Hello people, and welcome back to Highschool of the Dead: Resurrection. Fingers crossed for Masato surviving his mauling, and thumbs up to him for keeping Shizuka from being...well, violated. Although there's still some loose ends to tie up, but that's why this story has multiple chapters in the first place right? So...let's keep this party rolling.
In the canal, Itachi slid down the sloped wall making sure he didn't lose his footing, or go too slowly, with Saeko keeping up. They then looked over the almost dried-up canal...and saw a multitude of dead zombies in the water. Itachi then huffed curiously, then walked along the side of the canal with Saeko following him.
"Why didn't you obey Takashi?" Saeko asked.
"A better question is why would I?" Itachi asked.
"You may not accept it, but you are one of us." Saeko said.
"Just because I travel with you doesn't mean I'm one of you, nor do I want to be." Itachi said.
"Yet you help us in a unique way." Saeko said.
"Something I'm sure you worship me for." Itachi said.
"Everyone else condemns you for everything else." Saeko said.
"How poetic..." Itachi said.
"Takashi told us to stay with the bus to help protect it." Saeko said.
"And I left to do something none of you can, or will." Itachi said.
"Takashi would never be this reckless." Saeko said and Itachi glanced at her.
"Do you seriously think he and I are in the same league? I don't know if I should be insulted or amused..." He said and Saeko stopped cold and swallowed her disgust with a deep cleansing breath, and even resisted the urge to draw her sword before following Itachi. They then reached a bridge over the canal and stopped there.
"That must be Ghost territory." Saeko said.
"Must be yeah...although considering that they've been here longer than we have, that would explain why this canal is full of dead zombies." Itachi said.
"I also saw a blockage back there, the same as we saw on the bridge to keep it from being used. That cannot be a coincidence." Saeko said, and then some zombies they walked past sat up and slowly shuffled after them. Itachi then looked them over, glanced at Saeko, then walked off as Saeko drew her sword and violently slashed through their heads. Itachi then turned back and saw her usual composure crumble as she cut them all down with more speed and force than he's ever seen her use before putting her sword away and marching back to him.
"Feel better?" Itachi asked.
"As a matter of fact I do." Saeko said.
"Well...glad to hear it." Itachi said.
"Are you? Given how you spoke of Takashi, I question that." Saeko said.
"What? Just because I said he's not in my league?" Itachi asked and Saeko glared at him.
"You are not in his league...not the other way around...!" She snarled before walking off and leaving Itachi behind.
"If you say so..." He breathed out before following her.
Back at the bus, Takashi and Rei came back, and Saya came out to receive them.
"Thank God you're back." She said seriously.
"What's the matter?" Rei asked and Alice rushed out as well.
"We saw some vehicles go by, and we were worried sick." She said.
"They must have gone for Shizuka and the corporal." Rei said.
"We have to go help them!" Alice said.
"What about Saeko and Itachi?" Kohta asked.
"What about them?" Takashi asked.
"Itachi ran off, and Saeko went to fetch him." Saya said.
"Dammit Itachi..." Rei said.
"Oh shit..." Kohta breathed out as he looked down the road, and everyone else looked as well...and their hearts sank.
"Miss Shizuka!" Alice exclaimed.
"And the corporal..." Takashi breathed out.
"Help me get him inside!" Shizuka said.
"What happened?" Rei asked as Takashi slung Masato's other arm into his shoulder.
"Ghosts..." Masato whispered.
"What?!" Saya exclaimed.
"Some Ghosts...attacked us...they...almost got the supplies...and tried...to take...Shizuka." Masato said as the group helped him onto the bus and sat him down.
"Hey, don't worry sir. We've got your back from now on." Kohta said.
"What about the supplies?" Saya asked.
"Masato needs first aid, we can get the supplies later." Shizuka said seriously.
"No! We may not get another...chance...!" Masato snarled.
"But you're hurt!" Shizuka snapped.
"He's right, we might not get another chance. Let's the supplies, and make it quick." Takashi said, and Shizuka groaned.
"Fine..." She said, before closing the door and flooring it to where the supplies dropped. When they got there, the group rushed out the door...and eyeballed the carnage.
"What the hell...?!" Saya breathed out.
"Nevermind that! We need to go now!" Shizuka yelled and she rushed out the door and went for the supplies, with the group getting themselves together and going for the supplies...except for Alice who was so horrified by the dead people around the street that she couldn't move. Rei then saw and went back for her.
"Alice?" Rei asked, and Alice clung onto her while shaking and weeping.
"These aren't...these aren't zombies are they...?" Alice asked.
"No, they're not...but they hurt Corporal Toriyama,and tried to hurt Miss Shizuka." Rei said and then pulled Alice aside as the group loaded the bus.
"I hate this...I hate seeing people get hurt..." She whispered.
"So do I...and believe me, I want it to stop just like you do, but we have to keep moving so that it'll stop, so don't you stop either." Rei said, and Alice dried hr eyes.
"O.k..." She said, and shared a smile with Rei before she got back on the bus.
"Just stay with the corporal...I'll help load the bus." Rei said before taking supplies from her teammates and adding it to the pile in the back...which inspired the group to pass supplies from one person to another instead of each person running back and forth between the bus and the crates of supplies...and running around each other like simpletons. When they got all of the supplies, they rushed back into the bus, and went straight back home.
"What about Saeko and Itachi?" Kohta asked.
"They know the way back home; they'll be fine." Takashi said.
Back in the canal, Itachi ran up the side of the sloped wall of the canal...despite the fact he was crouching, which Saeko had to admit was pretty impressive considering how much leg strength that required. Itachi then peeked over the edge of the wall and saw a group of zombies shambling about, then threw his wind chimes out to get their attention...then loosed a barrage of arrows to put them down, then chuckled at his success before rushing out to get his arrows. Saeko then looked the other way, and rushed off to slice them down herself.
Itachi then looked back to see her make short work of dozens of zombies, sometimes in groups, sometimes one by one, but always with enough speed and force to kill each one several times over. She's always been his equal when it came to using their respective weapons, and now was no different. Itachi then went to retrieve his arrows, before spotting more zombies that shambled around the corner, only to get more arrows through their heads. He then looked back to see Saeko sheathing her blade, and leaning against the railing of the bridge she was on, then she pulled her pistol, screwed on the suppressor, then shot the rest of the zombies , before reloading and repeating the process before looking back at Itachi, who shared the glazed look in the face she had before they continued down their respective paths.
In Itachi's case, he peeked around multiple corners and found an equal number of places to possibly loot...but then heard rapid footsteps behind, and turned around just in time to spot a Ghost charging at him with a knife brandished. Itachi then side-stepped before he could get stabbed, then repeatedly dodged several knife swings and stabs before finally notching an arrow, only for the Ghost to throw his knife at Itachi, making him lean to the side. He held onto his arrow to keep it from being a miss, then the Ghost threw a rock from his pocket which hit the head of Itachi's arrow with enough force to break the wooden shaft just behind the head, making the arrow useless. Itachi then noticed a scratch on the bow itself and threw the bow away and rolled to the side as the Ghost charged at him with another knife.
"That arrow you broke was wooden, and my bow is fine...which is excellent news for you." He said sharply.
"Quit whining about that twig you call a bow and fight outsider." The Ghost said before taking his knives back.
"I am Itachi Fujinaga..." Itachi trailed off.
"I don't give a fuck if you're the reincarnation of Shogun Tokugawa. Outsides aren't welcome here!" The Ghost snapped, and Itachi smirked.
"Spoken like a true historian. Ante up gambit..." He said casually...before another Ghost jumped out with a lead pipe, and the two charged at him with their weapon, before Itachi frantically ducked and side-stepped multiple swings, before finally getting bashed in the gut with the lead pipe hard enough to make him slouch over. The Ghost who bashed him then slammed Itachi into a car while the other Ghost watched, then Itachi got slammed into the ground and tried to resist getting choked.
"Any last words...?" The Ghost asked, and Itachi glanced to the side and smirked.
"I win..." He breathed out...before the Ghost choking him took a bullet through his head, and the other Ghost looked to see Saeko pointing her gun at them. The other Ghost then turned and sprinted away as Itachi pushed himself up before grabbing his bow. He then glanced at the retreating Ghost, smirked then loosed an arrow which pierced the Ghost's heart from behind. He then marched over to retrieve his arrow.
"You enjoy killing too much..." Saeko said.
"I enjoy winning. Besides, they attacked me first-" Itachi stopped talking when a bullet bounced off the street by his foot.
"Sniper!" Saeko yelled before the two hid behind a car and looked around. They then took a moment to calm down behind the car.
"Back the way we came..." Itachi said casually, and Saeko led him back through the canal to their neighborhood.
At said neighborhood, Masato was being checked on by Shizuka, while he was in bed and bare chested. Takashi then peeked in just in time for Shizuka to finish and come out.
"How is he?" Khota asked.
"The good news is that he's not in danger of dying. The bad news, is that he had multiple bone fractures. He's still able to fight, but know him..." Shizuka trailed off.
"He's not the take-it-easy type." Saya said.
"My thoughts exactly; if any of his bones take more stress, he will be out of commission for weeks, if not months." Shizuka said.
"How long should we look in on him?" Takashi asked.
"I'd say a week at most." Shizuka said.
"That's it?" Kohta asked.
"He does wear pretty heavy armor, and have you seen him shirtless? The guy's a walking tank compared to any of us!" Takashi said seriously.
"True, but for now, we need to make sure we don't need anything heavy-duty for a while." Shizuka said.
"Or at the very least, we need to make it clear to that brute that charging at the zombies like an angry elephant is out of the question until further notice." Saya said.
"That is also true." Shizuka said.
"Well, for now, let's get some sleep, cause I'm bushed." Rei said.
"Me too..." Kohta said.
"Well, it is almost sundown." Takashi said.
"I say we all stay here to watch over him, and get the rest of our stuff together." Rei said.
"Hard to argue with that. Besides, I haven't checked on the SAW in ages." Kohta said.
"There's also Saeko and Itachi; they should've been back by now." Saya said.
"Oh right!" Rei exclaimed.
"Uh...guys?" Alice said, and then everyone looked out the window..and their hearts sank.
"Wow...that's alot of zombies..." Shizuka said.
"Damn...they must've followed the bus, and just now caught up to us." Takashi said.
"What do we do?" Alice asked.
"We're not running are we?" Shizuka asked.
"No...no more running, we stand, and we fight." Takashi said.
"How? I don't know about you, but I don't have the energy to fight that many zombies." Saya said.
"I sure don't with my naginata, and I want to spare as much of my Springfield's ammo as possible." Rei said.
"Well then...we'll have to improvise-" Takashi stopped talking when the door burst open,and Itachi and Saeko came in.
"Where the hell were you?" Saya asked.
"Sneaking around a horde of zombies, and kicking two Ghost asses." Itachi said.
"Well, that same horde you snuck around is now on our doorstep." Rei said, and Itachi smirked.
"My time to shine." He said.
"Are you crazy? A horde that big is too much even for you." Takashi said as Itachi walked across the room.
"We'll see about that..." He said before opening the door, crouching on the roof just outside, then loosing arrows into the ones furthest down the road; the ones not as close together. Itachi then threw his wind chimes over the wall, luring the zombies to an area away from the arrows he used to kill several zombie so he could climb over the wall then retrieve his arrows. Once he did, he immediately got back to loosing those arrows through the heads of more zombies, taking care to make sure each arrow pierced multiple heads...and he succeeded every then walked out of his room, and Shizuka was on him in moments.
"Why are you out here?! You need to rest!" She snapped.
"There are zombies out there that need killing..." Masato breathed out.
"Not by you." Shizuka said.
"We could let him watch." Saeko said.
"Fine...but I'm watching you mister." Shizuka said while pouting and putting a finger in his face. Masato simply stared at her, then lumbered over to the window to see Itachi continue to dodge zombies lunging at him, and repaying them with arrows to the face.
"Still don't know what he's thinking taking on this many zombies by himself." Kohta said.
"As long as he kills the zombies, he can do as he will." Masato said before everyone went back to seeing Itachi relentlessly tear the zombies with the same enthusiasm and vigor as before.
"Sheesh...having the time of his life that one is..." Saya said.
"You sounded like Yoda just now." Kohta said and Saya giggled.
"That was not the intention, but oh well." She said.
"Killing these things isn't supposed to be fun." Rei said.
"That's not what he thinks..." Saeko said.
"Who cares what that psychopath thinks?" Rei asked.
"He's not a psychopath, he's just full of himself." Saeko said.
"Whatever..." Rei said.
"What's the difference?" Alice asked.
"A psychopath is someone who has a mental disorder, usually one involving antisocial tendencies, especially the desire to cause death or suffering. Being full of yourself means you just think very highly of what your station in life, what you can do, or what you think." Saya said.
"O...k..." Alice said.
"In other words: Itachi just has a unique way of having fun, and it involves being violent. If he really was a psychopath, he wouldn't have helped us as much as he did; at the very least, he's not heartless." Saeko said.
"Tell those zombies that; they're already almost halfway done." Takashi said and everyone else looked out he window again to see Itachi running around a small group of zombies, loosing arrows as he ran. He then grabbed his arrows then took down more zombies with those arrows, with even more multi-kills with each arrow. He then took a moment to catch his breath...then jammed a knife into it's face.
"Wait a minute...where did he get that knife?" Rei asked.
"I know where..." Saeko trailed off as Itachi charged through the last of the zombies, dancing around them and stabbing each on in the back of the head until they all died.
He then casually walked back to the wall, jumped over it then came back inside.
"Problem solved..." He said proudly.
"Where did you get those knives?" Rei asked...before they heard gunfire outside.
"Ghosts?" Saya asked before they they saw a trio of armored cars drive by the neighborhood taking pot shots at another horde of zombies.
"Please God let them not know who we are, or that we're here..." Kohta said
"I think that sniper started a witch hunt." Itachi said.
"One of the many drawbacks to killing with reckless abandon." Saeko said.
"They attacked me first, you saved me, end of story." Itachi said.
"Here's hoping it doesn't start another story, one that ends tragically." Saeko said seriously before they sat back and watched the Ghosts gun down zombies.
"What are you talking about?" Takashi asked.
"Two Ghosts ambushed us, we killed them, and I took their knives." Itachi said simply.
"Great...those Ghosts must be looking for revenge." Saya said.
"Good luck with that; those idiots don't even know where we live." Itachi said.
"Yeah, let's hope it stays that way." Rei said seriously.
"I want to know how you're not tired." Saeko said.
"Gee, probably because I've been getting a ton of beauty sleep for an entire bus ride, and then some." Itachi said.
"Thanks for letting us know..." Saya groaned.
"Alright, the zombies are dealt with, now let's get you back to bed." Shizuka said as she took Masato's hand and pulled him back to his bedroom as everyone watched.
"Well, I'm off to bed." Rei said.
"Me too." Takashi said.
"And I need another shower..." Itachi said.
"Good night." Alice said as everyone left, and then went to bed herself along with Zeke.
Once Shizuka had Masato sitting down, she deflated.
"You need to be more careful; you may not have done anything heavy, but we can't take any risks." She said.
"Speak for yourself...it will take more than a few injuries to stop my mission." Masato said.
"Your mission can wait; you need to heal!" Shizuka snapped, and Masato growled.
"You have no idea what this means to me don't you...?" He asked.
"Of course I do. The zombies are a threat to everyone...unless you're not telling me something." Shizuka said and Masato deflated.
"Yes...there is...I was part of the last major offense against the undead...along with my younger brother Masashi. When we first joined...we saw it as a chance for glory, to protect the people, and make a difference...we were dead wrong. Not even an hour into our assignment, we encountered more zombies in more different places than we could have possibly prepared for...and I was the only one of my team who survived." He said while shaking and tensing his fists.
"Masato..." Shizuka whispered.
"I saw my younger brother torn to pieces while screaming for me to help him!" Masato snapped before his eyes watered and he sucked in trembling breath. "From that point forward...I swore I would not rest until the last zombie was put in the grave it belonged in, and left us living people the hell alone...!" And with that Shizuka put her hand on his shoulder...and he slowly but steadily calmed down. "I never thought I would talk about that...and I do appreciate your concern, but it's not enough to sway me; I will have revenge..."
And we salute you for it. So...the Ghosts are on the hunt now, so that's one more issue for the group to deal with, Heaven help them. Oh well, they've dealt with all kinds of bullshit up to this point, so they should be fine...but will they? Well, I guess all of you will have to Rate, Review, and Share while the Ghosts' hunt commences. Stay tuned.