Chapter 68: Let Me Borrow Your Wife

The once bustling streets had now become eerily dim. After just two days of the rampant virus, over 90% of the population had transformed into zombies. The few survivors left were hiding in their homes, keeping absolutely silent. They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

After all, the living weren't fools—they knew these monsters hunted by sound.

For now, the outbreak was still fresh. Even with the supplies they had in their homes, survivors might last a few more days. But once the food and ammunition ran out, it would be the end for them.

Of course, no one cared about those people's fates. As the saying goes, it was the survival of the fittest. Enzo certainly didn't have the time to worry about them.

"Hachiro, calm yourself! You're shaking like a leaf!" Enzo yelled at his subordinate.

"Hahahaha! Damn it, I hate this weakness!"

Hachiro chuckled, forcing himself to stand straighter, trying to suppress the fear gnawing at him.

The two men stood on the guardrail of a roadside wall. The railing was about three meters high and barely ten centimeters wide. They were carefully making their way along it, heading toward Takagi's house.

Under normal conditions, with Hachiro's skills, walking on a narrow wall like this would've been as simple as strolling on flat ground.

However, with a horde of terrifying zombies below, shrieking and jumping, eagerly waiting for one of them to fall, even the calmest man would find it hard to maintain his composure.

"These zombies are nothing more than chickens and dogs," Enzo said, guiding his subordinate. "Your strength isn't lacking, Hachiro. The real reason you haven't made much progress all these years is your mental state. Right now is a perfect chance to overcome that."

Enzo knew the Takahashi brothers were actually quite skilled in swordsmanship. If it came down to pure sword skills, even Saeko might struggle to defeat them.

After all, the brothers had been training for over two decades longer than Saeko. In terms of physical strength and technique, they were far stronger than the girl.

But in a life or death battle? Enzo was certain that even if the two brothers fought together, they wouldn't last more than three moves against her.

There's a difference between practicing with swords and using them to kill.

Besides, after going through his rigorous training, the purple-haired girl's mindset had undergone a drastic transformation, and her strength had at least doubled.

"Yes! I understand!" Hachiro replied quickly. But judging by his expression, he was still far from reaching that level of enlightenment.

"Let's go!"

Enzo and Hachiro Takahashi began moving swiftly along the walls and rooftops. When there was no place to land, they'd simply jump down, slashing through a circle of zombies before scaling the walls again.

After more than an hour of this, they finally arrived near the Takagi villa.

To be honest, along the way, Enzo had killed at least forty zombies. For a Master Swordsman like him, there was no real danger unless he became completely exhausted.

This left him puzzled about the governments and armies of the world. How could such weak, mindless creatures plunge the world into an apocalypse?

"Who's there?"

A sudden shout from below snapped Enzo out of his thoughts. He glanced down and saw two men holding makeshift sickles, staring up at him from the base of the wall with a mixture of panic and curiosity.

"Where is Souichiro Takagi?" As he looked down at them, Enzo asked calmly, his gaze indifferent.

Though Enzo had little respect for the nouveau-riche Souichiro, he had to admit that Takagi did have some sway in Oda City.

The Takagi family villa spanned more than a thousand square meters—almost a fifth the size of the mountaintop park. Besides the main house at the center, there were numerous smaller buildings in the courtyard, which were probably used as garages or servants' quarters.

Now, they were packed with people. At first glance, there had to be close to two hundred survivors.

Yet, out of those two hundred, fewer than fifty seemed capable of fighting. The rest were old, weak, women, and children.

Enzo shook his head in quiet disappointment. Not only had the Takagi family taken in far more people than they could handle, but the presence of so many vulnerable individuals would soon become a serious problem.

Souichiro clearly hadn't grasped the harsh reality of the apocalypse. In this world, kindness would only lead to death.

"Who are you? And what do you want from Boss Takagi?" A man with a mustache demanded, gripping his scythe tightly.

Smack!

But the other man immediately slapped him across the face.

"Idiot! Don't you recognize Master Busujima? Go inform Boss Takagi at once!"

Master Busujima was a well-known figure in Oda City. Even though many had never seen him in person, his reputation preceded him. Upon recognizing him, the crowd of survivors gathered below gazed up with a renewed sense of hope.

"Master Busujima! It's such a relief to see you!"

Souichiro Takagi also rushed out of the house, his excitement clear as he spotted Enzo standing atop the roof.

In Japan, the government had always been strict about civilian firearms. Even with Souichiro Takagi's influence, he only managed to secure a few pistols.

Lately, he'd been struggling to manage the situation. The sudden influx of refugees over the past two days had severely drained the supplies in his home. If he didn't find a way to gather more food and essentials, everyone would be starving within a matter of days.

Relying on the walls and their limited weapons was one thing, but expecting them to go out to steal their daily necessities? That seemed impossible.

But now, everything was different.

Seeing Master Busujima appear, Souichiro felt like it was divine intervention.

Souichiro was confident that with a master like him leading the charge, they could raid the nearby supermarket with ease and claim all the supplies they needed.

"Yes, it's great to see you too," Enzo responded, glancing at Yuriko Takagi, who stood beside her husband, before giving her a slight nod and smile.

This woman was worlds apart from Manami. While Manami liked to pretend to be a strong woman, she was in fact nothing more than a promiscuous sow.

On the other hand, Yuriko, with her long purple-pink hair, exuded a natural and genuine confidence and strength. In comparison to her, Manami was like a mere servant next to a noblewoman.

It would be quite a lot of fun to bring this woman back to form a "happy family package" with her daughter and the three bitches of the Katsura family!

"Souichiro, I'm here to ask you for a favor," Enzo said with a smile, still standing on the roof as he scanned the people gathered in the courtyard below.

It was clear from the way they were positioned that, apart from Yuriko, the three men standing directly behind Souichiro were likely his most trusted allies. The noticeable bulges at their waists confirmed they were armed.

The dozen or so other people nearby appeared to be the core members of the Patriotic Society, the backbone of Souichiro's group.

As for the remaining stragglers hanging around the perimeter? They weren't worth paying much attention to.

"Master Busujima, whatever you need, just ask! Consider it done!" Souichiro called up, still puzzled as to why Enzo insisted on staying atop the roof. Why not come down and speak face-to-face?

Then again, it was possible that the wall's height had something to do with it. Most people wouldn't dare jump from a four-meter-high ledge.

Should he send someone to find a ladder?

Of course, watching a master of swordsmanship climb down a ladder might be a bit... undignified.

"Actually, I don't need much. Just want to borrow two things from you," Enzo said with a calm smile.

"Anything, Master Busujima! Whatever I have is yours. No need to even call it borrowing!" Souichiro responded quickly, eager to please.

He assumed Busujima was after the Murata-tou sword in his collection.

That blade had cost Souichiro a small fortune to acquire, and under normal circumstances, even if someone like Master Busujima asked for it, he'd hesitate. But given the current situation? It was just a sword. It couldn't compare to the importance of having a master swordsman on their side.

With Enzo's skill, taking down dozens of zombies would be no problem at all, right?

"Actually, I was just hoping to borrow your head... and your wife."

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