Chapter 14
Morning arrived as Souta's group, accompanied by the captured survivors from Sam's group, made their way back to their base. The tension in the air was palpable as they approached the entrance of their town, where Jana's group awaited them. Souta brought the cars to a halt and stepped out, facing Jana and her companions.
"What's up?" Souta asked casually, trying to diffuse the tension.
"What, 'what's up'!? Huh!? Why is the school broken!? And more importantly, where are our people!?" Kisse interjected angrily.
Souta remained composed and replied, "Alright, I'll explain. But first, follow us to the mountain."
"What!? Why should we follow yo-" Kisse began, but Jana quickly covered her mouth and nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Jana said calmly, trying to maintain order among her group.
They all got back into their vehicles and drove towards the mountains. After a while, they reached the farm and came to a stop. Souta led Jana and her group towards their captive comrades, who were waiting for them at the farm.
"Here are your people," Souta said, gesturing towards the relieved captives.
Jana's expression softened as she saw her group members. "We'll be leaving this town," she announced.
"Why?" Souta inquired, genuinely curious.
"We found a good base in the next town," Jana explained.
"Oh, so you're going there? Alright," Souta acknowledged, understanding her decision.
"You never cease to surprise me, Jana. How about joining me? With you in the group, we'll be stronger and have the opportunity to grow even larger," Souta proposed, his voice brimming with confidence.
Jana hesitated, contemplating the offer. "Hmm..."
"How about this: If you join us, we'll provide you with food, weapons, and assistance whenever you need it. In return, you'll follow every order I give. How does that sound?" Souta negotiated.
"Let me think about it first," Jana replied, still weighing her options.
"Alright," Souta agreed, respecting her decision.
They returned to their respective bases and the following morning, Souta approached Jana once more.
"Do you want to come?" Souta asked, his gaze fixed on her.
"Where?" Amy inquired, curious about their destination.
"To our school," Souta revealed.
Amy nodded. "Oh, alright. I'll come too," she said.
"I'll go as well," Steff chimed in, eager to join the excursion.
The group piled into the car, and they drove towards the school, eventually arriving at their destination. Souta sought out Jana, hoping for her final answer.
"So, what's your decision?" he asked, anticipation in his voice.
Jana met his gaze and finally responded, "Your deal sounds too good to be true, but I'll join you."
"Alright! As promised, we'll provide you with weapons and food. We'll also send some of our people to join your group," Souta affirmed, pleased with her choice.
"Alright, that's fine by me," Jana confirmed, a sense of relief washing over her.
And so, the deal was made. Jana and her group left the town to establish their base in the next town, while Souta's group remained behind, ready to continue their journey.
"Why did you accept his offer?" Kisse questioned, unable to hide his curiosity.
"The deal was too tempting to pass up, and those people he sent are spies... We can use them to our advantage," Garp
explained, revealing their strategic thinking.
"Yeah, but I have a gut feeling that Souta will become an incredible person," Jana said, expressing her intuition.
"If you side with him, he'll provide us with heaven. But if you ever become his enemy, he'll bring us hell," Jana warned, recognizing both the benefits and risks of their alliance.
Souta departed, driving towards the hunter village, where the women they had saved from Sam's group were waiting. As he stepped out of the car, almost 50 women lined up before him. These women had previously been treated as slaves, their spirits broken.
When they had first encountered them, their eyes resembled those of lifeless dolls, and some had even expressed a desire to be killed. Souta spoke to them, igniting a spark of hope.
"If you give up now, all the sacrifices made for you will have been in vain. How about working for me? Train relentlessly, so that when the time comes, you can save other girls who have endured what you have," Souta proposed, his words resonating with determination.
The women remained silent, but Souta knew that leaving them alone might lead to self-destruction. He separated them from the main group, allowing them the opportunity to heal and overcome their traumatic experiences.
"Alright, your training will begin. In the morning, you'll jog for an hour to enhance your stamina. After breakfast, you'll practice shooting, followed by melee weapon training and physical conditioning after lunch. You'll eat three times a day, that's an order," Souta instructed, leaving the responsibility in the capable hands of Shana.
"Alright! Leave it to me," Shana acknowledged, ready to take charge of their training.
After that, Souta headed to the school, where Rex and Roger were waiting. "We've already raided the groups in the vicinity. In the next three days, we'll loot the marketplace," Souta informed them, outlining their plan.
Over the next three days, Souta and his group made their way to the marketplace. Their objective was to secure the area by sealing off both entrances and eliminating all the zombies inside. As they arrived, Souta fired a gun into the air, attracting the attention of nearby zombies who began converging on the location.
"Alright, let's start killing them," Souta declared, rallying his group.
They fought valiantly, utilizing their melee weapons to take down the horde of zombies. Support members stood ready in the background, providing relief for the exhausted fighters. Hours passed, and despite their best efforts, they were unable to clear the entire marketplace by nightfall. Two days went by, with the group tirelessly battling the remaining zombies until they finally emerged victorious, reclaiming the marketplace.
"Alright, start looting," Souta commanded, signaling the next phase of their operation. Nearly all the members of his group were present, making the process of looting the expansive marketplace a week-long endeavor. During this time, they encountered other survivors who decided to join their growing community. With the population steadily increasing, they determined that Souta's hometown would become their main base, with the school in the two villages serving as their military stronghold.
To fortify their town, they strategically positioned dead cars using a forklift, salvaged from the marketplace, to act as barriers, protecting them from potential zombie threats. After weeks of tireless efforts, Souta's hometown had transformed into a secure and thriving base.
As time passed, not much eventful occurred in the town. However, with their numbers and resources growing, Souta's group was poised to face new challenges and embark on further adventures.