06. The New Companion

Kazuto woke up early, determined to get to the bunker with Kurumi safely. He reported their plan to Hayama Hoshino, detailing their journey and expected arrival. Hayama wished them luck and reminded Kazuto to stay vigilant.

Leaving the bunker, Kazuto and Kurumi switched from his bike to a sturdy jeep they found. Kurumi, who didn't know much about guns but was confident in her driving skills, took the wheel while Kazuto readied himself with his weapons.

As they drove through the desolate city streets, Kurumi suddenly tensed up.

"Kazuto, I can sense them... Stingers, ahead," she said, her voice shaking.

Kazuto was surprised by her sensitivity. "Really? Good job, Kurumi. Just keep driving, and I'll handle them." I don't even sense anything, i guess that's the difference between 76% synchronisation percentage and 120% huh.

Sure enough, they soon encountered a group of Stingers blocking the road. Kazuto opened the jeep's sunroof and began firing at the Stingers. "Kurumi, keep the jeep steady!" he shouted.

Kurumi nodded, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Just don't let them get too close!"

Kazuto aimed carefully, taking down the Stingers one by one. Suddenly, a larger, more menacing creature appeared. It was a Giant, similar to the one he had faced before, but this time, Kazuto wasn't alone.

"Kurumi, we need to take this thing down," Kazuto said, his voice serious.

Kurumi nodded. "I'll drive us around it. You find a weak spot and hit it hard."

Kazuto fired at the Giant, but the creature's thick skin made it difficult to inflict damage. As Kurumi maneuvered the jeep, she spotted a cluster of trees that looked sturdy enough to use as cover. "Kazuto, let's lure it into those trees!"

Kazuto nodded and began shooting at the Giant's eyes, trying to blind it. The creature roared in anger and followed them into the trees. Using the cover, Kazuto managed to get closer and fired at the Giant's exposed neck. The beast stumbled, and with Kurumi's help distracting it with the jeep, Kazuto finally delivered a fatal shot.

Breathing heavily, Kazuto leaned against the jeep. "That was too close."

Kurumi smiled, trying to hide her fear.

"We did it together. Teamwork, right?"

Kazuto chuckled. "Yeah, teamwork."

Kazuto and Kurumi, after their intense battle with the Giant, took a moment to catch their breath.

The forest around them seemed eerily quiet now that the threat had passed. Kurumi wiped sweat from her brow, her hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush.

Kazuto scanned their surroundings, ensuring there were no lingering threats before he turned to Kurumi with a reassuring smile.

"You did great back there, Kurumi," Kazuto said, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

"Your driving skills and instincts really saved us.

"Kurumi managed a shaky smile in return. "Thanks, Kazuto. I never thought I'd be driving away from monsters like that."

Just as they were about to resume their journey, Kazuto's wrist watch buzzed. It was a call from Hayama Hoshino.

Kazuto quickly answered, "Yo! Captain."

And with a exited face kazuto says,

"Captain, we just faced a Giant. It was tough, but we managed to take it down," Kazuto reported, his tone a mix of exhaustion and triumph.

Hayama's voice came through the device, filled with concern. "I'm glad to hear you're both okay. Kurumi, Kazuto, I need to tell you something important. My sister and I were supposed to reach the main bunker in one day, but the route we planned was overrun with monsters. We've had to take a different path, so it'll likely take us another day or two to get there."

Kazuto nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Understood, captain just try to stay safe. We'll be cautious and keep moving towards the bunker too. Any other updates?"

"Yes"

Hayama continued, his voice solemn.

"In my latest report, I confirmed that there are 10 survivors in India, but unfortunately, 4 of them have passed away."

Kurumi gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth in shock. Kazuto exchanged a glance with her, his expression reflecting their shared sadness at the news.

"Please be careful out there, Kazuto, Kurumi," Hayama added, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

"Make sure you reach the bunker safely. We'll meet you there as soon as we can."

"We will, Hayama," Kazuto assured him, his determination renewed.

"Take care of yourselves too. We'll see you soon." With that, the call ended, leaving Kazuto and Kurumi with a mixture of emotions.

They shared a moment of silence.

As they resumed their journey through the desolate city, they encountered a new type of creature that is looking like a butterfly and when kazuto search the thing on his watch it says it is a butterfly but mutated and it's name is glowfly.

These ethereal insects have are just like normal butterflies but their wings glows, soothing light that seemed to guide them through the darkness.

Unlike the hostile monsters they had faced, Glowflies were harmless, almost comforting in their presence and suddenly a horde of glowfies flew over their heads and it was so beautiful.

Kurumi marveled at the beauty of the Glowflies, her fear momentarily forgotten as she watched them flutter around the abandoned buildings.

"They're like tiny beacons of hope in all this darkness," she remarked softly.

Kazuto nodded in agreement, a sense of wonder filling him as well. "Yeah, they remind us that not everything in this world wants to harm us."

Their encounter with the Glowflies provided a much-needed respite from the constant tension of survival

As they continued their journey, Kazuto couldn't help but notice Kurumi's growing confidence and how she was accepting the situation and moving forward. Despite her initial fear, she was becoming more reliable.

They encountered a few more monsters, including some Horn Rabbits. Kurumi sensed them before Kazuto could see them, which proved to be a great advantage. They decided to stop for the night in a relatively safe spot, setting up their tents and making a campfire.

As they sat by the campfire, Kazuto prepared a meal from the Horn Rabbit they had hunted earlier, but Kurumi was hesitant. "Are you sure this is safe to eat?"

Kazuto grinned. "The watch said it's good for recovery and it even tastes good. Plus, it's better than starving."

"Kazuto took a piece and ate it, then said, 'Ahh, its taste is really good.'

While watching Kazuto, Kurumi said, 'Is that thing really that good?'

Kazuto, with food in his mouth, replied, 'Yeah, you should try some too!'"

Kurumi sighed. "Fine, but if I get sick, it's on you."

Kazuto laughed. "Relax, if you get sick, I'll be your nurse. How bad can it be?"

Kurumi cautiously tasted it

"This isn't so bad, but still I want some time to get used to it" Kurumi admitted, a hint of relief in her voice.

"I guess surviving in this new world means trying new things."

As they ate, Kazuto joked about their situation. "You know, this is probably the first time I've had to hunt for my dinner. I feel like a real survivalist now."

Kurumi giggled. "Just don't start wearing animal skins and carrying a spear."

Kazuto chuckled, enjoying the moment of levity.

"Exactly. Who knew we'd become expert monster hunters and gourmet chefs?"

Their conversation drifted to lighter topics as they talked about their past, sharing memories of their school days and childhood adventures. Kazuto couldn't help but tease Kurumi about her fear of spiders, which made her laugh despite herself.

After eating, Kazuto took out a pistol and handed it to Kurumi. "Here, let me show you how to use this."

Kurumi looked nervous but determined. "Okay, show me."

Kazuto patiently explained the basics, showing her how to load and aim the pistol. To his surprise, Kurumi picked it up quickly. After a few practice shots, her aim was impressively accurate.

Kazuto whistled. "Wow, it took me a whole day to get my aim right, and you're already this good." Is this is also due to synchronisation, nah i don't think so.

Kurumi blushed. "Maybe I'm just a quick learner."

As the night grew darker, they were going to settle into their tents but before that Kazuto glanced at Kurumi and said, "No matter what happens, we'll get through this together."

Kurumi nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, together."

They both fell asleep, finding comfort in each other's presence amidst the chaos of their new world.