32: Kaboom

"The timer has to be running by now, so it's time for us to go" - Cloud said while looking carefully at the purple-haired woman.

"I know, I'm just remembering the past" - Yuriko replied as she shook her head - "Let's go, we still have to meet up with the soldier's squad"

"You left those idiots behind?" - Cloud asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I even gave them a bit of false hope to buy some time" - Yuriko replied as she ordered the retreat now that the zombies were starting to run in the direction where the idiot civilians who constantly opposed her orders were - "Let's go"

Cloud simply shrugged as he followed the current leader of the Takagi clan.

* * * * *

"Where are they?" - Saya muttered with a frown as she looked out the bus window in the direction of the road where her mother and the boy she liked should be coming, only to watch silently as nothing changed - "Shouldn't they have arrived by now?"

"Relax, they have to be putting the finishing touches of the plan" - Saeko replied as she shook her head - "See?"

Saya looked towards the road, and saw how her mother, Cloud and a group of soldiers came running and killing all the zombies that were in the area - "Start the engines!"

Under the instructions of the clan princess, the drivers started their vehicles and prepared to leave at any moment.

Cloud and Yuriko quickly got into the car in front of the convoy, only to drive out of the parking lot, and giving the signal for the others to follow.

[Hello, hello, can you hear me?]

"Loud and clear, Cloud" - Saeko replied as she let out a sigh - "The modifications were perfect, we can talk without fear of EMP waves."

[Good to know, anyway, I just called to let you guys know to be ready, kill everything in firing range, and remember, don't save bullets, we have more than enough to send all those shits straight to hell from whence they came]

"Understood" - Kohta answered seriously.

* * * * *

"Status report" - said Rika with a serious expression on her face as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Everything is going according to plan, although we have had many casualties" - replied a soldier with his face shaded by his hair - "I'm sorry, Rika-sama"

"You don't have to apologize, we are doing an excellent job trying to save as many lives as we can" - replied Rika while shaking her head - "It was something we had estimated because of all the people who were at the airport."

"But they don't understand" - replied another soldier as he heard the cries of injustice from the civilians.

"Then explain it to them, they have to understand that we are not enough people to keep them all safe" - said Rika neutrally, although her expression changed when she heard the sound of an explosion.

Quickly, the ace of the sniper corps, looked towards the origin of the sound, and saw how the Takagi mansion that adorned one of the hills of the town, had been blown up - "I had been told about the plan, but I didn't think it was serious."

"With that sound, it's obvious that the zombies are going to concentrate on that place, Rika-sama, that means our job will be a little easier" - said a soldier as he looked towards the civilians and explained the situation - "Now we just have to meet up with the others."

"Let's hope there aren't so many of those monsters heading towards Taiei" - muttered Rika while frowning at the sight of so many people gathered.

* * * * *

"I want a full report!" - exclaimed an elderly man as he looked around with a cold expression on his face.

"My general, the sound was produced by an explosion at the Takagi mansion, from a distance we can confirm the complete disappearance of Soichiro Takagi's home" - replied a soldier as he saluted the military leader of the base.

"That's ridiculous, that son of a bitch would never destroy his home, unless something happened, something we currently don't know about" - muttered the elderly general while frowning - "I want you to send a group to check the mansion, I need clues."

"My sir, that will be complicated because we don't have the manpower for this, the high command took more than half of our troops away from us for the airport operation" - replied the soldier with a frown.

The general was silent before tapping the meeting table - "I want information, not to mention that we have to look for civilians, we have already lost too much trust from our inhabitants with the actions of our high commanders, we can't go on like this!"

"Sir, we have checked our supplies, and I apologize, but we are in the red, we need more if we want to save as many civilians as possible" - replied another soldier while lowering his head - "Half of our facilities are safe, counting the refrigerated food warehouses, and some of our kitchens, we also managed to get into the armament room"

"What about our vehicles, were there any that were damaged by the EMP wave?" - asked the general with a frown.

"Just like our facilities, we have also lost half of our vehicles, it is possible that we can recover them, although we will have to make our mechanics work twice as hard, and that would also delay getting the resources inside the base that are still locked" - replied the soldier with annoyance because this situation was not good, and just like the inhabitants of the city, the bombardment had also caught them off guard because the higher commanders had not informed them about the situation.

The general bit his lip before ordering them to prioritize supplies before vehicles, after all, they needed everything they could to help more people.

* * * * *

"What are you thinking?" - Cloud asked as he drove the car in the direction of the rendezvous point, and noticed how the woman was a bit grumpy.

"I just lost the home I've lived in for over 18 years, Cloud" - replied Yuriko while shaking her head - "I'd be lying if I said I felt good that I escaped from the mansion, more if we take into account that I destroyed with my own hands..."

Cloud was silent as he kept his eyes on the road - "Zombie at 1... I understand what you're trying to say, something similar happened to me when I found out the truth about my lineage, I had to leave the orphanage to go to the place that took my family from me..."

Yuriko drew her gun and easily dispatched the zombie before looking at the blond boy with slight curiosity - "And you managed to feel a little better?"

"Only after exacting revenge, and seeing what you did to that son of a bitch Koichi Shido, I think you'll feel a little better too, not to mention that Saya is safe, as well as your husband's subordinates, which means you kept your promise" - Cloud said while shaking his head - "Leaving that aside... Is there anything you want to say now that there's no one listening to us?"

"Do you want me to say seductive words?" - Yuriko asked as she gave him a blank look.

"No, I mean do you have something inside that you want to get off your chest?" replied Cloud as he gave her a quick glance before settling his gaze back on the road - "Maybe then you'll feel a little better."

Yuriko was silent before letting out a sigh - "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't have thoughts I'd like to release from my head, but... Can I tell you?"

"Of course, remember that I'm your partner for the next three months" - Cloud replied sarcastically.

"Oh, thank you for making me remember that I have little time left to live" - Yuriko said sarcastically, only to let out a laugh - "I feel like you're waiting for me to be on the ground, so you can pick me up and make me feel extreme gratitude for you..."

"And it's working?" - Cloud asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Nope" - Yuriko replied as she shook her head, although she had to admit that this kind of interactions wasn't so bad.

[Hello, can you hear me?]

"Oh, it's my daughter" - Yuriko said as she picked up the communicator - "Everything okay, Saya?"

[Yes, it's just that I saw them so comfortable chatting after everything that happened, that I got curious to know what they were talking about].

"It's rude to try to butt into other people's talks, Saya" - Yuriko said with a frown, though she quickly shrugged - "Cloud was just helping me get over the depression I got from watching our home explode."

[I see... I guess it makes sense for you to feel that way, after all, I feel the same way...]

"But we have to be strong, Saya, we are Takagi women" - Yuriko said seriously - "You always have to look ahead and take what you want with your own hands, and if that thing you seek is in someone else's hands, then you have to fight to get it. Remember, Saya, we are Yakuzas, we don't need to explain ourselves to anyone."

[Ok]

"We'll talk later, daughter, we have to continue with the journey" - said Yuriko as she looked back and waved in her daughter's direction.