HOTD! Busujima’s Step Brother

Our return to the mansion was uneventful.

However, the group's morale was low because of the death and injuries that happened to the advance party. Everyone looked exhausted and tired, so we didn't speak much on the trip.

The Takagi mansion was the same as always. I was expecting a horde of zombies to surround the mansion, but it seems like my worries were unnecessary. 

I did see some fresh zombie corpses lingering around with slash wounds, so I guess the guards or Saeko killed them before they got too close.

After a brief report to the guards, Don Takagi entered the mansion with us.

Many refugees looked at our bloodied returns with worried faces, but no one tried to speak up. They didn't know what happened at the factory and were afraid to ask questions.

It was understandable, considering the fact that the world has gone to hell in just two days.

As for our group, Don Takagi and his family were escorted to the main hall by Honda and some of the survivors, while I decided to find Saeko first and foremost. I asked the guard and was shown to a tent near the refugee camp.

"Daiki!"

Just as I entered the tent, a blonde figure jumped on me. She was wearing the same clothes as when she left the factory, but now she wore a white coat on top of it.

Soft mounds pushed onto my face. I could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest, and her warm breath tickling my neck.

"Miss Shizuka, please don't jump on me like this." I said, gently pushing her back.

"Sorry~" She giggled and backed away, "I'm glad you're alright."

Only when she released me did I able to look around. Saeko looked at me warmly, smiling. Her face was clean and her hair was combed neatly. Saya was also there, sitting on a chair beside her.

"Welcome back, brother." Saeko said. "I knew you would succeed."

"Thanks." I replied, smiling back. "Where is everyone else?"

"Takashi and Kohta are outside, probably walking around. Saya and Rei are in the mansion with Mrs. Takagi to clean up. I helped Miss Shizuka tend to the injured earlier." She said, "We have been waiting for your arrival."

"Then..." I said, "Alright. You should rest for a bit. I'm going to meet the Takagis."

Saeko nodded and approached me, "I will go with you."

Well, I guess that’s natural. 

I turned around and walked towards the mansion with her. Miss Shizuka was busy tending to the injured survivors from the mission earlier.

Strangely, I didn't feel as tired as before when I ran at full speed. Was my Stamina stats also affecting the recovery speed? In that case, I might have to choose a choice that increases it in the future.

'The most important thing is to survive. My current strength is enough to destroy zombies with bare hands and my agility is enough for me to run faster than them.'

The problem was the dog zombies I saw earlier. They were pretty fast and ferocious from their looks.

'They can be a problem in the future. I better keep an eye out for those creatures.'

Anyway, Saeko and I walked through the hallways of the mansion until we reached the main hall. The door was wide open and there were people gathered inside.

Saya and her mother, Yuriko, were sitting on the couch with Don Takagi. Meanwhile, Honda and the others were standing nearby. They all looked tense and worried.

Did we arrive at a bad time?

Before I could excuse myself with Saeko to avoid some troublesome stuff, Don Takagi called out to me when he noticed my presence.

"Busujima Daiki. We need to talk about the future."

"Alright." I replied and stepped forward, standing beside the Don.

He gestured for me to sit on the chair next to him, which I did. Saeko sat next to me as if it's natural.

"I have been thinking." Don Takagi said, "I have been thinking about how to save the world. However, this is something bigger than us, bigger than our country or even our continent. This is a global issue."

He looked at me seriously. "Daiki, what do you think we should do?"

I knew where this was going.

After raiding the water treatment plant and realizing that nothing went well, only able to rescue two survivors while sacrificing a few men, Don Takagi's ambition to bring back the normalcy of the society waned.

It seemed that he realized how hard it would be. It was not like an earthquake or a tsunami, the world didn't end in just one night. It happened slowly, and it would take a long time to fix everything.

For example, we didn't know whether the zombies would die naturally or not. What if they didn't die? How long would the world be like this? A month? A year? Or even a decade?

Don Takagi's expression darkened as he pondered these questions.

"As everyone knows, we can't stay here forever. Eventually, food will run out and water will become scarce. We need to leave this place as soon as possible."

To secure a better place, or maybe to find another place to settle down. Either way, the Takagi mansion couldn't accommodate this many people. There was a limit on how long the current supply of food and water could last.

Preferably we could find countryside that allowed us to be self-sufficient with our food and water.

I also thought of that while preparing for the apocalypse, but I realized it was impossible for highschool boy to do everything. In Japan, the legal age of 20 kept me from trying to borrow money or buy property without my guardian's approval.

Hence, I spent all my money to stock food, medicine, tools that could help me in the long run and hid them in our house's cellar. No one would be able to find it except me and my sister.

'I won't share these stocks with anyone.' I thought.

So I needed a base to store them safely. Only then, I would reveal my trump card.

Fortunately, the Takagis had a plan.

"As you all know, we are planning to move to the countryside. We have a villa there, and it is a perfect place to stay for a while." Don Takagi continued, "However, it would take time to get ready. And we won't be able to bring everyone."

"I will follow your decision, sir." A man wearing white shirt said, bowing deeply.

I recognized him as Yoshioka, Don Takagi Souichiro's loyal subordinate. He had followed the Don since the beginning and was a member of politican's entourage.

Yoshioka and Honda were the ones who survived in the water treatment factory's incident. They had sworn their allegiance to Don Takagi, and would follow his order no matter what.

"Yes, I am grateful for your loyalty." Don Takagi nodded and looked at me, "What about you, Daiki?"

I thought about the offer and Saeko's well-being.

Based on my research prior to the apocalypse, the nearest countryside was in Higashiyama District. It was a forested area surrounded by the mountains and rivers. 

It had a small town, but it was mainly known for its natural beauty.

If we went there, we could live in peace.

Yes, it would be ideal to live there.

Normally, I would stay in the city to try and survive, but this world wasn't normal. I needed to adapt and change my plan.

However, there was a problem.

'The zombified animals.'

Right. In the countryside, animals could be infected by the zombie virus and turn into zombies. That was a huge issue, but I didn't know how much threat they posed.

'What to do?' I thought to myself, 'Should I risk it?'

I looked at Saeko, then at Don Takagi. They would be useful in the long run. Their influence and connection to the government could help us survive this crisis.

'If it's really bad, I can always run away with Saeko.' I concluded.

"That's a good decision." I said to Don Takagi. "I will join you."

Don Takagi smiled at me. "I'm glad you agree. You and your sister will be welcome. Now, we need to decide who else to take with us."

"Of course." I replied, smiling back at him.

'You're not the only one who's happy about this arrangement, old man.'

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