Chapter 15: Phalanx of the dead
Souta swung open the workshop door with a grin. "It's been a while since I last saw you, Jacob."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, teasingly. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the great ol' Souta? What trouble have you brought now?"
Souta chuckled. "Now, now, I come to specially for you, just visiting if the thing I asked is complete."
Jacob's couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh. "If it wasn't for you, then I wouldn't have to build this thing!"
He pointed at the contraption. "I'm an electric engineer, dammit! I'm not a f*cking mechanical engineer! How the hell am I supposed to build the thing you asked me just from an image? and your fcking description!?"
Souta shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You have dozens of people under you now, isn't it? Mechanics, carpenters, and others who volunteer."
"But that doesn't mean you can just put me in charge!" Jacob protested.
Souta laid a reassuring hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Because I trust you, and I know you're fit for this job."
Jacob blushed slightly, trying to hide his flattered expression. "Goddammit."
As they moved around the workshop, Souta noticed only one completed catapult. "Hey, how come there's only one catapult? I asked you for dozens of these, haven't I?" Souta inquired.
"Are you kidding me?! Yes, if it was a 'normal' catapult, then I guess we'd finish in no time. But the thing you asked us to build is a f*cking modern catapult! We had to scavenge materials from cars one after another, just to make it drivable and self-recharging," Jacob grumbled, his frustration evident.
"And besides! You f*cking asked us to mass produce spears, arrows, and f*cking bows! What are you going to do with these anyways? Are you going to start a f*cking war?" Jacob's eyes locked onto Souta's, searching for an answer.
Souta's smile widened. "Yes."
"You motherf*cker."
The words hung in the air, filled with a mix of annoyance and affection. Jacob couldn't stay mad for long; he knew Souta's wild ideas often led to something incredible. Deep down, he relished the challenge of bringing those ideas to life, even if it meant late nights and heated arguments.
Souta, on the other hand, admired Jacob's dedication and skill, always grateful for having him as a partner in crime. He knew Jacob could build wonders even when he grumbled about it.
"I'll be taking these now, okay? also, I brought a few people here to join you guys. This workshop of yours is the whole farm, so use it wisely, I'll be going now then. Some military personnel will come here to get those so you can wait a bit." And Souta left
"I might get angry at you sometimes, but I have to admit, if it wasn't for you, I'd be already dead by now" Jacob said to himself, "Well, to think that the very first order you gave me by the time you know I'm an engineer was to fortify a better wall"
The wooden walls they built were wooden palisade wall.
"Oh? what brings you here?" Roger asked
Souta, who came to the school at the two village that is now their military base, tightly guarded by well trained soldiers thanks to Roger, a retired mercenary, and Rex a retired soldier.
Roger raised an eyebrow as he saw Souta visiting them, "Hey there, what brings you to the principal's office?" he asked with a half-smile.
Souta looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, I've got something important to discuss. Could you do me a favor and fetch Rex? I'll be waiting in the principal's office. "
"Sure thing," Roger nodded, heading off to find Rex.
A few minutes later, both Roger and Rex entered the office to find Souta still sitting there, looking all too relaxed. Rex leaned against the desk, a playful smirk on his lips. "Alright, spill it. What's on your mind?"
Souta straightened up, his demeanor becoming more serious. "Our community is growing fast, and we've got 200 soldiers now. But our current formation isn't cutting it. We wasted too many bullets during the last encounter with those zombies in the marketplace. It's not sustainable in the long run."
Roger nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can't afford to burn through our ammo like that. But what else can we do? Guns are the most effective way to deal with those undead creeps, and we've got some rookies among us."
"Well, that's the thing," Souta explained. "We have the advantage of having seasoned fighters like you and Rex to train the newcomers. So, I've been thinking about adopting a modified phalanx formation."
Rex's interest was piqued. "Phalanx, huh? I remember reading about that in history class. How do you plan to use it against zombies?"
Souta's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Here's the idea. Up front, we'll have a line of people wielding ballistic shields we collected from police stations. They can easily bash any zombies that get too close, conserving ammo. Behind them, we'll station soldiers with spears, aiming for those headshots. And to the rear, a team of skilled archers picking off the undead from a safe distance. Plus, we'll have a catapult loaded with small rocks to take out even more zombies at once."
Roger leaned forward, intrigued. "But what about the sides and the back? Zombies can come from all directions."
"That's where smaller groups come in," Souta said with a nod. "We'll assign some well-trained soldiers to protect our flanks and back. They'll be our last line of defense, ensuring no zombies catch us off guard."
Rex grinned, liking the plan. "It sounds solid, but we can't ditch guns entirely. We should have a few soldiers armed with guns scattered around the battlefield, ready to deal with any unexpected threats."
Souta agreed, "That's right, they can provide support and cover fire from the sidelines without putting themselves at risk."
Roger crossed his arms, contemplating the strategy. "Alright, I'm in. It's gonna take some time to train everyone, but I think it's worth a shot. Good thinking, there"
"Well, I have a big responsibility leaning on my shoulders now, I can't just sit around and relax all day, well then." He stands up, "I'll be going now, I still have many places to go,"
Rex and Roger watch Souta enter the pickup truck as he walks towards the car, are women who wear mask around their face waiting for him to enter, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, who are they? they wear mask all the time is this some kind of new trend that Amy begin?" Rex asked
"Ahh, those guys? nah, it seems like his girls are overprotective to him and give him bodyguars. After all, if his gone, this community will fall," Roger said with a serious face he gave