“I’m William Bik of the Federal Union of Unnatural Investigations.”

“O-oh, nice to meet you Mr.Bik. My name’s Carl Bark, I’m the current supervisor of the investigation of Ostempal. Have FUUI decided to send your group as support?”

“No, not exactly.”

William begins to explain our situation to Carl. The story he tells is that we were stuck within the city as the zombie outbreak happened and with the help of the “Gifted”, we were able to escape. I’m guessing the Gifted is what William and their group call people with supernatural powers.

I asked Mako what was going on and it seemed like Lisa had made a deal with William and Gareth. She had told them all about magic and Fifi so we could escape. If Lisa trusts them enough to reveal our secrets then I’ll trust her but I have to be careful. Even if William and Gareth protected us, others may be after us.

“And that’s the situation. I would like to contact my superiors so can you secure me a line with them?”

“O-of course. Please rest here as long as you want. Josh, James, and Tarin take care of our guests.”

“Ok.”

The slightly plump officer closes the door behind him as he walks out of the room. It seems like FUUI was quite a powerful organization within the government.

“Hahaha, I’ve never seen Carl so meek before. I guess FUUI is a big deal after all.”

“Haah, it’s not much. Considering my position in FUUI, I don’t think it’s that impressive.”

Josh and William begin to start up a conversation as everyone else in the room were silent. Gareth was carefully looking around the room and at Josh, James, and Tarin. It seems that Gareth wasn’t that familiar with Josh like William was.

“Anyone want anything to drink or eat?”

“I’ll take a coffee, James. Oh, and reheat the pizza up. These people look like they haven’t eaten anything decent once in a while.”

“Heh, you call frozen pizza decent. Well, it is better than what we’ve been eating inside of the city.”

The pizza was put in the oven and a few minutes later it was ready. I grabbed a slice for myself and it was delicious. It wasn’t much different from the frozen foods I’ve eaten within the city but it’s a hundred times better. Maybe it’s because we’re finally safe now that this slice of pizza tastes so amazing.

Looking around, Lisa, Mako, Jill, Gorou, William, and Gareth were all savoring their pizza. I could see the ecstasy on all of their faces. Fifi begged and begged to have a taste of the pizza but she couldn’t or else she’ll be seen. She was pouting and complained to my ear about how I have to buy all kinds of food for her when we leave here.

“Ahhh, this is the best pizza ever!!!”

“Yeah, I can’t disagree. It’s not even the best pizza I’ve ever eaten but I’ll never forget this moment.”

“Haha, you’re exaggerating Gorou.”

Lisa, Gorou, and Jill had all regained their energy and began talking to one another. The atmosphere was slowly changing but there was one corner of the room which was quiet. Mako was silently eating her pizza and looked like she was deep in thought while Professor Jane hadn’t grabbed any to eat.

“Karla, please eat.”

I hand her a plate with pizza on it and she quietly accepts it. The only time she responds to me is when I say her name or when I say Mary’s name. I wonder if Mary would have grown into a beautiful woman like Karla. If only this zombie apocalypse never happened then Mary would have been able to live a happy life with her family. Goldie would have never had to die either.

Even though I would have never met them if it wasn’t for the zombie apocalypse, it would have been fine as long as they were living a happy life but it’s too late now. There’s no point in thinking of what-if situations, all I can do now is to fulfill Mary’s wish and protect Karla.

“James, what’s the situation in the outside world like.”

“You’ve been in Ostempal for three weeks or so, right?”

“Yeah.”

William doesn’t ask Josh but instead asks James about the situation of the world. The rest of us were also curious so we intently listen to him.

“I guess you can say that the world is in chaos.”

“Chaos?”

“Yeah, at the same time Ostempal was quarantined, the frequency of monsters appearing rose exponentially. There were already videos of monsters appearing for the past year or so but in just three weeks there were thousands of videos and news reportings on them. The government has been trying their best to keep information on the monsters hidden but it’s about time for them to make an announcement on the current situation. They can’t hide the fact that monsters are appearing throughout the United States of Urica. In Urica only, there’s been ten large cases like Ostempal already.”

“Ten, that many!? Ostempal alone has probably killed over a hundred thousand people and you’re saying that there’s nine more just like this. Have they been dealt with?”

“No, only two of them have been resolved. In both cases, thousands of soldiers were lost and they were barely able to solve it with the help of FUUI.”

“I-I see. Is the situation any better overseas?”

“No, the situation is the same as ours or even worse. We’ve been able to deal with the occurrence of monsters with our military but other countries aren’t so lucky. In Bihina there’s a rumor that an entire mountain range was taken over by a dragon, in Japon we know that an entire prefecture was taken over by ghosts, in the middle east sightings of dead knights have been seen roaming through the desert, in Mussia giants have been spotted in the cold tundras, and in Kurope there are just too many things occurring there for me to describe. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg when talking about the countless sightings of monsters all around the world.”

Being stuck in Ostempal for so long, none of us would have expected to hear that the world is in danger the moment we escaped. It was too much for all of us to take in that we couldn’t say anything. I was somewhat aware of the situation because of Tigurka and Fifi, but realizing that it’s really happening is different. How was I supposed to keep everyone safe if there’s no place left in the world that is safe?

“The situation may seem hopeless but don’t lose hope. I’ve heard that every country in the world has begun working together to create a countermeasure against the monsters. There’s even a rumor that’s been going around that all the smartest scientists around the world are working to create a weapon to fight against the monsters. Even in Ostempal, there’s a group of scientists investigating the zombies.”

Josh tried to cheer up everyone but all of them were still trying to wrap their heads over everything they just heard. While everyone was still thinking, William had asked Josh, James, and Tarin to leave the room. William and Gareth sat across from us and I could tell that they wanted to talk about something serious that they didn’t want others to hear.

“I’m sure all of you are still trying to process what James said but the two of us had already expected this situation. I know all of you are still tired but let me ask this of you. Are any of you willing to join the Federal Union of Unnatural Investigation? Now that the world is in chaos, all of your abilities will be necessary for saving the lives of humanity.”

No one replied to William’s request. They all just survived a place where their lives were constantly in danger and by joining FUUI, they will be risking their lives every day.

Personally, I don’t want any of them to join because of the dangers but maybe it's not such a bad proposal. The world is already being engulfed in chaos so living a normal life is out of the question. Being a part of the government where you can be protected doesn’t sound too bad but there’s always a risk. The government was willing to sacrifice an entire city so won’t there come a time where they would sacrifice their people.

“I know this isn’t a simple request but please think about it. FUUI has always been an organization that has helped restrained monsters from destroying human society. At the moment, all of your powers are necessary to save the world. Please think about it.”

“Yeah, we’ll think about it, William, but can I ask you a favor before that.”

“What is it?”

“Can you see if you can contact our families. I’m worried about their safety and I’m sure everyone else is too.”

“Of course, I’ll see if I can let you talk to them.”

“Thanks.”

Lisa was the first person to recover and speak her mind. William and Gareth walked out of the room and began talking to Josh about Lisa’s request. I guess I am different from everyone else. I’m sure the first thing they thought of when the world was in chaos was about the safety of their family.

I can’t share the same sentiment since my parents and grandparents are already gone. Even if I have other relatives, I barely even know them so I can’t say I’m worried about them. The only people I worry about and want to protect are the people in this room.

“Hey, are those playing cards? Let’s play Goldfish or Old Maid.”

“Sure.”

Lisa and Mako head on over to the counter where the box of cards was. This room was somewhat like a lounge room so it had cabinets and drawers for food, a fridge, a microwave, and a table in the middle of the room. Lisa immediate begins handing out the cards to everyone, including Fifi. She was trying to lift the mood in the room.

“Let’s play 21.”

“Um, how do you play 21?”

“Ok, I’ll explain the rules. It’s really easy so pay attention. The goal of this game is to get a card count of 21 or close to 21. Cards 2 through 10 are what they represent and Jack, Queen, and King count as 10. Ace can either be a 1 or an 11. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I think.”

“Don’t worry about it, let’s play a game and you could figure it out.”

After playing a few games of 21, I understood how to play it now. It is really simple like Lisa said it was and it was also a fun game. It’s been such a long time since I’ve done anything with friends that I’m enjoying myself.

“Hahaha, I can’t believe how terrible you are at this, Mako.”

“Something has to be going on, my luck can’t be this bad. You’re cheating, aren’t you, Lisa!? You’ve been shuffling so you must have rigged me to lose.”

“What, I wouldn’t cheat like that. You just have terrible luck.”

“I-I’ll definitely win the next round!”

So far, Mako’s always been the one with the worst cards. Her cards were either lower than 21 or way higher. Not once did she win. Out of the seven games we’ve played, I won two, Lisa won two, Fifi won one, Gorou won one, and Jill won one. I guess Mako is unlucky.

Since Mako was doubting Lisa’s shuffling skills, she began to shuffle the cards. She hands out the cards, including Karla. Neither Mako nor Lisa ever left Karla out even though she didn’t play with us.

“Oh, you guys are playing cards? Let me join.”

“Sure, hop on in, Josh.”

……

I raise my hand and grasp at the darkness in front of me. Today’s been such a tiring day. I passed out and had apparently attacked Chad. I don’t remember it but Fifi explained that I went on a rampage and tormented Chad. If I was going to torture Chad like that then I would have liked it if I was conscious of my actions. Gorou, Lisa, and Mako had to stop me when I was in that berserk state and luckily, I didn’t injure any of them. I would have felt terrible if I was the one who had injured my friends. I don’t know if they would even forgive me if that happened.

After that ordeal with Chad, Gorou had carried me to the car and we left the mansion because Mary was coming after us. During the chase, Mary had thrown zombies at the car and there were a few times where everyone’s life was in danger. That entire time I had been asleep and couldn’t help them out at all.

I wonder how Mary became a zombie. I have to ask Karla more about Mary not just for that but because I want to know more about her. Even though Mary and Goldie aren’t here anymore, I still want to know what kind of life they lived. One of these days I’ll create a grave for Mary, Goldie, and even Tod. I don’t want to ever forget them.

“Jude, are you still awake?”

“Yeah, did you need something?”

It was already night time and the only people in this room were Gorou and me. The girls had their room and I had sent Fifi to stay with them because I wanted her to keep watch of Karla. She’s too mentally unstable.

The lights were off so I couldn’t see him but I could hear him. The room was relatively small and only had two beds and a single closet.

“I just wanted to hear what you thought about joining that FUUI thing. I don’t know what I should do since I can’t use magic like any of you. William said he wanted us because we had powers but I don’t have anything.”

“I see, if you don’t have any powers then don’t join. I’m sure being a part of FUUI, you’ll be traveling all over the country fighting monsters and I don’t think you’ll survive.”

“I’ll just be a burden, won’t I?”

His voice didn’t seem to have much energy after I told him not to join FUUI. Is there a reason he wants to join FUUI?

“Is there a reason why you’re hesitating not to join? I’m sure you have your family waiting for you back at home so why don’t you go back to them?”

“The only person I have back at home is my Dad and he’s currently living in Japan. I’m worried about him but I’m also not. He’s the one who trained me so I’m sure he can handle a monster or two. What about you? Do you have any family members you need to protect?”

I hesitate to talk about myself but Gorou has already told me about his family situation. I guess that demon was right about me, I do hide things from my friends, but not anymore. If I want to take the first step into becoming friends then I have to be open to talking about myself.

“No, my parents and grandparents died a long time ago. I’m an only child and I barely know any other relatives.”

“I’m sorry for bringing up your past. Even if your parents and grandparents aren’t there for you anymore, you can depend on me.”

Gorou’s a nice guy. This is the first time I’ve ever talked to a friend about my family circumstances and it feels somewhat refreshing. I feel like I can talk more about myself to him.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have anyone I want to protect. Right now there’s Fifi, Lisa, Mako, Jill, Karla, and even you that I want to protect. All of you have become people I care for in these past few weeks. I wouldn’t want to see any of you die and I’ll do anything to protect all of you.”

“Thanks, Jude, you’re a good friend. I think I have my answer now, I’ll join FUUI.”

Gorou’s voice sounded full of confidence and determination. I don’t know what he figured out but I’m glad he was able to solve his problem. He even called me his friend. That demon was wrong, these are my friends.

“I-I’m sorry but can I ask why.”

What am I saying? Why am I trying to pry into Gorou’s life? It’s fine for me to talk about myself but am I being too forceful by asking about his decision?

“Wait, sorry for asking. You can just ignore what I said.”

“It’s fine, there’s no need to be so flustered. We’re friends, aren’t we? I’m fine with telling you my reason.”

“A-are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you really sure? I can forget this conversation ever happened if you want me too.”

“Hahaha, you’re pretty eccentric, Jude. I already told you it’s fine. We’re friends and friends worry about each other.”

Is this what friends are? It's been so long since I’ve had a friend so I don’t know.

“I want to join FUUI because of Jill.”

“Jill?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you know it by now but that girl is very meek and shy. She doesn’t speak up or bothers others unless they ask something from her. She even hid behind me when she first introduced herself to you. Even then I had to push her to introduce herself to you, otherwise, she would have never talked to you.”

Yeah, I remember that. All my memories of her were of her talking to Gorou or helping out William and Gareth. I don’t see her talking to anyone else besides Gorou and sometimes Mako.

“Even though she’s so small and shy, she’s a truly strong girl. You probably don’t know but Jill’s family lives in Ostempal. Not once did she mention it to anyone that her family was in Ostempal and she didn’t ask William or Gareth to help her search for them. She bottled everything up and had given up on searching for her family. I only learned of this when I accidentally walked in on her crying to herself. It broke my heart seeing her cry all by herself.”

Jill’s the same as me. She suddenly lost her family and she couldn’t do anything about it except cry. I can understand Jill’s pain and Gorou’s pain of watching a dear friend in pain.

“That was when I knew I wanted to protect her. I wanted to protect that small back of hers that tries to act strong in front of others. This is why I’m hesitating whether to join FUUI or not. When Jill learned that she could use her power to help others, I could sense something light up inside of her. I can tell she was resolved to join FUUI so she could save others from the pain of losing their family. I want to join her but I don’t have the qualifications to protect her. If I was to face off against ten zombies then I don’t think I would be able to win with my bare hands. I wouldn’t be able to protect Jill and I’ll just become a hindrance.”

“I understand! I totally understand! That feeling of hopelessness and being unable to protect the ones you care about. I can relate to that!”

Seeing Gorou struggle like this made something inside of me burn up. He was going through the same struggles as I am. Since he’s my friend, I’ll help him.

“I’ll help you Gorou! I’ll do whatever I can to make you stronger!”

“Really?”

“Yes, we’re friends, aren’t we? Since friends worry about each other then we’ll also help each other.”

I turn on the lights to our room and Gorou was looking at me with a questioning look on his face. I’ll do it! I’ll make Gorou stronger.

“First off, let’s explain the concept of Experience to you.”

“I think Fifi has explained that before.”

“It’s fine. What I’m about to explain is a more in-depth version.”