10 Think you can do better?

The atmosphere inside the mini bus lingered with heavy tone, Rei's ruthlessness and decisive choice turned cold many people's scalp, including her own child hood friend that stood on her side. The brown haired girl might not be the brightest when it comes to decision-wise, but she not the one he expected to even think such a cruel idea. He wouldn't feel weird if it is Takagi or Hayate-senpai, even Hirano, but not this girl who he had known for most of his lifetime.

Takashi suddenly had the thought that he may not be recognize her that much anymore.

"Rei, what are you saying?" he said with a deep stare.

"I am saying he's not worth of being rescue," Rei avoid his gaze and pouted.

"He? Shidou-sensei?"

"Who else?!" she snapped her face back at him and bellowed.

"But..." Takashi as if wanted to say something but he went silent again, at the same time, Fujimura and Saeko arrived at the mini bus's gate, she obediently helped the young man hop onto it.

"Wow why it is so cold in here, I suddenly miss the outside temperature," Fujimura chuckled. He walked beside Rei then turning his body to face the both of them.

"What's going on here?"

Looking at the older boy smeared with blood from top to toe, the survivor started feeling fear, while his group observed him with worry.

"Hayate-kun, are you fine? Do you have any injury?" Shizuka said after witnessing his horrifying makeup through the bus's mirror. The young man just waved his hand in a gesture of comfort.

"Tell me the problem," Fujimura sternly said. Saeko already sat on the unoccupied seat.

"The front path was crawling with them, we don't have time to await for those people to arrive..." Takashi about to open his mouth but Rei immediately went ahead of him. While Saeko was frowning, Fujimura assumed the unbothered expression.

"Dr. Marikawa how long the time before the path completely blocked by them?" the young man said without facing the bosomy nurse.

"Ah, eh, not long... I think..." she observed the scene before her and said in doubtful tone.

"Alright, give them three minutes... three minutes to arrive at the bus or we leave immediately," then he retreated to the seat beside Saeko and placed his bottom in silent. The purple haired woman went the back of her seat and asked Saya in hope she had a clean towel, but she only received a disappointed answer. She had a tissue though which is fine by Saeko.

Takashi and the other were surprised by his simple decision, even Rei had a happy face almost immediately before she returned to her seat, clearly had no intention on warning those survivor outside. Takashi on the other hand acted quite irritating for her but she didn't want to quarrel with him or sort, therefore she only snorted then remained silent.

"You guys only have three minutes, quickly reach here or we will take off!"

Shidou and his group had the change on their expression, the teacher who previously wanted to take the appearance of righteous person suddenly aborted the idea and ran even faster than few other student. Albeit there was the time limit of their escape path but it's not an impossible condition. Even the girls on this group could reach the bus less than few seconds before three minutes.

While things seemed fine, in the end trouble will find its way...

One of the speeding people suddenly stumbled on his feet while carrying a few of book inside his arm, he fell hard on the ground and his feet was sprained. His eyes widened in shock and he yelled out help.

His comrade of runners as if turned deaf at the moment, even when he shouted out loud, they ignored it like it's not their problem.

Takashi, of course also heard this, he stood up and sprang out to the minibus's gate.

"Komuro, sit down..." as he watched how the fellow student helplessly crawled toward the minibus and the idea to save him popped out inside his mind, a cold voice quickly trapped his motion.

"Hayate-senpai..." Takashi declined his head and stared at the ground, those people passed through his side and made it inside the bus.

"From now on, remember... we cannot save all lives..."

*Thud!*

The mini bus door was shut tight and as if it was a sign, Shizuka stepped on the pedal and the mini bus dashed off from its parking spot. It let out a loud 'Vroom' sound and soon it faced against a horde of zombies that blocked the path. The bosomy blonde gulped her throat, she tightened the safety belt over her body and clutched her grip on the steer.

"They are not human... they are not human... they are not human..." akin to a mantra, she mumbled it multiple times as her eyes filled with viciousness and she ran down the dead.

The mini bus created a large movement as it trampled many bodies under its wheels. The people had to hold onto something for them stay on balance except people who can hold their ground like Fujimura and Saeko.

Soon the mini bus reached the school's iron fence, and the gate actually obstructed their path. Before Shizuka came into panic, Fujimura, Saya, and Takashi said in the same voice.

"Ram it!"

The fearless nurse heeded their command, like a siege weapon, the mini bus rushed toward the gate and slammed it hard!

*Bang!*

The mini bus literally went flying after the crash and it landed safely as it drifted on the slippery ground, like a professional driver, Shizuka handled the steer and played with the brake, she managed to pull off the hard time and brought the group of Fujimi's student save one teacher away from the hellish of the school's building.

*Ding!* *Ding!* *Ding!* (Victory fanfare)

"Stage one clear!"

"Main objective: Escape from the Fujimi high school!"

"Primary mission:

1. Do not let main cast get killed. (✓)

2. Do not wander more than 1 KM from any main cast. (✓)

Secondary mission:

1. Kill more than 50, 100, or 150 zombies. (Party member kills also include)

+50 (✓)

+100 (✓)

+150 ( )

2. Save more than 5, 10, 15 people. (Only those who enter the mini bus except main cast)

+5 (✓)

+10 (✓)

+15 ( )

Secret mission:

1. Get all skill. (✓)

2. Finish the stage before the sun set. (✓)

3. Get Combat Level to 10 ( )

4. Get 100 streak kill ( )

Calculating result: ... ... ... C ... ... ... A ... ... ... B ... ... ...

Final result: you got an A!

Reward: 5000 gold coin, 100 SP, soldier ring (ac), Iron Buckler (shd), survivalist (Title), 1x small potion.

Treasure box: C -> 1x small stimulant, B-> 200 gold coin, A-> leather armor, S -> ???. SS -> ???

*Ding*

Entering the free roaming sequence, and feature only available at this period of event.

You can repeat this stage after buying the extra system feature from the ."

Many information suddenly just appeared within the field of his vision, his previous tired eyes almost gone in the spot, replaced by an extreme curiosity and considerable joy. He pressed the 'free roaming sequence' and the help box popped out beside it.

Free roaming sequence, it's a feature that allowed you to travel anywhere in the prior of second stage, be warned that the second stage will start regardless your current position, you can instantly if the primary mission is failed.

Ah I see, if the mission is about my distance with the main cast, it is indeed a quick failure if the second stage commence while I am in the far away place. That mean my movement still limited in the end because I don't think there is an exact time when the next stage begin. Oh but, what if I take one of the main cast with me? Is it possible the next stage will be postpone? Or it still start as it mean to be, but I should be safe since I still near one of them.

Also I can repeat the previous stage? Is that mean I have to follow all of it from the beginning? Or just from the moment I touch that green icon? Or when we all gather in the teacher's office? Ah anyway, I will knew about it after I buy the feature anyway.

Speaking of buying, Fujimura was excited to know that and feature is available during Free Roam Sequence, he almost thought he wouldn't know how to unlock them. Moreover he had a lot of gold coin, the currency of the game perhaps? and skill point to spend, he also received a lot of stuff from the result of the stage.

Anyway regarding the result, it seemed the score based on each mission he completed, the 'C' certainly from the primary, 'A' from secondary, and 'B' from secret. It's understandable that primary only yield C since it's a must complete condition, if not he will get , whatever that means. And the secondary along the secret only reveal their requirement after he finished the stage so in the end he had to repeat the stage at least once to complete all of it.

After getting his doubt clear much with the result, Fujimura immediately called out the menu as he became impatient to see all the item he had and test the and features.

"You cannot use the menu system in moving space."

"What?" Fujimura expression went stiff, he can't summon the menu here? Why?

He knew that in the hostile environment he couldn't summon it either, he had tried it before while killing the zombie alone in the long corridor, it just wouldn't show up no matter how many times he tried to call it. Only after the rest of zombie were gone, then it finally could be accessed.

But now he also couldn't use it in here which almost make him went nuts at this many restriction.

Then again, when he did access the menu, the time and space were frozen around him, so he guess it's not possible on something that move from one space to another.

Wait isn't that mean this system is too weak that it unable to freeze something mobile?

Or maybe it just couldn't do it?

Ah whatever, he wait until the mini bus pulled over, it couldn't possibly keep running forever. The moment he stopped pocking the system too much, he suddenly realize that something had been touching his face, he glanced to his side and found Saeko was cleaning his face with the tissue. It only as big as her palm therefore she required a lot of it as his face really brimming in red.

"..." Fujimura went silent at her gentle behavior, he closed his eyes then opening it again, he raised his hand and grasped her moving hand. Saeko didn't have any startle gesture, she only sighed as she let him took the tissue and he wiped the blood by himself, she then proceeded to wipe the blood from her bokken.

The mini bus had passed by a convenient store and it continued down the hill to the city. From the higher ground, they could see many smokes trailed from various spots within the dense places of the city. The sky had turned deep orange, as if polluted by the skirmish of the war aftermath. Perhaps there were already many battle happened in the city.

At this moment, someone from the earlier survivor finally threw his tantrum inside the mini bus, a punk like person with desperate ugly face.

"Where is our destination? What is your plan? Are we have any safe zone? Do we check on our family? Don't tell me we are going to spend the night in the road while it is clearly crawled with those things?" he applied many complaint as if there is any customer service would ready to hear his lot of crap.

Well, it's not really crap, but since Fujimura found him annoying he wouldn't be more care how much the truth he spoke.

"No way, spending the night on the road?! Are you kidding me?! We should have stop by the previous convenient store!" one of them joined the fray.

"Actually, who even the leader of this group, is it you senpai?" the punk boy stared at Saeko and Fujimura, but more toward Saeko as if his eyes searched for something.

"This group is the result of teamwork and usability, no one dominant over someone else," the dark purple young woman said coolly. She peeked at the guy for a while then closed her eyes while wiped her bokken with the tissue.

As for Fujimura, he already considered this man as no more than a bug, just being there without the need for him to notice its presence.

"Well I be damn, no leader?! So getting out from the school just base on your own wimp?! Hah, here I thought I am going with the right people, turn just a bunch of nutcase who didn't have any purpose..." the punk boy shook his head and shrugged.

"I say we need to pick a proper leader, a person that can lead us to a sanctuary and promise us a safe place to go through this hell on earth, and since we are at the era of democracy, how about we decided by vote who is going to be the leader?" he turned his body and faced the rest of survivor with righteous face.

"I... I am agree with you... but... who we should nominate?" the timid looking girl spoke with doubtful tone.

"It's easy, first the person should be a man, I believe only a man could handle this much burden on his shoulder, second, he should be the oldest among of us, I mean, who want to hear the words of an edgy teenager who barely passed through his puberty? Do you guys want it? I sure I don't!" he said the words while ambiguously moved his head and vision toward Takashi, clearly he wanted to demote the black haired boy reputation.

"I agree, I agree, the nominee must be dependable!"

"Yes, I want someone that I can trust, and give me confident!"

"He should be familiar with a lot of us!"

Many voice started to encourage the punk man's words, by the sign within their sentence, it's undeniable they already had someone inside their mind. What democracy, what votes, this is a black campaign to sabotage other people's chance, a way to ruin someone's image and promote other in the instant.

"Friends don't worry, I sure you the candidate is someone you can trust, someone with a strong back bone, and certainly fair..." the man raised his both hands and gestured people to calm down.

Takashi's group already went silent at the comedy charade of this man act, he just a pawn, behave according the wish of its puppet master.

And they certainly knew who it was, or should be more precise, who he was.

"Thereby, I call Shidou-sensei, to please be our leader and guide us to salvation!" the man bent his body and paid his respect.

Many people stood up from their seat and glanced to their back, soon a man with slim body and clad in office suit strolled among them, his skin was pale and his expression was shrewd. The moment he chose to show his face, people with clear sight and conscience will know the fox under that human skin.

Rei already twitched her eyes, her whole face twisted in disgusted way, her hands that held the broom's stick already shivered.

"Thank you, but please don't be exaggerate..." he just started to speak but the air filled with foulness in the instant.

"I am just a messenger of the damn of this world, trying to spread the words of hope to those who had lost!"

"I am but a mere mortal, not more great than you, neither a lesser one."

"My power is limited, my strength is insufficient, but I believe if we stand together, we can survive this hell on earth and return human back to its era!"

"I promise you, I will carry human's fate to the brighter future, the world where no longer monstrous situation like this ever happen again, I shall stand at the edge of mountain, together we see a whole new dawn descended from the heaven!"

Shidou raised his both hands, acting like someone very prestigious, resembling the composer who controlled the musician, a writer who directed his own characters.

The survivor went silent at his remark, then one of the stood from their seat and started clapping, one by one student encored on his performance, whistling and applauding like there was no tomorrow.

Shidou smirked, his eyes curved in creepy way.

"Shizuka-sensei, stop!"

"Eh?" the blonde nurse looked confused as she stared at Rei through the rear mirror.

"I said stop the bus!"

*Screeech!*

She abruptly stepped on the brake, the moment the mini bus ceased its wheels, Rei opened the side door and jumped outside.

"R-Rei!" Takashi raised from his seat and stopped before the bus's gate.

"I can't stand it! I rather die than seeing him order me around!" she glanced over her shoulder then walked away.

"Rei, wait!" Takashi dropped down and chased after her.

The brown haired girl uproar didn't change the fervor of this seemly new appointed leader, few of them even mockingly laugh and Shidou himself just shrugged his shoulder, "Well, is there anyone who want to complaint?"

"Shidou-sensei..." the previous hysteric black haired girl stood up from her seat, Shidou twitched his eyes, when he thought she wanted to rant about him, instead she just giving him more pleasant surprise.

"Shidou-sensei, please guide me from now on, I'll do anything for you so long you can make me survive..." the girl bent low her body and spoke in honesty. the two front part of her torso dangled in the air.

"Hoo, you seemed quite desperate for survival, may I know why?" he licked his lips at the sight of her body.

"I just want to see in the end... how that bitch is going to die," the girl straightened her back and coldly looked at front seat from her line, her eyes precisely fixed at Saeko's place.

Saya and Kohta knitted their brows, one could see anger had rose on their face. Saeko didn't have much response to this, she just crossed her arms and shut her eyes.

"For revenge? I see... that's quite strong will to survive, someone like you may prevail in this kind of world," Shidou pressed his glass and smirked with a wide contour.

"If she just... if she just slow down a little... we won't get swarm and Takuzo... Takuzo wouldn't have to..." tears flowed from the well, she put both her palms onto her face and crying loudly.

"She even hesitate to save us, if not Miyamoto and Komuro come in swift, perhaps we all already... we all..." the black haired woman regained her bearing, she returned the cold appearance and sent all of her hatred toward Saeko's back.

"I just want to live until I see how is she going to die..."

"And I hope, it was painful..."

"And agonizing..."

Kohta grabbed his nail gun as if ready to shoot down this ungrateful woman, but Saya held him down, shaking her head.

Saeko opened her eyes, there was a sadness that filled her purple iris.

"You think you could do better?"

At this moment, Fujimura who just silent all the time now had breached open his cage of voice, it far colder than the black haired woman, even it enough to shiver everyone in the room.

"Her job is not to babysit you, neither to be your 24 hours guardian angel," Fujimura walked out from his chair.

"Hayate-kun, we certainly can solve this in civilize way, beside she is a girl, she just lost the man she love, you need to understand her feeling," Shidou came in front of him and spoke like the peacemaker of the group.

"Get out of my way," Fujimura barely even look at him.

"Hayate-kun, this kind behavior of you is not good, you have no respect toward your teacher and someone's older, especially when I am currently is your leader, therefore..."

"Get... the fuck... out..." he said in a grim tone.

Shidou's anger also got trigger by the defiant attitude the young man before him showed. He didn't need this kind of disobedient inside his servant of male and female. He hated anyone that dare to defy his order and especially challenging his authority. Shidou started to think how to cast out this young man from his circle.

"Hayate-kun, I want you to apologize to me and the girl, or I have you-"

*Bang!*

Without letting him had the chance to finish his words, a full fist smashed him right on the face and his body flung backward, hitting the back window of the mini bus and his body slumped down to the seat.

Even with the stage complete, Fujimura still had his combo level at level 3 and the force from attack boost is still enough to trash someone like Shidou.

Everything was happen so fast, by the time they woke up to the reality, Shidou already passed out with his nose broke and blood trail from it, his glasses was crumbled, the fragment of its wounded the area around his eyes. His entire face was slightly bent to the inside as if his skull had been reformed by Fujimura's punch.

"You... you... you dare to attack leader?" the punk man pointed his trembling finger at him.

Fujimura glanced for a brief then ignoring him, let the fly be by.

He walked toward the black haired woman, his eyes coldly looked at her.

"W-what do you want to do to me?! I swear if you dare-"

*Pa!*

Again with no completion of the sentence, Fujimura already swung his palm and slapped her harshly, she went to her side and slammed against the side window, leaving a crack there for anyone to see.

"You bad mouth her again..."

He turned around, leaving a simple remark that shivered everyone on the bus.

"You can kiss my sword..."