Highschool of the Dead: Us or Them

by HoTDFan

Three brothers from a military family are transferred to Fujimi Academy one day prior to the Z-Day outbreaks. Just when their lives seem to be getting back on track the world is completely unprepared for the living nightmare that opens up a new chapter in human history. The day humans were put back on the food chain. Rated-M. It is Highschool of the Dead afterall.

15. Chapter 15: I'm Afraid of Myself

Z-Day+18

A large concrete room with a single pen in the center was filled with small children gathering around it; looking in awe at the sight before them. A single overseer towered over all of them before reaching down into the pen; pulling up a small puppy. The overseer had short blonde hair and wore thick glasses that almost concealed her light green eyes, and she was dressed in a stainless white lab coat. Her demeanor however was strict enough to keep each and every last one of the children obediently under her command.

"You've all been excused from your daily tasks to select your own companion. The one you select will be your personal responsibility to take care of and nurture. Failure to do so will end in immediate termination of your time with us. Is that understood?" the woman in charge called out as she paced back and forth, keeping an eye out for any hesitation in the ranks.

"Understood, ma'am," all of them announced in unison as they stood upright with a salute; completely obedient and loyal to every word, a sight she seemed most pleased by.

"Good. The strongest of you will have the first pick," the overseer instructed as she opened the pen and allowed the strongest-looking of the children in first. Each one was immediately being rushed by the black fuzzy little fur balls that jumped around and took great curiosity in them. Laughter and excitement filled the room as one by one the pups had been chosen by their new masters.

"Which one is the weakest, ma'am?" one of the children suddenly asked, and the overseer turned her gaze to see one of the scrawnier looking kids staring intently up at her with curious crystal blue eyes.

His skin was covered in bruises and red scuffs, indicating he'd been pushing himself hard despite the lack of appearance the others could easily hold over him; making him one of the very last in line to pick.

"Why do you ask this, X-234?" the woman questioned likewise as she was genuinely curious to see what he was thinking.

"I want to know because I will make him the strongest of his kin," the young boy replied eagerly as he used his enthusiastic spirit to compensate for an abundant lack of strength.

"Very well; according to the breeder, this one here is considered to be a runt and will hardly make it past a month without the extra care. Are you sure this is what you want?" the overseer acknowledged as she began to look over the remains of the litter that had yet to be taken in; pointing out a pup that was notably smaller than the rest of its siblings.

This sight did not deter the young boy though as he slowly approached the frail looking dog; kneeling down curiously as he cocked his head to the side as if inspecting it himself. The small animal stopped when it noticed him; curiously gazing back before nervously approaching him, sniffing at his feet and hands. A small, wet tongue suddenly hung out the side of its now open mouth as the little stub of a tail began to wag back and forth. Two soft hazels eyes stared up at him as its breath felt heavy against his palms.

"Do you want to come back with me, little guy? I'll make you big and strong, I will! That's my promise to you if you swear your loyalty to me," the boy asked as if expecting an actual response from the young hound. The pup coincidentally let out a small yap before trying to leap up towards him as if to respond. That alone was enough for him to take as a 'yes'.

"You do realize if anything happens; it's on you, right? There will be no handicap for you despite the condition," the overseer suddenly interrupted; completely indifferent towards the otherwise heartwarming sight.

"Then I will do everything in my power to ensure that he'll grow into the best pup ever! Besides, I like a challenge," the young boy replied, his spirit unwavering despite the consequences that would result in any failure.

"We'll see about that. Oh, and for the record, it's a girl. Dismissed, X-234," the overseer replied as she began to walk away; watching as the young child looked on in puzzlement when he lifted the puppy up only to confirm that it was indeed a girl.

Frasier than immediately sat up; scratching the sides of his head before trying to adjust his blurred sight by wiping the sleep from his eyes, only to realize that he was still in the makeshift tent with Alice from her party last night. His gaze shifted down to see that she was still wrapped around his other arm before gently slipping it away without waking the slumbering child.

'How can she sleep so soundly? How can she smile when all could be lost at literally any time? Truly a remarkable thing, a child's innocence can be,' Frasier pondered to himself as he took a moment to closely observe her.

He then shrugged his shoulders as he crawled outside of their pretend tent to see the slumbering figures of his fellow survivors outlined in their own tents. He then recalled last night, how Saeko had come to him, even kissing his cheek after expressing that there was something urgent they needed to talk about. Figuring they'd all be sleeping in for the morning, he quietly tip-toed over to Saeko's tent only to be surprised when she was nowhere to be found.

'She must be on watch if she isn't here. Hurry now,' Arthur's voice echoed in the back of his mind. He couldn't agree more as he left the lobby and lightly jogged up the stairs in search of his dearest friend.

As he opened the doors to the rooftop, he was instantly met by Rika, who stood just several feet away. The quiet sniper simply licked her lips before forming a pleased grin, almost as if she were glad to be alone with him.

"It's about time one of you woke up. I thought I was gonna have to stay up here all morning with my thumb up my ass," Rika grumbled as she holstered her scoped long-rifle along her back before stretching both arms outwards.

"I'm sure it's used to that," Frasier snidely remarked; trying to hold back from smiling as he could see she wasn't expecting such a crude reply from him of all people.

"I...heh, well wouldn't you like to know?" she suddenly retorted with a short chuckle, swaying her legs a bit before both hands were fixed at her hips.

"How does it look out there so far? Have you seen any of 'Them' lately?" Frasier wasted no more time asking; choosing to ignore that last question as he brushed past Rika to survey the empty streets.

"Can't say that I have. It's actually been rather quiet now that you mention it," Rika answered, her voice somewhat low, frowning at him as if annoyed he chose to not answer the question.

"I'm not sure if that's an omen or just what we need. I guess scavenging will be a little easier with most of the hordes gone now. And we can...hold on, what's all this then?" the young Brit said, somewhat uncertain what to make of the situation before he noticed something peculiar in the binoculars he had in hand. Rika then looked through her scope to see what he was talking about.

"Hmmm, speak of the devil…or make that 'devils'. I can take care of this," Rika announced with a rather surprised sigh, catching sight of a small pack of 'Them' prowling along a distant stretch of highway.

"I've got it," Frasier suddenly interjected as he grabbed Kohta's rifle from the nearby ledge and took aim, instantly able to get a shot off within moments of hoisting it up. The bullet skewered right through the soft grey flesh, a thick brown stain splattering against the nearby road sign.

Just as he was about to swap targets, another shot rang out;causing him to slightly flinch as if expecting Rika to actually listen to him. He watched as two out of five of the targets now lay dead on the road. The remaining three all looked up, well aware of the two survivors now as 'They' began to redirect towards the hotel despite how immensely far away They were.

"I said I've got it! Stand down," Frasier barked as he took aim again, lining up another shot only for Rika to pick off yet another; leaving only two of 'Them' now remaining.

"Make me," Rika challenged as she watched him form a scowl; a fire burning in his eyes now as he took another shot.

Rika attempted to interject once more; watching in surprise as the kneecap was blown out instead. Her shot missed the head just barely and instead ricocheted into a car window, causing it to shatter from the high impact. She was quite surprised once she realized that he aimed to not only cripple his target, but to cause her shot to miss entirely as well. A second pull of his trigger caused the immobile creature to violently shake before the head popped like a smashed fruit; leaving the competing survivors at odds, now tied at two for two.

With only one left, they both adjusted their sights and held their breath. The last remaining monster opened its decaying mouth wide open as if preparing to shout at its attackers. A gentle tug on the trigger was all that was needed; two bullets zipped through the air, spiraling along a destructive path.

*splat*

Two holes splintered the skull apart; the face splitting in several directions as the body remained standing upright for a few seconds only to then topple over backwards. One of the legs kept twitching slightly before all motion ceased entirely. The sound of a lighter then clicked, causing Frasier to turn his head to see Rika lighting up a cigarette before giving him a rather impressed look of approval.

"That was actually pretty exciting. You almost bested me at my own game…almost anyhow. Shame we have no more of these things to play with," Rika sighed softly as she seemed to be quite satisfied with their quick yet intense skirmish.

"Not so fast. You missed one shot. Accuracy counts for everything. I win," Frasier corrected with a confident smirk, watching her smug expression turn to crushing disappointment.

"Shit. I was kinda hoping you wouldn't notice that," Rika grimaced as if genuinely frustrated that he bested her at what she prided herself most on.

"Did you know I rank in the top five snipers in the entire JGSDF? I wonder...just how much did they teach you in that little simulator program you talked about?" Rika pondered as she set her weapon of choice down; starting to pace about the rooftop with a curious hum within her words.

"More than you can ever hope to experience. We've learned the art of war, perfected it, and made it our own. Our strength and willpower is unlike anything this world has yet to encounter," Frasier replied, speaking with a deep sense of pride and honor as he set his weapon down only to lecture and boast at what his former cadets and himself were truly capable of.

"Is that so? That's quite an impressive if not bold claim, I'll admit that much. So, Mr. Super Soldier, are you seeing anyone?" Rika grinned, giving him some satisfaction in his abilities before asking a question he wasn't prepared for.

"Seeing someone?" the confused teen repeated out of uncertainty of what he just heard.

"Yeah, as in are you WITH anyone? Do you have any lovers out there…or here?" Rika confirmed as she raised an eyebrow, taking great pleasure at how uncertain he looked right now.

"N-Not at the moment, no. What relevance does such a question have here?" Frasier honestly answered as he couldn't help but feel some shame from this.

"Because after shooting, I tend to be very sore; but I don't let just anyone touch me, especially not here," Rika began to explain, slowly unzipping her top to reveal her white undershirt before pressing her undeniably impressive chest out.

"You, however, I'd consider worthy of having the honor after that little display of skill. So stop being such a nervous bitch and come help massage them," Rika said in a more demanding tone as she held both arms above her head; making it crystal clear that she wasn't in the mood for games anymore.

"No," Frasier softly responded as he began to walk away. Rika instantly grasped his arm as she was going to need more than that to let him go so easily.

"'No'? What do you mean 'no'? You just said you don't have romantic loyalties to anyone. Or are you just not into women? Is that it?" she began to prod, uncertain what could drive him to refuse such an offer; almost speaking like her own pride as a woman had been wounded by the rejection.

"It's not that...it's just..." Frasier attempted to explain, unable to find the proper words though without outright saying why he refused the open intimacy with the cold sniper.

"Oh, I get it now. You have it in for someone else in this group. I should've known…how interesting! Now just who might it be that you REALLY desire?" Rika soon managed to piece together; noticing the hesitation in his eyes as every word she spoke couldn't be truer. No amount of emotional repression could contain what the child soldier desired beyond combat and duty.

"Enough! That's none of your business," Frasier snapped as he clenched both fists, his voice on the defensive now as he realized she was inevitably going to figure it out if he allowed her to keep going.

"Why don't you just have a little fun on the side? I'm not looking for a boyfriend or anything long term. Even you have needs, despite how hard you try to play them off," Rika attempted to coerce, circling the still figure as he bowed his head; knowing such thoughts had been creeping around for years now, yet never acted upon.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of a real woman? Or do you maybe lack the parts?" Rika then teased; finding herself increasingly frustrated by the silence and unwillingness on his part. Frasier then simply chuckled at that, looking up with a snide look on his face.

"It's just not my style. Besides, I may be worthy of you, but who said you are worthy of ME?" Frasier replied; reveling in Rika's anger towards his remark, watching as her hands balled up into two fists. He was already more than ready to fight her again were it to come to that. However, her fists quickly unclenched as she began to laugh now, leaving him curious of what she was about to do next.

"A fair point, I suppose. Just know that if you change your mind, I'm more than willing to help you experience things you can't even begin to imagine. The nights can be so cold and lonesome,you know. Especially nowadays," Rika retorted; keeping her cool as she knew he wasn't going to budge here. She then ran a hand along his shoulders before brushing past him and heading for the stairs.

Just as she opened the door, she backed up out of slight surprise to see they weren't alone. Saeko slowly stepped forward; their eyes locking momentarily before she formed a pleasant smile the moment she realized their leader was up here as well.

"There you are. I was looking all over for you," she gently said to Frasier; watching him smile to himself at the sentiment.

"I figured you were watching over us as we slept. You always were a protective one," Frasier replied in a more cheerful manner; watching as the young sword-wielder casually brushed her long purple hair behind her ears with her fingertips.

"Ah, yes, the samurai of your little group. Tell me, you ever consider using a real weapon?" Rika suddenly suggested; speaking almost out of sheer jealousy as she watched the two of them act as if she wasn't even there.

"Your firearm is only useful when you have ammunition. Mine, however, can last much, much longer. So with that being said, I hope you brought plenty with you," Saeko coldly responded as Rika grinned; knowing she managed to somewhat get under her skin. Without further delay, she took off; officially leaving the two close friends alone on the rooftop as she now had a pretty good feeling about who Frasier desired.

"If it counts for anything, I believe your sword has been far more useful against the dead than most of us combined," Frasier suddenly brought up; causing her to smile again and focus on what she really came to him for.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me. So, are you ready for what I'm about to say? You might not like it," Saeko warned; approaching him as they stood inches apart now; her long, soft, violet hair flowing in the wind.

"Yes. I've been very curious what you could possibly have to say that would actually make you want to keep it a secret from everyone else," Frasier said as he nodded eagerly. His imagination could only hold so many possibilities before it began to get to him.

"I need you to come with me back to the mall. There's something I completely neglected to take that we simply cannot leave without," Saeko began to explain, still being somewhat vague and leaving him in the dark.

"And that is?" Frasier attempted to press further, only for her to gently shake her head.

"You'll see when we get there. We'll be walking the entire way too, since it'll hopefully just be you and I. It can be a lot quicker that way and less attention will be drawn to us," Saeko continued before she made it clear once more this wasn't something she wanted the others knowing about.

"I see...well, let's head out then. The streets are empty and the skies are clear," Frasier replied, somewhat disappointed this was what she was being so secretive about last night, not even explaining why she'd kissed his cheek; the thought of which still gave him a pleasant tingling sensation.

"I knew I could count on you. Let's go, before the others wake up," Saeko said gratefully before she motioned him to follow her; lightly jogging down the stairs.

"Shouldn't we at least let them know we're leaving?" Frasier advised as he tried to keep up; watching her pause before turning back to face him.

"If you insist. I'll leave that up to you, I suppose. Just know that I don't really intend on bringing any of them along," Saeko sighed, uncertain how to answer. Whatever the reason might be, one thing was for certain: she only intended to go with him and nobody else for this mystery mission.

Moments later, they'd geared up and had prepared to leave via the front doors while the others appeared to still be dead asleep; mostly due to staying up late last night to celebrate Alice's birthday. None of them had prepared for her to stay up nearly as late as she did.

"And just where are you two running off to now?" Rika suddenly asked while hidden in a back corner when she noticed this odd sight; taking note at how they moved ever so quietly to prevent the others from knowing what was going on.

"We're heading back to the mall. It's very important, so perhaps if we're not back by the time the others are awake, you could let them know where we are?" Frasier answered honestly as Saeko waited for him by the door; both watching as Rika raised a rather curious eyebrow to them.

"Oh, I get it. You two are looking for something more...private. Heh, I can't say I blame you," Rika softly taunted as she walked closer to him; an annoyed look forming across his face.

"It's not like that! It's a vital mission and nothing more," Frasier hissed as he did not want to risk the others hearing about this; all the while failing to notice Saeko's mixed looks as she turned her head away, as if there was more to this than she had originally let on.

"No, I mean I can't blame why you like her so much. Try not to take all day, stud," Rika softly whispered; making it obvious that she'd already managed to put the pieces together and was well aware he did not simply see the sword fighter as just friends.

"T-Thank you. We'll be back shortly," Frasier muttered in defeat; knowing if he tried to deny or fight this, he'd only be cementing the proof even further; not even looking at Rika as she stood there watching them head off into the streets.

Several minutes later…

"So I don't suppose you're going to let me in on what it is you forgot to pick up, huh? Was it medicine? Fuel? Food? What?" Frasier eventually asked as the mystery was starting to seriously get to him now. Whatever it was, she needed to tell him now before he lost his patience.

"It's something you don't want me without when...you know..." Saeko said; wanting to answer him, yet finding herself ashamed for having to spit it out.

"What? Just be upfront with me already," Frasier practically demanded as he stopped dead in his tracks; refusing to move another step until she said it.

"I need something which a woman requires after a certain point in her life," Saeko reluctantly replied; hoping there would be no further need to press on the subject.

"Chocolate?" Frasier attempted to guess as it was quite clear he knew next to nothing about women in such regard. Saeko could only groan in embarrassment that he was leaving her no other choice but to elaborate even further.

"No! I mean, that would be really nice too, but I need that other thing that women use during a certain time of the month," Saeko attempted to explain to him; hating how hard this had to be for something so natural and necessary.

"Oh...OH! But why me then?!" Frasier didn't initially understand at first before suddenly making a connection; the horrid realization hitting him harder than a speeding train as he visibly shuddered.

"Ugh, I didn't want to say it, but you just weren't getting it! Besides, you really think I brought you out here alone just to retrieve tampons? I could handle that myself no problem," Saeko grumbled as she tried her best to avoid having to be so blatant about such things before Frasier shrugged his shoulders, still not sure what any of this had to involve him for.

"I brought you out here because I wanted to talk with you," Saeko finally said as they continued to walk again; Frasier's curiosity piqued once more.

Yet, he had no response to that. He didn't know what to say or how to feel about her need to simply talk with him. She bowed her head; hoping that it wasn't going to be this awkward the entire trip there. However, she remained optimistic and formed that smile she knew he was ever so fond of.

"I'm just really happy to see you're eager to come along with me. I almost felt like you wouldn't want to go in the first place. You've been working so hard to keep everyone safe that you've ended up isolating yourself from them," Saeko suddenly said as she shot him a warm and inviting smile before they continued to march again. Her katana gently bounced against her hip as she walked upright with a proud stride with every step she took. Her tone hinted that she was somewhat upset that they hadn't been talking to one another; causing Frasier to gulp as he realized that must've been what was on her mind for all this time.

"The group's safety is a major concern that shouldn't be shirked. If they knew about the things we might potentially encounter out there, they'd understand and buckle up. Besides, I couldn't let you go by yourself," Frasier attempted to explain as a cover;hoping she'd buy it and potentially drop the subject entirely.

"Oh? And why is that, hmm? You don't think I can take care of myself then?" Saeko questioned with a sarcastic hum as her elbow playfully nudged up against shoulder. He quickly turned away to prevent her seeing the look of embarrassment on his face.

"As a matter of fact: I feel you'd be the most capable one out of all of us in a close quarters fight. Hell, probably even better than me in some instances. However, should you encounter another survivor with a firearm or be lured into a trap; then your chances are drastically cut. So I couldn't exactly let you do this alone in good conscience," Frasier complimented as Saeko was completely unable to reply at first; pleasantly surprised to hear he had such appreciation and concern for her after all.

"I...thank you. I'm relieved you think so highly of me," Saeko said in a soft giggle before returning to the more serious state that Frasier was accustomed to.

"Relieved? What makes you say that?" he asked as he couldn't guess what she could possibly be so relieved about.

"Well, we've barely exchanged any words over the past several days since our groups have joined together. I almost felt like you were trying to actively avoid me. Like I had done something wrong or insulted you in some way," Saeko confessed as she seemed to be rather upset at the distance between them lately.

"My apologies, Saeko-san. It's been a rough two weeks as you can obviously tell. Now would be a good time to talk;considering we have another five miles before we reach the mall," Frasier apologized before he tried to change the subject once they began to round a street corner.

"Hold on, I see six hostiles over there," he suddenly said the instant his ears picked up the slightest nearby unnatural disturbance to the silence. He momentarily paused and soon confirmed the immediate threat of several undead SDF troopers huddled around an overturned jeep. All of 'Them' turned to face the two teenagers, no doubt due to their voices being carried by the wind.

Each one had on a sturdy combat helmet; making head shots a real pain for Frasier to pull off. Several of his rifle shots either grazed the sides or were absorbed into the thick body armor the former soldiers had on. His expression quickly turned into an angry scowl before Saeko simply smiled and held up a hand as if motioning him to remain on standby.

"Save your energy and bullets. Just leave this to me, Frasier-san," Saeko instructed; her hands slowly drawing the katana from the sheathe. The steel blade reflected off of the sunlight as she then took an aggressive stance.

Without any hesitation, she bolted towards the six undead soldiers with her sword poised to inflict maximum damage. That dominating thrill for danger and excitement took over Saeko as she licked her lips in anticipation. A single swipe went upwards, cutting right into the first one's midsection.

The legs belonging to the first of 'Them' slumped forwards as the upper half slowly slid backwards with a sloppy wet sound. Her combat boot stomped down on the chest before she plunged the blade under the reinforced glass plate that was meant to cover the face. Saeko then leapt back as two more of the undead soldiers lunged forward only to end up swatting at the air thanks to her razor sharp reflexes.

"That's it?" Saeko taunted before dashing forward again; angling the katana to slice at the neck of the closest one.

The thick brown sludge coated her blade as the flesh was cleanly torn apart by the razor sharp steel. The head loosely dangled back, barely connected by several fibers of flesh before Saeko noticed this undead threat was still active despite her well placed attack. With a single backspin kick, the head was completely disconnected and rolled off the shoulders as the rest of the body collapsed like a sack of bricks.

The skilled swordswoman then swiped her blade down; causing the blood to splatter and paint the street beneath her to keep her blade clean. While four remained, she did not fault in her glowing confidence. She casually walked up towards a cluster of three that were much closer while the other one seemed to be distracted by Frasier as he moved, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

"I said stay back! Let me handle this! I need it..." Saeko snapped as she called out to Frasier; whispering to herself at the end as he was left rather surprised by this strange attitude of hers; noticing how she seemed to be utterly thrilled whenever she cut and sliced up another one of 'Them' into oblivion.

Saeko then jumped right back into the fray as she positioned herself between the three former SDF troopers. Her body moved with such efficiency and elegance whenever she would duck and weave between all attempts They would make to grab at her. With several flicks of the wrist, she watched as limbs were severed and the body armor was sliced wide open, the tip of her blade driving into two of 'Them' with a single stab.

Frasier looked in awe as he could see this strange look taking over Saeko. She didn't seem to be fighting for survival anymore. To him, it looked like the young samurai was instead taking sheer pleasure from the thrill and intensity. Like a wild animal that killed for sport instead of food.

Something about it did not warrant fear, but it did cause a part of him to feel very concerned that she'd display such eagerness to rush headfirst into battle. He then shifted his attention to the one straggler that seemed interested in him over her. The eldest Lawson crouched down to take aim underneath a gap that exposed the head to him. Seconds before he pulled the trigger to add another kill to his already high count, the tip of Saeko's sword burst through the back and out of the front.

The last of the undead pack now lay dead at her feet as she was covered in 'Their' blood. She pulled out a thick cloth to wipe the blood from her face and the steel katana before placing it back in the sheath resting along her hip. Her ice cold gaze then looked over at Frasier, who was holstering his rifle before approaching her; watching intently as she was breathing hard, not from fatigue, but pleasure and satisfaction.

"That was quite impressive, Saeko-san. I almost forgot how dangerous you can be with a sword. Shall we proceed?" Frasier said admirably as Saeko smiled at the compliment; nodding slowly to answer his question before they continued their trek to the mall. She then started humming to herself. A part of her was glad he didn't reprimand her for the reckless and headstrong attitude she just displayed. After all, it was pretty much the same way he always fought.

At one point they, were passing down what used to be a busy shopping district. Saeko playfully hummed a song to herself; hoping for another fight while Frasier found himself looking up at a nearby billboard. It was advertising the newest romance movie that would've been playing tomorrow if the date on their makeshift calendar was to be believed. The image of a man holding a woman's hand caught his eyes; taking note at how happy they appeared despite knowing it was just a movie.

His eyes then shifted over towards Saeko; feeling his innermost thoughts coming back to make him realize how much she really meant to him. Then he noticed her hands were open. All it would take was for him to move a bit closer in and lock their fingers together. Never had he been more tempted to hold her hand than he did right now.

However, the closer he came, the more doubt began to pile onto his mind until he eventually reeled his hand back and bowed his head; knowing it was pointless to concern himself with such things. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked at him with puzzlement.

"Hello? Are you still with me, Frasier-san?" Saeko suddenly asked as he realized he'd completely spaced out to the point she might've been talking this entire time.

"Umm, kinda. Yeah," Frasier blurted out in embarrassment. Saeko however found it amusing and began to laugh before she stopped and folded her arms.

"I was just asking if you had any fears," Saeko repeated for a second time; a glimmer of genuine curiosity reflecting in those deep blue eyes.

"Why do you want to know?" Frasier asked, clearly put off by such a seemingly insulting question.

"You can tell a lot about a man when you know what he truly fears most," Saeko replied with a smile, oddly intrigued at what made him tick.

"Well...the same can be said of a woman. So what do you fear?" Frasier nervously replied, trying his best to avoid answering.

"Hey, I asked you first, Frasier-san. Nice try though," Saeko commented as she wasn't going to be tricked that easily.

"So close! Well, maybe when I find something to be afraid of I'll let you know," Frasier replied cheekily; still refusing to answer.

"Oh, gonna be like that, huh? Okay, whatever you say. Next you'll tell me you have no weaknesses," Saeko chuckled as she playfully rolled her eyes at such a stereotypical macho answer; slowly starting to continue on with their journey as Frasier paused momentarily, a look of regret now held over him.

"Saeko-san..." Frasier then said in a weaker voice; sounding noticeably upset as he felt hesitation taking over again.

"Yes?" she gently replied while turning her head over her shoulder; those piercing blue eyes staring straight at him with intrigue.

"I'm sorry," Frasier gently spoke as he then looked down.

"W-What for; you've done nothing wrong to me as far as I can recall," Saeko asked confusedly.

"Oh but I have. I didn't come find you first thing when our school fell. I went with my brothers instead, leaving you for dead for all I knew," Frasier confessed as he recalled that horrible day; how he'd fought like hell to save his brothers, yet didn't even TRY to go after her.

"Believe me, I handled it pretty well," Saeko said reassuringly, clearly bothered by seeing Frasier beat himself down so much.

"I still feel bad. I regret leaving someone like you behind like I did," Frasier attempted to explain as he just couldn't help but feel remorse all the same.

"Someone like me? Now what is that supposed to mean exactly?" Saeko asked curiously; stepping forward as Frasier now appeared to be even more nervous.

"Umm...well you know; somebody really special. Someone I would consider very close and irreplaceable as I said before..." Frasier said with both hands up; almost sweating at this point as he realized he should stop while he was ahead.

"I'm only kidding! I know you consider me very special, just as I do with you. Please stop dwelling on the past," Saeko reassured him with a chuckle as she couldn't help but enjoy getting a rise out of him; watching as he was visibly caught off guard to hear that she considered him special to her as well.

"Wait, you feel the same way? Still...I-I feel I should make it up to you somehow," Frasier began to ask before realizing he still felt partial guilt; Saeko sighing gently as it was quite clear he wouldn't be letting this go.

"Well...you do still owe me for not showing up to that performance. Oh yes, I remember that still in case you were hoping it slipped my mind during all of this," she brought up before pointing out that he did in fact have a debt to settle with her.

"*Ahem* Yes, I know that. Perhaps today I can help train you in using your handgun. Would that be good?" Frasier coughed before suggesting the one thing he knew for certain he could do to make up for his past failure.

"Hmm, it's a start at least. We'll see how good of a teacher you are. Now come on, we don't want to waste the rest of the morning out here, do we?" Saeko hummed before suggesting that they move on; taking off with him right at her side with a new spring in his step.

Soon enough, they stood before the empty parking lot and were relieved to see it looked exactly the same way it did just a dayago. Frasier quickly opened the doors before he and Saeko made a beeline for the lobby. Within seconds, Kenji could be seen scurrying around on the second level to investigate the noise.

"Woah, you guys came back already? I'll be right there," Kenji exclaimed excitedly as he darted down the stairs to greet the two. Frasier and Saeko couldn't help but smile to see the young boy still seem so carefree and fun-loving even after all this time.

"Hello, Kenji-kun. I take it you two are still holding up alright?"Saeko asked sweetly before kneeling down to properly greet the boy.

Kenji nodded before he suddenly hugged the two survivors. Saeko lightly giggled at the adorable behavior as Frasier just stood there awkwardly, as if unsure how to respond to Kenji's childlike affection.

"Are you guys here to trade with us again?" Kenji asked the moment her noticed the sealed containers Saeko was pulling out that had a strong scent to them.

"Not this time. I thought it would be nice to bring you two a hot meal. I somewhat doubt your grandfather has much to work with around here," Saeko explained before looking around to see the engineer known as Sho talking to someone in the distance.

"Wow! Thank you so much! You guys are awesome," Kenji said in excitement as Saeko handed him one of the plastic containers.

"So that's what that smell was...anyway, how is your grandfather? Is he still doing alright?" Frasier mumbled a bit as he then questioned the young boy; looking down as Kenji nodded with a bright smile, running off as if urging them to follow.

The two young adults kept up with the energetic boy whodashed up the stairs with ease before they entered the old antique shop. They were instantly greeted by the sight of Isao's warm smile to see that he not only had company, but familiar faces to converse with.

"Grandpa, look! They brought us hot food," Kenji exclaimed with glee as Isao was initially confused but soon just smiled when he realized what Kenji was so happy about.

"And brownies. He made some and there were spares, so I figured Kenji-kun would want some," Saeko added as Kenji'sface lit up even brighter now. By now he was practically digging through the containers in an effort to find them more than anything else.

"Is that so? And here I thought you enjoyed MY cooking," Isao said in a playfully offended tone at his grandson's enthusiasm.

"It's not that...it's just...all that food we have here tastes kinda gross. This actually reminds me of the food mom would make for me after school," Kenji said out of embarrassment for inadvertently hurting his grandfather's feelings.

"It's alright, Kenji-kun. I was only teasing. Why don't you go grab one of my nicer bowls while I talk to our guests?" Isao reassured with a gentle chuckle to keep Kenji from feeling guilty before he then turned to face Saeko and Frasier once the little boy took off.

"I take it you two didn't just come back to exchange pleasantries then? Perhaps it was for more medicine? Or maybe my tea?"Isao asked with a curious raised eyebrow.

"We actually have plenty of medicine for the time being, Isao-san. Though there was something I did forget to take last time,so I'll be sure to grab it on our way out. Plus I wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you or Kenji-kun," Saeko explained; her words seeming to bring tears to the old man'seyes. He slowly waddled over to sit down on his comfy chair before running a tissue along his wet, wrinkled face.

"Are you alright?" Frasier asked as he turned to look at Saeko with concern before they walked over to Isao, who then looked up smiling at them through the tears flooding his eyes.

"It's just so unexpected to see such genuine kindness during these hard times and from young people no less! Oh...no offense," Isao exclaimed as he seemed to be absolutely touched by the concern this group held in regards to him and his grandson, who still might as well have been complete strangers to them.

"Don't mention it, old timer. We have more than enough supplies to last us quite some time, so this is nothing," Frasier said distantly, almost like he didn't want to admit that they were doing something that wouldn't profit his group in any way.

"Well, however you choose to feel, you should know that we greatly appreciate this. If there's anything you need, you don't even need to ask. I'll do anything I can to assist you and your friends. I might be old, but I can still pull my own weight and more," Isao exclaimed boldly as he seemed to be feeling more energetic and inspired than usual.

"Like making tea?" Saeko sarcastically teased before chuckling at how energetic they seemed to be making the otherwise frail elder feel.

"Yes! Perhaps you'd like some now?" Isao once again offered;Frasier just rolling his eyes at the relentless old man as Saeko nodded while gently chuckling at Isao's undying enthusiasm.

"I'll be right back. Nature is calling," Frasier suddenly announced before taking off to find a bathroom; leaving Saeko alone with Isao and Kenji.

"It's still quite warm so I'll let it cool off," Isao informed Saeko moments later after the kettle's whistle went off; sitting back down on his comfy antique chair before looking to see she was deep in thought.

"I just want to thank you again. You and your boyfriend really didn't have to do all this for us," Isao said out of gratitude as Saeko then shifted her eyes back to him.

"Hmm? You mean Frasier-san? Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Saeko said with a very puzzled look when she realized Isao wasn't referring to Takashi; quickly holding up her hands and shaking her head nervously as if embarrassed by the funny mix up.

"You aren't?! Hmm, I just assumed you two were, considering how you two kept looking at one another the first time you were here. Don't think you can trick me so easily! My eyes might be a little worn from the years, but that doesn't make them any more blind to the obvious," Isao explained as Saeko was now visibly shocked that not only had Isao been watching them from a distance, but that Frasier was looking at her for whatever reason he had.

"Him, the big blonde guy, was checking me out? Umm...regardless, I assure you we aren't dating. Although...ifyou promise not to tell him...I will admit the idea of us being closer has crossed my mind more than once before," Saeko pondered curiously, as if taken aback by this unexpected turn of events; suddenly confessing a deeper feeling for the eldest Lawson brother as she now spoke in a low whisper. She cautiously looked back to make sure Frasier wasn't standing behind her. To her avail, he was still absent.

"Oh? Well do go on," Isao asked as he leaned in with a curious expression on his face now.

"Well, it goes back a long time ago. He was a loner at our school when he first arrived; an outcast that just didn't seem to fit in for several reasons I won't bother going into detail over right now. When I first saw him, I could tell he was strong; not just psychically but mentally as well. I wanted to test this feeling so I offered to be his guide both here and in the art of kendo.

"He reluctantly agreed, and over time I learned little by little that he came from a military family. He was even more disciplined than I was if you can believe it. Best of all though, was that he not only could hold his own in a fight, but he didn't fear me like everyone else did. If anything, there was a strong respect between our differences and balance of power.

"Eventually, he started opening up to me, and we became close friends, as well as strong rivals when we practiced. Each time we squared off, he wouldn't hold back, pushing me to be the best I could be as I did with him. I never expected to find myself attracted to him, yet the signs were all there as clear as day. There was more to him than met the eye. Despite being a foreigner, I felt like we were kindred spirits. That perhaps he saw more in me as well.

"Alas, he never brought up anything beyond friendship, so I could only assume that he wanted nothing more. I eventually learned to hide those strong feelings for him; suppressing any and all urges to make him MINE. A part of me even wondered for a time if I simply wasn't worthy of his affection and love, and other times I questioned if he could even feel such things for anyone outside his family," Saeko explained while Isao patiently sat there and nodded his head to the emotional turmoil the young swordswoman was expressing; sensing that she was unable to hold these feelings back as well as she claimed to.

"I see. I'm quite sorry to hear that. Well, perhaps you should bring this up to him. It couldn't hurt now, could it?" Isao said out of sympathy before suggesting something that didn't seem to sit very well with Saeko at all as she shook her head in protest.

"What? I can't just talk to him about something like that! It would be too awkward...and I'm seeing someone else anyway! I shouldn't be thinking about the past like that. It doesn't matter now," Saeko denied as she crossed her arms; looking away as if a part of her couldn't help but wonder how Frasier may react to her former feelings for him. She was unable to deny her curiosity was starting to get the better of her now.

Before Isao could suggest anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. Saeko's heart skipped a beat as she spun around to see Frasier returning to them. Luckily he seemed to be entirely unaware of their conversation.

"Saeko-san, you still want to learn how to shoot, right? Follow me," Frasier suggested as Saeko looked up at him curiously.

"Now? You really want to teach me now?" Saeko asked awkwardly; silently hoping he really hadn't overheard her.

"I do, unless you suddenly have cold feet. I would understand if you couldn't handle it though. Guns can be very scary after all," Frasier confirmed before playfully taunting and poking fun at Saeko's slight hesitation. She looked annoyed at first, but quickly formed a confident smirk as she approached him. Isao smiled to himself as the two began to walk off to practice together.

"It would be very foolish of me to pass up such an opportunity though. Let's go, Lawson-sensei. I'm eager to see what you have in mind for me," Saeko replied; playfully brushing her shoulder against his, noticing his expression was completely flustered despite his best efforts to hide it.

They calmly walked across the entrance plaza and soon entered an outlet store that was going to be selling cheap furniture. Saeko noticed that several pillow cushions had been propped up against a counter for what she could only assume was last minute target practice Frasier had set up for her to use.

"So where do we begin?" Saeko asked with her arms folded; watching as Frasier thoroughly inspected the Vertec handgun she'd been carrying for the last few days almost admirably.

"First off, you need to know the parts of this magnificent tool. This is the safety..." Frasier announced before he began to point out and explain various parts of the weapon, clearly eager to teach as Saeko paid very close attention and occasionally would nod in understanding.

"So I hold it like this, right?" Saeko guessed after severalminutes. Her right hand gently grasped along the grip as her left hand was wrapped under it; taking extra care to keep the barrel pointed away from herself and Frasier.

"That's right. Now, just point it at those cushions and lightly squeeze the trigger, don't pull," Frasier confirmed while noddingbefore he stepped behind her as she took a firm stance and aimed the sights at one of the couches nearby. Her breath was short as she felt her fingertip tug against the metal trigger.

*blam*

The recoil was much stronger than she had expected, but her grip on the gun remained strong as she knew she had to be in control here. Saeko watched the split second muzzle flash vanishas a thin trail of smoke billowed up and out from the barrel. The round completely tore into the soft pillow and through the couch like it was made of wet toilet paper. Bits of fluff gently floated to the ground as she suddenly felt compelled to keep firing.

*blam* *blam*

Two more shots rang out as another pillow almost jumped up into the air. Saeko grinned as she seemed to be enjoying the feeling this device gave her. Frasier noticed this as well while he walked over to her side.

"Easy there, Saeko-san. Ammo runs out fairly quickly, so you should conserve as much as possible. But I'm glad to see you're eager to keep going," Frasier warned before showing his genuine approval over her first step.

"Right. I must admit, this isn't so bad now that we're actually doing this. But, I would like to up the difficulty. After all, you of all people should know how much I enjoy a challenge," Saeko acknowledged before confessing her typical desire to push herself.

"What in the hell is going on down here?! Who the hell are you kids and how did you get in here?!" a middle-aged woman suddenly demanded while storming over to the two teens. She wore a business suit and matching skirt, and she appeared to be no older than thirty-five as she had both arms crossed, staring at them with obvious blood-chilling disdain.

"Target practice; what does it look like?" Frasier said bluntly as he approached the stern-looking woman; glaring back into her golden eyes as she shook her head impatiently. She quicklyrealized they were armed to the teeth while she only possessed a foul temper.

"I swear to god, Isao-san is going to get us all killed; letting a bunch of punks like you in here," the woman cursed under her breath as she continued standing her ground while glaring at the two of them.

"You know, you really should be more polite to a man with a gun. It's only common sense," he slyly advised before she let out a disgusted huff before storming off.

Frasier simply smiled in satisfaction to himself before walking away to set up a harder shot for Saeko. He disappeared for a moment only to return with several energy drink cans he'd managed to collect from a nearby vending machine; all the while hoping Isao wouldn't be too upset by the massive hole he'd left in it.

Several of the cans were placed further away from the couch. When given the signal, Saeko followed all the steps and squeezed the trigger once more.

*blam*

However, no sound had followed after the gunshot went off. Both looked to see she had completely missed the targets. Saeko knew this wasn't something she was going to master in one day, but she had felt so confident and eager to prove herself more after the last three shots. She lined up the sights and tried to fire again.

*blam* *blam*

Again, nothing had changed aside from the opposite wall having two fresh holes in it. Saeko frowned in annoyance, only to then be completely caught by surprise when Frasier placed himself directly behind her.

"Your stance is way too firm and rigid. At this point you're practically fighting yourself. Just relax and concentrate, Saeko-san," Frasier said encouragingly as she could feel his warm breath going down her neck.

"Maybe you should put me in the proper position then," Saeko calmly suggested in a low, soft hum as she suddenly stepped back into him while allowing her arms and shoulders to loosen up.

"Sure. Allow me to steady your hands," Frasier accepted before the back of her body was lightly bumping into the front of his.

Both teens let out a soft groan as the other didn't know what to expect anymore. Frasier could feel his chest pressing against her noticeably well-toned back before one of his legs then stepped between hers; causing Saeko to instantly start blushing at such close contact. His rough, strong hands now were being kept elevated beneath her wrists to help her maintain a steady aim; his chin lightly resting on her right shoulder as she felt herself inadvertently biting her own lip in the heat of the moment.

Intense warmth felt like it was burning deep within her body as she slowly pressed back to adjust her stance even further; causing Frasier to let out a low but very audible moan when her shapely butt brushed between his thighs.

'Is that his...?' Saeko began to wonder before the excitement of the moment took over. She then felt her eyes widen as she fired three more shots in succession.

*blam* *blam* *blam*

Two of the three cans splattered and broke into fragments;leaving a foamy mess that dripped onto the floor as the two survivors stood there. Frasier swiftly pulled away in embarrassment only to then walk over and observe the damage done. Saeko meanwhile just stood there watching him; carefully flicking the safety on before she holstered the handgun. An immensely satisfied grin now formed across her face.

"Excellent work, Saeko-chan! You'll surely be a crack shot in no time. I'm so proud of you," Frasier complimented with his back turned to her, but his eyes instantly widened when he realized what he'd just called her; hoping to a God he didn't even believe in that she hadn't noticed his slip of the tongue.

"Thank you for the lesson, Lawson-sensei. I can't wait to surprise you with the progress I'll be making with you to guide me along," Saeko said graciously before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his torso from behind; completely catching him off guard as her whole body felt like a furnace now. Her warmth caused him to sweat as he had to resist the urge to say another lest it resulted in another slip up.

His cheeks were a soft shade of red as the normally disciplined soldier found himself completely flustered; shocked at the fact he could feel his own heart racing hard against his chest. This was a feeling he thought he'd managed to bury deep down and hopefully never visit again. He just kept silent though, despite greatly enjoying every second of the contact she made with him.

"I like my new name by the way," Saeko softly cooed; making it painfully obvious that she caught his mistake and was now teasing him for it.

She then let him go and began to walk away; leaving him to his thoughts before he snapped out of the trance and jogged over to rejoin her. Once Saeko had finally grabbed her feminine hygiene products, they began to leave the shopping mall again after saying their goodbyes to both Isao and Kenji.

"Woah, wait up you two! Hold up," someone suddenly called out; rushing over to them as they stood at the doorway.

The two curiously looked back to see a middle-aged man in a construction jumpsuit rushing over to them; a clear look of eagerness on his face.

"Oh, you must be Sho-san. Komuro-kun told me about you last night," Saeko realized as she recalled the brief conversation she had with Takashi before.

"Yeah, that's me. Did he also mention anything to your leader about arranging some kind of deal?" Sho asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"I don't know. Did he say anything to you, Frasier-san?" Saeko asked her British companion curiously.

"No, he most certainly did not," Frasier groaned as he clearly wasn't even remotely amused by this.

"Oh, so you're...? Ah, well, you see, we were talking about modifying a vehicle or two just in case you guys actually head all the way out to Tokyo. In exchange for my help, you guys would escort us the entire way, since I'm almost positive we wouldn't last one day out there on our own, let alone an entire drive to the capital with everything that's been going on. What do you say?" Sho began to explain as he realized that their leader stood before him and was already gravely unimpressed. However, by the end of it all, Frasier's expression seemed to change rather swiftly.

"An interesting proposal. Hmm…alright, I accept. But remember, I'm in command. Your people will do as I say, when I say. Understand?" Frasier accepted with a nod before looking the man straight in the eye.

"Of course! Wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, I'm Sho by the way," the relieved mechanic said before sticking his hand out,only to be left hanging when Frasier was already walking away.

"Don't take it personally. He's not a big fan of strangers," Saeko whispered reassuringly as the mechanic could only nod in understanding.

"I can see that. But I also came out to tell you guys I need your help. If I'm going to be working on any vehicles, I'll need the proper tools. I have a good assortment here already, but there's one I'm sadly missing that I'll need for the proper modifications I need to make," Sho then brought up as Frasier stopped dead in his tracks and began to slowly retrace his steps.

"Let me guess: you need us to escort you to a place you think might have what you need?" Frasier attempted to guess as Sho could only respond with a simple nod again.

"That was really close. Actually, it would be me and my coworker Kenta-san, since he knows the way there," Sho corrected, trying his best to remain calm despite how intimidating the deathly serious gaze in Frasier's eyes was.

"Fine; make what preparations you need and let's head out. It's best to move now while there's still daylight," Frasier sighed as he watched Sho nod eagerly before darting back inside the mall.

"Do you think we can trust them?" Frasier then whispered to Saeko once Sho was out of sight.

"Isao-san trusts them, so that's the best we can hope for. If not, though...just know that I've got your back," the young samurai replied optimistically, yet keeping herself on alert in case she was wrong. Frasier just nodded in contentment with that answer.

"Alright! Sorry about that; can't even sneeze around here without 'her royal highness' getting a stick up her ass about it," Sho announced as he came jogging back alongside a man roughly his height, both carrying large red backpacks.

"Hello," the other mechanic known as Kenta briefly greeted before they began to head out across the parking lot and back onto the streets. He had an identical jumpsuit to Sho, though the two were noticeable distinguishable due to Kenta's long brown hair and soft hazel eyes.

"Stay close and don't stray for any reason. Let's move," Frasier ordered as he took the lead; the others following close as it appeared it was going to be a clear day.

Twenty minutes later

Just as things seemed to be going smoothly, everyone simultaneously froze where they stood. At first it was thought to be the wind; yet the more they listened, the more unnaturally loud it grew.

"So I take it I'm not the only one that's hearing that?" Kenta suddenly spoke up, however nobody responded.

Before they knew it, a whirring noise zoomed overhead. They all simultaneously looked up to see several helicopters fly by; specifically UH-60 Blackhawks. It was truly a sight to behold tosee that there was still some kind of military presence at all.

"Amazing; looks like they're heading north. Seems like Rika's intel was on point," Saeko said out of sheer astonishment as the rest just stared on.

"HEY! DOWN HERE! WE'RE STILL ALIVE," Kenta suddenly began to shout as he swung both hands in the air, as if genuinely expecting them to help him, let alone hear him.

"Shut your fucking gob, you stupid twat! Do you want to bring the bloody dead down on us?!" Frasier snapped before covering Kenta's mouth.

"Too late," Saeko pointed out as she motioned them to look up the street to see seventeen of Them stumbling out.

"Bollocks! We can take Them if we can separate Them. We'll handle the ones on the left; you two cover the right flank," Frasier cursed under his before quickly taking control. Both he and Saeko then rushed on ahead to break the pack apart.

"But we've never fought these things before," Sho called out; causing both survivors to pause and look to see that their stance alone made it clear they'd indeed never fought the dead before.

"What? Are you serious?" Saeko asked incredulously; unable to imagine how they were able to survive this long without the slightest clue on how to handle these monsters.

"I don't think they're joking...Saeko-san; defend these weaklings while I deal with their mess," Frasier sighed out of exasperation while trying to maintain his composure.

"Okay. Show them how it's done," Saeko replied as she shot him a quick nod before he left her to babysit the two mechanics.

"Come on," Frasier growled as he charged head on towards the first of many; throwing his combat knife into the eye socket of the closest one, giving it a moment to stumble before gripping the handle and shoving it deep enough to pierce the brain.

With one solid kick, the lifeless body crashed against several behind it; leaving Frasier some space to handle the next four that stumbled and shuffled over Their knocked over counterparts. Sparing no time to pick the infected pack apart one by one, he pinned another against a brick wall only to slam the back of the head with enough force to crack the skull. A thick mix of maroon and brown liquid smeared and trickled down the wall before the body followed.

"Watch it," Kenta called out as both he and Sho were practically trembling by now. Saeko however just grinned and watched in awe at how aggressive he was towards his enemies.

Two of 'Them' closed the gap and were practically on top of him now. However, Frasier kept calm as he suddenly reached out and grasped the two of by Their throats; using all his strength to hoist Them off the ground only to violently slam both neck firstinto the pavement.

They both twitched from the malicious body slam, cut shortly when Frasier stabbed one up through the temple with one hand while reaching for his pistol and executing the second with a shot up through the roof of the mouth with the other. Despite the fact it brought him a brief window to recover, it was only a matter of time before more of 'Them' would hone in on himfrom that shot.

While it was an impressive feat, there still remained one he'd underestimated as it was now towering over him. Both decaying hands grabbed his shoulders before launching itself onto him with its full body weight; practically pinning him down while the rest of the undead pack had managed to collectively pull itself back up.

"He's gonna get himself killed! Do something," Sho snapped as Saeko shook her head, fully aware of how urgent things truly were.

"He told me to protect you two. Besides, he's got it under control," Saeko explained as her confidence seemed to be absolutely certain that he was in no real danger yet, despite how it was just inches away from biting him. All the while she was silently hoping deep down that she wasn't wrong lest she'd never forgive herself for idly standing by.

*crack*

Grabbing the fire axe he'd been carrying alongside his pack, Frasier shoved back the undead cretin before swinging directly into the side of its head; viciously prying it out before circling back from the rest that were just seconds away from surrounding him.

*crack*

He swung the axe in an uppercut motion; splitting the jawline of the first in his path before noticing an undead SDF member was among them. Recalling how Saya had nearly killed herself, Takashi and Kohta by shooting the bandolier of grenades it had on it, he reached out in desperation only to yank back with several pins hanging around his fingers.

"Down," Frasier ordered back to the others before he released the axe and jumped as far as he could before tumbling onto the street, laying perfectly flat as he covered his ears.

*BOOM*

Everything went mute as a sudden yellow-white flash consumed the small pack. A dark red mist immediately followed as severed chunks of the dead and tattered bits of cloth were flung up everywhere within the blast radius. Saeko was first to look back up to see that most of Them had been blown to smithereens while some managed to survive. Without hesitation or concern for Sho and Kenta, she dashed over to Frasier as he stood back up to see his last minute plan had worked, even if it did cost him that fire axe to do so.

"What is the matter with you?! Don't you ever do something so reckless again," Saeko scolded as she gave him no room to defend himself. Honestly, he was rather caught off guard at how concerned she sounded despite how she knew what he was doing.

"We've wasted enough time out here as it is. Let's go before more show up," Saeko then suggested as they could already hear the noise of what sounded like an entire horde being stirred up from all the commotion.

"Holy shit! Look," Sho suddenly called out as they turned to see up the street a wave of Them moving in on their position.

[Stardust Crusaders OST - Imminence]

"Where did all these rotten bastards come from?! I thought they'd all migrated north by now..." Frasier snarled as even he knew this wasn't a fight they could hope to win.

"I don't know, but I do know that we gotta get off the streets," Saeko announced as she pulled at his hand before they sprinted back to Sho and Kenta, both of whom looked like they'd seen a ghost given how terrified their faces were.

They all began to run south the way they came from in an effort to reroute to the car dealership Kenta had spoken of earlier on their journey. However, the apartment complex they'd passed by suddenly began to pour the living dead out, most likely housing those that were left behind during the initial outbreak. Mobs began to gather as the street was swiftly overtaken by the dead.

"We're cut off! What now?" Sho asked in a panic as he hoped to God that these two kids had some kind of backup plan.

"Just run," Frasier said, somewhat unnerved himself as he motioned them to fall back into a nearby alleyway. The undead followed right behind them; Their rotten flesh scraping off against the sides of the walls the more They pushed in.

"Up and over," Frasier ordered as he helped push Kenta and Sho over the large fence before he and Saeko began to pull themselves up.

Just as Saeko made it over, Frasier began to follow only for one of 'Them' to suddenly catch up and begin tugging at his feet. One of 'Them' even had its bony fingers tangled in the laces, making it near impossible to pull himself back up.

"I've got you," Saeko announced in a panic before angling her sword to go straight through the gaps of the chain link fence and penetrating the face of the closest one she could deal with.

Knowing he had to break free from the tight hold, the young Brit fired the last few rounds left in his pistol. The desperation and jolty movements made it hard for him to properly aim. Luckily, he managed to pick off one before using his free hand to unravel the laces in his boot; slipping free just in time to vault over to the other side.

*thud*

The young and fiery leader crashed against the hard ground only for Sho and Saeko to come to his aid. Together, they hoisted him back up as Kenta went up ahead without them when spotting something they'd yet to notice.

The chain link fence was all that kept Them away for now, but the sheer force of the dead pressing up against it would bring it down in no time. The metal rattled hard as the integrity already began to bend and squeal from the overwhelming stress.

"There's a fire escape we can use! Hurry," Kenta called out as he pulled down on it, failing to notice the single undead rising from a nearby pile of trash that had concealed it from sight. It wore a red track suit that almost looked like what a mail courier would wear.

Before the others could even warn him of the imminent threat, Kenta found himself grappling against the undead man; the two grey hands pulling Kenta's arm aside before leaning in to finish him off. The mechanic tumbled back, firmly pinned under the weight of the creature, watching in horror as he looked into the widening jaws dripping saliva onto his chest.

*thwack* *slam* *crack*

Kenta closed his eyes as the sound of bone shattering could be heard above; feeling the tight vice-like grip loosen on his wrists as the rest of the corpse went limp on top of him. He then opened his eyes to see Sho standing over him with a blood stained tire iron, pulling the body off of Kenta.

"I've got you, man. You alright?" Sho asked as Kenta looked himself over to see no bites as far as he could tell but still feeling the shock; nodding in silence before he stood back up to brush the putrid slime off.

"Guys, look! I got one," Sho proudly announced to Frasier and Saeko as they joined up and began to ascend the ladders.

"Good job. I'll be sure to throw you a party and award you with medals when we get back," Frasier said in a painfully obvious tone of sarcasm while they proceeded to narrowly avoid the mass of Them that had already torn the fence down and were clawing aimlessly at the air in a fruitless attempt to grab them.

"Let him enjoy his little moment," Saeko said with a chuckle as they stopped halfway up just to see how close of a call they'd really had.

[]

"Any idea on how to get out of this now?" Kenta asked as he was practically out of breath.

"Well for starters..." Frasier replied softly; suddenly grabbing Kenta by the collar as he glared straight into his eyes before pressing him back until he was leaning over the safety railing.

"If you ever do something idiotic like that again, I'll kill you myself," the callous teen warned as he spoke without a hint of humor or hesitation to be found.

"I-I'm sorry...I just want to get out of this hellhole. Please, don't hurt me," Kenta pleaded apologetically; causing Frasier to pull him back before releasing his hold.

"Bloody useless," was all the disgruntled Brit could say before proceeding to scale the rest of the fire escape; stopping just at the edge to peer over to scout for any potential threats that could be lingering on the rooftop.

Luckily, there were no signs of movement as far as he could see. There was just a large air ventilation unit and an entry down into the building on the flat rooftop. He climbed up and began to walk around to scout their position a bit more thoroughly.

"Everyone take a moment to recover. We'll move again in five minutes," Frasier said, sighing out of exasperation as he sat along the edge of the building.

He looked straight down at the seemingly endless wave of Themstories below. A part of him once more couldn't help but somewhat admire how efficient these killing machines were. No need for rest, an endless hunger for carnage, no sense of fear orself-preservation, and certainly no remorse in what They did. The young teen could only begin to imagine what potential such creatures could've offered were they ever be used for military purposes. However, he put those thoughts aside the moment he felt Saeko's soft touch against his back.

"That was way too close for my liking, Frasier-san. Are you okay?" she asked with concernedly as he didn't look back at her; hating the fact she came to check up on him despite everything turning out alright.

"Me? Aside from a missing boot and watching two people that can't fight for shit, I'm just peachy," Frasier replied bitterly as he held up his foot only to see there was now a hole in the front, allowing his big toe to freely wiggle out in the open.

"Well, it's good to see you're making the best of it," Saeko said; lightly chuckling at the humorous sight before she planted herself beside him. Her side pressed close to his as he tried to ignore that her left arm was practically interlaced with his right.

The nervous teen felt his body heat up on the inside from such close contact; drowning out all noise around them as he'd occasionally glance over to check out her flawless features; watching that long, soft violet hair floating gracefully with the wind as those blue eyes of hers practically put his to shame. He could say it now; tell her what he truly felt about her for the longest time. Never had he been more tempted before this moment. Yet, he could only partially open his mouth before shutting it the moment she looked back.

"What? Is something on your mind?" Saeko asked curiously as she shot him a warm and most inviting smile that sent tremors down his back.

"N-No. I mean yes! Well, kinda...you see-" Frasier nervously began to ramble; finally starting to compose himself only to stop short when Sho and Kenta suddenly joined them.

"So where do we go from here?" Sho asked as Frasier pulled away and stood back up to survey the nearby neighborhood; all the while hiding his disappointment, but somehow feeling relieved he could avoid answering Saeko's question.

"Umm...that church down there, you guys think anyone might be inside?" Frasier suggested as he figured it would be considerably more secure compared to the smaller stores and houses around them.

"I'm sure some people turned to God when this all started. Probably drew in a crowd too, and we all know what happens after that," Saeko added; narrowing her eyes as she could only imagine the desperation and carnage that took place there when the undead swarmed the area.

"Well we can't exactly go back the way we came," Kenta pointed out as he motioned down to the swarms of 'Them' lingering in the alleyway and just beneath the fire escape.

"We're on an apartment complex right now. We always could try going down the stairs, but who knows how many of these things are waiting inside," Sho said in an effort to contribute to the conversation as they all stood there trying to find a way out of this botched mission.

Saeko then walked to the other side of the rooftop to check out the streets below. While plenty of undead were roaming about the area that grenade was set off, there were noticeable gaps that could potentially lead them straight to the front doors of the church. It would be a risky gamble to try their luck down there, but it didn't seem like any alternatives were going to sprout up anytime soon.

"I hate to say it, but we're simply going to have to move through the streets and make a break for the church," Saeko announced as even Frasier didn't entirely seem certain about this.

"Are you crazy? You want to go back down there with all those creatures moving about? Forget it," Kenta protested.

"Oh? And I suppose you've got a better plan then?" Saeko retorted; feigning interest as she was visibly put off by his cowardly attitude.

"Maybe one of those helicopters will fly by again. We could wait for them and they'd be able to get us out no problem! After all, they always taught us to stay in one spot when awaiting rescue," Kenta attempted to put out as the others looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"And maybe they'll bring us hot cocoa while they're at it. C'mon, Kenta-san! There's no way in hell they'd come back, especially not for us simple folk," Sho reprimanded as even he knew there wasn't a chance in hell that would happen.

"It's suicide if we try to walk down there! Listen to yourselves for a second here," Kenta argued as it was clear he had no intent on going back down while there were so many of Them around.

"So is screaming in the middle of the goddamn street, but that certainly didn't keep you from putting us in this situation in the first place. Saeko-san is right; we're going into the streets and straight for that church with or without you. You can stay up here if you want. Just know that once it gets dark, the dead are even stronger and far more aggressive. They'll eventually find a way up here, and I doubt you can survive the drop. So what's it going to be?" Frasier explained harshly; making it abundantly clear that Kenta didn't have a choice if he intended to survive.

"Alright, just...please don't let me die. I'm not ready," Kenta sighed in defeat before pleading for life as if he believed these two could guarantee it.

However, Frasier ignored him and just motioned them to follow in a single file line; clenching the grip to his knife as he pressed his back to the wall, quietly walking alongside it as they descended onto the fourth floor.

So far the coast was clear, save for a few turned over suitcases and random belongings strung about the place. Most doors hung wide open, making everyone reasonably tense as they had no idea what to expect behind each one. By the time they reached the lobby, it was clear that by the look of the shattered front windows and broken down doors, the dead had already moved out. Frasier then held up a hand before forming it into a fist to signal the other three to stop.

"I can see the church from here. It's a straight shot. All we need to do is climb over that iron fence and we'll be in the clear. Before we move out though, let me be clear on one thing: we don't stop for anything; we don't stray from the path, and for the love of God, keep quiet! If those things catch wind of us, then we're all going to have a very bad day. Any questions?" Frasier whispered as he wanted them to know everything before heading out onto the streets.

"I thought these things hunt by sound. How're they not going to hear us walking up beside 'em?" Sho asked as he wanted to be sure they knew what they were doing.

"Take off your shoes and do your best to avoid drawing attention to yourself. Don't panic, whatever you do," Saeko answered as she was already slipping out of her boots.

"Jesus, you kids really are insane. Let's just get this over with," Kenta grumbled as he began to reluctantly follow their lead by prying off his work boots.

Frasier was the first to move out into the open; putting a single finger to his lips before waving over to the others to follow his lead. What should've been a simple minute-long walk felt like all time had stopped, their hearts all simultaneously pounding hard as the dead would just casually wander on by as if they weren't even there. Sweat dropped off of Kenta and Sho's brows as they'd never been so up close to this many of Them before.

Luckily for them, that seemingly never ending walk came to an end as they reached the sturdy iron fence surrounding the perimeter of the church. To their surprise, it even still had the gates locked with none of 'Them' to be seen within as far as they could tell. One by one, they climbed over and began to check for any immediate danger.

However, on their search, they were met by a gruesome and grizzly scene when approaching the two front doors to the church. The heavy wooden doors were covered in blood as what appeared to be nail marks had been clawed into the surface. Most likely someone inside had sealed those still outside from entering; leaving them to the dead that must've swarmed in from behind. One could only imagine the carnage that must've taken place here. The screams and wails of the innocent practically echoed in their heads now the more their imaginations tried to piece it all together.

Frasier took a deep breath as he began to push; expecting to reveal something inside only for it to stop midway. He gave it several more cautious nudges before realizing they weren't going to go through the front doors quietly.

"See anything inside?" Kenta whispered as he kept looking back over his shoulder at the massive crowd nervously.

"No, I just have a crack of light to work with. Let me try and listen in," Frasier said before he leaned one ear to the wooden door in hopes that he could hear anything or anyone that might be dwelling within.

Nothing could be heard, no matter how much he tried to block out everything around him. No shuffling, wheezing, groaning, or any of the other typical sounds he'd normally expect from the dead by now could be made out. He slowly backed away only to then look up at the cross atop the steeple. They then walked around the perimeter to see that even the side windows had been boarded up from the inside. However, the second floor windows appeared to remain untouched as far as they could tell.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Saeko suddenly asked as Frasier nodded slowly before kneeling down to help give her enough of a boost to leap up to the window ledge up above.

"Just be careful," he said out of genuine concern he couldn't hope to mask; causing her to pause briefly and look down at him with one foot already balancing on his palms.

"Hey, do I really seem like the person that needs to be told that?" the young samurai playfully scoffed as if offended by him even suggesting something so obvious.

"Well, no...it's just a force of habit when you have siblings," Frasier backtracked before he realized that she was just messing with him.

"So you DO care about me," Saeko unexpectedly teased as he began to lift her upwards.

"Ah...just get up there already," Frasier expressed in a fluster before pushing as hard as he could; launching Saeko up just high enough for her hands to grab the ledge. He watched as she managed to pull the unlocked window out and climb into the former church.

"So, you and her, huh?" Sho suddenly asked as both he and Kenta couldn't resist chuckling at how embarrassed he was; almost entirely forgetting just how dangerous he was.

"Shut up. There's nothing between us," the shamed teenager grumbled as he couldn't believe he had to escort these two and listen to their mockery.

"Whatever you say, kid. I think she likes you back though," Sho said while backing off; leaving one last say that left Frasier frozen by the very idea of that being a possibility.

Before the young leader could try to dismiss such claims, they could hear the doors slowly opening up behind them. Without hesitation, the three rushed over only to see Saeko standing there waiting with a grin on her face.

"Clear?" Frasier asked; wanting to make sure they were truly safe and could momentarily rest.

"Yes. There's something upstairs you should see though," Saeko answered before suggesting that he follow her to what must've been something she deemed important.

"We'll just leave you two alone for that," Kenta said as he remained downstairs with Sho to check out the first floor.

"Just don't take too long," Sho then added as he and Kenta bumped fists together; knowing Frasier couldn't retaliate no matter how embarrassing this was for him.

"What are they talking about?" Saeko whispered as she seemed clueless as to what they were referring to.

"Nothing, let's go," Frasier said dismissively; shooting them a furious glare before vanishing up the stairs with Saeko.

They both soon stood in one of the several rooms on the second floor, just beneath the steeple. Several sleeping bags covered the floor, each one unzipped and ruffled. Dozens of empty plastic water bottles were piled in the corner of the room with several wrappers littered about the place.

"Looks like some survivors tried living up here. Did you see any bodies?" Frasier estimated from the scene before confirming what Saeko might've seen on her way in.

"No, but by the looks of things, I think whoever was here is no longer around. At least not in this church," she replied confidently; leaning against the wall as she watched him kick aside one of the sleeping bags.

"They must've run out of supplies and tried their luck outside. Doubt they would even last an hour," Saeko then added as she couldn't foresee any good outcomes for the former inhabitants; hoping deep down that there were no kids were amongst them.

"Most people aren't survivors like you and I. Our strength alone grants us the right to exist. Survival of the fittest," Frasier then proudly exclaimed with a sudden burst of energy she wasn't expecting now of all times; all while curving a smile at how highly he seemed to be thinking of her as well. But that didn't mean she wasn't slightly bothered at the almost elitist thinking behind his lack of empathy for what could've very likely been a family.

"So, now that we can finally stretch our legs; tell me, what do you fear?" Saeko suddenly brought up again; completely catching him off guard once more.

"Really? We're doing this again?" Frasier said with a raised eyebrow as he gave her an irked look.

"Why not? I'm curious, and you avoiding the subject only makes me more curious," Saeko responded in an attempt to justify her little game of making him open up, whether he wanted to or not. However, he remained silent and instead began to set his backpack down along the wall before sitting against it.

"Spiders? Heights? Oh, I bet it's drowning! Is it drowning?" Saeko tried to guess; sounding like she was ready to keep going until she got an answer from him.

"Nope, negative, and certainly not; since I'd never allow myself to be caught in such a situation," Frasier denied entirely almost instantly.

"Well, if I tell you one of my fears, will you tell me one of yours?" Saeko finally asked in a desperate attempt to make him open up.

"Maybe," he replied, all too curious himself now that he might learn more of her.

"Okay...well, I'm really terrified of being alone. Honestly, the very idea of isolation is nerve-wracking for me," Saeko confessed as she seemed saddened just by thinking about such a horrid feeling.

"Really? I figured someone so calm and collected would be used to it. Interesting," Frasier admitted as he seemed genuinely surprised by this most unexpected revelation.

"I've been alone in ways you can't possibly imagine, Frasier-san. Maybe I can tell you more about it another time; but for now, it's your turn to share," Saeko foreshadowed only to then make it clear he wasn't going to be able to change the subject this time.

"I have no fears, Saeko-san. Fear implies that there's weakness and flaw; neither of which I am allowed to have," Frasier replied without any sense of doubt in himself or what he just claimed. However, Saeko wasn't nearly as amused by that at all.

"That's a cheap answer, you little liar! You said you would tell me," Saeko grumbled out of sheer frustration before reaching over only to start pinching his cheeks.

"Ow, hey, I just did! Stop that," Frasier chuckled as she continued to pull and tug at his cheeks. Both of them were now in a struggle for control, though it was clear she wasn't going to let him off easy for this.

"Sometimes you really know how to frustrate a girl," Saeko suddenly sighed in a dead serious tone as she stared straight into his eyes. Before any response could be made, she unexpectedly lost her balance and crashed on top of him; resulting in the two butting heads with one another.

Both were momentarily dazed by the sudden impact; Saeko rubbing her forehead hard as Frasier seemed to recover before she could, before instantly falling dead silent once he realized that her bountiful chest was gently resting upon him. Their bodies then pressed closer than ever before; practically sharing warmth from such close contact. How it ended up like this was long lost to either of them at this point.

"Had I known you would resort to such lengths, I might've told you. I wasn't kidding about my lack of fear though. Fear is a weakness neither of us can afford right now," Frasier grumbled as he shook off the pain and put some distance between the two of them.

"What about your past? Do you think you could tell me more about your training now that everyone else knows?" Saeko then asked; refusing to waste an opportunity to learn more about him without worry of any unexpected interruptions.

"It's complicated. Like, when I'm in the middle of a fight,everything is crystal clear to me. All the techniques I've acquired, all the training and lectures are at my disposal. Yet, I feel like I'm on autopilot or something; that I'm just on standby watching another person fight for me. There's no emotional hindrance, no sense of self preservation, just a drive to win at any cost.

"I've tried to dwell on it at times, but it just becomes a blur and can even hurt if pushed too hard. I guess it must be a side effect to the simulator I've been hooked up into so many times. It could be worse though," Frasier attempted to explain; seeming quite uncertain of it himself given the low tone he was now speaking in.

"I see," was all that came out of her; leaving him feeling somewhat guilty considering how disappointed she sounded right now. There was so much they still didn't know that only made the mystery harder to live with.

"I'm sorry I can't give much insight here. Can we please talk about something else?" Frasier then requested; hating how he couldn't read her feelings again, and hating that unknown sensation she made him feel at times like this.

She just stared at him for a brief moment with that glare of hers that made him go weak in the stomach; uncertain what she thought of him whenever forming such a vague expression. She then smirked at the last second only to grasp the wool cap he wore; pulling down on it until it stretched over and covered his entire head. Giggling out of the pure amusement it bought her when he squirmed around trying to pull it back up.

"Before we get too sidetracked, how about we check and see how our friends are doing? It's best we don't sit idle for too long," she suggested instead before motioning for Frasier to follow her back down to the first floor.

Once the two teens reunited with Sho and Kenta, they could immediately see the two mechanics were reasonably anxious, with Kenta even pacing around the room restlessly.

"Are you two feeling alright?" Saeko asked; snapping both men out of their reverie.

"I recognize this area. The garage I mentioned is less than two blocks away from here. If it weren't for all those monsters out there, we could be able to slip in, grab what we need and get out and head back for the mall in no time flat," Kenta explained anxiously while Sho looked to still be keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Well, if there's one thing we've come to learn about the dead, it's that They are very easily distracted and absent-minded. Given how spread out they were already on our way here, I'd say in about an hour or so, enough of them will have wandered off so we can continue on our way," Frasier explained, which seemed to visibly calm both men down as they let out mutual sighs of relief.

Before Frasier could figure out what to do next, he suddenly felt Saeko's hand grasp the sleeve of his shirt tight, and when he turned to look at her, there was an unmistakable and intense look of shock in her blue eyes.

Following her gaze, Frasier suddenly noticed a small droplet of blood, fresh blood, spilling on the floor; and as his focus shifted upward, he saw the smallest trail of blood running down Kenta's hand, and from the nervous look on his face, Frasier knew the mechanic knew what he'd seen.

"You, show us your arm right now," the young Brit immediately ordered, and before Kenta could even react, Saeko swooped in and pulled his sleeve up; revealing the seemingly most minuscule scratch around his wrist.

"What the fuck?! Kenta, did you get bitten?" Sho exclaimed the instant he saw it, to which Kenta immediately struggled out of Saeko's grasp as she too backed away from him.

"No, no, no, I swear I didn't get bit! I grappled with one of those things earlier, it must've just scratched me," he tried to explain; feeling his heart drop at the intense glares everyone was sending him.

"How do we know scratches don't have the same effect as bites? We've never really encountered what happens if someone got scratched," Saeko asked; only now realizing how they'd missed such a crucial thing to know.

"Whoa, hold on, don't start jumping to conclusions yet! It's been a good twenty minutes since then, and I don't feel any different. I feel just fine, I swear! Besides, if it came down to it, couldn't you guys just ampu-?"

Before the last syllable left Kenta's mouth, with the most chilling swiftness and precision, Frasier suddenly pulled his knife from its sheathe and drove the entire length of the blade into the back of Kenta's skull, to the tip just barely protruding through his forehead; his expression still frozen to the unsuspecting empty look he had before.

Without even a flinch in his expression, Frasier pulled the knife from the now dead mechanic's skull; letting his body collapse while Saeko and Sho both looked in utter shock.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?! YOU FUCKING MURDERED HIM," Sho instantly exploded as he charged Frasier, only for the young Brit to slam the handle of his knife across the mechanic's face; sending him tumbling to the floor before Saeko quickly stepped in between them with her arms outstretched.

"That's enough! Both of you," the young samurai ordered; trying her best to keep from shouting lest the dead outside heard them.

"What kind of fucking monster are you?! He could've been fine! You had no right to do that," Sho grumbled furiously as he was at least smart enough not to get close enough for Frasier to grab him, lest he suffer the same fate his friend just did.

"Wrong, I had every right. This world we live in now can't have us afford to second guess ourselves. There's still too much we don't know about how the infection works. Kenta proved to be a possible threat, and I only did what any smart man would've done," Frasier replied; sheer ice in his tone as he looked down upon the mechanic like an idiotic child being reprimanded.

"To think a murderer like you is leading those kids…what they must REALLY think of you. Oh God, Kenta-san…I knew him for years…h-he was my friend…and you killed him like he was nothing," Sho began mourning to himself; his distraught eyes never leaving Frasier's uncaring gaze as he wiped the blood from his knife on his pant leg before sheathing it once more.

"Word of advice: the sooner YOU learn to not take unnecessary chances, the sooner you can prevent anyone else you care about from dying. Whether you take that to heart or not doesn't mean shite to me. Right now, you're the only chance we have of getting those buses set up for the trip YOU wanted to join us on, so I hope you do the smart thing and don't test me further," the eldest Lawson spoke so coldly, it even gave Saeko chills, almost as though she couldn't believe what the once flustered and admirable Brit she knew had just become. Without another word, Frasier turned his back on Sho and proceeded further up the stairs while leaving Sho to mourn.

As much as Saeko wanted to at least comfort the poor man, she knew confronting Frasier was more important. She instantly followed hot on his heels until he came to a stop in the same room from before with the sleeping bags.

"Frasier-san, what the hell happened back there?" she wasted no time asking while Frasier kept gazing out the window.

"Kenta was scratched, proved to be an issue, and I corrected it. You know that," he stated bluntly; to which Saeko clenched her fists and grabs him by his collar; turning him around and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"You know what I'm talking about, Frasier! Yes, there was a risk, but you didn't even hesitate! Kenta-san was still doing alright! The very least you could've done was give me some time to help him make his peace. That was the least he or anyone else deserves," she protested angrily, only to feel her anger grow even more when Frasier's expression didn't soften at all.

"What good is helping these weaklings make peace with their nonexistent God? You really think any kind of loving God would let people like them suffer in this world like WE do? Survival is all we have anymore, Saeko, and I will do ANYTHING to ensure it for myself, my brothers, you, and our group. Anyone else is just a convenience for us, and if they get in the way, they'll suffer the same fate as that man down there. Understand?"

For the first time she could ever recall, Saeko more than anything felt the desire to punch Frasier in that cold, hateful-looking face of his. She couldn't even stop gritting her teeth as it felt like her fists were going to close so tight her nails would cut into her palms.

"What the hell is happening to you, Frasier? You were nothing like this just a few minutes ago. Don't you dare tell me something like you woke up or something like that! This is NOT like you," she exclaimed before Frasier quickly brushed her off and proceeded to exit out the door.

"Don't go about acting like you know everything about me, because you don't. There are just some things about what I've learned you wouldn't ever understand. Now come on. The sooner we get what Sho needs, the sooner we can get a ride put together and the sooner we can go home," Frasier instructed while Saeko was left standing there in shellshock.

An hour later…

By the time Sho had finally managed to mourn and get his emotions around Frasier under control, the young Brit's prediction had proven true and the majority of Them had migrated off elsewhere, and thankfully there didn't look to be any in the direction Sho had mentioned was where Kenta said the garage was.

Even despite the garage door itself having been left wide open, there wasn't any distressing signs of undead lingering around, and the place itself looked to have suffered little if any looting, which made finding the tool Sho needed, a single welding torch, easier than they'd expected.

"With this, we'll be able to use some of the surplus steel bars at the work area in the mall to reinforce the windshields and windows for the buses. There's bound to be a lot more crazies out there looking to kill people for their supplies, so I can't think of why we wouldn't need that."

His logic certainly made a lot of sense to Frasier, so he didn't need any more convincing to take some spare jerry cans of fuel lying nearby for the torch, since he could only imagine welding bars to the windows of two full-size buses would be more than a little time consuming.

The entire way back, Sho was still very uncomfortably silent, and the entire way he didn't dare make eye contact with Frasier. Now that they'd gotten what they came for, Frasier's frightening survivor exterior had thankfully waned some, but that didn't make Saeko any less concerned. Despite how much she'd come to love seeing the fighting spirit inside him come out, what she'd seen in him at that church was…something else, something that she already found herself deeply disliking.

The sun had already well begun to set by the time they'd finally returned to the mall. Funny how time seemed to slip by so much faster while they were out on the city streets.

Sho didn't even waste time with words or any other kind of emotions as he tucked the torch under one of his arms and took the jerry cans from Frasier and Saeko, clearly just wanting to get to work and get his mind off of Kenta.

"Hey, Sho-san…look, about Kenta-san back there…" Frasier surprisingly began to say in a much less hostile manner before Sho suddenly dropped the jerry cans and shot a chilling glare at the young Brit.

"You think after murdering my friend and talking to me like you did, you have the right to apologize? Fuck you, kid. Now you listen to me, I got nothing against your people, and I'll get one of the buses all set up for you just as much as I will for our own, but as far as I'm concerned, you personally and me? We're DONE," was all Sho had to say before he took the jerry cans back into his hands and stormed off into the mall; leaving Frasier and Saeko alone once more outside.

While Saeko still didn't like seeing her friend being spoken to like that, she couldn't rightfully deny that Sho had every right to still be upset and even angry. But that still didn't make her any less unprepared to see the genuinely remorseful look on Frasier's face; almost as if the time away from the constant fighting had given him time to reflect on his actions and behavior. Perhaps, even despite how necessary he said killing Kenta was, the moral human side of him still didn't like that he had to do it. Just the thought couldn't help but instill a strange kind of…hope in the young swordswoman.

"C'mon, Frasier-san. It's been a really long day. Why don't we head home?" she offered; helping to guide Frasier as they began to slowly but surely make their way back into the frighteningly dark city in the hopes of getting back home to their friends and family.

Suddenly, a single drop of rain bounced off the bridge of Frasier's nose; causing him to wrinkle it in response. Saeko took notice of this and couldn't help but let out a soft giggle that madehim slightly blush at that all-too charming laugh.

"This was a mistake. We should probably take shelter. I'd hate to run into a horde if this picks up any further," Frasier advised as Saeko nodded in full agreement.

"I know this street. Follow me," she announced after she took a moment to observe their surroundings; taking his hand without warning and running down the middle of the open street.

Normally Frasier would question her sudden idea, but she seemed so confident in herself that he couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind for a temporary shelter; following her as the rain began to pick up with each step; grey clouds slowly forming overhead. A crack of thunder echoed in the distance; making it undeniable they had to find somewhere to hide immediately.

Within just a minute, the droves of undead that had been inside most of the buildings were starting to emerge in number; each one standing aimlessly and looking up at the sky as if waiting for something to happen. Their jaws hung open while both milky grey eyes swirled around in place. It was truly a disgusting sight most wouldn't be able to stand, especially when combined with the rancid odor the decaying flesh was giving off in the rain. The wind would breeze by, carrying those painful groans and lonely sighs They seemed to carry with them wherever They went.

Soon, Saeko brought Frasier up to a low building with shutters all across the windows that made up a majority of the front walls. Frasier watched her back as she reached underneath a nearby potted plant and pulled out a key and fumbled with the lock before it made a click.

"Help me lift this up," Saeko suddenly whispered as Frasier walked over and pulled the metal shutters up just enough for them to slip inside before gently setting it down to avoid drawing any unwanted attention from the undead wandering just on the other side of the street.

Frasier let out a low sigh of relief being able to both get out of the rain and to be physically out of harm's way for the time being. His hands roughly combed through his short hair until most of the rain had been brushed off, rolling up both sleeves to his elbows so Saeko wouldn't see his bullet wound from their raid on Shido's compound. After taking a moment to inspect the barely lit interior, he came to realize just where she'd taken him.

"This is your father's dojo…isn't it?" Frasier asked;understanding now how she was able to get them in so easily as he began to pace through the long expanse of a living room. His hand gently felt the cold wall as his wet boots began to squeak against the padded floor.

"Yes...do you think you could remove your boots? I don't want my father to see a single thing out of place when he returns," Saeko answered before making a request; most likely out of sheer respect for her father's studio.

"Of course, my apologies," Frasier said before he quickly stepped off the tatami mats and began to unlace the black boots; wiggling his toes and stretching them out as he was enjoying that relaxed feeling one would get after pulling off their shoes after a long day of being on their feet constantly.

"So...do you ever think of what happened to your family back home?" Saeko suddenly asked out of curiosity as she proceeded to sit beside him.

"What's there to think about? My people are one of the only ones yet to face this scourge. Even if they did, my father would easily handle himself, given his power and available resources," Frasier replied distantly; showing little regard for whatever fate his father may have faced despite what had been said on the satellite phone.

"Don't you have anyone in the family besides your father and brothers to think about?" Saeko pressed on as Frasier shrugged his shoulders, as if he didn't even know himself.

"Not really. I'll be honest with you, our family line is dying, Saeko-san. That's why it's so important to preserve Noah and Marcus no matter the cost, so they can start a family of their own and continue the line," Frasier said as it became all the more clear why he was so hell-bent on ensuring the survival of the Lawson brothers. However, this didn't entirely sate the young sword wielder's intrigue just yet.

"What about you? Don't you want a family someday; someone to come home to?" Saeko asked as she gently ran a hand down his arms; wondering now what was keeping him from such ambitions, somewhat concerned when he turned away silently.

"Hey, no brushing me off this time, Frasier-san. Please, answer me," Saeko then demanded as she had to know just why he would say such a thing.

"I-I'm not brushing you off! I...I just...even if I did feel such things for someone...what would I do? I was raised to fight, bred to kill, taught that your place in the world will be defined only by your strengths. Where does something like love fit into place for someone like me? It simply can't work. It never will," Frasier expressed; conflict hanging from his words as he shook his head in denial; speaking like he'd been thinking about this for years now, yet never could find a satisfying conclusion.

"Do you really feel that way? You don't think you could ever love someone outside your own family?" Saeko asked in a clearly hurt tone as she bowed her head; not noticing the sadness that seemed to be on his face as well.

"I don't think there's a point in dwelling on such trivial matters. I know my place in this world, and being a lover and a father isn't one of them. I am a defender of my people and my country. My brothers will continue the family line while I fight to ensure its success and survival. It's just the way things are," Frasier explained regretfully; speaking as if this was set in stone and could never once be deviated from no matter how much it killed him inside.

"You don't have to do everything on your own, Frasier-san. You act like you're the only one who can make the sacrifices for your family and even us. Please don't talk like that again. There's much more to life than you can even begin to grasp; you just need the right person to show you," Saeko suddenly argued as Frasier looked at her in surprise, astonished at how determined she was to convince him that his fate was in his own hands now.

"Well, at least think about. We should get some rest while we still have the chance," she then suggested as she left him alone to his own thoughts.

She pulled her backpack full of supplies up against a wall before resting her head on it; turning her face one last time to see him doing the same thing. A faint look of concern filled her eyes before she turned to get some sleep that would hopefully outlast the rain; closing her eyes as she felt the drift of slumber take over.

However, she tossed and turned for what only felt like minutes before she sat up to see it was still the middle of the rainstorm. Her gaze then shifted over to Frasier's sleeping figure. There was such a peaceful expression on his face as his eyelashes would gently flutter occasionally; making Saeko smile a little bit; playfully touching the tip of his nose only for it to automatically wrinkle in response.

Just before she could even consider going back to sleep, his scent had begun to draw her in; a musk-like smell that was so strong it couldn't be ignored no matter how hard she tried. All concentration was broken when she caught herself staring at him again; sculpting every little detail she could visibly see, and some that she couldn't.

"Such a strong and manly odor. He must've really been pushing himself today, always trying to be the best for us...for me," Saeko mumbled to herself as she then began to crawl over to him.

An unmistakable drive to get closer to him suddenly took over her body as she slowly found herself straddling over his lower waist; watching that strong chest of his rising up and down with each breath he took. Her curiosity was so strong she didn't even feel herself hesitate when her hands began to slowly lift up his shirt to see the rows of muscles around his stomach.

'So this is how it feels to touch a man's abs. They're so much harder than I expected,' Saeko pondered with glee as her fingertip began to playfully trace around them.

She then paused in contemplation, uncertain whether to continue exploring his body up to his chest or down beneath the band along his waistline. Saeko bit her lips in anticipation as she couldn't decide where to go next. Her crystal blue eyes then narrowed when she finally made up her mind. A look of sheer desire could now be seen painted across her face.

"You're all mine, Frasier-kun," Saeko gently whispered as her hands pulled on the brim of his pants. A wild fire burned inside of her chest and loins as the wait was driving her insane.

Suddenly, just before she could make her next move, two big hands grasped her wrists. Saeko was instantly startled beyond belief, embarrassed to death that he'd caught her peeping at his body while he slept.

"Rraaahhh!" Frasier's voice suddenly echoed in a blood-curdling snarl as Saeko looked in sheer horror at what was undoubtedly a zombified version of him. His once fair skin was now a dark grey as those once beautiful blue eyes were now milky white and looking into two separate directions.

"What?! Impossible," Saeko shouted in shock as she tucked up into a ball only to kick out against his jaw just in time to avoid being bitten; rolling back across the mat to grab her sword.

Saeko took a battle stance as she watched Frasier slowly rising from the ground; moving sluggishly and unpredictably as would any of 'Them'; a low groan emitting past his lips.

"N-No! You can't be...you weren't bitten! How can this be?" Saeko stuttered out of sheer shock as she tried to get a better understanding of this horrifying discovery.

"Damn it, Frasier-kun! Why didn't you say anything?! Why did you have to die?" Saeko cursed as tears began to run freely down her face; weakly gripping the handle of her blade as she watched him limping over to continue the attack.

His hulking figure lunged forward with such unexpected speed;pinning Saeko to the wall as she tried to resist his already overwhelming strength that was now increased several-fold by his undead state. She barely turned her head aside before his teeth could sink into her face. With a quick reaction, Saeko swiftly kicked the side of Frasier's kneecap; causing his undead form to fall down just low enough to knee it back.

"Please...don't do this...don't make me kill you," Saeko demanded as she was at a total loss. Never had she expected to kill someone so close to her heart while fighting to survive.

All she got in response though was a vicious snarl that was swiftly cut short when her hands extended the katana forward. Her hands trembled as the blade pierced right through him. Apain unlike anything she'd ever felt before shook her entire world. A cold darkness overcame Saeko as she fell to her knees, staring hopelessly at Frasier's now motionless body. She was unable to stand she fell on both knees before slamming her fist to the ground in uncontrollable anger.

"Can't be...you can't be gone...without you, I can't possibly hope to hold it back...all I have is the darkness now..." Saeko muttered to herself as she couldn't even sum up the energy to move; her eyes widening as she couldn't believe what was happening to her right now, not even acknowledging the room becoming pitch black before the shadows started to consume her.

"Saeko-san! Wake up," Frasier's voice suddenly echoed out as her blue eyes instantly opened back up.

Saeko felt her heart racing against her chest faster than it ever had before. Sweat covered her entire face as she sat up and began to take in the surroundings around her.

Luckily, she was still where she recalled resting at in the middle of the dojo. The rain was still pouring strong outside as the shutters were still closed tight. Her dearest companion however was nowhere to be seen. There was only his jacket, which had mysteriously found itself wrapped around her shoulders. Saeko gently rubbed it out of personal comfort before she got up to look for Frasier's current whereabouts.

A faint yet noticeable source of light near the restroom immediately caught her attention. On approach, she peered through the open doorway to see a candle resting on the sink while Frasier's figure could be distinctly made out. At first she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and tell him about the terrible nightmare she'd just endured. However, when she noticed a red mark along his arm that thought was instantly forgotten.

"What is that?" Saeko softly asked; causing Frasier to instantly jump before spinning around to see that he'd been discovered.

"I...damn, I guess there's no point in hiding it now," Frasier said as he stumbled over his own words before making the conclusion that hiding his actions would now be pointless.

"Hiding what...? Don't tell me you've been-" the young woman began to pry as she had sudden flashbacks to that horrific nightmare that was still so fresh in her mind.

"It's not a bite or a scratch if that's what you're implying. This happened when we were rescuing Tadashi-san. Those bastards managed to graze me," Frasier explained as he was quick to point out that he was anything but infected.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Saeko then followed up; still unsatisfied by his answer as she leaned against the doorway with a frighteningly unreadable look in her eyes.

"No. It wasn't necessary, and it won't be when we return to the hotel," Frasier answered as he brushed past her and headed back into the main area of the building.

"Are you kidding me right now?! Of course it was necessary! Ugh! You know sometimes you really are just infuriating, Frasier-san," Saeko announced angrily as she followed right behind him with both fists clenched tight.

"Calm down. I've been taking care of it and-" Frasier attempted to explain only for Saeko to be right up in his face with a soul crushing glare burning in her eyes.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT, DAMMIT! The point is you NEVER communicate with us! You just try to do everything on your own and act like we're holding you back or something," Saeko said in a more furious growl as she was clearly beyond pissed off.

"You don't understand-" Frasier attempted to say, only to be silenced by the sensation of Saeko's hand suddenly slapping him hard across the face.

"No, it's YOU who doesn't understand! I doubt you could EVER understand," Saeko shouted as Frasier was visibly taken aback by this side of her, unable to imagine how bad it must've been if someone as calm and reserved as Saeko was acting this riled up.

"Saeko-san, what's wrong? You've never allowed yourself to get this angry before. Usually you're so calm and composed. Talk to me," Frasier asked as he slowly approached her. A deep sense of concern filled his words as she appeared hesitant now.

"You would if you knew the truth about me, Frasier! If only you knew the things I felt whenever I had to fight; how I feel more alive than ever when there's a battle to be had," Saeko suddenly shouted as she caught Frasier by surprise with her sudden outburst of mixed emotions. Her eyes widened as a twisted smile took her over. All she could imagine now was how he'd see her as a threat or how pathetic she was for feeling like this in contrast to the calm and composed woman she tried so hard to be.

"I never told you this, but just before I met you, I was assaulted one night by a drunken man. He attempted to force himself onto me. Luckily, I had my practice sword with me, so I swiftly took control of the situation and beat him within an inch of his life. The authorities claimed it was out of self-defense, but it was far from what really happened.

"It was that fateful night that I came to realize how good it felt to be in control, to inflict pain upon others, to feel so alive. I actually felt joy when the world ended! Can you believe it?! That's how messed up I am! While people were all dying around me, I couldn't have been happier!

"I wanted to hide this side of myself from you for so long now, I just didn't know how you'd react to it. I didn't want you to be afraid and run away from me. Even now, I'm worried what you're thinking of all this. Yet, now I feel like I don't care what you think of it," Saeko confessed as Frasier simply stood there;paralyzed at the dark revelation, his expression a mix between shock and uncertainty. His silence and lack of response however began to wear on her patience.

"I knew you wouldn't understand...I was a fool to think this would work," Saeko sighed before she bowed her head; her hands balling up into fists as Frasier attempted to place a hand on her shoulder, only to instantly be swatted off.

[Apocalyptica - Harmageddon]

Without warning, she suddenly drew her blade from its sheath;prompting Frasier to remain in his place as he determined whether she was about to attack or if she was just acting out of fear from his unspoken response. Her sword slowly pointed right at him as he could see both her eyes were wide open with a twisted smile forming along her lips. She was losing herself to the darkness that corrupted her soul.

"I don't want to fight you, but if I must defend myself, then so be it. We both know I can't die here, Saeko-san. Not when my brothers still need me," Frasier sighed as he drew his knife out;holding it in a pose that would allow him to block her noticeably longer katana should he be able to parry at the base of her sword.

A chilling laughter filled the room as Saeko seemed to be more than eager to fight him; forming a crazed look that sent genuine chills down his spine. Without warning, she made a beeline straight for him, almost as if she were testing him to see if he'd react.

"No..." Frasier muttered as he couldn't believe that this was really happening now; clenching the grip to his knife as he braced for her impending assault.

*clang*

Both blades connected for just a brief moment. Sparks flung up in the air as Frasier, even with his strength, barely could hold onto his knife. He naturally went for his sidearm in the hopes that she'd take him seriously and back down. However, Saeko could see this coming from miles away as she dashed in and swiped clean through the barrel, effectively slicing Uncle Mark's 9mm apart, only for her to leap back when Frasier attempted to swipe at her.

'She's too damn fast for me. I can't possibly hope to beat her in close quarters when she's armed with a bloody sword. I have to come up with something and fast,' Frasier thought to himself as he discarded the weapon aside and calculated an alternate way to subdue Saeko without hurting or god-forbid killing her.

"What's wrong? Not feeling so tough without your little toy?" Saeko teased as she then grabbed a sword hanging on display from the wall only to then toss it over towards Frasier. Clearly she didn't want this victory to be won so cheaply, as well as showing a deep sense of honor that her opponent was equally armed as she was. A part of her still remained inside; giving him hope that he could reach it before she'd be completely lost to the madness forever.

"Fine; we'll play by your rules then," Frasier said in acceptance; setting his knife down before unsheathing the katana Saeko had given him. The twin blades poised for battle now as the two close friends began to circle around the room.

Saeko was unlike any opponent he'd encountered before; when he got past her stunning beauty, there was a fearsome warrior to behold. She was one of the very few he genuinely admired and respected in his life. Now there was a fierce bloodlust that filled those crystal blue eyes of hers, a drive for battle that rivaled even his own, with long slender arms perfect for striking slightly beyond his range. Never once did he dare to break eye contact with her as it was just as much of a mental battle as it was a physical one.

Without hesitation, they both lunged in towards one another;their blades clashing and deflecting off one another with lightning fast reflexes. Saeko was somewhat surprised at how well his training under her had come along as he was actually standing his ground for the time being; showing no fear in his eyes. He knew there was zero room for error here; knowing full well that it only took one well-placed strike to end this fight as well as his life.

Saeko then swung her blade sideways; watching Frasier duck under it only to then kick her sideways with enough force to send her a few steps back. However, she barely seemed to respond to the pain as she was already back for more; putting him on the defensive. Her speed began to increase the longer they fought. Frasier could only make a horrid conclusion that she was only warming up while he was struggling just to keep up with her rapid movements, much less react accordingly to them.

'I can't think with her so damn close. I need to put some distance between us,' Frasier thought to himself as he made a wild swing only to then leap away when Saeko dodged it like it was child's play; forming a confident smirk when it was abundantly clear she had him on the ropes.

"What's wrong? Did you expect to beat me so easily? You can't even begin to comprehend what I'm capable of," Saeko asked tauntingly. A sense of hopelessness filled Frasier's heart as he knew that she was a master of aggression and could break through anyone's defense when it came to the art of the sword.

"There's a reason they called you 'The Tempest of Fujimi Academy' back at school. But from my training, we're taught that the only way to break someone's offense is to be ten times as aggressive and ruthless! If you do not yield, I will break you, Saeko," Frasier shouted back as he changed his defensive pose into one that showed he was going on the offensive as well. Saeko slowly licked her lips in anticipation as she awaited him.

"Go for it," due called out as if trying to test what he was really willing to do.

"Aarrrgghh!" both fighters shouted as they charged forward. Their swings and swipes were delivered with such intensity that sparks began to fly around them with every connection.

Saeko spun around like a whirlwind; her blade centimeters from striking the back of his neck before he threw his arms back in time to block it with the side of his blade. Frasier then swerved his entire torso with the sword extended sideways; watching as Saeko managed to parry it with ease. Sweat dripped down their faces as they fought with a fiery intensity they'd never been pushed to before. At one point they were in a deadlock; pushing back and forth. The blades were under such powerful stress and pressure that it seemed like they'd snap at any moment. Using his overwhelming might though, Frasier launched Saeko back; dashing in as she was finally vulnerable from the stagger.

'There,' Frasier shouted in the back of his mind as he went for the wide opening; bringing his sword down towards her only to swerve at the last second and entirely miss her, instead slicing off a few strands of hair that were caught by the razor sharp tip.

It was at that moment he realized he couldn't bring himself to harm his beloved Saeko. His love for her had somehow managed to completely override his survival instincts. He was now fighting on two fronts, and she could tell just by that act alone he wouldn't kill her, even if it meant death for him.

'Shit, I bet she knows I can't do it. There's no way I can beat her in the art of the sword. I gotta get that katana away from her, but how?' Frasier thought to himself as she seemed to show a complete disregard for her own safety.

"You can't hold back now! Destroy this woman like you would any other foe. Your very own brothers' lives depend on it," Arthur's voice suddenly ordered, as if tempting Frasier to end this fight by any means necessary, undoubtedly by killing Saeko. It weighed heavy on his heart to think of such a horrible act, but his instincts and training made it very clear that he couldn't allow personal feelings to prevent him from fulfilling his duty. He now had to try and suppress his feelings for her long enough to end this once and for all.

"There are alternatives to fighting, Frasier. You don't put out fire with more fire, you do it with water," Uncle Mark's voice then chimed in as Frasier pondered what he could possibly say at this point that would be able to even remotely get through to the berserk Saeko right now; gulping when he'd come to terms with what he must do now, never thinking once this was how it would go down.

'She's in the way of my mission. I can't let this go on. I-I'm sorry Saeko-chan, but even you will not deter me from my ultimate objective,' Frasier began to think as he glared at her; coming to the reality of his situation as he poised himself to not hold back should he ever catch an opening like this again.

'N-No! What am I thinking?! I can't kill her! She's always been there for me! She looked out for me ever since we met; always taking the time to ensure I was happy. She even gave me a purpose when I was practically abandoned by my father! I won't give up so easily! Not when my Saeko-chan needs me,' Frasier's thoughts suddenly echoed as his heart and soul began to burn with a fiery passion unlike anything he'd ever felt before. His entire body was now overflowing with the determination to save Saeko from this darkness she'd been consumed by. He refused for even a second to give up on saving her. He now knew what he had to do in order to end this deadly battle once and for all.

"Alright, Saeko; are you ready for this? Because I'm going to end this now," Frasier announced as if to lure her into a false sense of security; watching her grin as if pleased to hear such a bold claim.

"Is that so? Then by all means, let's see just how much of a man you really are! Don't hold back, because I certainly won't," Saeko announced as she dashed straight for him; showing zero regard for her own safety as her blade was poised for attack. She was completely consumed by her own rage and darkness to the point anyone else would've given up on the idea of her ever coming back to reality.

*clang*

Their swords clashed together once more. Saeko slowly began to take control though as she managed to break his guard and backhanded him across the jaw. A small trail of blood trickled down past his lips. However, he refused to give into the rage and instead licked his wound before going back in for more.

He took long swings that she effortlessly deflected; meeting him blow for blow before she stepped to the side; the furthest point of the katana leaving several cuts along his arms and back. She'd managed to break through and would only be going deeper the longer this went on.

"Just give up! You made a valiant effort to fight back, but even you can't hope to withstand such a darkness," Saeko announced as they both knew he was outmatched and wouldn't last another round with her.

"N-Never! You clearly don't know me if you expect me to give up," Frasier called back as he raised his blade up in a challenging stance. Saeko simply scowled before forming that twisted glare again.

Just as the two blades were about to connect once more, Frasier suddenly released his at the last second; watching as Saeko swatted it across the room. Her eyes widened when he was now between both of her arms, unable to react in time as his hands clamped tightly around her dominant arm. Such an unconventional method had completely caught the samurai by surprise.

[]

[Hans Zimmer - New York Aftermath]

"Agh! No," Saeko gasped as he had her right where he wanted; locking both of them down so neither could attack nor pull away. A stalemate had finally been drawn. Both were now breathing hard as their intense gazes met, as if that was how they intended to continue their ferocious battle now.

"Let...me...go! You can't stop this! Nobody can," Saeko snarled as she tried to pull away from him; her eyes glaring sheer hatred into his soul. However, he remained strong as he tried his best not to retaliate and provoke her even further.

"Saeko-chan! I don't care what you are! I might not be as lost as you are...but that doesn't mean every ounce of my strength won't be spent trying to help you! I refuse to let you be consumed like this," Frasier shouted as he clenched both fists tight; staring her straight in the eyes as he could see by Saeko's expression that she was taken aback by such a claim.

"Liar! What do you care what becomes of me?! It doesn't really matter to you! It never did," Saeko cried out as she looked at him painfully. Her voice was filled with anger and pent up feelings she couldn't hope to hold back anymore; slowly prying his grip free, planning to cut him down the moment she could break loose.

"It means everything to me! I vowed to myself not to let anyone or anything hurt you, not even yourself! I will not lose you again because...because..." Frasier exclaimed before his feelings for Saeko began to emerge again; his voice starting to crack as tears threatened to form.

"Because of what...?" Saeko demanded as she was impatient what he was trying to say; watching as he then stepped forward, their bodies now even closer before he took a deep breath of realization.

"Because I can't do this without you! I need you, Saeko-chan! I would've been lost so long ago to my own rage and hatred had I not had you in my life. There's no telling what I would've become if I didn't have such a strong woman such as yourself to guide me," Frasier struggled to admit as he was battling so many emotions at once; hating so much that he was having to even acknowledge such things to her of all people.

"F-Frasier-kun, you can't possibly mean that. You're just saying that, telling me what I want to hear. I won't fall for it," Saeko weakly attempted to deny as she tried to pull away so they could continue their battle; tears now beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as well.

"I-It's too late! I've been like this for so long now, how can you even accept me for the monster that I am?" she demanded as she clenched her eyes shut, unable to believe that he could be anywhere as bad as she was.

"You think you're the only one with a dark side? Every time someone dies, be it by my hand or not, I take personal pleasure in the knowledge that my odds of survival just went up. It feels so good when I fight, when I claim another victory to fuel my chances of being the best.

"When I was in that simulator, all I did was take orders. It felt like it was my only purpose and reason to live on. To be a good soldier was a life I could be more than content with having; like there was nothing left to enjoy in this world the moment I was cast out!

"I only realized how wrong I was the day I met the great Saeko Busujima...how the most skilled warrior of this petty city could see me for what I was truly worth. It was an honor I didn't know would mean so much to me.

"You made me want to forget the past now that I had found that there was more to life than blindly following orders. I realized that if said past ever came back, I wanted to spare you from ever becoming involved in it. I wanted nothing more than to protect you from the worst part of me; a side to me I had to suppress every waking moment," Frasier explained as Saeko's eyes slowly opened. She was utterly shocked to hear such horrible, twisted words coming from him. Yet at the same time such a heartfelt confession made her heart flutter with the knowledge that he needed her more than she could've possibly imagined.

After all that cold neglecting, all those times he avoided being with her for reasons outside of school and training, each and every time he refused to acknowledge her as more than a friend was done so to protect her and to spare her his past life from ever harming her. It made her realize that perhaps he could in fact see her as more than just a close companion.

"That's right; we're both a cut of the same cloth, Saeko-chan. Now you can either give up like a weakling or you can embrace it like I have! Most people would tell you to hide your true nature; but I on the other hand encourage it. Nourish those dark cravings, pace yourself accordingly; and harness your rage for when the time comes to unleash it. Destroy your enemies, but spare your loved ones," Frasier then shouted in an inspiring burst of emotions as she was completely captivated by such powerful words that were like sweet honey to her ears. Her eyes now glimmered with awe as she felt a massive weight being lifted from her soul; both knees buckling as she found herself lost in his hold.

*clang*

The sword in her hand dropped, her hands then loosening up as Frasier kept his hold firm; smiling in relief that she was finally starting to come back.

"You're not afraid…are you? You truly do understand me. What I am. What I may become," Saeko murmured, looking straight up at him as he kept her locked in place.

"Oh believe me, there's always been a side of me that fears you, but the rest of me deeply respects and admires you. Besides, I'll never let my fears hold me back from a fight. Will you?" Frasier corrected as he gazed down upon her; Saeko's eyes widening at such a question, knowing he meant it too. He was still personally astonished that just admitting some of his deepest feelings was enough to end their deadly confrontation.

"It looks like there's one more thing for you to teach me now," Saeko sighed as she still couldn't stop looking up at him; seeing the young Brit in an entirely new light now, her hand slowly brushing away a tear that trickled down his cheek.

"There's not much left to teach. I've let my anger out in steady bursts; you on the other hand have been holding it back, allowing it to fester and build up within you. Don't hold yourself back for the sake of the others, but just remember who your allies are on the battlefield and remain true to yourself," Frasier said as there was a momentary silence after. Saeko gently nodded her head in understanding before he finally released her from his hold.

She knelt down to pick up her sword; taking a second to observe him. Frasier felt like she was going to attack again, only to let out a mental sigh of relief when the sword was swiftly put back into its sheath. Saeko then looked back at him with curiosity.

"Perhaps if that side of me ever emerges again...you could help me fight it? I don't want to lose myself to it again; especially not in front of the others," Saeko suggested as she watched him slowly nod in agreement.

"Only if you can promise me the same thing. They've only seen glimpses of my true self, and I highly doubt they'd be able to handle what I'm truly willing to do to survive," Frasier offered as he and Saeko locked eyes again before they shook hands; vowing to one another to help control their darker sides, one fire now used to burn the other one out. He then suddenly felt the adrenaline wearing down, causing his knees to go weak before falling upon them before her.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I forgot about your wounds. Please, allow me to clean them for you. It's the least I can do," Saeko suddenly said as she realized her rampage had left him with fresh wounds.

Without resistance, he remained on both knees; taking off his shirt and allowing her to put a wet cloth against his back and arms. The blood soaked the rag as it was clear the blade did not reach as deep as she initially feared. However, this did not make her feel any less guilty over it. All the while she was cursing in the back of her mind as she realized it could've been much, much worse. Deep down, she still feared that he'd never be able to fully trust her again after tonight.

"I'm so, so sorry... I'll never forgive myself for this..." Saeko nervously muttered under her breath as she placed a long strand of paper towels to stick to his back.

"Enough, stop beating yourself up already," Frasier demanded as he stood up, having no more of this moping and self-hatred.

"But I..." she began to say as if unable to let go of her failure to control herself; stopping midway as he turned to face her with an intense glare of his own that instilled confidence in her again.

"It will take far more than that to put me down, and I will take itall to protect you, Saeko-chan," Frasier softly whispered as she believed every last word of it.

Just then, a sudden urge sparked in both of them as their eyes locked; their lips feeling compelled to touch one another. All breathing became heavier by the second as their bodies felt like there was a fire burning within. Frasier slowly stepped forward until their hips touched again, unable to turn away as he normally would from such close contact. It was quite clear to them what the other was thinking now; what they both truly desired right this very instant.

"Close your eyes," she softly requested as he did as he was told; closing both eyes slowly as he felt her body coming closer until their chests pressed together. A warm embrace had now taken them over.

Frasier let out an emotional sigh before feeling her arms tightly wrapping around his shoulders and chest out of affection. His hands naturally found themselves coiling around her waist and lower back. Saeko then began to lightly hum joyfully to herself as she could feel his heart beating, finding it ever so calming.

'I've been so alone for so long. But not anymore,' they both thought as they slowly found themselves curled up together on the floor. Her head was now resting under his strong chin as he couldn't help but enjoy this heartfelt bond they now shared. Both gently shed tears of joy, knowing this was far from over.

Without any more needing to be said, the two warriors remained wrapped up together against the ground; resting soundly throughout the rest of the night in each other's arms. Their anger and seemingly unyielding rage had at long last been replaced with a feeling of peace and serenity they'd never expected to find. Smiles formed along their faces as they slept soundly for the next few hours; finally content with who they were as well as being able to truly express themselves to one another, relieved to know that someone was out there to help control the darkness that plagued them for so long, that it was no longer a battle they had to fight alone.

[]

A few hours later…

Saeko slowly woke up; her eyes taking a moment to adjust before she lifted her head up to see herself still in Frasier'sembrace. The young Brit looked to be just as awake as she was, and they both felt a natural smile returning to their faces to see each other. For once, there were no words that needed to be said. An unspoken yet unbreakable understanding now stood between them.

The rain had thankfully come to an end, and the sun had already begun to rise once they left the Busujima dojo behind. However, it wasn't until nearly another hour of walking that Saeko realized Frasier was intentionally not heading in the direction of the hotel. She would've wanted to argue if it hadn't been for the fact fate had decided to give them a break and not throw any hordes of the dead at them.

Her curiosity had especially been piqued when Frasier silently motioned for her to keep following him even when he stepped off a smaller road surrounded by lush vegetation. Her ears could even pick up the faint sounds of the ocean as she followed him further down what felt to be a hill.

"Do you remember how you asked me what it is I fear most, Saeko-san? Last night I think I found your answer," Frasier began to confess as he kept looking up at the sky, almost as if talking to himself as well as her.

"I suppose it would be my darker side, right?" the young samurai attempted to guess as she remained curled up to him, gently running a hand against his jawline.

"Saeko-san, what I truly fear most is losing everything I have left on this Earth: my family; my people, and perhaps most of all...you. I know I'm not the best at this whole expressing thing, but just know that I'd do anything if it meant keeping everyone else alive," Frasier expressed in a soft huff as he felt so natural right now around her; able to open up and allow her to see a more vulnerable side to him.

Both warriors finally stepped onto the beach; taking in the scenery to see the calming waves flowing back and forth, the soft sands that kept every last imprint of their footsteps, the almost alluring scent of saltwater flowing through the air, and the seemingly infinite ocean reflecting the glowing rays of the sun off of its surface to create a peaceful serenity that made it hard to look away.

"It's so beautiful. Almost as if nothing has changed," was all she said in awe while staring far off into the ocean. Feeling a tranquil sense from this place now as she found herself leaning against him.

"Yeah, maybe one day we can come back here and properly enjoy it without having to constantly watch our backs," the young man added as he wasn't as impressed, yet could see how the rest of their group would want to relax at a place like this.

"Up there is where Uncle Mark fell. It was when we first discovered that the dead became increasingly stronger after sundown. I didn't know of such things, so I pressed on the attack and nearly got killed for my arrogance and recklessness," Frasier suddenly announced; pointing up towards the nearby highway that curved around the towering cliffside.

"At the last second, Uncle Mark rushed in and managed to knock several of the bastards over the edge; but not without being pulled along in the process. He was dangling for his life. I tried to help him up, but when he revealed that he'd been wounded by one of Them in the process of saving me...we both knew what it meant," Frasier said; trying to restrain any emotion in his voice the best he could, even now attempting to remain strong before Saeko, who simply stood there looking between him and where he was talking about.

"He died for my mistake. If I hadn't been so headstrong; trying so desperately to prove my own worth, maybe he'd still be here," Frasier finally lamented as he spoke with utter shame hanging from every last word. Never had he been so regretful of something, let alone admitting so.

"You did all you could, Frasier-san. How could you have possibly known what was to come? None of us knew what to do at first either," Saeko attempted to console him as he felt her hand resting on his shoulder.

"Perhaps. But...I feel I should've known, or at the very least been quicker to react. There's still so many variables to consider..." Frasier began to agree, only to then lose his train of thought; looking away now as he began to scan the rest of the beach, as if searching for any potential threats.

Saeko had no response to give. Instead, she simply stood there with both arms crossed as she watched him pace about for several seconds in thought; forming a concerned look when he suddenly looked like his blood had become ice cold, a look of genuine horror overcoming his face.

[The Last of Us OST - Returning]

"Christ...oh, God it can't be..." Frasier muttered in English as Saeko stood there, nervous why he was acting so terrified; asight she'd never expected to see.

Just several meters away from them was the decayed remains of a lone undead with one leg missing; washed up onto the shore before it had been engulfed under a pile of wet sand that appeared to have trapped it in place. Bits of seaweed were wrapped around the visibly active corpse as its body just heaved long-winded gasps for air. It was wearing a black set of body armor that was far too familiar and painful for Frasier to recognize the moment he noticed the grim scene.

"Uncle Mark..." Frasier mumbled softly in disbelief as he began to walk closer and closer to the creature; hoping that it was just a horrid illusion or some kind of mix-up.

Each step he took became heavier the nearer he drew to the reanimated corpse. A thick lump grew in his throat as it became increasingly harder to fight the stinging tears in the corners of his eyes. An intense strain pulled down on his shoulders as he had to fight the urge to collapse into the sand beneath him.

"He didn't die, Saeko-san...he came back only to become trapped in the sand. My uncle has been suffering like this for nearly three weeks now," Frasier confirmed as he was now standing just a few paces away from the trapped creature.

"Look away, Frasier-kun. I'll grant him a release from this cruel fate if you'll allow it," Saeko suddenly announced as she began to reach for the handle of her blade only for him to raise a hand up in protest.

"No," was all Frasier said as she looked at him, initially confused before she watched him drawing out his knife from the sheath on his hip.

She simply nodded in understanding before backing away, still ready to leap into action should he hesitate at the last second. Now she could only watch as her dearest of friends began to approach the zombified Mark, who seemed to catch wind that it was no longer alone but now in the presence of food. Both its arms began weakly trying to pull itself out now to no avail.

"I should've been more alert…not make some mistake like a bloody rookie; underestimating the enemy. You'd probably still be alive and leading us onwards without flaw," Frasier began to apologize to Mark's remains as he slowly knelt down to observe the lonely creature.

"You would know exactly what to do; somehow make sense of everything that's been happening. My brothers would believe you every step of the way. Hell, I'd bet my left bollock you could've saved that poor girl and rescued the detective without breaking so much as a sweat," Frasier proceeded to imagine as he dwelled on the things he considered had been an absolute failure on his part; knowing deep down he couldn't make the right decision when it mattered most.

Suddenly, both of Mark's cold grey hands lashed out and grasped Frasier's left wrist; steadily pulling him in as the young Brit could barely hold back against such force. His demeanor however seemed to remain unchanged as he continued talking like he wasn't about to be overpowered and eaten.

"What the...? Oh no! Hold on," Saeko muttered, naturally confused before realizing the danger he was in before dashing towards them as fast as she could.

"What hurts the most is that I only realized how much I respected you AFTER you were gone...that you were perhaps a better father than HE could've ever hoped to have been. I should've treated you like the hero you were, rather than treat you with disdain the way I had," Frasier then confessed; hi voice trembling with raw emotion as he didn't seem to be putting up nearly as much of a fight against the two thick grey hands that were slowly reeling him in.

"Frasier-kun," Saeko shouted as she drew her blade, only seconds away from the two as Frasier himself was only several inches from being bitten himself.

"I'm so sorry..." Frasier muttered as he looked away, unable to face Mark as Saeko stopped dead in her tracks.

Both her eyes widened as she could see at the last second he'd managed to jam his knife under Mark's jawline all the way up towards the roof of his skull. The zombified figure let out a deathly rattle before suddenly collapsing into total stillness and silence; prompting Saeko to sheath her sword once it was clear that her close friend was able to see things through in the end; leaving all to fall silent, save for the sounds of waves crashing and the squawks from a nearby flock of black-tailed gulls that loomed overhead.

Saeko just watched as Frasier lurched back until he landed on his rear; sitting with both his legs arched out. Both palms were now cupped over his face as his fingertips grasped the front of his hairline; trying to hide his face from Saeko, perhaps even the rest of the world, as he was unable to show himself in such a vulnerable state. To be seen so defenseless and weak made this moment all the more painful for him.

Rage began to fester within his heart as his mind was spinning with all kinds of twisted thoughts now; all kinds of voices whispering and shouting at once. Most of them made him want nothing more than to go on a rampage, to kill as many of 'Them' as he possibly could before he fell in battle. A sense of hopelessness ran through him as he didn't care what would become of himself anymore. A cold darkness began to creep inside, an all too familiar feeling he'd normally fought to suppress at times like this, now coming to fruition.

However, before he could begin to indulge in the untempered rage, he sensed a new feeling suddenly taking over. Saeko's entire body now pressed down on his back while her arms came around his sides until both hands locked around his waist. The side of her head gently rested along the center of his neck;noticing his hands gently trying to pull hers away only to soon give in and grasp onto them for comfort. A surprised look took her over as she could feel his tears dripping onto her hands;prompting Saeko to hold him tighter now in support; knowing she couldn't allow him to be lost to what must've been a twister of emotions.

"T-Thank you," was all Frasier could even hope to muster in response before Saeko nodded and kept him in this position for several uninterrupted minutes; taking in the otherwise beautiful sunrise together on the beach as he silently mourned his loss, all while doing her best to keep Frasier from emotionally withdrawing again.

After taking a long moment of much needed time to come to terms with what he'd just done, Frasier had set his Uncle Mark's remains on fire; sternly watching whatever was left becoming reduced to nothing but ashes and embers while ignoring the scent of burning flesh as he then turned to Saeko, who had been loyally standing by him the entire time. A cold expressionless look was all he could show, yet he knew she cared about him enough to stay every step of the way. This was clearly a defining moment neither of them would forget.

"Let's go," Frasier finally said as he began to walk away from the beach and back towards the city streets.

"Are you sure? We can wait a bit longer if you want. I'd understand entirely," Saeko suddenly offered as she stood there watching him pause as if debating on doing so.

"While I greatly appreciate the sentiment and what you're saying, it's unnecessary. If anything, I feel better knowing he's truly at peace now. Let's go," Frasier said distantly before turning to look her in the eye; forming the most genuine smile she'd seen in a long time from him, making it crystal clear she'd helped him through what must've undoubtedly been a living hell.

She nodded in acknowledgment before she followed him, forming a smile of her own. She suddenly took his hand; catching him off guard as she began to lead him back onto the streets of Tokonosu City, enjoying the soft shade of scarlet his face made whenever she managed to get through to his more emotional side; a side she fully intended to get closer to now that she'd been able to bear witness to it.