' her a bit. But I'd rather give someone too much credit than not enough. Also, people can change if they truly want to. Not everyone starts life as some great hero, and ye don't need to be perfect to do some good in this world. Ah, now here's the interestin' part!"
The Irishman wore a grin as his eyes returned to the pair nearby. Miku had become noticeably more timid, speaking softly to the older man before shifting closer to her target. The poor fellow looked completely out of his depth, his shoulders stiff and his expression uncertain as though he was debating whether he should excuse himself. That uncertainty only seemed to encourage the girl, though visibly he was smitten by her… angelic persona coupled with the rather revealing outfit that barely hid her natural curves and showcased a lot of cleavage. Leaning forward, Miku pressed a gentle kiss against him. The man nearly recoiled from surprise, but she simply smiled and moved closer again. Whatever resolve he had left lasted all of three seconds before it crumbled under her persistence as his hands hesitatingly wrapped around her for a brief moment.
"See?" Cu exclaimed, feeling more entertained than any of Kyokou's drama series she loved to watch. "Natural talent right there and I'd say she already has him wrapped around her little finger!"
Saeko slowly turned her eyes toward him. The look she had lingered for several seconds, enough to make him immediately raise his free hand in surrender before she could even open her mouth.
"Oi, none of that now. Don't be lookin' at me like I've been enchanted by that succubus. I guarantee ye I haven't fallen for her charms and my heart has not wavered once!"
"... If you say so."
His gaze drifted back toward the young woman. There was no denying she was beautiful. Her neck length hair framed delicate features, and her figure possessed enough allure to leave most men speechless. Even the way she smiled carried a sweetness that made people lower their guard around her. This on top of her capable of switching to a bewitching vixen not afraid to use more bold methods certainly was a dangerous combo. Yet Cu merely clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"She's lovely, sure enough. But beauty alone doesn't send me runnin' headfirst into madness. It would have had some effect in my younger years, but I'm past that phase."
He meant those words, not to mention, she wasn't Medb.
The memory of that troublesome queen surfaced in his mind. Compared to Miku, Medb possessed enough confidence and shamelessness to make entire kingdoms dance to her tune. On the outside, she may have not been as physically blessed as many of the women he met, yet that did not matter in the least. Her demeanour alone had ruined many men, but that wasn't what made her dangerous — it was the way she understood people. The way she spoke, smiled, touched, and made others feel as though they were the only soul in the world worth looking at. Miku might possess enough charm to leave ordinary men flustered, but compared to the eternal lady, she still had a long road ahead of her.
Also not possessing fairy blood in her lineage also played a role but that was another issue.
"You did give her a chance despite her being Shido's ally, so who knows. Maybe there is a slight bias somewhere within you."
"Trust me," Cu muttered with a snort. "I'm already too busy pleasing another lady or two to care, if I am biased then it's not with her, but you two."
Saeko raised an eyebrow. "Me? I'll take that as a compliment."
His eyes returned toward Miku just in time to see the older man finally surrender completely and now pull the girl closer for a longer kiss. The fellow had fully stopped trying to pull away and was now awkwardly returning the affection while the girl beamed happily, clearly pleased with herself.
"Look at that." Cu hummed into his drink. "Poor bastard never stood a chance. Ah, hahaha! He tried to grope her butt and got shy at the last second."
"I'm pretty sure he is married," Saeko commented dryly, not disgusted or even disappointed by that sight, strangely enough. Rather sounding like she was pointing out something ordinary that created no ripples in her being. "Still, I will admit that she is good at it. Now I wonder if it's Shiro who was in control or her."
"Both." He said without a hint of doubt in his mind. "Both know they were just usin' the other for their own purpose. Granted, this is just guesswork that I'm pulling out of my ass, but at that point, neither side cares of it being genuine. They fucked, got all the resources and fucked again. Simple as that."
"That's… one way to put it." Saeko nodded, then proceeded to rest her head against his shoulder. A small action that almost looked natural at first but with everything that happened lately between them, it would be more accurate to say that this was only just the beginning. "This is comfortable."
"The silence or using my shoulders as a pillow?"
"Both." She said with a whisper, before lifting her face to stare at him in the eyes. Perhaps it was the lingering grogginess or maybe him already being entangled with her antics too deeply, but the man did not move away as her lips pressed against his for a brief moment. Pleasant, soft and supple lips that drove away any negative thoughts. Unfortunately, the moment only lasted for so long till Saeko narrowed her eyes and pulled back. "I can taste Rei."
That was one way to react to that.
"Sorry about that, I guess? We are together if you forgot about it," he said, honestly unsure what else there was to say. It wasn't as though he could do anything about it now. Then he paused. Hold on. Did that mean Rei had kissed him during his sleep? The girl was certainly getting bolder. Not that he minded, but he wondered what had prompted it, whether she'd simply grown curious to try it on him while he was dead to the world and experiment a little.
Or more likely, to taunt Saeko.
"I'll go prepare our supplies," the purple-haired girl announced before turning around and heading back inside.
Raising his cup in farewell, Cu gave her a lazy salute. "Good luck with that."
Once she disappeared from sight, his attention drifted back to Miku below. The spearman quietly decided to keep an eye on the lass for the remainder of the day. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he wanted to see just how far she intended to take whatever game she was playing exactly by flirting with that guy. Piece by piece, the clues came together by him just asking around for who the guy was, soon learning his name; Goro. Haruka's husband… at that point, he knew immediately her end goal.
Furthermore, observing the trio from afar, every glance, every word, every gesture slowly painted a picture in his mind. By the time enough pieces had fallen into place for Cu, she had the guy where she wanted him.
It would be a lie to say that he did not look down a bit on her approach, but that was just his personal opinion on the matter. Especially from someone who had done worse to get his objective done or when following orders.
Regardless, the entire thing left a bitter taste in his mouth and just standing behind without doing anything felt wrong. Maybe it was selfishness… Maybe it was because he'd seen too many ugly endings born from misunderstandings and desperation. Or maybe he simply wanted to give both of them one last chance to walk away from the mess before it happened.
During a short break when the others stepped away to share a smoke and clear their heads, Cu planned to approach the middle aged woman first.
Things went nowhere from that small conversation, he feared she was too blinded by her own emotions to see the bigger picture. 'Such people don't want to be saved or changed even if I told them the truth. Hah, what a way to go.'
After that, he made no attempt to argue further. Experience had taught him that once somebody reached that point, words rarely changed anything. All he could do was sigh and watch her leave.
Eventually, the servant of the spear settled near the entrance of the house. Leaning against one of the marble pillars, another cup in hand, he waited with patience for the disaster to unfold. The sound arrived sooner than expected. Raised voices. Shouting and pure anger from the lot.
"Aye," Cu sighed under his breath. "There it is. She made quick work."
Making his way over at a leisurely pace, he found chaos already spreading through the gathering. Miku was on the ground crying hysterically, tears streaming down her face while having little to no clothing, something that got covered swiftly by some of the women who came to console the 'poor' girl. While Goro stood nearby in complete shock. Both of them had ended up stripped of their clothes in the confusion, the young woman sobbing and screaming accusations between broken breaths.
"N-No! Stay away!" Miku shouted, actually crying genuine looking tears much to his surprise. She definitely has some talent with acting.
"How could you?!"
"You monster!"
The people around them gasped in horror, fully falling for the orange haired girl's act. In a single instance, the united front had collapsed with the group now seeing their leader and her husband like monsters.
"What the hell happened!?"
"That bastard did this?"
"I knew there was something wrong with him! He kept approaching my daughter early and being a bit too nice to her!"
"You son of a bitch!"
Anger spread through the crowd almost instantly. Several men surged forward, fists clenched, while others shouted curses and accusations without waiting to hear anything further. Goro himself looked utterly lost.
"W-Wait! That's not what happened!" He tried to defend himself, his voice alone drowning in the sea of anger. "I-I didn't do anything!"
In fact, his attempts only seemed to add more fuel to the burning fire. "Pleass, listen to me! I-I would… I would never! Listen to me!"
Nobody listened.
"Liar!"
"You've got some nerve!"
"Beat him!"
"Don't let him escape!"
Watching the scene unfold, Cu folded his arms and leaned against the nearest wall. His expression remained calm, though there was no amusement in his eyes. "She really knows how to put on a show," he murmured quietly to himself.
Before the crowd could truly lose control, Yuriko and several others forced their way through.
"Everyone, stop!"
"Move aside!"
"Give them some room!"
"Don't touch him!"
Yuriko had her men grab Haruka first while another group hurried to shield Goro from the increasingly furious crowd. More soldiers rushing over to crowd control, not holding any guns but still equipped with batons.
"Calm down!"
"Everybody back!"
"Stop pushing!"
The two groups were quickly separated and escorted away before fists started flying. People continued shouting while others exchanged angry looks. More than a few appeared ready to chase after Goro if given the chance.
Standing off to the side, Cu released a long breath and rubbed his forehead. "Fucking hell," he muttered quietly while making his back inside the house. "This is goin' to end badly."
{Break}
(A few moments later)
Within minutes, everyone who mattered had gathered inside the Takagi residence. Cu stood near one of the walls with his arms folded while Saeko, Rei, Takashi, Saya, and several armed men occupied the room. Haruka and Goro sat in the center with their wrists tied behind their backs. Far from quiet, the room was filled with shouting. Haruka's face had gone red from anger, veins visible on her neck as she struggled against the ropes.
"This is your fault!" she screamed at Yuriko despite not being in the best position to argue. Her haggard appearance did a lot to add to the overall deranged image. "You planned all of this, didn't you!? That bitch was your plant! Do you think you'll get away with it forever!? You can't silence everyone! The truth will come out sooner or later!"
Saya's mother merely sighed and rubbed her forehead as if listening to an irritating child. Nearby, Soichirou remained seated in his chair with his katana resting across his lap. His expression never changed. After glancing at his wife, the older man simply nodded once. Receiving his approval, Yuriko shifted her attention back toward Haruka.
"I am honestly disappointed in you," she replied calmly, her voice echoing across the room with how quiet the entire room was. "Our families have known each other for years. We shared personal moments together. We celebrated holidays together within the same community. Yet you're acting as though we are strangers now. Worse, you're telling people we abandoned you and never helped your family. My husband practically funded Goro's business a decade ago."
Oh, so a lot of personal history between them. Cu continued to listen, watching as Haruka bared her teeth. "Don't bring up the past! Don't try using memories and sentiment against me! It changes nothing!"
"I'm not trying to use sentiment," Yuriko answered firmly. "I'm reminding you of reality. I had absolutely nothing to do with whatever happened today, and I certainly didn't orchestrate some ridiculous scheme."
Her gaze shifted from Haruka to Goro. The disappointment disappeared, replaced by a cold gaze, enough to even make Soichirou's frown seem safer. "And I have no intention of forgiving a man willing to force himself on a young woman who tried to help him."
Immediately, Goro's composure shattered.
"No! That's not true!" he cried, nearly falling to his face due to the lack of balance "I'm innocent! It was Miku! She came onto me! She kept making moves and trying to get physical! I tried to push her away! I swear I did! I didn't force anybody! She seduced me… S-She kissed me first!" His panicked rambling only continued. "Ah!"
One of the armed guards glanced toward Yuriko. Seeing her slight nod, the man stepped forward and slammed the butt of his rifle against Goro's side.
"Argh!"
The blow knocked him sideways onto the floor.
"H-Honey!"
Haruka jumped in fright. "Stop it! Are you crazy!?"
Ignoring her, Yuriko gestured toward one of the household staff. Another guard approached carrying several folders and a tablet. Taking them calmly, she walked over and crouched before the fallen man.
"You claim she forced herself onto you?" she asked, opening the folder and tossed several photographs onto the floor in front of him. "Then explain these."
"—!?"
Haruka's eyes widened.
The pictures clearly showed her husband leading Miku away from the others. Another photograph showed him entering the tent first while repeatedly looking around. Several more captured Miku kissing him. In every single image, Goro appeared eager and completely willing.
Yuriko held up another photograph.
"Interesting."
Another one landed on his chest.
"Very interesting."
Then another.
"And this one?"
Goro's face slowly lost all color.
"N-No…"
"This…"
"T-This isn't…" He tried to explain himself, being on the receiving end of his wife's glare but could not say much.
"We have more than photographs. Cameras are installed throughout the estate. There are videos, audio, time stamps and enough evidence to remove all doubt." Her expression remained unchanged. "You must think we're idiots if you believed you could sneak around while surrounded by security cameras."
Sweat dripped down Goro's forehead.
"This isn't right!" he whimpered. "I-I was only trying to help her! She was stressed from being around all day to treat others without getting any help, lonely and overwhelmed! I just wanted to comfort her! It wasn't supposed to become something like this!"
He looked desperately between everyone in the room.
"You have to believe me! I wasn't trying to force anything! Things just happened! Pleas—"
"—Shut up for once!" Haruka screamed at him, giving him a death glare. She was clearly infuriated by the evidence but also wanted to keep things under control, or at least as much as she could. She took a deep breath and looked at Yuriko. "Fine, you have the picture and videos on record, so what? What do you plan to do now? Use this evidence to ruin my reputation? To have people hate me and Goro so that the Takagi can fully take control of everything?" she said with a sneer. Yuriko did not seem fazed at all; the cold, almost stoic expression on her face did not change. Haruka continued, "You can lock us up for all you want, but people will learn the truth, and I will not give up so easily."
While Haruka's voice continued to echo throughout the room and Goro sat on the floor looking more broken with each passing second, Cu remained in the background without involving himself. The latter had somehow acquired a bottle of beer from the staff room and stood near one of the walls, taking the occasional drink while observing the situation unfold.
His expression carried little surprise.
Between Haruka's growing desperation, Goro's pathetic attempts to change his story, and Yuriko's complete lack of hesitation, it was obvious to him that matters had long since reached a point where no peaceful solution remained.
Takashi quietly approached him, making sure nobody else paid attention. Keeping his voice low, he glanced between Haruka and Yuriko.
"Shouldn't we stop this before things get even worse?" he whispered. "Everyone's emotions are running high."
Worried eyes drifted toward the young man before returning to the scene ahead.
"A bit late for that, lad," Cu answered calmly. "Things stopped bein' simple the moment Haruka decided she'd rather stir up a revolt than come to Yuriko and speak honestly."
Takashi frowned. "A revolt…"
"Yup."
He raised the bottle to his lips before continuing.
"People throw that word around too lightly. A revolt isn't just replacin' who's in charge. It means panic. Arguments, division, guards abandonin' their posts, supplies bein' neglected and so on; you get the drill. Confusion spreadin' through every part of this place. All while thousands of those undead are waitin' outside. One crack in the defenses, one moment of stupidity, and you could've had them floodin' through the place. In the end, no one ends up winning and it's already too late for regrets."
His gaze shifted toward Haruka.
"And if that happened, everyone would've paid for it. Men, women, children. The whole estate."
Takashi lowered his eyes.
"The last thing any of us need is another Shido situation." Cu let out a quiet breath. "In this case, except worse. Shido was one fool with power. This would've been hundreds of frightened people turnin' against each other while the dead gathered outside."
After several moments, Takashi spoke again. "But if things really had gotten out of control, you would've stepped in, right?"
That question made Cu chuckle softly, he likes how the guy trusted him but had to remind him of something important. "Listen to yerself, lad. That's exactly the sort of thinkin' I don't want people fallin' into. I'm not some miracle worker that can be everywhere at once. I can't solve every quarrel, stop every mistake, or hold everyone's hand forever. If I start doin' that, people stop thinkin' for themselves. They become dependent."
Takashi remained silent.
"I'm not saying to not rely on me, I will help out as much as I can but still it's something to keep in mind to not take help for granted.." The Irishman leaned his shoulder against the wall and lowered his voice. "Besides, there's no use to convince Yuriko or get in between them to smooth things out."
"Huh?"
"A conclusion's already been reached."
Takashi blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Cu glanced toward the purple haired woman, who stood above Goro with the photographs still scattered across the floor. Soichiro sat nearby without interfering, his hand resting on his sword while the guards remained at attention. Haruka's cries had become weaker. Even Goro himself no longer sounded confident.
"Look at her."
Takashi did.
"Even though I haven't known her for long, I can tell with certainty that she isn't the type to let problems sit around and grow bigger. Both of Saya's parents didn't build this place by bein' soft when people's lives are at stake. Once she decides something threatens the future of everyone here, she'll deal with it before it spreads."
"You mean…"
"I mean she's already made up her mind a long time ago."
Takashi looked toward Haruka and Goro, whose faces had become pale.
"What do you think she'll do?"
Cu shrugged.
"Don't know. But whatever it is, she's not askin' for anyone's permission and I doubt she'll listen to me even if I wanted to do something." His eyes moved toward Soichiro, who quietly met his wife's gaze and gave another small nod. "And from the look of things, neither is the old man."
Takashi swallowed.
On the other side, Haruka still glared at Yuriko despite the tears running down her face.
"But once trust reaches this point…" his eyes shifted toward the Takashi's once more, "…there's rarely any puttin' it back together."
Right as he spoke, Yuriko's voice exclaimed from across the room, "This is enough!" cutting off Haruka as she tried to shout again. She looked Haruka right in the eyes. "I have no intention of locking you or your husband up. And I have reached my wits end on this matter."
Haruka's eyes widened for a moment, as she hadn't expected that outcome. She then calmed down and smirked, most likely thinking she was just going to get off with a warning. Cu seriously wondered if the woman was that delusional. She seemed smart to him at first, but at this point, this was just plain ignorance.
Yuriko continued, "unfortunately for you I am not like my husband. He can be very soft-hearted at times." The statement made several people in the room look at her strangely, then back at her husband who just sat there without saying anything, wondering just what part of that man counted as soft-hearted.
The man easily looks like someone who would unsheathe his katana and cut away their heads at the slightest sign of provocation.
"There is one thing I knew would arise sooner or later," Yuriko said. "And that is people like you, Haruka. I hoped that we would be civil enough to discuss our differences and hopefully come to an agreement, but clearly, this path is long gone and will be in vain, since the mistakes of the past cannot be so easily ignored."
"Just get on with it," Haruka said, also getting impatient though the one who had her captured just looked down at her in silence for several seconds. Thousands of thoughts went through her mind at once but she kept her composure.
Yuriko put on a gentle smile and said with confidence, "Haruka and you, Goro, are no longer welcome in our estate."
"..."
"..."
This statement made everything go silent. Haruka at first looked at Yuriko with confusion until her face got drained of color and horror. The same happened with Goro. Even some of the others, like Saya, were surprised by this decision. Soon, she began to truly understand the meaning behind those words and that frightened her instantly.
The woman's voice erupted with a mixture of horror and disbelief. "No, no, no! You can't do this!"
"Oh, I definitely can," Yuriko countered with a stoic face, all the while keeping looking at her feelings in her eyes. "Those who bring this much danger to this house are no longer welcome. You and your husband will be asked to leave. If you do not comply, we will forcefully remove you from our premises. Of course, I won't just throw you out to the zombies outside. You will be dropped off a fair distance away with your own supplies, and that's it."
Goro struggled to get up, only to have a guard from behind grab him and force him back to the ground with his hand on the back of Goro's head, pushing his face onto the floor. "You can't do this! We'll die out there!" Goro said.
Yuriko looked at them with disdain. "Your actions could have easily caused the collapse of what we have built so far, and now you're worried about dying? Had our defenses fallen, the casualties would have been enormous."
Haruka screamed, "They have enough soldiers to keep those zombies at bay! Even if a breach happens, they can always just send more of them! How can you be so inconsiderate towards regular civilians!?"
Hearing this, Yuriko grabbed a hold of Haruka's face. "You have quite the nerve treating the soldiers' lives as expendables. They are just as much a part of the Takagi family as anyone. Losing a single one of them is a loss that cannot be forgotten or recovered from so easily, both emotionally and physically." She then looked at the soldiers. "Get Haruka and her husband away instantly. Drop them off as far away as possible, but be back before sunset."
The soldiers picked up Haruka and started to take her away. She struggled and thrashed around. "You can't do this! Where is your humanity? This is a crime! You can't do this!" she yelled repeatedly.
The others did not remain silent either. The mood inside the room had become much heavier than before, and even after hearing everything, some still looked uncomfortable with the direction things were taking. Rei frowned and looked directly at Yuriko.
"Isn't this going too far?" she asked. "I understand what they did, but this still feels harsh."
Rather than answering immediately, Yuriko shifted her attention toward her daughter.
"Saya," she called calmly. "Do you think I've gone too far?"
The young girl adjusted her glasses, visibly uncomfortable. "I don't know…" she admitted. "Couldn't we just lock them up or something? Put them somewhere and watch them?"
The older woman nodded slightly. "I considered that option. But then I asked myself another question. How many people am I supposed to lock away? How many times am I expected to separate troublemakers and keep feeding them while everyone else works? If someone starts spreading dangerous ideas again, do I lock away another person? And another? Eventually, the burden falls upon everyone else."
Her eyes briefly drifted toward Haruka and Goro before returning to the group.
"Sometimes sacrificing a few comforts prevents much larger problems from appearing later. I would rather make an example once than spend days or weeks dealing with the same situation over and over again ."
"But they could just come back," Saya pointed out. "It's not like the address to our house is a secret. What's stopping them from returning later?"
A small smile appeared on Yuriko's face.
"Nothing." That answer made several people blink. "Even if they do return, we aren't obligated to open our gates. And if they decide to scream and make a scene outside, then they'll only attract attention to themselves from the zombies and get devoured. The world outside these walls is no longer civilized. Reputation means little, and foolish behavior tends to carry consequences."
Rei still looked troubled.
"I'm not comfortable with this," she admitted. "Maybe I understand your reasons, but I still don't like it."
"I know," Yuriko replied gently. "And I don't expect you to like it. I wouldn't think very highly of someone who enjoyed making these kinds of decisions. But these are dark times, Rei. There are moments when doing what is necessary and doing what feels right no longer overlap."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"And believe me, I have no desire to make this a habit. I pray there won't be another situation like this."
Uncertain eyes eventually shifted toward Cu. Rei clearly hoped he would oppose the idea or step in somehow. Instead, the Irishman quietly lowered his beer bottle and met her gaze. There was no smile on his face this time.
"I won't be playin' the hero this time, lass."
That answer immediately surprised her.
"Even you?" Rei asked.
Looking at him with such eyes was not fair, and it made it even harder for him to say no. The spearman let out a slow breath. "As much as I dislike it, I can't afford to think only with my heart. We're leavin' soon. If those two stay here after what they've done, then all it'll teach others is that they can gamble with everyone's lives and still expect forgiveness afterward."
After that, he just repeated the same thing he mentioned to Takashi.
"Revolts, panic, and division are contagious. All it takes is one fool thinkin', 'They got away with it, so maybe I can too.'"
"So this is about making an example."
"Exactly." He did not even attempt to deny her words regardless of how harsh it sounded. "Harsh examples save lives. Pleasant ideals don't mean much when thousands of corpses are waitin' outside the walls. If I interfere now, then I'm not protecting everyone. I'm protectin' two people while gambling with hundreds."
He did consider the option of just using his mage craft on the two of them and basically rendering them temporarily in a state where they are no different to vegetables. But that decision lied with the Takagi's, he had no problem with either path chosen.
"And truth be told, lass…" he quietly added, looking toward Takashi, "there are times when playing the hero just means making sure a bigger disaster happens later. Don't try to go around saving every person you can, it will only invite trouble upon you."
Nobody immediately answered him. The room fell silent once again, leaving only the sound of Haruka's uneven breathing and Goro's quiet whimpers breaking the stillness.
Even though he said that and meant those words, Cu knew full well just how off his words would have sounded to Rei and knew how dark they were. But unlike with the students, he was under no obligation to help Haruka and Goro. No promises with Kyokou were keeping him chained to this duty, and his attention and main goal now was to protect the main group. And keeping the group safe meant more than just keeping them alive by constantly having his gaze on them. And just like he mentioned to Takashi, he couldn't be in two places at the same time at once.
Cu thought to himself that this was definitely not an action fitting a hero. He could already imagine the kind of face the others would make during the entire trip.
…
By the time the sun had climbed higher into the sky, the group had already spent a good amount of time loading supplies into the vehicles. Boxes of canned food, bottled water, blankets, spare clothes, medicine, and various tools had been carefully arranged to avoid wasting space. The work itself wasn't difficult, but after carrying crate after crate, everyone had started to feel the strain.
Thankfully, the soldiers stationed around the place helped out, though only so much could be stuffed inside the car and still leaving space for the rest of them to get in.
While carrying the final box together, Rei let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Phew… finally done with all the packing." She stretched her shoulders before glancing toward the loaded vehicle ready to leave at any moment. "Everything should be ready for the next few days. Food, water, spare supplies… even if we end up stranded somewhere, we shouldn't be caught completely unprepared."
"Great work," Cu chuckled softly and ruffled her hair, earning an annoyed look from the girl before making his way toward the front of one of the cars. A large map had been spread over the hood, with Takashi and Igou discussing routes while Saya stood between them, pointing at several locations with a marker. Nearby, Alice sat quietly with Zeke, though her ears perked up when she noticed the Irishman approaching.
"Anything new?" Cu asked, looking over the map.
Saya adjusted her glasses and shook her head. "No new information. We're still working with the same distress signal. But we're planning several routes just in case things go badly. If the area is too dangerous or if we encounter something unexpected, we already have fallback paths prepared."
Her finger traced one of the roads.
"As for getting in, we'll just take the normal route. That should be enough unless our own wall of cars is somehow blocking the road."
Takashi nodded. "And if something's obstructing the path, we'll deal with it when we get there. I know a path that goes around the mall in case the main road is blocked, usually a normal car wouldn't be ideal to traverse a rugged terrain but this one should suffice."
Before anyone else could speak, Alice jumped off the roof of the car and onto the hood, suddenly raising her hand proudly. "There won't be any bad people there!" she declared. "We already beat them all!"
The confidence in her voice made several people smile. Cu grabbed her and placed both of them back on the ground and looked down at the little girl with amusement.
"As much as I would like that to be the truth, this place is pretty big and there are so many people that turned into those scary monsters. We won't be able to defeat all of them in just a day or two, but I'm sure with your help we will make it sooner or later."
Alice blinked.
"But didn't you kill them all with your spear back then and then crush their skulls with the car?"
"..."
He wasn't sure whether he liked it or not that Alice was now talking like this, worst of all, he could not blame anyone else but himself for that… along with the others in his group as well. "In any case, you won't be coming with us this time. I'll ask you to stay here alongside Saya and Yuriko."
"What!?" Alice screeched at those words with pure disbelief, visibly not happy with the decision. "I want to go with you! I don't want to stay behind!"
"We're not leaving you behind, kiddo. We are just going out for a short while and will be back before you know it. No matter where ye go, there'll always be someone causing trouble. That's why I'm counting on you to keep a lookout here in my stead."
The little girl pointed at herself.
"Me?"
"What can I even do?" she asked curiously. "I can't take on a fully grown adult by myself."
A grin spread across Cu's face. "That's strange."
Alice tilted her head.
"Hm?"
"Not long ago, there was a brave little girl tellin' everyone she was strong enough to beat lots of undead by herself."
Alice puffed out her cheeks After faltering at his words for a bit, clearly caught off guard she swiftly tried to reorganise herself. "I-I am strong!"
"Oh?" His smile widened, continuing to play along with the little one. "And where's all that confidence gone now? Were ye telling me stories this whole time?"
Immediately, Alice stood up straight.
"I wasn't lying!"
"No?"
"No!" she repeated. "I can fight zombies so I can handle other people too! Zeke will help!"
Cu nodded in approval.
"Alright then, I'll be asking you to look out in my stead here when I'm gone. Make sure to keep an eye like a hawk on everyone here, if they do something fishy then don't hesitate to inform Yuriko. And definitely do not try to intervene by yourself, got it? Since we are going to the mall, I'll make sure to get you a nice little gift. We may be in a nut apocalypse, but I doubt all the regular stuff like toys and puppets were stolen by anyone."
Alice quickly nodded with her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I want a dog puppet! And a new dress, because what I have now it's too ugly."
Nearby, Saeko couldn't help smiling at the exchange while Saya quietly adjusted her glasses.
"Good lad! I'll be counting on you," Cu said before ruffling her hair. He looked ahead to see Yuriko walking over with her husband beside her. "I'll be asking you to keep an eye on this little brat, I told her that she will be in charge of keeping things clean out here without my presence. Don't go too hard on her."
"But of course, come now, Alice. I'll make you some flan that you tasted yesterday, this time with strawberries on the side. In fact, I made sure to prepare you a slice in advance and it's waiting for you inside the kitchen with your name on it."
"Really?" Her mouth immediately started drooling at the mention of the fine dessert, not even wasting a second to rush inside. "Thank you!"
Seeing her departing back, the older woman now turned her eyes to him. "Be careful out there."
Cu looked around to see the others no longer paying any attention to them. "Those two aren't going to live for long, won't they? Might as well consider them dead, unless you commanded your men to kill them." A statement more than a question.
Yuriko did not deny it, just smiling. "It was just a simple excommunication. I wouldn't do such a thing. They were just sent to the outskirts of the town and have access to the main road leaving the place if they wanted. We made sure to give them all the basic supplies to survive a few days out there. I'm sure they'll find the help they need."
So she said, but Soichirou kept his silence on the other hand.
Cu hummed. "Sure. Let's go with that, then. You two know more than anyone the likelihood of those two surviving out there is practically zero. It does not even matter if you left them somewhere safe, given the sound of the car alone would eventually attract more of the undead to circle that place and eventually get those two devoured or turned into zombies."
This time Yuriko did not deny that. "My team did a bit more investigation on what Haruka was planning. Apparently, they were discussing possibilities of working with Miku and intentionally drugging wounded soldiers or those coming over to seek treatment in order to get them out of the way and have access to the weapon storage to forcibly snatch control away. As you can imagine, the collapse and aftermath would have been disastrous, not something I could afford to let happen. And as you most likely know, Haruka wasn't the only person with those kinds of plans and resentment. It's best to scare those people from doing such a thing."
Cu looked at her with a stoic face as the man next to her. "We already discussed something like this happening on the day of the outbreak. My men are already stretched very thin, we do not have the resources nor the manpower to have even a single one of them to look after those two as they are locked up inside. We are running on fumes here and I agree with my wife, an example should be done for the rest."
"Do you perhaps not like our method?" This time, Yuriko asked the question with genuine curiosity.
He raised his hands and shrugged, "I have no opinion, honestly. It's not my job to go around dictating everyone's actions or to forcefully make others play hero all the time. But I'll tell you to be careful. The path you're choosing could easily make others see you and your husband as tyrants. And that usually does not end well."
Yuriko smiled. "I appreciate your feedback and understand what you mean. I'm willing to be painted as a demon and take everyone's hatred or become the symbol of fear if it puts them in their place. I cannot allow my husband to be the only one to shoulder everything. He has enough responsibilities handling the defense lines and taking care of the soldiers under him. My duty will be to handle what's happening on the inside. And I'm more than willing to hear you out if you have any issues with it."
Hearing that, Cu just sighed. "No, I trust you and will not get in between. As long as it doesn't involve the students getting into trouble, then I technically have zero requirements to get too involved. Just… make sure the others like Kyokou don't find out about this, it won't sit well with her."
Yuriko nodded. "You would still try to help them. I saw you were contemplating it back then when we were confronting Haruka."
"You're not wrong," Cu said before turning around and walking away rather than continuing this conversation any longer. "It's not like I haven't killed troublemakers before, still, you have a lot of eyes on you. Including that of your daughter, make sure to not set a bad example for her."
In the background, Alice was practically stomping out of the mansion with a mouthful of flan. "Aimi! Miss Takagi made us enough dessert to last for days! Get out of the car and come eat with me!" Her words only became louder when the girl suddenly poked her head out from inside the vehicle itself.
"Shut up, idiot!" Aimi shouted right back, her face red with anger and embarrassment. "You're ruining my hiding place! Why did you have to scream and tell everyone where I was!? Ah!"
Unfortunately for her, Cu had already reached inside and grabbed her by the collar before effortlessly lifting her out and placing her back on the ground. The girl immediately puffed her cheeks and folded her arms, turning her face away with an annoyed pout while refusing to look at anyone directly.
"I would've expected somethin' like this from Alice," Cu remarked with an amused smile. "But you're a bit older. I figured you'd have a little more sense than sneakin' into the car and tryin' to tag along somewhere dangerous."
"My brother's going, so I'm going too!" Aimi shot back immediately. "Why should he have all the fun!?"
"Yoshito may be comin' with us," Cu replied, "but the lad specifically asked everyone not to involve his little sister."
Aimi stamped her foot
"I can make my own decisions!"
That only earned a laugh from him.
"Not yet, you can't. Give it another decade before ye start sayin' things like that." He explained calmly, tapping her shoulders. "I know it wasn't easy what happened back then with Shido, but I guarantee you that none of that will occur here. If an idiot does try to go down the same path, then Yuriko over here will make sure to make them regret everything. Also, I need you to stay behind to keep an eye on Alice. She needs someone to protect her as well."
Seemed his words got through her, for the girl hesitated before nodding meekly. "It's still not fair…"
"I know, but trust us, trust your brother that everything will go fine and will be back as usual without any loss."
Just as he turned around to leave, something tugged at the back of his jacket. Looking over his shoulder in confusion, Cu found Aimi with her lips pressed together into a frustrated frown, and despite trying to maintain her usual stubborn expression, uncertainty could clearly be seen on her face. Her fingers held onto his clothes tightly as she lowered her voice.
"You and Yoshito…" she whispered, her tone trembling slightly. "Stay safe, okay? Come back safe and sound."
The sudden hug from him caught her completely off guard.
"E-Eh!?"
A startled yelp escaped her mouth as Cu wrapped his arms around her. She immediately froze before her entire face turned bright red. Steam practically seemed ready to come out of her ears as she stared blankly into space, her body stiff from the unexpected contact.
"I'll give ye my word," Cu promised gently. "When we come back, there won't be so much as a scratch on Yoshito's body. Not one."
Still blushing furiously, Alice slowly nodded. Nearby, Aimi had stopped pouting entirely. Instead, she looked at him with unusual seriousness before giving a firm nod of her own.
"I believe you," she declared. "So don't die."
Nodding along, he gave his word once more while looking at the background, noticing a certain orange-haired girl who had caused all the commotion now heading over with a bag as if she was moving out. That traumatised face she made earlier was nowhere to be seen, a mask that had been just removed and discarded.
Noticing Miku's gaze, she stopped in her tracks and began to look uncertain once more. "You aren't going to go back on your words?"
"Pretty sure that it was Yuriko who made the promise." He said dryly, "still, you accomplished what you promised and I suppose you can join u—"
Slap!
Barely even able to finish his sentence, Rei walked right past him and wasted no time slapping Miku right in front of everyone. Much to his surprise, he was not prepared for such a reaction from her.
Grabbing her collar, Rei brought the girl closer to her face with a menacing scowl. "Let me make this clear for all. I don't like you, not one bit. After what you did to get here, I like you even less somehow. Make any suspicious move, try to get chummy with either one of my friends or Cu, I will make sure that you're regretted for the rest of your life. I'll turn your body black and blue to the point that no one will be even remotely attracted to it."
There was so much venom in her tone that for a brief moment it made him wonder If a hatred for this woman reached the same level as with Shido.
Surprisingly, Miku did not have an equally large outburst or retaliate at all. Holding the left side of her face, she merely rubbed the spot. "Are we done now?"
"You…"
Not an apology, no insults or any physical violence. Just her pushing past Rei, passing past him and entering the car casually. Sitting right in the middle where Kohta was momentarily caught off guard by her presence. "Wow, this thing is so big~! Much better than riding inside a school bus or some of the teachers' cars. But we'll have to do something about the smell, it's things like rotten blood. Oh hey, who are you again?"
"U-Um… Kohta."
"Nice to meet you, I'll be part of the group from now on. And I'm looking forward to working with you. I hope you keep little old me safe with those big guns of yours, I'll really appreciate it and return the favour~!"
The boy remained frozen, not sure what to say or even how to react. Just nodding quickly and letting out a goofy smile. "Hehehe… Y-You can count on me."
"Thank you, Koda~❤️ " throwing a kiss at him, she merely just looked back at the rest of the group, even staring back at the fuming Rei without any fear. "Alright then, when are we going out?"
At the very least, she had guts… or was just courting death.
"It's Kohta…"
{Break}
After the rather awkward moment, the journey itself managed to change things up a bit — not necessarily for the better."
The roads ahead had become long stretches of silence broken only by the sound of the engine. Charred vehicles whose stench remained as strong as ever littered both sides of the highway, many reduced to black skeletons of metal. Some had crashed into one another, while others sat abandoned with shattered windows and rust beginning to creep over them. More unsettling than the ruined cars was the sheer number of corpses scattered across the roadside. Some were little more than dried remains, while others had not fully decomposed. Swarms of flies gathered around them, and several bodies had become feeding grounds for larvae and insects. Torn clothing fluttered slightly whenever the wind passed over them, creating an unpleasant sight that nobody wanted to look at for long.
Rei's face immediately twisted in disgust.
"Close the windows!" she cried, quickly rolling hers up. "The smell…"
The others wasted no time doing the same. Even with the windows shut, everyone wore uncomfortable expressions. The mixture of decay, burned flesh, and stagnant air still lingered enough to make their stomachs churn. Nobody spoke much after that. The sound of the tires rolling over cracked asphalt became the only thing filling the inside of the vehicle as each person quietly avoided looking outside for longer than necessary.
"Body decomposition finally started here," Cu noted. "We should get ready for such a stench in the area, given just how many dead bodies are around here. It was a long time coming. I'm surprised it didn't start much earlier."
This initially made a few look away, but Kohta on the other hand took notice of something else. "Why haven't the undead who are still moving started to become decomposed then? Their bodies still look mostly the same since the day they turned into zombies."
Shizuka answered, "It could be because the body may still be alive."
This surprised a few, with Rei saying, "The people are still alive?" sounding almost hopeful, but soon having her hopes crushed as Shizuka shook her head. "No, they're definitely brain dead, but rather whatever virus that took over managed to somehow keep the body alive rather than the person and took over their mind. The constant hunger it causes in order to keep it from rotting is a reason why they're trying to bite, devour, and spread the virus itself." The nurse theorized with a rarely seen serious face.
"That still does not explain how some of them are starting to run. It should be the opposite, with the recently turned fast and slowly becoming more fragile."
"There is still a lot we don't know about this virus, Rei."
So she said, but Cu knew that aside from those factors, there was also a supernatural element to it — especially with a possible divine entity getting involved, and that alone raised several questions he didn't bring up, given it would potentially worsen the group's mood if they learned about that. Not to mention, he barely had much of an answer aside from it being supernatural.
As they went on, the scene showed the group getting closer to the mall. "It's kind of sad seeing this place ruined. I wanted to bring you here for our date at one point."
"We can always have a date somewhere else, and I'll make it a hundred times more interesting," Cu replied. "I think I already visited this place in the beginning, or at least was driven past it with Yoshito."
"You're right, aniki!"
"I'll hold on to your words then, Cu," Rei said. There was still some doubt in her voice, though she seemed willing to trust him for the time being. As the conversation settled down, Cu noticed Saeko looking his way. The purple haired girl had a small smile on her face before speaking casually.
"I still prefer the outdoors. Fresh air is much nicer than staying cooped up inside."
Hearing that, he smiled helplessly upon realising what just occurred. Before the conversation could continue, Rei immediately stepped between them and crossed her arms.
"He's my boyfriend, remember? So you should back off."
For the first time since they had left the estate, Saeko's smile weakened. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Rei. "I am perfectly aware of that," she answered evenly. "I was merely teasing you."
"It doesn't feel like teasing."
As the two girls stared at one another, the atmosphere inside the vehicle became noticeably awkward. Takashi scratched his cheek while Kohta lowered her glasses slightly and looked away. Igou adjusted his own pair of sunglasses and stared between the pair before letting out a nervous laugh. Strangely enough, Miku looked completely uninterested, instead observing the outside with her expression hidden from view.
"If this keeps up, these two might actually go for each other's throats." The latter whispered to him, Cu waved his hand dismissively while taking another sip.
"Relax. It won't get that far. I'll make sure of it. And before long, I'll make sure the two of them become good friends."
Khota stared at him as if he had just heard something impossible.
"I'm not sure that's physically possible, but I'll trust you for now."
"Speaking of impossible things, ye look awfully excited since we started this trip."
That was enough to make Kohta grin from ear to ear. His hand immediately went over to the massive rifle beside him. "This beauty here is a Barrett M82," he declared proudly. "I've wanted to try one for years. Now I finally get the chance to blow up some heads with it!"
Cu glanced at the enormous weapon and whistled. The sniper alone gave off an ominous feeling to say the least.
"Blow up heads? With that thing, ye might blow apart the entire body no matter where you hit. Hell, ye could probably put holes in a tank!"
Kohta laughed proudly. "Exactly! Isn't it magnificent?"
"Seems a bit excessive."
The young marksman pointed accusingly at the red spear resting nearby. "And you're saying that? You run around with magic and a spear that can wipe out dozens of them in one swing. This is how ordinary people deal with their problems."
He… had a point.
"Fair enough, lad."
The light mood inside the vehicle lasted only a few more seconds before Shizuka suddenly spoke from the driver's seat. Her cheerful voice had lost its usual tone.
"Everyone… there might be some problem."
That immediately drew everyone's attention. Rei and Saeko stopped glaring at one another and looked ahead while Takashi leaned forward from his seat. Shizuka lifted one hand from the wheel and pointed into the distance. Rising above the buildings, visible even from where they were driving, thick smoke drifted upward from the direction of the mall.
Everyone tensed.
Takashi's face changed.
"The mall is being attacked! That smoke looks like it's from an explosion!"
Kohta tightened his grip on the Barrett. "No way…"
Cu's expression lost all traces of amusement. "Shizuka, step on the gas!"
"Leave it to me!"
Her foot slammed down. The engine roared loudly and the vehicle surged forward with enough force to throw everyone slightly into their seats. Buildings flew past the windows as they raced toward the source of the smoke. Nobody spoke much after that. The possibility that the mall had been breached was enough to make everyone silently prepare themselves. Weapons were checked. Safety catches clicked. Hands tightened around handles and magazines.
But as they got closer, Cu's eyes slowly narrowed.
Something felt wrong compared to the usual issue they had been dealing with lately.
There should have been wandering undead clogging the roads around the shopping center or pressing against the entrances. Yet the streets ahead looked strangely empty. Cars remained abandoned where they had been left. Broken windows and scattered debris littered the roads, but there wasn't a single undead in sight. Not one.
Leaning slightly forward, he scanned the rooftops, intersections, and sidewalks — nothing. Heck, even enhancing his eyes to stare further ahead showcased little to no zombies surrounding the premise, not enough to cause a breach at least.
"That's strange…"
His eyes continued moving across the empty streets.
"We may be dealing with something else here."
---------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.