Beta read by Shigiya
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-Tokonosu-
Strange.
A place that had once been packed with people and noise now sat empty, like something out of a horror movie. It unsettled the young officer more than she wanted to admit.
'Though, I am literally in an apocalypse right now... so maybe stop acting surprised. Pull yourself together, Asami.'
The supermarket had been picked clean. Most of the produce shelves were bare, emptied during the first frantic days of the outbreak. What was left was the stuff nobody had bothered taking. A few loaves of bread sat under blotches of green and white mold, some already chewed through by rats or whatever else had gotten in. Packaged vegetables sagged and wrinkled inside their plastic, while abandoned carts, crushed boxes, and spilled groceries cluttered the aisles. Dust, and old blood stains, had begun to settle over it all, leaving the store with the stale, silent feel of a place that hadn't seen a normal customer in about a week.
Weaving between the aisles, the short-haired woman in a Japanese police uniform eased a shopping cart forward, carefully lifting and guiding its bad wheel so it wouldn't rattle. Dirt marked the knees of her skirt, and her shirt had lost any trace of its former crispness. It was creased and rumpled from days spent sleeping wherever she could manage.
Reaching into an open freezer, Asami retrieved a plastic-wrapped steak before pinching her nose in mild disgust. The meat had completely thawed, yet there was no obvious discoloration or foul odor. "Eeeh, it smells a bit weird. Though that might be the blood? This is hard, I wasn't taught this at the police academy! Ah, it's Wagyu!?" Holding it closer, she tilted the package from side to side as though hoping the answer would somehow reveal itself until colour drained from her face upon seeing the price printed on the label. "Had I known about the apocalypse, I would have kept eating it daily from the moment I got my first paycheck..." A conflicted sigh escaped her. "The power was only gone for a bit. Surely it can't be that bad, right?"
For several seconds, she simply stood there arguing with herself. While hunger was no issue yet, her stomach and curiosity still insisted. It would probably be fine. Common sense immediately disagreed. "Just this once," she whispered, finally lowering it into the cart. "One little bite isn't going to kill me." Satisfied with that flimsy excuse, she resumed searching the nearby shelves, absentmindedly pulling the cart behind her until her eyes suddenly widened. Without warning, she smacked both hands against her cheeks. "Ah! What am I doing!? I almost forgot!" Abandoning all hesitation, she hurried back to the freezer section, scooping up every remaining package of beef she could find and piling them into the cart one after another. "The boss can dry these before they go bad. We can't waste this much meat!"
The growing mountain of frozen beef almost made her miss the poultry aisle. Almost. Slowing to a stop, she stared at the neatly stacked packages of chicken behind the glass before folding her arms. "No... that's pushing it a little too far." A thoughtful hum followed as she resumed walking. Three steps later she stopped again. "...Although..." Her head slowly turned back toward the refrigerated display. "If we cook it properly... maybe..." Curiosity got the better of her, and she reached toward one of the packages.
"You're really asking to get food poisoning in the middle of a zombie apocalypse." The voice came from directly behind her. "That's not brave. That's just fucking stupid."
The sudden interruption made the policewoman jolt so violently that she nearly dropped the package. Spinning around, she found Hiro casually strolling into the supermarket as though the world outside were perfectly normal. The bald man adjusted his glasses, grabbed a bag of chips from a nearby shelf, tore it open without ceremony, and started eating while continuing his walk.
A deep pout immediately formed on her face.
"You're not allowed to take food without reporting it to the boss first!" She pointed an accusing finger straight at him, adopting the stern expression of an officer trying to uphold the law despite the obvious absurdity of the situation. "Unauthorized removal of supplies is theft! Breaking the law will be punished severely!"
Hiro glanced at the half-empty bag in his hand, popped another chip into his mouth, and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're lecturing me about procedure while you were seriously considering eating week-old thawed steak and raw chicken." Another crunch echoed through the empty supermarket. "Priorities, Officer."
Though her words sounded serious, Hiro didn't seem to take them seriously at all. He rolled his eyes, opened the chip bag, and started eating right in front of her. Then he grabbed another chip and put it in her mouth.
"You need to stop being so stiff and relax for a bit. This isn't the police academy or the military."
As she chewed the chip, he looked at her with a grin on his face, as if already knowing the answer and just waiting to hear it from her. After visibly struggling to keep her emotions at bay, her shoulders sagging, she looked down miserably.
"It tastes amazing."
Hiro laughed. "See? You need to lighten up. It was the only bag of chips remaining anyway. It wouldn't have been the difference between life or death for anyone if I were to eat it. If it gets that bad, then we've already messed up heavily."
Hearing his words, Asami failed to see the logic and ended up agreeing. She looked inside the shopping cart and whistled. "So you're grabbing everything?"
She nodded. "This is the last of what I could find. Some of them have already defrosted and should be cooked immediately, while others are vacuum sealed and the expiry date looks good."
"I'm not a health inspector, but if the boss herself is okay with it, then I have no say in the matter," Hiro said, turning around to help her gather more stuff but leaving the chicken behind. "We'll need to throw it out somewhere, or else it will start stinking up the place and attract rats. We can't risk that since rats could potentially carry the infection."
"I haven't seen any zombie rats yet," she added innocently, only to be bonked on the head with a light karate chop from the bald-headed man who had gotten more and more in the habit of doing so. "Ouch! You know, it's against the law to strike a police officer!"
"Heh, of course I know that. Too bad I'm not dealing with one." He shrugged, completely unbothered by her indignation. "You're more like... a hall monitor with a badge at this point."
"I am a real officer!" Asami protested, her voice rising an octave. "I graduated and everything!"
"Sure, sure." He waved her off dismissively. "Anyway, I wasn't talking about zombie rats. That's not the issue." He grabbed a package of spoiled chicken and tossed it into a separate pile. "Rats are filthy little bastards even on a good day. They crawl through sewers, garbage, dead things, you name it. Their bodies are basically walking petri dishes for diseases that have been killing humans for centuries. Plague, hantavirus, all that fun stuff." He pushed his glasses up. "No reason to think the apocalypse suddenly made them cleaner. If anything, it's probably worse now."
This made Asami more somber as she nodded. "This is why we need to be careful." She then asked curiously, "Can animals like rats carry the virus?"
"Don't know," Hiro admitted, scratching the back of his head while helping her load the remaining supplies into the cart. "And I'd rather not find out." He deliberately steered around the poultry section, keeping his attention fixed on the shelves instead of the refrigerated displays.
The shopping cart steadily grew heavier as they worked their way through the supermarket. Cans, bottled water, snacks, medicine, and other necessities slowly filled every available space until Asami finally glanced at the large clock hanging above one of the aisles. "We should head back before the others start worrying." She rested both hands on the cart's handle. "I think we've gathered more than enough."
"Sounds good."
Hiro handed over the last unopened bag of chips he had been carrying. "Here."
"Thank you." A small smile crossed her face as she tucked it into one of the remaining gaps before beginning the slow journey back through the debris-covered corridor, carefully guiding the overloaded cart around fallen shelves and scattered merchandise. "Anything new while I was away?"
"The radio's working properly now." His expression brightened slightly as soon as that was mentioned. "We finally managed to establish contact with another survivor settlement. It's not that far from here, either. Something about Takagi, I think I heard that name before on TV."
Her eyes widened.
"Really? That's wonderful! Wait, how come you don't know them? They are amongst the most influential families in the city!" Even in the precinct, she had seen the pictures of some of the high-ranking officers standing beside the head of the Takagi family. Even Matsushima had been in contact with them, so to hear someone who knew nothing about them sure did surprise her.
To that, he just shrugged. "Meh, I'm not into politics and honestly it bores me. Before all of this… I had other things to worry about. Like paying my rent on time, buying food, and keeping a steady job… now I have to worry about not dying or turning into those fucking walking corpses. Hah… life just loves fucking me over."
"Don't worry, Hiro. I'm sure things will get better soon!" Hope immediately spread across her face, replacing the exhaustion she'd been carrying all morning. "There are still people out there." The excitement lasted only a moment before another thought struck her. "Did you ask about Officer Matsushima? Is she with them?"
The hopeful question lingered between them for several seconds. A quiet sigh escaped the man before her and he slowly shook his head.
"You know as well as I do..." His voice softened. "...the chances of Officer Matsushima making it this far aren't very high. It's been days, we already have casualties from going outside for a few hours, I can't imagine someone surviving several days without a serious miracle."
"No." The answer came so quickly that it caught him off guard. "I refuse to believe that."
Her grip around the shopping cart tightened.
"Maybe another officer died. Maybe someone got separated. Maybe someone else was eaten by those things." The certainty in her voice faltered for the briefest instant before returning just as quickly. From the moment she joined the police force, Matsushima had always surprised her with how capable she was. Someone with so much talent and intelligence that surpassed anyone she worked under. For someone like that to just die… was unimaginable for Asami. "Officer Matsushima isn't the kind of person who would disappear that easily. She was one of the best officers I've ever met. If she isn't at this settlement, then she's helping another group somewhere else. If she made it there first, then I'll find her when we get there." A determined smile returned to her face. "I'm sure of it."
Watching that confidence return despite everything they had experienced left Hiro visibly both impressed and confused.
"I honestly don't know how you manage to stay this optimistic."
That was one way to look at things, but she did not believe it was just optimism, part of her genuinely believed it. "Because someone has to. We've all seen what happened outside. We know how many people never got the chance to escape. Compared to them, we're fortunate. We found shelter inside a shopping mall with food, water, some medicine, electricity, and people willing to help one another. Imagine if we'd been trapped somewhere smaller with nothing left to scavenge." She looked back at him and smiled. "Things could have been much worse."
For a brief moment, he looked away and cleared his throat as if he had choked for some reason. "...Y-Yeah, let's go with that."
After thinking it over, he nodded.
"I can't really argue with that."
Their conversation gradually faded as both concentrated on navigating around collapsed displays and abandoned kiosks. The wheels of the shopping cart rattled across broken tiles, becoming the loudest sound in the corridor until another noise suddenly echoed somewhere ahead.
Bang!
Something heavy struck the floor with a loud crash, followed almost immediately by shouting. Both froze for only an instant before exchanging a glance and breaking into a run. Several other survivors had heard it as well, emerging from nearby shops and maintenance corridors with worried expressions as everyone instinctively moved toward the source of the disturbance.
Asami immediately stepped in front of the gathering crowd before panic could spread.
"Everyone, please stay calm." She raised both hands in a reassuring gesture while forcing herself to smile despite being unsure of what was going on herself. Just letting her training take over. "It's probably nothing serious. Hiro and I will check what happened, so please remain here for now. We'll handle it." It was a speech she had repeated countless times over the past several days. Perhaps it wasn't enough to calm everyone, but if it eased even one frightened person, then she believed it was worth saying every single time.
Together they hurried toward another section of the mall that had recently been partitioned off using hanging sheets, heavy curtains, wooden frames, and salvaged doors to create additional living quarters. The moment Asami pushed one of the makeshift doors open, something flew straight toward her face.
"Asami!"
"Ah!"
Pure instinct saved her.
She threw herself downward just as a beer bottle whistled past her head. Glass exploded against the wall behind them, fragments scattering across the floor.
"Who the fuck do you think you are!?" The furious voice came from deeper inside the room. Asami cautiously lifted her head, finally getting a clear look at what had caused the commotion.
Standing near the center of the room was one of the original survivors who had endured the outbreak inside the mall from the very beginning. The man towered over nearly everyone present. Thick muscles stretched beneath a stained shirt, short greasy dark hair hung carelessly around his face, and years of hard living had carved an intimidating expression that discouraged most people from speaking to him unless absolutely necessary.
The target of his anger appeared completely unfazed.
"Pipe down, you didn't need to throw a perfectly good whiskey bottle."
Leaning back comfortably in her chair, a tanned purple haired woman calmly lit a cigar before taking a slow draw as though none of the shouting concerned her. A tank top and military trousers gave her an unmistakably practical appearance, while the relaxed confidence with which she carried herself naturally drew everyone's attention. Her general attitude reminded Asami of Officer Matsushima. Different personalities, different backgrounds, but the same feeling that when either woman spoke, people instinctively listened.
"You're batshit insane!"
Shimada jabbed a finger across the table at the woman sitting opposite him, unable to contain himself any longer. "Taking that path is going to get every last one of us killed! We should be reinforcing the parking lot and expanding our territory before another horde wanders in. The place is practically empty right now, and if we don't secure it while we still can, we might never get another opportunity!"
The outburst received no immediate answer. Instead, Rika continued working on the rifle laid across the table as though the shouting barely registered. She detached the scope, held it toward the light to inspect the lenses, wiped away another invisible speck with a cloth, then carefully secured it back into place. The room remained silent except for the faint metallic clicks of the mounting rings locking into position. Several people exchanged uneasy glances. Asami could not tell whether the sniper was intentionally making him wait or simply refused to be rushed, but the effect was obvious. With every passing second, the man's breathing grew heavier, the veins in his neck becoming more pronounced as he struggled not to explode again.
Only after tightening the final screw did she finally look up.
"You start tearing down concrete and hammering away at barriers, every zombie within hearing distance will head straight for us," came the calm reply. "You're underestimating how sensitive they are to noise. Something as simple as driving a nail into wood is enough to draw them in." Her fingers rested lightly against the rifle stock before continuing. "And we don't exactly have the luxury of waiting. The elderly couple's blood supply is almost gone. We can't keep pretending more bags will magically appear. We need outside help. The supply I brought back was never meant to last this long."
That only poured fuel onto the fire.
"We would've had more if you hadn't kept bringing in people yesterday!" Shimada shot back. "Every extra person means another mouth to feed, another body to protect, another share of supplies disappearing!"
The accusation earned little more than a level stare.
"So your solution is to leave them outside?" There was no anger in her voice, only quiet disbelief. "Let them get torn apart while we watch from behind these walls? Is that honestly what you're suggesting?"
His mouth opened, then closed again. A brief hesitation crossed his face before he forced himself to continue.
"These aren't normal times. None of us likes making these choices, but someone has to. We've already burned through everything from the supermarket that spoiled first. The preserved meat isn't going to last forever either, no matter how carefully we dried it. Every day our stockpile gets smaller while the number of people depending on it grows larger. If we secure the parking lot, we'll finally have enough space to start growing vegetables. There's a river nearby. We can figure out a way to divert some of the water here."
"The parking lot is almost entirely concrete," she answered without missing a beat. "Even if you somehow break all of it apart, there's no guarantee the soil underneath is suitable for farming. And suppose everything goes perfectly. You're still talking about waiting months before harvesting anything. Months." The scope was set carefully on the table before she folded her hands together. "I understand why you're worried. Everyone here is worried. But you're planning around the assumption that we're already alone forever. These supplies were never intended to sustain us indefinitely. They're buying time until contact is made with another settlement. I refuse to start turning people away while there's still a reasonable chance help could arrive."
"Help?" A bitter laugh escaped him. "Again with that fantasy? We both know nobody's coming."
The words lingered in the room for a moment before he let out an irritated grunt, spun around, and stormed toward the exit. Halfway there, his shoulder slammed into Asami's as she stepped aside to let him pass. The young police officer stumbled a step, rubbing the spot with an annoyed frown.
"Seriously? Watch where you're going."
Whether he heard her or simply chose to ignore it was impossible to tell. Without offering so much as a glance over his shoulder, the man disappeared through the doorway, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging behind him.
'What a gentleman…' She thought sarcastically.
"Show's over, people." Every head in the room snapped back toward the sniper. Rika took another slow draw from her cigar, exhaling a thin trail of smoke before continuing. "This isn't a soap opera. You don't get to stand around gawking like it's free entertainment." She gestured lazily toward the door with the hand holding the cigar. "If you've got enough free time to eavesdrop on arguments, then you've got enough time to make yourself useful. Barricades need reinforcing. Supplies need counting. Damages need checking. Pick one." Her gaze swept across the gathered survivors, lingering just long enough on each face to make the message clear. "Or don't. Your call."
The spectators dispersed almost immediately. Conversations died where they stood as people hurried back toward their assigned duties, some carrying tools, others gathering supplies or returning to guard posts. The speed with which the room returned to normal impressed Asami more than the argument itself. Nothing about Rika's expression suggested the confrontation had affected her in the slightest. After weathering accusations, shouting, and open disagreement, she simply picked up her rifle again as though it had been nothing more than another interruption in an already busy day.
Only then did her eyes drift toward the young police officer.
"Oh. You're back."
Asami immediately went to her and performed a typical military salute — right hand raised sharply to her forehead at a perfect angle, fingers extended and together. "I'm back. Police officer Asami Nakaoka reporting back from duty!"
Seeing her actions, Rika let out a deep sigh. "For the thousandth time, I'm not your superior! You need to stop and just talk to me normally."
"It's a sign of respect!" Asami insisted. "I can't just stop doing it. That would be disrespectful."
The purple-haired woman let out a long sigh before waving the matter away. "Fine. Forget it." After slinging the weapon over her shoulder, she shifted to something more important. "How did the supply search go?"
The embarrassed smile immediately disappeared from Asami's face.
"Um… We've… well, we've officially run out of fresh food. The dispatch team—Ah, I-I mean Hiro and I brought back the last of the meat yesterday, and even the remaining chicken has already started going bad. I think the freezer stopped working for some reason."
Another tired groan escaped Rika as she pinched the bridge of her nose, fingers slowly sliding up toward her forehead. "I should've known about that." Her hand remained pressed against her temple while she muttered, "Seriously... how did everyone here survive this long before I showed up? And who exactly was the genius that decided to tamper with the generator and electrical wiring before I found you all?"
That question made the young police officer visibly shrink. Her shoulders drew inward as both index fingers awkwardly poked against one another.
"It... wasn't exactly on purpose." A nervous laugh escaped her. "One of the runners somehow got inside by accident. We barely managed to lure it into a storage room before sealing it in..." She paused, already knowing how ridiculous the explanation sounded. "...It just happened to be the room with the generator and all the electrical equipment. The thing kept throwing itself around inside and destroyed most of it. We didn't manage to restore power until we were sure it was dead… and we had to figure out how to fix it after that since none of us are electricians."
Rika lowered her hand and stared at her for several seconds.
"...How did nobody die dealing with a runner?"
The awkwardness instantly disappeared, replaced by a grin that practically lit up the room. She always wanted to tell this story but never got the chance to do so!
"That was actually me!" She proudly announced, puffing out her chest. "One of the survivors was about to get bitten, so I shoved him out of the way before the runner reached him. Then it started chasing me instead. I ran all across the mall until I reached that room. After squeezing inside, I crawled through one of the ventilation ducts." She tapped herself proudly. "Being this small finally paid off. While I escaped through the vents, everyone else slammed the door shut and trapped it inside. Then Shimada killed it by piercing its head with a sharpened piece of wood."
The response earned another long look.
Half of Rika's expression looked genuinely impressed. The other half looked like she'd just accepted that Asami was the kind of person who could trip into a pit of zombies and somehow crawl out with nothing worse than a scraped knee.
"So you're telling me," Rika said slowly, "that you survived a runner by being too small to catch?"
"I prefer to think of it as tactical compact mobility!"
"...Don't police officers carry firearms?" Rika finally asked. "Why didn't somebody just shoot it?"
Asami's shoulders immediately drooped again.
"I wasn't issued one yet..." She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Matsushima was the only officer here who actually had a handgun. I was supposed to receive mine pretty soon before the outbreak happened." Realizing how that sounded, she quickly straightened up again. "B-But I do know how to use one! I already passed the training!"
As she defended herself, her eyes kept drifting toward the weapons on the older woman's body.
Several knives rested neatly on the racks, but one in particular refused to leave her attention. The massive sniper rifle leaning against the wall looked almost as tall as she was. Beside it rested several polished giant bullets as big as her finger, each meticulously polished to the point she could see her face on them. The handgun on her belt especially caught her eye, its metallic silver frame decorated with elegant gold accents along the grip. It looked less like a service weapon and more like something taken straight out of one of those American spy films she loved watching during her days off. For several seconds she seriously considered asking whether she could simply hold it, if only for a moment, but the request died before reaching her lips.
Not yet.
The thought settled firmly in her mind.
'First I have to prove myself. Once Rika knows she can trust me... maybe then she'll let me handle something like that.'
"...Right." The sniper shook her head, but a faint smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You know what? I'm not even going to question it anymore. Whatever works."
Without another word, Rika rose from her chair and headed deeper into the shopping mall. "A-Ah, wait for me!" Asami hurried after her without needing to be told, matching her pace while they passed rows of makeshift beds, barricades, and exhausted survivors quietly going about their assigned work. Compared to when Matsushima had first arrived, the place felt noticeably emptier despite there being more people around.
She really did miss her…
Their walk came to a stop beside an elderly man resting against the wall. Gray streaks ran through his hair, a pair of glasses rested low on his nose, and the blanket covering his legs failed to hide the fact that one of them ended below the knee.
"How are you holding up, Tanaka?"
The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses before offering a reassuring smile.
"I'll live. Every now and then I get a nasty sting whenever I try putting weight on what's left of the leg, but other than that..." He gave a small shrug. "I can't really complain."
"Good," Rika said while patting his shoulders. "You'll get help soon enough."
Asami watched the scene, remembering this guy having arrived two days ago along with Rika. Apparently, these were survivors she had found under an overpass and had them tag along before they ended up in the mall, finding them all.
"It would be best for you to not get comfortable here," Rika mentioned. "This is only a temporary base."
"That's not what Shimada said," Tanaka responded with a confused face. "He was saying that we would be staying here longer and needed to prepare for more excursions to gather supplies. Oh and something about expanding the area or something."
Rika clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes. "We don't need to listen to that idiot. He's just being too paranoid for nothing. The Takagi people should be here in a few days or even hours at the earliest. Don't worry. Everything is alright."
With that, she continued making her way down the mall, Asami following her and marvelled at how easily she managed to calm down the people with just a few words. Something she could not replicate unless both her and Hiro were to say it together, it made her wonder what part about her made it hard for people to trust her word that came out of her mouth.
Aside from that, something else caught her attention. "What was going on between you and Shimada back there?" the police girl asked.
"It's simple," Rika replied. "I want to leave with everyone, but Shimada wants to stay because he's afraid of failure."
"Failure?"
The woman in front of her took a puff of her cigarette, then blew out the smoke. "It's frustrating because I get it. He's seen the disaster going on outside and all the people dying. Wanting to stay bunkered here would be safer, and the chances of him losing it terrify him. But unfortunately, we can't stay here forever, as we don't have the resources for that. We need to leave and have to take a chance with the Takagis. This place is just a ticking time bomb, you understand what I mean?"
"Yes," she agreed without missing a beat.
Rika looked at her with confusion. "Don't you have any doubts?"
"What doubts?"
A genuine response, not once had she ever doubted this person. The moment she tried to help others lost on the streets or needing help without question, that was when Asami understood that this woman had a good heart.
"I'm well aware that not everyone shares my idea," Rika continued. "The mere thought of moving away from here would terrify many. Even I can't guarantee we'll survive if zombies attack. And runners are no different to a death sentence to them, even I can't guarantee my own survival dealing with several of them without the proper weaponry.
"No, I fully trust you and put my faith in you!"
Rika smiled as she ruffled the girl's hair, making Asami groan a bit as she wasn't prepared for that gesture. She quickly tried to adjust her hair while Rika said, "You remind me of a young private I once trained."
Hearing that, the young brown haired police officer couldn't help but become ecstatic. "Does this mean that I'm someone capable of joining the army and reaching the same rank as you?"
"Hahaha!" Rika gently tapped her head again. "How about we focus on getting out of here alive without getting bitten first, okay?"
Soon they reached the room where the runner was contained. Rika looked through the glass, which had been broken in places. "Was this the glass that got shattered by Shimada to shove that wooden stick?"
Asami scratched the back of her head, "Kinda, it was actually the runner that first tried to smash its head against it several times when it no longer saw me. After it broke in, we tried to kill it as soon as we could before the entire door broke down."
In the middle of the room lay the runner's corpse, a broken broom handle still jutting out of its face like the world's most pathetic flag. Rika clicked her tongue. "This complicates things." She crouched down, studying the body with a clinical eye. "If they were all those walking zombies, moving a group this size would be annoying but doable. Runners though?" She straightened up, shaking her head. "One of these bastards is all it takes to turn an organized evacuation into a bloodbath. Here's hoping the Takagi people show up with a convoy. Otherwise..." She trailed off, glancing back at Asami. "Let's just say I don't like our odds."
Just then, one of the survivors shouted from the second level of the mall. "Rika! More of them spotted! They haven't discovered us, but they're getting close!"
"Fuck," Rika swore under her breath as she grabbed her sniper rifle. "Time to send some heads rolling!" She went upstairs onto the roof with Asami following her, where they could see several zombies in the distance. Upon observing closer with a pair of binoculars, she narrowed her eyes while Asami tried to spot them but could barely see anything.
"It seems that those runners aren't just zombies that can move fast, but they can lead other large hordes around," she said while passing the binoculars.
The police girl looked ahead. "I see several zombies wandering the streets with dozens more behind them. How can you tell? They all seem to be walking normally."
"Observe the feet," she instructed calmly and Asami made sure to do so. Still, they looked normal? Aside from all the dirt and blood, nothing that was out of place.
"Nothing in particular aside from bare feet and blood and the usual."
"Exactly," Rika explained, much to her confusion. "Runners have a tendency to be either barefooted or having their shoes or any other footwear be extremely worn or completely torn. While regular zombies who can just walk have mostly intact feet. At least for now before they start rotting."
That… made sense. Now that she tried to remember about the first runner, it also had torn shoes and even a missing toe that could have gotten ripped away from running so erratically. "Wow, I hadn't even noticed that! Does that mean we can identify every runner like this before they can get close and kill them?"
Rika ruffled her hair again, earning another groan from the shorter girl. "You're on the right track, but don't go betting your life on it." She let her hand drop and fixed Asami with a more serious look. "Could turn out to be bullshit. All it takes is one wrong call — one zombie you assumed was a shuffler suddenly sprinting at your face — and you're done. So here's the rule; assume every single one of them can run. That way, if you're wrong, at least you're wrong in the direction that keeps you breathing."
Asami shuddered. "That's a scary notion."
"Not as scary as the possible threat of being turned into ashes by a nuclear warhead if we don't escape this place, or this place gets worse by the day."
"What?" Asami asked.
"Nothing," Rika replied, taking her sniper and getting down on the ground. Several seconds passed, but no shots happened, which confused the police girl at first.
"Why aren't you shooting?" They had been standing there for the better part of a minute, she doubted that a marksman like her wouldn't have gotten a proper shot by now.
"Just because I have a gun doesn't mean I should just blatantly use it. Even if I have enough ammo to last me a few months, every bullet is a precious resource, no different from money in this time and age. But that's not why I'm not shooting." Rika looked toward the city below before continuing. "As for why I'm not shooting. I have a mental line between the mall and the outside world. You can consider anyone or anything crossing that line as something that will eventually make its way toward the mall. If it doesn't cross it, then there's a chance it will just walk into the city and disappear."
Her finger remained away from the trigger as she watched the streets below.
"And I can't be careless with my shots either. No matter how many modifications I make to this weapon, the sound will still carry. If I'm not careful, I could attract more of them."
Asami immediately took out a notepad, nodding enthusiastically as she began writing everything down. The police officer carefully recorded every detail, clearly treating the explanation as something worth remembering.
"Hold on."
The moment a runner got close enough, the warning came out immediately. Asami watched as the other woman became more focused, her finger moving closer to the trigger while she looked through the scope. Through the binoculars, the police officer saw the infected creature slowly move closer and closer until it practically crossed the invisible boundary that had been mentioned.
At the last second, the runner's head twitched toward some sound only it could hear, and it veered off, wandering away from the mall instead.
Asami let out a shaky breath. "Thank God. Guess something out there sounded more interesting than us."
"Well, I saved a bullet."
Rika continued watching the area for several seconds, making sure the runner had completely disappeared before finally standing up.
As they turned around, the rooftop door opened and a group of people stepped outside. "Huh?" A bad feeling immediately washed over the brunette upon seeing Shimada standing at the front, with dozens of others gathering behind him near the entrance. "What are you…" she tried to speak but got stopped by Rika who tapped her shoulders and the latter narrowed her eyes at the group approaching them.
"Hey Shimada, what brings you and your friends here? Don't think you can help me, unfortunately."
"Cut the crap. I'm not here to joke with you. You know perfectly well why I'm here. Why are we here?"
"With that crap again?" Rika shook her head. "We can't just stay here forever. We can't turn this mall into a settlement. Our goal is to get out of the city entirely."
"Kenji died." The words immediately caught their attention. "I just got the news a minute ago… he went out scavenging for resources. A runner got to him, according to the others."
Rika's eyes widened slightly with Asami feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. Kenji being another survivor brought along with Rika, a father who was searching for his daughter, someone attending Fujimi Academy. She never really had a long conversation with him, but understood he wanted to go out there and find traces of her as soon as possible.
For him to die… was just…
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"As if I'll believe those words, Rika." Shimada sneered before spitting onto the ground.
"My point still stands."
"The world outside is a fucked up hellscape!" he shouted again. "Every time someone gets sent outside, they always end up dead. Having to deal with normal zombies was bad enough, but now we have fucking zombies that can run fast to chase someone on a bike! Who knows what will appear in the future!? It's better for us to fortify this place and do with the blessing we have received."
"Blessing?" Rika shot back, her expression going cold. "This isn't a blessing. It's a temporary shelter, and sooner or later it'll become a concrete box we can't get out of. I'm trying to make sure we survive long-term… not just scrape by until this place finally fails us."
"As if you understand those words!" The accusation came with a pointed finger toward her. "You're just trying to take control! You're doing this to save your own skin for selfish reasons rather than trying to help the people here. You're just using your army title to gain everyone's trust."
"Rika is not like that!" Asami stepped forward, unable to stay quiet any longer. "We were already struggling before she came here. When she arrived, we were having a much easier time and were able to help more people. We even managed to get medical supplies! She wouldn't have done that if she was selfish."
"Shut the fuck up!"
The anger immediately turned toward the police officer. "I don't need to hear anything from someone who's no different from a dog following its owner around just because she feels like they work in the same field. You were already useless enough barking orders back then, and now you still think you somehow have any authority when it's all because of her."
Rika immediately raised a hand. "Lower your voice. We can discuss this inside. This doesn't need to happen on the rooftop where there's no noise dampening."
"No." Shimada shook his head, refusing to back down. "This needs to happen right now and right here. I'm sick and tired of your bullshit. I need to intervene before you end up getting everyone killed."
"And then what?" She challenged him without missing a beat. "You're planning on forcing everyone to follow you? You know not everyone below is going to be on your side."
Asami nodded her head, While there were plenty of people who perhaps shared Shimada's ideas, there were just as many who were thankful to Rika and everything she had done for them. The young police officer could not imagine those same people turning their backs to their saviour who was still trying to help them and guide them somewhere safer.
Yet the person in front did not share the same sentiment, as his voice lowered to almost a whisper. "I have my ways of handling that."
"You're trying to take control, but I promise you it won't end well. Most of the people below need immediate help. They cannot stay here for long without proper medical assistance."
"What about our lives then!?" His voice rose again, his frustration spilling over. "What about the lives of people like me and those behind me, the ones who don't need medical assistance? Do we just get thrown away because your elderly people have already lived past their prime and are now nothing more than burdens? We're not living in a modern society anymore. Hard decisions need to be made if we want everyone to survive, and those who can still fight and move should be the ones we prioritize."
Rika's expression hardened. "Just lower your damn voice if you don't want to attract more of them. The rooftop is practically broadcasting your entire argument across the area."
"I'm tired of talking. I've tried convincing you, but you're clearly too stubborn to understand." Shimada shook his head. "I'll handle this my own way."
Rika raised an eyebrow. "By force?"
"If I have to, yes."
The purple haired woman brought a hand to her chin, studying him for a moment. "You've got a lot of confidence saying something like that to someone holding a sniper rifle."
She lifted the weapon, making it clear she wasn't afraid to use it while keeping the barrel away from anyone. Several people on the other side immediately tensed, but Shimada remained unfazed. Instead, he smiled and stepped forward, raising both hands.
"If you think I'm wrong, then shoot me."
"I won't unless you become a nuisance. I'm being more than reasonable here. I'm giving you a chance to calm down so we can go back inside and discuss this like adults."
"No. I'm done."
Shimada snapped his fingers. The door behind him opened, and several people entered the rooftop. Among them were multiple men and a middle-aged woman supporting what appeared to be an elderly couple.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka!" Asami immediately recognized them. Her expression changed as she looked between them and Shimada. "What is the meaning of this!? They're supposed to be resting after receiving treatment. They aren't supposed to be moving around."
"Isn't it obvious what he's doing?" Rika's eyes narrowed. "These cowards are using them as hostages."
"Do I have any other choice?" Shimada looked back at her. "You're the one with the weapons. I have to use whatever advantage I can get."
"You're acting awfully righteous for someone who tried to force himself on me the first time I arrived, and not in a very polite way either."
He ignored the jab. "This is your last chance. I know you won't do anything reckless. Drop the gun, and I'll let them go. I'll have my people bring the couple back to their quarters."
Asami stared at the situation in disbelief. She couldn't understand how things had escalated to this point. When she attempted to move forward, her voice immediately cut through the rooftop. "Stop this right now! You're crossing the line!"
One of the people beside Shimada shoved her back. She could tell that things were starting to get really bad with more and more of the people ahead becoming more confident. How… how could she help in this scenario? Distract them or try to get the elderly couple away? No, doing so could risk them getting hurt and she could not afford that.
Once again, she hated this feeling that started to bloom within her heart. The sensation of helplessness, unable to do anything once again. The force of the shove sent Asami down onto her knees. She looked toward Rika, searching her expression for some kind of answer, some indication that she had a way out of this situation. Instead, the only response she received was a simple command. "Stand down."
"B-But—*
"But nothing, don't overthink it too much, Asami. I can practically read what's going on in your mind through your face."
Getting visibly more frustrated, the other side also started to show more aggression. "Just shut the fuck up! We're not following your orders anymore! This is our home. We aren't abandoning it just to go outside based on some false promise with no proof that another settlement will even save us. So lower your gun now or else I'll have to do something I will regret for the rest of my life if I have to."
Those words sounded genuine, this man was many things but Asami knew he was no liar. Especially in a situation like this, his eyes were red with rage and she knew full well how volatile people could get during such moments. As for Rika, she didn't respond. Instead, she slowly lowered her sniper rifle until it rested on the ground before raising both hands to show she was no longer holding anything.
"There. Now keep your word if you're really a man of your own."
Shimada visibly relaxed before turning his attention back toward the people behind him. "Bring the elderly couple back inside."
After giving the order, he lifted his shirt, revealing a large machete strapped against his waist. His hand wrapped around the handle before he pulled the weapon free, the blade catching the light as he faced Rika again.
"You better not try anything."
He and several others started moving forward. One of the men stepped toward the sniper rifle lying nearby, clearly intending to take it away before anyone could interfere. The moment he bent down to grab it, Rika moved.
Pa!
"Argh!"
Her foot slammed into the weapon, sending the stock swinging upward with enough force to strike him directly beneath the chin. A painful gasp escaped him as his head snapped back, and before he could recover, the military woman was already in front of him.
"Shit!"
A quick strike followed to his throat with enough strength that it left him unable to breathe properly. Stumbling backward, both hands immediately moving to the struck area as he collapsed onto his knees, desperately trying to regain control of his breathing.
"Fucking bitch!" The second attacker reacted immediately and rushed forward, attempting to grab her while she was occupied. Instead of meeting him head-on, she stepped aside and allowed his momentum to carry him past her. Her hand caught his arm, twisting it behind his back before she drove her knee into his spine.
"Aaah!" A pained groan escaped him as his body was forced downward, his face nearly hitting the rooftop.
Shimada was next.
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance!" With the machete raised above his head, he charged forward and swung with all his strength. Instead of retreating, the woman grabbed the injured man beside her and pulled him into the path of the attack. Shimada's blade struck the man's back instead, causing a scream of pain to echo across the rooftop as he collapsed.
'Woah…' From the side, Asami watched with growing concern. Her eyes moved toward the sniper rifle and immediately saw Rika trying to get her hands on it.
Shimada noticed the same thing. "Not so fast!" He quickly kicked the weapon away before anyone else could reach it, but the moment his foot made contact, his expression twisted.
"Ah! Fuck!"
The force of the kick sent pain through his leg, clearly leaving him regretting the decision.
"Idiot, that's not a small handgun you can kick!" She reached into her back pocket as more of Shimada's people began moving forward, preparing to intervene. Without looking away from them, she shouted toward the police officer. "Asami! Go back to my car outside and take everything that's inside to help you and the others!"
Before anyone could question what she meant, she threw one object into the air before tossing another after it. The first hit the rooftop with a metallic sound, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
It looked like a grenade.
Several people froze, instinctively backing away as panic spread through the group. "Grenade!" The second object continued through the air, catching the light as it spun.
Asami quickly realized what it was.
The car keys!
"I got it!" She reached out and managed to catch them just as the first object activated.
Poof!
The smoke canister they mistook for a grenade activated and the rooftop was immediately covered by a thick cloud of smoke as the grenade released its contents, spreading across the area and blocking everyone's vision. "I-I can't see!"
"Where is she!?"
"Hey! Don't swing your knife at me!" Several people shouted in alarm, jumping back and stumbling away from the smoke as they believed they were facing an explosion.
The sudden confusion threw the entire group into chaos.
'Now!'
Following her instinct, Asami rushed past the people, pushing through them and making her way to the door. She headed downstairs, nearly slipping and falling but managing to stay upright. When she arrived downstairs, she saw more people there, stunned to see her. 'There are more of them!?'
"What was that sound?" Another person added, "Wait, if she's here, then things are going bad! Get her quickly!"
"Wait, wait, wait! You're also teaming up with Shimada too!?" Asami asked, but they clearly weren't going to give her an answer as they rushed towards her. Feeling like she had no choice, she dodged them, using her small stature to slip through their grasps. "Oof!"
Thankfully, most of them moved a bit slow and weren't trained professionals, so she managed to make it halfway through the hallway but couldn't slow down with many of them trying to capture her while others went upstairs. She knew she had to make haste or else something bad could happen to Rika.
When she arrived at the stairs, she noticed more people downstairs looking up at her. One of the younger people was actually a student from one of the many schools, though not from Fujimi from what she recalled. "Sugi! Are you also in his group? Why?" she called out in pure disbelief, for this person wanted to find safety more than anymore rather than being stuck in the mall!
"Don't blame the kid, he saw what happened to Kenji out there. You wouldn't understand unless you see someone you know get devoured in front of you," one of them replied. "The outside world has changed. It's far too dangerous, and it's better for us to get bunkered up here and focus on what we already have rather than betting on other people."
"But you're being led to fear by Shimada!" Asami argued. "Rika hasn't disappointed us yet, and every decision of hers has helped us!"
"You have to understand, Asami," another person added. "This doesn't have to end in a fight. Let's just calm down."
"No, I have to help Rika!" Looking down the stairs, she jumped, making several people panic.
"Are you crazy!?"
"Ah!" The girl landed on a collection of cardboard boxes that they had left there after retrieving some items. The cardboard boxes softened her landing, but she still felt a bit rattled. As she tried to get up, she wasn't fast enough, and one of them managed to catch her hand.
"Let go!" she tried to say, but the guy had a firm hold on her.
"If you don't come down and listen to us, then I will have to use force if I have to."
Before he could do anything, another person arrived and tackled the guy to the ground. Asami was surprised to see the person and also visibly happy, "Hiro!"
The bald man huffed, still holding the guy down, said, "Asami! That bastard Shimada went behind our backs and is trying to throw Rika outside!"
"I know!" Asami replied. "He's currently on the rooftop dealing with her!"
"Shit!"
"Rika gave me a key to her car, saying to use whatever's inside to help her!" She flashed the keys, not even needing to say more as he already seemed to get the idea.
"Go! I have your back," Hiro told her. "The others are trying to hold the rest back, but it's going to get ugly if this doesn't get resolved now!"
"Just wait for me! Thanks, Hiro!" Asami nodded before breaking into a sprint, weaving through the abandoned shopping mall as frightened civilians and panicked shoppers suddenly spilled into the corridors. Every turn forced her to dodge another person, shoulders brushing against strangers who shouted questions she couldn't answer. She ignored them all, concentrating only on reaching the parking lot. Hope vanished the moment the emergency exit came into view. Heavy steel shutters had already been lowered over the gate leading outside, chained shut long before all of this had begun. The sight hit her like a punch to the stomach. In her panic, she had completely forgotten the parking area had been sealed off during the earlier lockdown. Behind her came the voices again.
"Stop!"
"Don't run!"
Whether they wanted to help or not no longer mattered. Terror had already taken over. Spotting a maintenance door standing slightly ajar, she darted through it without a second thought. A rusty crowbar leaned against the wall just inside. She snatched it up and jammed it between the handles before stumbling backward as fists immediately began pounding against the metal. "Hah… hah… hah… oh no… hah… d-does this place even lead to the parking lot?"
The staircase descended into a service level beneath the mall. Thick pipes ran across the ceiling, electrical cables disappeared into concrete walls, and the stale air carried the smell of dust, oil, and damp cement. Dim maintenance lights buzzed overhead, some flickering weakly while others remained dead entirely. Every footstep echoed far louder than it should have in the narrow corridor. The pounding from upstairs grew louder. Metal groaned under repeated impacts.
"It won't hold for long… I'll have to find a way out."
Her breathing became shallow. There was no time to think. The frightened girl ran deeper into the underground passage, shoes splashing through shallow puddles left by leaking pipes.
"—!?"
Then another smell drifted through the corridor — blood.
Every instinct screamed for her to keep moving, yet her legs refused. They locked in place as a humanoid figure silently stood in the darkness ahead, swaying ever so slightly and finally moving forward.
'N-No…'
It slowly emerged from the darkness ahead.
For one terrifying second, she wanted to assume that one of the pursuers had already cut her off for it would have been a more favourable outcome. But as the seconds ticked by, the larger the despair within grew. The silhouette shuffled forward beneath the weak glow of the nearest light. First came a pair of feet, the skin split open and stained dark with dried blood. Torn shoes barely clung to swollen flesh. One slow step followed another, accompanied by the faint scraping of rubber against concrete. As the figure entered the light completely, recognition struck her all at once.
'...A runner…'
The words never truly escaped. They remained trapped somewhere in her throat.
Barely twenty meters separated them now. The infected's face looked as though someone had dragged it across broken glass. One eye stared directly ahead while the other had been destroyed by a jagged piece of metal lodged deep inside its socket, leaving dried blood running across one side of its face. The injury explained why it had failed to notice her immediately. Realizing that, Asami clamped both hands over her mouth before even the smallest gasp could escape. She slowly shifted one foot backward, praying she could disappear without making a sound.
Crack!
"Finally! Find her quickly before she gets outside!"
Then the maintenance door upstairs burst open and people started shouting. The noise echoed throughout the underground corridor.
"—!"
The runner's head snapped toward her. Its remaining white eye locked onto hers and for a moment she genuinely wondered if she was wrong about it being blind.
"Aaaagh!"
The shrill screech bounced off every wall before the infected exploded forward.
"N-Noooo!"
Her body reacted before her mind did. The instant the creature lunged, she threw herself downward. Rotten fingers swept over her head as the runner sailed past, crashing shoulder-first into a bank of exposed pipes with enough force to shake the entire wall. Steam hissed from one fractured joint. Before it could recover, she scrambled upright and sprinted again, every painful breath burning her lungs.
A maintenance room appeared farther down the corridor. Without slowing, she threw herself inside and slammed the heavy steel door shut with both hands just as the infected crashed into it from the opposite side.
The impact nearly knocked her off her feet.
Bang!
Again.
Bang!
And again.
Bang!
Each slam rattled the hinges, sending flakes of rust drifting onto her hair. She planted one boot against the bottom of the door and leaned her entire body into it, arms shaking from the effort.
"Go away... please... just go away..."
The pounding continued relentlessly. Metal shrieked. Bolts creaked inside the frame. Every second stretched into what felt like an eternity until, without warning, everything stopped.
Silence…
Not trusting it for even a moment, Asami remained pressed against the door, barely daring to breathe. Only after nearly a full minute passed without another impact did she slowly remove her belt, thread it tightly through both handles, and pull until the leather strained, creating an improvised lock. It would not stop something determined forever, but it might buy a few precious seconds.
Staggering backward, she nearly collapsed against the opposite wall. Every heartbeat hammered painfully inside her chest while sweat rolled down her temples despite the cool underground air. The adrenaline began wearing off, leaving only exhaustion and guilt behind. Her thoughts immediately drifted back to Rika.
"I couldn't even help her..." The whisper sounded painfully small inside the cramped room. "I couldn't reach her car... couldn't do anything..."
Officer Matsushima had left because someone had needed to act, and she had been too frightened to become that person. If only she had been stronger. Faster. More dependable. Then perhaps Matsushima could have stayed behind with Rika instead. She would have known what to do… she always did. Instead, she had become another person who needed saving.
Several long minutes passed while she remained standing there, eyes fixed on the floor. The urge to cry became almost impossible to suppress. Finally, her knees began to give out. She slowly lowered herself, intending to sit against the wall and hug her legs.
"What am I supposed to do now...?" Her fingers tightened around the keys she still carried. "I should've thrown Hiro the keys... At least one of us would've had a chance..."
A soft creak interrupted the thought and every muscle in her body immediately tensed. The sound hadn't come from the door — it came from above.
"Ah!"
Fear took hold, for a brief moment imagining another infected crawling through the ceiling, Asami slowly raised her head toward the ventilation shaft running across the room. One section of the metal grate hung partially open. Something protruded from the opening, dangling awkwardly into the room.
The girl blinked once, then twice.
"...A butt?"
Had the scare and horror of having a brush with death made her lose her mind? The differences between what she had faced a few seconds ago and now were so drastic that the girl began questioning reality. Was this what a mental breakdown looked like?
The absurdity of what she was seeing completely overwhelmed every other emotion. Unable to convince herself it was real, she cautiously stepped closer and reached out with one trembling finger.
She poked it.
'Ah, soft.'
"AAAH!"
"Waaaaah!"
The voice nearly launched her into the ceiling. She stumbled backward with a scream of her own.
"I-It talked!?" She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"Someone touched my butt!" the unseen owner wailed with the butt wiggling around even more and making the metal walls of the vents creak even more. "Seth! Seth! Something touched my butt! Pull me out already! I don't want it eating my ass!"
A talking butt!? After everything that had happened today, maybe this was finally the moment her mind cracked from all of the stress.
"I'm tryin', you idiot!" another man snapped from somewhere inside the ventilation duct. "I told you this was a terrible idea, Kohta. We should've used the front entrance instead of crawling through an air vent! With yer fat ass, what made you think you could fit? You're built like a barrel!"
"I was trying to be stealthy and didn't expect for this thing to break on me! Didn't I tell you I spotted someone who looked like a sniper? I wasn't taking any chances! Besides, you agreed with the plan too! Stop lecturing me and start pulling!"
"I agreed because you were already halfway inside!" Another grunt echoed through the ductwork. "For fuck's sake. Your body is stuck! Try sweating from your ass or something to lubricate yourself! If I pull any harder then your arms will be ripped off.."
"I can't sweat from my ass so quickly… It's cold down there. And I'm wearing clothes."
Now that she was starting to regain her sanity and pull herself from that earlier depression, it became more and more clear that this was actually not a talking butt. Yet she had never seen something that big… it looked strangely plump?
A pause followed before the second voice spoke again.
"...Hold on."
"What?"
"The hand felt... kind of soft."
"So?"
"...What if it was a female zombie?"
"..."
One could feel the disbelief or even exasperation radiating from the second person. "I can give you a moment and you can tell me later how it feels to be bitten by a woman undead then."
"Ah! Don't go!" The butt wriggled frantically. "I was just j-joking! Pull me out before she bites my backside!"
Still struggling to process the sheer absurdity of the situation after everything she had just endured, Asami slowly approached the dangling figure again. Curiosity overcame caution. Reaching out once more, she pinched the exposed backside.
Just to make sure it was real and also because her own curiosity got the better of her on how could this thing be so spotless. Even bigger than Rika's… This person was definitely a man… was this envy? She couldn't tell, her mind was a mess and exhausted.
"AAAAAH! SHE BIT ME! SHE BIT MEEEEE! No! I don't want to turn now! I still haven't kissed a girl yet!"
This time, despite everything that had happened, the exhausted woman couldn't help staring blankly at the ventilation shaft and finally spoke up.
"...Um, d-do you need help?"
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.