(POV of Saeko)
The caravan stops in front of the gate grills of the amusement park that we will take as a base from now on. From what I have seen, it seems much safer than the Takagi house, we just have to reinforce the entrance ... well, that is something we all should think about once the others return.
Now what we must do is take possession of this place and eliminate any zombie that may be inside. While the others were examining the place, I see Yuriko-san's hand indicating to our car to move forward, so I speak to inform Shisuka-san.
"Shisuka-san, Yuriko-san seems to want us to go where they are"
"Hmn? Okay ~"
After answering me, the car advances and is placed next to the military vehicle that Alex-san got from his system ... I honestly don't understand that very well yet, I don't understand how he can get things out of nothing, so I see it as something special that he can do.
When the cars are parallel to each other, I open the window next to me to hear what Yuriko-san has to tell us.
"I think it is better that we all enter the amusement park. We will look for a safe area inside, then we will make 2 groups with the people who carry weapons, one will stay to protect the others and the other group will be responsible for cleaning the entire amusement park from zombies”
"Isn't it better for those who don't fight with the zombies to stay outside?"
"Although there may not be many zombies in the surroundings, those are only our assumptions. We do not know exactly how the situation is here, and we cannot discard that a large group of them won’t come.
On the other hand, being inside the walls, we just have to face the things that happen inside the park, that's why I think it's better for everyone to enter. "
When I give my opinion thinking that perhaps it will be more appropriate to others stay out of the park because I do not see many zombies where we are now, and should be more secure than a place that we have not seen yet, but Yuriko- San gives me arguments contradicting my ideas.
She as a former police officer and has more experience, the words I hear from her also seem rational to me so I sit together with others in the car and nod in confirmation.
Ending the discussion, Yoshioka-san gets out of the car he drives along with other men, and then walks towards the metal fence that blocks our passage.
They take a while to open it, since when they check it they realize that it is electrified, so in the end, they have to force it to open it manually. Once enough space for the vehicles to access is made the convoy advances inside.
When all the vehicles enter, some people close again and then board the car. Inside like any amusement park, you could see various stands and mechanical games, but since the park had not been inaugurated everything was empty.
Not long after entered we arrived at what looked like an old European-style castle, until here it was the place where cars could move, since being an amusement park it was designed for people to walk in it.
When the cars stopped in the parking lot in front of the castle, all of us who would be in charge of cleaning the zombie began to go down one by one. As I go down of the car, look around, but it seems a desolate place, in this whole area I have only seen so few zombies that I can count with the fingers of my hands.
This will be a bit boring if so ... I wish there was more so I can get used to the katana that Alex-san gave me. Well, I'm probably the only one who thinks that after seeing so few zombies, the others look happy for what they see.
Previously I tried to discard such thoughts, or reject that part of me that wanted to fight and prove myself. The I from that time believed that with such ideas I would not fit into the normal world, so I lived imprisoning that part of me.
When the world changed, I should thank that part of me that I had always refuse because is the reason I could survive so far. If it wasn't for it, I would probably have died or worse, ended up like the girls who were in the hands of the group we found in the hospital.
But I must say that it was thanks to Alex-san that I could accept myself completely, since even knowing that I was alive thanks to that part of me, I still felt strange when comparing myself to others. Since he accepted me as I am and also had a like - minded with me, it helped me greatly to accept myself and act in a way in which I felt more free.
Besides, knowing that I would still have someone there for me no matter how I was, it was a great relief. Thinking about all that, a smile formed on my face, and then when Kurisu-san who was next to me notices my expression, asks me.
"What's wrong Saeko-san, why do you smile? Do you like European castles?"
"Hmn? No, I was thinking about other things, I'm sorry… besides, if I had to choose, I prefer Japanese castles. Maybe because I feel more identified with them, don't you think the same Kurisu-san?"
"Honestly, I have always thought that anything that is functional is better ... that's why a castle that is more to represent the status of a person, or power, I find them as unnecessary things, or a poorly spent space ... but if I had to choose from one European or Japanese, I think I would also choose the latter like you, that is maybe because I am Japanese and my point of view is a bit skewed”
"Fufufu, although space is certainly something that has become a luxury in our country, we cannot see a castle as a mere construction either. Many consider them more as art or history, rather than just stones placed together to make a edification"
Yuriko-san reach where our group was and joined in the conversation that I and Kurisu-san had, when Kurisu-san saw her, she frowns a little. It seemed that Kurisu-san doesn’t like much Yuriko-san ... or it was more like if she were defensive towards her.
Since this is recent and there was no evidence that she was like that with Yuriko-san before, it must be due to the words Alex-san said earlier. But I don't think she should worry about that, from what I've noticed from Yuriko-san, rather than being interested in him as a man, she probably likes him more as son-in-law.
"It's a great castle ~ The person who built this amusement park intended to live in it?"
When the atmosphere became a little strange, Shisuka-san's timely question returns it to normal. Then we all follow her vision by placing our eyes on the great castle.
"Although the person who built it was eccentric, he wasn't crazy enough to waste so much money just to put a big castle like his house in the amusement park. This place would serve as a hotel to house guests who wanted to have a long stay here."
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"Whatever the reason he did it, it doesn't matter now. What matters is that we can easily accommodate all the people we brought inside."
"Then should we start cleaning this place of zombies?"
"Kurisu-san and Saeko-san are right mom, maybe this is the best place in the entire amusement park where many people can comfortably be accommodated, since, if it is a hotel, it was designed to do precisely that.
So it is best that we clean it from any zombies inside so others can settle inside and also when we finish they can unload the trucks. That way when Dad and Alex-san return, we'll have a place to receive them. "
"Fufufu, my little Saya has grown up ... now she even worries about receiving her husband at home. But everyone is right, we should start cleaning this place.
Then some will stay with the unarmed people to protect them in case zombies appear and the others will enter the castle "
"Mom!!"
After arguing with each other, we began to organize and divided into two groups as Yuriko-san says. She takes the command of the first, who is the one who will enter the castle, the ones going there are I, Kurisu-san, Rei-san, Komuro-kun, Misuzu-san, Niki-san, 5 of the men that the Takagi couple who led at home and another 5 of the group that attacked us in the hospital.
To the latter, instead of being a choice fighting with zombies like the others, Alex-san left said that we force them to fight. When they heard his words no one complained, most likely they still had very fresh the memories of their former leader being eaten by his plant.
In addition, as they were used to fighting with zombies because were also forced before, it shouldn't have been so scary to do it for them. That not those all who belonged to that group came with us is because Yuriko-san feared that, if they were all together, they may have strange ideas such as revealing themselves against us.
Although when I think in their horror-filled face when they saw Alex-san, they probably prefer to fight with a large number of zombies than end up in one of the mouths of the carnivorous plant.
When come in my mind Alex-san's pet, I also remember Scythe-chan... I hope the both are fine, well, he will surely take care of her properly. Although it was a little peculiar, I began to worry about her because I thought we were both somewhat similar.
Scythe-chan could be said to be someone who was always wild, but being with Alex-san could show her quiet side. On the other hand I always showed my quiet look, but now with him at my side, I don’t had to worry about others seeing my other side, or more like I stopped caring what others thought of me .
"Well, Yoshioka-san you will take over the command of the group that stays to watch outside the castle"
"Okay, Yuriko-san, I'll make sure everyone who stays outside is safe. Please also be careful inside ... I don't want to be the one to have to give Takagi-san bad news."
"We will be careful"
The dialogue between the two of them takes me out of my thoughts, as she says, the one in charge of taking command of the other group is Yoshioka-san, from what Yuriko-san has told us, it seems that he was a great supporter in Soichiro-san's ideals, so they both have a lot of trust in him.
Shisuka-san, Saya-san, as they are not accustomed to fight, they would stay with the outside group, also next to them remain Yamada-san and Yuki-san that are carrying the previous weapons of Komuro-kun and Rei-san that Alex-san had given them.
"Well, if everyone is ready, then let's get in"
We all nod to Yuriko-san's words, then two men take the lead and kick the castle wooden doors hard. As we had no keys, we had to use force to enter, it was a relief that as it was a hotel, these were more ornamental things than the thick doors that a castle should have.
"We will first check all the hallways, do not open doors at the moment, we will examine room by room.
I, Kurisu-san, Busujima-san, Komuro-kun, Rei-chan, Misuzu-chan and Niki-chan will go through the the left. Gura-san, you 10 will go to the right ... you 5, you have already been given a new opportunity so that you can start again regretting what you did, do not expect there would be other new again "
""Yes ma'am!!""
With all that said, each party takes a course to clean the place, we go in the corridors on the left. I take the lead, since I was the only one fighting with a short-range weapon ... I had become accustomed to having Alex-san and Scythe-chan at my side fighting, but now it's my turn to make a way to the others, although there were not many.
Being the first floor of the castle ... oh this castle-shaped hotel, it didn't seem to have rooms on the first floor, or not at least in our direction. We only found what would be the restaurant, a place with a large pool and now we go to check what looked like meeting rooms.
"The place seems desolated ..."
"Yes, maybe we were lucky and when the beginning of the apocalypse occurred it was a day off for the workers preparing the place to be inaugurated. Also, since the doors are closed, the zombies could not enter."
Komuro-kun and Rei-san talk behind me as we advanced, since we entered we had not encountered any zombies until now, this place was emptier of enemies than the amount we saw outside. When we heard these two we also thought that it could be a possibility that what they were saying is true, but there was a problem with that...
"... If that were the case, there should be no blood stains on the floor and the walls."
Yuriko-san comments the same thing I was thinking, although we didn't find any zombies until now, there were still blood stains that we could see in some places as we advanced. Certainly they were not as remarkable or abundant as in other places we had gone, as the hospital, but that must be due to the population density here.
"It also seems as if someone dragged the bodies ... the blood marks go in one direction"
I say while pointing with the sword a blood mark that looks like it was carved on the ground by dragging the body of a person or a zombie. The others approach where I am and also observe it.
"Maybe we are not alone here? There may be people who fought with the zombies when they emerged ..."
"It can be, however, we should make sure"
After the dialogue between Kurisu-san and Yuriko-san, we all move on to where the blood stains point. When we walk through the corridors we saw more marks leading in the same direction, then in a few minutes we arrive at what looks like a large event hall.
It was not dark but the light was dim, since it was only illuminated by the sun's rays passing through the windows. They had a good amount of tables surrounding a platform for people to speak and be heard better by all those around them.
It a pity that what was on it was not a person preparing to expose something ... when we entered the first thing we saw was the silhouette of a person, he was sitting holding something big with both of his hands while seemed to eat it by taking it to his mouth, and as a result the sound of him munching was echoed throughout the venue.
Being an image that we had seen countless times so far, we do not hesitate to recognize it as a zombie. Yes, what we found at the end of following the marks were not people collecting the bodies to clean the place, but it was a zombie.
"Groooown"
It must have noticed us by the noise of our steps upon entering, the zombie turns to where we were throwing what was holding in its hands when it stands...
If it were a normal zombie, it would not surprise us too much, but when it got up we could see that its height was slightly over two meters, in addition to having a torso and long arms with a muscular appearance.
The rest of what was being eaten falls close to us, so we see that what was being eaten was another zombie ... having no more food they began to eat between themselves?
"He is getting closer !!"
As everything we saw seemed something new to us, it took us a more time to respond as we normally would. It wasn't until I heard Yuriko-san's scream and the sound of her weapon that we reacted, when I put my eyes back on the zombie, it was walking with great steps to where we were.
I hold tight the hilt of my sword waiting for it to be within my reach while the others point their weapons at it. Several bullets impact it, but the following events were strange ...
What I saw was not what always happened until now, that after a zombie was shot, pieces of meat flew everywhere ... in this zombie it seemed that its flesh and muscles were compressed on the body, since when bullets hit it only made it move in reaction to the impacts and that only seemed to enrage the zombie even more.
"Groown !!"
In addition, unlike other zombies whose heads almost exploded with a shot from Kurisu- san’s rifle, this time she only managed to make it move its head back and when It place it again looking in our direction, instead of the hole that it should be there, the bullet had only scraped a piece of meat showing the white skull that was fractured by the impact.
"W-what is that thing? Why hasn't it fallen after all those shots?"
"Don't get distracted and get scared, keep shooting it"
Because of the events, everyone is surprised and even takes a few steps backwards from what they see. Seeing this, Yuriko-san speaks so that they don't get distracted and continue to open fire, but is a pity that zombie seemed to not allow us to do what we wanted.
It reaches one of the tables and hits it hard with one of its hands and it is projected to our direction. Seeing that I quickly evade, but then I see Kurisu-san standing still, so I ran towards her knocking her down, preventing the table from hitting her.
""Kyaaa""
"Rei !! ... Damn it!!"
The table passes over both of us, but Rei-san who had also been stuck behind us is hit. When Komuro-kun sees this, he runs at the zombie, unloading all the bullets from his shotgun on him.