...Ughh...why do i feel...drenched. Like i'm warped in wet towels, hell, even my frigging pillow feels moist...how did i end up sweating so much? It's not even summer yet...

I shake my head and bring my hand to my face...and realize...that i wasn't wearing my headgear...

(...Huh...i remembered to take it off this time?...That's weird...because i don't remember going to slee...)

And in a flash, it all came rushing back to me...the horde, the car...the river...and the two girls that came along with me...

(Shit!...Saeko! Saya!)

I shake my head again, this time more violently and open my eyes. Only to close them again as i felt a jolt of pain run through my forehead...

"...Ugh...the...hell..." I groan as i try to get up...

"Naier!...Don't...make sudden movements...you were out cold for quite some time...and...don't worry. We're all...fine..." A female voice that felt as if it were next to me speaks up...

I lower my head again...and come to another realization...that my head was indeed, not touching the ground...

I finally open my eyes...and come face to face with Saeko...who was leaning over me with a concerned expression...and judging from her posture...my head was not on the ground, because it was on her thighs...

"Ughh...how long...was i out..." I ask as i turn to stare at the sky and bring my hand to my forehead...

"A long time...the...extraction must have already happened by now...i saw helicopters pass in the distance..." I hear another voice...and after turning to it, i see Saya...

"...What?..." I just...stare at her as i ask.

"You...passed out after the car hit the water...and i...i couldn't swim against the current with you my back...we...ended up drifting here..." Saeko responds with a calm voice.

I...get up to a sitting position...and turn to stare at the ground as i process what Saeko just said to me...

(We...missed the extraction?...Because 'I' passed out?...The...hell?...Are you fucking kidding me?...I...shit...shit i fucking knew it...i knew i shouldn't have let these two come with me. Now we're all screwed...What...was i thinking?...was i even fucking thinking?!...Fuck...Fuck,Fuck,FUCK!)

"FUCK!" I end up shouting as i throw the hardest slap i could muster against my knee...then bring my hand to my forehead as i close my eyes and grind my teeth...

"What are you shouting for...we're still alive...aren't we?" Saya speaks up without turning to look at me...The way...she just calmly spoke while hugging her knees like that...honestly...it pissed me off...but...

(...Uhh...whatever you do...don't...shout again...especially not at them...this is your fault...they lost their biggest chance to escape this hell...because of you...because of me...last think i'm allowed to do is lash out at them)

"...Shit...i knew i shouldn't have let you two come along...now we're all s..."

"You really don't understand a thing! Do you!" Saya's shout caused me to turn my head to her. Her eyes looked...red. She was...crying?...

She then gets up and walks a little further off on the small sandbank we were on.

"Great...just...great..." I whisper in a low tone and let out a deep breath.

"Naier...The reason she cried, wasn't the missed extraction..." Saeko whispers to my ear as she gets up...I just...tilt my head as i glance at her.

"After we drifted here...we...tried to wake you up...but...you wouldn't respond...no matter how much we tried...you just...didn't react" Saeko then looks at my mask.

"I will say this, just in case you have any doubts...i'm not mad at you...and neither is Saya...both of ended up here, by our own free will..." While Saeko kept speaking, I narrowed my eyes and silently kept staring at the ground...she...looked at me for a few seconds, before letting out a small sigh...

"Naier...a man must never lose faith in himself...for if he can't believe himself...then others won't be able to believe in him either...and...i don't want to stop believing...you gave me a reason to go on...so don't...take this away from me now...not when i need it the most...it's not just your life that you'll forfeit if you give up..." She then extends her hand with my headgear...

"Uhh...you...really know how to drive it in don't you..." I smile slightly as i breathe through my nose...then take the mask and balaclava, wear them, and slowly get up...Saeko just...chuckles.

"It's my duty as a woman...and...to be truthful...i just...don't want to be alone again...i hated it...i still do" She responds with a forced smile...

"Point...taken...sorry i made you worry...so...what's our situation..." I ask as i take a deep breath and look around...

"...First...i think you need to remind one more person...that she didn't risk her life for no reason..." She then motions towards Saya with her head, who still had her back turned to us...her arms folded and her head slightly hunched...

"...Are...the guns safe?" I ask as i look at Saeko...she responds with a nod.

"The bags still closed?" I ask again, this time she shakes her head.

"No...we opened them...and the duct tape ended up ripping the bags...sorry" She points at the plastic bags that were a few meters away, with the guns still 'inside' them...

"Hmm...it's alright, i'll figure out a way to move them when the time comes...but for now...i have another plan" I walk to the bag as i speak and take the Luger...

(Ok...i actually got no idea how to go on about this...but...Saeko is right, wallowing in self-pity is not going to help me, or them...not doing anything ain't going to fix our current situation...not for the better at least)

After taking the gun, i walk up to Saya...who...didn't react, even after i stopped next to her. She just kept staring at the river, her arms tightly folded under her chest...at least her eyes were no longer that red. I turn to look at the gun...and then slightly extend my arm, until the Luger was in front of her...She just glanced at it without saying anything...keeping her arms tightly folded.

"The only reason i said that i didn't want you to come with me, was because i was afraid that i might get you killed...not because i don't want you with me...to honest...i do...want you to come with me...and not just because you'll be able to see things that i can't" As i speak Saya turns to look at the gun again.

"Huhhh...Saeko's...right..." She takes the gun in her hands and turns to look at me.

"You 'are'...a stupid sweet talker..." She says with a mumbling voice, then turns around and walks towards Saeko...who was holding the bokken i had strapped on my bag in her hand...

"Huh...whaaa...Uhh...what?" I turn to look at the two girls as i tilt my head.

(...Saeko...called me that when we were alone in the house...didn't she?...So if Saya knows that...then this means...)

"Uhh...why i get the feeling that you two know something that i'm not aware of..." I say as i keep looking at them.

...Saya...turns to look away with a slight frown...Saeko...just brings her hand to her mouth with a slight giggle...

"That's...a secret between girls..." She responds with a smile...

(Ohh...They 'talked' alright... i feel like i just stepped in an active minefield...)

"...Naier...are you...sure you're alright now?" Saeko asks right after, causing Saya to also turn her head towards me.

"...Yea...i'm fine, don't worry. So...uhh, how do we get out of here..." I turn to look around me as my voice trails off...

(Right now we're stuck on a small sandbank in the middle of the river...with the walls around us still as tall as ever...)

"The river looks clear now...maybe we can swim to the ladder that is a little further down the river" Saeko speaks up as she points to a ladder that was behind me on the wall at the right side of the river.

"...Clear?..." I ask.

"...While you were off to dreamland we had to watch as a river of corpses marched right past us...just be glad that the current didn't let them drift on this sandbank..." Saya responds as she folds her arms.

"I...see...one more thing...we came from 'this' way?" I point straight ahead, behind the two girls. Saya turns around, then looks back at me and nods...

"Hmm...in that case...that ladder won't do" I add up as i turn around behind me and look at the ladder that Saeko mentioned.

"Huh...why's that?" Saya asks.

"That ladder will lead to the road that the Humvee is on...and...well...even if we're too late for the extraction. I still think we need to go towards the school first." I put my hand under my chin as i speak.

"Hmm? How come?" Saeko was the next one to ask.

"...The extraction might be over, but the people there might have left information on what to do in case people arrived there too late...like another extraction spot...or supplies...seeing as the extraction did not happen too long ago...that place might still have stuff worth taking" As i finish speaking the girls look at each other for a few seconds...they then turn to me and nod.

"...Hmm...well...i 'can' see a ladder on the wall that's on the landmass that the school is on...but it's a bit far.." Saeko then points behind me again.

I turn around and look to where Saeko was pointing...and true enough, there was a ladder on the wall we needed to take further down the river...much...further down the river...if the nearby ladder was ten or twenty meters away the other was two hundred or two hundred and fifty meters away...normally nothing 'that' horrible, but...we had to also move the guns somehow...

I turn to look at the ripped plastic bags and notice that my bag was also there...could not see Saya's bag anywhere though.

"Is my bag the only one we got?" I ask.

"That's what i was already holding when we exited the car, not my fault" Saya speaks up right after as she looks away with a slight pout.

"Never blamed you...hmm...does it have any plastic bags left?" I ask once again.

"Only the one with the ammo inside...the other three had the handguns...also...can i have the holster for my gun?" Saya walks up to me and extends her free arm.

"Yea...but you are not holding on to the gun just yet" Saya tilts her head and frowns at me after hearing my response.

"Huh, why? You said..."

"We need to get the guns to the ladder...so...we'll put them back in the bag, tie the bag to the top of the bokken, and then go swimming..." I cut Saya off...

"Uhhh...Why do you have to make everything so complex?...we can just hold the bag out of the water by hand you know" Saya responds as she folds her arms and raises an eyebrow.

"In either case...we have to move, we gain nothing by staying here" Saeko adds up right after...

And so, we started to...'pack up'...

"Still don't know why we have to tie the bag to the bokken...also...you sure bounced back fast from your 'woe is me' state..." Saya, while kneeling down next to me. Speaks up with a slight smirk as she places the Luger in the bag.

"Crying about it ain't gonna help...if it's my fault that you two ended up here, then all i have to do, is make sure that you two survive until you get another chance" I answer without turning to look at her.

"...Don't...say it like that...you make it sound like you don't care if you your self survives or not...i didn't risk my life just to see you die like an idiot...get that in your stupid head before you do something idiotic..." She responds as she glances at me...

"I agree with Saya, if you have the idea that 'saving' us by sacrificing your self is one of your options...then get it out of your head...because it's not an option...you'll do more harm than good if you do that..." Saeko adds up as she closes the bag, unfastens the lower part of the shoulder harnesses and wraps them around the bokken, before finally locking part of the wooden blade on the side straps. She then gets up and lifts the broken over her head...

"Uhh, yea...wrong wording, didn't mean it like that..and ahh...looks a bit funny...but it works" I say as i look at the bag that was hanging on the top of the bokken like some sort of overweight flag...

"Works better than a certain idiot's mask" Saya glances at me before turning to look at the bokken again.

"The who what now?" I ask as i get up.

"It didn't stop you from passing out" Saya folds her arms and turns to me.

"Yea...that's true...i guess" I respond as i tilt my head slightly.

"Yea, so take it o.."

"Yea...no...nice try Saya..." I cut her off as i turn around and head towards the edge of the sandbank.

"I can't see the street that the ladder ends up on...no idea if it has corpses chilling up there..." I fold my arms as i look at the ladder in the distance.

"I should go first then, i am the most proficient in close combat...and we have only one close-range weapon left" Saeko walks up next to me as she speaks.

"Two, i always have a combat knife in the bag, as i have no sheath for it..." I respond as i point at the bag.

"But yea, using it is like trying to stick my finger in a corpse's mouth..." I add up.

"So i go first with the bag and bokken? If there are any of them...any corpses nearby, i will leave the bag and deal with them after i got up" Saeko turns towards me and tilts her head slightly.

"Hmm...just don't go too crazy" I respond as i nod.

"Only as crazy as you usually go" She grins ever slightly as she answers.

"Yea...no...don't..." I respond as i shake my head.

"So only you're allowed to make others get worried about you?" Saya almost shoves her self between me and Saeko as she leans forward until her frowning face was in my field of view.

"Well...uh...frigging...trap questions" I respond in a low tone as i turn to look towards the ladder.

"What was that? I didn't hear you~" Saya grins and leans even more towards me.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" I ask as i glance at her.

"Well, you can't seem to come up with any of your usual idiotic comebacks, so yea...i'm enjoying this" She responds with the grin still on her face.

"Uhh...in any case... let's get going" I shake my head as i turn to look the clean blue river.

"...I'd...rather not get all wet again...but there's not much we can do about it" Saeko responds as she starts walking into the river.

(...All...wet...wrong images in my head again...huh...to think that a few minutes ago i was going for a total breakdown. I...really should be thankful for the way these two handled this. Regardless whether letting them come was the right choice or not...they want to be here...and that's what matters...i at least want to believe that...)

"Oh...and by the way...you better not start staring after we get out..." Saya glances at me multiple times as she speaks...then turns to stare at the river.

"The clothes in the bag, did you take them out to dry the first time the bag got into the water?" I ask, seemingly ignoring Saya's 'warning'.

"The ones that got soaked yes, i kept the bag out of the water...as much as i could...but exiting a sinking car while trying to figure out what to do with a sleeping princess isn't exactly...easy" She turns to me as she lifts an eyebrow and smirks.

"True...and thanks for the rescue" I answer.

"Hum...well...i did say that you would not survive a day without me...guess i'll just have to keep saving your sorry butt" She responds with a huff and a slight smirk as she folds her arms and looks slightly away from me.

(Wasn't it Saeko that carried me though?...yea...i'm not saying that...let her enjoy the moment...)

"Heh...in any case...what i wanted to say is, you can change into the clothes we have in the bag." I turn to look at Saeko as i finish talking. She was now swimming in the river, the bokken with the bag giving out her position like some sort of weird-ass snorkel.

"Well, let's get going..." I nod and walk into the river.

(I should at least keep my head out)

With the rivers current...i didn't really have to swim, i just drifted until i reached the ladder...which, by the time i reached...Saeko was already on and on the last steps, looking at the street above us.

"We are in luck, the street is clear" Saeko turns to look at me as i grab the ladder.

"Good, let's get going" I answer as i turn to look at Saya, who was some meters away from me into the river.

I extend my arm after i climb up a couple of steps. Saya took my arm before grabbing on the ladder her self.

"If you look up right now...i will kick you back into the river after we get up" She whispers to me as she keeps staring over my shoulder...

"Is it because Saeko is wearing a skirt?" I ask casually.

"Of course it's because Saeko is wearing a skirt you pervert!" She shouts as she glares at me.

"Saya, don't shout, we don't know if there are any of them...any corpses nearby" Saeko speaks up as she climbs up the ladder and then turns to look at us.

"I..it's not my fault...Naier was being a pervert" Saya grumbles.

"I'm pretty sure i did not do or say anything perverted though..." I tilt my head as i start climbing up...

After we all got up Saeko took the bag off and handed it to me...while i...uhh...

(Uhh ok...now i know...why Saya said not to stare...but...uhh...is this...how Takashi felt from...'that'...view)

And then, my head jerked forward...as somebody slapped it from behind...

"Pervert...Saeko...you might want to...cover your self..." Saya groans as she moves past me and points at Saeko's chest...

Saeko tilts her head questionably and lowers her head...looking at her school shirt which was now...pretty much see though...making her purple lace bra very uhh...visible...

"I'm...leaving the bag here...take some dry clothes from there" I turn around and look down the river as i take off my jacket and leave it on the railing.

And after some...shuffling...i hear the bag open...

"H...hey Saeko, what are you doing?" I hear Saya speak up in a hushed tone...

"What do you mean?" Saeko asks back in a normal voice.

"W..why are you taking...that...off..." She asks back.

"...Hmm? well, they're drenched, what's the point of changing clothes if i have wet underwear?" Saeko answers casually...

"WAaaa, don't say it out loud..." Saya 'whispers'...

(...Wait...does this mean...That Saeko is actually completely naked behind me...is there...a mirror around here?...uhh...focus)

"Ughh...i hate the fact that you're right though..." I hear Saya groan.

"Why are you so embarrassed?...Nobody is watching, and...you actually have a really nice body, you got no reason to be so embarrassed" Saeko replies...

"...H...hey...w...whaaayy!" Saya then lets out a short yelp...

"Hmm...your chest is actually bigger than mine too..." Saeko responds nonchalantly...

(...Is Saeko 'trying' to make me turn around?)

"Are you two about done?" I ask.

"S...shut up you pervert!" Saya shouts back with a cracked voice...

After that...I heard some more shuffling...until.

"We're done" Saeko replies as she walks up next to me and leaves the drenched clothes on the railing... Saya walks up next to her with her face...flushed...

Both she and Saeko ended up in a black shirt and cargo pants. They have also taken off their shoes and were wearing a new pair of shocks...Saya...was also wearing an unzipped jacket.

"Y...you really need to expand your wardrobe...all you have is black clothes...and they all look the same, jackets, cargo pants and shirts" Saya responds as she tries to fix the shirt she was wearing...while my clothes ain't 'skin-tight'...Saya chest...was just too big...

"Guhh, stupid...annoying..." She then looks at the shirt and starts jumping place while pulling the shirt down...

(...F...o..cus)

"Is there something wrong...Naier?" Saeko pokes me on the shoulder with a slight smirk, her eyes narrowed...

"Uhh...no...let's bounce...uhh i mean let's go..." I close my eyes and quickly shake my head in the middle of my sentence, then turn to Saeko...she just... stares at me with a 'You just got busted' look...

"Well, while i do want to go on as fast as possible...we have no other shoes...we need to wait for them to dry...thankfully it's pretty sunny outside...and my boots did not get very wet inside...i think they are waterproof..." Saeko walks a couple of steps backward until she reached the railing by the river, she then sits on it and glances at her boots...seemingly letting go of the previous...subject...

Saya, after 'fixing' her shirt casually walks up next to Saeko, sits down and leans her back against the railing...

"Ok...so you'll stand guard for now?" She asks as she turns her head to me...

"Uhh...yea..." I nod as i glance around.

(She...didn't hear me?)

So, as Saeko was barefooted, we decided that i would stand on guard while we waited...

And after some time passed...

"...At least i don't see any corpses around" I say while tapping the bokkens edge on the ground.

"Uhh...so much about learning how to use that Mepi five or what's it's name..." Saya groans as she looks at the Luger that was now in her hands.

"Ahh speaking of that, as Saya 'did' have her weapon training, my turn should be next, right?" Saeko speaks up right after.

"H...hey... i no longer have that gun...it doesn't count..." Saya turns to Saeko as she frowns.

"Let's get to a safe spot first...then we will see what we'll do..." I respond.

"Very well..." Saeko nods at me and turns to look to her left, towards the street that continued next to the river.

"We...shouldn't be 'very' far away from the bridge...as we spent most our time waiting on that sandbank..." She adds up.

Saya then looks at Saeko...lets out a sigh...and lowers her head slightly...

"Uhhh...Naier...there's...also something else you need to know..." She says as she lifts her head and turns to me...her face taking a serious expression...

"I get the feeling it's not something i'm going to like, seeing how you are bringing this up..." I respond...she...nods

"Is it about Takashi?" Saeko asks...and Saya nods again...

(Huh?...What is it about Takashi that i am 'not' going to like...)

"Well...you see...after...we realized that we won't be able to reach the ladder...Takashi...ordered us to leave you behind...His reasoning being, that he could not allow to lose three members of his group..." Saya lowers her head and narrows her eyes slightly as she speaks...

(...Or...he just didn't want to lose Saeko...just because he said he would not 'try' anything...does not mean he would flat out keep his word)

"...This effectively means we also disobeyed Takashi's orders" Saeko adds up.

"...I see" I respond as i glance away and nod.

"...That's...that's all? You're fine with this?...Naier he ordered us to leave you behind! You would have drowned if we had done as he said!" Saya raises her voice as she turns to glare at me.

"Just because i'm silent, does not mean i agree with him, but i sort of understand where he's coming from...your two were an important part of the team" I turn to her as i answer.

(And it's not like that he doesn't have it in him either...he was willing to let Asami die in the manga without really 'trying' to save her...and he didn't seem to care that it was Kohta that had to shoot her too...i don't know if he didn't realize that Kohta was in love with that girl...or if he just didn't 'care' for anybody other than Saeko and Rei when push came to shove...uhh...guess the fact he wanted to save Alice is some sort of silver lining...But...this isn't about him now...)

"Well...if it counts for something... i'm glad that you two decided to stick with me..." I say after a short silence.

"...It...more than 'counts for something' Naier...trust me..." Saeko responds with a smile as she turns to me.

"Well, as i did already say. You would not survive a day without me, i can't just leave you all by your self...now that i know how much of an idiot you are" Saya turns to look away as she huffs and folds her arms.

"Heh...thanks.." I shift my eyes to the street to our left as i take a deep breath.

(Still as chundere as ever i see. So...uhh...after our stuff drys...we'll head towards the school...)

"By the way, Saya...the bag you left in the car...what did it have inside?" I ask as i turn back to her.

"...I took most of the stuff out before entering the car...only kept a couple of bullets, a roll of duct tape and some medicine..." She answers as she closes her eyes and stretches.

"Hmm, i see...yea...could have been much worse..." I respond.

"By the way, Naier...aren't you going to change?...Your clothes are drenched as well" Saeko asks as she tilts her head.

"I will...after i'm no longer the one standing guard..." I answer.

"I see, once my clothes dry then, i will take your place." Saeko replies with a nod.

And so...we waited...and other than some extra small talk...we stayed otherwise quiet...

Saeko was the first one to change into her 'normal' clothes...with Saya following after her, who also took the Luger's holster...in difference with Saeko though, her shoes did not seem to want to let go of their added water element...so, after they were done...i took the bag and went to change...well...i say went...but i didn't actually 'go' anywhere...last thing i need is a corpse sneaking up on me while i change...so yea, now it was their turn to 'turn around'...

"Good thing you said we should take some clothes...staying in our wet attire would be really bad...catching a cold or constantly sneezing..." Saeko speaks up as she kept her back turned to me.

"I actually just didn't want to risk wearing whatever clothes the people at the evacuation point would throw at me" I answer.

"S...so not only you wear only black, you also refuse to wear anything else too?...Huh...actually, it sounds something like you would do now that i think of it" Saya responds as she folds her arms and 'sways' her upper body.

"That's what i like, that's what i wear" I respond.

"Humm, i actually like your choice of clothing, trenchcoat included" Saeko adds up right after.

"W...well...yea..ok. It was not...that bad" Saya jerks her shoulders slightly as she turns to look away from Saeko.

"And, i'm done" I say as i close the bag and leave the wet clothes on the railing...

Or well...my pants, as my shirt was pretty much dry along with my jacket...as for my boots. Well...pretty much same deal like with Saeko's boots. They were not that wet inside...

My underwear...yea i was not going to wait for that...so i just tossed them in the river...and...i swear...have you seen how cats move their heads in unison when they see a fly or a dot...yea...that's how Saeko's and Saya's head moved...both of them...didn't say a thing though...they just...stared...

So, a couple of minutes later...

"My shoes are ok now...i think" Saya speaks up as she touches their insides.

"Uhh actually...Saya...i think you need to change shoes in overall..." I say as i look at her feet.

"Huh..why?" She asks as she turns to me.

"These...what are they...ballerina flat shoes? Loafers?...Point is, they provide almost no protection against bad terrain..." I answer as i point at them.

"Hmm...i have to agree with Naier on this." Saeko responds right after me.

"...Ughh fine, fine i will change them when i get the chance, you don't have to gang up on me" She sighs as she finishes wearing said shoes and gets up.

"Hmm, mine seems to be fine as well...so, it's time to get going?" I say as i kneel down and check the insides on my own boots.

"Alright...so...what's the plan?" Saeko asks as she gets off the railing and turns to me.

"Well, you will be on the front with the bokken, Saya you will be in the middle, keep the bag and have the handgun ready...i got the combat knife and the P220 but both should be a last-ditch effort...except if want to sneak up behind a corpse...a stab with the knife on the back of its neck should be more efficient...and silent...compared to smashing it with the Bokken" I glance between Saya and Saeko as i speak, both of them nod without any questions.

"Actually, How many bullets we have left?" I ask as i wear my boots.

"Hmm...the gun my mama gave me was empty...the one you had had both magazines full, same as with Saeko's gun and her magazines...and hmm...the last plastic bag we have in the bag, the one we did not open after we got on the sandbank, it has like...fifteen rounds in it?" Saya turns to look at her hand as she starts counting on her fingers.

"So...we have nine plus nine from my magazines...fifteen from Saeko's gun plus thirty from the mags..and say fifteen from the plastic bag...hmm...alright, we can add the extra bullets into the Luger" I nod as i look at Saya's hip. Where the luger rested.

"Actually, you can add the bullets from my gun into hers too, i don't think i'll use it" Saeko adds up.

"No, keep it like that, worst case, i will use it if mine runs out" I respond as walk up to Saya...Saeko just nods at me.

"Ok...so...how do i reload this thing?" Saya asks as she takes the gun out of it's holster and looks at it from side to side...i...stared at the gun...and...

"We...don't have the loading tool..."I say in a low tone...

"Huh...what?" She asks with a slight frown as she turns to look at me.

"The luger's drum magazine normally has a loading tool that goes with it...i got no idea if we can reload it otherwise...uhh, crap...how could i forget something like this" I facepalm as i groan...

"Hmm...now that you mention it...mama did give me an extra 'thing' with the gun...looked like a magazine with a handle but it had no bottom" Saya tilts her head slightly as she speaks.

"Yea...that's the one..."I respond...

"...It should be in your bag" She then throws me the bag with a slight grin.

"Huh, really?" I grab it, open it and start searching inside.

"Well, i figured it would be needed for the gun, so took it with me. Heh, what did you expect, i'm a genius after all" She responds as she puts her hands on her hips and huffs.

"Want a head pat?" I chuckle as i take the loading tool out of the bag, along with the plastic bag that had the extra rounds in it.

"W...what? I'm not a dog you idiot" She ends up folding her arms with a pout.

"So...only dogs can get headpats?...Huh...you learn something new every day...so...can i have the gun?" I extend my hand, Saya nods and gives me the Luger.

"Ok keep an eye here, so you can later do this by your self" I say as i press on the magazine eject button that was next to the trigger and pull the snail drum out, then, after kneeling down and leaving the gun next to me, i open the plastic bag and take a couple of bullets.

"Alright for starters, you grab this folded handle in the middle on the drum, unfold it and turn it clockwise until it stops, then fold it back, after that you put the loading tool with the 'handle' you mentioned in the opposite direction from where the drum is curved towards, then, you press the handle down, put a bullet, and let the handle raise slightly until the bullet goes inside, then push the handle down again and repeat the process " I load a few bullets as i explain the method to Saya, who was staring at the magazine, nodding every few seconds.

"Ok, let me do it." She extends her arm as she speaks, I nod, give her the gun and get up.

"Humm...wasn't this supposed to be 'my' turn..." Saeko tilts her head slightly as she looks at me...

"Uhh...i got no excuse, you want me to show you how to use yours?" I answer as i shrug slightly, she responds with a chuckle.

"No, it's alright...i want my lesson to be more...focused...so after we find a safe place...that way we won't have to worry about corpses sneaking up on us" Saeko smiles at me...and right as she finishes speaking.

"Ughh, Naier, the bullet won't go inside..." Saya speaks up with a whining voice...Saeko glances at her and smirks slightly. I turn to her and look at the magazine.

"Let go of the handle slightly" I point at her hand as i speak.

"Oh...right" She nods a couple of times and goes on to reload the magazine normally.

(I'm pretty sure i saw her loading a couple of bullets when i gave it to her...she...just said that on purpose didn't she?...huh)

Once Saya was done loading the bullets in the gun i gave her the bag, after taking the knife out.

"Alright, so...we take the road that goes in the opposite direction compared to the flow of the river...and keep going until we see the bridge, after that, we will see if we can go up the road...distance stays the same after that, four blocks straight, six blocks inland to the right" I lean over the railing and look at the river as i speak, then point to my right.

"Alright...let's go" Saeko nods and turns to glance at the empty road ahead.

"I can't see any of them wandering around, we should be fine for now...shame we have no dynamites though" Saya responds as she walks up next to Saeko.

"Yea, and with fewer people around, we'll have to be way more silent, we no longer have the fighting capacity we had...fewer people, no dynamites, no shotguns, no rifles...silence should be our top priority right now...so the moment we start moving, no more talking. If we have to interact, we do it by showing, not telling" I respond as i glance at the combat knife.

"Understood...let's head to the school then...and once we reach it, we'll see about our next step." Saeko nods at me with a one-sided smile, turns around...and start walking down the road, Saya following behind her.

(...Mulling over what happened ain't going to save us, keep focused on what's to come...still...there is one thing...that i do want to know...what the hell did they talked about when i was out cold?)