Apocalypse

Chapter 007

Kazuha decided to grab one of the duffel bags that were in the room, curiously looking it over. It was smaller than yours, but he felt it was time he got something of his own. You supported his idea, going into your bag and handing him his poetry notebook so that he could place it in his.

"How about we transfer some of your stuff into mine? That way it can be lighter," he asked.

You hummed before you nodded your head, trusting him to not run off with your items. Not that you would consider him ever doing that. Kazuha was not that type of person. But you were sure there were people out there desperate enough to do it. You both decided he would hold onto the bottle of water, the rest of the snack bars, and half of the portions of food you had left.

Having no other reason to stay in this building, you two would leave as you went off to explore more. You walked around the town, searching for any signs of life that could indicate Kazuha's friends being here. Unfortunately, no matter where you looked, from the store district to the housing district, not a single live human could be seen.

It was mutually decided you would quickly look into a few more stores before you would leave this town and search the next location. You didn't feel bad in the slightest about giving up here knowing it was just another place checked off the map. That only left so many, so eventually, you would come to reach the destination you both sought. At this point, you two also decided to leave messages in the event that the others were also traveling so that they could see you two were somewhere out there.

The next store you checked out was another general store, and inside you decided to fill up Kazuha's bag. He found a set of clothes that fit him well and a blanket, you two no longer having to share the one that you had as you each had your own now. He also didn't have to wear his outside clothes to sleep any longer, the comfy loose shirt and sweatpants definitely sounding more comfortable than his signature red and white outfit.

A lucky item you both found was a tent, you excitedly gushing over it knowing it would be way more convenient to travel now. It folded up neatly in its travel bag, and it was small enough to carry in Kazuha's possession. He transferred over two of the meals back into your bag to make it fit, but overall, the looting you two did in this store went pretty well.

It was still early in the day, so instead of staying, you both decided to begin traveling to the next named location. You weren't as peeved with sleeping outdoors anymore, the tent definitely providing you with a sense of safety. Well, onto the next village.

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You both walked along the dirt path, buds of grass beginning to sprout from the compact soil since travelers haven't flattened it down for more than a year now. The area you were in had much less forest than the one from a week ago, though there were still large trees that wore bright colored leaves and shook with song as wind slipped past the branches.

It became routine for Kazuha to walk beside you on your right, watching your side attentively to protect you from any Zombies that would run in your direction. On your travels, you would occasionally encounter one or two here and there, but the majority of the undead remained in the marked locations where it used to be heavily populated with humans.

As Kazuha looked out in the distance for any sudden movements, something purple had caught his eyes. His foot planted itself on the ground as he stopped walking, words spilling from his lips without conscious thought. 

"Oh— a fruit tree," he pointed out.

You looked in the direction Kazuha's head was angled. The purple plump fruit hung from branches, while those that had fallen began to rot into the soil.

"Woah, that's perfect! We've been running low on food," you pointed out. Your pupils seemed to shift to stars as you admired the delicacies in front of you.

Kazuha stepped forward and you followed his lead, your steps light and airy as you became excited at the thought of having fresh fruit.

As you stood beside the tree and reached your hand up to grab one of the fruits, you were suddenly startled as a swift streak of purple near the side of your head passed by you. Kazuha, who was watching you silently, felt a chuckle bubble from his throat. His hand moved in front of his face to hide his smile, your surprise catching him off guard.

He walked towards the creature that startled you, looking at it while retaining his small smile. "Heh, It's only an Onikabuto. It's fairly large, Itto would love it."

"Itto?" You questioned with a tilt of your head.

"Another man in my group. I know you and him will get along— he's a very carefree and flamboyant person."

Your eyes sparkled in interest. "Who else is there?"

Kazuha handed you one of the lavender melons he plucked from the tree, sitting down on the ground after as he taps the spot beside him. You were quick to fall to the ground beside him, wiping at the fruit before you took a bite, listening to Kazuha as he shared more about the other members in the group.

"There's Gorou, he's real nice. He looks mean at first, but when he gets comfortable with you, he'll talk your ears off. He's basically the Co-Leader of the group."

"Shinobu is very selfless, she'd do anything to protect her friends. She'll keep your secrets and give good advice, so go to her— or me— if you ever have something weighing on your mind."

"The leader of the group is Kokomi. She's incredible— smart, reliable, and loyal to her comrades. She'd do anything to ensure our safety. I only have nice things to say about her, she's truly an amazing woman."

"And lastly, there's Beidou. She's not around a lot, always traveling between Inazuma and Liyue, but your interactions with her will be as if you've been comrades for the longest. She's very protective and motherly, always the first to dive into a fight and protect others. She's saved my life plenty of times before."

You swallowed the chunk of fruit in your mouth and showed him a toothy grin, your excitement clear as day.

"I can't wait to meet them; it'll be amazing to have a lot of friends again."

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Items on your person :

"50 by "60 Blanket in Perfect Condition
Two Outfits
Map of Inazuma
Pen gifted from Kazuha
6 Servings of Food
Bar of Soap
Sharp Pocket knife
Fatui Manufactured Gun
17 Fatui Manufactured Bullets

Make careful use of your supplies.