"This is you in 'no worries' mode?" Rika asks, glancing behind her as we kept going forward, her arm over my shoulder.

"Uhh, yes?" I ask back as I tap her arm, Rika lets go of me and I run forward, grabbing the single corpse that was with its back turned to us, then drag it to the edge of the road, and yeet it into the river below. After that, I draw my blade, and with the hilt, I hit the guard rail. Causing the rest of the corpses to turn towards me.

I then run back to Rika.

"This is the fifth corpse you sent swimming..." She whispers as she passes her arm over my shoulder, and we start moving again.

"It was in the way..." I whisper back.

"You also dropped kicked one of them into the river..." Rika retorts.

"It looked at me weird..." I shrug.

"And here I thought these things were blind..." Rika mumbles as she glanced at me.

It has been some time since we were on the move. And we had made some good distance. Mostly thanks to the handgun. How I knew we covered good distance? Well...

"The barricades ain't too far now, only one intersection left..." Rika then speaks up, pointing ahead with her free hand.

And, she was not wrong. The road further ahead had a tall barricade at the second four-way intersection by the river.

Well, ok, a three-way intersection, since the bridge on that intersection was blown clean off. There was also a military-grade, hut-like structure on the side of the barricade, probably an outpost. And with the outpost being seemingly in the air, I guess the barricade had a catwalk behind it.

"God I hope that is an extension of the actual outpost and not another dud like the last bridge." I whisper.

"Don't jinx it..." Rika responds.

And soon, we were by the last intersection. The 'dead' corpses around here actually exceeding the 'alive' ones. Yet without wasting any time looking around, we entered the final stretch.

We, were about three-quarters past down the road, when...

"You two! Halt!" A voice shouts, and a soldier jumps out of the small outpost, aiming his rifle at us. Before turning to speak towards his shoulder, to what I think was a radio.

(Well, at least it's a soldier and not some fucking inmate with guns...)

Both I and Rika raise our arms.

"Who are you and what are you doing here!" He asks right after.

"Rika, you're the special forces cop here. You do the honors." I whisper. Rika just nods.

"Rika Minami. Stationed at the main airport. Also part of the special assault team sent to clear that airport." Rika answers.

"Airport? Far from home ain't you?" The soldier asks right after.

"We were on a recon mission via heli. Go an urgent request to support a Demo team after a nearby explosion while on our way back " Rika answers again.

The soldier then talks to his radio again. And, after a few more seconds, he finally lowers his gun, slightly.

"Story checks out. Where's the rest of your team? Or was it just the two of you?" He asks.

"K.I.A. Our roof got overrun by sky falling corpses from a taller structure next to us. Only me and he survived." Rika answers again as she points at me, lowering her hands. Me following suits shortly after.

"And him is?" He asks as he turns to me.

"Consc..."

"My boyfriend. Saved his butt when the outbreak started, made him join as a conscript to watch over that butt." Rika casually cuts me off.

"You did the what with the who in their where now?" I ask as I turn to her.

"Less time explaining compared to saying you're a civilian with special privileges." Rika shrugs.

The guard finally lowers his gun compleatly, turns around, and waves. The barricade next to him quickly opening. Revealing a, type 10 tank. It's turret aimed straight at us...

"Well, that's a kinder surprise..." I whisper as we start heading towards the now open barricade.

(Now I want a tank.)

Upon walking past the now open barricade, the tank's current turns to aim towards the blown bridge, said bridge had several soldiers near its edge, along with what I think were ladders that led to the river.

Other than that, behind the tank, was the road that kept going alongside the river. Said road was also blocked by a barricade. The road to our right though, which was a slight uphill, was not barricaded, being wide open with several military jeeps parked on the sides of the road, and troops moving about.

The intersection also had several big containers scattered about. Some of them marked as fuel, others marked as MRE.

"Hmm? You're injured?" The man we spoke with some second ago speaks up as he jumps off the catwalk on the barricade.

"Don't worry, not a bite. We had a little, scuffle with a bunch of bowmen. One of them got a pot shot." Rika responds as she turns to look at her hip.

"Bowmen? Wait. These fuckers again?! God! Where did you find them?! A bunch of nutjobs with bows attacked a scouting party we sent out some days ago." The soldier frowns angrily as he speaks.

"If you keep going down that road you will find three of em by a house." I respond as I point behind me.

"Well, two. One is probably in several corpse stomaches by now." I add.

"You managed to get one of them? Well, that's some good news." The soldier folds his arms as he nods.

"Not, exactly. The other two are just not ripped apart. Don't think they will be going anywhere with that much lead in their heads though." I respond as I bring my hand to my temple and make a finger gun motion.

"Ohh. Well even better." The soldier just nods again in response.

"So who can we speak to if we want to get back to the airport?" Rika asks.

"Ohh, that'd be Major Mika. If you go up the road you'll end up by a store we use as a base. She is probably outside, in the planning tent right next to the main building." The soldier points up the road as he speaks.

"Very well." Rika nods, and with a small bow, she turns to walk up the road.

And so, we started going up...

"You think they'll just give us a boat or something?" I ask as we keep walking.

"When did you ever get something of worth for free?" Rika chuckles.

(Figures...)

Upon reaching the next intersection, we came to a big opening. A medium-sized one-floor store to our left, and a rather big parking space surrounding it. The tent the soldier mentioned next to the store. All the roads around the store were blocked off with barricades, soldiers on these barricades, standing guard. while other soldiers in the parking lot were carrying materials around.

"Damn there are a lot of resources around here..." I whistle as I look around the premise.

"Wonder what they do here..." Rika asks as she casually walks up to a nearby open crate, and looks inside.

"These look military-grade, which means they were not scavaged, rather they were given from the army's current supply." Rika adds as she folds her arms.

"Don't see any helipads, or any real place a helicopter could land and shut down." I respond as I also fold my arms.

"So a boat is the best bet after all." Rika adds as she walks back to me..

"Think so. Cars and trucks are out the question." I nod, then pull out my radio.

"Gonna speak with them?" Rika asks as she glances at the radio.

"Yea, unless if you need me for something, 'girlfriend'." I respond with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Yaw~ Keep telling me that, and I might just believe it." Rika chuckles as she essentially throws a punch to my shoulder.

"But no, knock yourself out. I can speak with that Major myself if need be." Rika then waves me away as she turns to look towards the main building, yet she didn't leave, still standing next to me.

I just nod and press the talk button.

"Anybody read?" I ask.

"N, naier?" A female voice responds. Saya's.

"Yea. I got you some good news for you. We managed to find the outpost. We're in right now." I respond.

"O, oh. I, see..." Saya answers, her voice sounding. Forced?...

(...That was, anticlimactic. Something's weirding me out here. I expected her to at least be a 'bit' happy about it. Did, something happen?..)

"Saya?" I speak up as I tilt my head.

"W, what..." Saya asks her voice sounding shaky.

"Are you alright?" I ask. Saya didn't respond for a few seconds.

"I'm, fine..." She answers flatly.

"That sounded like the least fine 'I'm fine' I've ever heard..." I respond as I take a deep breath.

"I said I'm fine. Don't worry about it..." Saya answers again, not really sounding any better than before...

(...Why I'm starting to have a really bad feeling about this...)

"Saya. Did something hap..."

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Saya loudly cuts me off, and then turns off the radio...

I, ended up just staring at the radio for a few seconds.

(...What the fuck, just happened?)

"...That, didn't sound good." Rika speaks up.

"No shit Sherlock..." I respond as I keep staring at the radio.

"We need to get back to the airport. Yesterday. I already get the feeling I might have to skin somebody alive in there..." I add as I keep looking at the radio, taking a deep breath as I try to calm myself.

"Naier." Rika then speaks up as she shakes my shoulder.

"I'll speak with the Major. Wait here." She adds as she turns to walk away.

"Think I'll flip off if the Major denies us transport now huh? Not, that far off to be honest..." I whisper as I keep looking at the radio.

And so, I spent the next ten or so minutes waiting, trying to get Saya or Saeko back on the radio, to no avail...

So in the end, I ended up sitting by the pavement, tapping my foot as I kept staring at that damn radio...

(Something happened. But what? She couldn't be 'this' distraught over the fact she got moved to the camp. Could she?...)

I close my eyes and let out a sigh...

(She didn't sound pissed, it felt more like she was upset, to put it lightly...)

"Hmm, that's some military-grade gear you got there. Mind I ask where did you find it?" A male voice then snaps me out of my thought. Turning towards the voice, I find a soldier. Asian in his Mid-forties. Staring at me On his collar I could make out a mark of a single star and a line signifying his rank as a Sergeant. Next to him, a younger-looking soldier, looking to be around his, twenty to twenty-five.

(The soldier that let us in said our story checks out, so the demo team is stationed here right?)

"Might not look like it, but I was part of the team that provided support fire for a demo team that is supposed to be stationed here. In other words, I didn't steal it. If that was the question." I respond.

"My apologies. But, you said you were in the team that supported a demo team? Well my, in that case, I actually owe you a thanks." The soldier's attitude quickly changes, as he makes a quick bow. Then turns to look at the younger soldier.

"Uhh, you're welcome?" I respond as I tilt my head.

"You see. My little brother was in a demo team that just as happened to fuck up, primitively setting off one of their explosives. And apparently, they got back up from a passing by squad in a helicopter." The man responds. As he keeps staring at the younger soldier.

"I told you, I rigged everything fine. I don't know wh..."

"Cut your excuses, you charlatan! I don't care if the bombs were jury-rigged to blow by a handicapped alien squirrel high on crack! Your job was to make sure they were placed safely! And you failed! Almost killing your whole team!" The older soldier starts shouting as he raised his arms, as if somebody had just flipped a switch in him.

"Sorry..." The younger one just lowered his head apologetically, not trying to retaliate.

"Was it not for me, you'd have lost your uniform by now. " The older soldier groans.

"I take it, he was the reason things went boom?" I ask as I glance at the young soldier who seemingly had shrunken down in size.

"Indeed. It was my idiot brother here that caused all this mess. But, tell me something, why are you without your team, or outfit. Did, something happen? I might not be able to see your face, but you don't clearly don't seem to be all that well with how you are sulking on the pavement." The man asks...

(You know, I think it's better if I just take it off my chests...)

"Something did happen." I answer as I take a deep breath.

"My whole team, other than me and one more person got eaten alive, got run over while waiting for extraction. And now, while I'm stuck here twiddling my thumbs. I happed to get a rather uncomfortable call from my girl. The type of uncomfortable which makes you think that somebody might be trying to get in her pants. Without consent." I add as I slowly get up.

(Though she could just be in a violent mood swing cause she lost her favorite chair. Yea, positive thinking. It's not like half the fucking guys in this fucking town proved to be panting rapists. Oh wait...)

"So yes. I'm not alright. My team got chewed, I need to get back to the airport. And I'm stuck here." I continue as I fold my arms.

"That. I am sorry to hear about that. All, of that." The soldier's expression actually showed him to genuinely sorry about me as he spoke. Then, turns to his brother, his face turning to an angry frown.

"And now you see? The same guy that saved your ass. Might end up with his girlfriend getting fucked by some other guy because of you." The old soldier adds...

(...I tried my best to avoid saying exactly that. Thanks, now I feel even worse...)

"Uhh, yea. Don't fret about it. I needed to vent. Not like you can do much anyways." I sigh as I let out a deep breath.

The old soldier turned back to me and smiled.

"Actually, On the contrary, I might just be able to." He responds as he also folds his arms.

"...Elaborate?" I ask as I stare at him.

"As you can see, we are very well-stocked up here. With materials that we obviously did not scrounge from the nearby buildings. That's because we have convoys that come and go to the airport by boat. Either to transfer things we found like medicine and food, or to instead get missing supplies to this place. Such a convoy will leave in about, two hours." The soldier grins slightly as he speaks.

"While I am not going there in person. The people getting sent are essentially grunts. And, I just happen to be a Sergeant. If you could get the ok from our Major, which is the highest-ranking officer here, then I could just send you instead. She is by the tent next to the main building." The soldier raises his hands slightly as he looks away, seemingly acting indifferent.

"Isn't a Major a bit, too high up the ladder to bother about boat grunts?" I ask as I tilt my head.

"Indeed, but I'm already the second-highest-ranking officer under her right now. Yes, we are quite lacking. Since the lieutenants and captain we had stationed here got recalled to the airport yesterday." The old soldier answers.

Just as I was about to speak...

"Found new friends already? I honestly took you for more of an antisocial type." Rika speaks up as she walks up to me, waving her hand.

"Hmm? And you are?" The older soldier asks.

"The other survivor of the team." I answer.

"Ahh, so I should be thanking you as well miss." The old soldier bows again, then turns to his brother, and slaps him on the back of his head.

"Bow you imbecile, these people saved your life." He hisses before lifting himself up.

"Oh, oh right. T, thank you." The younger soldier quickly makes a bow, almost folding over from the speed he bowed.

"Uhh, I'm kinda lost. What gives?" Rika asks.

"The soldier that just got slapped was part of the demo team. You know, the one we helped escape?" I answer. Rika responded with an "Ohhh".

"Anyway, I got good news and bad news." She then essentially ignores the whole event and turns to me.

"The Major told me that they have boats moving back and forth with the airport. Something about restocking the place. And since she did read a report about a team not under her command supporting one of hers. And I might have noted to her that that same team got whipped while helping her team. She offered to let us on such a boat. The bad news is, these boats are not normally made to carry very heavy loads. So they only let three people at a time, driver included. The next one leaves in two hours, and if we want on. We need to find the two extras tagging along." Rika continues.

(...Huh, the God is in this fucked up world really likes throwing breadcrumbs at me after stealing my whole fucking bread loaf. Just like a government now that I think about it.)

"Well, if we have the Major's ok then that settles it no?" The old soldier then claps his hands.

"Hue?..." Rika just tilts her head questionably.

"As I said to your friend if the Major agreed to change the people going on the boat. I can put you two on it instead of the ones we had set before. Hah, It would actually benefit us too. Fewer people on the return trip, more supplies on the boat." The old soldier laughs.

"Well, that was convenient." Rika chuckles.

"Tell me about it..." I mumble.

"So we need to find the other two dudes now?" She asks.

"Yes. Hmm. One is Arata Matsuda. A good kid, better than my idiot brother here who almost blew his whole squad up." He responds as he glances at his brother.

"He's one of our mechanics, so if you want to find him. Either look around the tank we have near the blown bridge. Or in the repair station we have set for our vehicles behind the main building. You can't see it from here, but it's a straight walk from here." He responds as he points towards the store with the major's tent.

"I see. I'm going to find him then." I answer as I nod, then take a few steps...

"Oh, very well. And do me a favor." The old soldier speaks up again, raising his hand at me.

"If you do return and find some smuck taking advantage of the situation. Give him an extra wallop from me!" He adds as he makes his hand into a fist.

"If that 'does' happen. And if he's still alive after I'm done with him. Then I'll make sure to pass the message." I respond, then makes a slight bow.

"Thanks. I mean it." I add before turning around.

"Who are you killing and why didn't you invite me?" Rika asks with a slight frown as she leans closer to me.

"The thing that might be bothering Saya. And I didn't invite you because I want to be a hundred percent responsible for all the damage done to it." I answer flatly as I start walking.

"Fair nuff." Rika casually shrugs as she turns towards the two soldiers.

And so, with my new target set, I set off.

First I went down to the tank. Mostly because I wanted to also get a closer look at that beast.

Upon reaching the intersection with the bridge. I walk up to the side of the tank. The armor plates on it splattered with dried blood and scratches.

(Corpses scratching rough metal? Ughh, I can already imagine their nails ripping off their fingers...)

I shiver slightly as I felt somebody tap my back. Turning around I find a soldier behind me. No rank on his shoulder.

"Please step away from the tank." The soldier flatly demands.

"I'm looking for one Arata Matsuda. Heard he is an engineer. Figured he'd be around the tank." I answer as I take a step away from the battle tank.

"Arata? Uhh..." The soldier frowns slightly.

"He is supposed to be on the next trip to the airport too." I add.

"Hmm, nope, does not ring any bells. But all our engineers are by the station behind the store. Just look for the truck skeleton behind the store, you'll propably find them creeping around there" The soldier then nods.

(First a tank, then the jeeps, now trucks? How did they bring all that crap here?)

With that thought, I turn to head back up.

By the time I was back to where I split from Rika and the duo, they were nowhere to be seen.

Nonetheless, I kept going towards the store. Then, I went past it. And the remainder parking lot comes into view. And as the soldier mentioned, two trucks also came into view. One was tripped down, only the chassis remaining, the other seemed to be reinforced. Probably with parts of the first truck. There were also several men working on both trucks. Some with blow torches on the chassis, others dismantling the parts of the stripped truck. While some were poking around on the reinforced truck. The truck actually resembled the modernized version of the type 73 Ougata.

(A herd of engineers...)

I glance around before I start heading towards the men by the stripped chassis. The sound of blow torches melting steel becoming louder the closer I got.

The moment I walked up to the nearest kneeling down soldier, and tap his shoulder.

The guy stops using the blow torch and lifts his welding mask as he turns to look at me.

"What?" He asks flatly as he eyeballs me from top to bottom.

"I'm looking for the person that is to board the next boat to the airport, Arata Matsuda." I respond.

"Why?" The guy asks just as flatly again.

"I'm going to the airport instead of him." I respond with the same flat tone he had.

The guy stares at me for a bit, before turning towards the reinforced truck.

"Rata! Some guy wants to speak with you!" He shouts as he waves towards the guy that was sitting on the truck's driver seat, who was fiddling with 'something' on the steering wheel.

The guy on the wheel raises his head, then leans out the window.

"What?!" He shouts.

"This guy wants to speak with you!" The man next to me shouts again...

"Whaaaaat?!" Arata shouts back, again...

(I don't have time for this...)

I tap the guy next to me, so he notices me as I walk past him, and head to Arata.

"I'm taking your place on the boat to the airport." I speak up as I stop under the maybe deaf man, next to the driver's door.

"No can do, the truck's electrics are busted, I need to go in person to get the replacements." He responds as he shakes his head.

"Write them down on a paper. I need to be back at that airport before sundown." I answer.

(Also I also got the Ok from people higher rank than you so your opinion matters as much as a fart. But sure, let's play ball...)

"Even if I do, will you know what cable is for what?" He asks back as he keeps leaning on the door's open window.

"No, but somebody in the airport will." I answer again.

"Uhh, look. You know how long it'll be before I get another chance to go there if you get something wrong?" He groans.

"Then make sure you write them down clearly. Or you mean to tell me that the engineers in the airport don't know the difference?" I respond.

"Why bother a random mechanic for something I can do myself?" Arata narrows his eyes slightly as he leans out of the window even more.

"Look, buddy. My whole team minus two people just got wiped because a 'random guy' you got stationed here fucked his job. Now I'm stuck here while the group I'm responsible for in the airport is paying the price for your team's fuck up. And you're worried about bothering a random engineer? Also, I already got the ok from your Major, and the Sergeant." I narrow my eyes as I tap my foot.

"Wow there, no need to start bitting. I'm just saying. I'll write you a list and bring it to you before the boat leaves if it's that important. Ok?" Arata leans slightly away from the window as he speaks. I just nod as I turn to walk away.

"No need to be an ass..." Arata whispers right after as he leans back inside the truck.

(Let's see how you would react if you were in my place...)

I groan under my breath as I leave towards the tank once again...

-A few minutes later-

By the time I was once again down there, I found that something had changed. To be more precise, a couple of soldiers were by the bridge, in a line, holding a rope and pulling something up. That something, ended up being a wooden crate.

Tilting my head I walk up to the edge of the bridge and look down, a boat now parked under us. It's chassis reminding of a 55 defiant.

(Huh? Is that military-grade?...)

"Nice boat huh?" A female voice speaks up right next to me. Turning to the voice, I find Rika also staring down as well.

"Rika? Found your replacement?" I ask.

"Yep I'm all set, you?" She asks back.

"Yes, guy was a bit reluctant to give his spot though." I shrug as I keep looking down.

"Really? Mine essentially thanked me..." Rika chuckles.

"Still, I wonder how a tank, two trucks, and several jeeps ended up here." I sigh as I lean back, then turn to look at the tank.

"Oh, they were here before the E.M.P. blast. They also had one more tank. But it's at the bottom of the river right now. The trucks and jeeps essentially got fried, tanks were still functional but, the one that was on the bridge had an inside incident. The driver turned mid-battle, killed everybody inside. They had to blow the bridge with the tank still on it. It got overrun before they could retrieve it." One of the soldiers that were pulling the rope speaks up as he walks next to the edge, then sits down, his hands dangling over the edge. He then pulls a cigarette pack from his pocket. Not bothering to turn to look at us as he spoke.

"That, must have been one expensive failure." Rika whistles as she looks towards the river again.

(Tank of the lake huh...Uhh, yea not working, I still can't stop thinking about Saya. And, now I have to wait...)

I sigh slightly as I pull my radio again, giving one last try to contact the girls, to no avail...