28: Break

The news of Soichiro Takagi's death had spread throughout the mansion, and just as the late Yakuza leader had said, chaos was inevitable.

Those who opposed his orders quickly attempted to take up arms against the widow and her daughter, only to be answered by lead syrup.

Cloud did not hesitate, he used a single bullet for each of them with a cold expression on his face. Years of working as a leader of his own criminal gang, along with all the problems of his childhood, made him someone without compassion against his enemies.

"That's a huge contrast compared to the kind and inexpressive guy we know" - Rei said while frowning because she didn't know what else to say in this situation, although she wasn't the only one because Kyoko was also worried.

"This is the face one has to put on in a situation like this" - replied Saeko with a frown - "We must not show weakness against our subordinates or else it could get out of hand, as it was going to happen before Cloud ended the lives of those traitors."

"But, we shouldn't take justice into our own hands" - Rei said while biting her lip, after all, she didn't like to see the blond acting so cold.

"Listen, Miyamoto-san, we are not in a world where everything can be solved with words, no, we are in a society where the strongest devours the weak" - said Saeko neutrally - "No matter what illusion you were living in, this is completely true."

"I'm sorry to say it, but she is right, people with enough power, be it monetary or connections, has enough power to make all weak people nothing but sheep ready for slaughter" - said Saya with a darkened look, after all, the attack on her and her mother was a harsh reality check. She knew the men who tried to kidnap her, they were her "uncles", but it seemed as if that was nothing more than an alibi, so they could keep their intentions low profile, and now that her father had been killed, they didn't need to hide their intentions anymore.

"Where's Cloud?" - Takashi asked with a frown as he calmed his mother and girlfriend.

"Finishing the job" - Saeko replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Doesn't it bother you that he killed?" - Takashi asked with irritation.

"And this is different from all the monsters we've killed to survive?" - Saeko asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Yes, these were humans, the others were monsters" - replied Takashi with hostility, only to shiver as he felt the purple-haired girl's cold stare.

"Listen well, Komuro-san, you can feel bad about Cloud's actions, but you can't try to ask him for explanations, after all, these actions have nothing to do with you" - replied Saeko with neutrality - "If you feel so bad about being by his side, you'd better stay away from the group and go to protect your family, after all, we don't need people who can't see the whole picture, and that goes for all of you as well."

"The whole picture?" - Kyoko repeated as she frowned slightly and carefully analyzed the situation.

"She means all the reasons for him to reach this outcome" - Saya said as she looked neutrally at Takashi, an expression the black haired boy didn't expect - "Listen, Takashi, Cloud killed to keep my mother and me safe, if our lives mean less than those of the sons of bitches who were going to kidnap us to use us in unspeakable ways, then I don't think we can be friends anymore"

Takashi was silent because he hadn't thought about this. He had simply been comforting his girlfriend and her mother because they were scared of how cold the guy who had been accompanying them all this time had been, and he wouldn't lie, he was a little scared too, after all, he didn't know when it might be time for the blond to end up putting a bullet in his head like those strangers.

Saeko clicked her tongue as she felt the fear in the look of the boy she had started to respect - "I guess this is a good time for us to part ways..."

Takashi didn't reply, he simply kept silent, though he had to admit the purple-haired girl had taken the words right out of his mouth. Yes, he was grateful to Cloud for everything he had done, but at the same time he couldn't trust the lives of his girlfriend and mother to such a cold person, not to mention that Kohta Hirano also seemed to be crazy, and that's not counting Saeko Busujima who was the most psychopathic of the group.

"I can read you like a book, Komuro-san" - Saeko said neutrally - "Possibly you have to be thinking something like... "I can't trust the lives of my mother and girlfriend to a group consisting of a Yakuza assassin, a firearms maniac, and a psychopathic swordswoman"..."

Takashi remained silent, though this was more than enough proof to confirm the purple-haired girl's words.

"I find it perfect that you're afraid of us, after all, we're different from the rest, and normal people are afraid of what's different" - Saeko said while shrugging her shoulders with boredom - "But... in this critical situation... being different is the only thing that keeps us alive..."

Takashi simply walked out of the room with his girlfriend, in the direction where his mother was. He felt he had nothing more to say in this kind of tense situation, not to mention that he didn't know if Saeko would go crazy and attack them if he kept touching her heartstrings.

"What I said is true, if you want to leave, this is the time, because we are not going to change" - Saeko said as she looked around - "You have two choices, one, leave in peace, or two, adapt to our style and survive."

Rei was silent before letting out a sigh and nodding. She didn't want to give up on her desire to be with Cloud, she wasn't that self-conscious about his actions either, it was just that it was all too fast, and she couldn't digest the information so abruptly. Rei knew that she wasn't perfect, no, she had also had hundreds of problems while growing up, that's why Shido had tried to use them against her to "indoctrinate" her, it was Cloud who saved her, and since then she has always wanted to be by his side, even knowing about all the competition she had.

Shizuka and Miku simply accepted everything about Cloud. He had saved them from a horrible fate and given them a safe place by his side, not to mention that they were aware of his true identity.

And lastly there was Kyoko, she was the one who was the most afraid, though not out of fear for the blond, but rather because she didn't want him to discard her. The suspension bridge effect was much stronger now that the two had shared that intimate moment that the brown-haired woman longed for every time she closed her eyes.

Kyoko knew that her mental state was messed up, but at the same time she knew that it was this problem that was causing her to stay alive and accept everything so easily. She had chosen insanity to escape from reality, to sanity and suffer constantly in this zombie apocalypse.

* * * * *

"I guess that's the last one" - Cloud said as he looked down at his hands and frowned, after all, he had been killing dozens of traitors, and honestly, he didn't know what to feel. He had done all this on autopilot.

"Are you okay?" - Yuriko asked as she looked closely at the young blond with a complicated expression, after all, even she didn't like this situation.

"I'm fine, I'm just a little confused, I thought I had gotten used to the blood by now" - Cloud replied while shaking his head - "Anyway, I'd better go rest for a moment."

"I think that's a good idea, though I'd like you to come with me first, there's something I want to ask you" - Yuriko said while shaking her head.

Cloud gave her a quizzical look before nodding - "I understand, let's go."

The duo continued walking towards Soichiro's old office and sat across from each other.

Before Cloud could say anything, Yuriko broke down in tears, to the point that the young blond could only do one thing, walk to the purple haired woman and hug her as she released everything she had built up and couldn't release for fear of showing weakness.

"I-I don't know what to do..." - Yuriko said while biting her lip - "The last thing he told me, was that he knew about this..."

"I know" - Cloud replied as he let out a sigh - "But... now we can't do anything but comply with what he asked us to do, in fact, I feel like he knew that soon..."

Yuriko didn't answer, she just continued crying.