Unfortunately, Dion did not get to receive Saeko's reply to his question.
"Umm..." Shizuka had interjected, "I think we should get going before more of them come. Preferably to the Faculty room."
She was hauling Dion's backpack, which was now full of medical supplies, and a small first aid box in one hand as she gave them a slightly awkward look.
The two of them separated then, glancing at her.
"That's a rather absurd suggestion, Marikawa-sensei," Saeko mentioned as she briefly glanced at the door.
"I've got to get out of the school immediately. I have to find the rest of my family as soon as I can, and once the zombies throughout the rest of the school premises start funnelling to this building because of the noise, it'll only become that much more difficult to leave," Dion said with a slightly sharp curiosity. "What's in the faculty room that's so important?"
"All the car keys are in the break room in the back of the faculty room. We could make a much quicker getaway with them," Shizuka explained with a faint jitter and nervousness in her voice.
'So scary...' She thought of him inwardly.
"..."
They all silently eyed each other.
"Faculty room, it is," Dion said.
As straightforward as his idea to hotwire a car seemed to be, especially for an older model of a vehicle, in a zombie-infested school, it wasn't exactly safe. Moreover, he did not know if his oddities would be able to withstand a zombie bite or scratch, and he was not so eager to test it.
So, to the Faculty room.
They began walking to the door of the Nurses Office and without looking back Dion, who was ahead with Saeko continued, "Ishii, can I entrust our backs to you?"
The young man in question hesitated briefly. He clutched harder against the metal pole in his hands, and his expression hardened.
"Yes, Sir."
Everyone gave a faint smile at this.
"Just call me Sil," He said as they briefly checked outside and then made their way, "I'm not very good with formalities."
"Then, please, just call me Kazu as well. All of you," Kazu said.
Then, with Dion and Saeko leading their charge, Shizuka in the middle carrying the medical supplies, and Kazu at the back, they hustled forth to the faculty room.
Thanks to Saeko's observations and advise, they now knew they didn't have to go through the noisy, stamina taxing and time consuming hassle of fighting every zombie that they came across. Instead, they just gave them a decisive push back, toppling them over.
Kazu, guarding the backs of two of the girls, ensured that any of the fallen zombies that moved too quickly to close the gap between them and the guys in front stayed down just long enough for everyone to keep pace as they hurried away.
"What's even happening to Japan..." Kazu mumbled.
They had taken a brief rest as Saeko helped Shizuka up from an accidental fall that she had from slipping over a pool of blood spilling from a person's severed arm.
Her black Prada dress was too tight and didn't allow her to regain her balance easily once it was disturbed. Saeko, without hesitation, ripped its side to give her room to move, arguing that Shizuka's life was more important than a simple dress.
Yet the nurse was still indignant, huffing that her life and her clothes were just as important as the other. Everyone got a little bit of a laugh out of it.
However, the weight of Kazu's question still tonned over the atmosphere.
"Unfortunately, Kazu, this is probably happening all over the world," Dion said bluntly as they continued on their way.
"..." Shizuka and Kazu's expressions were grimly disbelieving while Saeko seemed rather unmoved, she looked to have already assumed so. Perhaps they all had, only, they did not wish to acknowledge it.
"Think about it. Why would it just be the school, or even Japan?" He continued, "This isn't like some disease that takes time to infect the other person. It's sickeningly rapid. A bite, possibly even a kiss, and a few seconds to minutes later you're dragging your rotting nutsack around just like the rest of them."
"Since when are you so vulgar?" Saeko asked with a curious amusement.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," He faintly said, "I'm a polite gentleman,"
Saeko did not reply, simply giving the briefest of glances. All while Kazu and Shizuka had been silently struggling to come to terms with what he said.
"There has to be some kind of explanation...a cure," Shizuka said with a slight urgency to her voice.
"Hell ran out of room," Dion glanced back at her nervous countenance as he said. "Hell isn't hot, it's just dead and unfortunately for us, it's run out of room."
He then kicked a zombie right ahead of him off to the side and continued: "There's your explanation."
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
An ear-ripping scream halted their movements and jolted them to attention. It was coming from just around the corner. Exactly where they were headed.
They bolt into a sprint, leaving behind a pack of approaching zombies.
"Saeko-san!" His tone was sharp and direct, earning nods and hums of agreement from them as he said. "As soon as we get there, we pick off the zombies that'll be surrounding her,"
Therein, he continued:
"And Kazu, make sure you protect Marikawa-sensei!"
Kazu gave a deep "Yes" and just as they turned the corner, they were met with the sight of a bloody sprinkler.
Vweeeeeee! Krrkkkzz!
"Die! Die! Die! Diiie!! Damn you!"
Saya Sonokawa had mounted over a zombie with a hysterical, murderous expression.
In her hands was a gas-powered drill which she was terrorising into the head of the zombie that was moments away from killing her.
At the same time, they noticed the duo of Rei and Takashi coming down from the adjacent staircase. They shared a brief, intentful glance.
"Right side is ours! You hold the left!" Takashi hollered and continued, "Rei!"
Without hesitation, they all rushed to deal with the zombies that had trodden towards them and those that were already lingering.
Dion and Saeko were efficient in their combat.
Rei and Takashi coordinated rather well in their efforts.
Kouta provided the little assistance he could before he ran out of nails and gas, leaving him useless as he changed magazines and cylinders, silently marvelling at the whole scene.
Meanwhile, Kazu remained by Shizuka's side to pick off the individual stragglers who approached them.
As soon as they were done, Rei and Shizuka hustled over to check on Saya, who had sat trembling on the floor right beside the mangled head of the zombie that nearly killed her.
While at the same time, Takashi, Dion, Saeko, and Kazu were introducing themselves to each other.
"Hey," Dion greeted Takashi with a dap, shoulder bump, and faint smile. "I'm Tsubakihara Sil."
"I'm Komuro Takashi," He greeted back, "From 2-B"
"I'm Busujima Saeko, from 3-A,"
"Uh, I'm Ishii Kazu, from 2-D"
"Ah, uh," Kouta scuttled over to the introduction party and continued, "I'm Hirano K-Kouta from class 2-B."
"It's nice to meet you."
It was a pure coincidence that happened. A pleasant one, Kouta would add - to have been greeted with a pleasant smile by Saeko, that is. Seeing himself being greeted by her so delicately, his face flushed. Takashi and Kazu shared a brief look at each other, both of them letting out the faintest chuckle.
"Ah! "
Rei rushed over with a beaming smile and a sparkling gleam in her gaze.
Her attention had been zeroed in on Saeko with great admiration.
"You're Busujima-senpai, who won the national tournament last year!" She said with palpable excitement, "I'm Miyamoto Rei from the spear club."
"What's everyone getting all slack-jawed over?"
Their attention was drawn by the grim, rattling tone of Saya as she wobbled to her feet.
"What are you talking about, Sonokawa?" Takashi asked as he approached her.
"Don't mock me! I'm a genius!" Teary-eyed with dilated pupils and widened eyes, she stabbed her trembling finger towards him as she continued, "If I wanted to, I would never let anyone beat me!!"
Saeko approached, coming to drape a hand over her shoulder from the side as she spoke delicately, "Stop this. It's okay..."
Saya's gaze travelled to a tall mirror panel to her other side, looking at her bloodied clothes and grim countenance.
"Ahh...I got so dirty. I'll have to tell Granny to wash this or have Mama take it to the cleaners..."
Saeko hugged her, and her knees gave out, urging them to a crouch as she began crying her eyes out over Saeko's shoulder.
Dion looked out of the window, eyeing the smoke billowing up from several areas as far as he could see with a teeth creaking clench to his jaw. His pupils were straggling, and his brows were faintly creased.