Chapter 20: What!?

*###?*(Fumi)

*Huh!?*(Rogue)

Rogue's shocked voice resonated on Fumi's head which made Fumi cradle her head.

"Fumi? Are you okay?"

Natashia noticed Fumi's sudden movement and walked closer to her, Shizuka also followed in concern for her little sister.

"Are you having seizures?"

Natashia put her hands over Fumi's back and asked.

Fumi on the other shivered involuntarily as Natashia touched her it seems that Rogue's instincts has also been ingrained into Fumi's body.

"! I-i'm fine"

*Stay the hell away from us crazy Healer!*(Rogue)

Almost instinctively Fumi flicked away Natashia's hand and moved two and a half step back.

Noticing this reaction which seemed familiar Natashia looked at Fumi in the eyes.

"So you're awake?" Natashia mumbled

"Hmm what do you mean?"

Shizuka who was closeby asked Natashia what she meant, for Shizuka who wasn't in the know the conversation between Fumi and Natashia seemed like conflict so she was thinking along the lines of wanting to know the source of conflict and resolve it.

Having internal conflict isn't really ideal in a chaotic world.

"Ah there are often cases when people who suffer seizures lose consciousness and I thought Fumi suffered one that's why I said 'she was awake'"

Natashia tried to make an excuse but her slightly panicked voice and non-sensual excuse just gave Shizuka more misunderstanding.

"Grrr"

Suddenly a loud growl came from the other side.

*What!?*

It was so sudden that not even Natashia nor Rogue inside Fumi noticed the ghoul so close.

*Impossible! How did I not notice it?*(Rogue)

*What was that?*(Fumi)

Rogue realised the situation quick but for Fumi it still took her a second to finally realize the situation as she unconsciously gripped the knives she held.

"grRAAARGH!"

Suddenly a figure of a ghoul appeared over their heads.

*It's a Jumper!* Shizuka screamed in her head

**BANG**

A loud noise echoed from Shizuka specifically it came from her gun she had managed to kill the sudden enemy with one shot this would have been a very interesting accomplishment but...

*Shit!*(Rogue)

*Oh no..*(Natashia)

Both Rogue and Natashia was exasperated at Shizuka's choice of weapon, a gun produces to much noise once fired and the ghouls are very sensitive to sounds.

"Grr"

"Grrrr"

"..gRtt"

As if answering to a call One by one they could now hear the grunts amd growl of the ghouls closing in.

"Onee-san!" Fumi also screamed in a whispering voice she also couldn't help but criticize her sisters action.

"I-i..."

Seeing Fumi's disgruntled expression Shizuka stammered with her words as she also realized her mistake, her face pale.

*It was about to reach Fumi so I reacted instinctively*

Those were the words Shizuka tried to convey but couldn't.

"We don't have time for blaming we have to move!"

Natashia stated but right after she uttered those words an ear splitting scream echoed from afar.

"Wryyyyyyy!!!!!"

*Fuck! I don't like that scream!*(Rogue)

*We have to run!*(Rogue, Natashia,Fumi, Shizuka)

All of their bodies responded in turn but some ghouls have already reached their location.

Shizuka pulled out a bat and started bashing the ghouls head.

**Crack** **Splat**

A resounding crack echoed and the ghoul fell.

"Ggk!"

Another one jumped from somewhere and tried to attack Shizuka from behind but it never reached her.

**Tsik**

A knife was thrown towards its head and it pierced through like cutting butter the one who trhowed it was Fumi who quickly retrieved the knife and started stabbing and slashing away.

*How did she do that?*

For the first time Shizuka saw Fumi fighting like a pro despite never learning any kind of self defence techniques.

*Has she been hiding it from me? No that's not possible*

Shizuka was shocked and she quickly turned her head away from Fumi as if denying her thoughts then she saw Natashia.

Natashia was also swinging her knife around

But unlike Fumi who had to stab the head to fully kill the zombie.

Natashia can easily slash halfway through their heads which was enough to kill a ghoul.

A ghoul started running towards Natashia but she quickly responded with a downward swing effectively slicing through its head up to its nose.

*I didn't know Natashia was this strong*

Shizuka was amazed on how Natashia could kill them with a swing but the real reason why Natashia could kill and swing effortlessly was because of her experience and skill Heal, Shizuka isn't aware of this fact so she could only see a beautiful woman who fights better than her.

Shizuka felt frustrated and doubt started to plague her head.

"Reeeeee!!"

But her frustration and doubt was blown away by an ear piercing scream that was much closer than before.

Shizuka, Natashia and Fumi quickly moved their attention to the source of the scream.

It was standing on top of a house, it didn't have any eyes, it's fingernails were long and oddly it seemed to smile at them.

"Shit" Fumi muttered under her breath.

In truth Rogue has been the one controlling Fumi's body ever since the first scream.

*To think that she's this weak to fall unconscious just because of a scream*(Rogue)

Rogue had been sharing Fumi's senses ever since and he could also feel Fumi's terror when the scream was heard he had expected that Fumi would be frozen in fear he would've taken that chance to train Fumi to endure fear but he didn't expect her to faint from the scream.

*I should've expected it, she's a Timid coward I just hope this doesn't deepen her trauma*(Rogue)

Rogue gripped the knife as tight as he could and glared at the Ech variant.

"Graaaa!!"

A ghoul tried to surprise him but he swiftly moved his arm and penetrated the ghouls head with a stab.

"Reeeeee!!!!!"

Another scream came from the Ech.

"GrrrrrrraaaaaaAAA!!!!!"

And this Time it was followed by other screams from the ghouls like some kind of battle cry.

"This isn't good"

The amount of ghouls that attacked them now increased currently Natashia was holding some of them back while Shizuka tried her best to block and kill any of the ghouls that approached Fumi(Rogue)

Thanks to this although unstable formation Rogue was able to give some of his focus towards the Ech Variant.

*There's no way we can escape a bastard like that I need to think of a way*

Rogue glared at the Ech and as if in reply it smiled and screamed again.

"Reeeeee!!!!"

It then jumped down from the roof and landed on the ground.

It smiled again and started charging towards Rogue in frightening speed.

*Bastard! I thought he was supposed to be blind!*(Rogue)

Rogue panicked for a moment but quickly recovered.

Shizuka and Natashia noticed the charging Ech. Natashia herself was calm.

*He can handle it somehow*

Natashia had already noticed that Rogue took over somehow that's why she wasn't worried but for Shizuka who had no idea of who Rogue is or even their situation with the soul she panicked and reflexively ran to protect her little sister.

"No! Wait Shizuka if you move away from your position we'll.."

*..be flooded by ghouls!*

Natashia tried to call out to Shizuka but she couldn't finish and Shizuka wasn't even listening to her, she was focused on one thing and one thing only.

*I have to protect Fumi!*

[—————!]

[————————...]

[—————!]

A muffled mechanical voice echoed in Shizuka's head but she didn't even hear it as she took another stride and as if the world warped in her eyes

She arrived in between the Ech and Fumi in just a matter of second that was even surprising for Natashia and Rogue.

This world didn't have the concept of 'Skills' but what Shizuka did just now was a very familiar skill for the two Otherworlders.

But Shizuka didn't notice her abnormal feat as she quickly swung her bat at the incoming Ech's face she was solely focused on hitting the Ech's face that it was the only thing she could clearly see right now.

[—————!]

[————————...]

[—————!]

**Splat**

A sound of flesh reached everyone's ears and it felt like time stood still for a second and everything was silent.

"Onee-san!!"

That silence was then broken by a horrified scream of a young girl.