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Chapter 3 - 3, H.O.T.D

At this moment in time there was good new and bad news. The good news was that Aqua had kept her word about clearing up the undead who were outside the school. The entire grounds of the school were completely free of all undead. The remains of THEM, and their creepy headless bodies were sprawled out around the grounds dead once more. Most likely the heads were blown off from Aqua's Auto 9 Beretta. And standing 100-200 meters ahead of us by the school parking lot, where the minibus was parked, in plain sight and leaning against the outside of the bus was our veteran Player Aqua.

Looking at her and recalling everything that has been going on, like the apocalypse, it felt like it has been a long time since the last I've seen her. Seeing her relaxed and smoking one of her cigarettes came as an great relief. Most importantly, seeing that strong and fearless woman alive and well was the best I could have hoped for. Lifting her head up, Aqua saw us running over and gave us a kind smile... That just didn't match her or the situation that we were in, which just reminded me what was the bad news that was following right behind us.

The bad news that I just wanted to forget about was about that. The unkempt youth/newbie whose name I just didn't know screwed us all over by bringing with him an army of THEM that had followed him from the halls of the school, and now they were chasing us down, attempting to devour us all alive. A fate worse then death awaited those who failed to escape here. An after life where you join THEM on the conquest of destruction and cannibalism that would be your fate for the rest of eternity.

As we were running towards the minibus we didn't have the luxury to talk, yet we still found a way to bitch about our situation.

Takashi: Damn that bastard! Why did he have to bring them all here with him?!

Shin: Stop complaining and run!

Hikari: What are we supposed to do? With so many of THEM coming after us like this, even if we reach the bus they will surrounded the bus. Escape will be impossible!

Rei: Can't we just run over them with the bus!?

Hikari: We'll flip over first if we had to run over so many. We need to divert their attention somewhere else first. If not....,

Hikari trailed off and looked straight forward towards Aqua and the Auto 9 in her hands. It wasn't hard to guess what she was afraid of. That Aqua would shoot us with her gun before we made it any closer to her. Probably, kneecap us so we would still be alive and squirming for the undead to pick us off. It was more then likely a good idea for her. Aqua wouldn't kill the main characters to avoid losing points, and the rule about killing us newbies may not apply if she doesn't deal the fatal blow herself. It was a possible loophole that wasn't looking good for the three of us newbies right at this moment.

And as if right on cue, Aqua made her move, but it wasn't what I, we expected. With her gun she should be more then capable of shooting us from the minibus, yet she came running towards us. It became obvious to us that her targets weren't us, but the undead THEM that were right behind us. Aqua ran pass us and said a short sentence to the nurse Shizuka, the only adult and person among the main characters who knows how to drive a car, or at least had a license.

Aqua: Drive and don't wait up!

Without waiting for a reply, Aqua then went to face off against the army of undead alone. She raised the hand holding on to the Auto 9 Beretta and began her shooting spree of death. Ever shot accurately hit their heads and all too quickly, 20-30 of THEM fell in no time at all. Still, 20 out of an army made a very small dent, yet Aqua didn't look worried at all. To the contrary, I couldn't see her face from here, but I just knew that she was smiling right now. To her, the army of undead were nothing more then prey. They were points and after every 20 head shots, she will get a point to use make herself even stronger. Thanks to Aqua's emergency save we were all able to make it and bored the Minibus.

Hisashi: Hurry, everyone get on! Ms. Shizuka, please start up the car immediately. We don't have time to waste and thanks to that women have a few seconds before she gets cornered!

Shizuka: Al-alright. Ahh, this isn't the same as my car... umm, A-B-C... Why is this so confusing!?

Hikari: Blonde ditz!

As our only adult here, Shizuka was being her usual airhead self as she was looking over the controls of the car and the others were hurrying her up, so I was the only one to notice another group of survivors aiming for the minibus, but unfortunately for them, they all got caught up in the chaos of Aqua's battle and were devoured... All except one teacher in a black suit. It was unfortunately Rei Miyamoto's arch nemesis, Mr. Shidou, a teacher who taught at the same school that the man characters went to and in the wake of the apocalypse, cult leader/founder leader in the makings.

Mr. Shidou was using the other students as bait to escape danger just like in the original plot and causally walked up to the minibus. Once she noticed him, Rei made a big fuss over him coming with us, but Takashi and Hisashi were able to calm her down, but she kept saying that they would regret it one day... If only we can live to the next day tomorrow.

Then at last, Shizuka got the car running. A few of THEM were in our path, but after psyching herself up she was able to will herself to drive over the undead, who in her eyes still looked human, yet weren't.

Shin: Where's Aqua? 

I asked Hikari and the unkempt youth who was exalting loudly and trying to catching their breath.

Misaki: D-don't know.

Hikari: She... she was still back there fighting the last time I checked. Most likely...

It was then as everybody were about to write Aqua off as dead, when from within the legion of undead, shredded pieces of rotten human flesh were flung into the air. The bodies of the former humans were being cut apart into countless pieces by something. From with the legion of undead, the figure of Aqua could be seen again. I had no idea what Aqua had done, yet every time she swiped her hands around, more and more pieces of rotten flesh were torn apart. Once enough of the undead were cleaned up for her to get a clear shot at us, she began running towards the school gates at an inhuman speed. By far faster than any professional athlete. My best guess was that Aqua was planning to meet us at the gate. As the minibus was about to smash through the front gates of the school, Aqua jumped towards the moving vehicle and landed on top of the roof.

Shin: She made it!

At full speed, we then crashed through the front gates of the school and successful made our escape. Everyone began to shout out loud in joy over our successful escape, but I was not one of them. The reason being was at that time I was distracted. I noticed a small, glowing ball of light around Hisashi's school collar. The small ball of light then began to gently float over slowly towards me and landed on the palm of my right hand. A warmth dissolved through my body from my right hand, up my arm and finally to the rest of my body. It was an amazing and wonderful feeling that was hard to describe.

- Hidden Side Quest Complete!

Saving Hisashi Igou and having him escape the school alive, overcoming his fate to die within the school grounds and be turned into an undead and put down by his best friend. Rewarded 2,500 points and two C rank ewards!

A rigid and dignified voice rang within my head out of nowhere and told me of my unexpected prize.

Hidden Side Quest?

There wasn't such a Side Quest listed on the watch. Is that what the "Hidden" is supposed to mean? And 2500 points, that is 2.5 more points then just completing a single mission! A whole 2,500 points and two C rank rewards. With that much I can enhance my stats by 250. If I placed that much in Muscle Density I could blow away those undead with my bat like Takashi and the other H.O.T.D characters could do in the anime! Hell, in Immunization Strength alone I might be able to get bitten by one of THEM and keep fighting strong.

It was then when I was lost in thought did I see a sudden panic starting within the car.

Takashi: Wh-what is that!? Everybody be careful!

Everyone was looking upwards towards the roof of the car. Metal blades were constantly piercing the roof of the car over and over again, and coming closer to the left hand side of the car... Where I was sitting. I had a vague idea of what or who that was, so ignoring the complaints and screams of everyone else, I just went ahead and opened the window to my seat. Immediately flying through the window and safely landing on the seat next to me like some kind of acrobat was Aqua.

Aqua: So you... and two other newbies survived, huh? Good job kid.

Shin: No no no, I think I should be the one to say "You survived" here! I mean, you were outnumbered and surrounded by an army of THEM back there, and you then broke through the undead as you tore them apart. Like they were paper, and then somehow you jumped a good a good 50 meters and landed on the roof of a moving car. Lastly, flung yourself through the window of the same moving car and are now having a pleasant and calm chat with me... Where should I even begin!?

Aqua: I believe you just did... You look stressed. Are you ready for that smoke yet?

Aqua asked this as she took out one of her own and lit it up, not minding the situation at all. The cigarette that Aqua originally gave me at the start of the mission was still inside my pocket and after everything that I have gone through, it was looking more and more tempting.

Shin: ... Please ask me that again after the next life or death situation.

Aqua: You might not survive a next time, you know.

Shin: Then I will have something to look forward to keep my spirits up.

Aqua gazed at me for a while (Very uncomfortable to be stared at by a beautiful women for over ten seconds, being a shut-in otaku and all) and began to laugh ( Also not good for my tender seventeen year-old heart! ). Looking away embarrassed, I saw that the others in the car were looking at us, more accurately Aqua after her grand appearance by window. They had all sort of questions for her who could so easily deal with so many of THEM at once like they were nothing and escape unharmed without a scratch, yet they were all far too intimidated by her to approach and start a conversation.

As for why I could interact with Aqua... Hell if I knew. I am too tired to care and it has only been a few hour at most since I arrived here. I was ready for one of the famous H.O.T.D hiatuses right now. Still, I was curious.

Shin: By the way, what was that back there? The way you tore apart those undead and latched onto the roof of the bus? Did you have some kind of sword that you exchanged from God on you?

Aqua: No. I have something much better and much cooler then just a sword. Watch.

Aqua made sure the others couldn't see her from our seats and raised her right hand in front of my face. I then heard a sharp sound cutting through the air and flesh. After blinking in surprise for a good thirty seconds, I found three blades piercing through the back of Aqua's hand and were gently touching the skin of my neck. A small trail of blood ran down my neck, but I didn't have the mental capacity to care at the moment. The reason was that I knew what I was looking at and... Seeing it in person left me in shock. I was more of a fan of manga and anime, but no otaku in the world could see what I was seeing and not match it with one of the key icons of Marvel.

Aqua: Cool, huh? The genetic package of Wolverine from the X-Men. Along with generous enhancements to my stats, I received Wolverine's healing factor and with an addition of his adamantium skeleton and claws. The metal claws weren't something that he was even born with, so it was a great deal.

Shin: ...How sexy.

Aqua: ...That's your take on this?

Shin: Well, I am so, so jealous of you and those claws. I don't even know what I am more attracted to. You or the adamantium claws.

Aqua: Strange. Also, don't be jealous over the adamantium. It was only after I exchanged for this enhancement that I realized that it was incredibly hard to swim, and as a former professional swimmer it came as a huge blow to my identity (Well, your name is Aqua, so... Right). I fixed it by increasing my Muscle Density, but it took a hell of a long time till I could swim like before.

Shin: Still, I'm so jealous. I definitely want you, no, I mean the enhancement!

Aqua: ...You put a whole new meaning to appreciating inner beauty, Shin.

Goofing off like that, Aqua and I began to discuss the various cool enhancements you can get back in God's world. Soon, Hikari (Looking upset while looking at the two of us having fun without her) and the unkempt youth, whose name I just learned is Misaki, joined us in the conversation. And like that, we drove into the city filled with the undead.

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