Chapter 8
They arrived at the mansion and sat down for dinner, eager to share what had happened.
"Why didn't you try to convince the military to join us?" Jenny asked, curiosity in her voice.
Souta paused for a moment, chewing his food before answering. "It's not necessary. We don't need too many people on our side for now. If the military were to join us, the president's faction would be filled with weak individuals, and they would eventually perish."
Jenny pondered his response, her eyes fixed on him. "You have quite a unique perspective, Souta," she said.
"What do you mean?" Souta asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You even left food for others at the convenience store," Amy chimed in.
Souta fell silent, his expression unreadable.
The next morning, they gathered to assess their loot from the school. It was a substantial haul.
They had acquired:
- A military truck
- Three rifles
- Four military knives
- Eight pistols
- Medicine
Their arsenal was expanding, but Souta remained unsatisfied. He knew they needed more equipment, especially quieter weapons like crossbows and swords. Guns attracted unwanted attention and consumed limited ammunition.
Souta shared his plan with the group—they would loot the gym for weights to enhance their training. Simultaneously, they would eliminate the remaining zombies in the town. After three days of preparation, they were ready to execute their plan.
Using both the military truck and a pickup truck, they set off for the town. The journey took hours, and exhaustion hung heavy in the air when they finally arrived at the gym.
Looting the gym turned out to be more challenging than expected. It took them several hours to complete the task. As they worked, they noticed some familiar faces among the students they had saved earlier. It seemed they had taken up the task of clearing the town.
With nothing more to scavenge, they decided to head back. Nightfall had arrived, and they settled down at the dinner table.
"It seems there's nothing left worth looting in this town," Souta remarked.
Amy chimed in, "So where should we go next?"
Souta paused, considering the question. "Hmm... maybe we should target another town, but before that, we should focus on training ourselves," he replied.
Amy nodded in agreement. "Sure, that sounds like a good plan," she said.
Souta turned his attention to Jenny and Andy. "Your training is going to be tougher than before," he warned them.
They both nodded, ready to face the challenges ahead.
Morning arrived, and their training began. They dedicated time to improving their shooting skills and also taught Amy how to drive. Weeks turned into months, and their progress was evident. Food was no longer a pressing concern, as their looting skills improved.
Meanwhile, the president's group had grown larger, establishing their base in the town. They were preparing for a major operation to clear the area.
During a lunch break at the kitchen table, Souta remarked, "It's been two months since the apocalypse began. Our bodies are ready for any danger that comes our way."
"Tomorrow, as planned, we'll head to another town," Souta declared.
The next morning, they set off, with Jenny and Andy staying behind to tend to the animals. The group drove along the highway, encountering minor obstacles like crashed cars. They decided to camp for the night.
"This sure is exciting, isn't it, Nana?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Nana nodded and replied, "Yeah, it's quite an adventure."
"I'll take the first watch tonight," Souta offered, trying to sound responsible.
"Alright, wake us up when it's our turn," Steff said, giving Souta a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Yay! We'll sleep in Souta's lap!" Amy exclaimed with infectious enthusiasm.
Souta raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"Because it's fun!" Amy replied, bouncing on her toes.
"Hey now, Amy, don't bother Souta," Steff intervened, not wanting any unnecessary tension.
"Oh, really? So, you don't want to sleep on Souta's lap too?" Amy teased, pushing Steff's buttons.
"What? Of course, I love to sleep on Souta's lap!" Steff said, her frustration apparent.
Souta chuckled, "Alright, alright, you two can sleep on my lap. Let's not fight."
"Yay!" Amy cheered, and Steff just nodded in agreement.
The two girls snuggled up, using Souta's lap as a makeshift pillow. Souta let out a small sigh, watching their antics with a mix of exasperation and fondness.
"What's so fun about sleeping on my lap anyway? Well, I guess if I get to see these cute faces, it's fine," Souta mumbled, his heart warmed despite himself.
Morning broke, and they enjoyed breakfast before resuming their journey toward the other town. By lunchtime, they had arrived and sat down to eat, discussing their plan of exploration.
Their first task was to climb atop a house to survey the area. Steff took on the climbing challenge and reported back, "The zombies seem concentrated near the police station, and there isn't that much zombies around"
"Alright," Souta acknowledged.
Steff jumped down, and they continued their drive towards the town's entrance. Splitting into three groups, they planned to loot houses. Souta would go solo, while Amy and Steff formed a team. Lily and Nana took on the lookout duty.
As they searched the houses, they discovered mainly food supplies and little else. Ten houses later, they still hadn't found anything of significance. Night fell, and they sought refuge in a random house.
Morning arrived, and they resumed their search, yet again yielding only food supplies. As they sat down for lunch in another random house,
"Man, we sure are unlucky today," Amy grumbled, kicking a small pebble on the ground.
Souta nodded, a hint of disappointment in his voice, "Yeah, you're right. Looks like there's nothing useful left here, except for the police station."
Lily looked concerned, "But isn't that place filled with zombies?"
Nana spoke up, her voice soft but determined, "Well, maybe we should try doing the same thing we did back at the school."
Souta turned to Nana, appreciating her suggestion, "She's correct. Luckily, we found some speakers that still have some batteries."
A glimmer of hope crossed their faces.
"So, we'll do what we did at the school. We'll start after lunch," Souta declared, trying to lift their spirits.
After their meal, they prepared the speakers and set up the distraction away from the police station. As the speaker began to start with it's loud music those zombies who are gathered in the police station began to rushed towards the loud sound.
They first waited for the zombies to completely go away, then Souta, Amy, and Steff made their way towards the police station, while Nana and Lily remained with the vehicles.
The wrecked entrance allowed easy access for the trio. They immediately search through the rooms, encountering zombies along the way, those zombies was mainly policed. With swift precision, they dispatched each threat, their well-honed skills on full display.
Amy said, "Whew, this is mentally tiring than I expected."
Souta agreed, "But thanks to our training, it's easier now, isn't it?"
Steff nodded, grateful for their progress. "Definitely. It's all thanks to you, Souta."
Unbeknownst to them, amidst the chaos, they had overlooked a person locked in one of the cells—a girl dressed in a police uniform. She appeared emaciated and unconscious.
The group continued their search, growing more anxious as each room turned up empty. It's only a matter of time before the zombies noticed their presence.
Their objective was clear - they needed to find the room with the guns but what they only have found so far was knifes and other illegal weapons to carry. Finally, only one room remained unexplored - the prison.
As they approached the entrance, they prepared themselves for whatever lay inside. The possibility of encountering zombies didn't deter them; they knew it was a risk they had to take.
Upon entering the prison, a chilling sight met their eyes. There were about 20 zombies, each dressed differently - some in criminal attire, some in police uniforms, and others in civilian clothes.
Souta and the two others knew they had to act swiftly. With well-coordinated movements, they attacked the zombies, showing no hesitation. Their practiced combat skills and teamwork made the task seem almost effortless.
Souta's quick reflexes and calculated strikes, Steff's agile maneuvers, and Amy's precise strength formed a deadly trio against the zombie horde.
They fought with determination, knowing that their lives depended on their success. The room echoed with the thuds of zombies hitting the ground as they were defeated one by one. Their hearts raced with adrenaline, and they didn't let fear take control.
In what felt like a whirlwind of action, they cleared the room of all the zombies. Breathing heavily, they took a moment to catch their breath and survey their surroundings.
"Phew, that was intense," Souta remarked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Yeah, but we did it," Amy said, her voice still shaky from the adrenaline rush.
Steff nodded, her expression serious yet relieved.
As the group caught their breath, their focus had been entirely on the adrenaline-fueled battle, and they hadn't noticed the figure lying unconscious inside one of the cells. Souta's keen eyes finally caught sight of the girl dressed in a police uniform, and he quickly alerted the others.
"Wait, look! There's someone in that cell," Souta said, his voice a mix of concern and surprise.
Rushing to the cell, they found the girl lying on the floor, seemingly unharmed but completely out cold. Lily's eyes widened with empathy, and she immediately reached out to check the girl's pulse.
"She's still breathing, but she's unconscious," Lily said, her medical instincts kicking in.
Nana peered inside the cell with worry, "Do you think she's a police officer?"
Souta nodded, "Looks like it. Her uniform and the surroundings suggest it."
"We should get her out of there," Steff said, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
Souta attempted to break the lock, but his efforts were in vain. "Hey, isn't this the key?" Amy exclaimed, holding up a key she had found.
Surprised, Souta asked, "Where did you find that?"
"It was on the floor," Amy replied nonchalantly.
Souta shrugged, dismissing the details. He tried the various keys until one of them finally unlocked the cell. They rushed to the girl's aid, offering her water from their bag.
"Are you okay now?" Souta asked, concerned.
The girl, still weak, managed a weak reply. "A kid?"
Realizing her confusion, Amy explained, "We saved you. Can you tell us where the weapons are?"
"Hey, Amy, that's not the first thing you should asked a weak person" Steff said
"Oh yeah, sorry sorry"
The girl hesitated for a moment
, evaluating their intentions. Grateful for her rescue, she relented. "Since you saved my life, I guess I'll tell you. Help me up, and I'll show you where they are."
Souta offered his assistance, helping her to her feet. Together, they followed her directions to a particular wall in the room. Souta couldn't hide his skepticism. "Here? What are we supposed to find here? Don't waste our time."
"Stay calm," the girl responded calmly.
To their surprise, she revealed a hidden device on the wall and dialed a specific number. As she completed the call, the wall shifted, revealing a concealed door. Made of metal, it offered an air of mystery.
Curiosity piqued, the group exchanged intrigued glances. The girl used a key from her pocket to unlock the door, revealing what lay beyond...