Doki paused outside the dingy facade of a small convenience store. "Let us search for provisions here before continuing," he suggested, phasing through the locked door.
Matsui eyed the dark interior within the store. With the power grid down, exploring any windowless building seemed risky. But their food supplies were dwindling after they left Matsui's apartment. Steeling herself, she followed Dorki into the stuffy store, staff ready to ignite. Jayla and Reira filed in behind her.
Rows of ransacked shelves greeted them. Cans, wrappers, and containers littered the floor. It seemed they weren't the first scavengers to hit this place. Dorki shook his head, ears drooping.
"Unfortunately, little remains intact," he reported, poking through debris with a paw. "But perhaps we may still uncover something useful."
Spreading out, the girls combed each aisle systematically. Matsui stumbled upon some overlooked snack items behind a spilled display. To her delight, she also discovered a case of bottled water hidden under the counter. "Guys, I found drinks!" she called excitedly.
Jayla whooped, lugging over an armful of snack bags. "Score! Let's get this party started." She tore open a bag of chips and began munching victoriously.
A loud bang from the store's entrance interrupted their feast. Matsui whirled to find a rough-looking gang filing in, clad in leather and brandishing makeshift weapons. One snarled at the scrawny man cowering behind the counter.
"Alright, pops, hand over any goods you got! Today's payday, one way or the other." He pounded a nail-studded bat against his palm. Matsui realized these must be marauders exploiting the chaos.
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The leader turned, noticing the girls for the first time. His scarred face split into a leer. "Well well, what do we have here? Cosplayers who got lost, looking for the anime convention?" The thugs guffawed stupidly.
Matsui braced herself, her staff held rigidly. These lowlifes meant trouble. Beside her, Jayla and Reira also sank into fighting stances. Before either side could act, Dorki floated up, eyes glowing brightly.
A blaze of energy blinded the gang. Howling, the leader fired his bat wildly, missing Dorki by inches. "What the hell was that!? Get them, boys!"
Chaos erupted. Shelves toppled as brutes swung pipes and clubs blindly. Matsui dodged left, then froze, a charging woman's legs in place. Reira blasted two from behind with fireballs.
Jayla zapped weapons out of her hands, then delivered shocks to stun her targets. Within minutes, all the thugs lay sprawled across the tile floor.
While Dorki used cables and duct tape to restrain the dazed gang, the girls caught their breath. These common criminals posed no real threat, but the encounter reminded them of dangers beyond the undead.
With their guard down, nobody noticed the zombie approach until flames filled the storefront. Smelling seared flesh, Matsui whirled to see a decrepit mechanic wielding a hissing blowtorch. Before they could react, the zombie cornered them, waving the makeshift weapon threateningly.
Thinking fast, Matsui summoned her icy magic, dowsing and freezing the blowtorch solid. As the zombie fumbled with the device in confusion, Reira slammed it back with a fiery blast.
Pressing their advantage, Jayla unleashed sizzling lightning, frying the zombie until it collapsed and lay still, flames continuing to lick across its greasy overalls. Matsui exhaled shakily, grateful they neutralized the surprise attack.
After checking no other zombies approached, and the trio gathered the remaining intact supplies. Matsui turned and glared at the gang. "That should teach you a lesson for attacking girls!"
Back outside, Matsui stretched in the sunlight, letting the fresh air wash away the stench of burnt zombie flesh. She turned to Jayla and Reira. "We make a pretty good team, huh?" The other two nodded, grinning. Together, they could handle whatever this eerie new world threw their way, even if it meant fighting their kind.