"After we've searched the surrounding area we'll return. So keep the path to this door secured, or we won't be able to get back inside" Takashi turns around to glance at the alleyway that was through the door he just mentioned.

"Yea...as we can't...use the front entrance anymore..." Rei adds up while looking behind me, towards the main room.

And...she wasn't wrong. After Saya's little...outburst...we barely managed to close the shutters before the store's front sidewalk became a corpse hangout.

"Well...we could draw them away as we leave." Kohta lifts the AR-10 in his arms slightly as he speaks.

"No, it's alright. That metal shutter should be more than enough to hold them back. Plus with Them there, we deter any unwanted visitors who actually 'know' how to get rid of the shutter...and...trying to draw them away, will just block off your own escape route." I respond as i shake my head.

"Yea...that's true...so, well, in that case, we're off...we will use the radios if need be" Takashi nods, turns around and motions the rest to follow him. Them being Saeko, Rei, Kohta and Asami.

"Ohh, and, see if you can barricade the alleyway where we parked the car, we'll handle the other side" Takashi turns around and points to my left before looking at me.

"Already on it" I nod, give Saeko one last glance and close the door, then head inside the store, where the rest of the group was at. In other words, Saya, Alice, and Shizuka.

"Hmm, seems they finally pipped down completely" I say in a low tone as i walk into the room and look at the corpses on the other side of the metal grill shutter.

"Yep...wonder if the rain made them lose interest...they don't seem to want to move though...but at least they also don't seem to be able hear us..." Shizuka, who was sitting on the counter, puts her finger under her chin and tilts her head as she keeps looking at the corpses.

"Rain is falling all around them...but the sound is probably not concentrated enough to make them move...add that they might also be drawn to each other's moaning..." Saya answers as she keeps leaning her back against a shelve, her arms folded under her chest and a slight frown on her face...

"So leaving them there is the best we can do?" Shizuka asks.

"They didn't manage to get through the shutter even when they tried...and going out to bait them, isn't without its own risks...seems unnecessary...for now at least" I respond as i turn to glance at my bag that was hanging on the side of the furthest row of shelves, the same row that Saya was leaning on.

"Ughh...if only that idiot Kohta had kept his stupid little mouth shut..." Saya keeps looking at the corpses as she groans.

"But...Saya...are condoms really that bad?" Alice, who was sitting on the counter, next to Shizuka...speaks up...and Saya ends up freezing as she locks her head to her...i mean...she even stopped blinking...

"Please don't shout..." I turn to look at Saya as i speak, she darts her head to me and narrows her eyes...but stays otherwise quiet.

"A...Alice, as Kohta mentioned...t...they're meant for...adults" Saya then turns to look at Alice again.

"...Yes...Kohta did tell me that...but, what are they used for?...You're a genius Saya...so you must know, right?" Alice, ever oblivious, asks again as she tilts her head and stares at Saya with big, round eyes...

(Holy crap, Alice throws some hardcore side jabs...and she doesn't even realize it)

"Ahh...well..uhh...i...uhh...well...I'm a genius...o...of course i...do know...but...you're too young...s...so I'm not telling you until you get older" Saya started glancing around the room as she spoke. Until she finally looked back at Alice, right before she finished her sentence.

"Huh...but whyyy..." Alice jumps off the counter hops over to Saya.

"As i told you munchkin, you're too young, that the end of it. I'm not telling you" Saya responds with a stern voice as she narrows her eyes.

"Ouuuuuh...hmm...ohh, Shizuka, Shizuka..." Alice turns around towards the nurse as she starts speaking...only to find the woman whistling...and staring at the ceiling...Alice pouts and folds her arms...and then turns towards the last person she had yet to ask...

"That's a question that girls answer to girls. And boys answer to boys...that's a rule that even overlords have to follow, can't help you here shorty" I cut her off before she could even speak up...

"Muuu...you're all just a bunch of big meanies" Alice, lowers her head and looks at her feet as she keeps pouting...

I shake my head, chuckle, and walk up to Shizuka.

"So...Shizuka. Once you're done looking for the spider pig...could you give me the Humvee keys?" I stop next to her as also turn to glance at the ceiling before looking back at her.

"Umm, oh sure...ehhh...spider...pig?" She fiddles inside the pockets of the jacket she was wearing before pulling them out and tossing them to me.

(When did she even change into that?...)

"Huh, what do you want the Humvee keys for?" Saya asks while still leaning on the shelve.

"Takashi asked me to block the alleyway that the car is parked in. So, before i go ripping off doors to use as barricades, i want to see if i can steer the car a little more to the side in order to block a bigger part of the alleyway...I need the keys to get inside the car and lower the hand break" I replied.

"...You...can rip off doors?" Shizuka ask she keeps looking at me, her eyes slightly wide.

"The door to the room that's behind the counter and the door after the stairs that go to the second floor, they're both made of metal, so they should be pretty sturdy...and uhh...no actual ripping...just need to unscrew the door hinges with a screw driver" I answer.

"And...we do...have a screwdriver?" Saya turns to me and asks...with a slight smirk. And then...silence...

(Uhh...the one i had...got 'confiscated'...when i got 'arrested' by Saya's mom...After that, i ended up with a combat knife...i could use that...but it might dull the edge...ughh...well i could...)

"Heh, i'll take the silence as a no...well, lucky for you i picked up a couple of different types when we were in the estate...though we might need em...looks like i was right" Saya then speaks up again, the grin still on her face...

(Ohooh. Saya wants a head pat?)

"Hmm...good thinking Saya...ok, i shouldn't waste any more time, i'll go to the car and see if i can use it to block the alleyway...without actually jamming it between the walls..." I nod...turn around...and head towards the back door. Right before i exit the building, i look at the shotgun that was still on me.

(...I'm just going to keep it hidden under the coat...i...had enough condom related chats for today)

And so, i walk out the back door and go left, then, once i reached the end of the alleyway, i turn left again and come face to trunk with the Humvee that was a little further off. Also, while there were no corpses in the alleyway...i could still see a couple of them on the road that was partly visible from here...none of them seemed to be interested in heading towards the car though.

(Damn, the sky is really coming down right now...let's get this over with before i end up with a permanent water attribute...)

I walk over to the Humvee, unlock the driver's door, lean inside and push down the handbrake as i turn the steering wheel to the left. I then exit the vehicle, close the door and go behind it.

(...I just hope i can actually push this thing...hmm...well, we're on a flat surface and the tires are fine...so i suppose it shouldn't be that hard)

I nod and then start pushing the car from behind...and slowly, step by step, the Humvee begins rolling towards the wall to the left. Though that meant that the gap in the right was getting bigger now.

I look to my right as i keep pushing.

(Hmm...the way the car is going to be positioned now...it seems to make a 'cone' shape with the wall to the right...i could use a door and 'jam' it between the car the wall)

After i felt the car bump against what i guess was the left wall i back off from the trunk and go to the right side of the vehicle.

(Well, the front part of the car is pretty far apart from the wall...a horizontally placed door would definitely fit in...so i can just place it there and push it until it gets lodged...hmm yea...plus getting rid of it is as easy as kicking it from the opposite side...and...i don't think corpses have the mental capacity to actually realize that they need to pull the door. If they somehow manage to get here that is)

I nod to my self and go over to the left side of the car. After pulling the handbrake up, i lock the driver's door. I was the about to turn around when i heard an...annoyed moan?...groan?...coming from behind me.

Turning around i find...Saya...her back turned to me...dragging a...door?

(Uhh...what exactly am i looking at?...)

I start walking towards her.

"Come on you stupid door, ughhh...Why is this so god damn h..." It...must have taken less than a second...Saya's hands...slipped, probably because of the rain. She then took a couple of steps backward as she flailed her arms...and landed on her butt...to my surprise...all of that...happened in pure silence, as she didn't shout and the door landed on top of her...so that 'splat' was even more...audible...

(Does this count as the ground slapping Saya's butt?...uhh...the fuck am i even thinking? )

"Ughhh Stupid...door..." She starts raising her voice...but quickly lowers it as she fixes her hat and gets up.

"Are you alright?...And...can i ask what exactly you're doing?" I ask as i walk up to her.

"Y...you said you needed a door...Or did you just make me do all this for no reason?" She glanced at me before lifting one side of the door again.

"No, and you're actually just on time, i was about to return in order to get a door" I walk past her and lift the door from the other side.

"We need to get this to the right side of the car. We'll use it to block the opening" I say as i look at Saya, she just glanced behind her and nodded.

We then headed to the right side of the car and placed the door horizontally between the car and the wall. After that, we pushed until it got 'stuck'.

"That should do it" I take a step back and look at the 'barricade'

(The door is past the passenger's seat, so we can use that to go to the other side)

I go to the door and unlock it.

"Uhh...on second thought, going inside like this...we'll probably end up turning the insides into an aquarium" I lock the door again and up climb on the car's hood. Then turn around, kneel down and extend my hand to Saya.

"I...can get up my self. I only fell back there because..." She starts trying to climb up the hood from the side as she speaks...with...uhh...little success.

"Go to the front part of the car and place your foot in one of the holes that are in the car's lower frame, right under the hood, use it as a step to climb up" I respond as i lower my hand.

"I...i know you idiot...you don't have to tell me" Saya responds as she lowers her head slightly and goes to the front part of the hood...and finally climbs up...albeit rather...clumsily.

"Well the left side of the hood is too close to the wall, we'll go back down from the backside of the car" I respond as i get on the roof and glance behind me. Saya follows me with a slight frown...though judging from her red face...i'd say she was probably embarrassed...rather than annoyed.

"...Hmm...you can try to slide down the trunk...though that will..." I turn to Saya as i speak...only to see that she now did indeed look quite...annoyed...

"Well, i'm sorry i'm not a badass acrobat like Saeko..." She responds as she folds her arms and looks away, the frown still on her face.

(...Oh...boy...she just said that didn't she?)

"What does Saeko have to do with any of this?" I 'ask'.

"...Nothing..." She responds as she keeps looking away.

(...Uhh...hmm...ohhh...idea)

I jump down the car, causing Saya to turn to me.

"H...hey where are you..." Before she could finish i unlock the back door and get inside, leaving the door slightly open and hanging my trenchcoat on it.

I then open the hatch and motion Saya to come down.

" I...i told you, i don't need your..."

"You got the MP5 with you?" I cut her off...

"Uhh yes?" She answers.

"Well then, come down here before the car's insides get drenched" I turn to look at the trenchcoat as i speak. Saya grumbles slightly and finally climbs down.

"Ok, now take off the raincoat" I say the moment Saya got down and closed the hatch.

"...W...what?..." She just...stared at me with a blank expression...

(Well...that did sound a bit...weird)

"It's dripping water all over the car, we'll be swimming by the time i'm done showing you how to use the MP5 if you don't take it off." I point at her raincoat as i speak.

"Wait?...Here?...Now?" She just kept staring at me.

"Yea, though if you keep this up, the only thing i'll be doing is mopping the Humvee" I respond.

"...R...right..." Saya nods and sits down as she takes off the raincoat...and is then left in her suspender sort shorts, 'HQ' T-shirt and the black long-sleeved shirt she was wearing under that.

I motion her to give me the raincoat, which she does. I then hang it on the door, next to my own coat.

"Ok...so...can i see the gun for starters?" I ask as i turn back and sit next to her. Saya nods, takes the gun off the sling and hands it to me.

I press on the magazine release button that was behind the mag, remove it and leave it next to me. Then grab the cocking handle and pull it back and up, locking the bolt carrier on the backside of the receiver as a bullet went flying out the ejection port. I pick the stray bullet and leave it next to me. Then pick up the magazine and start unloading the bullets.

After both the gun and magazine were empty i put the magazine back inside the gun grab the cocking handle and slide it back in the front part of the gun before letting it go.

"Ok... let's start with the easy stuff...take off the magazine, and then put it back in" I hand the gun to Saya as i speak...she nods and does as i asked. ...The moment she locked the magazine back into the MP5, she turned to look at me.

"Ok...now do it a couple more times, you'll need to be able to do this without looking" I point at the mag as i speak.

"...Without...looking?" She responds as she glances at the gun and frowns slightly.

"Yes, you need your eyes to look at the thing that's trying to rip you apart" I answer.

"Taking the magazine off is actually pretty easy, lift your trigger finger and place it on the trigger guard that is behind the magazine release button...switch...whatever you want to call it" She nods as i speak.

"Then use your other hand to press the button, it will be a little further off from your finger, so it should be easy to find " She nods and starts moving her hand as she glances at the gun, lowering her head slightly. And a couple of seconds later, she was holding the mag in her other hand.

"Placing it back in, is the same deal, use your trigger finger to 'feel' where exactly the gun is at. Then bring the magazine a little further forward from there...also, use your thumb and, or index finger to feel the gun, so you'll know when you've found the correct spot...and just to make sure, give it a strong push after you placed it inside...you should hear a 'click' after the mag gets locked in, also, hold the mag in a way so that the 'curve' looks away from you" Saya kept staring at me, while occasionally nodding...no whining, no grumbling, no frowning...she was actually taking this pretty seriously.

...She then spent the next couple of minutes trying to 'blind' reload the gun.

(So...next..uhh...next...how to use the sights...the safety...the scope...hmm...shoulder placement...hmm

I could also show her how to load bullets in the magazine and how to deal with a jam...but...not today, showing her everything now will just overload her... genius or not)

"Ok...i think i got the hang of this" Saya speaks up as she turns to look at me...and then starts reloading the gun while still looking at me...i think she was grinning slightly...

(Oh...she's fast...well, the whole deal is doing this under pressure...but still, not bad)

"Hmm..good. Just remember, if you change an empty magazine...or more correctly, if the chamber has no bullet inside, you'll also have to pull this handle all the way to the back and then let it bolt forward by itself...Because if i remember correctly, this gun doesn't lock the carrier on the back after the last round" I point at the receiver and then at the cocking handle as i speak. Saya just looks at my finger and nods.

"Next...try aiming the gun out the front windshield, at a corpse in the distance" I point to my left as i speak...Saya looks at me for a bit before nodding again. She lifts the MP5 and 'aims' it.

(she has the stock on her shoulder, but did not place her cheek on it, which i think is possible with this certain stock..)

"...The sight's not working..." She says as she keeps aiming the gun.

"...Right, look under the dot sight, the iron sights should be there. Try looking through them and tell me if your target looks 'further away' " I point at the guns actual sights as i speak. Saya nods and lowers her head slightly...

"Umm...yea...it does seem further away...i guess the scope can act like a mini binocular?" She responds shortly after.

"Well since the scope has some magnifying capabilities, we should leave it on. Now to aim, you have to set your eye, the sight, and target in a straight line, with the target being in the 'center' of the dot sight, that is where the red dot would normally be at, the same rule applies to the iron sights" I then place my finger on the stock.

"Put the lower part of your cheek here and try to 'align' your eye with the rear sight, then the rear sight the front sight" I then point at the rear sight as i speak and finally at the front one...Saya nods again...closes one eye and puts her cheek on the gun's stock.

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"Uh...how do i...align... my eye with the rear sight?" She keeps looking down the sight as she speaks, her eyebrows taking a questioning look.

"Uhh...I don't really have a good way to explain this...just make sure that you're looking the rear sight from center back and not slightly sideways...then try to make the spike in the front sight align to the middle of the...uhh...Tetris 'T' type block cut out..." As i finish speaking, Saya turns to me with a cheeky one-sided smirk.

" 'T' Tetris block?" She 'Asks'.

" Yes, 'T' Tetris block...if you don't like my naming methods...you can always ask Kohta to..."

"I...i never said that...s...so...w...what do i do next?" Her eyes go wide for a second before she turns to look down the sights.

(Heh...)

"Well, while not as important on small caliber weapons. Because their recoil isn't strong enough, make sure that when shooting your teeth aren't tightly shut, but not open either, lest you end up biting your own tongue off...Second, before you take a shot take a deep breath...now uhh...the next part, i've heard two different ways it can go, either hold your breath in your lungs for as long as you shoot, or, exhale slightly then hold your breath and shoot, both are meant to keep your hands steady." Saya turns to me and nods.

"Which...method do you use?" She asks as she keeps looking at me.

"...None...most of the time i do shoot, i use the shotgun...most time that i use the shotgun, i bearly even get to 'aim'...but if i had a choice, i'd say use the second method" I turn to look at the shotgun as i speak.

Before Saya could answer, the radio i had on an inside pocket in my trench coat goes live...or well...it makes a single click.

"Oh, that must be the guys" I lean towards the door, take the radio out of the coat and make a single click before placing it back inside the pocket.

"...Looks like this plan worked pretty well after all huh..." Saya speaks up as i leave the trenchcoat back on the door.

"Yea, better than i expected to be honest" I respond as i sit back in the center of the car.

"Hum...it's...an ok plan...but...i...would have still thought of something if you hadn't..." She 'hugs' the gun slightly as she turns to look the windshield.

"Well even if you didn't, it was thanks to you that we found the radios to begin with, so this is actually thanks to you." I respond.

"O...of course it is, i'm a genius, i figured we could use them one way or another" She glances at me before turning to look back towards the windshield.

After that, she stayed quiet for some seconds before she started 'aiming' her gun again.

"...Thanks..." She whispers after a couple of minutes have passed...

"Anytime Saya" i replied as i turn to look at her.

She then lowers the gun...and keeps looking at it.

"Naier...do you...miss your old life?" She asks.

"You mean before the outbreak?" Saya nods without turning to me.

(...Uhh...well...the only thing i can count as 'pre outbreak' is when i was not 'here'...so...do i...miss that?...Sure, i do have the occasional 'i want video games ' moment...or wanting to sleep more...and obviously not having walking corpses that want to rip my head off strolling outside my front door...and electricity...but...well...)

"Both the then and now...have their pros and cons...i can't say that i hate the now, i can't say that i don't miss the then either...you...do?" I replied...Saya just nodded...and a couple of seconds later, she turned to me.

"...How...can you even 'find' pros in a situation like this?...How is anything even remotely better than how it used to be..." She narrows her eyes slightly.

(Well I'm not surprised she thinks that, she was...a spoiled rich kid after all...and her parents didn't seem to 'push' her too much either, i mean hell, in the anime, she needed to end up getting slapped by her mother to make her listen...and judging from her reaction...it must have been quite a 'new' experience...Yet in the end, she did say that she loved them...and even before that, during all of her whining moments, she never actually said that she hated them either...and...as much as i like her...this is something that i need to say, for her own good...and this moment seems to be as good as any)

"Well...it's just that...there are a couple of things that happened...that would otherwise be impossible to even think of, was it not for the outbreak" Saya tilts her head as she looks at me.

"Like?" She asks.

"Well...other than driving around in a military vehicle while being armed to the teeth in the middle of a city? Us speaking is also one of them" As i finish Saya just keeps staring at me.

"Uhhh...what do you mean...'us speaking'? How could that be 'impossible to happen' was it not for the outbreak? It's not like i'm..."

"Deaf and stupid" I cut her off...she just...blinks...

"That's what you called me the first time i ever saw you and that was also the last thing you said to me before the outbreak happened" I fold my arms as i speak.

"W...well...y...you blocked the stairs...and i was in a hurry and you didn't listen and..."

(...She actually remembers that?)

"Even so...would 'you' try to get close to somebody who insulted you when you didn't even know them?...Even if you were in the wrong" I ask.

Saya lowers her head slightly, averts her eyes...and goes quiet...

(Uhhh...shit...maybe i went a bit too hard on her)

"So, if there's one reason that i'm glad for this outbreak, then it's because i was able to find out that you're not the person who i thought you were." Saya just kept looking at her knees as i spoke...

"I'm...sorry..." She whispers softly after a couple of seconds have passed...

(...Did she just? Apologize to me?)

"Uhh...what?" I ask as i keep staring at her.

"I said i'm sorry..." She looks at me with a slight frown.

"Uhh... So that means you're going to stop calling me an idiot now?" I ask as i tilt my head.

"I'm calling you an idiot only when you're being an idiot...idiot" Saya responds as she hugs the MP5 and looks at the windshield as she narrows her eyes.

"Well Saya, just so i make my self clear. I'm not mad or angry at you, if i didn't want to be around you, then i wouldn't be here right now...so if you need my help, just tell me" The moment i finish my sentence Saya turns to stare at me...but did not speak...she...did go slightly red though.

"And speaking of here and nows...we better go back inside...before the other two get worried" I turn around, grab the trench coat, wear it and exit the humvee.

Saya then followed suit after she hid the gun under her own raincoat...I then locked the back door, went to check the front door...and...uhh...

I saw Saya in the car's mirror...

She had her arms tightly folded under her chest and was slightly twisting her upper body from side to side...also...she was smiling...a smile that i have seen only once more so far, and that was when she was hugging her mother...

Yet...the moment i turned to face her.

"Come on, quit wasting time...if you're done, then let's go already..." She instantly turns around and starts walking without waiting for my reply.

(Heh...chunderes...)

And so...we then walked back into the building...and towards the main room...

"Saya, Saya!...Did your date go well?" The moment we set foot in there, Alice popped up from behind the shelves, with an unopened bun in her hands.

"W...w...wha...Aaaa...you stupid little...Munchkiiiiin~...let me tell you a little secret~" Saya started raising her voice...but then quickly lowers it, 'smiles'...and slowly creeps up to Alice, who just looked at her like a deer that was staring down at the headlights of a big rig...and the moment Saya got within arms reach...well... let's just say that Alice's cheeks will remember this day...for quite some time...all the while, Shizuka was giggling from behind the counter...

"Was that your idea?..." I ask as i take off the coat, hang it on one of the shelve's corners and turn to Shizuka.

"...I got no idea what you're talking about" Shizuka puts her finger under her chin and looks away without turning her head, a slight grin on her face.

(Definitely her doing)

"Well... i guess now we wait" I sit on the counter and turn to look at Saya, who was still going for a full-blown makeover on Alice's cheeks...

(...I just realized...i forgot to reload Saya's gun...uhh...got so focused on Saya her self...that forgot about the gun...)

And in the end, i found my self strolling around the store, after looking at the corpses on the other side of the shutter for a couple of minutes...also...why do i find it progressively harder to resist snacking on the crap around here...

"I'm boooored..." Shizuka was the first one to 'speak up' as she sprawled her upper body on the counter.

"You should be glad that you 'can' be bored...I just hope that Takashi and the rest can find Rei's mother...alive..." Saya responds as she keeps looking at the corpses on the other side of the shutter...

"...Umm...yea... i'm sorry..." Shizuka lifts her self up and folds her arms as she lowers her head slightly.

Then, I felt something tugging my hand, turning to my left I see Alice looking at me.

"You...are not from here right?...Are...your mom and dad ok?" She asks...and now...very single head in here was turned towards me...

(...God damn it Alice...)

"I don't know, and...there isn't much I can do about it anyway" i respond.

"I'm sure they are ok...they are probably doing overlord stuff...like you are..." Alice speaks in a low tone as she fidgets in place and lowers her head.

(...Are they? doubt it...i mean, they' re not even 'my' parents to begin with...)

"Yea, they probably are" I pat Alice on the head as I speak.

"...Mhm...I'm sure they're alright. They're probably all wearing masks and..."

"Hey can you hear me? It's Takashi" And as Shizuka was about to say something...incredibly stupid...the radio in my coat goes live.

(Perfect timing...is perfect)

I walk up to the coat and take out the radio.

"Yea i can hear you, i guess that means you're nearby?" I respond.

"Ye, we'll be there in a couple of minutes...and we...are bringing an extra member" He says as the rest of the group gathers around me.

"Hmm? you found..."

"We found Rei's mother, she's alive" He answers.

"They found Rei's mom!" Alice speaks up with a giggle as she keeps jumping around while holding Shizuka's hands, who was also giggling along...

"Ok, we will keep silent until we get near, talking around 'them', is not among the things that i prefer to do" And the radio goes silent.

"Well, glad that went smoothly...but now we need to figure out when and how we'll leave this place..." I say as I walk next to the glass wall and look at the sky through the shutter...the rain...seemed to have stopped but...well...it was starting to get dark.

"I don't know how far the elementary school is at...but there's a high chance it will end up getting dark before we can even reach it" Saya walks up next to me as she starts talking.

" Yea, we'll wait for the rest and then decide what we should do...but...I'm against going out there in the dark...corpses are already blind...and driving with the headlights on is like we're asking for an ambush...especially with how valuable cars are right now. Add that driving in the middle of the night means that we'll have to go slower than normal as our visibility will be crap..." I turn to look at Saya as i speak...she just...stared at me.

"You...really thought this through huh?...Still...that means that, we'll have to leave the moment the sun comes up...that would be five or six AM. Meaning it would leave us like six hours to get there. Normally, i would say that this much time is more than enough...but now... " She trails off as she turns to look at the corpses on the other side of the shutters.

"We don't know how many roads will be blocked off" Saya nods as i respond.

"Hey guys, we're on the road by the store, we'll be there in less than a minute" The radio in my hand speaks up.

"If the alleyway you barricaded is inaccessible then go to the car, you can it as a 'door'...or you know...climb over it." Saya...ended up staring at me with a slight frown the moment i mentioned the 'climbing' part...

"Alright we'll do that then, also, be ready. We're going to make some noise before entering the alleyway, to draw them away from the front entrance" And then, the radio went silent once again.

(Well, getting the corpses out of our faces will make it easier on our mental health if we stay for the night...and with how fast the sun is going out, i think we might)

"Ok, i'm going to the car to unlock the doors" I grab the trenchcoat and start heading towards the exit.

"O...Ahh..w...wait up, i'm coming as well...and...why are you even wearing the trenchcoat right now? It's not raining anymore" Saya starts running behind me as she asks.

"Simple...it looks nice" I answer as i exit the building through the back door.

"Uhh...Have you gone stupid? This thing will just hinder your movement...though it does...suit you..." Saya ends her sentence with a whisper...that i heard...because you know...good hearing and all.

"Thanks" I answer as i glance at her.

"W...wha? I...i didn't say anything. Why are you thanking me, i said you're Stupid. Stu. Pid." Saya i raises her voice slightly as she keeps walking next to me.

(Heh...chunderes)

I chuckle as i keep walking. Once we reached the car, i unlock the left back door and climb up to the roof through the hatch, Saya following behind me shortly after.

"We'll have to be a tad quieter now, the rain stopped so nothing will hide the noise" I walk down to the hood as i glance back at Saya, she nodded without speaking.

And some minutes later, we heard a couple of loud yells, and then saw Takashi's group popping up into the alleyway. And so, they, along with their new 'member' aka Rei's mother...aka Kiriko, came over to the car.

"Unlock the right door if you want to go through the car, or climb up and go over the roof, your pick" I toss the keys to Takashi as i speak.

"Anybody want to use the door?" He asks as he turns to the group...and...silence...

Saeko...was already up on the hood next to me...and the rest had already moved towards the hood.

"Guess we'll be all climbing up then" Takashi responds as he tosses the keys back.

"Yea, it's not that hard to climb up anyway" Kohta responds...

"Then move it fatso, we don't have all day" Saya responds with an angry frown...

(...ouch...)

So, with the rest climbing up the car, me and Saeko moved back and jumped down the Humvee.

"Anything happened while we were gone?" Saeko asks once we were both next to the car.

"No, not really...i take it everything went fine on your side too? " I replied with a question, to which Saeko nodded.

By the time the others were over the car, Saya had also gotten out. So, after i locked the doors, we headed back into the store. Where the whole group gathered up as Rei's mom introduced herself, followed up by the rest of us.

"So...now we go to the school?" And the moment the introductions were done, Kohta asked the million-dollar question...

"I...don't think that's a good idea...to leave right now i mean" Saya glances at me before speaking up, causing the group to turn towards her.

She then went on to use the reasons i had mentioned to her some time ago.

"...But, can we really stay here?...i mean sure, this place is relatively safe...but will we make it in time if we don't leave now?" Rei then asks the second most obvious question.

"Well...if we had a map we could..."

"We do have a map, in my bag" I cut Takashi off and point at the bag that was hanging on the side of a shelve.

"Ohh, then let's use it, it'll be faster and much easier to figure out what our next step should be if we can see the exact distance we need to cover" Takashi nods as he looks at me...and...a couple of minutes later...we were all around the counter. The map in the center, with Alice pointing a flashlight at it.

"Ok, so...first, the elementary school is in here" Takashi points at the rightmost landmass.

"And we're still here i suppose" I say as i point at the central landmass.

"Yes, we're here" Rei then points at our exact location.

So...compared to the river that separated us from the school's landmass we were uhh...Five blocks in distance?...Well, i say five...but...the distance these blocks had between them was incosistent...the first two looked 'normal'...but the other three...each one was like four blocks stuffed into one in length and two into one in width...in other words...it was quite the distance to the river from here, but at least we were still in the left-most part of the central landmass...which was definitely good...

"And where exactly is the school located at?" Kohta asks.

"Uhh right...i remember it was somewhat near a bridge...my mother always complained how she had to take an...umm...how are they called...these bridges that open up in two in order to let ships pass through?" Takashi turns to look at the group as he speaks.

"Bascule bridges" Saya folds her arms as she turns to look at Takashi.

"Ohh...i...always just called them lifting bridges..." He responds as he scratches the back of his head.

"Because you're an idiot...now, can we get back to you telling us where the school is at?" she 'asks'...you know...i find it weird that Rei doesn't seem to care that Saya is calling Takashi an idiot...then again these three knew each other from a young age...

"...Hmm...this block...no...uhh...ohh...wait, here it is" He points at the rightmost landmass...about...six blocks inland.

"Ehhh...that's...not 'too' bad, it's actually a straight drive from here" Kiriko smiles and nods as she looks at the map.

"You said that this monster of a car that is parked outside can still run right? With the car, it'll be what...an hour? Two-hour drive?...And...uhh...ohh wait...ahh crap..." She then stops mid-sentence.

"Huh, what's wrong?" Rei asks as she turns to stare at her mother before looking back at the map.

"We're here right?" Kiriko points at our location, and Rei nods.

"So we need to go through here..." she then runs her finger through the three long blocks and stops on a bridge that was right after the last large block...

(Wait...we never mentioned that the car worked in here...did they tell her when they were out there?...Ughh...so much about stating that we must NOT talk about the fucking car...)

"We probably can't take this road..." she keeps running her finger back and forth around the three large blocks.

"How come?" Kohta asks.

"Shopping district...a lot of traffic...a lot of people..."She turns to us as she finishes speaking.

"...Then our only route is through this bridge?" I ask as i point at the only nearby bridge...which was uhh...six blocks 'down' from our location...

Six blocks down...and compared to the road we needed to take to get to the school, four blocks up after we cross the bridge...so ten blocks..and then five...no...fourteen blocks to get to the bridge...plus six more to move 'inland' towards the school...

(The hell?... Why..is it so far away?... In the manga's last chapter the person i suspect to be Rei's dad heard the group's gunshots...so it shouldn't be THAT far...uhh...fuck...is it possible that the last chapter doesn't 'count'?... Was it made in a different way or something?...ughh...whatever, no point wondering about that now, it is what it is)

"Well, we don't have much of a choice, do we?...The next bridge is way too far away...and this river, while not very wide, is always deep enough to swallow cars whole...I...found that out when i kind of tossed a couple of troublemakers in that river once...when i was in a mobile traffic unit" Kiriko then points at the next nearest bridge...

...Nearest...with a big bucket of salt that is...as compared to the second bridge? It's like uhh...a lot of blocks away in distance...Thirty? Forty?...double that in total as we'll have to return...plus add that the longer we're on the road, the higher the chance that we might end up in trouble...yea...no.

"So, we leave now or?" Shizuka asks.

"...Going through the 'normal' road would have taken us one to two hours right?... So, let's say that the distance just got doubled...that would be three to four hours, meaning we still have two hours left for making sure we actually get there...of course, i'm not counting the increased chance of finding trouble on the way...but...if we find that trouble in the middle of the night, we might lose more than just time." I keep looking at the map as i speak.

"We'll be cutting it real close like that...what if we miss it?...My dad is there too." Rei turns to look at me as she speaks.

"...Well...what should we do then?" Asami asks.

"...As much as i want to leave right now...there are still clouds out there...with no street lights and the sky being blocked by clouds...we'll be going completely blind..." Saya glances at the glass wall as she speaks.

"So either we leave when the sun comes out...or we check if the clouds clear up in the middle of the night...though that would mean that some of us will not be getting enough sleep, as we'll need to keep an eye out" I fold my arms as i speak.

"Hmm that's not a bad idea actually, there are ten of us here...so if seven or six people stay up, we can cover the night shifts, while everybody still gets a good amount of sleep" Kiriko speaks up as she nods at me...

(Judging from how she didn't react when she heard that Rei's dad, in other words, her husband is there. They probably already told her when they were coming here. At least she does not seem as self-absorbed as Rei...)

"Let's do that then, this way at least, we won't feel like we didn't at least try." Takashi speaks up...and the whole group nods in agreement.

"Wait...do we have a watch?..." Takashi asks right after...

"Uhh...i used to use my phone to see the time..." And Shizuka pretty much answered for everybody...

"Here" I toss the watch i had in my poker on the map.

"Ohh...classy, didn't take you for a person that wears this type of thing" Kiriko picks up the watch and looks at it.

"I don't...i got it after the E.M.P blast" I answer.

"So...where will we sleep?..." Shizuka asks.

"We have the sleeping bags in the car right?...What about the upper floor?" I turn to Takashi as i ask.

"Hmm well the place didn't look too dusty, it was probably cleaned regularly, so i don't see why not" He answers.

And like that...we got the sleeping bags out of the car...desided who will stay up and when...and then went upstairs.

As for the guarding duty. First, was Takashi...yea, little shit managed to get the best number in the rotation...Followed by Saya, Rei, Saeko, Kohta, me, Asami and lastly Kiriko. Though the whole thing would probably end with either me or Asami.

And no, i didn't make this rotation...Takashi did...Otherwise, i'd have my time sandwiched between Saya and Saeko...Yea, i'm a horrible person...

So like that, the group other than Takashi went to sleep...We...

Went to sleep...

...

We slept...

...

We...

...

...Yea...no

(UGHHH...nope...can't sleep...blame the fact that this is officially the moment where i have no idea what's to come...fuhhh...i expected to be anxious...but...damn...)

I turn around to look at the ceiling.

(...I'll just get something to drink...or go and sit on the car for some time)

I slowly get up and carefully leave the room, before you ask, i was dressed...being kind of stuck in a room with everybody...you know...

I walk down the stairs and look at the room...we left a flashlight on 'weak' mode to light up the location, so i could see relatively well inside...and...

(Saya's here?...so at least i did sleep for an hour, well no change of plans. I'll just get some water from the fridge and be on my way)

I was about to walk towards the fridge...when Saya lifted her Mp5 towards the store's front glass wall...and with a slight smile she...

"Bang...bang...bang, bang" ...whispers...slightly jerking her body backward as she tries to...emulate the guns recoil?...

(...Did i...just see this?)

I reflexively pinch my self as i stare at Saya...

(Yep...this just happened...hmm...uhh...i should probably sneak away...Saya will probably freak...)

"...Bang...Bang...ehehe"

(...)

"If you actually try to shoot like that, the only thing you'll manage to do is lose your balance..." The moment i speak up Saya drops the gun and turns around while doing a small backward jump...she...did stay quiet at least...

"W...wa...you...you're not supposed to be up now...w...why are you here...w..." She starts stuttering as she keeps looking around...

"Take that posture again" I respond with a calm voice as i walk up to her.

"I'm really, i wasn't, i..."

"I know, come on, let me show you how you need to stand when you shoot" I cut her off...Saya keeps staring at me, before she slowly nods and lifts the gun...her face a deep red.

"Hmm...right handed...bring your left leg to the front and pull the right one back, also, slightly twist my upper body to the right...and try to keep your firing arm close to your body" Saya starts changing her posture as i speak...trying to follow my directions.

"Good, now...hmm..." As i think, Saya keeps glancing at me...She then lowers her gun...then takes the Luger out of it holster...looks at it...turns to me and extends her arm.

(Wait...is she?)

"D...don't get any funny ideas...it's just that you know more about guns...s...so you can hold on to it until i am ready to use it..." She glances around as she speaks, slowly lowering her head.

"I will...want it back...so you better not break or lose it..." She keeps glancing at me as she speaks.

"...Of course...just...can i have the holster?...Don't think it's a good idea to keep it in the bag...or in a pocket" I respond as i look at the gun.

"R...right...of course" Saya puts the gun back into the holster, takes it off and hands it to me.

I then take the holster, wear it and turn to look at the trenchcoat...

(Well...i'm glad that Saya is giving me this...but..uhh...the Luger is a WW2 Nazi gun...the coat i have looks like a German WW2 trenchcoat...and ohh God it'll be very awkward if i stumble upon an actual Fascist who'll end up thinking that i'm one of them because of that...actually...if a Nazi get bit...do they turn into Nazi zombies?...or regular Zombies?...hmm...)

"..W...what are you so silent for...say something..." Saya's voice snaps out of my thoughts, i turn to her and shake my head.

"Yea, sorry. It's just that the gun and coat combination made me wonder...do Nazis turn into Nazi zombies after they get bit?" I ask as i look at her. Saya just stared at me...and after blinking a couple of times.

"Uhh...should have figured it was something idiotic...seriously...is your brain filled with stupid?" She asks as she tilts her head and raises an eyebrow.

I just chuckle and turn to look outside...Saya keeps staring at me for some time before also turning to look towards the shutter.

We stayed like that for some time, until...

"Do...you think we'll make it in time?" Saya asks as she keeps looking outside.

"Honestly...i don't know...our chances are not that horribly bad though" I respond.

"Yea...it's just...i just realized...won't all the bridges be blocked off?" She turns to me as she asks.

"Hmm...possible...but...we have dynamite don't we?" I turn to her as i speak...Saya just...stares at me.

"...You intend to blow up the bridge? Are you nuts?" She asks as she keeps looking at me.

"If it has concrete blocks in the way...then yes...if it has cars...guess we can lift the handbrakes and push em away, the point is, we must not pull punches on this, we have to make sure we get there before the extraction is over" Saya, after hearing my response stayed quiet for a bit...

"...Yea...yea, you are right...we...do have to make sure we get there on time, as we won't have a second shot at this" She responds as she nods.

"Still...Uhh...i honestly don't know what I'll do if we do get rescued...Seeing as i spend most of my time thinking of how to not get eaten alive...I'll probably end up with way too much free time..." I tilt my head slightly as i look outside...

(And no video games)

"Umm...w...well...w...we...could...hang out...m...maybe...i could make you be less of an idiot..." Saya glances around as she speaks.

"That's...Private...lessons?" I ask with a slight grin. Saya's eyes go wide as her face turns red.

"G...go to sleep you frigging idiot..." She says as she turns her back to me and folds her arms...

I chuckle and head to the fridge, open it, and grab a water bottle...

(...Heh...chunderes...)