I'm a college student. Do the math.

"Japanese"

"English"

When Saeko awoke the next morning she jumped to a ready position with her sword balanced in her right hand and eyes searching for any threat. Her abrupt awakening setting old instincts off in Connall as he immediately jumped into the air, drawing his blade on his way up, and front flipped landing lightly on the balls of his feet in the middle of the room ready to strike at the first sign of an attack.

Upon realizing where they were both of them relaxed as the burst of adrenaline slowly left their system. As they wound down Connall's stomach growled which Saeko giggled at before her own stomach made its displeasure at being empty known causing her to stop giggling and blush prettily as Connall smirked. As if some divine justice was served upon Saeko for her earlier laughter.

As they prepared breakfast Saeko wanted to know more about her new group member so she asked more questions beginning with, "You said that your great-grandparents were the ones that gifted you the Rage as you called it but the last time that warlords were around was hundreds of years ago. How could they just be your great-grandparents? Humans only live around 100 years and for them to be so closely related to you they would have had to live the equivalent of several lifetimes and that would still make you way older than 21."

'Heh,' Connall scoffed, "Should have known you'd pick up on that. This is a story and a half in itself so I'll keep to the basics. Just after the world declared us unfit to live upon the surface of the earth and that we should be killed to the last man, our people scattered and joined the many armies. But one clan said no. They elected to stay behind and not give up their names just because the world wanted them dead. The family decided to give the world a visible target for their hate so that they wouldn't question the slight swelling of their armies as the rest of their clans dispersed and joined. We were the rear vanguard, each one willingly volunteered to die so that the rest of them could live.

On their way to one last battle they stopped in a haunted wood that no one dared to come near fearing the monsters that dwelled within. But the Vanguard as they were called braved the forest for refuge during the nights to prevent a surprise attack. As time dragged on some of the men vanished. At first it was just one or two. Then groups would disappear without a trace. As their numbers grew fewer and fewer the men became more and more afraid. For the first time ever something dared to hunt them. One man had had enough. His name roughly translates to Orik The Forsworn. He was one of the best fighters and he was famous for never going back on his word.

He ventured alone into the dark to hunt the monster that had slain so many of their kin on the night of the new moon. Around 3 in the morning he heard a scream amongst the wood. He drew his sword and ran for the source and stumbled across a small clearing occupied by a beautiful wood nymph and a werewolf. The werewolf was trying to rape the young nymph and Orik fell into the Rage. But he was not a chieftain. He fell upon the beast and did what was thought to be impossible, he slew the werewolf that had slaughtered his kin without any silver. However, he also attacked the nymph in his Rage.

As she lay dying Orik fell upon his knees by her side begging for her forgiveness. She said that there was nothing to forgive since he had saved her purity. Orik pleaded with her, begging for her to know a way for him to save her. She gave a small smile and said that the price was too high to save her, he would hear it and would never be able to pay it for it required an energy that no man would willingly give.

Orik frowned before grabbing the nymphs hand an drawing his hunting knife across her wrist before repeating the process with his own. He grasped her hand and swore upon his blood and his name that he would give whatever was needed to save her. The nymph was rather jaded after the werewolf and she scoffed at Orik. "Fine" she said "It will cost your sexual energy. You will never be able to have children ever and any that you already have will be bound to the Oath." "So be it. I have one son and to save an innocent I will sacrifice what I must as he would."
The nymph was astounded. She thought that no man would ever give up his energy unless it was to save himself. She agreed to the energy and took it from Orik.

However, the nymph was not just a normal nymph but the princess of the race. After she was healed she led Orik back to the Vanguard and asked for them to accompany her to her castle as she was too weak to make it alone and she wanted to reward the man that had not only saved her purity but her life as well. When they arrived at her tree castle the Vanguard had to wait while she first rewarded Orik. She took him to a room deep under the castle dungeons where a fountain pouring liquid silver into a void resided. She handed him a cup and said, "I cannot remove a curse once it is placed. I can only change its purpose. If you drink this you could regain your sexual energy or you could suffer a fate worse than death."

Orik looked at the cup and said, "Why not? I might get something worthwhile out of the deal." And he drank the contents in one swig. Moments later there was a great burning in his loins and his heart. Outside his son also felt the burning of his heart and collapsed from the pain. A few days later when he awoke he discovered that his father Orik and the rest of the Vanguard had left to fight the standing armies. All that were present perished taking thousands of men with them as they fell.

The sons name was Ailis Cael. He went to the nymph princess saddened that he still lived when the rest of his friends had been slaughtered like animals. The princess comforted him and told him that his father had asked her to look after him. Ensuring that he wouldn't have to watch his son die. She offered him a place among them and he could do as he wished for the rest of his days. As the years passed he aged, but at a far slower rate than most. When he reached 30 years old he stopped aging all together. The curse that his father had was that of infinite life. He could still be killed in battle but he would never fall from sickness or old age. Forced to forever watch his family and friends grow old and die while he endured.

And so after a millennia amongst the fair folk he set out to see the world as the world had forgotten about his clan and their genocidal slaughter so many years before. It was several years later that he found Japan and fought the warlords and later still when he married my great-grandmother. But the curse is hereditary. I am immortal and my true age is closer to 400.

Orik the Forsworn is where my family gets our inability to break our word. Its a matter of Familial Honor now more than anything else. If one of us cannot do as we swore to the rest of us jump in and we will complete the task we are sworn too no matter what.

My family is good at killing. Connall said "It's what we have done for millennia and it's what we will continue to do. When we reach 21 we are supposed to take an oath and just because Death Watch took me doesn't mean I am exempt from it. Our oath is that we protect the innocent, kill the oppressors, and die in battle."

Saeko was stunned silent as she tried to comprehend what was just told to her. "Are your family still alive? Is Ailis still alive? I'd love to meet him and hear history from his point of view."

"Ha Ha Ha," Connell laughed, "Only you Saeko could hear a life changing, history altering story like that and just keep going like it was another day in the park. But no, Ailis and my grandfather died on the beaches of Normady and my father is lost in this new hell on earth. He'd like you though. Your kind and beautiful, but can kill an enemy with skills that would make most of the younger generation green with envy with your sword."

Saeko blushed slightly at Connalls complement before becoming melancholic and looking away.

"What's wrong?" Connall asked. But Saeko just shook her head before saying that nothing was wrong and that they needed to get going while there was still plenty of daylight for them to use.

"Wait! Saeko, please tell me whats wrong. I don't know what I said to upset you but I'm sorry and if you tell me what I said I won't bring it up again."
"It's not what you said. Its how close to home it is." Saeko sighed as she slowly sat back down, "You told me your story, it's only right that you hear mine as well. It won't take long since I'm not a super-human like you."

As Connall sat down Saeko began her story, "When I was a little girl I was always in some form of martial arts, everything from Hand-to-hand to swords and staffs. With my intense workout and activities i grew up earlier than any other girl in my grade and had to deal with hormonal boys as well. One day after practice as I was heading home I cut through a back alley to save so time. I was ambushed. Three men from school leaped from the shadows and threw me against the wall. The leader of the group held me against the wall by my throat as the other boys stayed just behind him and leered at me. I was so scared that I didn't even think to scream and I couldn't hear them. I only saw their mouths moving as they undressed me with their eyes. I couldn't move until I realized that I still had my wooden sword in my hand. All the sudden I wasn't scared anymore.I could hear them as they talked with grins on their faces how they would rape me before selling me to the yakuza where I would be a sex slave for the rest of my life. But I still wasn't scared, I was excited and happy which makes it all the worse. I looked at the leaders face and smiled as I brought my sword up and crushed his throat with the handle." Saeko was openly crying as she hugged herself in an attempt to ward off the feelings of helplessness and despair that the experience brought up. Connall got up and moved closer and hugged her to let her know that everything was ok. "A-As he fell I jumped up on top of his falling body and used it as a spring board before killing his two friends. I just kept hitting and hitting them with my sword until there was nothing recognizable about them anymore." She stuttered.

As Saeko finished her story she couldn't stop crying as the pent up emotions from that day made themselves known. As she cried Connall rubbed her back saying that it was ok. and that she had don nothing wrong. if she hadn't done what she had the yakuza would have broken her spirit before auctioning her off to the highest bidder. After about two hours Saeko collected herself and thanked Connall for understanding.

"Its nothing. But i'm proud that you took on three guys at once and not only beat them but you didn't give up."
"But I killed them. I could have beaten them without killing them but I was glad to kill them and happily did so. I WAS HAPPY TO KILL ANOTHER HUMAN BEING!"
"No you weren't. You were happy to kill a monster in the guise of a human. You were in middle school for christ's sake. You not only protected yourself but you protected many other girls from them that would have been forced into a fate worse than death. I'm proud to know you and know that you kept your humanity even after such traumatizing experience."
"I didn't keep my humanity! I lost it!"
"No, you didn't. You would have lost your humanity if you didn't feel anything from killing those animals. Then and only then would you be lost to a dark path. The Rage is a double-edged sword. It increases your ability to slaughter and not feel pain to amazing degrees. But it comes at the cost of not being able to differentiate between friend and foe or foe and innocent. That's why we are so dangerous. You have enough of the Rage to access it and I believe you can be a chieftain, but without lots of work with it, you will become nothing more than a rabid dog attacking anyone and anything, fit only to be killed before you kill an innocent."

"I'm not sure I understand all of that. but thank you for saying that I haven't lost my humanity yet." Saeko said quietly.
"It's simple, you realize that what you did was 'wrong' by most standards and feel bad about it. But another part of you was wanting to get into a fight, i'd wager it started sometime around your third year of being taught, and wanted to test the skills that you had gained in a real life scenario. The two sides of your conscience are at war with one another and you are stuck in the middle. Everyone you know listens to the rules that the world imposes on them stifling the other half of their conscience, you are one of the rare few that listen to both. However the world is providing reinforcement to one side and to even it out you are overthinking every decision in hopes of finding a peaceful medium between the two extremes. If you want my advice, meditate in the morning alone and away from everyone, rooftops are my personal favorite, you will be fresh from sleep and that is when the mind is most uncluttered from other people and the rules of society. But for now we need to move, its getting late and we need to find the others. Are you good to travel? I'd prefer to stay an extra night than go out without you at your best."

"I'm good. We are both packed and its not too far to Saya's house and we can easily make it there before dark."

After their heart-to-heart the two travelers felt more at ease around each other than they had ever felt around anyone ever before, even around their own family. They packed up their bags and began to head down to where they had left the bike dodging most of Them and killing the ones that were in the way. They started up the four-wheeler and headed down the road maneuvering around the burned out husks of cars and as many of Them as possible trying not to waste time as they headed to meet up with their friends. When they finally found where they had wrecked the Hummer they discovered that it was already gone.

"Where did it go? Hummers don't just get up and go away." Cannall griped as he reassured himself that they were in the right place.
"No they don't but remember that all that was wrong with it was a flooded engine. They could have come back after the hoard dispersed and restarted it. If you look closely at these wires they are designed to be removable. They probably restarted the engine, took down the wires and drove it up to Saya's house."
"That's all that was wrong with it? Geez and here I was worried that we'd have to fix some hard to find part that only one place carries and was guarded by a couple hoards of zombies."
"This isn't a video game Connall, that stuff never happens in real life."
"Yes it does. There's a whole list of laws that describe exactly how bad your day is going to be. They are called Murphy's Laws of Combat Operations."

Saeko deadpanned as Connall smirked at his little joke. Connall quit his goofing off and followed Saeko as she climbed through the wires. They walked several miles before coming up on an outpost manned by other survivors.

"Saeko, stay here while i go up and see if they know where Takashi and the others are. If they capture me run and I'll meet you at the temple we took shelter in last night no later than 3 days from now. Understood?"
"Don't bother, Kohta is with them." Saeko replied as she pointed out the glasses wearing gun fanatic.

"Ok but if anything starts to go down start running and I'll meet you at the temple. I'm better at close quarters than you are and I'm used to fighting without a sword."
"You worry too much." She chuckled "But if it means that much to you fine. I'll meet you at the temple."

Their GO TO HELL plan in place they approached the outpost in plain sight to avoid any accidents and were greeted by a very happy Kohta who had been worried for them ever since he had woken up. As they made their way back to the house Kohta informed them that Takashi had a mild concussion and Rei had a dislocated shoulder while Saya and Alice had several cuts and abrasions on their extremities. Shizuka had made it out of the crash in the best condition since she was wearing her seatbelt when it had happened and was caring for the others as they recovered.

When they arrived they saw Saya and a woman, who had to be her mother if looks were any indication, in an argument which ended as Saya stormed off. Saeko introduced herself and Connall to her and said that they were part of the group that Saya was with before they had been separated at the wire fence. As they continued their introductions they heard a loud commotion going on outside and left to go see what was the matter.

Saeko and Connall arrived at a large fountain that a man was using as a platform to speak from and a forklift was off to the side with a captured zombie confined within it. Saeko translated for Connall as the man spoke of what the monster used to be and how he was a good friend who had sacrificed himself for others only to be bitten and changed into one of Them. As the man finished his speech he drew his sword as the cage door opened and swung his blade down to decapitate the zombie and send it back to death.

"CLANG!"

Instead of his sword striking the open neck of his target it was intercepted by a short curved blade wielded by Connall with the other blade shoved down the zombies throat preventing it from being able to bite him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The man yelled at Connall who ignored him in preference for throwing him back in the cage he had just left before shutting the door.

The man continued to fume as Connall ignored him. Connall yelled down to Saeko asking her to translate what ever the man had just said. Saeko told Connall what he had said and, using Saeko as a proxy, asked how much of an idiot the man was. Here was a perfect opportunity to study one of the creatures if they could secure it and find out its weaknesses and strengths.

Connall left the man standing on the makeshift stage as he approached the driver of the forklift and gentle removed the man from his seat before driving the forklift through the open front gates and down several houses with an angry father and armed guards chasing him.

When he stopped he was several blocks away. Connall lowered the cage and grabbed some rope that he had brought with him. He opened the cage after creating a noose with the rope and when the zombie charged out of the crate he lassoed the things neck and quickly tied the other end of the rope to the forklift before backing out of range. Waiting several minutes Connall then began to test the limits of the monsters hearing and visual ranges. After about 3 hours of research he discovered that while the monsters had no visual capabilities what so ever, their hearing more than made up for that. They could hear quieter noises than ordinary humans as well as having a broader frequency of hearing.

This meant that they had to learn how to be quiet at all times and they had to only move during the day when they had the advantage. As he finished his tests the group from the house found him and surrounded him with weapons drawn. He simply ignored them as he drew his khukri and severed the zombies head before paying attention to the group that currently surrounded him.

The leader began to yell at him as Saeko finally caught up to them fussing about how Connall should never do something so foolish again even if it was for a good cause. Connall told her what he had found out and she relayed it to the man. The man began to yell at Connall for what he had done as Saeko translated for him. When the man had finished Connall simply asked which was better, to kill on and save none or to kill one and save many with the intel that was gathered.

The man had no reply and simply watched as Connall and Saeko walked back to the house to meet their friends and talk about the next step for their little group.