Updates may slow down this week.
Not an update—made a couple of edits.
What was that?
Naruto had looked at them—merely looked—and it seemed like something was suddenly breathing down their necks. It drove his point home quite rapidly.
It was also the first time she understood what other girls meant when they said they had butterflies in their stomachs.
There was something in her stomach alright—something massive. And it was doing backflips.
I have a crush on Mr Uzumaki.
The realization was quite distracting.
She did not know what to do. This was not an enemy she could attack. She had no frame of reference for this battle.
They had set out, Naruto loping ahead of the group. He'd handed over command to her for the period they were in transit, and to Hiroshi once they actually got to the cafeteria and were moving stuff.
She shoved her inconvenient thoughts somewhere dark and focused on the mission.
"Slow and steady, everyone," she said loudly enough for others to hear. "Keep your speed low, and stay on the tarred road."
They were in a convoy, with her vehicle in the middle. Mr Nakamura's was taking point, and Rei's was bringing up the rear. However, she was confident she could be anywhere on the convoy in less than five seconds.
The journey went smoothly.
Naruto remained out of sight even as they entered the cafeteria proper. The electric carts were small enough to fit in the door, so Mr Nakamura led the entire convoy in.
"Keep us facing the door," she instructed.
Mr Nakamura, Ms Hayashi and Ms Marikawa hurried to do just that.
Ms Hayashi used to be in a relationship with him. Maybe I should ask her for advice?
Alright, maybe the matter was not as deeply buried as she would have liked.
Momo and Miku gagged—quietly, but enough that she took note.
Ah yeah… My first painting…
No—our first date.
Some of the more perishable items were already going bad, adding a pungent smell to the old blood already permeating the cafeteria. It should have been quite a nasty experience.
Mr Nakamura and Ms Marikawa tried to offer some comfort, but there was very little to be had. She herself could barely bring herself to care when the place made those creatures in her stomach flog her harder.
It did have the consequence of putting a satisfying hurry in everyone's steps.
Mr Nakamura guided the raid, stuffing bags of rice and instant ramen into one cart, and as many bottles of water and drinks that would fit into the other two.
"Here," he handed a bag to Momo and Miku. "Get all the spices and powdered milk. If you find honey, grab it as well."
The work was grueling enough that she could lose herself in it. It was no fight, but she'd take what she could get. It took them nearly three hours to get the three carts full. As it stood, they would still probably need to come back for more after unloading.
The journey back was equally boring. Nothing challenged them, and she could see the starting to subtly relax, as though the worst was behind them.
The downside of having sheepdogs is that your sheep will be quite stupid.
But then again, was the stupidity a result of the protection of the sheepdogs, or did the stupidity necessitate the protection of the sheepdogs?
It was something to ponder.
"We might need to return," said Mr Nakamura to her quietly.
"I always simply assumed that we would," she replied. "There is still quite a lot left, and food is immensely valuable."
Thirty minutes later, they were on the way back.
The atmosphere was much lighter the second time around. Miku and Momo were talking quietly among themselves, and even Takashi didn't look as gloomy.
It was not to last.
By the fifth trip, things were starting to get bleak again. The entire group was sweaty and tired. Hiroshi had opened a pack of drinks for the group, but they were lukewarm.
Any day now…
"Isn't this enough though?" complained Takashi.
There it is…
This was to be their sixth trip for the day. It was already dark out, but the lights in the school made it possible to keep making runs.
"I mean, we've already been working for nearly six hours," he continued. "And then Naruto isn't here, is he? He just gave us something to do and left us to swing in the wind."
"Aren't you a bit loud?" said Momo quietly.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Takashi, raising his voice obnoxiously. "I can't hear you over the loud sound of nothing!"
"Takashi…" "Komuro…" "Do you have a death wish?"
Saeko for her part just kept her head on a swivel.
"Are you stupid, Takashi," asked Miku, quietly, but still annoyed. "Do you just shoot out of your ass and hope your diarrhea forms some kind of modern art or something?"
"You can't tell me that you aren't sick of this," Takashi said instead. "You know what I think?"
"We don't, but I'm sure you'll tell us shortly," replied Miku.
"I think all the zombies have already moved on, and Uzumaki is keeping us here to fulfil some kind of doomer prepper fantasy," said Takashi.
"It's enough, Takashi," said Rei, her eyes worried. "This is dangerous."
"But I'm right, Rei," he replied. "I…"
"Takashi," interrupted Mr Nakamura firmly. "That's enough. Let's leave the theorising to when we aren't in open ground like this."
Turning to the rest of the group, Mr Nakamura continued. "Takashi does have a point. This will be our last trip, so let's stay focused."
She was more surprised that Ms Hayashi and Ms Marikawa completely ignored Takashi's behaviour.
Did something happen between them?
By the time they were done with the loadout, it was past 8 in the evening.
"There's someone in that window!" Takashi cried suddenly, pointing at the Science building.
"Don't go anywhere," instructed Saeko, her voice low and serious. But Takashi was already moving.
"Come on, Rei, Momo," he said, dragging the two nearest to him as he took off in a run.
"Takashi!" "Takashi, no" "Rei—stop him!"
"Stop!" she barked, raising her voice momentarily, and forcing the rest of the group's attention on her. "Continue to the sports complex. I will go after them myself."
Ms Marikawa and Ms Hayashi didn't need to be told twice. Mr Nakamura only waited for a beat before following them.
She keyed her radio for the first time today.
Two clicks for 'coming in hot'.
Almost immediately, there were two answering clicks—one nearly on top of the other.
That taken care of, she took off after Takashi.
Takashi raced for the Science Building, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Takashi.." Rei said. He knew that tone of voice. Knew she was going to try and berate him.
"No Rei," he insisted. "It just means that Uzumaki didn't find all the survivors!"
Momo's hand was still in his.
They reached the doors and they were shuddering.
People are trapped in there!
He joined to pull immediately, grunting with exertion.
"Takashi…" said Rei again.
"Shut up and help me!" he cried. "Or are you going to doubt me again like before?"
It worked.
Rei got herself together and took hold of the second set of door handles, pulling with him. Momo just stood a bit behind, somewhat confused, as though she didn't know what to do.
He happened to glance behind him and saw Saeko bearing down on them.
Her face was set like granite, and he suddenly remembered the blade she left in the table this morning.
Incidentally, she was carrying a naked blade.
He yanked harder in desperation.
If I can show her, she'll have to believe me!
Suddenly, the doors gave way.
He and Rei were hanging on to the doors, so when it suddenly swung outwards and off its hinges, it took them by surprise, tripping them to the sides of the doorway.
Momo screamed in surprise.
Something rushed out the door in a flash and was on her.
Time seemed to slow down.
A beat.
She couldn't even scream as the thing rammed into her, slavering mouth extended towards her neck. It bit down in a crunch, tearing out her throat and neck veins in a gory splash of blood.
So much blood.
A beat.
Behind it, a mob of other things burst out, two more falling on Momo, and the rest turning to follow the sound of their doors clattering on the sidewalk.
Time slammed back into him.
He scrambled back, narrowly dodging the lunge. The things turned to follow him, nothing in their eyes. They were four now.
Someone was screaming bloody murder.
He didn't realise it was him until he ran out of breath.
Saeko fell on them like a thunderbolt.
She grabbed him by the shoulder and flung him away in a horrifying display of strength.
"Run!" she ordered.
And he ran.
He was already approaching the sports complex when he remembered Rei.
She was already at a disadvantage.
Rei had recovered, but her weapon was absolutely useless here. If she stopped, she'd be swamped and die.
"Retreat," she ordered.
"I'm trying," said Rei, tightly leashed terror in her voice.
She was nearly completely broken and was relying on her training to simply keep moving.
Saeko lashed out, trying to make space around herself as she tried to fall back to Rei's position.
There has to be at least twenty of them here
She lashed out, her boots connecting with a knee and crashing that zombie into two others lunging her way. She heard the sweep of Rei's staff as she traced a blur around herself, trying to get clear, as she cracked into bodies that felt no pain.
The problem was that the zombies heard it too.
Her radio crackled. "I'm less than a minute out."
It was Naruto, and he sounded… stressed.
Takashi better be dead by the time we get back.
And she would be getting back. She had only just discovered those large creatures in her stomach.
She couldn't really commit to any zombie. Her blade would get stuck, and she didn't have the space to pull it out in a way that would lead into another swing. It was a variation of the problem Rei had as well. At this range, on this field, the zombies were within their reach, and there was no way to disengage safely.
Her world shrunk to the space around her and the sound of Rei's staff. The sound let her know Rei was still alive.
Ba dum.
She crashed her hilt into the back of a lunging zombie as she slipped by, the solid crunch letting her know she broke something.
Ba dum
Rei's staff cracked against something that sounded suspiciously like a skull, shattering it.
Ba.
Suddenly, between one beat of her heart and the next, he was there.
Dum
His punch simply obliterated everything from the neck up. He was already flowing into the next, drawing a blade from somewhere on his person and leaving it in the brain of another zombie.
Ba dum.
He let go of it to smack a third with the back of his hand, tearing the head clean off the shoulders. His rotation brought his hand back to his blade, and he yanked it out viciously, trailing brain matter as he did.
Ba dum
Then he was on the other side—Rei's side.
There was a horrific blow, and sudden space appeared around Rei who immediately took it. They retreated and met, staying back to back to pick off any stragglers Naruto might leave behind.
There was no need.
He was an explosion of violence. It nearly seemed like he had ten arms—he ripped his way through the rest of the group in short order.
If she was forced to say, from the time from when they got clear to when the last zombies torso and head simply disappeared in a red mist was less than twenty seconds.
Her breathing came harshly, even in her own ears. Rei was no better—she was sitting on the ground, heedless of the dirt, and struggling to breathe.
She watched Naruto walk up to them barely winded, as though he'd just taken a stroll.
He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.
Saya was unsure if she had ever been this angry in her life before.
You wouldn't know it from her voice.
"You know," she began conversationally, her eyes on the screen and a small smile on her face as she addressed the shivering worm before her. "I should shoot you in the head."
Miku tore her eyes away from the screen, looking at her in surprise, along with Mr Nakamura.
The worm's lips parted, but no words came out. His hands twitched at his sides, clenching and unclenching like he wanted to fight, wanted to defend himself—but even he knew there was no defense.
Kohta's eyes never left the worm, nearly fixing it in place by the force of his rage. He didn't say a word. He didn't shift, didn't blink. He just stared, and it was somehow worse than Saya's gentle smile.
"I'm sure no one here would stop me," she continued. "After all, one must wonder when they will be next to be led to their slaughter."
The whole thing was within the range of two of the security cameras. They'd been able to watch it happen on the screen—Momo's brutal death, Saeko and Rei's near death, and Naruto's…
What can I even call that? It was like something out of a movie flick.
"Am I wrong?" She addressed the rest of the group.
Naruto and the two girls were out of the frame now, and coming within the doors of the complex.
"I'm sorry," the worm muttered.
"Sorry?" she said, tasting the word. She did not find it palatable.
"Oh you think you're sorry," she continued. "But you're not—not yet, at least."
She let the silence hang for a moment longer, watching him squirm. Then, softly, deliberately, she smiled even wider.
"But you will," she promised.
What a shitshow…
Somehow, this whole thing had turned into something ugly.
Our first death—and for what?
As they made their way upstairs, the gloom in the atmosphere seemed to rise another notch. The supplies lying in the central gym seemed to mock them now. Saeko was simmering, her anger on a low heat for now. She looked to him, and would not jump his lead in this matter.
Or at least I hope so.
Rei on the other hand, looked like she could barely contain herself. She reeked of violence and rage, her steps seeking to impress her fury on the very ground she walked on.
She led the way in her haste, flinging the door to the room wide open as she stalked in.
Everyone was gathered in the room already, all around the screen in some form or the other.
From what he was seeing, it seemed like they got a front row seat for his lesson on vigorous walking.
The room felt cold. Unlike the discomfort from this morning, there was only naked animosity of varying degrees; and it was all directed at one corner of the room.
Takashi sat on the floor in that corner, like a discarded marionette. He wasn't bound. He wasn't restrained.
But he might as well have been. There was no fight in him, only deep despair.
It's sad that it had to come to this
Saya was sitting in such a way that she could see the screen, and still keep Takashi in view. Her legs were crossed, and her chin was resting on her palm. She looked perfectly at ease—until you looked into her eyes. They were as hard as rocks, with absolutely no give in them. She had an idea of justice in her mind, and she would not take no for an answer.
She reminded him of her father in times like this—for all she sought to be different from him.
Kohta stood behind her, eyes only for Takashi, and unconsciously taking the role Saya's mother took on for her husband whenever he had to pass judgement.
The more things change…
Shizuka and Kyoko stood away from Saya, not not so far that they could not see the screen, but not not close enough that you might think that they were taking one stand.
Miku stood on her own, her arms around herself and her shoulders hunched inwards.
Hiroshi was the second person who was seated. He had his head in his hands, and Naruto could guess what was running through his mind now. He was the oldest in the group, and Naruto was sure that he would feel responsible for what happened.
He took a seat, gesturing for Saeko and Rei to find their own places. Rei stalked towards Saya, ending up on her other side. Saeko dragged a chair and plopped herself right next to him.
Court was now in session—for a given value of the word.
The air in the room was thick with tension.
He leaned back, arms crossed, watching them all. Saeko straightened up beside him, the very picture of the severe wife.
His face betrayed nothing of the hitch in thought that picture caused him.
"We need to decide what to do with him," Saya said, breaking the silence. "I won't pretend I don't have a preferred solution."
Kohta's voice was flat, hardened by anger, and maybe hatred. "He got someone killed."
Miku scoffed, her eyes no less hard. "Not just someone—he got Momo killed." She turned toward Takashi, her lip curled in disgust. "And he didn't even fight for her. He ran."
Takashi didn't react. It wasn't obvious that he even could.
"The way I see it," Saya continued, "we have three options."
She ticked them off on her fingers. "One: we kill him."
A beat of silence.
Takashi didn't flinch at that.
Kohta exhaled sharply. "It's the safest option. We don't have to worry about him messing up again. No risks. No liabilities."
Shizuka was oddly quiet. She was usually one to deflect or make light of things. Now, she simply tapped her pen against her thigh, watching.
Takashi stared at the ground.
"No," Hiroshi said. His voice was steady.
Saya arched her brow. "No?"
Hiroshi met her gaze firmly. "We're not executing someone for stupidity."
Miku folded her arms. "Why the hell not? Stupidity is why Momo is dead."
"I happen to agree with Miku," Kyoko said. "We don't have many chances to make mistakes. Definitely not enough for an arrogant fool to go about wasting."
"Execution is not a tool wielded lightly," Hiroshi said firmly, standing his ground.
"Lightly?!" asked Miku, pointing at the screen as she began to lose her temper. "Someone is dead! It could easily have been three people!"
"Exactly," agreed Kyoko. "This isn't light usage. Justice is also about getting vengeance on the part of the injured." She gestured to Saeko. "Or would you like Saeko here to take her pound of flesh from Takashi at her leisure because we were too chickenshit to do the right thing?"
Takashi didn't lift his head.
"But this isn't the state," insisted Hiroshi. "This is me and you. Do you think you can wield the knife to do it? Won't you still leave it for Naruto? This is not a door we can open lightly."
"I think you'd be surprised at what I am able and willing to wield, Mr Nakamura," Kyoko retorted.
Saya sighed, cutting off Hiroshi's response. "Then, there's option two: Exile."
Rei stiffened beside Saya, an odd thing with the glare on her face. "No."
Saya's gaze snapped to her.
Rei's fists clenched in her lap. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you'd just be condemning him to death without pulling the trigger."
She was obviously right, but most of the others didn't seem to care.
Miku rolled her eyes. "What, like he condemned you to death when he ran like a coward? He could have at least tried to be bait to lure some zombies and thin out the numbers you were facing. He didn't, so this would only be fair."
"I'll take responsibility for him," Rei said. Her voice was still hot, still tight, but she held her ground.
Kohta snorted. "Why? You think you can fix him?"
"He's my friend," Rei said simply, almost tiredly.
Kohta snorted at that as Miku turned her glare on Rei. Everyone else was silent at that.
After all, what can you say to that?
Takashi said nothing.
The silence stretched for a long moment.
Finally, he spoke. "Neither execution nor exile are good options."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Hiroshi is correct on the matter of execution. If we execute him, we set a precedent," he said, stressing the word. "What happens when the next person makes a mistake? When someone freezes? When someone panics?"
Saya frowned. "Takashi didn't just freeze, Naruto. He acted. He chose to ignore orders. He chose to run in blind."
"And he suffers for it," he said. His gaze flickered to Takashi—who still hadn't spoken. "Look at him. Right now, I think he's already decided his life isn't worth much. He's not even fighting back."
Takashi barely breathed.
"So," he continued, voice measured, "we make him live with it."
Miku blinked. "What?"
Saya's eyes narrowed.
"No exile," he said. "No execution." His gaze swept over them all. "But from this moment on, Takashi Komuro is nothing in this group."
Kohta crossed his arms, considering it.
Takashi… just sat there.
"No vote," He continued. "No authority. No input. He follows agreed upon orders without question. He doesn't get to decide anything anymore."
Saya tilted her head. "Like a prisoner."
His lips curled—not into a smile, but into something colder. "No. A prisoner would be worth guarding."
Miku gave a low whistle. "Brutal."
Shizuka, and surprisingly Kyoko, chuckled, amused. "I like it."
Takashi didn't move.
"Final decision," he said. "Takashi lives."
He let the silence settle.
"But from now on… he's nothing."
"I still say we should kill him," Saya muttered. But she didn't argue further.
Hiroshi exhaled, taking the verdict as a win.
Rei lowered her head, her anger warring with her affection for the boy.
Takashi…
Takashi closed his eyes—saying nothing. His fingers curled slightly against his knee, the only hint that he still felt anything at all.