The original plan was for Saeko Busujima and Shizuka Marikawa to head to some sparsely populated gathering areas. However, given the current situation, this plan was no longer feasible because the airport was a survivor gathering zone. Upon arrival, they were supposed to drop people off.
"Rika-chan!"
Especially since the first person they encountered was Shizuka Marikawa's good friend, Rika Minami, making it even more necessary to drop them off.
Seeing Rika, Shizuka was overjoyed. She was so happy that she opened the car door and jumped out before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop. Thankfully, Altair had insisted she not wear high heels in the morning, so she didn't fall.
"Shizuka?"
Rika Minami was equally surprised to see Shizuka. As a member of the military, she wasn't allowed to move freely and had been worried about Shizuka's safety. She never expected that Shizuka would show up on her own.
"This is great! I can finally stop worrying. I've been wondering how you were doing, but with communications cut off, I couldn't reach you at all. Now that I see you, I feel much better."
Rika Minami hugged Shizuka tightly, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Altair stepped out of the driver's seat and watched Shizuka and Rika embrace, nodding in satisfaction. He had been a little worried about leaving Shizuka in other places, but now that she was with Rika, there was no need for concern. Rika was Shizuka's good friend and would never let anything happen to her.
"You two can get out now."
Altair tapped on the back door to signal for Rei Miyamoto and Kohta Hirano to exit. The two obediently climbed out of the vehicle.
"This is an official survivor zone. Rei, your father is a police officer, and if the police system is still operational, he's likely here. You can go inside and check. As for you, Kohta, it's safe here, and you can stay and receive official protection."
"Yes, yes! Thank you so much!"
Kohta Hirano nodded eagerly. After yesterday's terrifying encounters with zombies, finally being able to relax in the vehicle was a huge relief. And now, entering official protection? That was even better.
Rei Miyamoto was equally pleased.
"Thank you so much."
She expressed her gratitude. Finding her father was her priority, and it was far safer to search here than to fight zombies on the streets.
She had already checked the police station, and it had been abandoned. There were no officers, and thankfully, no sign of her father's body either. It was highly likely her father was out there, and this official gathering zone was the best place to look for him... or at least to find out where he might be.
Altair had brought her to a far better place than running around aimlessly with Takashi Komuro.
"Alright, I've brought you this far. You can go in on your own now. I won't be responsible for the rest."
"This is more than enough."
"Yes."
Both Rei and Kohta agreed.
Now that Shizuka had been safely dropped off, and these two were in good hands, only Saeko Busujima remained.
"What about you? Are you staying?" Altair looked at Saeko who was sitting in the front passenger seat.
"I'm not getting out."
Saeko looked at Altair through the open window, showing no intention of leaving the vehicle.
"You're not planning to get out?"
"My father doesn't need me to worry about him. All I need to do is protect myself, and I can do that just fine. But beyond protecting myself, I'd rather stay by your side. You're aiming to put an end to this apocalypse, right? As a Busujima, I should stand by you and support you!"
Her resolve was impressive. After winning her over once, she was now completely on board, requiring no further persuasion. This was perfect!
"Well, since you've said that, I won't refuse."
Altair shifted his gaze back to Rika Minami, who had already finished comforting Shizuka and was now looking at him.
"Thank you for bringing Shizuka here."
"No need to thank me. Shizuka is my friend too, so of course, I'd help her."
"Oh~~" Rika gave Altair a knowing look, one that every man would understand.
"This vehicle... it's my car, isn't it?"
"Yes, we made a stop at your villa last night to rest. Walking all the way here would've been too difficult, so we borrowed it without your permission. I apologize for that."
"No worries. I haven't had much use for it since I bought it. It's just been sitting there, so I'm glad it came in handy for you."
"It looks like you're planning to leave. Aren't you coming inside?"
Rika had noticed Altair leaning against the car door, looking like he was ready to leave at any moment.
"Yes, this apocalypse came on too suddenly. I need to find out what caused it and then figure out a solution."
"You're planning to find the cause of this disaster? And even stop it?"
"That's right. After all, I'm a knight who's going to save the world."
Altair brushed his hair back with a flourish, striking a confident pose.
"You think that wearing armor makes you a real knight?"
Rika found it amusing. In Japan, Altair's appearance was nothing unusual, he just looked like an otaku cosplaying, which wasn't a big deal. Given his words, it was clear he was a bit of a chuunibyou... a delusional otaku.
"Well, who knows?" Altair chuckled patting the car door.
"I'll need to keep borrowing your car for a bit longer. I can't exactly walk to find the cause... it would take too long."
"No problem, the car's yours. Consider it my thanks for bringing Shizuka to me."
"Thanks a lot." Altair opened the car door and settled back into the driver's seat.
Having said everything he needed to, it was time to begin the mission. Saving the world was the primary reason he had come to this world. Protecting Shizuka Marikawa and Saeko Busujima was just a personal matter, driven by lingering feelings from the past.
As he fastened his seatbelt, Altair looked at Saeko in the passenger seat.
"Are you ready? The road ahead won't be easy."
"Always." Saeko smiled in response.
"Alright then, let's go... time to save the world!"
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