Soryan stared out the bus window and into the empty, soulless streets as buildings blurred past. He watched Mitchell, who rode his loud dirt bike alongside the bus, keeping equal velocity with it.

Only a half-hour had passed since they'd left Takagi Estate and all of the drama that had occurred there. The wounds of abuse were still fresh, but they were healing. Now, the survivors were heading to Taiei Shopping Town to see how viable of a safe-area it is. A male survivor drove the bus, his palms sweaty, and the Outcasts sans Mitchell sat at the back of the bus.

Kasumi, Wakaba, and Chizuru sat in a line, leaning over one another as they conversed about something. Sango sat one seat in front of them, silent as she usually was when unaddressed, but not unamused.

Soryan sat across from her, enjoying the coolness of the air-conditioning as he observed the outside world. The Cambodian sighed thoughtfully and with the slightest disdain for words that echoed inside of his head, a crease in his brow that spoke of the slightest distress.

He vehemently pushed them away after partaking in a short, silent self-wallowing, and he tried to relax. He leaned back to close his eyes, only to flinch in pain when his back met the leather of his seat. He immediately recalled his fight with Shido's pet assholes.

After a moment of consideration, Soryan tried to shrug off his coat to treat himself, but before the cotton left his shoulders, he stopped himself. His thoughts swirled, and he found himself in Mitchell's apartment, then the Estate. He decided to keep it on—it probably wasn't that bad anyways. He'd be wasting supplies.

With nothing left to occupy his thoughts, Soryan decided to tune into the conversation being held behind him.

"I… I think I'm going to confess to him," Wakaba resolved suddenly. Soryan could feel her fist clench in front of her, her voice an unsure staccato that was finally straightening itself out. "I've been wanting to for a long time, but now… now I think I'm ready."

"Wow! Go you, Waka," Kasumi cheered, always the Archer's supporter. She embraced the girl affectionately and with closed eyes, and Wakaba yelped as per usual, her back arching. "You guys will make such a good couple."

"Yeah, it would be really cute," Chizuru encouraged, interested, but lazy like a deflated balloon laid atop a flat surface. "I've seen enough to know that he really likes you. There's almost nothing that can go wrong here."

Wakaba blushed at each of her companion's praises. "Thanks, guys… I'm just… really excited." Her warm cheeks reinforced such a notion.

Chizuru gave Wakaba a curious look. "It's kind of sudden though, don't you think? I mean after all that just happened? Hell, that was half-an-hour ago!"

Wakaba paused, her gaze drooping slightly, but her eyes were thoughtful. "I've thought a lot about it for a really long time... But as much as I hate what happened this morning… it made me realize how fast everything could go wrong." She frowned, her fists balling. "I want to be with Mitch, and no one else. The fact that there were people that tried to… did manage to steal me away from him… it's as frustrating as much as it's terrifying to me." The Archer looked up, her eyes shining with resolve. "I've been afraid for too long. I won't lose my chance now."

Chizuru nodded in satisfaction, smiling when she saw the determination, but still, she asked. "Alright. But how're you going to confess? Confessions can be hard, y'know."

"Uh…" Wakaba floundered, halting, as if a wall had suddenly been set before her.

Kasumi nudged the archer. "Hey, why not ask Sor? They've known each other since before they met us. I'm sure he knows a way to help."

"Oh! Uh, good idea." Wakaba said, eyes wide. She gave Soryan a quick glance before looking between the other girls. "...Wish me luck?"

With a friendly smile on her lips, Kasumi batted her on the arm. "Go get that juicy info, girl. I have faith in you."

"What do you need luck for? It's Soryan. You got this." Chizuru smiled.

Wakaba smiled back at the girls before making her way to Soryan with timid, yet excited steps. She slowly sat down next to him.

Soryan felt the shift in weight. He finally turned and looked at her. "Would you be mad if I said I heard everything?"

Wakaba, who had just begun to open her mouth, paused. Her face reddened. "Um… no? Just embarrassed…?" Before he could reply, Wakaba continued. "N-Nevermind that, Sor. I want to ask you something, if you don't mind?"

"Go on…" Soryan teased, like he didn't know what was up.

Wakaba shifted in her seat, her ears turning red. "Well… do you know any way I could… confess to Mitch? You've known him longer than me, so I would like your opinion."

Soryan almost laughed. "Are you serious? You need help confessing to the dude? Just tell him, Waka. He's… he's pretty much in love with you."

At that, Wakaba froze, her eyes widening. "W-Wait. Really?"

"Yes, really. Man, I had the same talk with him three days ago," Soryan shook his head, almost groaning. "You guys have the same stupid inhibitions. Just tell him already. You've been beating around a tiny-ass bush for nearly two years. If you guys don't get together by the end of this apocalypse, I'm going to flip." Soryan paused. "Note that, I can't do a flip."

"O-Oh. So you've both talked about it?" Wakaba paused, a curious glint in her eyes. "Can I ask what he said…?"

"… Nothing, really… just that you're the most wonderful girl he'd ever met." Soryan inwardly nodded, devilish horns on his head.

Mitchell owed him for this one. "He wished with every fiber of his being that he could be with you… but he won't confess because he's afraid… he's afraid that, because of your past, you won't accept him. He's also afraid because… well, he just thinks that you're out of his league—he thinks that someone as amazing as you are won't be satisfied with him. It's a load of bullshit if you ask me."

His mind flashed to Kasumi for a moment. Damn, he just took a page right out of his own book.

"...Oh. That's… wrong. That couldn't be more wrong," Wakaba said, frowning slightly. "I…" She suddenly made a decision. "I know how to ask now. Thank you, Sor."

"Sure…" Soryan replied. "I want front-row seating at your wedding, by the way."

Despite her beet-red cheeks, Wakaba smiled teasingly. "Maybe. I'm sure Mitch would like you as a best man."

"Wow, thinking that far ahead already?" Soryan quipped.

The girl tried to ignore it. "... Thank you for your time, Sor. I really, really appreciate this."

"No problem, I do this all the time. I could do it for money, but I don't," Soryan shrugged with a grin.

Wakaba giggled. She nodded to the back of the bus where the other girls were. "You could come sit with us, you know. In fact, what are you doing, sitting over here all by yourself?" She gave him a look of disappointment.

"Oh. I dunno, I thought you guys wanted your… girl talk time?" Soryan replied sheepishly. "And besides… hot girls are intimidating."

Wakaba nearly rolled her eyes. "You're our friend, Sor. Stop being silly."

Soryan smiled. "To be fair, I have Sango to keep me company. Isn't that right, Sango?"

"If you mean sitting apart from each other without saying so much as a word this whole trip so far, then yes, I am keeping you company," Sango clarified.

"See? I'm not lonely."

Wakaba only tilted her head in a small pout. "Come on, guys. Sit with us, it'll be more fun!"

"Yeah, I know. I was just screwing around," Soryan nodded.

"Good. For a second there I thought Kas would have to wrangle you."

Soryan almost twisted his neck. "Huh? What does that mean?"

"I heard my name!" Kasumi popped up from over Wakaba's shoulder, startling the poor girl.

"Kas! Don't scare me like that!" Wakaba protested, flustered as she held a hand to her chest.

"Well if you don't want me popping in, don't talk about me behind my back. You better be saying nice things, at least!"

"I am! I am!" Wakaba assured her. Kasumi only looked half-convinced, but the look in her eyes said she was joking around.

Wakaba rose to her feet, and after offering Kasumi an exasperated look, she moved back to the rear of the bus. Soryan waited for a second, then rose. For an instant, his gaze fell on Kasumi, then he looked away quickly, finding his gaze peering out the window just in time to see Mitchell weave around a passing cluster of Zs. Undaunted, the biker looked over and gave Soryan a two-fingered wave.

Soryan nodded to him, then looked at the girls. There were mischievous smiles all around, likely from his dealings with Wakaba and her situation. The archer took her place on one side, then Soryan took the spot on the far left side of the bus. Sango seated herself somewhere between them.

Immediately, three of the four girls delved back into conversation. They were excited that Wakaba had found a solution, but had already moved on to some other inane topic. Sango, much like Soryan, listened quietly to their conversation. A good five minutes flew by before Soryan was suddenly addressed.

"Oh crap!" Kasumi sat straighter, then directed the most pained look at Soryan. "I can't believe I forgot about you!"

Soryan blinked. "What?"

"Come here. I need to check you for injuries, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Kasumi beckoned him over. She looked at Wakaba apologetically. "Can Soryan sit here, Waka? I need to treat him."

Wakaba nodded without hesitation, getting up from her seat. "Sure." She turned to Chizuru. "Can I sit next to you, Chizuru?"

"Of course. Be my guest." Chizuru nodded, patting the spot next to her.

Soryan watched the ordeal happen in moments. Before he knew it, Chizuru was pushing him out of his seat as Kasumi grabbed him by the arm and rather forcefully sat him down next to her.

"H-Hey, wait a sec, I'm fine," Soryan protested.

"Don't start, Sor. This is happening, so just relax okay?" Kasumi said. She reached into his pack and retrieved a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a rag, just in case.

Soryan bit his lip. "F-Fine. But, you only need to raise the back of my shirt, alright?"

Off to the side, Chizuru raised a brow at the way Soryan stuttered.

Kasumi patted the Cambodian's arm. "Yeah, that's fine. Just hold still, alright?"

When he replied only by shrugging off his jacket slightly, she tentatively raised the back of his shirt. She hissed when she saw his blood-speckled flesh, flecks of skin having been torn off by friction. "Uh yeah, I'm glad we're doing this. This can easily get infected."

"How bad is it?" Chizuru wondered. When Sango looked over, she made a face, then looked away. Out of consideration for Soryan, Wakaba forced herself not to look.

Kasumi grunted, her lips thinning as she examined the wound. "Pretty bad." She looked at Soryan. "And you were trying to downplay this. Geez, Sor, really?"

Soryan remained silent for a moment. "Sorry…"

Kasumi sighed. "It's… fine, I guess. Just don't do something like this again. We can't afford you getting sick or hurt."

"Well I mean… Wakaba needed help and there were two assholes, and I'm not a fighter, so…"

Kasumi gave Soryan a strange look. "No, Sor. I mean you should stop downplaying your injuries, you dummy."

"Oh. Okay." Soryan sounded genuinely surprised, then he realized that it was kind of stupid.

Kasumi nodded in approval. "Good. Now hold still. This might burn a little…" She looked at his back again. "Okay, maybe a lot."

"Wha—" Soryan's head snapped up, and he took a deep breath as the entirety of his back stung, the equivalent of liquid fire running along his injuries. That felt like it was bad.

"So… while they're doing that, does anyone have any ideas to kill some time?" Chizuru lazed, straightening her legs.

Kasumi looked up from her work thoughtfully. Soon, her intent became devious, despite her attention being mostly focused elsewhere. "What about truth or dare? That's a classic."

There was a gleam of mischief in Chizuru's eyes. "Ooh, I like that idea." She turned to the others. "How about it, you guys? Are you up for it?"

Wakaba was only slightly hesitant. "Sure. As long as it's not too… over-the-top."

Sango opened her mouth to speak, then paused. "... Against my better judgement, sure. I'm in."

Soryan snorted painfully. "Against your better judgment indeed... let's do it."

"Alright. I'll go first since I brought it up," Kasumi began. She turned her gaze from Soryan to Wakaba. "Truth or Dare, Waka?"

The girl was totally caught off guard, and she had to deliberate for a moment, looking up with a finger on her chin, cute as ever. "Um, truth."

"Hmm… What's the worst thing you've ever done?" Kasumi asked, smirking.

"Oh… Uh… well," Wakaba struggled.

Chizuru looked at Kasumi with raised brows. "Why would you ask her something like that?"

Kasumi shrugged, storing the medical supplies away. "I think you're good now, Sor." She patted his shoulder once before looking over to answer Chizuru's question. "She's, like, the purest person I know. I wanna see if she's done something bad at least once."

Chizuru scoffed playfully, looking over at Wakaba. "Fat chance of that ever happening."

Despite this, everyone leaned in close, intrigued by how Wakaba would answer such a question. "... On one of my mom's birthdays, I made her a cake. I spent a really long time getting it just right. She…" Wakaba's cheeks turned red. "She might've teased me too much the day before, and I might've been a little miffed… " She gave a dramatic pause. "So... I put some wasabi in the icing. I disguised it and everything."

Kasumi burst into laughter. "Damn, Waka. I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Well, well, I stand corrected. This little angel does have some horns," Chizuru chuckled. "What was her reaction?"

Wakaba giggled. "The face she made was priceless. She took it surprisingly well, though." She smiled sheepishly. "I admit, I was a bit paranoid when my birthday came around. Anyways, that's that… It's my turn now, right?"

"According to my memories, yes," Kasumi replied, nodding.

Wakaba slowly looked at Sango. "Sango, Truth or Dare?"

Sango blinked, surprised. "Truth."

"Okay... what's your biggest fantasy?" Wakaba asked, curious—her question held no devious intent.

To the group's slight surprise, Sango answered immediately. "To live a quiet life with a loving family, in a modest home, surrounded by nature's beauty."

Soryan nodded with his lips curled as Wakaba stared at the maiden.

"...That's a nice fantasy," the Archer agreed wholeheartedly.

"You're telling me. A life like that does sound really nice." Kasumi glanced at Soryan for a brief moment. Chizuru nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Sango replied, smiling. She hummed and looked over the group thoughtfully. "Hmm. Soryan, Truth or Dare?"

"Huh? Uh… truth?" Soryan offered.

"... Do you have any particularly strong feelings for anyone?" Sango asked, intrigued.

Soryan blinked. "Yesss…"

"Ooh. You do…?" Chizuru smiled teasingly.

"So what? We all do eventually…" Soryan shrugged.

Wakaba nodded emphatically, backing Soryan up. "Mhm, it's true."

"Well yeah," Chizuru rolled her eyes. "Of course we all do, but who is it? That's what matters. In fact, is it someone in this group, maybe?"

Soryan paused for a noticeable amount of time, then he shook his head. "That's a different question, so I don't have to answer. Is it my turn now?"

Chizuru seemed amused at his dodge, but Kasumi became more alert. Wakaba fought the urge to smile knowingly at Soryan.

Despite her own curiosity, Sango nodded. "I believe so."

"Alright… Chizuru," Soryan turned to the gymnast. "Truth or dare—?"

"Dare."

"Cheezus that was fast," Soryan said, baffled. "Fine then, since you're so… eager? That's the word, right? Since you're so eager…" He thought for a moment. "... Say someone's name in a… risque manner. It can be anyone's name."

Sango gave Soryan a look that screamed 'Really?'. Even Wakaba's expression warped into a look of slight disapproval. Soryan felt a part of his soul die. "Man, don't give me that look! Coming up with dares is hard. You want me to ask her to lick a chair or something? No, that's disgusting!"

Unperturbed by the challenge, Chizuru hummed. "Risque, you say? Well, here it goes." She paused, deliberating something for a moment. A moment after, she closed her eyes, concentrating. The voice that next left her lips was as smooth as butter and as deviously delectable as dark chocolate. "Mitchell~"

Wakaba flushed just from the tone of her voice. Kasumi whistled, impressed. "Damn, girl. That was good!"

"Yes, most impressive," Sango praised. She looked away, admiring the bus interior, a light blush on her face. Slightly embarrassed, Wakaba turned to look out the bus window just in time to see Mitchell dodge a car.

"Thank you, thank you, no need for applause," Chizuru preened. It was clear she was proud. She turned to Kasumi. "Truth or Dare, Kasumi?"

"Truth," Kasumi replied. She stared Chizuru down. The way the gymnast's lips curled was unsettling.

Chizuru's eyes gleamed with devious intent. "Have you ever… fantasized about someone?"

Kasumi grunted, but it seemed more like a wince. "Yes, many times. Now, my turn." She spoke hurriedly. Chizuru smirked as Kasumi turned to Soryan. "Truth or Dare, Sor?"

"... Truth," Soryan echoed.

Kasumi tilted her head at him, squinting. "The other day, you and Mitch seemed to have some kinda secret conversation or something when Chizuru said she was a gymnast. What was that about?" Wakaba, Chizuru, and Sango all turned to him, interested.

"OH! Yeah… so essentially, Mitchell has a fet… he has a preference for gymnasts," Soryan replied slowly. Sango blinked as Wakaba's eyes widened.

"You were about to say fetish weren't you?" Kasumi deadpanned.

"What? No…" Soryan denied half-heartedly.

Chizuru had a surprised look on her face, but slowly shifted to amusement, then the slightest deviousness. "Really now? That's a surprise…"

"..." After a moment of staring at the ground, Soryan turned to Wakaba. "So anyway, Wakaba! Truth? Or dare I say, Dare?"

Wakaba deliberated yet again. "Um… Dare?"

"Man, either this is going to be really boring, cute, or I'm going to jail," Soryan said, shaking his head. Kasumi looked instantly prepared to strike him. "Yell out the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word... apricot."

"Uh." Wakaba uttered. "... LUNCH!" she bluttered, raising her fists to waist level. It was adorable.

Several people looked over at her, confused, their conversations halting. Wakaba flushed, mortified. Kasumi openly laughed as Chizuru snickered, Soryan smiling as Sango tittered elegantly. "Hey! Uh… Sango, I dare you to… to…" she trailed off when a puzzling realization came to her. "Hey, Sango, did you ever tell us how you met Mitchell and Soryan?"

Sango paused, but the others continued their antics. "... No, I haven't."

"W-Well… that's your truth now! Tell us how you met Mitchell and Soryan!" Wakaba demanded, pounding her fists in the air.

"... Very well," Sango replied, amused. She collected her thoughts. "... It wasn't anything exciting really. They showed up at the shrine as I was finishing my duties." She looked around the group. "Mitchell helped me make a wonderful shrimp tempura and it was delicious. It was the following morning that things got interesting. The undead flooded the shrine as we slept. We managed to escape by using the explosives that Soryan had to draw away the undead." There were various reactions to that statement, but Sango didn't slow down. "I had a very close call with an undead but thankfully, Mitchell was there to save my life." She paused at the memory, then continued. "We escaped on his bike and met you all at the estate an hour later."

"Explosives!?" Wakaba cried in shock. Her head whipped towards Soryan so quickly that her hair fanned out behind her. "Where did you get explosives, Sor!?"

"... Science is a gift."

"Soryan." Kasumi eyed him with worry. "Did you two have anything to do with that massive explosion the other day?"

"... That is a question I am not legally obligated to answer."

Chizuru sighed. "That's a confirmation if I've ever heard one."

Kasumi groaned, shaking her head. "Well, you're both still alive so I guess it's fine. Just… no more stunts like that, okay?"

Soryan looked back and forth between her and Chizuru. "What? I didn't confirm or deny anything."

"You didn't need to. You had that look on your face." Kasumi directed a flat look at Soryan.

Soryan decided not to respond to that. Somehow, he felt that if he were to argue with her, he wouldn't emerge the victor.

Sango hummed, regarding Soryan curiously. "Alright… Soryan. Truth or Dare?"

"Huh? Truth."

Sango tilted her head a bit. Wakaba's feet kicked back and forth. "What's a good memory you've had while living here in Japan?"

"Ooh, this'll be good," Kasumi said, leaning forward. Wakaba perked up at the topic, and Chizuru laid back in her seat.

Soryan put some actual thought into that question. There were a few times that Soryan and Mitchell had done some cool shit together. "Hmm… there was that one time Mitch and I went to Akihabara during our first year here. I didn't know shit about it—all that I knew was that it was weeb heaven or something like that."

Chizuru snorted. "Well, you're not wrong."

"Eh? Have you been there, Chizuru?" Wakaba looked at her inquisitively.

"Yeah, I've been there once with my parents," Chizuru replied. She hummed amusedly. "They almost got us lost, and my mom would not. Stop. Taking. Pictures. I swear, she had a camera glued to her hip." She shook her head. "Adults, man."

"I know!" Soryan said, cracking a smile. "And it's not even the adults that have a picture problem, it's the Asian moms. They can't go ten steps without taking a picture! Legit, there was this one time where we were going to this family wedding, and it took us five minutes to get from our parking spot to the actual restaurant because my mom just wouldn't stop!"

Wakaba's lips curled in amusement. "I had a similar experience with my parents when we visited Hokkaido a few years ago." She giggled at the memory. "It's a mom thing, I guess."

The group missed Kasumi's slightly bittersweet expression.

"So anyways, I digress. Mitch and I—we were pretty good friends at the time, we started hanging out, playing a few video games here and there. So we decided to make a trip to the anime city because obviously we'd never been there before. Gotta say, stepping out of the car was like stepping into the ninth dimension or something. People were cosplaying, trying to get us to buy their products and stuff like that. It was like walking into a twenty-four-seven anime convention—there were even a few vloggers and livestreamers doing that thing where they take on that annoying YouTuber cadence. Mitch and I had no idea what to try first—we were so out of place, let me tell you—so we started walking, and Mitch saw a music store that was selling guitars and Bluetooth electronics. We were going to go in, but then we see that they had some free-play instruments just sitting outside the store, so when Mitch saw the guitars, he just dropped everything like: Ya know what we must do, Sor. I followed him, because what else am I supposed to do? He grabbed a Spanish guitar, I sat down at a piano, and we played the most disgusting, metal rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, ever."

Kasumi chuckled. "Since when could you play the piano? Also, how do you have that much confidence?"

"I know, right?" Wakaba said, amazed. "I'd die if I had to do something like that."

"If only you guys were there when I made the trip. It probably wouldn't have been that boring then," Chizuru added.

Soryan shrugged. "First, to answer your question Kas, you just gotta not give a fuck. I bet if you and Waka burned your inhibitions and started singing, you could bring a crowd to its knees. You remember singing Bad Day at that karaoke bar—1Kara?"

"Ah, that's…," Kasumi trailed off, blushing lightly. Despite flushing to her neck at the memory, Wakaba smiled coyly.

"Anyways," Soryan continued, "Mitchell started going hard on his Spanish guitar, I started mashing the keyboard, and I started singing because why the fuck not, then Mitchell said fuck it and started hollaring with me. I don't know how well we were doing, but I'm sure we did something right, because not a minute later, people are smiling, snapping pics, and dropping thousands of yen at our feet, and Mitch and I are looking at each other like: Bruh. Two minutes in, and we've got people singing with us, and I'm thinking, damn, how many Japanese people know Freddie Mercury?"

"I do." Chizuru raised her hand. "Among other things."

"I bet money one of those things is Jpop or Kpop," Kasumi teased, waggling her brows.

"If I had two thousand yen, it would be in your hand right now," Chizuru replied, unashamed.

Soryan shook his head. "Anyways, we play that gig, then this tall Japanese dude comes over, splits the fucking crowd in half, and jumps on the drums, then he and Mitch play Zero from Ace Combat Zero, which just astonished everybody watching, then we played il vento d'oro, and everybody goes fucking crazy, like: JoJo…! Golden Wind…! JoJo…! And it was just so damn cool."

There was joy—giggles and smiles, chuckles of amusement.

Kasumi shook her head, amused beyond belief. "You guys are such goofballs, I swear."

"You don't know the half of it," Soryan grinned. "The same dude who got on the drums, Yosuke—when we finished with the JoJo shit, he immediately challenged Mitch to a dance off."

Intrigued and highly amused, the girls leaned in to hear more. Soryan continued. "Mitch was like, aight, let's fuckin' go, so he gives me his phone and tells me to hook it up to one of the Bluetooth speakers, and I put on Catgroove, because that's his thing. Surprise, Yosuke is a fucking groove god and starts spinning like Hitmontop—whoas the whole crowd. He finishes his first section, looking all smug, but then Mitch takes the gloves off. He puts his hands in his pockets, then the beat drops, and he just goes ham, doing all sorts of random shit, flipping his hat, doing tricks—man just improvs like an artist. Finishes it off with a backflip, the crowd goes wild. Yosuke pats him on the shoulder, smiling like he won the lottery, and hands Mitch the victory. They clasp each other's hands and boom, world peace."

"Ah, so he can dance, huh?" Chizuru said, smiling. Her eyes gleamed with interest. "That's really interesting. I'll remember that."

Kasumi huffed, smirking. "It looks like Mitch has been holding out on us, Waka."

Surprisingly, Wakaba had an excited look on her face.

Sango chuckled. "Well color me surprised. I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves."

"As am I," Soryan nodded. He looked between the girls. "So, that's that. Are we… still playing Truth or Dare?"

VVVVV

Mitchell rode steadily and at an equal velocity to the bus. Without a helmet, the wind stung his eyes and his short hair bristled. At some point, after waving to Soryan a number of times, he had taken it upon himself to ride ahead of the bus, warning the driver of any obstructions or large groups of Zs. Thankfully, said obstacles didn't include much of anything that would totally hinder them.

The survivors had made good progress since they'd left the estate nearly an hour-and-a-half ago—and good Lord, what a fucking shitshow that place turned out to be. Mitchell's eyes narrowed at the memory. Good riddance.

He preferred it this way, honestly. There was something about taking it upon yourself to survive that was innately appealing to him—it also helped that it was something his dad and grandad had drilled into him. Mitchell liked to be proactive when it concerned his friends. That being said, the mall was one of the places he'd wanted to hold up at since this apocalypse first started—for many reasons.

Speaking of the mall, Taiei Shopping Town was only a few minutes away. Mitchell knew they needed to come up with a game plan before they rolled up on a potential horde. The American pulled back to the bus's doors and signaled to the driver to slow down. They pulled into a deserted highway, then the bus slowed to a stop, Mitchell halting directly beside it. The driver opened the doors.

"Hey, can you get Soryan? We need to come up with a plan now before we come up on the mall," Mitchell said, pointing down emphatically.

The driver nodded and called back for the Cambodian. "Hey, Soryan-san! Your friend needs you!"

There was silence, then some shifting. Somebody tripped, or, at least, that's what it sounded like, then a few seconds later, Soryan's head poked into view.

The Ung spoke in English. "What's up?"

Mitchell looked at him with half-lidded eyes. He sat up straight on his seat and pointed ahead of them. "We need a plan. If we roll up on Zach Town then we're gonna have some issues."

Soryan looked left and right, inhaling. "You got anything, then?"

Mitchell sighed and ran a hand over his shaved head. "Here's what I propose. I ride ahead of y'all to scout the place. If there's a fucking army of the dead, then I'll draw them off an' loop around to meet y'all. We'll head in then."

Soryan bit his lip. "See, here's the problem with that. I know I can trust you to make it back, but I'm not sure if the girls do."

Mitchell threw his arms up. "Well hell, dude, if we just roll up in there gung-ho, that'll be dumb as fuck. I'm not enthusiastic about this, but I'm damn sure it'll work, at least."

"Hey bud, go ahead. Again, I trust you, but the fallout might be… well, we'll see about it," Soryan shrugged.

Mitchell sighed again. "Fine. Go get 'em. I'll let 'em in on this. See if they have a better idea."

"Alright, then." Soryan disappeared into the bus. There was silence, more shuffling, a yelp, then the girls emerged. Soryan was nowhere to be seen.

"Mitch? Is something wrong?" Kasumi asked.

Mitchell gave them a look. "So, here's the thing, girls. We need a plan before we roll up in there." He shifted his position on his bike. "My plan is this in a nutshell: I'll go on ahead, scout it out, draw attention, then loop back around." He twirled his index finger in the air for emphasis. "I'll regroup with y'all before we head inside."

"What?" Wakaba squeaked quietly. Her expression said that she was horrified.

"I don't like that idea," Kasumi said strictly.

Chizuru stared at him sternly, but also thoughtfully. "It would be stupid if you die for this."

Sango merely closed her eyes. "Indeed."

Mitchell's gaze hardened and raised his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Well hell y'all, ya think I like this either? I'm not makin' this suggestion lightly. That's why I'm tellin' ya this. Before I commit to anything, I'm askin' if you girls have any better ideas. Trust me, I'm all ears."

Sounds of stubborn protest, then silence. Sango nearly suggested that they fight their way through, but then she recalled the shrine. Chizuru and Kasumi racked their brains for any solutions, but none came to mind. Wakaba bit her lip worriedly.

Mitchell took a breath and exhaled. "Look, I swear I won't take any risks. Get in, get out. That's all." He gave them a slight smile. "Have a little faith in me, would ya? I do for y'all."

Kasumi sighed. "That's not fair, Mitch. You know we do, it's just…" she trailed off.

"You promise?" Everyone looked at Wakaba. Her expression was grave, far more than any of the Outcasts had seen in awhile. "You promise to come back?"

Mitchell paused, then his resolve hardened. He looked at each of them before settling on Wakaba. "Yeah. I promise."

Wakaba took a deep breath. "... Okay. I'll trust you, Mitch. But I won't forgive you if you don't come back."

Mitchell nodded. "Wouldn't dream of it, Waka." He turned to the other girls, who each had resigned expressions. "Can y'all get Sor? Or let him know what's goin' on?"

"I'll go," Sango said. She turned and disappeared into the bus. There were some indistinguishable mutterings, then Sango returned. "He knows."

Mitchell rolled his shoulders. "Aight then. Let's get this shit over with." He kickstarted the dirt bike and gave the girls an assuring two-finger wave. "See y'all in a bit."

A moment later, he took off towards an off-ramp, making good speed towards the mall. The girls watched as he disappeared into the distance, then they retreated back into the bus. Chizuru put a hand on the bus driver's shoulder, who involuntarily shivered at her touch.

"Give it a couple of minutes, then go ahead and get to the mall," she said. The survivor looked at her.

"Uh, yes ma'am," he said, blushing slightly. Chizuru stared at him for a second, then turned and walked deeper into the bus.

Now far and away, accelerating towards the mall, Mitchell weaved between obstacles, creating as much noise as one possibly could on a 500cc dirt bike. At his speed, it only took him a couple of minutes to get to the mall.

The situation was far worse than he imagined.

"Holy shit," Mitchell drawled incredulously. A sea of undead swarmed the massive, open parking lot that surrounded Taiei Shopping Town—a building that, might Mitchell inwardly add, was at least half-a-mile long. What's more, the zombies were packed like concert-goers, nearly crushing one another with proximity alone—they were countless, and when Mitchell approached, bike revving loudly, thousands of bloodied, violently mutilated faces turned to him. Mitchell couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine just from the sight of the horde.

Adrenaline beginning to rise, Mitchell rev-bombed the horde, cruising along its edge at a low velocity. Once the ocean of undead began to truly move, Mitchell turned into a street that led away from the mall; with the massive, slouching horde following after him, he began his diversion. He hoped that the bus hadn't followed too quickly. There were way too many Zs here, and the bus was likely to pull a lot of these dumb, undead bastards if it arrived too early.

For fifteen minutes, Mitchell led the massive horde on a stroll about town, but his job was complicated by Zs from other directions that were drawn in by the noise. He'd had a few close calls, but once he was confident that the horde was far enough away from the mall, Mitchell revved the engine and took off, taking a street ahead of him and distancing himself from the horde and the mall further.

After about five minutes, once he was sure that the bike's rumbles would no longer reach the horde, Mitchell headed back to the mall, satisfied with a job well done. All things considered, that had gone well.

When Mitchell saw the mall again, its surroundings were almost entirely clean, devoid of life and undead. The parking lot was empty, save for a few vehicles that dotted the property and more than enough bloodstains to tell a horror story. The mall itself was absolutely massive, as was it tall. It dwarfed every other building in sight, looming like an intimidating figure, much of its insides dark, and with broken windows all across its imposing walls. In this situation, such an edifice could be considered a fortress.

Mitchell approached to find the bus just beyond the front entrance, hiding beneath the building's long-cast shadows. The Outcasts and a few other survivors surrounded the vehicle, weapons out. The popping of his bike alerted them, and Mitchell could see them visibly relax; Wakaba's bowstring relaxed as she lowered her weapon, Soryan's grip around his shovel loosened, Sango let go of her sheathed blade, Kasumi rest the butt of her spear on the concrete, and Chizuru allowed her arm to carelessly flop at her side.

The American rode up to them, his face blank as he switched off his bike, propping it up, each of his companions leaving the bus's perimeter to approach him.

"Uh, yeah, no. This place was a goddamn Sabaton concert earlier. Had the Dead Sea on my ass for the last fifteen minutes." His voice was flatter than paper.

"You are Christ on a bicycle," Soryan quipped, looking him up and down. "How far did you take them?"

"At least one or two miles. Had to make a few detours due to surprise visitors," Mitchell replied. He pointed to his three o' clock. "I took 'em off that way."

"Got it. We might be seeing them again in a few days, so be aware," Soryan nodded. He looked at the other Outcasts, who had gathered with him. "See? I told you he'd be fine."

"You're lucky you're right," Kasumi snarked. Her tone conceded to him an invisible victory.

"Oh ye' of little faith," Mitchell drawled. He kicked out the stand of his dirt bike, then got up off of it.

Wakaba squeaked as she appeared before him, inspecting every inch of him; his back, his arms, his armpits, his fingers and calves. It was inherently adorable. Kasumi sighed before smiling. At her side, Chizuru crossed her arms. Sango appeared outwardly indifferent.

"Hey!" The outcasts turned to Yoshie, who had emerged from the bus. "Are we checking this place out, or what?"

Her question was loud. Soryan called to her. "Yeah… Yeah we are! We've got to clear it out first," he waved her off. "It could be Black Friday in there, so be prepared."

His head turned towards the mall as he shifted his weapon into its pickaxe configuration. He looked to his companions. "Well, we aren't going to get anything done standing in the parking lot. You lot ready…?" There was a round of affirmations. Soryan nodded idly, then he threw his head towards Yoshie. "Wait for us to go first."

"Mhm," Mitchell hummed. He eyed Chizuru. "Looks like ya might get to show your stuff now, Rescue Lead," he teased, smirking.

With surprising speed, the kukri in Chizuru's hand spun like a fan before the grip settled in her grasp. She faced the mall. "Might? That implies that there's a chance I won't."

"Yeah, good luck with these three on the case." He jerked a thumb towards Wakaba, Kasumi, and Sango. "I meant it when I said might."

Chizuru smirked competitively. "We can make it a contest."

Sango rolled her eyes, a hand on her sheathed blade. "Let's not make a life or death situation a contest, please."

"I agree. Let's all be careful in there, okay?" Wakaba offered. She reluctantly pulled away from Mitchell, studying him for a moment before she was satisfied, at which point she re-equipped her bow.

"Yeah, I getcha," Mitchell sobered. He turned to the front entrance. "We should go ahead an' get started. We're wide open out here."

"Alright, alright." Chizuru gestured with her hands, placating like a comedian would calm a rowdy crowd. Despite herself, she visibly deflated. "I was just… excited to be useful for once, that's all."

Mitchell walked past her, giving her a reassuring pat on the back as he passed. "Don't worry about it. Just do your thang."

With a hum, Chizuru followed after him.

"Don't get cocky," Soryan warned, eyeing his remaining companions. He took his shovel in both hands, then followed Chizuru. Kasumi, Wakaba, and Sango kept close behind him. From the bus, survivors stepped out, apprehensive. Among them were Chisato and Bunko, who hurried to Yoshie—the three had somehow managed to become fast friends since the beginning of the apocalypse.

The survivors halted behind the Outcasts, then soon, as if sensing their intent, they grew quiet.

"You lot ready?" Soryan asked, staring into the building.

Mitchell replied with a nod. Heading the group, he peered through the double glass doors of the mall's main entrance, eyes searching, then he drew his sword. He pulled at the door, and to his surprise, it opened. Slowly, he stepped inside.

Entering the mall was like entering a library. It was cold and silent, and it was expected that he would remain silent to respect that. The air was cold and crisp, a remnant from the long-dead air-conditioning.

The main hall was absolutely gigantic, stretching in an unwavering line for a whole half-mile, wide as an open-aired atrium. How terrible it was that such a vast emporium of likely amazing expenditures had to endure the apocalypse. Zombies dotted the area, shuffling around, laying on the ground, limbs hanging and blood oozing slowly. Red splotches painted department store windows and obscured the designs of the stone floors. The number of Zs was sufficient enough such that anyone not paying attention would be surrounded.

Mitchell ventured deeper, stepping past the door frame, Chizuru and Sango filing in behind him. They stood on either side of him. He nudged them. His voice was hushed. "Do whatcha need to, but watch your flanks. Stay close enough for someone to help ya in a pinch."

The readying of their weapons was their only reply. As Soryan, Kasumi, and Wakaba entered the building, the first three stepped forward.

As Mitchell approached a small group of undead, falling into a familiar stance, Chizuru took his left flank, as did Sango take his right, each combatant moving towards their own newly identified adversaries, stepping over puddles of red. Kasumi, knowing their intent, twirled her spear in her hand metallically as she moved forward.

Soryan watched them all go, lethargic. At his side, Wakaba drew two arrows, notching one. She drew back, and Soryan watched as her arrow spun past Mitchell, striking a Z through its brainstem. When the second arrow flew, killing another Z, five of the six Outcasts exploded into action. The slashing and stabbing began, and through the many groans, more blood was spilt.

With a familiar weapon in hand, Chizuru's prowess was shown. She didn't leap into combat so much as she flowed into the fray. Kukri firm in her grasp, she dashed forward, her weapon flashing, and as she passed by a lonely undead, its head was removed from its shoulders by nothing more than a blur of movement.

A Z lunged at her, but she ducked beneath its swinging arms, taking both appendages in the process. Quick on her feet, she spun, then took its head, all whilst using her tangential velocity to slash at another zombie. It fell to the ground, only to be replaced by another.

The Z swiped at Chizuru, who, through instinct and practical application, performed a flawless backwards cartwheel to evade, using the Z's chest as a springboard to accelerate. The Z stumbled, then fell, its head cracking loudly against the tile floor. The cartwheel ended with a backflip over Sango and Chizuru's blade maiming a Z. Chizuru scoffed, searching for her next target.

Sango ignored her, sidestepping a Z that had reached out for her, swinging her katana as she stepped past it. The Z dropped like a sack of rocks, then another joined it, its arms and head missing, then another, a gash along its calf and a stab through its brain.

Sango struck precisely and elegantly without a single wasted movement, turning the end of one swing into the beginning of another. Sango slashed downwards, then upwards, slicing two Zs each through the gut and head. They collapsed atop one another as she used the momentum of her upwards swing to spin in a deadly horizontal slice that severed a Zs vocal cords.

Settling into a Zornhut, Mitchell halted, eyeing the group of Zs that approached him. He waited for a moment, then he spun, and his blade blurred. The sword cleaved through the nearest Z's head like a hot knife through warm butter, and Mitchell followed through into another spin, taking two short steps forwards, and when his blade reached the low-point during his spin, he used gravity to his advantage, accelerating it downwards before using his hands as a point of rotation, making the blade soar upwards at an even higher velocity.

It split a Z's head from chin to skull easily. Following through yet again, the tip of the blade came back down, splitting the next Z's skull open. He kicked its still body away from his weapon, then pulled his sword back, holding the hilt in his left hand and the actual blade of the weapon in his right. Bending his knees, when the next Z came, he waited until it pressed its own belly against the tip of his blade, then he jerked, ripping through its guts.

It stumbled, then Mitchell swung, the hilt of his weapon crashing against the Z's jaw. As it was thrown into the ground, Mitchell grasped the sharp blade of his sword in both hands, then pulled to the side. The hilt rose over his head, then he swung down, burying the metal deep into a Z's skull. Planting his boot on its shoulder, he dislodged the hilt of his weapon from its head, then held his weapon by the actual hilt, eyeing his next target.

A Z approached him, and it lunged, but Mitchell stepped to its left, planting his blade against its neck, then he twisted into spin, viciously decapitating it. As the carcass fell, Mitchell stepped towards another hapless Z, gripping the hilt and blade of his weapon. The Z lunged, but he swung the hilt guard, lodging it deep into the Z's eye. It went limp, and Mitchell shoved it aside, ripping his guard free.

He turned to face more foes—a wall of more than a dozen Zs that had seemingly appeared. He immediately stepped forward to deal with them, but a figure blurred past him.

Kasumi's movements were blazing fast, and as she approached the group of undead, she threw her spear like a javelin. It quite literally speared through a Z's cranium, and before the dead could fall backwards, she sprinted past, wrenching her weapon from its head, blood spilling from the wound.

A blur of movement, she spun quickly, the head of her spear slicing across a Z's face cheek-to-cheek, the butt of her spear crashing against the cranium of a Z that stood behind her. It bounced off, sending the Z to the ground while sending the spear spinning in the direction opposite of the original swing. The spearhead struck once more, slicing into the first Z's throat.

Kasumi followed through, falling into a low crouch where the spearhead sliced through a pair of kneecaps as she stepped forward. The owner of said kneecaps fell to the ground, and she thrust her weapon through its head. Her weapon still embedded in the corpse, she ducked under a swing, then kicked one of the un-aforementioned assailant's legs out from beneath it.

Naturally, the Z fell to one knee, and Kasumi used it as a stepping stone, leaping off of the joint with one leg, her other foot crashing against the Z's chin as she backflipped, utilizing her newfound momentum to pull her weapon from the corpse as she flipped. As the Z fell backward, Kasumi reached the apex of her flip, righting herself.

She took her spear in both hands, and as she came back down, she speared another Z through its head, landing on its shoulders. It hit the ground hard, and she pulled her weapon free. Suddenly, she heard metal meet flesh, and she whirled around just in time to see a Z falling towards her, the head of an arrow sticking out of its forehead.

Wakaba was relentless, another arrow notched in less than a second. She let it loose, and it embedded itself in a Z that lunged for Chizuru. At the back of the action, she had sight of the whole battlefield, and she kept Zs off of her companions, all whilst picking off a number of them that approached from far away. Her focus was that of a hawk's, and as such, she managed to catch sight of a lonely Z stumbling towards her flank.

She turned just in time to see Soryan's pickaxe come down on it. Even as it fell to its knees, he wrenched his weapon from its head, then thrust down once more, just because. Soryan stepped away, and Wakaba noticed—he hadn't said a word. No insults, no crazed yelling. She didn't have the time to ponder, for when Soryan looked at her, his eyes widened.

"Behind you!"

Before he finished his sentence, Wakaba was already moving. She jumped to the side just in time to see a Z stumble past before it haphazardly whipped around, turning towards her. It lunged once more, and without thinking, Wakaba gripped the arrow she had notched and swung wildly. Somehow, it managed to stab through its temple.

The Z dropped like a rock. Her heart pounding in her throat, Wakaba pulled the arrow free. In the adrenaline of battle, she shook off her shock, notched the now bloody arrow, and let loose once more. Unbeknownst to Wakaba, the few survivors that entered the building stared at her, awed by her sheer tenacity.

Soryan, too, stared at her, then turned away when it was evident that she was okay. That lonely Z had been his first kill and it would probably be his last. Watching his companions fight was like watching the Doom Slayer rip and tear through demons, and with the amount of space they had, along with the amount of skill and the number of people already fighting, the only thing Soryan could do was get in the way. It would be better to stand back and watch.

That is exactly what he did. He stood, weapon tight in his hands, searching for any potential crack in the offensive, any surprises, but there were none. His efforts, should there be any, were unnecessary. With a low grumble, he clenched his fists and his jaw, and continued to watch.

Since the Zs were spread so thin throughout the hall, the one-sided slaughter continued, and the Outcasts were able to quickly advance further into the building. Once the main entrance was devoid of undead, all of the bus survivors were able to enter, and they watched the carnage with anxious eyes. With every kill, the zombie population thinned, but after a long while, fatigue began to settle in—they could not keep up such heavy combat forever.

Fortunately, their prayers were answered, and eventually, the seemingly endless Zs stopped coming, leaving a long stretch of clean, empty hall that ended at a large, lowered security grill that blocked off the rest of the mall—about sixty percent—and the rest of the Zs. In front of and on either side of the security grill were a set of escalators that were offline.

When the last zombie fell, about one-hundred eighty corpses were strewn about the area, and five of the six Outcasts heaved as sweat dripped from their brows. They walked a distance before they each took seats at a number of benches that sat just before the rolling security grill. The survivors had followed, unsure of what to do, awed by the skill of the combatants, disgusted by the gore, but eventually they settled down, waiting for leadership.

Soryan, with only a single kill to his name and his stamina undisturbed, stood placidly in the center of the hall, looking at his companions, his eyes lidded in a stare. After a moment, he turned around and looked back towards the mall's entrance, watching the bloodied bodies on the ground disdainfully, as if they'd rise again. Of course, they didn't. He looked back to his companions.

Mitchell sat with his sword sheathed, steadying his breath. He let his gaze wander throughout the hall, shifting from department store to department store on either side of it, and it was soon that he remembered: Wakaba's parents worked here. The thought had been lurking in the back of his head ever since there had even been a mention of Taiei Shopping Town. It bugged him.

Mitchell turned to Wakaba, who had sat next to him, and nudged her on the arm. "Hey."

Wakaba's head turned to his, and she had to lift the front of her head up so that her soft brown eyes could meet his. Her eyes were curious.

He continued in a gentle tone. "Do ya know where your parents might be in here? We can go look for 'em if ya want."

There was a certain flare of realization in her eyes, but when she spoke, her voice was quiet. "They might be in the staff areas… I'm really worried about them. We should check soon."

Mitchell nodded. "Sure. I'm ready when you are." He gave his friends a once over before turning back to Wakaba. "Dunno about the rest, though."

Wakaba opened her mouth.

"Oh thank goodness!"

Caution and alarm derived from experience caused the survivors to turn in a flash, the more combative ones with weapons raised, trained on whoever had spoken. Everyone's sights landed on a woman in an officer's uniform that was hurrying down from one of the escalators that led up to the second level of department stores.

She froze immediately when she saw the dozen weapons drawn and the stone-cold faces that stared dispassionately at her. A few of the survivors that hadn't yet experienced the horrors of a collapsed society were surprised by the reactions of their comrades, but they said nothing. Only Wakaba and Mitchell remained seated.

However, when it appeared as though they'd stay locked in a stalemate indefinitely, both Mitchell and Wakaba realized what the woman's presence could mean. They gave each other hopeful looks.

"Who are you?" It was a simple question, but the way Soryan delivered it made the woman shiver. His eyes seemed to dare her to make a move.

The woman only stood frozen, her lips quivering for just a second. She took a single, tentative step down the remaining stairs. "I'm Asami Nakaoka. I've been looking after a few other survivors here ever since this mess started."

Wakaba's eyes widened. Both she and Mitchell stood to their feet, and the American stepped forward with a gesture. "There's other survivors here? Any of the staff with ya?"

Wakaba stepped in front of Mitchell, her expression hopeful. "I'm Wakaba Otonashi. Are my parents here? They work here."

The officer, Asami, perked up. "Otonashi? Are you talking about Maaya and Sojiro?"

"Yes! That's them! Are they alright? Where are they!?" Wakaba subconsciously walked forward, raising grabby hands, as if reaching out towards salvation.

"They're up here. I can take you to them," Asami smiled. She sweatdropped exasperatedly. "It would be great if you could stop pointing your weapons at me, though."

Slowly, the survivors that had weapons lowered them, half of the Outcasts included, some adopting sheepish looks.

"Thank God," Mitchell muttered in relief. He pat Wakaba's shoulder in a celebratory manner. "By all means, officer, lead the way. We've all been long due for some good news."

With a wave, Asami gestured for the survivors to follow. With a few mutterings, they did, the Outcasts trailing behind. They ascended the escalator where they reached a half-lowered metal security grill—it was identical to the one on the first floor, placed directly above it. On the other side, the massive hall split into two branches, each one with a balcony overlooking the first floor. Across the paths of each branch from their respective balconies were rows and rows of different kinds of department stores.

Asami took the left path, and once all of the survivors crossed the security grill, she inserted a key into a slot in the wall and lowered the grill to the floor. Soryan looked at it, then tested it, grabbing one of the grills before attempting to shake it. It barely budged.

The survivors walked down the left path for a minute, passing by a furniture store, a cosmetics store, a bathroom, and a DVD store before reaching a point where the two split branches reunited, obscuring the first floor from view. Soon they reached a short, forty-five degree curve in the mall's path, and Asami approached the department store at the 'corner'. Voices could be heard coming from it. When the owners came into view, the original four Outcasts halted, shock and relief filling them.

"Mom! Dad!" Wakaba rushed at her equally shocked parents.

"Wakaba!" Maaya Otonashi choked. Sojiro's mouth fell open, and he seemed unresponsive for a moment, then his lips quivered as his arms opened. Wakaba collided with them, hugging them as tight as her body allowed. The Otonashi family fell into relieved sobs as they embraced.

The survivors watched from a respectful distance, the Outcasts at the front. Mitchell and Kasumi looked on with warm smiles, happy for their friend. Chizuru and Sango watched with soft gazes. Soryan grinned with half-lidded eyes.

At long last, something good finally happened, and it couldn't have happened to a better person.

The silent mall was filled with the sounds of joyous sobs, and the survivors, seeing it fit to show respect, dispersed, moving towards adjacent department stores and ones across the hall to sit down and rest. The Outcasts and Asami were the only ones that stayed.

"This seems important… so I'm going to leave you to it for a bit," Asami said eventually.

Mitchell looked away from the warm reunion to give her a nod. "Aight. Thank ya, officer."

Asami disappeared into one of the stores a moment later, leaving the Outcasts to watch the reunion. Wakaba's parents seemed to chant for her good health as they hugged her, closed off from the outside world. They ultimately took notice of the Outcasts when Sojiro finally stopped fussing over his daughter.

When his eyes found them, they were filled with relief and delight. "Kasumi!? Boys!? What are you doing? Get over here!"

Kasumi's already happy smile broadened radiantly, and she skipped over, a newfound pep in her step. Mitchell and Soryan followed, the former amused yet greatly relieved, the latter much the same. Chizuru and Sango hesitated, but followed nonetheless, keeping behind.

"Good to see you two are alright," Mitchell greeted, lips quirked upwards. He gave them his trademark two finger wave.

"Hi, Sojiro! Hi, Maaya!" Kasumi greeted casually. She finished her greeting by hugging both parents tightly. They were happy to oblige, and Wakaba watched, a toothy smile on her face.

"Hey," Soryan waved, a cadence in his voice that spoke of familiarity. "How have you been holding up?"

"Oh, we've been doing well enough," Maaya smiled. Her smile dimmed when she remembered where she was, and she hugged Wakaba from behind. "Well… as well as we could, being trapped up here for these last few days."

"We've… survived," Sojiro sighed gravely. "While we haven't had to worry about water, food has started becoming an issue. We couldn't venture anywhere for it, because, well… I'm sure you get the idea, and food isn't something that places like these really stock up on." He paused. "Wait, hold on… how did you get in here? We were surrounded by those things—we were forced to stay up here. Actually, I can't even hear them anymore. Did you… fight them?"

Mitchell looked between the two parents before nodding. "Yessir, we did. We had a lotta help though."

He glanced at Chizuru and Sango.

"Wait, are you saying that you managed to get through all of that!?" Sojiro pointed towards the closed security grill far down the hall. "And you're not hurt?"

Mitchell shook his head confidently. "No, sir."

Maaya turned her daughter around to face her. "What were you thinking, fighting so many!?"

Wakaba tried to placate her, waving her hands. "We were really careful! Promise!"

Maaya was unconvinced. She looked at Sojiro, who's eyes were equally concerned.

When he saw their expressions, Mitchell tried to reassure them, raising an open hand. "We've never let her fight 'em up close, I assure ya. She's been in good hands." He gave Wakaba a look as he rested his hands on his hips. "Besides, she's done a lot to help the group get this far. She hardly even needed protection."

"Yeah. If anyone needs protection, it'd be me," Soryan quipped. His attempt at humor was enough to lighten the mood, and Wakaba's parents seemed to relax slightly.

"Ah, really?" Sojiro leaned back. He looked at Mitchell, a question in his eyes, and Mitchell gave a small, resolute nod. "Well, since it's you, it must be true. Thank you for protecting her, Mitchell."

Mitchell simply replied with a deliberate double thumbs-up. It was a silly gesture, even delivered with a straight face.

"Speakin' of help…" Mitchell half-turned to Sango and Chizuru, who stood a distance away. He raised a brow at them before turning back to the Otonashis. "Those two—" He jerked a thumb at the loitering duo. "—are with us. Dunno what they're doin' just sittin' back there."

"It's called being courteous, dummy," Kasumi rolled her eyes. She regarded the girls with exasperation. "You can come over here y'know. It's fine."

Chizuru and Sango glanced at each other. The former gave a tiny shrug, then approached, waving as she drew near. "Hello. I'm Chizuru Takahashi."

While Chizuru was casual, Sango bowed respectfully. The parents were taken aback. "Greetings. I'm Sango Shinonome. It's nice to meet you both."

Maaya waved at the girl. "Oh, there's no need for that. It's good to meet you both. I'm Maaya Otonashi."

Sojiro nodded at the two newcomers. "I'm Sojiro Otonashi. Thank you for looking after my daughter."

Chizuru waved a hand modestly. "Don't worry about it. She's a wonderful girl." Sango merely nodded in agreement.

"Sorry to make things short, guys, but we kind of have essential things to get done before we delve too far into conversation." Soryan gestured as he stepped forward, looking at everybody in the room. "Priorities is what I'm saying."

Mitchell understood him immediately. He turned to Sojiro. "How secure is this area? I'm guessin' y'all managed to block off other sections to the rest of the mall? I noticed some security grills were already down earlier."

"This area? There are several security grills on the side opposite from where you came. Everything in it is ours, but if you go that way," he pointed down the hall, "you'll find more of those monsters waiting just beyond the grills." He paused. "Why? What are you suggesting?"

Soryan nodded. "We need a place to stay. A place to set up at and call home for the foreseeable future. We've got about thirty people here in total, so this mall is the perfect place if you want privacy. We can set up residence in the department stores if we stay." He shrugged. "It'll be a lot of work though. We'll have to clean up the Z population, get rid of the bodies, then set up shop. We can use whatever we find to fortify and make it home. Then we can deal with food."

"Z?" Maaya inquired. She tilted her head in slight confusion.

"Zombie." Mitchell, Kasumi, Wakaba, and Chizuru chorused. They all looked at one another a moment later, then back to the parents.

"What do you think?" Soryan asked. "Is it viable? There's no way we can go to some suburban home or something like that. We really are stuck here, and this mall offers a lot of advantages."

"It's a good idea, but…" Sojiro grimaced. "As you said, it will take a lot of work. Not to mention it would require the efforts of many of the people here to accomplish."

"The important thing is that it's safe. At least, it's much safer than anywhere else so far. It's easily fortifiable, it has tons of escape routes, and tons and tons of sightlines outside because the parking lot is huge. We'll know if something is coming," Soryan responded.

"That's true, but… there's a few bad eggs here," Maaya said somberly. She subconsciously pulled Wakaba close. "Some of them refuse to cooperate, even when it's clearly in their best interest to do so."

"They're a waste of space, if you ask me." Sojiro grunted. "All they can think about is themselves. It's taken quite some effort on our part and Nakaoka-san's to keep this group from falling apart."

Soryan bit his lip, recalling Takagi Estate. "Who, and how bad?"

Maaya gave Kasumi a strangely sympathetic look. "Well…" She sighed. "I'm sorry, Kasumi. Your father is one of those people."

Kasumi froze. Her breath hitched and her eyes seemed to glass over. "What? Why is he here?"

Soryan's teeth clicked. "Of all places… This is gonna be a problem…"

"Well shit. As if we haven't dealt with enough assholes already," Mitchell growled. He looked around with narrowed eyes, as if expecting the man to suddenly show up.

"But it's okay!" Maaya assured. "You don't have to interact with him. At all. Just leave it to us to deal with him."

Sojiro nodded firmly in agreement. "That's right. You don't need to worry about it." He gestured to the surrounding department stores. "Instead, let's get you all settled in. I'm sure you're all tired after hearing what you did to get here."

Kasumi nodded, her body having noticeably lost some of its pep. "Yep. And now that I know good ol' daddy dearest is here, I'm feeling kind of unmotivated. I'll get over it though so don't worry about it."

Chizuru and Sango looked at Kasumi, filled with sympathy. They wondered how bad their father-daughter relationship truly was.

"Right. I'm gonna go survey all the department stores in this… uh, safezone. See what we have at hand. Anyone wanna come?" Soryan inquired, turning to the Outcasts.

"I'll come with ya," Mitchell replied, stepping over to join him. He'd let Wakaba have some time with her parents.

Kasumi hummed, wordlessly joining Soryan.

Chizuru raised her hand. "Count me in. I want to see if all the good places are taken."

"I'll go as well," Sango added, moving to join them with a hand resting on her katana.

"I guess we've got a full party then," Soryan mused. "Well… let's go."

The Outcasts left the Otonashis to enjoy themselves. The day was still young. And now, there was work to do. Someone would have to become a leader though, and soon.

VVVVV

A/N:

Sir Yeetus Deletus: No more. Absolutely no more. This chapter broke my brain, and if you were to see the original product, you would have cringed. Hard.

RPG Proficient: I'm just fucking glad it's finally finished. And yes, the previous iteration would've broken some suspension of disbelief. I'm glad we redid the whole thing.

Sir Yeetus Deletus: Bruh what do you expect me to say, I'm so tired of this chapter.

RPG Proficient: Speaking of redoing, we went back and changed some stuff throughout the story, starting with Chapter 1. To make the story better, essentially. So if ya wanna reread it to see what's changed, go right ahead. You may be pleasantly surprised. Anyway, you wanna head out and rest our weary minds, SYD?

Sir Yeetus Deletus: Yes…

RPG Proficient: Aight then. Also, to all you fine readers: give SYD's other stories a chance, if ya would. With that public announcement said, later on, y'all.

Sir Yeetus Deletus: Anyway… goodbye.