"Uhh...come on...think, think" I lightly tap my mask as i stared at the ground below, looking at the corpses that roamed about.

(Asami will see the cop corpse soon...nothing i can do about that...what matters now, is making sure she survives this day.)

I pull the handgun from my pocket and glance at it.

(The reason Shimada and Asami got killed boils down to that snotty brat...that fun fact...survives.)

I then aim the gun at the corpses.

(If i get rid of him...then both he and Asami won't die...while i don't really care what happens to that guy...I can't let Asami die...for Kohta's sake...still...am i going to resort on killing somebody again?...)

I lower the gun and look at the buildings in the distance, then shake my head and put the gun back in my pocket.

(Yea, for good or bad, i don't feel like mulling over that fact...i need to think of other methods to keep Asami alive...if all else fails...then can just take Kohta's gun and shoot the brat before Asami charges to her death...though that would be bad...very bad...for me.)

I look at the street that leads to the Humvee, which by the way was a little...blocked off now. Yea that shot i fired to get my group's attention? Also caused the grouped up corpses to move between the field and the road...along with any surrounding corpses...well, that's one way to clean part of the parking field...wish they didn't block off the road i needed to take though.

(The best way to solve this..is to bring the Humvee here, before the others manage to get into the field, that means sneaking out the back door alone...and well...for one, Saeko probably won't just accept leaving if she doesn't know where i am...i could take her with me...and well i don't see why we can't use a small team to get the car while the rest wait here...hmm yea...that will be the first plan..make the others wait on the second floor while a group of two or three get the car. That should keep them out of the parking lot.)

The sound of a door closing behind me caused me to turn around. It was the old couple, i lift my hand and wave at them, they do the same as the walk towards me.

"You should be careful not to fall with the way you are sitting" The granny speaks up.

"Thanks for the concern, i'll be fine" I say as i turn to look back towards the parking field again.

"Why are you up here all by your self? Everything alright?" The old man asks.

"Yea, just thinking..." I answer back.

A short silence passed between us until the old lady spoke.

"I heard that it was you that got traped in the clinic because of me...i..am really sorry i put you in needless danger" She bows as she speaks.

"Don't be...because of the clinic, i managed to find something that was...very important to me...i actually should be thanking you instead" I say as i look at the granny, who lifted her head and smiled at me. After that, we didn't speak...

(A plan would also be to find the brat before the rest leave...and silence it...if i go with that plan...then it's something i need to do...right now. If the old couple is here then that means that shit is about to hit the fan...

Another plan would be to actively antagonize Takashi...the reason Kohta shot Asami comes down to him. He went 'leader' mode and ordered him to not go after her...wonder if he would be willing to do the same if it was Saeko or Rei instead of Asami that run off...in either case...this time we are better prepared...and...i am here too, so if it comes down to it, i can just ignore Takashi and help Asami...big chance that Kohta and Saeko will follow me if i try to help the cop, though if Takashi takes this the wrong way then i'm definitely going to end up on his bad side...and he already seemed to be butthurt because of what Saeko did in the clinic.

As for how that can unfold...hmm...Asami was next to two cars...if she instead shoots a window and hides in one, it should buy us enough time to get the Humvee and return, or draw the corpses away with gunfire...though that would get us surrounded...and depending on where the big group is at, that could be a big fucking problem.

And...well there is the simplest plan of all...stop her before she manages to get away...simple...but she might start acting out because we stoped her from doing her 'duty'...and as i'm the one that i will have to stop her, because the rest failed miserably in the manga to do so, she will probably stab me as a 'bad guy' because i 'stoped' her from saving that kid...plus i can't know if she won't run away the moment i let her go...and i can't just drag her around...)

I move my head and hear my neck bones crack.

(My brain...Why can't i just summon a flying fucking tank or something?)

Just then i heard the door slam again, turning around i see Asami running straight towards the roof's edge.

(Well...time...is...up.)

I get up and go next to the old couple.

"Look's like your cop is having some problems" I say as i motion my head towards her.

The old couple turns towards Asami. Soon, she also notices us.

"What's wrong? it's dangerous over there!" She shouts at the old couple as she gets up.

While they kept talking i walked up to her, and by the time i reached her she had finished talking to the old couple and was now looking at me...or was trying to...as she kept darting her eyes around.

"Where did you mess up?" I ask i get near her.

"Huh, what are you talking about? Asami is just fine" She replies with a meek smile.

"I'm wearing a mask...and you're still trying to avoid looking me in the eye...where did you mess up?" I ask again.

Asami stayed quiet for some time before lowering her head.

"I...i didn't...i...did something horrible" she says in a low tone.

"And the correct decision was coming to the roof?" I ask again.

"But Kohta hates me now...i...i said something very mean to him." Her voice started to break as she spoke.

"And now he hates you" Asami nods as i speak.

"And you hate him" I say right after.

"No! I don't hate him! I..." She lifts her head to look at me.

"Did he say anything to you that proves that he hates you?" I cut her off. She stayed quiet.

"But..i"

"Yes or no officer, did he say anything that proves that he hates you" I ask again.

"No..." she answers as she lowers her head again.

"But you did, so if you think that he hates you, he probably thinks you despise him" I say as i fold my arms.

"So...should you be running away from him right now?" I ask as i tilt my head.

"Asami!" Just then, Kohta bursts through the door and looks at the two of us.

"Well, look's like somebody is giving you a second chance...don't waste it" I say as i turn around and start walking away.

"Oh and one last thing officer, remember, your actions won't affect just you from now on" I say as i glance at her and walk up to Kohta...who...was staring at me.

"I see you're dressed up for war...where did you hide our stuff?" I ask as i look at the bulletproof vest that Kohta was wearing.

"Oh..uhh in the bra shop on the second floor, from here once you get to the second floor you need to keep going right...in the section with the largest bras...and...it was Takashi's idea...not mine" He responds.

"Alright, well i'm going before this place gets flooded with sugar" I say as i pat Kohta on the shoulder. He just, blinked at me as i walked past him.

(Kind hypocritical of me if you think of what happened in the house with Saeko...but...ehh...whatever)

And so after that, i run to the second floor and headed to the store Kohta mentioned, honestly, even if somebody saw the guns now...who cares, they will soon be running like chickens anyway.

The moment i reached the store i went inside and straight to the giant bra section, then searched there until i found my bag and bokken.

"Missed me, i know i did" I say to my self as i open the bag and dig through the medical bottles before grabbing the holster belt, i also picked the shotgun shells i had left inside and shoved them in my lower pockets in my pants. I then wore the belt and put the handgun in its normal place.

(Finally, having the gun in my pocket was uncomfortable as fuck.)

The moment i strapped the bag on me i walked outside.

(Ok...now i should find Sae..)

"Oh god! They are inside!" A shout. I look straight ahead, over the railing to see the chubby man from the other group in the distance as he looked downstairs.

The group that was there then quickly started to barricade the stairs as the corpses began to spread like wildfire on the lower floor. I then looked under me...and well...under me...was shit-storm...

(Of fucking course they would get inside from a door that is right below me...what a fucking joke...and so much for planning.)

As i groan under my breath i see my group appear on the other side. The chubby guy then crashed into Shizuka's chest and got followed by Saeko shaking the life out of him. Shortly after that, Takashi started looking around with the binoculars...meanwhile i walked by the railing and watched at the corpses that had walked up the stairs that had not been barricaded yet.

(Well, there goes the path to my group.)

As i kept walking, i saw a couple of corpses that had gotten on the path that was ahead of me, though they were still pretty far. I pass the bokken back into its 'sheath' and keep looking on the lower floor.

"Naier!?" I lift my head to see that the group was now looking at me...well not just mine, both groups...i could also see some of them looking away... i mean...yea...it looked pretty bad. I was by my self, corpses had blocked off my way to them and nothing was barricaded on my side.

I lift my hand as i point my index finger on the ceiling and keep looking at the lower floor as i walked by the railing.

"Saeko?! What are you going! Don't go up there!" I hear a male voice shout, I dart my head to see Saeko standing over the makeshift barricade.

(Oh Shit, now or never, before she does something stupid...that is 'my' specialty after all.)

All the time i spent looking at the first floor was because i spotted a path, a path that led to a nearby closed emergency exit, i just had to...get to the lower floor...after finding a spot that was not a sea of corpses under me. And... i think just found it...

I vault over without out letting go, ending up on the other side of the railing, then crouch down to the lowest point i could get while still holding on with one hand...and jump.

(Man...this must be my most stupid idea so far...)

Also...i think i heard somebody scream?...or you know...the wind.

I crash into a corpse, that thankfully was one in the 'frontline', in other words, the front was clear. The moment it hit the ground i roll forward and as my boots touched the ground i stand up and break into a sprint..where to?...straight and to the right, that was where the closed emergency door was at...between me and the door...uhhh...yea.

I start running straight and swerve to the left, avoiding a pair of hands that reached out for me, then keep going straight before grabbing an arm that was to my right and using the momentum, i spin around, dragging the corpse along before tossing it on a couple of corpses that were straight ahead...well ok, not exactly tossing, it was more like it lunged forward and crashed into them, then use the opening to keep going straight...

So, right now the biggest problem? i had to deal with a thick line of corpses ahead of me that kept climbing the stairs, it was like these things were hellbent on getting to the upper floor, As they flocked around the stairs that led upstairs, one such sight blocked me off from the emergency exit, as behind that lineup the only thing i saw while i was on the second floor was a couple of lone corpses, all far away from the door i was aiming for...that was what was going on straight ahead..to my left...a wall...to my right...yea..all i could see was corpses...and they were slowly walking towards the stairs as well, in other words...

(I really didn't think this though did i?)

I was surrounded...Hell knows why i found my self chuckling as i run straight to the corpse 'lineup'...

(Scratch that...this is my most stupid idea...yet.)

I keep running straight...to a pair of benches. I let go of the shotgun and then using them as steps, i climb up...and jump...

"WHOSE STUPID IDEA WAS THIS AGAIN?!" i shout as i look at the corpses bellow me, I grab the shotgun with one hand as i try to calculate the place i would land...and...the thing is.

(Too far)

No matter how i saw it, i was falling too fast, i was past the 'middle' of the line...but the way it was going, i would still end up landing inside the corpses...

And the moment i crashed into the corpses bellow me, the world around me went dark...or more like...i was completely surrounded...I felt time stop to a crawl as every single thing turned around to look at me...and...i could not hear shouting anymore...

With the shotgun still in my hand, i point it straight ahead...and pull the trigger, vaulting forward the moment i felt the gun's recoil.

I found my self rolling on a corpse that got blasted back...and thankfully out of the hole i just dug my self into, using the momentum of my roll i lift my self up and turn to face the corpse 'line' that had now turned to face me because of the shotgun blast...and...uhh.

"AND FUCK YOU TOO!" i jerk my free arm up and turn around, running straight towards the emergency exit as i pump a new round in the gun.

The moment i reach the door i unlock it and kick it, the door impacts something behind it and then slowly opens, a corpse was on the floor behind it.

I turn towards the group that was on the upper floor behind me and to my left.

"I'll wait outside!" I shout as i turn and exit the mall, jumping over the corpse that was on the floor.

(They don't need to know that we have a car...)

Once i was outside i glance around the parking field before turning towards the large corpse group.

(The road i need to take is to my left...the corpse group is there too...uhh...i'll have to bait them away...a gunshot should do the trick.)

Yet before i could move towards my targeted destination...

"Help me, please, please help me! Don't leave me here!" I turn in the opposite direction of the corpse group to see the brat on a van, looking at me.

(Huh...well look at that, i could leave his sorry ass there...but him being there puts Asami in danger...i am not taking him to the car with me though.)

I sigh and run towards the wailing teenager, the moment i got near the car i point at the corpses that were clawing on its front side.

"Help me! help me! i'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Stop screaming like a bitch, you're getting more of them around the car." I say as i pull the trigger.

The corpses on the front part of the car crashed against it and fell down.

"Now, get down" I say as i pump a new round.

"What, no! there are still things around!" He shouts.

(Oh for fuck's sake)

I run-up to the car's front and climb up until i could reach the teenager, then grab him by the collar and yank him towards me as i jump back.

"What...are you doiiiiii!" He ends up with a spectacular fall as he falls face-first to the ground.

"I saved you, you're welcome, now you're on your own." I say as i turn around and start walking away.

"Ahhh! you can't leave me here i am unarmed, please help me! I'm sorry!" The kid quickly gets up and starts walking towards me.

"You are NOT coming with me, now beat it before i do something that you will regret." I say as i glance at him before turning to look at the corpse group ahead...

(Lets see...if i shoot at the left..i can...huh...wait a sec.)

The corpses were moving towards me...

(Uhhh...Oh of course...i just used the shotgun...ughhh.)

"I am really sorry! I didn't know what i was thinking, please, i don't have a weapon, i will die, please help me!" the kid almost runs into me as i turn around and point the shotgun to his face.

"One more step and i'm blowing your face to bits, third time you make me turn around i WILL shoot you" I narrow my eyes as i stare at him...before turning around again.

(Ok...if they are coming to me...i can just walk past them from the sides...hmm...yea that could...)

"I said i was sorry! I don't know what to do! Help me! You have to help me!"

I felt my eye twitch as i heard the shouting behind me...I pull the handgun turn around and aim at his head...

"I'm not letting you anywhere near my group, you brought this to your self..."

A gunshot echoes...and the teenager jerks his head backward as he falls on his back...and stays there.

I take a deep breath put the gun back into its holster and turn towards the corpses...

(Fucking hell...three times, why didn't he just fucking leave)

Once i got near the large group i started running as i swerved slightly to the right ending up with the corpses to my left, a couple of meters away from me, and soon...i saw an opening between the corpses and the road i needed to take.

I run straight to the end of the parking field, vault over the railing and keep going straight towards the road...that...uhh...ok this street will always be empty...

I run past the first intersection and keep going straight down the next road until i reached the tree cluster. I then go straight towards the Humvee. The moment i reached it i take the net off, fold it, go to the driver's seat and unlock the car, then toss the net on the back seats as i get inside.

I put the keys in the ignition and start the engine, then hit the reverse and exit the tree clusters before switching the gear and stepping on the pedal again, driving straight towards the mall. The moment the parking field came into view i could see my group to my right, along with Shimada...

I steer slightly to the left and keep driving straight...the moment i entered the parking field i press on the brakes and make a sharp turn to the right, in order to avoid the large corpse group. Then i go straight to my group before stopping the car next to them, i climb through the hatch and turn to look at them.

"Come on!" I shout.

The rest of the group quickly entered the car and the moment everybody was in i get back inside, ending up on the passenger's seat...

As we sped off...i glanced at the only real corpse in the field as the group kept chatting...or uhh...shouting excitedly...i mean they did just escape with their lives after all...

(Ughh...in the end, i shot the brat...why couldn't he just walk away...)

"..aier?"

(This is the third person i killed...the third normal person...huh...i remember Saeko said something in the manga right before they left the mall...what was it again... an honorable man follows a code of chivalry?...heh, wonder what she would think of me if she found out about this...)

"Hey, Naier." I felt something shaking me, i turn around to see Kohta with his hand on my arm. He was sitting behind me, like, literally behind me, as he was sitting on the car's floor again, Rei and Takashi were on the seat next to him and Asami was pretty much sitting on Kohta.

"Uhh, yea i'm fine. No bites" I say as i make a thumbs-up and i turn to look at the street ahead.

"Maybe Saya is right...we do need to tie you up to a chair...you scared us to death." Saeko says right after, i turn around again to find her staring at me, she was on the other side of the car.

"I had it under all under control." I say as i look at her.

"Like when you ended up jumping inside a horde of corpses?" Saya, who was next to Saeko asks right after, with her arms folded under her chest.

"Was...part of the plan." I say after i dart my eyes around, Saya just kept staring at me with a frown.

"Look, it's..."

"Was shooting that normal kid in the head also part of your plan?" Shimada who was in the middle of the back seats cuts me off and...uhhh...the chatter stopped.

I didn't reply, i just...stared at him...

"I saw you, the others were not out of the building yet...but i saw you." He said shortly after.

The group was now looking at me...

"If you mean the one that let the corpses inside the mall?...warned him, he didn't listen. I got no sympathy for the ones that put my group in danger." I answer plainly...and...the group just kept staring...

"You shot...a kid!" Shimada shouts as he glares at me.

"A kid whos actions killed a number of survivors inside the mall" I answer back.

"He didn't know what he was doing! The kid might have been an idiot and caused the mall to get overrun but he didn't actively try to kill anybody!" he shouts back.

(I am pretty sure he stabbed somebody in the manga. )

And...You know...maybe i was a bit out of it...i mean...i didn't realize that Shimada had one arm behind his back...until he actually pointed my Scar-H to my face...

"Care to ask the relatives of the dead mall residents if they think the same?" I ask as i stare the gun's barrel.

The rest of the group froze...and Shizuka, who was driving, glanced at me before turning to look back at the street...and then turned her head to me a second time with a short yelp, pressing on the brakes until the car stopped moving.

"Wha...what's going on here?!" She yelled as her eyes went wide.

(She seriously did not hear a thing?)

"That man is dangerous, he shot a kid in cold blood" Shimada says shortly after.

"What...there is no way..."

"He already admitted it" Shimada cuts her off.

"Shimada...lower that gun" Saeko kept glancing between me and Shimada as she spoke.

"You don't understand, he is dangerous, how do you know that he won't turn against you the moment the situation does not suit him, he is willing to shoot a kid, who knows what more he is capable of " He responds.

"You are blinded by rage, we've known Naier far longer than you, he wouldn't go mindlessly killing people, lower...that gun" She responds again as she tries to lean closer.

"What...are you going to do to him? Don't hurt him, he is not a bad person" Shizuka starts talking after Saeko as she looks between the two of us.

"Not bad?! No sane person would be fine with killing a kid! if you really believe that he is good then he has you all fooled!" Shimada shouts.

It's rather funny you know...the guy i threatened that i wouldn't forgive if i had to resort to violence in order to stop him from raping Shizuka...was selling me morality.

"Get out of the car" He moves the guns slightly to the side as he speaks.

"Unlike you, i'm not a killer" He adds right after.

Yet before i could move...

"Lower the gun...right now...i don't know who you think you are, but you won't be the one who gets to decide what happens here" Saya spoke up with a low hissing tone as she pressed the lugger's muzzle against Shimada's sides.

"The hell is wrong with you people, i am trying to help you! He is.."

"Dangerous?! Don't give me that shit! Everybody is dangerous now!" Saya shouts.

"And even so...if...if it wasn't for him...i...my parents..." I could see her eyes getting blurry as she spoke.

"Naier is the only reason that my home didn't get overrun! He nearly got himself killed protecting it! Protecting my parents! If he did all that just to fool me, then he has me fooled! Because i trust him more than i trust you!" Saya kept on shouting...and...uh...honestly...it was kinda overwhelming...i mean...she was actually using my name?

Shimada turns his head towards Saya as she kept pressing the gun against his sides...and using the chance i bolt forward grab the gun's barrel and aim it towards the hatch, flipping the safety before pulling it towards me...and the moment the gun's butt came in front of Shimada's face, i bring it straight to his face.

He lets go of the gun and grabs his nose...

"Now get out of the car" Saya glares at Shimada as she speaks.

"Now!" she shouts and pushes Shimada with the gun.

Kohta who was also aiming the Ar-10 at him opens the doors and exits the car along with Rei and Takashi...followed by Shimada, Kohta and the other two then enter the car and close the door.

"Go" Kohta looks at Shizuka the moment he enters the car.

Shizuka drove a couple of meters when...

"Stop the car..." Everybody in the group turns to look at me as i take Shimada's bat and exit the car. I then take off my bag and grab a bottle of painkillers.

"I don't intend to forgive you for what you tried to do to Shizuka...but i do believe that you wanted to help them now...even if that was by getting rid of me...for that, you can have these..." I say as i leave the bat and box of painkillers on the ground...Shimada stared at me like an idiot with his hand on his nose, i then walked a bit closer so the rest of the group would not hear me.

"You might think i am a danger...and you might be right, I'm not going to tell you to think otherwise...but" I glance back at the car.

"If you really wanted to help them, then don't hold this against them. They don't need any more enemies, their plates are already full enough as it is, and maybe ...someday...they might need your help...i don't want to be the reason that caused you to turn your back on them" I turn around after i finish speaking.

"Ohh and one last thing..." I say i turn around...

"If you want to find an evaluation center...look for a police station...they might have information on the locations..." I turn around again and walk to the car.

The moment i enter it Kohta speaks up.

"He pointed a gun at your face...and you are giving him painkillers and a bat?..." He asks as he frowns.

"If he really tried to help...even in by tossing me out, then it's better to show him that we are willing to work with him if he's not going to be a total dick...or... i guess i just might be stupid after all" I say as i shrug.

And with that, the car started moving again.

(Killing...should be a last-ditch effort, Shimada never got enough screen time for us to really understand if he is a good or bad person...the fact that we had to nearly choke his ass to stop him from raping Shizuka makes him loses a lot of points for sure...but...i can't read minds...maybe he really believed that i'm a danger and wanted to help...maybe he wanted me gone because i was the only one who threatened him after we immobilized him back at the mall...whatever the case...you should never close a door unless you are absolutely sure that it needs to be closed...like with Shido...and the kid...

In the manga other than the fact that he stabbed somebody, it clearly showed that he was unstable...what if he ended up in our group and then went crazy again?

...But you know...i'm glad i was actually able to do this with Shimada...might end up being a stupid decision in the long run...but at least it proves that i can still try to solve problems without shooting everything in close vicinity...)

"Are we going to leave Shimada back there?" Shizuka asks.

"He brought this to himself" Saya answers shortly after.

"Well...yea...but.." Shizuka trails off before she can finish her sentence.

"The guy almost raped you and you are worried about him?" Rei asks with a frown.

"Buut...he didn't seem like a bad person..." She replies.

"He tried to rape and you and he tried to shoot Naier" Kohta says right after.

"I know...and that was horrible...but he said he wanted to help...maybe he just..."

"You trust people way too easily Shizuka" Saya cuts her off...Shizuka just lowered her head slightly and kept her mouth closed.

(Holy crabs, how kindhearted can you get?)

The group then kept on chatting with one another for some time until...

"Naier..." Takashi, who had kept quiet so far speaks up, i turn around to see him staring at me...with Shimada gone he was now on the center.

"Are you hiding anything else from us?" He asks.

"Takashi!" Saya yells as she darts her head to him.

"If it was not for Shimada we would have never learned of this!" He shouts back.

(Aaand, of course, something must go to shit...out of the pan and into the fire...can i ever have a break?)

"I am the leader of this group, i have to make sure that nobody is a danger, i don't want to have somebody inside that is keeping secrets from us, even more so if that secret is going around behind our backs and killing living people!" He shouts as he turns to Saya, who just kept glaring at him.

"Takashi, stop, Naier is not our enemy, he helped us more times than i can count, me and Saya wouldn't have even made it out of the school if it was not for him." Kohta speaks up as he looks at Takashi, Asami next to him, hugging his arm as she darts her head around.

"And remember that when you went to save Alice, he shielded from that flashbang" Saeko adds right after.

"A flashbang that Kohta used after Naier's order" He answers back.

I stayed quiet as Takashi kept 'talking' with the group.

(You know what boss boy...you're starting to tick me off...i want to see what you will really do when the whole group is against your actions yet you are too stubborn to back down.)

"I killed Shido and Tsunoda" I answer casually, causing the whole group to turn to me.

"After they got expelled i followed them and found that they were going to return to the estate and try to open the barricades as payback for getting expelled, that...was also the reason why i was late after Saya's father returned to the estate" I add up right after...the rest of the group stayed quiet...and after a short silence.

"...what else?" Takashi asks as he keeps looking at me.

"Nothing else" I answer.

"And how do i know that you are telling the truth?" He narrows his eyes as he speaks.

Yet, before i could answer i felt the car abruptly stop.

"Enough! I can't take this anymore!" Shizuka shouts as she turns her head to us.

She keeps staring between me and Takashi, her eyes slightly red.

"We can't just!..."

"I don't care! Just Stop it!" She shouts...and Takashi...closes his mouth...She then turns to look at the street and grips the steering wheel.

"We need to find a place to stay before it gets dark..." She says with a cracked voice as she kept looking down the street.

I let out a silent sigh and put my hand in my pocket, taking out the keys to the house, then lift my hand between the two front seats.

"Saeko, would you please tell them how they can get to the house...don't feel like talking." I say as i keep looking at the street ahead.

"I will..." Somebody takes the keys as i hear the answer...and shortly after Saeko instructs Shizuka to turn the car around and head towards the mall, as we were going in the opposite direction from the clinic.

(On the other hand, some times i feel like it would be better if i just whacked everybody in the head and be done with it...)