Greetings
Here's Chapter 11
Hope the wait wasn't long for y'll
And hope you enjoy
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Act 11: To Bid Farewell
Sakata Rentaro zipped up his black slim fit zip pullover, readying himself; also wearing his black street cargo pants and black white running shoes, that he used before arriving at the Takagi Estate, all clean, looking brand new, courtesy of Yuriko's hospitality.
He liked how comfortable he felt on this outfit, so why change it?
Looking at the equipment he had in front of him at the small desk of the personal room that was provided to him to stay in, he took a deep breath.
Firstly, he put on his shoulder holster, followed by the other one, that was meant to be used around the waist. After properly adjusting them, he grabbed the 2 handguns that he had and placed them both in each holster. Then, he grabbed the bowie knife that was currently sheathed on its leather scabbard; like before, he strapped it around his torso, so it ended up at the center of his chest, in a comfortable spot where he could easily draw it.
Thanks to Kohta pointing it out, he also found out that the waist holster for one of the handguns, was pretty much a belt, where mags could be placed. Knowing this, he took a look at the remaining mags in front of him – 4 – before grabbing 2 and reloading each handgun, then placing the rest in his belt at his back side, feeling comfortable with their position. There were also 2 empty mags, the ones he used yesterday back when they were trapped in the road. Each mag had 15 bullets, so in total he started off with 120 bullets, and currently had 90. He better makes each and every single one count… although realistically the best option was always avoiding combat as much as possible.
He had made up his mind.
And he hoped the rest of the group also had.
After his sparring session and exchange of words with Saeko, him and the rest of the group all eventually floated to each other again.
Things were still awkward as no words were exchanged between him and Saeko, but overall, the conversation went smoothly, and any argument or uncomfortable moment that they had between one another when everyone was not on the best of moods, was gone, and they were back in good terms like if nothing had happened.
Good, Ren thought. There was no need for apologies or addressing anything.
But of course, the conversation eventually turned serious.
The group that had gone to talk to the civilians due to Souichiro's request, talked about the result being okay'ish. While the presence of adults like Hideo and Shizuka helped, in order to convince the rest of the adults, in the end, the civilians still showed to be reluctant about the whole thing.
No surprise, some people simply preferred to keep their heads in the sand, which Ren didn't fail to point out.
And of course, once again, the conversation that mattered the most was picked up from where it was left.
A split up.
They didn't go deep into it, Rentaro and Saya as well made it pretty clear for the rest without being too direct. It was time to make a decision.
Takashi didn't directly announce his decision, but he gave away pretty clearly his intensions, followed by Rei. He had finally realized his position and his stand, and there was no one that could tell him otherwise.
Ren knew this, and also made up his mind shortly after. He now wondered about the rest of the crew. Everyone had to make a decision, by themselves, alone. There was no need for everyone to announce their choice or talk it among themselves like they were some kids that needed each other's opinion… because they weren't, not anymore, and for whatever decision they took, they rest had to respect it.
They would find out about each and everyone's own response eventually.
Finally, Ren eyed at his katana one last time, before grabbing it and placing it on his now new belt, to hold it in place. He did a couple of moves and felt comfortable, feeling the placement steady. He would have no problem unsheathing it.
He was ready.
He eyed at his four legged friend Guts, who was sitting a couple of feet away from him.
"What about you boy?"
The dog's only response was to stand up and bark, while wagging its tail.
Ren chuckled at this.
"Yeah…" he said while crouching in front of his friend and extending his hand, to which Guts responded by giving him the leg to handshake. "I don't want to separate from you either".
Guts barked again in response, before trying to lick his face. He allowed it for a couple of seconds while chuckling, before standing up.
"Alright" he muttered before petting his dog one last time. He then headed to pick up his bag filled with clothes, that he threw over his shoulders, and his bokken. He looked at the carefully carved piece of wood while smiling; it had been a gift from his mother and his more trusted partner this last few days… but now with a real katana, it seemed like it could finally rest. He would still keep it and take care of it of course.
"It's time…"
He opened the door, allowing dog to go out first before exiting himself, closing the door after doing so.
And right after he entered the hallways, he saw a familiar face.
His best friend, Komuro Takashi.
His friend was currently wearing the clothes he had lend to him the day before, back at the riverbank. A red hoodie with black jogger pants and white running shoes, with some black fingerless biker gloves. He also carried both the shotgun by the strap over his shoulder, as well as a small bag over the other.
Both looked at one another for a couple of seconds, eyeing at each other up and down.
"Looking ready" Ren said casually.
"Yeah, you too" Takashi replied. "Going somewhere?"
"Absolutely".
"Can I ask where?"
"Depends".
"On what?"
"I don't know… where you going?"
Takashi looked at him for a couple of seconds in silence, before smiling.
"Ren, you-" he began.
"No need to say anything really" he cut him off.
Takashi nonetheless kept smiling.
"Thanks" he muttered.
"Don't mention it".
As if he would have ever let his two childhood friends go find their parents by themselves. He could never live with it.
"I was going to talk to the Don for a bit, coming?" Takashi asked.
"I was about to the same" Ren replied.
Guts woof'd.
Takashi chuckled at this. "You too boy?"
Another woof.
They walked in silence for around a minute, until they reached the Don's office, full of his employees, handling paperwork, phone calls, and with him sitting in front of a big desk at the end.
As they walked in, the man simply stared at them, in his usual serious manner. Although, if Ren knew anything, it looked like he was already expecting them… which was no surprise; the man seemed to always be a step ahead.
Nonetheless, they both walked up to him, without a single trait of doubt or nervousness in their features, and quickly started explaining the situation and plan, courtesy of Takashi.
"You wish to find your parents?" the Don asked. "So, you're not going to return home?"
"That's right sir" Takashi replied. "My father's work transferred him to someplace far away, so I won't be able to meet with him. I think my mom has been at the school she works at since all started… Rei-… Miyamoto's father is a detective, so if we can at least make it to Higashi's Police Station, I think we should be able to get a better picture of what's going on. Her mother is probably hiding at their house".
"Hmm… what will you do after you find them?" Souichiro questioned. "We are setting off in two days. The urban areas are still dangerous at this point".
"We'll find a car and bring everyone back on it" Takashi responded.
"We have the Humvee" Ren added, earning both his friend and the Don's glare. "While not as expertly as Shizuka, I believe I'll do alright when there's no traffic or other drivers to deal with…"
Takashi looked at him slightly surprised. He didn't rememver he could drive? He didn't have a license but Rika and Shizuka had given him proper lessons, and he had also learned how to ride a motorcycle also courtesy of Rika, even taught Takashi how to as well… although, now looking back at it, he probably never mentioned he also learned how to drive a car as well. Well, the Humvee wasn't just 'a car', but he would be fine... probably.
Souichiro chuckled at this. "Well, it is yours after all" he then returned his stare back at Takashi. "If there are too many people, would you be willing to leave some behind?"
"If it comes to that…" Takashi began. "If our parents really need our help, then, we'll stay behind. If we still haven't returned by the time you set out, you should assume we're doing that. If something else keeps us from returning, we'll contact you".
Ren smiled at his friend's conviction while Souichiro kept his harsh stare on him… which eventually made Takashi grow nervous.
Before the Don actually started laughing out loud.
"So this is a matter of filial piety! Do as you please!"
Rentaro alongside Takashi, bowed their heads down in respect towards the Don, and looked to finally take their leave.
"Wait" the voice of the Don stopped them in their tracks. "If you don't mind, I wish to speak to Sakata Rentaro for a moment".
Ren and Takashi looked at each other, before looking back at the Don.
"It's no problem sir" Rentaro replied.
"I'll wait by the door" Takashi said before walking away.
As he did, Rentaro eyed at the Don, while he did the same for a few seconds.
"Seems like your friend's doubts have dissappeared, for the moment" Souichiro began.
"We all have to take a decision eventually… especially when time or the situation isn't really on our side, at all" Ren replied.
"What about you?" he asked. "What keeps you moving?"
"I just want to protect what I have left, that's all" the 18-year-old replied. "As you most likely know, both my parents are gone, and the rest of my relatives, if they are even alive anymore, were minimal and never been present in my life, so everyone I care about is in this estate at the moment, with the exception of my cousin, that I hope to find along the way… I sadly can't be at multiple places at the same time or clone myself, and I know your priorities are your wife and daughter, but, if it isn't too much to ask…" Ren once again bowed his head. "Please, take care of them during my absence".
Souichiro chuckled at this. "Of course, you have my word… but that will also depend on their decision".
Ren lifted his head and slightly raised an eyebrow at the man's words.
"And yes, I will of course, protect my wife and my daughter as long as I live…" he continued. "But, my goals also don't stop there… I will do whatever it takes to stop this country from completely collapsing".
Ren looked at the man, slightly surprised at how much conviction he gave away. Almost made him want to blindly trust him; a true charismatic individual he was, and a true leader from what he has seen. He was starting to understand why of his massive following and influence the more he got to know him now.
"Very admirable sir" Ren commented. "It will not be an easy task, but I'm sure that with your abilities and two minds of the caliber of your wife and daughter, it will not be impossible".
"You think so?" the man asked, catching Rentaro by surprise. "Yuriko told me you had some quite interesting views".
Rentaro looked at him for a moment, remembering his conversation with Yuriko, before raising both of his hands slightly, in a nonchalant manner. "Just the radical thoughts of a cocky 18-year-old, that's it".
Souichiro slapped his knee at this before laughing.
"Indeed" he replied. "But sometimes, out-of-the-box thinking is what is needed, especially in, unique, situations like this".
Rentaro smirked a bit, agreeing with the man.
"How do you see our possibilities?" Souichiro asked.
Rentaro crossed his arms, with a serious expression this time.
"No good" he replied, bluntly.
This earned a raised eyebrow by the Don.
"Hmm… so, our chances are in red numbers" he asked.
"Weird, but I wouldn't say that" Rentaro replied. "But they aren't good either… as I told your wife, in situations like this are where true leaders rise up, and I have no doubt in my mind that you have what it takes sir… but this type of circumstances tests our will and mental state the most, and am not talking about just us. Worrying about them will not be our only problem".
"Hmm…" Souichiro hummed, seemingly noticing and agreeing on what he was referring to. "So what you think should be done?".
Ren brought a hand to his chin, seemingly pensive for a couple of seconds. "Perhaps, one of the oldest and more… 'simple', tricks in the book" Rentaro commented. "Regroup, heal, then counter-attack when stronger".
"Isn't that is what we're doing right now?" Souichiro questioned.
"I'm talking on a much bigger scale sir" Ren replied. "As of now, it's near impossible to take back this city for example".
"So, we should abandon Tokonosu City you say?" he questioned again.
The matter probably made him a little touchy… Tokonosu City was known as his city after all.
"I would say 'temporary retreat' is more fitting" Ren quickly replied. "Although, I don't know for how long the retreat will go for…"
Souichiro kept his silent so Rentaro saw this as his chance to keep going.
"Of course, I'm not talking on a worldy scale either" he continued. "Much like yourself, I'd mainly focus on our land first; it's the most realistic and of course, more achievable goal. Especially since the sea separates us from the rest of the world… so with all due respect, while a perfect world where we all help each other rise again, it's a good scenario, each country has their own problems to deal with and should focused on them first, now more than ever, so we definitely should only focus on ourselves, then see what happens with the rest…"
Souichiro chuckled at his as he smirked. "That, I can agree with".
"And well, when it comes to our case…" he continued. "The universal question of 'are they really everywhere' is the one that we want to know the answer the most".
"And what do you think?" the Don asked.
Ren looked at him for a bit before crossing his arms. "There is a chance".
Souichiro smirked at this.
"It may sound a bit optimistic" Ren began his reply. "But after giving it some thought, realistically, there should-… no, there have to be places where not even them have reached".
Souichiro rested his head on his hand, taking a much more comfortable position, looking interested in the direction of the conversation, silently telling him to go on.
"Japan has advantage over other countries due to it being really a giant archipelago, with hundreds of islands conforming it. Not only that, but that also made it the best part about its logistic. Taking full advantage of all these traits, and its geography, would definitely increase our chances. We only have to find that place, that they haven't reached yet… or at least, where it isn't too far gone".
Souichiro looked at him for a couple of seconds in silence, although, fairly interested and amused by the conversation still.
"Any place comes to mind?" Souichiro asked.
Rentaro brought a hand to his chin in pensive manner.
"The Ryukyu Islands and the Kuril Islands are what immediately comes to mind..."
Souichiro smirked, before standing up.
"We thought the same" the Don commented. "Very interesting indeed…"
"This is just me being optimistic" Rentaro replied, modestly.
"Optimism is needed in times like this" Souichiro replied. "But let me ask you personally… do you honestly believe a comeback is possible, young man?"
Rentaro seemed hesitant to respond at first, but then blinked while sighing.
"I do" he replied. "But that doesn't only depend on people like me, or you sir. As I told my friends earlier, some people just choose to keep their head in the sand… this type of people can become a threat in this type of circumstances".
"Indeed" Souichiro agreed. "The will to live is what will separate us, the living, and keep us fighting, from now on… there will be no room for those who won't face reality or want to go on".
"I agree sir".
"What do you think about those that will keep hiding their head in the sand, as you said?"
"Being weak, will not be the problem, this goes beyond someone that is capable of fighting or not" Ren began. "It's now the task, of those who can fight, to protect those that can't… but those, that can potentially become a threat, while humanity should solely be focused on surviving united… they should be excised".
"Before their own virus spreads around" Souichiro added.
Ren couldn't help but to remember Shido's slimy former existence as he had this conversation. Every single cell of his body told him at the moment, that he had to go, and he did… who knows how bad things could have gone if he let him inside the bus. Now the only thing he needed to worry about was Shido's zombified self-coming back to bite him… and if something like that ever happened, he'd just chop its head before it, without hesitating.
Souichiro had another good laugh before looking back at Ren.
"Yuriko and Takeo weren't wrong about you" he commented. "You are a very interesting young man. Keep your head high, and don't ever doubt yourself anymore!"
Rentaro stood in place for a few seconds before smiling and bowing lightly.
"Thanks sir"
"I'll personally accompany you and your friend outside" Souichiro said, and Ren saw this as his chance to finally walk out, although followed by the Don himself now.
Once they joined Takashi who had been waiting outside by the door, alongside Guts, all three walked away.
"Before we leave…" Ren began.
"Hmm?" Souichiro looked at him.
"I've noticed that you and your group are very well-armed sir" Rentaro pointed out, in the most friendly tone he could muster. "If it isn't too much to ask…"
Souichiro chuckled at this, while Takashi looked a tad confused.
"You're a very bold young man" Souichiro said, with a smirk. "Come, I'll take you to the armory. It's the least I can do for you".
Takashi looked at him slightly surprise, to which Ren gave him the thumbs up, making his friend chuckle.
They walked for around a minute, led by the Don, until they reached a room, in where some of the guards were hanging around. Once there, the guards immediately acknowledged the Don's presence before he explained to them the situation and after that, they were led to what was pretty much a fairly big walk-in closet, inside that room, that worked as the armory.
Ren and Takashi looked around the armory in slight awe.
While Rika's small locker had been a box of jewels, this was a treasure chamber. Realistically, there weren't that many guns compared to what would be the armory of a police station, but Souichiro's group was really prepared.
Handguns, machineguns and katanas could be found around.
Man definitely had some connections… although he wouldn't ask about them.
While Souichiro made it clear that they could take whatever they wanted, without exaggerating of course they were aware, although Ren immediately made it clear that they just wished for more ammunition.
While it would had been better to have someone like Kohta around, the two eventually found what they were looking for; they managed to recognize what they needed thanks to them helping Kohta back at Rika's place with placing the bullets inside the mags.
They acquired ammunition for the handguns, shotgun shells, and the Springfield, which also happened to be the same that the Sniper used. Sadly, there weren't suppressors for the guns or bolts for the crossbow, but they couldn't wish for everything handed to them really.
They got it all inside of a bag that was provided to them by Souichiro as well, and Ren carried it over his free shoulder. While it was a bit heavy, it was nothing he couldn't handle.
And as the two walked away from the armory, Ren stopped dead on his tracks once he noticed something.
"T…N…? Holy-" Ren muttered, as he read the letters of one of the three crater boxes placed in a corner of the armory.
Dynamite, they actually had dynamite.
Souichiro noticed the young man ogling at the boxes.
Takashi noticed too and looked at it in slight awe as well. "Is that really…?"
"Do you think you can handle its use?" he asked.
Rentaro's couldn't stop his mind from imagining all the possibilities.
"Yes, I do" he replied almost immediately trying his voice to not tremble from excitement. "I mean, not only as a weapon, but realistically, it can be used as a decoy to distract them… a sound of that magnitude could buy us, or anyone, a ton of valuable time".
"Hmm, good thinking" Souichiro agreed.
"Ren, your eyes look crazy right now man…" Takashi commented.
"Really?" he replied, oblivious.
"Although what you said is true…"
Souichiro chuckled once again.
"Fine, take some if you would".
And they did just that. They took 10 sticks of dynamite and put it in a different smaller bag; obviously, not before Souichiro properly warned them about its usage and how carefully they needed to handle it.
Finally, they were all set and ready to go.
They continued to walk and once they were nearing the stairs to go down, all three noticed Yuriko seemingly waiting for them at the stairs.
"I'll see you two outside" Souichiro said, signaling the two teenagers to continue their way, while he walked up to his wife, who waved politely at the two teenagers while at it.
Ren and Takashi continued their way, not before looking at each other, Takashi with a raised eyebrow.
"I mean, they're a couple after all, give them their alone time" Ren said, jokingly.
"Shush man, what if they hear you!" Takashi whispered to his friend harshly.
Ren only chuckled.
Finally, they were downstairs, and met up with Rei, who had been patiently waiting the whole time, now sporting her usual school uniform, although with white gloves and both elbow and knee pads; she was also carrying the Springfield too. The orange-haired face's lit up once she saw Takashi, but once her eyes landed on Ren, they slightly widened, and overall she looked a bit taken aback.
Although, the fact that only Rei was the one waiting for them, with no sign of anybody else, shook Ren a little bit.
"Only the three of us huh?"
He tried to not be too affected by it and once again re-directed his full attention to Rei.
"Ren…" she muttered.
He looked at her for a couple of seconds, before smirking. "Sorry, I know, I know, you wanted to have your alone time with Takashi and everything… but nope, sorry, someone has two look out for you two lovebirds while you're flirting".
He heard Takashi muttering some stuff to him, but his eyes never left Rei, who was still looking at him slightly taken aback… didn't even react to his teasing.
Ren sighed at this, before tilting his head a bit. "Your parent's lives are also important to me you know… no need to get that emotional".
He wasn't that close to them as much as Takashi was to Rei's parents or Rei to Takashi's parents… but he still had met them since he was a kid; they looked out for him when he played around with those two and treated him with nothing but kindness. This was the least he could do not only for them in return… but also for the well-being of his friends.
Rei finally smiled at last.
"I was just contemplating the saddening fact that I have to put up with your annoying loudmouth for more time now…" Rei said, in a teasing tone, with a sly smirk.
Ah yes, much better.
Their usual banter was way better compared to them getting all emotional and heartfelt.
Ren looked at her smirking as well.
"Sure thing" he said while adjusting the bag over his shoulder, before walking away towards the exit. "Antenna girl…"
"What was-!" Ren snapped, only to be held back by Takashi.
A classic, never fails.
"Rei, hold up!" Takashi exclaimed, trying to hold her back. "You have a gun in your hands right now, with a bayonet!".
"I'm gonna kill him!
"No!"
"Can you guys stop flirting around, let's go" Ren said all relaxed, while still walking away.
"Shut it Ren!" Takashi said.
"Prick!" Rei added.
Ren smiled at their reactions, although his smile and overall expression now, were a bit melancholic.
Was it gonna be a short, or long journey the one they had ahead? He didn't know, but at least, those two will have each other during it, and the rest of his friends were going to be safe under Souichiro's protection.
He wasn't a big fan of farewells, but once ready to go, he'd make sure to have a proper talk with everyone; mostly, a pending conversation with a certain purple-haired being at the front of his mind. Although a part of him also wanted to go to her and tell her help would be greatly welcomed, that she should come with him. But he couldn't; he was a selfish man… but not that selfish. Having a proper converstaion and goodbye with her before leaving, ending on a good note, was the least he could ask for.
...
"Can I tag along?"
Rentaro couldn't stop his heart from skipping once he heard her voice; heart, which also started racing immediately at her words and what they mean.
He noticed Rei muttering something before elbowing Takashi in the ribs, who was probably staring at too much.
Rentaro didn't stop on his half.
Busujima Saeko, in all her glory, stood in front of him with her arms crossed. Same as Rei, she was sporting her usual school uniform, but with a short black skirt, that revealed her whole entire right thigh, long laced purple stockings and black female battle boots with heels, which was pretty much her same outfit as the day before, but minus all the blood after the road incident. Not only that, but she was now also wearing black fingerless gloves, elbow pads and a knee-shin guard, which covered part of her stockings and boots. And of course, her new possession, the Murata-to katana, hanging from her waist.
But perhaps the most stunning part, at least in Ren's opinion, was her confident and radiant smile.
She looked ready.
Ren kept looking at her in silence, not only as always stunned by her beauty – which was the standard for him at this point –, but taking in what her presence in here meant, and of course, her words.
She was joining them.
"Busujima-senpai, are you sure-" Rei began, but was immediately cut short by Saeko herself.
"You have a duty to fulfill" she began, cutting Rei off. "Is that what you're thinking? You need to consider how you will bring your family back safely. A large number of people leading the way and ready to fight would have a much better chance of success".
Takashi and Rei looked at each other with expressions that told exactly what they were thinking…
She had a point.
It was Ren who finally smirked.
"Safety is not guaranteed…" he began, in a serious tone. "From now on only thing that is certain is the dead… are you really ready to go out there again, Busujima Saeko?" he ended up in a teasing tone.
Saeko smiled at him. "As ready as you are, Sakata Rentaro" she responded with the same enthusiasm
They simply kept staring at each other, with smiles in their features.
While Takashi and Rei stared at them.
"Ah… they are totally flirting right now".
"Really? For me it seems like they're challenging each other or something".
"…You're so dense Takashi".
"Huh?"
After they exited the mansion, they immediately headed to where the Humvee was, only to find the rest of the group outside, right in front of the entrance.
The 4 of them stopped and eyed at the others, who after a couple of seconds finally seemed to notice them.
"Ah! Ren-kun!" Shizuka said in her usual bubbly mood as she ran his way.
Ren gazed at her – totally ignoring how her impressive breast bounced – with a raised eyebrow.
"Shizuka…?" he muttered.
He had expected their presence, of course, but…
Were they here to say goodbye?
I mean, farewells tended to be sad but, in these circumstances, not the worst.
As Shizuka finally reached his spot, she tenderly showed him her hands with an innocent smile. "The keys?" she asked.
"The keys…?"
"For the Humvee, Ren-kun!"
She was asking for the keys? He had asked her to give them back to him earlier on, why did she want them now.
"For?"
"For the Humvee!" she repeated.
"Yeah… but, what for?"
Shizuka slightly frowned at him. "What are you talking about Ren-kun? To drive of course!"
Rentaro looked at her with slight surprise for a couple of seconds, before automatically reaching into his back pocket to grab the keys, then hand them to her.
Was she coming?
Did she understand how dangerous it was?
Of course, as he had considered, everyone had to take their own decisions by themselves, and they would be respected, but still...
She was safe here.
They had gone through hell to get here and now were finally save.
Was she really willing to go back out again?
"Why?"
Shizuka looked at him funny.
"Are you really coming?" he asked, obliviously.
Shizuka looked at him almost offended while placing her hands on her hips. "Of course I am! Who will treat your wounds then? And I have to take care of you, or Rika would kill me! And we also still have to find her!"
Rentaro looked at her for a couple of more seconds, before smiling.
It was easy to forget at times… but Shizuka was an adult in all her right.
"I-... We count on you, Shizuka" he said with a smile.
"Leave it to me!" she said excitedly, while flexing one of her arms, although she failed to show any muscle.
Cute.
Ren's eyes then scanned the surroundings, and he noticed Kohta using his green vest, while carrying the sniper, also looking ready.
He walked up to him and apparently, Takashi had noticed him too since he did the same as Ren.
"Hirano…" Takashi muttered.
"Are you sure-" Ren began, but was cut off by Kohta giving them a thumbs up.
"The operation to take Saya-san to a safe place was a success" he told them while smiling confidently. "Now we must continue with the rest of the campaign; Busujima-senpai and Ren might be the most badass duo, while Komuro and Miyamoto know perfectly how to hold their own and also how to shoot now… but the help from the baddest gunslinger around would come in handy too".
They both kept looking at Kohta for a bit, before Ren raised the bag he had been carrying, with the ammunition inside.
"Hmm, what's this?" he muttered before grabbing the bag and looking at its insides. "oh… OH… OH SWEET!"
Ren proceeded to also hand him the bag with the dynamite.
"OH MY GOD… OH MY GOD!" had the same excited reaction.
Both Ren and Takashi chuckled at their friend, who ogled at their brand new extra ammunition and explosives, courtesy of the Don.
Once again, everyone decided for themselves, that means they took into account all the pros cons of both options. The final decision from everyone would be respected and not questioned.
But Ren couldn't help to eye at Saya, who had been standing not so far away, by her own, with her usual serious expression and her arms crossed, but he could tell just by looking at her eyes… she wasn't happy, and she wasn't angry either.
To Ren's surprise, it was Takashi the one who walked up to her first.
"Saya" he called her by her first name, worth noting. "It's Rei and my parents we're looking for. I don't want to trouble you or your parents really…"
"Even though it was thanks to you guys that I managed to reach here?" she responded in her usual serious tone, not giving away any emotion.
"That's just happened to work out that way. Your house was the closest after Ren's remember?" Takashi replied. "Besides, this isn't a goodbye or anything. We're going to be coming back with our families".
"You wouldn't lie about something like that" Rei added, while walking up to stand next to Takashi.
Saya brought a hand to caress the bangs that barely covered her face, clearly looking conflicted, before taking a deep breath.
"Fine, go!" she said, actually managing to put up a smile. "Give my regards to your mom… and just don't die, that goes for all of you!"
Everyone smiled at her.
They were actually having a proper goodbye.
But he then noticed Alice, alongside her dad, walking up to them, while carrying little Zeke in her arms as always of course. But the child clearly looked all sad. Her dad probably talked about the situation already, preparing her mentally for it.
If there was someone that was clearly staying behind, safe, was little Alice with Hideo by her side.
Nonetheless, Ren smiled at her before walking up to them to then crouch, getting at Alice's height.
He couldn't stop for his own heart to sadden a little bit as well, once he saw the tears ready to burst out of her eyes. Even little Zeke apparently had noticed since his ears were all down, and wasn't as hyper as always. Negative emotions were infectious, and dogs weren't immune.
"Are you… really leaving?" Alice muttered, trying not to sob.
"Yeah…" Ren responded, in the lightest tone he could. "You see, Takashi-nii and Rei-nee want to see their parents really bad, am sure you understand right?"
She nodded at this, while biting her lip.
"But you know, it's dangerous outside still, so the rest of us will help them find their parents… hope you understand, little one" he told her with a smile.
"B-But… I wanted to spent more time with onii-chan and the rest" she said, still between sobs, her tears had already started flowing.
Ren looked at her in silence for a couple of seconds, before taking a deep breath. "And we will… because we will meet again, all of us, have no doubt about it".
Alice looked at him, her teary eyes full of hope. "You promise?"
Ren looked at her, actually pondering for a couple of seconds, before smiling.
"I promise".
She then extended her little hand towards him, with her pinky out.
Ah yes, of course.
He interlocked his own pinky with Alice's much smaller one.
"Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles!" both of them recited.
Finally, they separated fingers, with Ren still smiling and Alice still sobbing, before the little girl threw her free arm around his neck and hugged him, really tight.
Ren didn't hesitate to return the hug, as gently as he could, while rubbing her little back. It was being slightly tougher than he had initially pictured, this saying goodbye thing.
"I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna, cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry"
The whimper of Zeke, who was currently being sandwiched between him and Alice is what made them break their hug. Ren smiled at the little pupper before petting him.
"I'm gonna miss you too, buddy" he muttered while scratching the puppy behind the ear and bringing his face closer, to which Zeke didn't hesitate and immediately started licking him.
Ren chuckled before noticing Guts walk to stand next to him.
"You wanna say goodbye too, boy?" he said and immediately after, Guts started licking Zeke, to which the little dog made his best effort to return, before Guts aimed higher and was now licking Alice's cheek, making her immediately start giggling.
"Wanna talk to the rest?" he asked her, moving aside, giving Alice enough view to look at the rest of the group who was looking at the scene, all with smiles on their faces seemingly.
Alice nodded, before literally darting towards Shizuka's arms next, who looked surprised at first, but smiled nonetheless and hugged the child back.
Ren stood up and turned around to meet with Hideo face to face now.
"Hideo-san" he said.
"Rentaro-kun... or well, Ren" the man said. "Once again, thanks for everything".
Rentaro smiled at this. "Hey, you're getting the hang of it! …But just call me what you feel most comfortable with. Also, don't mention it".
"Then, Rentaro-kun" the man repeated, although this time with a smile, before lifting his hand towards him, looking for a handshake.
He looked at it for a second before gladly accepting it.
"I wish I was be able to help you guys" he muttered, almost shyly.
"Don't worry about it, we all have our priorities in the end and they must be respected" Ren replied, clearly referring to the fact he had to stay and take care of his daughter, especially more now than ever. "I also mentioned that there was no need to repay us back".
The man kept smiling although while looking down, almost sadly.
"Take care out there" the man said, sincerely. "Alice will be missing you all and waiting for your return".
"Well, if I don't, I'll be swallowing a thousand needles, so I don't have a choice…"
Hideo chuckled at his comment. "We'll meet again".
Ren smiled at this. "Yes".
The two man finally separated, with Ren walking up to a spot nearby the group, where he could watch all of them. Currently Kohta was crying his eyes out while hugging Alice, who was surprisingly the one who remained calm and was consoling him.
Quite the scene.
He continued to look at them with a smile, until he noticed the figure of a certain pink-haired girl standing next to him. Nonetheless, he kept looking at the scene, but totally noticed that she was looking to engage in conversation.
"Saya" he muttered her name, starting the conversation himself.
"Ren" she called him back, by his shortened first name surprisingly so.
He raised an eyebrow at this and whistled in surprise. "The day finally came".
"Don't get too cocky about it" she replied instantly. "Get used to it, because I'm never calling you- …"
"Rentaro-nii?" he filled in the blank himself.
Saya huffed at this. "Ever again".
"Bummer".
"Shut up, pervert, why would you want to get called that anyway?".
He chuckled at her comment.
"…"
"I'm not planning to die, just in case you were gonna ask".
She huffed again.
"I know you will not, you've always been way too stubborn".
...
"Fitting scenario, don't you think?" he commented
"What do you mean?" she questioned.
"This is the same place we used to play around the most, during our childhood".
"Yeah… I remember".
"You following me around telling me to slow down so you could catch up was cute".
"Shut it".
"Or when you asked me to hold your hand at times".
"Shut it!"
She stomped him on the foot.
Although he didn't react to it.
"Ouch" he joked.
"I know that something like that would never hurt a monster like you" she replied.
She was right.
Ren smiled at the dozens of memories flowing back.
"Remember that time when Matsuo-san taught us how to drive that toy car with a controller?" he asked.
Saya actually smiled at this. "Yeah, I remember… or when we ate all of the hidden candies and mama got really upset at us... although that was mostly your fault. You've always had the biggest knack for getting into trouble".
Ren chuckled, also remembering. "Good times".
"Yeah, good times" she agreed. "We were just innocent kids that didn't have to worry about much, we just played around, with mama looking out for us… and, Aunt Sayaka".
Ren smiled at the mention of his mother, although didn't fail to notice Saya's demeanor take a more nostalgic and emotional feel.
Saya had really adored his mother and had been really close to her; similar to how he saw Yuriko as an aunt, Saya did the same with his mother, and perhaps a little further than that. Yuriko while gentle and soothing, was still not as bubbly or pampering as his mom, who never hesitated to spoil Saya, even more than him at times. She was Yuriko's best friend and like a second mother to Saya; and if any proof for that was needed, the fact that Saya's name was in tribute to their friendship, since it was the shortened version of his mother's own name, was about enough of a proof anyone needed.
A lot had changed after his mother's departure, including him distancing himself from Saya and Yuriko, but he never once stopped caring for her. She had cried at his mom's funeral, and was aware that she never failed to visit her grave on a yearly basis, which meant a lot to him.
"Sorry…" she muttered.
"About what?" he asked.
"You know… saying that I wished my mom was like yours. That was distasteful from me; not that your mom wasn't amazing, of course" she replied, sincerely.
"I know what you meant by it, also don't worry; we were all at the edge during that moment" he responded with a slight smile.
"Yeah but, you kept your composure, while I didn't… you've always been good at that, something I'm not" she commented.
Ren smiled and chuckled at her sudden sincerity. "Well, if I ever snapped at you, my mom would have never forgiven me".
Saya giggled at this. "Yeah you're right… I still think she liked me better to this day" she joked.
"Haha, yeah right" he replied in a sarcastic dry tone, although amused.
A couple of seconds went by in silence.
"You know, even to this day, no matter what, I really always saw you as my little sister" he admitted.
Saya looked slightly hesitant to respond at first. "I-… I know; you were always looking out for me... like that time you appeared out of nowhere and fought those brutes that were molesting me for no reason".
"Well to be honest, you could have just politely turn them down and walk away… but you decided to verbally tear them down. Not everyone's a masochist you know?" he joked.
"Shut it" she muttered back, although shyly. "That didn't stop you from beating them all up before Takashi and your other friend came to separate you all".
Ren chuckled at the memory.
"…You know".
"Hmm?"
"Unlike that idiot" she said while pointing at Takashi with her thumb, who was currently having a chat with Hideo after saying goodbye to Alice. "Who is really an idiot, you never actually were an idiot… which just made me angrier at you".
Rentaro raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "Care to elaborate?".
Saya sighed, as if she had been clear enough already.
"I didn't like the fact that Takashi, despite being an idiot although with decent aptitudes, never tried to fix it…" she began.
"Uh-huh" he muttered, doing his best to understand her.
"But even worse, I didn't like people who were clearly more capable than the rest but chose to not use their abilities properly…" she commented. "I used to actually admire you and see you as a big brother, you know? You were not only smart, but also athletic, and clever… I was and still am a genius of course, but you weren't bad yourself".
Rentaro chuckle at her last comment. She always had to sneak some self-praise somehow, didn't she?
"People may act surprised when you show your smarts, but I remember back at middle-school when you used to be the best student in your class, even better than Miyamoto, who was a good student herself; not only that, but you were also a rising star in kendo that everyone was talking about, winning competition after competition… back then it really seemed like you were truly living up to the potential everyone saw in you, especially your mom. Even my mama held you in high regards and sometimes commented about you to papa. I looked up to you… but everything changed after highschool; your grades, while not bad, dropped significantly. You stopped practicing kendo, and competing, while also getting in trouble with the teachers at times; it just always seemed like you were doing the minimal effort… to me, that was insulting… insulting to me who used to look up to you and for all the people that trusted you and your potential… including Aunt Sayaka".
Well, if she put it that way, it did make sense.
His mom's demise as well as his distancing from kendo, coupled with the incident he suffered right before it, shook him to the core, and made him change his ways and killed his drive entirely… but to think Saya felt this way about it. He couldn't really disagree with her.
Should he apologize?
"But…" she continued. "When this whole thing started, you didn't hesitate to lead the group and protect everyone… even saving people along the way, all while always putting yourself on the frontlines and in danger… it was like you were finally back to your old reliable self".
Well, he might have done that maybe a bit… although, personally he hasn't felt like he has changed much, despite some details here and there.
"So at some point I…" she muttered, while looking away. "Started seeing you as a big brother again, j-just a little bit…"
Ren actually raised his eyebrows in surprise at this, while looking at her, before smiling and placing a hand on top of her head.
And much to his further surprise, she didn't slap it away.
"Stop it…" she did mutter though.
"Just a little bit" he muttered back while caressing her head.
And it actually seemed like she was holding back a smile while enjoying it.
Just like when they were kids.
The tender scene got interrupted by the sight of Zeke peeing on Takashi's shoes, who was flabbergasted about it, while the little pupper didn't seem to care at all about it and just happily wagged its tail happily.
Rentaro chuckled at the scene while Saya facepalmed.
"I honestly can't believe I've been looking at that guy all this years" she muttered, but only Rentaro could hear.
"Hey, Takashi is a good dude, with plenty of good points" Rentaro defended his best friend, although in a light tone.
"Yeah, who only has had eyes for one person, all this time" she said, her voice weak.
Both continued looking at the brown-haired teenager, who was currently now talking to Rei, who simply kept laughing at him.
Yeah, she wasn't wrong about that really…
"Well, you're a smart person" Rentaro muttered. "You should know that sometimes what we're actually looking for, is not in front of us, but at our sides, helping us the whole time".
Saya actually seemed to give his words some thought before turning her head to look at him, with a bewildered expression, while blushing.
"Wrong side" he muttered, after noticing her reaction, without bothering to directly look at her.
Saya seemed confused at first, before turning to her right, encountering the view of the sobbing Kohta finally calming down, thanks to Alice.
The pink-haired stared at them for a couple of seconds, before seemingly holding back a chuckle. "Maybe you're right…" she muttered with smile, before walking up to them.
…
That had gone better than expected…
Did he just become cupid?
He's been really on fire today he had to admit. Pretty awesome work.
Everything was going decently smooth so far… could it possibly get any better?
"I remembered!" Shizuka announced happily. "Yes I did, I remember now!"
Everyone was now glancing at the nurse, who was slightly hopping on her feet excitedly, like a kid.
"Yes! Yes! That's It! No doubt about it!" she continued, happily.
Rentaro walked up to her, slightly confused by her reaction.
"What exactly Shizuka-?" he began, but was cut off short, since the blonde threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.
"I remembered Rika's phone number!" she muttered, against his chest. "I didn't have my phone so I wasn't able to remember until now!"
And had left his own phone charging, back in his room.
Rentaro as gently as he could, grabbed Shizuka by the shoulders and separated her from himself.
"Phone, phone!" she told him, waving her hands around excitedly.
"…I forgot my phone back in my room Shizuka, thought I had already told you" Ren told her while rubbing the back of his neck.
Not to mention that if he had his phone, they wouldn't really need to remember Rika's number, since it was already saved.
"Ehh?!" she reacted all shocked. "B-But…!"
Now it looked like she was gonna cry… how does he fix this?
"You can use mine" Takashi said with a smile, approaching them, while reaching into his pants backpocket.
Oh, right, Takashi had his phone on him, although he didn't remember until now to be fair…
Which means he could have asked for it a while ago, considering that unlike Shizuka, he knew Rika's number by memory…
Now he felt a bit silly.
He was going to omit himself from commenting it and forget about it entirely, to save himself from the embarassment.
"Phone, phone!" Shizuka repeated back in her excitement with her hands extended.
Chuckling, Takashi finally handed her his phone.
"Hmm let's see" she muttered with the phone in her hands now. "Here's 1… here's 2… here's 3…"
Ren looked at her with a deadpan expression.
"Shizuka, I can do-"
"Don't interrupt me, or I might lose my place" she cut him off, innocently.
With the same deadpan expression, Ren continued to look at her struggling with the phone for a full minute, until she finally managed to dial the number.
She placed the phone on her ear while smiling innocently.
On the other hand, it was Ren's turn to hold his breath, as he waited patiently for a couple of seconds… perhaps the longest seconds ever in human history, at least from his perspective.
But once he saw Shizuka's face lit up, he knew that everything was fine.
She had picked up.
"Rikaaaaa! You're alive!"
Ren couldn't stop himself from placing a hand on his chest while sighing in relief. He then felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at Takashi who was now smiling at him, with Rei beside him, doing the same.
They were all glad, of course.
Not only Rika was Ren's only family left and Shizuka's dear friend, but also had indirectly helped all of them out big time with the guns and the Humvee. So of course everyone smiled at the scene.
Shizuka while holding back tears continued talking with her, explaining her everything that had happened.
"Yes, he's right here!" she said. "…Sure!"
The blonde then walked up to him, and proceeded to pass him the phone with a smile.
Ren grabbed the phone with one hand while his other free hand was grabbed by Shizuka, who started shaking it excitedly.
"Hello?" he said, after bringing the phone to his ear.
"Heyyy, how's my favorite big boy doing?"
A wide smile appeared on Ren's face as he looked at the sky.
"Still kicking" he responded. "And you?"
"As well. I've been killing it lately" she said. "Literally".
Ren chuckled at her comments. "I bet".
"Been laying on my breasts for hours and hours this past couple of days… so it's not been that comfortable. Also my partner keeps hitting on me".
Ren chuckled once again. "As always".
"I keep telling him that I have a little brother that would die of jealously if he found out back in the city, but he won't listen" she continued joking.
He laughed sarcastically at this. "Tell him he has my blessings".
"Hey, don't give me away that easily!"
Ren ignored her tantrum with a smile.
Ren blindily trusted Rika, all the time. He has seen her as a older sister figure ever since he had a memory. She was there and took him under her wing when he was alone and angry during his lowest moment. He had the up most trust on her, and was confident she was going to be fine... but still, it was really nice to hear her voice and confirm she was still out there.
She kept throwing a tantrum but decided to finally cut her off.
"By the way, where are you-?"
A high pitched sound coming from the phone made him quickly separate it from his ear. He then eyed at the dispositive, confused.
The black screen gave it away, it had stopped functioning
Also a certain smell reached his nostrils, like it was overcharged, like its insides had just fried.
The phone had just died out of nowhere.
"The fuck…?"
Before anyone could question anything, a bright light from the sky covered all of the area.
Him and his group could only watch while in shock and silence.
"Ok, what the fuck?"
It continued like that for a couple of seconds, and some of them even waited for the worse…
But it just disappeared like nothing seconds later.
What the hell was going on?
Ren eyed at the phone again before handing it to Takashi.
"It's dead" he pointed out.
"What?" his friend questioned while grabbing the phone and pressing random buttons, trying to make it work again.
He didn't know what was happening, at all.
But it clearly had to do with that bright light they had just witnessed.
He started looking around, looking for more clues, but nothing else besides ruckus around the estate could be heard. He did notice that Saya was doing the same, but unlike him, it looked like she was actually noticing something.
"Miyamoto, try aiming with your gun dot sight" Saya told her.
"What? Why?" she questioned, also very confused.
"Just do it!" the pink-haired commanded.
Rei nonetheless did just that… while aiming right at Saya, who quickly panicked and moved out of the way.
"Can you see the dot?" Saya asked.
"Let's see…" Rei muttered while looking at her sight. "No, I can't".
Concern was clear on the pink-haired's face, who proceeded to bring a hand to her chin in a pensive manner. She clearly had realized what might be going on.
"Got anything?" he asked her.
"It's an E.M.P Blast" she revealed. "It was a H.A.N.E… a high-altitude nuclear explosion. If a nuclear explosion detonates high enough, gamma rays overload the air molecules with electrons causing what is known as Compton scattering. The high-speed electrons are caught in the earth's magnetic field, and are discharged over a large radius, causing an electromagnetic pulse that's fatal to electronic equipment! The electromagnetic pulse goes through the antenna and burns out the integrated circuits!"
Everyone looked at Saya in slight awe after her explanation; everyone was aware of her level of intelligence… but immediately figuring what was happening then giving a lengthy explanation like that, was a whole different level of genius.
"So in-short, we can't use electronics anymore" Ren summarized while crossing his arms.
"Right!" she replied.
"Really?!" Rei questioned.
"Everything from cellphones to computers Is totally useless now! Automobiles that use electronics won't move either and the power plants are most likely dead as well…" she continued explaining. "If action had been taken to counter it then it would be different, but… I think only a small part of the self-defense force and government agencies are made for that".
"Is there a way to fix the broken equipment?" the unmistakable voice of Souichiro announced his presence, and they all turned their heads around to notice that he was walking towards them, accompanied by his wife and a couple of guards.
Saya looked at his father for a couple of seconds, before responding.
"If we replaced the fried parts, then we might be able to get the cars working again" she revealed calmly. "There's still the possibility that some cars didn't get affected too badly by the electromagnetic waves, so those would still work… of course, classic cars still work".
"Look into that as soon as possible" Souichiro told one of the guards who quickly headed off, before looking at his daughter once again. "Saya!"
"W-What is it?" she asked back nervously.
"You have managed to keep your head even in this chaos, for that, I commend you!" he told her, although with his usual harsh tone.
But was that pride also, in his tone?
The most shocked at this was Saya, who looked at her dad surprised.
"Papa…"
"Sir!" one of the guards exclaimed as he walked up to them.
"Any report about our surroundings?" Souichiro asked.
"No one has gotten in or exited the estate recently, so the barricade is still in place and the doors are still closed, so no news so far!" the guard announced.
"Hmm".
Rentaro raised his hand, getting everyone's attention.
"With your permission" he muttered.
"Speak, Sakata Rentaro" Souichiro said.
"While we're still technically safe in here" he began, before bringing his index finger to his lips. "I'd recommend to calm the people around the estate as soon and as much as possible, so the noise is at least minimal. We don't want every single one of them around targeting the surroundings, or that gate over there… since technically, everything will be more quiet now".
"Hmm, it will be done" Souichiro replied before looking at another two guards and nodding at them, who then quickly left his presence. He then turned to look at his daughter once again. "Saya, you come with me".
Saya seemed taken a little aback by this, but nonetheless nodded at her father before following him, who was now walking away.
"S-Sir" Takashi called him out. "If there's anything we can help with-"
"You have your filial piety, do you not Komuro-kun?" the Don said while eyeing him. "I'll handle whatever inconvenience in my territory, you and your group shall only focus on preparing yourselves to go on your way. I'll see what we can do about the barricade, it's vital for us as well".
And with that, the man walked away.
Ren took this moment to slightly ponder about their now, considerably worst situation. Every single electronic had died, or at least most of them. Which meant that, moving at night was almost out of question, and numerous other stuff… which just reminded him about his equipment.
Ren drew one of the handguns out of its holster, and tested the flashlights… which to his surprise, still worked. He followed by testing the other one, and it also worked, much to his delight.
Seems like these flashlights were EMP-proof or at least resistant to it, although, considering that they were attached to handguns, meaning that they were of special use for the SAT or the military, made it not that much of a surprise.
"What happened to the Humvee then?" Rei asked, clearly concerned.
"It's of military use after all, so if Saya spoke the truth, it should be fine" Ren replied immediately, trying to calm everyone's nerves down. "Although, it wouldn't hurt to check on it real quick".
And all the group seemed to agree on this.
They walked silently towards the garage where the Humvee was located, witnessing how numerous guards of the Takagis paced back and forth around, clearly taking care and trying to fix the situation as much as possible.
After arriving, they met with the figure of Matsudo, who assured them that the Humvee was fine, both its electronics and battery, which were isolated, so it was still perfectly usable.
Although, after the man's report it didn't take long until guards came looking for him. The presence, knowledge and skills of the mechanic of the Estate were of course being solicited, now more than ever.
They all then had a quick chat, making sure they were all ready to go.
While Ren couldn't but to think that the wait was taking long, he just had to be patient. After all, he was told to stay calm while Souichiro and his group handled everything. He entertained himself by petting his dog who was sitting right next to him on the floor, but as he stared at the approaching sunset, he couldn't help but to grow a tad concerned, since of course, the twilight was coming, and nights from now on would be more dark than ever. Perhaps it was better to wait till the next day… but it's not like they had all the time in the world.
Finally, after a little over an hour of wait it was announced to them by one of the guards that they had successfully replaced the forklift's fried parts, thanks to Matsudo mainly, much to Ren's surprise, since he actually thought it would take much longer.
Which meant that the barricade could be lifted, so they could finally leave.
And despite it all, everyone seemed ready, without a single drop of doubt in their faces.
They got all their equipment inside the Humvee, readying themselves to finally part.
Ren eyed at Alice one last time who was beside her parent, and the child looked slightly down again. Now it was the actual goodbye.
Ren once again crouched to be at Alice's height again, although the little girl couldn't bring herself to look at him in the eye.
"Can you do me a favor, Alice-chan?" Ren asked in a light tone. "Will you look out for your father and Saya-chan while we are gone?"
She stood there in silence for a couple of seconds, before her eyes got filled with determination as she lifted her face to look at him.
She nodded intensely. "Yes!"
Ren smiled at her before ruffling her hair while she smiled adorably. "See you" he told her.
He stood up to face at Hideo one last time, before the two nodded at each other in respect. As everyone else also proceeded to say their finals goodbye to Alice and Hideo, Ren opened one of the Humvee's backdoors.
He clicked his tongue twice, getting Guts' attention
"C'mon boy" he whispered to him, and the dog quickly complied, getting inside.
Rentaro then proceeded to get inside himself, sitting on the front seat, next to the driver's, which used to be Saya's place, so now he guessed he was the most qualified one to be the co-pilot.
Finally, everyone was inside the Humvee now, ready to go.
Shizuka started the engine, that roared slightly, much to everyone's satisfaction, since that officially confirmed it worked.
"As slow and steady as possible if you would, please" he told Shizuka.
She complied and slowly drove through the Estate towards the gates, that were open now, courtesy of two guards that had to opened them by muscle.
Once outside the Estate, Ren noticed the barricade was still in place and the forklift not that far away, but much to his surprise, he saw Souichiro standing mid-way between the entrance to the estate and the barricade, alongside Yuriko and Saya, as well as with a decent amount of guards, all armed, around them.
Something else clearly was going on.
They stopped the Humvee a couple of feet from where they were standing, and turned the engine off. Ren looked to the back and signaled to the rest of the group to get out.
As soon as they got out, with him at the front, they walked to where Souichiro and his group were.
"Situation?" Ren asked.
"As you may already been informed of, the forklift is functional again" the Don replied. "So the barricade can be lifted, but we have another problem aside from that".
Ren looked behind the man's shoulder, at the barricade, more especifically, at what was beyond the barricade.
Zombies, of course. No surprise, but...
"That's a very considerable amount" he muttered.
There were around 20 or slightly more than that in front of the barricade, scattered around. Thankfully, there was no big noise that managed to gather actually all of the ones around the area recently; also the estate thankfully wasn't that loud, and quieted down just in time.
They most likely already where around but gathered right at that spot thanks to all the ruckus that could be heard coming from the estate after the E.M.P blast.
"So if the barricade were to be lifted, of course, the sound, while minimal, would get their attention, considering how silentthe surrouindings are now" Yuriko stated.
And it was true, the city and everything around had really quieted down. The E.M.P had done worse than just frying their devices, now any sound could possibly get them all riddled up from a more considerable distance away.
And if they tried to drive through them with the Humvee, with that amount of them, they vehicle would flip, not to mention they would really have to make the engine roar, bringing unnecessary attention. Both groups knew this.
Ren brought a hand to his chin.
"So, while the barricade is lifted, a group has to fend them off while the Humvee approaches, right?" Ren commented. "Once out, we drive off, the sound of the engine will get the attention of whatever rest of them are around while the barricade gets put back in place and whatever remains of them left should not be a problem".
Ren who was just flowing, felt the gaze of everyone now on him.
"…or something else?"
Souichiro chuckled. "No, I like it. Straight and simple".
"Well then".
He wasn't sure about the simple part but...
Was it just him or it seemed like him and the Don got along pretty well?
Minutes passed and after properly saying their final goodbyes to Saya and Yuriko, they readied themselves, and now Ren alongside the Don, Saeko and another 6 guards also with katanas, stood in front of the barricade, eyeing at them.
The Don stated that he would personally take care of the matter, considering that it was both his territory and that if not, he would have had to deal with them later anyway. So him along his best guards at melee combat joined in. Three step-ladders were in front of them now, and would be used as a platform to jump the barricade; they couldn't really wait for the forklift to slowly remove one barrier, since all would just agglomerate together before they could get out.
Takashi, Rei and Kohta, alongside another half a dozen of guards stood armed with fire-arms stood behind them, just in case the situation got out of control
The man in charge of driving the forklift was ready, while Shizuka was inside the Humvee at the back alongside Guts, ready to drive once the signal was given.
All while Saya and Yuriko stood, surrounded by more guards, meters behind, in a safer spot.
And even despite the fact that while the objective to achieve wasn't that simple, everyone seemed confident and dialed in.
In Souichiro's men case maybe it was due to the fact that their leader was at the front, willing to fight along them.
Ren on the other hand felt relaxed, not to mention that compared to the scene at the highway the day before, this seemed like child's play.
He stood at one side of Souichiro, while Saeko stood at the other, with his men scattered behind, ready for the signal.
And after a couple of tense seconds of pure silence, Souichiro unsheathed his blade, announcing the beginning, with the sound of the forklift's engine announcing its ignition right after
Ren and Saeko darted forward, jumping the concrete barricade with ease with use of the stairs, followed by Souichiro, who surprisingly enough, managed to keep the same pace as the much lighter and younger two.
While mid-air on its way to the landing, Ren stomped one of them on head, crushing its skull against the pavement as he then proceeded to look at the scene in front of him
There was a good number of them indeed, but they could handle it, he was confident.
He saw from the corner of his eyes at Souichiro advancing forward without hesitating and…
"Holy shit".
At how he proceeded to decapitate 4 zombies with just one move of his katana… yeah, fucking 4 of them.
Just as he was thinking that his respect for this man wouldn't increase any further, he pulls stuff like this.
He noticed that Saeko as well, was already taking care of business, taking them out left and right with slashes. One approached her from upfront and she casually kicked it off balance, away from her.
She was just way too hot in his eyes, really.
And heh… it almost looked like she was having fun.
Not like he had time to think about that.
One zombie walked up to him, and he readied his stance, grabbing the hilt of his katana. He took a deep breath, concentrating his every fiber as much as possible.
"Less thinking, more action".
In one swift move, he unsheathed his katana, immediately beheading the zombie with ease.
And he was not gonna lie, it felt pretty amazing.
No comparision between a wooden sword and a real one, at all.
He noticed another zombie approaching him, and quickly thrusted his blade forward, stabbing him through the eye and immediately killing. He pulled his katana back, before kicking the now limp zombie's deadweight against two zombies that were behind, making them lose balance and fall back.
Grabbing the hilt with two hands, he darted towards another zombie, beheading it as well. He then dodged another zombie's grip that was right next to him, by lowering his height, he quickly slashed its legs, tearing its muscles, bringing it to its knees, although Rentaro made sure to slash yet another zombie in the head that was behind the former, before moving to stand behind the kneeling zombie, bringing his katana up, and beheading him, similar to an execution.
Souichiro's men also joined the fight, expertly slashing through them as well, and for a short while, only the sound of steel cutting through flesh could be heard, accompanied by the sound of the forklift at the back, working while the fire-arms team witnessed the scene from a distance, ready if things happened to go south... although judging by the scene, it was unlikely to happen.
But it reached a point where even the guards stopped fighting, and just watched in awe as the Don and the other two teenagers took care of the remaining zombies that were close enough. In awe not only at Souichiro, who never stopped proving that he was truly a monstrous swordsman, but also at how the two highschoolers kept up with the Don's pace and work rate.
Rentaro swung his katana down, shaking off any blood that was on it, before sheathing it. Of course, he had noticed the last remaining zombie that was approaching him, but as it extended its arm towards him, he casually pushed it out of the way with his own arm, using the momentum and poor balance of it to his advantage.
The zombie stumbled around until it was finally beheaded by Saeko, who did the same as Ren, cleaning her own blade, before sheathing it. Ren also noticed she was breathing heavy and blushing slightly... which was quite surprising, there was now way she was tired right?
Ren glanced at Saeko for a little more, before turning to look at the Don, who was now looking at them, while barely even breathing heavy. Dude was an absolute unit, he had to give him that.
Souichiro nodded at his way, and he quickly got the message.
The path was momentarily clear, and the barricade had the necessary gap to go through. It was time for them to go; Souichiro and his group would take care of the rest.
Ren lifted his hand, waving at Shizuka's direction specifically, who had been slowly approaching their spot, and saw this as her chance to finally pick up the pace. Takashi, Rei and Kohta also readied themselves to enter the Humvee.
He then looked at Saeko and both nodded at each other, before they turned to look at the Don.
Ren bowed to the man, followed by Saeko.
"Once again, thanks for everything Don. It was a pleasure" Ren said, as he heard the of the Humvee get closer and closer.
"Likewise. Thanks Don" Saeko said.
"You two showed impressive skills indeed" the Don say while smirking.
All 3 simultaneously turned around once they heard moaning at the background, to look at a small group of zombies approaching them.
They had all collectively created quite a lot of noise, so the rest of the zombies around the area were most-likely heading towards their direction right now.
"Worry not, we'll take it from here on, now go" he said with confidence. "I trust you and your group to reach their goal… fight, and survive! The world needs people like you two and the rest of your friends… now more than ever!"
Of course he was bidding farewell with an epic speech, fitting to be honest.
Ren extended his hand towards the Don, who shook it with a smirk.
The Humvee arrived and was officially out of the barrier now.
Before glancing at Souichiro one last time, who nodded at them, they ran to the vehicle, getting inside as quickly as they could.
"Hit it" Ren told Shizuka, who immediately did just that.
He noticed the zombie that was walking upfront to their right, and couldn't stop himself from opening the door and smacking it with it, knocking it on his ass.
"Eat shit".
It was the perfect angle after all, he just had to...
A small group of them was right in front now.
But the Humvee could totally handle it, considering the much smaller numbers compared to before.
"Hit them" Ren said.
This would be their last courtesy and the least they could do for the Takagis', who would have to worry about barely any zombies at all now, while putting the barrier back. Not to mention the sound of the engine would draw any of them around, and they'd have a hard time catching up, to say the least.
Without hesitating, Shizuka hit the gas and ran through them like a knife through butter, all while the group inside just heard a couple of bumps and maybe witnessed one or two of them get sent flying like ragdolls.
And with this, they were officially out of the Takagis' territory, now, each group would be on their own. They had talked about the possibility of coming back with Takashi and Rei's parents of course, but... could they really afford going, then coming back? Souichiro told them they would part in two days, but with the E.M.P changing everything now, that could easily change, and they couldn't complain. Would they have actually made it in time anyway? Everything was uncertain.
So far, the drive was being as silent as ever, all probably thought the same.
They had separated from their friend, Saya, as well as from Alice and Hideo.
Their paths had finally split, but despite all of it, they were now under no better protection. The couldn't have asked for a better possible situation for them really.
Now, him and the rest had to continue moving forward, fighting.
But at the back of their heads, a lingering thought never left.
Even if they all survived, that didn't mean they would all meet each other again, in the future. In this new world, everything was uncertain now. That could had been the very last time they'd ever see the pink-haired, as well as the little girl and her father.
But they had to keep moving forward, without looking back.
Ren's hopes were high though; he had made a promise after all.
And he'd make sure to fulfill it.
They would cross paths again, without a doubt.
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Yoo, how is it going?
Yes! The estate was never lost to zombies, since Shido wasn't around to ram the bus against the barricade after the P.E.M, and the sound of that huge impact never echoed around and dragged the giant mob of them that raided the place. Meaning that the survival of Saya's parents is confirmed.
Yes! Saya alongside Alice were left behind (also Hideo), under Souichiro and Yuriko's protection. Hope you guys agree with my decision, it simply made the most sense in my mind.
YES! As you may have noticed, this story mainly follows the Manga's Timeline, which was different in many aspects to the Anime's…
SO YES! Next chapter will be one most if not all of you have been waiting for. Revelations and intimate talks are coming!
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and overall are enjoying the direction the story is taking.
Reviews are always welcome.
Have a nice day!