Chapter 20: Yuriko Takagi, Saya Takagi
Suddenly, Ren saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Stop the car."
Shizuka slammed on the brakes. Ren was steady, but Exusiai bumped into him, her halo hitting his chin. "What's wrong?"
"I seemed to see someone." He got out. He looked in the direction he had noticed. He saw it. A little girl with pink hair, a white dog beside her, crying in front of a corpse. Many of "Them" were slowly approaching. Alice Maresato. Ren knew her.
Stepping on the ground, the earth sank. He appeared before her in a teleport-like manner.
"Woof!" the little white dog barked.
"You…" Alice looked up, bewildered.
Ren clenched his palm. Five Thunder Rectification: Yin Thunder surged forth. The surrounding zombies were instantly enveloped. Zzzzt! A burst of black lightning, and they all turned into charred corpses.
His indifferent gaze swept over the house next door, where several pairs of eyes were peeking out. "Hmph!" He snorted and stomped his foot. The ground rippled like waves, crashing towards the house. Under several horrified gazes, the house was flattened into rubble.
Before Alice could react, he scooped up one person and one dog, stomped his foot, and teleported back to the car, throwing them inside. "Eh!!!!" A chorus of surprised gasps erupted. "Um… how did I get here?" Alice asked.
After her explanation, everyone understood. After the crisis, she and her father escaped, but he was killed by a family unwilling to help.
"Good heavens! How could they kill someone?!" Shizuka couldn't believe it.
"Where are these bastards?! I'm going to chop them up!" Saya's temper ignited.
"I'll go too!" Rei joined in with righteous indignation.
"I also think it's better to kill off such scum," Exusiai narrowed her eyes.
"Don't be angry. A house just collapsed. It was probably him, right?" Saeko calmly analyzed.
Ren nodded, placing a hand on Alice's head. "Those scumbags have already been buried by me."
"Well done." His actions received unanimous approval.
"Thank you," Alice's eyes welled up with grateful tears.
The group decided to take her with them. The car then proceeded to the destination Saya had led them to. However, the situation was off. There was no gathering place, only dilapidated and messy ruins with many zombies wandering.
"Saya, you didn't get the location wrong?" Rei asked.
"Impossible! How could I be wrong?" she took out a map. "Look, it's right here."
Ren spoke, "Saya shouldn't be wrong. Something unexpected must have happened."
"What?! Dad! Mom!" Saya cried out and rushed out of the car. The gathering place… "No... I don't believe it!" She was about to rush in when Ren held her back.
"Calm down. Your impulsiveness won't achieve anything."
"But my mom and dad…"
"Ren-kun, there are gunshots over there," Exusiai pointed.
The group quickly rushed over. "Mom!" Saya saw her mother, Yuriko Takagi.
The gathering place had been breached. Her husband, Soichiro Takagi, had been killed. She had escaped but was now surrounded.
Da da da! The last clip was fired. Yuriko threw away her gun. "Is this the end…?" She slumped to the ground, despairing.
"Mom!" Was that her daughter's voice? A dying hallucination? She weakly raised her head. A tall figure stood before her. Not one of "Them." He stretched out his hand. Black fluid writhed on the ground, enveloping everything. Zzzzt!!! Black lightning burst forth, and the zombies fell like candles in the wind.
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