Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Boppatsu: Z-Day	By : SugaMama09 Category: InuYasha AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1183 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha & so I do not make any money off of this story

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
I don't remember when I decided to go back in the sunhouse, get what little was left of my belongings (just a few clothes & two guns which I put in a backpack I found in the walk-in closet) & set off. I don't remember how I decided on which way to go or even around the time I left. I just remember having a one track mind-set: get Sesshomaru back. I didn't care at the time where he was, what he told me, or how long it'd take to get to him, I was going to get him back & I'd blow this whole town down if I had to.

I trekked for days & days. It had to be close to three weeks before a lone gas station & abandoned building interrupted the long expanse of desert. The weather had gotten so cold now, even in the daytime that I was glad to finally find a decent place to lay my head. I think the abandoned building used to be an old paper mill or the such: there were yellowed papers covering the floor, faded black titles announcing the United States's first half black president or the headline about that American singer, Whitney Houston, dying. I wonder how long this building had been like this? I'm surprised it hadn't been torn down. Assuming the last print was in 2012 (I couldn't find any more recent papers after February 13, 2012) this place was pretty ancient.

I sat my bag down & walked around to make sure I was the only one here. I was glad to see that I was, minus a cow spotted cat on the top floor, pulling what looked like a mouse apart as it fed greedily. I cringed as my stomach growled loudly & my mouth watered as I watched the cat feed but I told myself I wasn't quite that hungry enough to eat a cat. I settled for some little birds I found in a tree nearby & called it a day.

As the sun set I contemplated what my next move would be. It was so tempting to kill myself, it honestly was. I considered hanging myself from the tree where I got my dinner or shooting myself through the temple but then Sesshomaru's face would pop up into my head & a determination kept me going. It was not by no means easy, being out here alone, hungry, & with only one thing to lose.

As I continued my trek I had a couple of close calls with zombies. The first time I'd run into one after being abandoned I'd gotten so angry I grabbed the stringy, dirty hair it had left on its head & bashed its face into the ground repeatedly before I took an axe I found in the abandoned building (another case of random objects being in certain places) & chopped it to peices then set it on fire, watching in smug satisfaction. I know they didn't ask to be this way. I knew it was the government's fault for being arrogant & acting as if they were gods. How exactly do you take revenge on the government though?

I felt like my mind was frying most days. I had no companions, no one to talk to, nothing to stimulate my mind except fighting for my life when I ran into a zombie. If I questioned my morals before I definitely questioned them now. There were times I had seen a crowd of zombies tearing a still live human or animals apart & I considered joining them due to being so hungry (I found out that when zombies were eating they'd leave me alone until they finish their meal). Sometimes the human would call out to me for help, begging me to save them but I'd just stand by, my mouth watering as their blood puddled on the ground or my stomach growling as the zombies bit into the meat. Was I a horrible person? I didn't think so. Was I becoming desperate for food? Most definitely.

On the third week of my travels I found a dog curled up on the steps of an old courthouse, its eyes closed. It raised its head as I got closer then slowly walked down the steps to sniff at my shoes. I don't know why I stopped to let it do as it pleased then dropped into a kneel & petted its head.

"Hey there..." I said softly, "Why are you out here all alone? Do you feel lonely too, buddy?"

I felt silly talking to an animal but I felt a little better. I hadn't heard my voice in so long my voice was husky & rough. The dog leaned into my hand, closing its eyes in esctasy. From what I could see it was a male. I looked over its fur color & features: it was a chocolate brown with a cream colored heart shaped patch on his chest. He looked like a chocolate lab (I honestly was not very familiar with dog breeds) but he could've been a mutt. His hazel, almost green eyes looked at me like he was begging for something.

"Are you hungry boy?" I asked, scratching his ears, "You want some food too? Come on, let's go hunt"

I wasn't sure why exactly I was thrilled with having a dog as a companion now. Was it solely because I missed having a companion or...or did it make me think of Sesshomaru?

I named the dog Musou. Though I'd hoped he'd cheer me up a bit with his company, he actually made me feel more nostalgic. We hunted together often; he'd usually pick up a squirrel or rabbit & every once in a while I might get lucky & come across an animal that escaped from the nearby zoo or find a sluggish bird. I guess Musou had been on his own for a while because even he knew to lay low & be quiet if a large group of zombies went by & if they heard us to run like hell (I wanted to save my bullets for when I was in great need of them & I had no other weapons on me. I refused to engage in hand to hand combat).

I thought of Sesshomaru often, especially right before I went to sleep. I wondered what he was doing, if he was thinking of me, did he know where he was going & things like that. I nearly drove myself crazy with the questions to be honest & I'd have to get up & start exercising to tire myself out. Usually running about forty miles or doing five thousand jumping jacks would do the trick & put me to sleep from the sheer exhaustion but if he wasn't on my mind before I fell asleep he was on my mind when I woke up. I always hoped to see him when I opened my eyes but most of the time I'd be faced with Musou's messy kisses or getting hit in the face with his tail. Still, I think I was more angry with that beautiful inu-youkai than I was with that bratty half breed brother of his. I understand why he left me but did he literally have to leave me like that? Why did it have to be that serious? I was having my doubts about whether it was Sesshomaru's idea to leave me or Inuyasha's & then I wondered exactly why they left. But I guess I'd have to wait to see them to find out the answers to those questions.

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Two months had gone by & I still hadn't found any damn gated cities. Was I even going in the right direction? Was it worth turning around, trekking through all the miles I had behind me to see if I could find one in that direction? I didn't think so. I had survived many close calls with the zombies, suffering a large scar down my eyebrow (thankfully one that wasn't inflicted by a zombie itself so I didn't have to worry about turning) & brought Musou & I out of a lot of hairy situations. I'd fashioned a peice of steel I found into a point then tied it tightly to a handle blade I snatched out of a convienant store, making a knife. With that knife I tried my best to keep Musou's fur tamed though the end results would make me cringe, his fur looking severly uneven & raggedy. I finally chose to just keep it brushed & let it grow.

I sighed as I wiped my handmade knife off in the grass then dipped my hands in the clear river water & splashed it on my face before washing my hands. Musou & I were going to eat good tonight; I'd caught a wandering giraffe a few minutes ago. It zapped me of my strength trying to bring it down (I hadn't eaten in eight days) but when I was able to get it on its side Musou came in for the kill & bit into its tender neck. He waited patiently for me to eat first by my side, his eyes shifting from the water to my face. I'm not sure why he wants me to always eat first. Maybe for some reason he sees me as his alpha but I was pretty sure he knew I wasn't a dog demon.

"Alright, Moo-Moo, let's eat" I said but he only shifted to watch me better as I walked over to the carcass & began eating. I always thought it was a bit strange to be watched while I ate but I guess I'd grown used to it. As soon as I nodded he crawled forward, his ears flat & began to hungrily devour the leftovers, growling to show his pleasure. I washed the blood off of my face & hands & watched the sky. Sun set would be on us within the next hour or so. We needed to find shelter before then so we could rest easy. We learned early on that it was always much better to find shelter at night than even sleeping at high altitudes. The zombies weren't the only things out there looking for something to eat. I'd discovered some surviving half demons a few weeks ago but they were more like cavemen than anything, being dressed in animal skins, wild hair with leaves & twigs tangled in it & barely able to speak. They ran away from us, turning around every once in a while to make sure we weren't following & mumbling in what I think was English to each other. Yeah, it was weird.

Musou licked his chops & looked at me expectantly, his dinner finished.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go"

I gathered the bag of handmade weapons & the two guns then set off towards the abandoned hospital just down the road. Somehow the lights were still on, the ones that didn't have busted lights, anyway & I could still feel air conditioning flowing from the air vents. It still smelled like strong medicine & sickness but it also smelled dusty, stale & old. I opened the front doors cautiously & walked slowly past the reception desk & waiting room. A few light beams hung vertically to the floor, the flickering light throwing shadows that the abandoned cots & stretchers left. Papers practically covered the floor & blood was flung against the walls, leaving bloody handprints & what looked like something had been dragged across the floor. Many of the doors were closed but a few were open, revealing bloody remains of patients & machines squealing. Musou walked close to my right leg, his head low; it was obvious he was very uncomfortable with the smells & sounds & I didn't blame him because the smells made my nose wrinkle.

I found an empty room down the hall & closed the door quietly, setting my things down. "Alright, boy. We should get some rest so we can be on our way first thing in the morning"

Musou sat in one of the two chairs pulled up to the bed but didn't relax, his ears perked & mouth closed.

I tilted my head. "What's wrong, boy? You smell or hear something?"

A low growl emitted from his throat. I slowly slid the knife from the waistband of my jeans & watched the door. Was it a zombie? It sure was being quiet. Usually I could hear their heavy breathing or noisy shuffling from a good distance but all I could hear was Musou growling, the air conditioning humming & machines in other rooms beeping. A shadow appeared under the door & Musou's top lip curled to reveal his fangs, his growling growing stronger before I held a finger to my lips & he quieted. I didn't want whoever was out there to know we were in here. I only really wanted to fight if I had to, not if I-

My heart dropped as I realized I hadn't locked the door & I shot toward it just as it began to open, holding my gun to the forehead of whoever was behind it. I stood still as a man slowly raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, his lavender eyes not afraid but still cautious.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

His eyes only narrowed but he said nothing. I guess the mask he was wearing had something to do with that.

I cocked the gun. "Take that stupid mask off & tell me who you are"

He shifted but didn't move to take off the mask, his eyes narrowing further but they squinted in a way that indicated...he was smiling...

"I will count to three. If you don't take that mask off I'm going to blow a hole through your brain"

As soon as I uttered those words he lashed out with his sharp claws & I barely able to dodge though my sleeve was ripped off of my shirt. He was on me again before I even recovered, pinning me down on the floor with one hand. I grunted. This guy was unbelieveably strong, being able to pin me down like this. No doubt he was a demon but was he infected at all? Why does he wear that mask?

Musou was barking loudly, his haunches raised as he shifted around, looking for an opening to attack. I wanted him to be quiet in case he attracted more attackers but I was too busy trying to get this guy off of me. I was finally able to plant the balls of my feet against his belly & launch him off of me. He flipped cleanly in the air & landed in a crouch, his eyes glaring now & shifting between Musou & I. I fired the gun without hesitation, aiming for his forehead but he moved so quickly I couldn't even follow him. He moved so quickly he left a faint trail of light in his wake. His long lavender colored hair covered some of his movements & provided an excellent distraction. Should he lunge at me & hide his attack until right before it landed on me I'd be screwed but I was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

I paused as he jumped back & landed in a crouch on the wall but continued shooting after I got over the shock. What the hell kind of demon was he, sticking to the wall like that?

The mask around his mouth shattered like glass & a glowing, glittering sort of mist flowed out of his mouth as he emitted a low kind of hiss, his fangs bared & painted lips curled back. Musou's barking got even louder, snarling & lowering his head. There was something really unsettling about this guy...

I started as a light flashed out of the corner of my eyes, my body shifting to the right. A few seconds later a felt a warm, burning sensation on my cheek & when I touched it blood dripped off of my fingers. What the hell? Had this wound always been here? When did it happen?

"Just tell me who the fuck you are or get the fuck out!" I said in an authoritative voice.

I took a quick step to the side as another flash of light came at me again & the man grinned, his grin more like a sneer though & hissing becoming louder. "Your blood is so rich & addicting. I already want more"

I froze. Who said that? I had been looking at the man when I heard the voice & his mouth hadn't moved. Was the voice over the PA system? No...no, I would've heard it echoing in the hallways. Maybe it was in my head...

The flash landed over by the lavender haired man & transformed into a small snake like demon with large scythe that were longer than his body for arms. He actually looked exactly like the other man, besides his body shape & size. His eyes was a strange yellowish green & dried blood caked the area around his mouth. "You...you taste so much better than anyone we've fed off of here in this sick place. Where did you come from?"

"I'm the one asking the questions!" I said, frowning, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"Ah, pardon me" the thing said sarcastically, waving one scythe arm airily around its head, "I've forgotten my manners since the world ended & I personally don't give a damn about it since being bitten"

My eyes widened. He'd been bitten? As in by a zombie? I wonder if something was going to happen to me now that he's cut my chee-

"I am Kageromu & this is my younger brother, Juromaru. Don't fret your little head, I didn't bite you. I simply cut you to see how your blood tasted. It has been quite a while since I've tasted such a delicacy"

"Where did you come from?" I growled, narrowing my eyes.

"I dwell in Juromaru's belly. I suck his life force slowly & command him to hunt for me in the meantime so that I may remain strong"

I watched Juromaru's facial expression & body language. He was alert but relaxed, his eyes watching me absentmindedly, as if he was looking past me. His eyes had a very faint yellowish green tint to it but he didn't seem to be as hungry as someone like Kageromaru. He actually seemed quite...docile now that he wasn't under orders from his brother now.

"Now how about you just sit there & let me feed!" Kageromaru yelled & lunged at me.

Without thinking I fired the gun & the bullet ripped through Kageromaru's belly & Juromaru's forehead, killing the younger brother as the older one fell to the floor, groaning & writhing.

"Y-you...you bastard!' the little demon shrieked.

I finished it off with my knife, slicing his head off then sighed as I straightened into a standing position. I checked the gun & was glad to see I still had four bullets left in the gun plus the twenty something box of ammo I found in a gun shop a few days ago. Good, so I didn't waste any. I looked over at Musou to find him sitting back in his chair, tail wagging slightly & tongue lolling out. So now that the danger had passed he was relaxed. I grinned & ran my hand over his head & ears.

"Good job boy. Let's get some sleep now so we can get the hell out of here in the morning"

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It was hard keeping up with how many days & weeks & months passed. I was more worried about surviving & where our next meal was coming from anyway. Musou was always there but I still felt lonely. Rather than getting used to Sesshomaru, Kagura or even Inuyasha's bratty ass not being around everyday I missed them more & more. Especially my sister...& Sesshomaru. Not a night went by that I didn't send up a quick prayer for them, hoping they were ok. Then I prayed I was going in the right direction because every day I always questioned myself & wondered should I just turn around. Since I had no idea which direction I was headed in I wasn't even sure where I was & where I'd eventually end up if I kept going but for some reason I just kept it moving, hoping for the best but expecting disappointment.

Many, many weeks later I ended up at a beach. It was gorgeous, minus the scattered bodies lying here & there & I was tempted to kick around in the water for a while but instead I just rested, the sound of the waves crashing putting my mind at peace. Musou laid on his side & closed his eyes, his mouth opening for a wide yawn. We'd been travelling for four days straight, putting a great distance between us & the horde that we'd run into a few days ago. It had caught us so off guard we couldn't even find it in us to stand still long enough to piss, much less sleep.

I rubbed his belly. "Take all the time you need, buddy. We'll be here a while"

I closed my eyes & inhaled deeply & slowly, relishing the smell of the salty breeze. How long had it been since I've been to the beach? Last time I remember, Kagura was still a little kid. We'd gone with Mom & Dad...I think it was someone's birthday...ah, that's right, it had been mine. I'd begged Dad to let us stay a little longer because I wanted to gather a lot more seashells but Mom was tired & ready to go back home. She had Kagura wrapped in a towel, waiting almost impatiently while Dad explained to me calmly that we had to go.

"We'll be back soon though, Naraku" he'd said, "Maybe the next time we come there will be even more seashells that look even better than the ones you found today"

But we never went back, not all together as a family. Kagura claimed she was going to the beach on spring break once but I was quite sure she ran off with her boyfriend at the time to his house or some hotel. She'd come back looking sad & haggard.

I looked down at my hand to find a tiny turtle crawling over my fingers, trying to race its brothers & sisters to the water. I smiled & picked it up, chuckling when it continued to wave its flippers as if it was still crawling through sand. I took it down to the water & placed it in the shallow part, feeling an odd sense of pride as it began to swim as if it was my child. I turned around to find about seven more little ones struggling to make it to the water & stepped aside. I don't know why I decided not to help these. I guess I felt like I was interfering with nature.

Just as the last one was close to the water a seagull swooped in & carried it off for its snack. A heaviness settled in my chest; had I helped, that turtle would have made it. But I guess that's just life. Nature was brutal & could be scary & sometimes we couldn't do anything about i-

Musou barked once & I turned quickly, raising my hand to shield myself, drawing my knife with my other hand just in time to parry a blow from a man I didn't recognize. He had been weilding an axe so I was lucky my hand hasn't been chopped off. For a split second I thought maybe he was a zombie (I don't know why since zombies didn't attack with weapons) but then I looked him closely & saw his eyes were not yellow nor had a yellowish green tint to it.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

I was pretty sure this guy was a human of no more than twenty five years old but he was strong, if my reddening skin where I'd parried his attack was anything to go by. "I'm just a wandering traveller, that's all"

The man lowered his axe, relaxing for the most part. "Have you been bitten?"

"No"

He stared at me a moment before extending his hand. "I'm Takede Kuranosuke"

I took his hand & pumped it once. "Naraku"

"What brings you here, Naraku?"

I shifted uncomfortablly. What would this Takede think if I told him I heard about a city that was defended & protected by heavy artillery & the place didn't even exist? He'd think I'm crazy, that's what. "I'm...I'm just looking for a good friend of mine. I think he may be in the next gated city"

Takede raised an eyebrow. "The next gated city is pretty far off. Are you positive your friend is there?"

"No, not positive. But I'm pretty sure that if he's not there, he's on his way there"

He nodded & turned, gesturing for me to follow. "Well you might want to rest & eat before you take off towards Aramitama City"

I frowned, following him. "Aramitama City?"

"Yeah. It's the closest gated city that we have & it's heavily guarded. It's difficult to get in though; one scratch could prevent you from entering because they're so afraid of the infection or virus or whatever they want to refer to it as-"

"The virus that turns people into zombies"

"Right. They want to keep that out of the gates by all means"

I mulled that over. Was this city the heavily guarded one Bankotsu was talking about? Would the scratch I got on my cheek prevent me from getting in? "How far is Aramitama City?"

Takeda made a sound to indicate he was guesstimating. "Uh, about...a three day walk from here, I guess? It's not painfully far but a lot could happen on the way there"

I glanced down at Musou for some reason & he looked at me, inclining his head very slightly. I don't know what exactly happened but I understood that to mean that we would risk walking that far. We could do it.

Takeda glanced back at me. "We'll have to put some Heal on that cheek if you want to get in. Those people are terribly paranoid about any kind of scratch, scar, birthmark, you name it"

He led me to a cave entrance with a hand-made wooden door that looked as if it served absolutely no purpose since it was so worn looking. Maybe it was just meant as a cover & not necessarily to keep things out...?

Takeda knocked three times then opened it before turning to me, his face flushing a bit. "Uh...you don't mind leaving your dog...?"

I blinked before understanding hit. "Oh, sure, sure" I said then turned to my companion, "Stay here for me, Musou"

He sat by the door & I petted his head, murmuring to him how good of a dog he was.

I noticed Takeda smiling easily. "You have a way with dogs, eh?"

Sesshomaru's face flashed before me in my mind & nostalgia tugged on the strings of my heart. I smiled half-heartedly. "Something like that"

We walked into the cave. It was actually pretty spacious though a little on the dark side but it was warm & inviting. In the middle of the roughly circular room was a small fire, two young girls & an old woman eating out of clay bowls around it. The girls, twins by the looks of it, tensed & scooted towards the little old woman who regarded me cautiously.

"Hey you guys this is Naraku" Takeda said, gesturing towards me, "He's on his way to Aramitama City"

The woman nodded. "I'm Shouga. This is Momiji & Botan, my granddaughters. Please make yourself comfortable"

"Thank you" I said humbly, bowing before sitting across from the women.

Takeda flopped down beside me. "Any incidents while I was out?"

Shouga shook her head & set her bowl down. "Minus a large insect Botan found in her bedroll, there were no incidences"

"It was a big spider though!" Botan protested.

"You could've easily crushed it with your hand" Momiji said in a deadpan voice, casting her twin a side-glare.

I cringed, wanting them to change the subject. "So you two are twins?"

"Duh" Momiji answered.

"Yeah. You have any siblings?" Botan asked, her eyes wide as she leaned towards me.

I grinned, nodding once. "I have a younger sister"

"Oh dear where is she? Has she turned?"

"Botan!" Sounga snapped.

"No, no, it's ok" I assured, "My sister is fine. She's just in another city but she's ok"

I hope...

"Finish your dinner" Sounga commanded & the twins went back to eating.

The evening went by fairly peaceful, minus the twins' occasional bickering to which Sounga would get on to them. Takeda watched in mild amusement, a gentle smile on his face. How can anyone smile at a time like this? My youki brought to mind the time Inuyasha, Sesshomaru & I fooled around in the spring & the lake, whooping & hollering & tossing each other around playfully like some little boys. Just the memory made me smile so of course this would make Takeda smile. These were the times when you needed to appreciate the little things.

After Takeda finished eating (something that looked like oatmeal with bacon bits in it) he grabbed a tall white can of Heal & sprayed the clear liquid onto the scratch on my cheek & various ones on my arms & legs that I didn't even know I had. Heal was invented a few years ago to replace bandages because people complained that bandages would lose their adhesiveness too quickly. It was simply a clear, odorless, tasteless substance that closed up the wound & left no scarring at all. I'd been very impressed with it when I first tested it & I was thankful Takeda had it or I wouldn't know where I'd go if I was rejected from Aramitama City.

I checked on Musou to see how he was doing. Other than seeming to be very bored he was ok. I offered him my bowl of the oatmeal with bacon bits in it but he backed away from it & later on, brought back a dead squirrel, glaring at me as if I'd tried to poison him. I shrugged & apologized but he only continued eating.

Sleeping in the cave was not as cool as I thought it would be as a boy. It was uncomfortable, damp & I swear there were insects moving around in there. Several times I woke up, thinking I felt someone breathing on my face but when my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw nothing. I wasn't necessarily scared, just grumpy & uncomfortable because I couldn't get much sleep at all.

First thing the next morning Shounga whipped up a quick breakfast of rice & baked fish. Now this was my kind of food. I ate it graciously, bowing & thanking her.

She waved her hand. "Oh child, you're so humble"

I raised an eyebrow. It's been a while since I'd been called child. Did this woman need glasses or could she not tell I was a grown man? "My mother didn't raise a fool with no manners"

Takeda startled us by rushing in & I heard Musou barking & growling madly outside.

"We gatta get out of here, Sounga! Grab the girls!" Takeda said hurridly, snuffing out the fire & grabbing what he could.

"Wait, Takeda what's going-" Sounga started, standing.

"No time! Just get the girls!" he shouted desperately.

"Takeda...?" I started.

He looked at me as if he'd just noticed I was there then placed a hand on my shoulder. "We gatta get the hell out of here. Like right now. Get your dog, we're going out the back entrance"

He took off, grabbing things along the way before I was able to ask more questions & I whipped the door open to pull Musou in. Of course I was curious as to why Takeda was panicking but I wasn't too surprised to see zombies heading our way, their stench already reaching my nose. No, it wasn't the zombies that surprised me at all. It was their numbers. There had to be at least five thousand of them. I couldn't catch my breath; where the hell had they all come from? They covered the hills, the beach, everything, like ants piling out of their colony.

Slowly Musou's barks brought me back out of my dreamstate & I pushed him by his rump inside the cave. "Go, Musou! Go, now!" I shouted.

Just as he skittered inside, I fended off a zombie, giving it a powerhouse kick to the chest & knocking it down. My weapons were inside. I nearly choked on my spit when I realized I'd have to defend the entrance until the others got out safely. It wouldn't be long before these zombies overtook me. Demon I may be but I had my limits as well, especially when it came to numbers this large.

Please Kami let them get out quickly...

I fended off a good thirty to forty more zombies before Takeda started calling for me from inside the cave, his voice constricted with stress.

"Is everyone out?" I shouted.

"Yeah, man, let's go!"

"I uh...I can't exactly just go right now!"

He must've opened the door because he screamed, stepping back so fast he tripped over Musou who was continuing to bark madly, growling & snapping at zombies but knowing better than to bite them.

"Naraku, come on man! You can't hold all of them off!"

I gritted my teeth, stomping a zombie's face into the ground. "I know that but I can't just run, you know!"

A few moments went by as I just continued to hold them off. I was begining to tire & felt a desperate sort of helplessly begin to choke off my air. I had to do something but what could I do? There were no trees around so there were no branches around & surprisingly there were no rocks to throw either, just sand. I'd already used my sneaker to beat zombies' faces in & now they were begining to fall apart in my hand. I gritted my teeth again. Something had to give & I refused to be the one-

Takeda tackled a zombie that I had around the neck. "Go! Get out of here!"

I stared with wide eyes, the urge to scream rising in my throat as I realized what he was doing. "Takeda! No!"

"Go you idiot!"

He shrieked as the zombie he'd tackled bite harshly into his neck & another zombie tore into his back. The zombie who'd previously been coming towards me redirected its path & wandered over to Takeda who was still shrieking & crying out.

I covered my mouth in horror, unable to turn away. He'd sacrificed himself...for Sounga...for the twins...but mostly so that I may get away. The hand over my mouth began to tremble as my eyes grew hot. There were still some incredibly heroic people in this world. I can't honestly say I'd sacrifice myself for a stranger or anyone, for that matter. That took balls I wasn't quite sure I had, not that I wanted to find out either though.

I was finally able to close my eyes & look away as Takeda's screaming & hollering turning into gutteral spluttering, as if someone had pour liquid down his throat while he'd been talking. I looked down at Musou who's ears & tail sagged as he watched the horrible scene, a faint high pitch whimper bringing across the messege that even he knew the world lost someone very heroic.

I patted his head. "Come on, boy. Let's get out of here" I whispered.

Musou & I took off through the cave & found a back entrance where Sounga & the twins were huddled in a dark corner, the old woman trying her best to calm Botan down who was damn near hyperventilating.

Sounga looked at me expectantly. "Where's Takeda?"

I swallowed & shook my head which made Botan freak out even more.

"Oh my God, oh my God, Granny, we won't make it! We don't make it! We're going to die, we're going to die, oh God, we're going t-"

My eyes widened & even Sounga looked surprised when Momiji delivered a swift slap to her twin's face, shutting her up. "Chill, Botan. We'll be fine. Just keep your head so we can think this through"

For some reason all of them, even Musou looked to me as if they expected me to do something about all of this. I sighed. "Well we need to leave here. Right now. They won't be occupied for long"

They gathered the few bags they had & scrambled out. We ended up in an open field with a barn off to the right where Botan & Momiji were currently running towards. I swore, whipping out my spear as I saw two zombies lumbering from behind the building.

"Watch out!" Sounga shouted.

I darted in front of the girls & beheaded the zombies before they had even come to a full stop. They screamed, nearly colliding into me but I caught them & sent them running, turning to herd Sounga who couldn't run as fast. The zombies were begining to come from around the front of the entrance so I took that to mean they were done with Takeda & still ready for more.

"If you could just...go a little faster" I said through gritted teeth as Sounga was barely speed walking at the moment.

"Don't rush me child! These bones aren't as young as they used to be!" she snapped, "See that's the problem with you youngsters. You always think you're so much better but you know what? You'll be old like me one day, save Kami watch over you!"

I nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, now come on, we need to go...like right now!"

Botan & Momiji came out of the barn on a big black horse & leading another horse, a brown & white one with shifting eyes. It must be in sensory overload with all these zombies around.

"Come on! We don't have much time!" Botan shouted.

"Can you get up on the horse by yourself?" I asked Sounga.

"Of course I can get up on a damn horse! I may be old but I was not born yest-"

"Awesome" I muttered & took off to fend off the approaching zombies while she got on.

The zombies came at me with more force, actually putting forth some effort in trying to bite me. These must not have eaten in a while. Several zombies actually tried sneaking up on me while I was occupied with killing another zombie & that made me a little nervous. They'd keep trying & trying until they got what they wanted; I was vaguely surprised they weren't going for the twins, Sounga or the horses. Not yet anyway but I saw a couple of them had them in their sights.

I made a noise of annoyance when I saw Sounga was still trying to get up on the horse & rolled my eyes. For an old woman who liked to talk shit I would've expected her to at least have the horse straddled already. "It'd be nce if you could, oh I don't know, hurry it up!" I shouted.

She glared at me, placing her fists on her wide hips. "Boy don't you get crass with me, you're never too old for someone to brown that hide of yours! Back in my day my mom would have-"

I was getting ready to cut her off with a smart alec remark when I noticed something in the corner of my eye. I turned my head to look at it full on & my eyes widened considerably, my breathing hitching as my heart begin to race. A zombie that had to at least be seven feet tall was lumbering towards me, one eyeball gorged out of its head & the other hanging by a bloody thread of flesh. Its lower jaw was missing, the tongue hanging down like a dog's would & multiple gunshot wounds to its torso. My eyes widened even further at the peice of its head that was missing. This was not a zombie I wanted to fuck with, it was definitely time to go.

"Up you go" I muttered & hefted Sounga onto the horse in a rush, who immediately began to talk my ear off with another lecture. I grabbed the reins of the horse Boton & Momiji were on & scooped Musou up into my lap then took off, leaving the monster zombie & his little minions behind.
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Boppatsu: Z-Day