Movie night pt 3

(...This, must be the biggest mistake of my whole friggin life…)

Right now, I was sitting by the table, a single card in my hand. The projector, along with the rest of the room to my right. Saeko was on the opposite side of the table, with two cards in her hand. She was also wearing my mask, minus the balaclava. Which was on my shoulder, like a hat. Why? Because my luck fucking sucks. Saeko was 2 wins ahead of me, and since cash was useless, it meant that I 'owned' Saeko two 'favors'. Minus one, for the mask she was tooting on her head right now…

(I always said that gambling is a losing game, so why did I agree on betting? Ughh. The only thing I'm holding is an ace, that's one, or eleven. So, I need a ten…)

"Hmm, hey Naier." Saeko then speaks up, lifting her face to look at me with a casual smile.

"Since Saya said that she is almost ready and this is the last game. Want to make this double or nothing?" She asks…

(...Say no, say no. If she asks something like that, it means she's holding a strong hand…)

"Elaborate?" I ask.

"We will make this count for all the points I am currently ahead of you. In other words, two points." She answers with the same casual smile.

"Uhh, that mask on your head counts for one point though." I retort as I point at her head. Saeko raises her eyes to 'look' towards the top of her head, then closes her eyes with a short giggle.

"Hmm, true, I guess it does. So that just means that you can actually turn the tables on me, if you win." She responds with a slight smirk…

(...Or, I will end up owning you three times. Uhh, it boils down to, play it safe and either go for a tie, or two lost points. Or go for broke and go for one winning point, or three lost ones...)

"Fine." I retort as I draw a card…

(Ohh I'm going to regret this. Uhh, ok. Four. So fifteen, or, five.)

"I am ready then." Saeko responds as she leaves her two cards on the table facing down…

(Uhh, if I draw a six, that's twenty-one. Unless she has a twenty-one under the two cards, I win. No idea if the rules are normally like that, but honestly I don't remember them very well. The other is getting seven cards without passing twenty-one. I have an ace, which means I want six, or small numbers to stack up…)

And, I draw another card...

(..Five. Oh come ON. Uhh, ok, ok. I'm still good, with the rules we play, I'm at ten now, four more cards. Or I'm hosed…)

Saeko just tilts her head slightly, that damn smile still on her face…

"Well, all or nothing now." I let out a small sigh, and drew four cards at the same time, Saeko raising an eyebrow with a small 'ohh?'...

"First, let's see your hand." I add as I leave all cards face down. Saeko nods and flips her cards.

"A King and a Jack. That's twenty…" I blink a couple of times as I look at her hand.

(No wonder she had a strong hand. It was that, or she would have something like fours and threes to lose on purpose, something that really does not seem to be her style…)

"So? Your cards are?" Saeko asks as she leans on the desk slightly. The open gap on her shirt opening even wider, exposing her bra even more…

(She doesn't even seem to care about that hole on her shirt anymore…)

I shake my head slightly and start to flip the cards one by one.

"Ace, one." I then flip the next one.

"Four, five." Then the next.

"Five, ten." I stop my hand over the next card.

(And now the unknown ones.)

And flip it…

"...Really now?..." I slap my forehead as I look at the second ace…

"I could have made a twenty-one with this. Ughh, serves me right for making this overly dramatic…" I groan as I shake my head. Saeko just giggles.

"Hmm, I wonder what I should make you do?..." She 'asks' as she glances at me, her smile turning into a small smirk...

"You didn't win yet..." I respond as I flip the next card…

"Ace again, twelve." Saeko arcs an eyebrow as she sees the third ace.

"Five, seventeen…" I then turn to look at the final two cards…

(I need these to be less than, four? R.i.p me…)

"Hmm, want to drop it now? I will also drop one of my points for you too." Saeko then speaks up as she glances at me.

(...That would then be, two points. Aka two 'things' she can ask of me…)

I respond by flipping the next card…

"Hmm? I wonder, why you want to win this so badly? Is there something that you want to make me do?" She glances at the three on the card before turning to look at me, one eyebrow arched, a one-sided smile on her lips.

"Uhh. Didn't think that far…" I shrug slightly as I grab the last card.

"Hmm? Is that so?" She 'asks' as she tilts her head, smile still on her face.

Without responding, I flip the last card…

"..." And stare at the card…

"Can I flip the table now please?..." I 'ask'...

"If you want. You are still going to owe me a total of three points though~" Saeko chimes as she lifts the queen card and waves it slightly at me…

"Gambling, sucks…" I fold my arms as I glance towards the projector with a chuckle.

"Humm? I for one found our game to be rather fun." Saeko responds as she leans slightly on the table, the hole her shirt becoming even more, pronounced...

"I'd be weird if you didn't, especially after winning." I respond with a slight shrug as I turn to look at her.

"So, uhh. I guess I'm not going to be getting my mask back?..." I ask as I lean on my chair. Saeko puts one finger over her mouth, tapping it slowly as she turns her sight towards the ceiling. 'Thinking' of an answer…

"I guess I could return it to you…" She responds as she turns her sight back to me with a small smile.

"But, you would have to give me back something of, equal value." She adds with the same smile.

(Figures. Uhh…)

I scratch my forehead slightly as I keep thinking, the room turning silent while Saeko just keeps staring at me, smile still on her lips…

And while the room was dead silent.

"BZZZZZEEEEEEEEE!" An obnoxiously loud sound started coming off from the earbuds…

I reflexively jerk my head back and turn to look towards the earbuds...

"Ops, sorry~ Was that too loud?" I hear Saya speak up right after, though she sounded anything but sorry, more likely smugly pleased…

(...Goddammit Saya…)

"Loud enough to work for what we need it for." I respond as I tap my ear…

"Aaaand I think I just went deaf from one side…" I add as I cover my right ear.

"Ha-ha. Now stop wasting time and get ready." Saya groans.

(Jeez, cold chundere is cold.)

I get up from the chair, picking up the helmet off the table, and walk up to the earbuds on the projector.

"So, should we first go to the other cinema room. Or check the rest of the building?" I ask as I pick the earbuds.

"...Wait. You have yet to check the whole building?" Saya asks with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Uhh, yea? We still have to check two hallways. The one opposite of us, and the one that connects them at the end. What, are you going to tell me I am not allowed to take a break until I clear out everything?" I ask back with a slight chuckle.

"Uhh, that's not what I said you idiot. I just thought that the room with the horde was all that was left." Saya responds with a slight huff...

"Though by taking that break, I ended up losing spectacularly at a card game..." I add as I turn towards Saeko, who was still with my mask on her head.

"Ha, that's what you get for slacking off." Saya retorts right after, her voice sounding rather smug for some reason.

(Why are 'you' sounding so self-satisfied? You're not the one who won…)

"Yes, and now I owe Saeko three favors." I respond.

"What? W, what do you, owe her?..." She asks with a slightly lower tone.

"I am still thinking about that." Saeko then speaks up.

"Well you're not allowed to ask for anything that will be detrimental to me. I did not take part in your stupid game, so I should not have to pay for it." Saya responds with a slightly irritated tone.

"Of course." Saeko replies with a small giggle.

"Uhh, well if we're set. Let's go." I speak up as I pick up the two earbuds. Putting the one with 'normal' volume in my ear.

"Since we'll be using one earbud from now on, Saeko won't be able to hear you." I then mute the loud earbud and pocket it.

(Better safe than sorry.)

"So she can't hear me now?" Saya asks right after.

"No. But that doesn't mean you get to whine while she can't hear you." I answer flatly.

"W, what?! I, I had no intention of doing such a thing! It's not like I'm stuck here by myself while you two are playing games. And that you now 'owe' Saeko favors..." Saya 'not' whines. I just chuckle slightly and shake my head.

"Alright. Once we are out. Back to being silent. Especially the moment we get near the other cinema room…" I turn to Saeko as I speak, who just nods at me.

"I want to see how we'll deal with that awesome smell in there. The place should have vents and air conditioners. But without electricity, good luck manually turning the fans…" I add as I make sure that I have everything on me.

"Ah, about that. Apparently the team sent to the dam is almost finished. From what I heard being tossed around in the tower. There's a chance they will try to restart it before the other teams are actually finished. These teams being us, the hospital, and gas station one." Saya answers.

"I see. That could matter, if electricity could actually make it to this place. Emp aside, the neighboring area is a total wreck, electrical pylons included." I shrug as I start heading towards the door.

"Yes, true. But If that was the case, then the airport would not get electricity either, as it's after the neighborhood you are in at the moment. So there's a good chance that there are other connections to the dam, ones that are still standing. Don't think the army and my Papa would have gone through all this trouble without looking that up first." Saya responds.

"Hm, I just hope that the still-standing pylons ain't completely fried then…" I reply as I open the door.

"No idea, but from what I heard. If they are not working, then they will draw new power lines over the fried ones." Saya answers.

"Huh, with all the corpses running around? They'd have to take back a rather big part of the city to do that safely." I scoff as I start going down the stairs.

"And why you think you're there right now you idiot? They 'are' trying to take back parts of the city. With the ones around the airport being first." Saya retorts.

"So that means, I'll have to do this again?" I groan as I exit the staircase, ending up in the cinema room.

"That's…" Saya stops talking, her voice sounding, uncertain…

"Anyway..." I turn to Saeko as I start talking.

"We'll use the same hallway. We can check the rest of the building after we are done." I pointed at the entrance we used to come into the room the first time around.

"Very well. But, I have to ask. You have a plan?" Saeko asks as she nods.

"Simply put? We open the door. Throw the loud earbud. Saya makes a crap ton of noise. Using the opening, we then enter the door next to us, which leads to the projection room. Clear whatever might be there, and then snipe the corpses from there." I fold my arms as I start explaining.

"Hmm, in other words. I won't really have to do anything?" Saeko asks as she tilts her head.

"Well. Ye…." My sight falls on the handgun attached to her hip as I begin to speak.

"No. Actually, you'll be taking shooting lessons. On 'live' targets." I continue as I point at her handgun. Saeko glances at her handgun, before folding her arms.

"Are you sure? You never really showed me how to use it…" She asks again as she lifts an eyebrow.

"No time like the present then. Unless the corpses figure out how to get up to us by opening doors that are located in a different direction from where the sound will be coming from. We won't have any problems…" I nod slightly as I keep looking at Saeko.

"And actually, we better do start with your gun." I add, causing Saeko to frown questionably.

"The Scar-H is a high-caliber weapon. Shooting it in a closed space, in total darkness. That mask on your head might be able to protect your eyes a bit. But the sound? I have the balaclava, and the helmet, so I have 'some' protection. But you'd be surprised how debilitating it can be to shoot a gun under these circumstances. And, uhh. Speaking of masks..." I tap the side of my forehead as I keep looking at Saeko.

"Found something to trade it for?" Saeko asks as she smirks slightly.

(She's still going with that?...)

"Me not getting blinded after every shot?" I 'ask' as I tilt my head. Saeko just giggles slightly, then picks the mask off her head.

"I will believe you that you need it in order to teach me how to use my gun then." She adds with a small giggle, extending it towards me with her hand. I just take it without responding.

(That, was easier than expected. Now whatever film the visor has, does make everything slightly darker. Not to the point of walking blind though.)

After wearing everything back, I readjust the flashlight and ready the shield.

"Alright, no more talking. Let's go." I motion with my head as I turn to walk towards the exit.

"Humm. Right when I was starting to get used to your face. Oh well. I still do have three wishes." Saeko giggles from behind me…

(...Suddenly, I feel unsafe…)

With that, I head back on the hallway, and towards the room with the horde. Being an already traveled path, and having no corpses to slow us down, we got there pretty fast. And once we reached the door, I turned to Saeko.

"I just hope the earbud won't break after I throw it." I turn the loud earbud on as I whisper…

"Then be careful." And Saya speaks up, right as I open the earbud. In other words, the whole hallway must have heard her…

"Oh holy shit!" I quickly cover the earbud and reflexively look around.

"Saya, the loud one is open. Please don't speak up out of nowhere…" I whisper.

"O, ohh sorry I didn't know and…"

"Saya. You're speaking again…" I cut the pinkette off. And this time, get silence in return…

(I know the soundproofing means the corpses probably heard nothing. Probably…)

I let out a small sigh and grabbed the door handle…

"Here goes nothing. Saya, once I tell you, go full volume…" I whisper, and open the door slightly, half expecting to have a corpse staring right back at me through the crack, which thankfully, didn't happen.

(Sound insulation for the win huh?)

Ignoring the 'awesome' smell, I open the door completely.

(Can somebody tell me why I keep thinking about why corpses smell while alive humans don't? Fucking timing you have for these thoughts brain.)

I shake my head slightly and look at the door next to us.

(Slightly open. Not a good sign. But we have no corpses near us. So let's throw the earbud towards the deeper part of the room. Thankfully everything is covered with a mat. So as long as nothing steps on it, we should be fine…)

While slightly crouching down, I walk a few steps into the room, and open the door that led to the projection room completely.

(First part of the stairs is clear. Ok. let's do this.)

I motion Saeko to get on the stairs. She nods and enters the room, before heading past me and up a few steps up on the stairs. I then turn towards the room, and with a quick motion, toss the loud earbud towards the central row of chairs. Then enter the staircase as well, and close the door behind me.

"Saya, go loud." I whisper as I turn to Saeko.

"The door was slightly open. Chance is we might have not so friendly friends waiting for us up there." Just as I finish speaking, classical music starts playing in the room behind me…

"There. How's that?" Saya asks.

(Classical eh?)

"Louder than the corpses from what I can hear. It'll do just fine. Ok, turn it down for now. Let's make sure the projector room is clear. Then set up 'shop'." I motion Saeko to move towards the top of the staircase as I grab my handgun.

(We're about to turn this into a shooting gallery. Might as well start from now if it comes down to it.)

The staircase was just like the one before, turning to the left halfway up. Once I climbed said staircase, I found the top door also slightly ajar. I stopped by the door, and slightly pushed it. Making it to silently open…

(...Huh…)

The room, was a mess. The projector was toppled on the ground. And the server was left haphazardly in the middle, as if somebody pushed it and left in a hurry. But more importantly.

"Not a single corpse. Dead or otherwise. Did the employees manage to flee? I mean, the exit 'is' essentially right next to this room…" I whisper as I tilt my head slightly.

(Whatever. Let's do a quick check.)

Handgun ready, I walk inside the room and scan my surroundings…

(...Yep. Totally empty.)

"Ok. Looks like we are in the clear." I lower the handgun and turn to look towards the entrance we just used.

"Close that door. I'll go make sure that the other set of stairs have both doors closed with no corpses wandering about." I add as I turn to Saeko, lowering the flashlight on my helmet. She just nods before turning to walk towards the door we just used.

After making my way to the door on the other side of the room, I open it, and check the stairs.

(Hmm, this door was closed.)

I then start going down the stairs, and the moment I take the mid staircase turn, I stop dead in my tracks.

A single corpse, dressed in what seemed to be a uniform, was on the bottom of the stairs, facing the door that led to the movie room.

(The door behind it might not be closed, shooting it can end badly if it ends up opening the door with its body while I'm this far. As I will probably have to move the body away before closing it. Saya did make noise, so most corpses should be at the far end of the room. But I don't want to risk it.)

I silently holster the handgun. Before slowly drawing the sword. I then ready the shield, and start moving down the stairs…

Probably because of all the moans that echoed around, along with the muffling sound of the mat under my boots, I managed to reach it without getting its attention. I then lifted the sword next to my face with the blade pointing towards the corpse, stabilizing said blade by bringing my free hand under the blade's flat side.

And with a swift motion, stab forward, the blade punching through the corpse's skull. And, a sudden increase in weight as the corpse started to turn limb.

"Let's see if the door is open now." As I push the blade back, I place my boot against its chest, and push. The door staying tightly shut all the while.

"Hmm, think we're good. The other door opens towards the outside, and even if this one opens towards the inside for some reason, the body will block it." I nod and turn to head back up as I sheath the blade.

Upon making it back, I found Saeko by the door I asked her to close, her hand still on the handle…

"Is something wrong?" I ask. Causing Saeko to turn towards me.

"You have the only flashlight. I could not see a thing after you left. So I waited." She responds as she lets go of the handle and starts walking up towards me, stopping next to the gap in the hole that the projector used to, project from.

"Oh, right. Uhh, sorry. I sort of totally forgot that." I tap my helmet as I apologize.

"It is alright. Though, you should know not to leave a girl alone in the dark Naier." Saeko responds in a rather playful manner.

"Right…" I just keep looking at her for a few seconds…

"There's a Re-dead corpse on this staircase. We won't be using it to leave." Before continuing and closing the door behind me. Saeko just giggles back at me.

"Very well. So, I am ready for your lesson. Master." She then responds with a somewhat, sly smile. I just stood by the door for a couple of seconds, staring at her, again…

"Pervert…" Saya whispers with annoyed whine.

"This sounded wrong. In so many ways…" I clear my throat as I start walking towards her.

"It did? You are going to teach me something. That essentially makes me your pupil. And you, my master." She adds as she tilts her head, slightly lifting both eyebrows as she does so.

"You're, overthinking this." I respond as I stop next to her, turning to look through the gap.

"...Pervert..." Saya whines once again…

(What in this whole thing makes me a damn pervert you pink tornado?)

Deciding not to feed the whining troll, I take my Scar-H off me, along with my handgun and shield. Then leave them on the toppled projector next to me.

"Ok. Let's see. Corpses seem to be gathered around the far part of the room, so the trick worked, for now at least." I nod and turn to Saeko.

"Can I see the handgun for a bit?" I ask as I point at her thigh. Saeko nods, and hands me the handgun…

"...Uhh. Saeko? You do know this handgun has a flashlight attachment, right?…" I ask as I turn the flashlight on the handgun on…

"Oh. I, never checked. Sorry, I did not know." She responds as she leans over to look at the gun in my hand. I throw a short glance at her as I chuckle, before looking back at the gun.

(A rare Saeko blooper ehh?)

"It works too. Oh well, now we know..." I shrug slightly as I pull the magazine out, then slam it back in.

"Fifteen rounds, and you have two more mags right?" I ask as I give her the gun back.

"Yes." She responds as she turns to show me her other thigh…

(...Is she being this provoking on purpose?...)

"Alright, leave them on the projector, next to my stuff. And come on my side, so you have an easy reach for them." I point at the projector to my right, then take a step back. Saeko nods and walks up to where I was, then leaves the two magazines on the projector.

"...I never got to shoot anything when you showed me my gun…" Saya whines once again.

"Then you should listen in too Saya." I respond.

"Hum. As if. If you'll show Saeko how to shoot by giving her a personal lesson. Then you'll have to show me the same way too." Saya retorts, I could honestly see her pout through the earbud…

(Don't chuckle if you don't want to have a tornado after you later…)

"As you wish…" I answer casually as I walk up next to Saeko.

"Umm, so. What do I do first? Mas…"

"Have the gun's muzzle. The front, long part. Pointing away from anybody you don't want dead." I cut her off as I point at the corpses through the gap in the wall. Saeko just giggles before lifting the gun with one arm, said arm slightly bent…

"Keep your finger off the trigger." I add as I get closer to her, tapping her trigger finger. She nods and pulls her finger away.

"Now, turn off the safety. It's this little cylindrical switch over your thumb." I then point at the safety. Saeko nods once again, and turns the safety off.

"Ok, now, stretch your arm, grab the gun with both hands. Last thing you need is having a loaded gun slip from your hand after a shot." I bring my hand under her elbow and push it up slightly. Saeko sketches her arm before bringing her second hand on the handle.

"Now turn your upper body so the gun is not sideways to you, and spread your legs." Just I say that. I hear a "PPPFFFTT" coming off from the earbud.

"Wha?!" Saya shouts in my ear. Loud enough to actually hear it from the earbud that was down in the horde room…

"What wha?" I ask as I put my hands on Saeko's shoulders, and slightly adjust my posture.

"What do you mean 'spread your legs' you pervert?!" Saya shouts, her voice audible from the room below…

(...Really now?...)

Saeko then turns to look at me. A, slight smirk on her face…

"Do you want me to spread my legs more?" She adds with the smirk still on her face. Causing Saya to respond with some, incomprehensible sounds…

(You're just doing this on purpose now.)

"Saeko. Please don't tease our already overcharged comms operative." I respond as I fold my arms.

"I know that mic you have still works." I add as I lean slightly towards her. She just giggled in response.

"I apologize, I could not help myself." She answers.

"You're both stupid idiots!" Saya shouts once again…

"And no. Do not 'spread' your legs more. Just enough so you're able to balance yourself, also, have one foot slightly further back." I let out a sigh as I kept speaking.

After Saeko did all I asked, I brought my finger over the gun's barrel.

"This gun has bioluminescent dots, so this should be easier to pull off. See the two small green dots on the back of the gun? Try to align them with the single green dot on the front, while keeping your wrist straight. One eye closed." I ran my finger along the gun's barrel before pulling it back…

After a few seconds, Saeko nods.

"Now, find a target, pick the closet head you can make out, and aim at it. Actually, since you're not used at using a gun, aim at the neck for now. As the recoil can make you miss." I turn to look outside as I speak…

"And now?..." Saeko asks after a few seconds.

"Finger on the trigger." I respond as I turn to her. And as she puts her finger on the trigger.

"Uhh, can't really tell if you have your finger in the correct position right now because of the glove. Your finger, other than the knuckle, has two more joints. To make it simple, the joints of the trigger finger must not touch the trigger itself." I lean slightly towards the gun's trigger as I point at it. Saeko nods, and readjusts her finger.

"Now?" She asks again.

(Let's see, posture, safety, handling, aiming.)

"Squeeze the trigger." I respond as I turn to look towards the horde. And second later, a single, rather loud gunshot. Followed by a single corpse in the group downstairs jerking its upper body as if somebody just punched it in the shoulder. Turning to Saeko, I see her rubbing the eye she had open.

"Uhh, that was louder, and brighter than I expected. Which one did I hit?..." Saeko asks as she slightly lowers the gun, turning to look at me while rubbing one of her eyes.

"The one with the curly long hair, red shirt. Missing half an arm. And, here." I take off my mask and give it to her as I keep speaking. Then turn to look outside, the corpses now slowly turning to march towards us.

"Uhh, that was two corpses further away from the one I was aiming…" Saeko frowns slightly as she looks outside, then wears my mask.

"Hmm? So this is how you see the world? Interesting." She then adds as turns to look around her.

I chuckled through my nose before turning to look at her.

"We could take some more shots. But I want to check how the earbud works after a gunshot. Saya can you put something on?" I ask.

"Yea, yea…" Saya responds with a slightly annoyed tone. And classical music starts playing once more. Causing the corpses to stop, and turn around.

"Alright. Seems to work fine. So, rinse and repeat. Also, since we do not have infinite ammo, aim at spots where corpses are grouped together. That way you might still take one of them down even if you miss." I glance at Saeko as I lean on the gap's edge with one hand, then turn to look back out. Saeko nods, and aims again.

And after a few seconds, she pulls the trigger again. This time a corpse from a tightly packed group actually disappearing from sight. This time Saeko did not speak, she just kept aiming. Before firing again. And again...

(Hmm, she seems to be getting the hang of this pretty quick. I guess being diligent from all her sword training helps...)

And with that, Saeko kept firing. Until...

"Umm, Naier? The gun looks weird now." She speaks up as she keeps staring at the gun's slide, which was now stuck back, signaling that the magazine was empty.

"You run out of bullets. Push the small extruding circle next to your thumb while having one hand under the gun. Oh and Saya. We need some noise." I respond as I point at the magazine ejector. Saeko nods and does as I asked. While yet again, some classical music started to play...

"Now lower your hand, the magazine should come out, leave it next to the full ones, and replace it." I add as I point at the toppled projector. And, after Saeko had placed a new magazine in the gun.

"Now press the long-looking switch next to your thumb." I point at the slide catch as I speak. Saeko presses the switch, and the slide rushes forward. The sudden recoil causing Saeko to slightly jerk her shoulders up in surprise.

"Now you're good to go." I add as I turn to look back out…

(Bad aim or not, out of the fifteen rounds, at least six corpses have permanently hit the ground. From the ones I can see at least.)

"This feels so, weird…" She adds as she starts aiming again.

"Hmm?" I turn to glance at her before looking back out.

"I have spent so much time training with a sword. Yet, with barely any training. I have already 'killed' something, with barely any effort. Makes my sword training feel really, redundant. Even somebody that is clearly weaker than me would be able to far exceed me. Had they had some basic gun training." Saeko keeps aiming the gun as she speaks.

"There's a reason guns took over modern warfare. You don't need to spend years of mental and physical training to pull the trigger." I respond as I turn to her.

"But for an everyday person who is not living in the U.S.? Let's just say that a gun without ammo is as good as a wet fart." I add with a chuckle. Causing Saeko to let out a small chuckle, the gun in her hand slightly wavering.

"That is some way to describe it." She responds as she glances at me before aiming the gun again.

"But it's true. We just got very lucky with ammo. Both with the army, and with Saya's dad letting us stock up." I answer.

"Hmm. I guess you are right. Everything has a drawback after all." She responds as she takes a shot.

"If we are to speak about drawbacks. The noise is also one big problem." I add.

"Indeed, firing this is rather loud." She nods.

"And the bigger guns are insanely louder." I glance at the Scar-H as I speak.

"Hmm. Are you going to show me how to use the big one too?" She asks as she starts aiming again.

"We'll see. Finish your ammo on this one first." I respond.

"You won't really have much of a choice I think. The bullets for this gun are clearly not enough to kill them all." She adds as she takes another shot.

"True and the other handgun that I got only got two mags of nine bullets. Even if you land every shot, it won't be enough." I look back out as Saeko takes another shoot…

We then stayed silent for some time, while Saeko kept shooting...

(Hmm. She must have taken down what, ten, twelve? And if this place could hold let's say, a hundred people. I have four twenty-round mags for the scar-H and two nine-round mags for the P220. Will it be enough if Saeko uses them? The scar does have better penetrative power, and as the room tilts downwards it should be possible to hit more than one head if they are all clustered together…)

"Hmm. I have an idea." Saeko then speaks up as she lowers the gun slightly.

"I will 'use' one of the three favors you owe me." She adds as she turns to me, her expression not visible from under the mask…

(...should I be scared?)

"You will let me use all the guns we have." She continues as she glances at the guns on the projector.

"And depending on how well I do. You will reward me." She adds as she turns to me.

"What?! T, this isn't a game for you to ask of such things Saeko." Saya whines my ear...

"She can't hear you Saya…" I respond as I reflexively turn towards her voice. Obviously finding nothing but wall next to me.

"But uhh, more importantly. I don't even know if the ammo we got is enough to clear them all without taking two or three down with each shot." I continue as I glance out.

"Plus, we still have parts we have yet to check. I'd rather not look around with an empty gun. Oh and Saya. Music please." I add.

"Hmm, that is true. A change then. You will be the one shooting. If you manage to clear them all. You win." She answers as she leaves the handgun, and mask on the projector, before turning to me.

"But if you don't. Hmm, that would mean that I will have to take over. So, if I clear them after you have failed to do so. I will be my win. In other words, a reward." She adds as she makes a slight grin…

(...Since when did she become so competitive? Uhh whatever. The whole thing aside, going down there to clear the horde with melee? That's friggin insane...)

"Fine." I respond flatly.

(And intriguing as that sounds. Sadly for you, no matter how much you grin at me, I don't intend to lose on purpose...)

"If you lose again, I'm going to bury you alive." Saya then adds through the earbud.

"Noted. No pressure." I answer with a slight chuckle.

"I can use all the guns, right?" I ask as I point at the projector. Saeko nods, and moves back, letting me take her place.

(Hmm, let's start by taking as many as possible with the least amount of bullets as possible. So, let's start with the scar-H.)

"You might wanna cover your ears." I say as I pick up and wear my mask. Then take the scar-H, and lean on the opening as I flip the safety off.

"Saya. I'd like to request the quickest, loudest song you can find." I add as I look through the scope, then start fiddling with the flashlight on my helmet to get a better view of my targets.

"Hmm, don't blame me for this." Saya scoffs.

And as I keep aiming. A certain, helicopter raid song, aka ride of the valkyries, starts playing…

"...Why am I hearing boss music?" I chuckle as I line up a shot, and fire. Causing a line of three corpses to fall flat down.

The music momentarily getting muffled by the loud echo caused by the scar-H.

"Oh, that, is loud." I hear Saeko say while sitting next to me. I just stayed quiet as I kept aiming. And then fired another shot, and another. Each shot sending groups of corpses to the ground.

Without wasting time, once the group I was aiming at started to thin, I aimed towards a new one before I started firing again. And more corpses started getting face planted to the ground, or well, head planted, as some of them probably did not even have a 'face' anymore.

"Ahh, my ears are ringing…" Saeko whispered? I could not really say, all I can say is, is that I was actually trying to hold myself back from chuckling as I kept blasting off heads.

I think Saya also tried to say something, but along with the loud music and the echoing gunshots, I could not hear her either...

And shot after shot, corpses started to thin, where some of them on the ground still 'alive'? No idea, I was too focused on the standing ones.

Until with a 'click', the gun stopped firing, signaling an empty mag. Without looking away from the scope I take the mag off. Letting it drop next to me before tapping around the projector next to me until I found the next mag. Shoving the mag in the gun, I start to almost rhythmically fire again.

Changing group after group of targets, until that I was actually starting to run out of grouped up targets. So, I started to take down any corpse I could just see standing.

And one by one, the remaining corpses also started to hit the ground, to the point that by the time the second mag was out, I was actually shooting corpses that were already on the ground…

As I mechanically started to change to the third mag, I scanned the room, once, twice...

"Uhh, where did all the corpses go?" I ask as I blink a couple of times, lifting my head off the scope…

Turning my head to Saeko, I find her sitting on a chair, next to me. Plugging both her ears shut with her hands...

Saeko, upon seeing that I turned to her, stopped covering her ears.

"Welcome back. Done already?" She 'asks' with a joking giggle.

"I, would normally say that you were not being fair, not telling me you could clear the whole horde just like that. " She speaks up as she glances through the gap, the song still playing...

"But, getting the chance to look at you while you were this focused. I will take it as a fair trade-off." She adds with a small smile.

"So you won? Or you're going to ignore me again." Saya asks with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Uhh, when did you ask that for me to ignore you? I honestly did not hear a thing." I ask as I flip the safety on the scar.

"And, well. Do corpses that are hidden under other corpses count? I can't see any standing ones…" I add as I glance outside.

"It's impossible to spot them from here. And walking over to that floor of bodies to check, is just ridiculous." I continue.

"Hmm, true. It is your win then. But as you said, how will we check for any live ones?" Saeko asks right after.

"What if you don't? I can tell Papa that we cleared a room full of them, but couldn't confirm that they are all dead because they are all huddled together and we lacked the equipment to safely check. So he can send people equipped correctly to deal with that." Saya then speaks up.

"Ehh, not a bad idea, let's do that. That also means we'll have to leave the earbud behind though." I nod slightly as I take the Baretta, flip the safety, and hand it back to Saeko.

"From what you just said, I take it we will start looking at the rest of the building now?" Saeko asks again.

"Yea, we still got two hallways to check." I nod again as I start picking my own stuff.

"Hmm, so I lost in the end. Now I have only two favors left to ask of you. I think I will have to think a bit more, carefully from now on." Saeko giggles as I finish placing my stuff back to their corresponding place…

(I'm never playing frigging cards again. Not with bets at least…)