Chapter 10: Surgeon Play

"Hahahaha!" I laugh merrily. Those weirdos don't stand a chance against my awesome ice powers!

"Zap! Zap! And you gooo... ZAP! Hahaha!" I laugh even louder, as each of my ice blasts blow away at the monsters.

But even though I'm laughing... I can't help but wonder, seeking something hiding in the back of my mind.

(Have I forgotten something?)

No. No way. It can't be. I have my crown, I have my power, and above all I have the medicine.

(Medicine... What medicine... For whom...?)

Ah, the zombies are now sprinting towards me. Do they wish to see my greatness that badly?

"Aw, they love me! Hahaha! Here, take thisss...!" I concentrate on creating a whirlwind of frosty wind above my head, and once it's ready, I unleash that arctic fury upon the zombies. "Ice winds, greet my new fans! Hahahahaha!"

And with that, every last one of those creatures is either pierced by icicles, frozen in ice, or buried under a thick layer of snow.

"...And with that, my job is done."

(Huh?)

"My job? What job? And what was that about.. medicine...?"

Oh no.

A spark of sanity returns to me, and my gaze shoots upwards. Granted, I can't see what lies on top of my head like this, but something tells me that I should take whatever sits there off me as quickly as possible!

"Get off!" I push the thing away and freeze upon the sight of it.

A second passes, but eventually my mind scrambles back my memories.

That's right. I had put the crown on to fight off the zombies. And just as I had expected, unable to control its power, I let it take hold of my mind, thus stripping me of all self-control.

Looking around, I see the destruction I had caused.

The entire street is covered in ice and snow, frozen and buried zombies lay everywhere.

(This is even worse than the last time I wore it. And I can't even control it... I must never wear it near Komachi.)

Seeing as there are no zombies left, I sigh in relief and pick up the crown. It's about time I return to Komachi.

"W, wait a second!" the voice of a woman suddenly shouts out of nowhere. Turning around in shock, I find two people there.

As quickly as my guard shoots up, it lowers. After all, before me stand what are undoubtedly a mother and her child.

The resemblance and age difference tell me so. Both have light blue hair and grey eyes.

And one of them is injured.

You would think that zombies were scary enough, but then you encounter a boy that laughs madly as he attacks said zombies with strange ice powers. Not only that, but he completely decimated them. It took only a matter of seconds!

In any other situation, I would be no doubt hiding from sheer terror in the face of such a scary person. However, I have been bitten by a zombie.

I don't know how long it will take for the bite on my left hand to transform me, but I'm guessing it won't be long. I must entrust Keika to someone, to anyone.

And so here I am, hoping that this scary person won't turn us into ice sculptures as he had done with the zombies.

"...What is it?" the boy finally speaks, with his guard up. Wow, those are some scary-looking eyes, I note with a slight shudder.

Gulping down from nervousness, I make my request.

"I... I've been bitten. Could you take my daughter with you, please?"

His gaze holds suspicion, but upon seeing Keika, it softens.

"M, mommy? What are you saying, mommy!?" Keika cries out upon hearing my words.

Ignoring my daughter's protests, I lock my gaze with the boy's. The person in question takes a moment of contemplation, and eventually he speaks. The difference between him now and from a minute ago are definitely adding to my worries.

"Are you sure? You just saw what I can do. And besides, I'm a total stranger to you."

His logic is sound, but its not like there's a better option.

"Well... it's not as if I have any choice."

"...Were you bitten recently?"

"Huh?"

"Just answer the question."

"...Yes? It was just a minute or so ago, when we ran into that horde you, um... dealt with just now."

"I see." saying so, he steps closer.

Fear spreads throughout my body. What is he planning, coming toward us so suddenly?

Before I can take Keika behind me to protect her, he speaks with a calm voice.

"Don't worry. I think I can stop your infection."

At those words, I freeze in place. However, that is not out of fear. Though I am skeptical, hope flashes in my eyes regardless.

"But it will involve... pain."

(Pain? Is that... all?)

If it means I can spend a few more precious moments with my daughter, that is a small price to pay. The price is so small in fact, it almost makes me want to laugh.

"But we must do it quick." He pulls out a machete from who knows where and continues. "We need to cut that arm off. Maybe the infection hasn't spread that far yet. Though it's a gamble. I'm sorry."

Forget what I though, this is no laughing matter. Having seen him use what seemed like magic, I had thought for sure that he would do something magical to cure my arm. Well, there goes that little hope.

Still, if I can stay with Keika for a little while longer, I don't mind losing an arm.

And so, my answer is obvious.

"Thank you... and please, help me."

He quiets down, a deep frown covers his face. Perhaps he has never done something like this before? Well, taking a closer look, he really is still a teenager. Even if you have magic, I guess it doesn't make cutting someone's arm off any easier, huh?

His hesitation lasts for mere seconds though, for but a single glance at Keika's teary eyes spark a flame of determination within his own.

"...I got it."

"Keika! Close your eyes!" the mother orders.

"But, mommy!" the daughter cries out, tears flowing down that pale face of hers.

As though ignoring them both, the machete falls down with great force – albeit, not without hesitation.

"Kyaaaa!?" such are the painful screams of a woman losing her arm. Her blood paints the snow surrounding them all a crimson color.

"Mommy!?"

"This is...! Bleeegh!" and one Hikigaya Hachiman can't help but throw up at the sight of the results of his surgeon play.

Within the living room of the Hikigaya household, I can't help but walk in circles with what is no doubt worry and frustration clouding my face.

(It's been an hour already, where are you, Senpai?)

We have only known each other for a couple of days now, and yet the worry I feel for that reckless Senpai of mine grows ever stronger. Why am so anxious when it comes to him, I wonder?

"Argh! Damnit! Senpai, you really are trouble—!?" I can't help but shout in frustration, but am interrupted mid sentence.

There is someone knocking on the door.

"!" without second thought, I make my way for the door.

"Senpai! Is that you!?"

"Yes! Now open the damn door! We have guests!"

(Guests? And why does Senpai sound so anxious?)

In any case, I rush to move the table and the chairs away from the door. Before long, I make it to the door and open it.

"Senp–!" I can't finish my sentence, for Senpai pushes me away and rushed into the room while supporting some blue haired woman. And what's with the blood dripping from her... left... shoulder?

"Haah!? Senpai, what happened to her arm!?"

"I'll explain later! For now take the medicine from my backpack to Komachi! It's in the very last pocket! I have to deal with this one right now!"

I want to say something more, but the scowl on his face makes me backtrack.

"U, Understood!" It must be very serious if he has that look on his face. It's almost the same as when he threaten Hiratsuka-sensei back at the buss, isn't it?

Without further delay, I find the medicine and rush to Komachi.

Looking at the passed out woman whom I had to drag all the way here, I can't help but scowl deeply. The arm I took from her, there's no telling whether my plan succeeded or not. She might still be infected.

Regardless, her life is now yet another responsibility of mine. As the one who suggested to go through with this risky plan, I have to make sure she survives. And so I did something I never though myself capable of – I entrusted my sister to a stranger.

No, I take back my words. Iroha is closer than that, she is at the very least... an acquittance of mine.

(Stop thinking about stupid things, Hachiman!)

I can't help but scowl deeper. Even at a time like this, I'm thinking about things that don't matter.

Still, if I have to be honest, the true reason I want to save her life is that I don't want to be a murderer. After all, both the horde that was increased in number, which also might have caused this woman to be bitten in the first place, as well as me amputating her left arm almost up to her shoulder, in front of her daughter no less, are all my faults.

If she dies, then these hands of mine are undoubtedly what brought about such a fate upon her.

Looking back, that is exactly what made me want to help this woman in the first place.

But now it's too late to regret my decisions. I must accept whatever the world throws at me as unavoidable, and simply do all I can to work around it with whatever I have at my disposal.

(At this rate she'll bleed out. The cloth I tied around the wound isn't helping at all!)

I force myself to think. Just what can I use to stop the bleeding? It's not like I can just freeze her wound now, can I?

"...Wait a minute."

Isn't that exactly what I can do, though?

Looking around, I note that neither Iroha or Komachi are around. Releasing a breath of relief, I make a rush for my backpack, before retrieving the crown from it. Luckily, Iroha hadn't checked anywhere else inside the bag, except for the very last pocket where I had placed the medicine.

In any case, I return to the woman. Now that I think back, she never told me her name.

(That's just one more reason to save her!)

"Just a second. That's all I need. Come on, Hachiman! Just one second, concentrate like never before! I can do this!"

Gulping down in nervousness, I put on the crown once more.

Rejoice, for I have descended once more!

Feast upon the answers I bring to you from the unfathomably deep abyss that is "busy life, no time to write"! But seriously, feel free to drop your thoughts and questions. While I do write for myself mostly, I can't help but look forward to reading your reviews as well. Also, some ideas for the story going forward would be much appreciated.

Hachiman fan: Thanks for pointing that out. To be honest, I was too lazy to re-read that chapter and so missed that I had used "e" rather than "i". I'm not turning Hachiman into a woman, I promise! And as for the crown – when Hachiman wears it, he does not become another person. Rather, he loses sight of himself, he becomes insane and his self-control goes out the window. The longer he wears it the worse it gets.

Kiyotaka Uchiha: Thank you as well! Honestly, I'm not the most knowledgable when it comes to zombies, so I just winged this on what little experience I have from zombie movies.

RonaldM40196867: A theme? I hardly even thought about that. But if I had to pick one, it would be "self-sacrifice, and how it impacts not only the hero, but his friends as well".

And with that, until next time!