Princess Fischl

Chapter 61

"Komuro, everything here is not like in my car…" we were greeted by the words of the nurse, who was now even less confident in her ability to drive a bus.

- Let me. - Taking the driver's seat, Takashi looked like he had been driving buses all his life. He turned the ignition key and was clearly about to close the passenger door when a scream came from the street.

- Wait! Please wait! - a group of survivors rushed towards us with a crowd of zombies on their tail.

"What are these idiots doing?" Takagi Saya hissed irritably.

"They're just trying to survive," Takashi replied, but a moment later he gripped the steering wheel until it creaked and asked, clearly holding back. "Who's that running ahead of the schoolchildren?"

- Koichi Shido, he is the homeroom teacher of 3-A, - Saeko introduced him.

"We should go," Rey suddenly said.

- Why not throw every second person off the bus then, so that it would be easier for us to save our pathetic souls? - the guy answered her in an icy tone. - We'll wait.

- If the dead come from the front, we won't be able to pass. - Marikawa spoke out, apparently deciding to use her two big arguments that were pressed against the guy's back.

- Don't worry, in that case I'll just go out and kill the zombies that are in our way. - I decided to support the guy. Although I don't like Shido, to put it mildly, I can't help but admit that Takashi's position appeals to me, and I have a feeling that following him is the most convenient way to get to a normal settlement of survivors, and with his help, I can finish the quest to help the survivors much faster.

"We need to go," the politician's daughter decided to support Ray.

- We won't save him! - Rey screamed. - Don't take him with us! He's a bad man! Let him die!

- You are not required to save anyone, just sit down and shut up. - The guy calmly answered them, looking intently towards the survivors approaching us. Looking in the same direction, I saw how one of the guys fell and grabbed Shido by the pant leg, asking for help. Before deciding to help the fallen man, he looked back at us.

"If he hadn't been watched, he would have left that guy to die," Takagi noted.

- Of course, but it's strange for me to hear reproaches directed at a person who is ready to throw one to death, from those who persuaded me to condemn ten to death at once. - The girl flushed with embarrassment at the guy's remark. And those who were clearly not against supporting her felt awkward.

"There will be problems with Sido," Saeko, who had been silent until then, said.

- Surely, - Takashi nodded. - So I'll keep my eyes and ears open, and I advise you to do the same.

"We decided to stick together," Saeko looked intently at the guy.

- For the love of all the gods, Busujima-san. But I have a mother, whose well-being I'm most concerned about right now. I'll take you to Shinozaki Park. In the event of a natural disaster, there's always an evacuation and relief center there, and there's an elementary school nearby where my mother teaches. After I find her, we'll join you if you decide to wait there for help.

"My father's estate…" Takagi began, but Takashi interrupted her.

- It is located quite far away.

The argument that was about to break out was interrupted by people entering the bus.

- You saved us, Busujima-san. I'm right, aren't I, and you're the boss here? - the teacher smiled ingratiatingly.

- No. We don't have the main thing. - Saeko answered sullenly and it was unclear. She was offended by Takashi or, like the others, she disliked Sido.

Meanwhile, Takashi finally closed the doors and began to drive out of the school grounds.

Standing leaning on the handle of my katana as if the shaking of the bus and its inertia were indifferent to me, I looked with boredom at the man who stood in front of us and tried to get to the front with a smile on his face.

- This is unacceptable. To survive, we need a leader. The leader will protect order.

- Sido-san, please sit down and don't disturb those around you with your rantings, otherwise I'll help you shut up. - I patted the katana in its sheath suggestively.

- Well, why do that? We're not some kind of barbarians. - the man answered with a wry smile, but instead of continuing, he actually fell silent and, having gone to the end, began to simply watch.

- So you believe in all sorts of mysticism? - Saya approached Takashi.

- You understand that it is better not to distract the driver behind the wheel, right? - the guy answered the girl in a relaxed manner.

- Don't try to play dumb. You drive too well, the vehicle is quite large and unwieldy, I would call you a professional driver. - the girl frowned, and was offended rather by the fact that she knew so little about her old acquaintance. - What else don't we know about you, mister blacksmith - gunsmith?

- Who knows? I've never felt the need to tell everyone I meet everything about my life. But I've never suffered from any particular paranoia either. - Takashi answered her, periodically glancing in the rearview mirror. Obviously keeping an eye on Sido, who was now saying something to two guys.

"Why don't you ask our new friend some questions?" the guy said, clearly hinting at me.

- Are you kidding me? Not only am I not that familiar with her, but she also looks like some kind of ninja. - She hissed quietly at the guy before looking back at me, who was standing right behind her with a smile on her face.

The girl immediately cowered in fear, as if expecting a quick reprisal. And I couldn't resist and, as if calming a child, stroked her head.

- W-what are you doing? - the girl asked, slightly stuttering, slightly blushing from embarrassment.

"I thought you needed it." With a warm smile, I stopped stroking her head and moved a little to the side.

It took Saya a couple of minutes to regain the mood with which she came to Takashi and finally asked the question that interested her.

- So what about all this supernatural nonsense? Do you really believe in it?

- Why not? I find this belief convenient, and I find it logical, - Komuro answered her.

- Logical?! Do you think fairy tales are logical?

- More logical than some scientific theories. - the guy answered her, continuing to keep an eye on Sido's actions. And it was justified, because although I almost didn't pay attention to what they were talking about, he was clearly trying to convince the teenagers how beneficial it was for him to become a leader, and shouting about abandoning those who were running to the bus did not add points to our company.

- Ha. Give me at least one example when science is more absurd than myths and legends. - Saya loomed over the guy, blocking his reflection from the mirror.

- What, nothing to say? - the girl misjudged the guy's heavy sigh.

- No, I'm talking about my own thing, so keep your childish teasing to yourself, - Takashi remarked before continuing. - I think the Big Bang Theory is a prime example.

While these two argued about the validity of scientific theories, I watched with affection as Sido whispered to the schoolchildren what to say. And then one of them finally decided to say it.

- Slow down! We almost crashed! - shouted one of the guys who ran up with Sido. - Why should we even go with you? Maybe we want to go the other way.

- Well, you were silent earlier, now I'll stop and let out everyone who's going the other way. - Takashi assured him without slowing down.

- Why are you deciding for everyone?

- Because I can drive a bus, and you can't. Because I have at least a rough plan of action, and you don't. Because in case of danger, I will risk my life to save others, as I recently saved you, and you don't. - Takashi listed quite calmly.

- You didn't even ask our opinion. Why not find some safe place and stay there, waiting for rescue? - with a more uncertain tone, the guy nevertheless continued to speak the prepared text.

At that moment, a black car pulled out right in front of the bus and by some miracle a collision did not occur. And a man in Chinese clothes stuck his head out of the car window. - What the hell are you doing?! I'll kill you bastard!

Having expressed his indignation, he immediately drove away. For a while, silence reigned in the bus, but as soon as the bus picked up speed again, the next guy spoke up.

- But he is right!

- That guy in the car? - asked Takashi. - I don't know, somehow "goat" is not my most affectionate nickname, but of course it's more visible from the outside.

- N-no, I... uh - the speaker hesitated, I honestly couldn't help but giggle a little at how Takashi had confused the guy.

- Tell your accomplice what your name is, why are you embarrassed? - said Takashi, slamming on the brakes. A corpse fell right in front of the bus, and a little later a helicopter could be seen flying away, apparently without a pilot.

- Tsunoda... My name is Tsunoda. - the former troublemaker answered, fighting nausea; the sound the body made when it fell had an effect on those around him for some reason much more than the trampled corpses at school.

"So how is Tsunoda-kun right?" Takashi asked as he drove over the corpse at low speed.

- It's dangerous to drive at such a speed, we need to stop somewhere. There was some kind of shop nearby. Maybe we should go back? - the guy suggested uncertainly.

"No," Komuro answered briefly and began to pick up speed after running over the corpse.

- Why the hell are you deciding for everyone? - Tsunoda yelled.

- Come on! Do you have any idea how hard it is to drive a bus? Do you want to take the wheel instead of him? - Marikawa yelled at the guy.

- You're making a fuss without understanding the situation, - Teacher Hayashi took the floor. - The news announced that the evacuation location and time will be announced later, now we're going to Shinozaki to wait for help there.

- And I wasn't joking when I said that I could slow down and let those who wanted to go out, - Takashi spoke up when the schoolboy, shamed by two adults, fell silent. - And this is not a mockery, if you understand that we are not on the same path or if you decide to get out earlier, please. If your goal is in the direction we need, then I am ready to adjust our route and make a small detour to give you a lift to the place.

The guy didn't bother Takashi anymore, but they clearly had another plan, most likely the main one. Tsunoda pestered Hirano and started actively picking a fight, until Rei shut him up by hitting him with the blunt side of her spear.

At that moment, applause echoed throughout the bus as Sido stood up from his seat.

- Komuro-kun, Miyamoto-san, excellent work. When the conflict could not be settled with words, you resorted to physical force. However, to prevent this from happening again, I have a good idea. We need a leader.

- Let me guess, you're offering yourself? - Saya asked.

- Do you think I should hit him after all? - I asked the girl.

- Now, now. We are not barbarians, and in our country there is freedom of choice, everyone is free to decide for themselves what to do. - Turning his back to us, he addressed the other teenagers. - But before choosing, I want to remind you that I am a teacher, and you are all students. Only I have enough experience.

"Hayashi-san is also a teacher, so your statement is false," Takashi pointed out, but was ignored.

- So, how about my candidacy? All who agree, raise your hands. - No one raised their hands, but most of those who had been saved by our company began to applaud cheerfully. And this fool turned in our direction with an expression of evil triumph. - As you can see, by the will of the majority, I become the leader.

Shaking my head at this, I moved forward and hit him with the hilt of the katana right in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain on the ground.

- Lie down for a bit. No need to stir up trouble, - I said before standing near Saya and Takashi again.

- How dare you... The majority chose me... - Sido croaked.

- The whole problem with such democracy is that it works only as long as it is convenient for everyone. I can even guess how you negotiated with the "electors". You demanded that the guys follow orders in exchange for access to a woman's body. - The beginning of Takashi's words made the girls from our group tense up, and in the meantime he continued. - Then you approached the girls, asking them for this very access to the body, in exchange for protection from your lackeys. A natural exchange, a scheme as simple as mooing. I think people like them would have soon thought of something like this anyway.

- He was only a mediator, and so far he has given nothing but words and other people's promises. - Saya exclaimed.

- I don't understand how you could sink so low in such a short time. - My voice was full of disappointment. What I saw was enough to decide not to accept anyone from this world into my kingdom. Even Takashi, no matter how smart and useful he seemed, I didn't have enough confidence to give him such an opportunity.

"What should we do with him?" Hisashi asked tensely.

"Nothing," Takashi shrugged, slowing down slightly due to the fact that cars were starting to appear more and more often on the road.

- What do you mean nothing? - Ray looked at her ex.

- And you want our friends who have been wronged in life to hand us over to the police or a patrol of the self-defense forces at the first opportunity? - the guy chuckled. - So far, everything is within the limits of a domestic quarrel, they have raised their tail against us, we have kicked the offender in the ass, there is nothing to accuse us of, but if we bring him to self-harm or, God forbid, a corpse, we will have big problems. Shouldn't you, the daughter of two policemen, know this?

The girl frowned at his words, then snorted and sat down next to Hisashi with the most independent look. She began to periodically burn the back of her ex's head with her gaze.