Terror Infinity Side B

Chapter 12, H.O.T.D 2

From the other side of the door of Team Japan's room.

- *KNOCK*!!

Female Manor Staff: "Excuse me dear guest. I'm here to inform you that Master Takagi and his wife are ready to see you at this time. We ask that just your leader follow me to meet them."

Shin: "Just me? Alright. I'll be right out. I'll be back everyone. Try not to miss me too much, but I know that's-."

Aqua: "I won't have to try."

Shin: "..."

Kisara: "I'll miss you."

Hikari: "Kisara, if your not just being a kiss ass, but are really a naturally devoted woman then I can only say that you were truly fortunate to meet a barely, barely somewhat decent man like Shin. You definitely would have ended up a tragic heroine if it was anyone else."

Kisara: "I think Shin is more than decent and is an exemplary man for his faults (Faults?)... second wife."

Hikari: "I told not to call me second wife, peerless sword bitch!"

Kisara: "..."

Hikari: "..."

Aqua: "Shin, you're a terrible man."

Shin: "Why are you putting this on... Never mind. I'm going."

Shin with a sigh and fear in his heart for staying a second longer opened the door and left with the staff member, but not before giving Hikari a meaningful look before leaving. Hikari understood what this meant (I was sad she didn't pause to think I was charming her with just my eyes) and she connected her mind with his with Soul Link. In addition, she opened up her Psyche Force Scan and observe the entire manor and the surrounding area. Hikari also summoned her Persona Adrasteia after the door was closed for greater detailed scans relaying them to Shin.

Hikari SL: (I've scanned the area and I've not found anything outright suspicious. I've marked a few people yellow on the scans who are wary of us, but I don't sense any hostility towards you or any of us. Just like the last time I've scanned. The main characters Takashi and Saya are here as well and is waiting in a room with two others who've I've already identified as Saya's parents, Souichiro Takagi and Yuriko Takagi. They match the description you've given me and I've already taken the liberty to memorize their mental wavelengths so I can find them anytime within the range of my scans. The staff member is leading you through the manor towards them, so this isn't likely a trap.)

Shin SL: (Good. Keep me connected with Soul Link in case anything goes wrong. Also send everything that I'm seeing to Aqua and Jin. Aqua can give me advice on how to deal with people in power since she was in the Marines and this is Jin's plan to gain influence, so I'm not letting him leave the negotiations solely to me and just sit back and wait. Hikari, tell everyone that if shit hits the fans and we need to split... don't hold back and use everything you have to escape. Destroy all the vehicles we come across and we'll escape with the Humvee Takashi's group gave us waiting out back. You can kill anyone other than the main characters and Saya's parents without question. Attacking them requires my authorization.)

Shin gave this final warning before being lead into a conference room by the female staff member. Hikari's scans already told him who was inside, but having two of the four inside being Saya's parents, who were important people who vital to Team Japan's plans... he was a bit nervous to say the least. Social skills were definitely not one of the strengths of an otaku who lived in the world of fantasy in his room for most of his life and all of his growth as a person since entering God's Dimension have just been as a fighter and still growing leader. Shin could about make friends and close relations with just about anyone given time... but he couldn't help but think the Suspension Bridge Effect and Closed Circles played more of a small part in increasing his success rate.

Shin SL: (I'll feel more comfortable fighting Btooom Lord Ryuta again than this. Team Japan needs a lawyer for times like this. Jin's smart and I'm okay at making friends, but we need someone who can go tooth and nails for these types of negotiations. In the future we may not he so fortunate as to be the savors and close comrades of our allies only daughter, and have the recommendation of a hero like Takashi.)

Hikari SL: (Suck it up otaku! Being an adult means doing things like this. Grow up already and have an adult talk about how to exterminate the approaching 3 million legions of zombies and how you can implement some reforms to better the lives of a refugee camp in the apocalypse... Normal adult talks.)

Shin SL: (Like hell that is normal! What kind of scary adult conversation is this!?)

Jin SL: (Sorry to interrupt, but I'm just reminding you not to just offer just magic bullets and food and water. The seeds which can grow anywhere, intel on those planning to overthrow the Takagi's, and... how about giving him one of our spare Antidotes for zombification . The more we offer the better our influence will grow.)

Shin SL: (Fine fine fine! I'm doing my best to look confident here, so don't speak up unless it's important.)

As Shin entered the conference room doing his best to look confident he eyed all the people in the room before being lead where to sit down around a table. To his right were the main characters Takashi and Saya. The two of them gave a light greeting as he entered the room and didn't look nervous in the least, or were just hiding it better than him due to experience. In the Manga and Anime Takashi admitted that he was too intimidated by Saya's wealth and status to ever come over to her home or meet her parents, and as for Saya she as well couldn't remain calm when dealing with her parents who she saw as perfect and honorable to a fault. Maybe that has changed and they can stand in the same space as them. Compared to the apocalypse what are just two intimidating parents?

Shin: (But this is my first time meeting you, so I wish you would stop exuding such a fierce aura, Saya's father! I'm not aiming to complete her route in this play through!)

Shin now glanced to his left and then straight ahead.

Sitting to his left was Saya's mother, Yuriko Takagi. Yuriko has long, light purple hair and eyes of matching color. She wears her hair down and has it much shorter in the front and pushed to either side of her face. She has a slender figure and dresses in a style which resembles the typical aristocratic attire which consists of a thin red dress, a white cloth wrapped around her arms and mid to lower body, and a silver necklace with a small charm on the front and lipstick. She is Saya Takagi's mother and the wife of Souichiro Takagi. It is indicated by Saya that Yuriko is also a genius, and she is where Saya gets her intelligence from. Yuriko was once a Wall Street stockbroker, and she later married Souichiro Takagi after she was impressed with his charisma and political skills. She acquired a large fortune while trading stocks, and thanks to her business connections, the Takagi family fortune rose significantly when she married Souichiro. She is very faithful to her husband and loves her daughter very much. She is also very skilled with guns since she had the training to protect herself from muggers in New York.

Then sitting in a chair directly in front of Shin across the table was Saya's father and Supreme Commander of Tokonosu City Survival Camp, Souichiro Takagi. He is tall and intimidating with the gaze of a predatory animal. Saya inherited his eyes as they have same eye color and he has jet black hair. In the original plot Souichiro Takagi was the Don of the Tokonosu prefecture's ultra-nationalist organization and is a very wealthy man. Souichiro is also the father of Saya Takagi and husband of Yuriko Takagi. He is a strong leader, even after the outbreak, and he will do whatever he can to keep Japanese society from collapsing. His leadership skills are unyielding, and he serves as an example for Takashi Komuro while the group is at the Takagi house. He truly wants what is best for the city, shown by his decision to take responsibility for the water and electricity, but he has a hard time conveying this to the people since they are strongly opposed to his political views. His views were not wrong, but hard to accept for normal civilians just right after the apocalypse began.

Shin: "..."

There was a tense atmosphere in the air mainly because of the intense aura exuded Saya's father, but the rest was due to the main issues of this meeting. Shin and his group claim to be able to teach them a method on how to craft magic bullets to strengthen the armies power and supply the city with enough food and water in pill form to solve their food issues for a long time. This was not a small matter that they were about to discuss, and it was Saya who opened the floor for the discussion. She had Takashi take out of his dimensional ring infinite ammo guns with magic enchantment and the glass containers of solidified water and condensed food. Saya then once more went over the obvious about their benefits and explained in precise numbers and such on how Tokonosu City's lively hood and defenses will skyrocket.

Sitting there Shin was overwhelmed by the official office style presentation Saya had begun (She even took out pie charts!), but he could imagine that this was all done for the sake of the cooperation with Team Japan. Saya was a text book tsundere character, so she would act seriously as a front but deep down was a soft girl, and she didn't want her own parents to they and take advantage of someone she considered a comrade and who had helped her friends survive the early days of the apocalypse. That's why Saya laid it all out in the open how much benefit the city will receive and how low the cost will be.

Saya: "Long as Shin teaches us the method to craft magic bullets and isn't a lengthy process we can change out our ammunition for magic bullets before the zombie legion arrives. Even if it is lengthy we can recruit from the refugees and offer them food in exchange for hard labor. Food and water will be their reward and it will help keep them healthy and strong. We may even be able to Draft a few thousand good men and women to fight in the upcoming battle without using force to lower moral. If Shin is willing to supply the food for the effort we'll have no problems recruiting helpers. We can even use the food to have refugees work hard to help build fortifications where we plan to face the enemy... and I should state here that it's impossible to preceed without Shin's assistance. I've personally gone over the infinite ammo guns which fire magic bullets and I'm at a complete loss on how it works. I did try to replicate the symbols which I can only assume to be magic symbols, but I could never build my own. We need Shin's assistance at all cost if we desire this power."

Mrs. Takagi: "I see. Then Shin, can you provide the food and water immediately? Also, just how long will it take to craft magic bullets? Are there any special requirements as well that you will need assistance with? Time is of the essence after all."

Shin: "It won't take long. I can call for the food and water at any time. As for the magic bullets making them isn't complicated. You can even have small kids make them as a hobby or class assignment... but before I do either I need to confirm a few things first."

Mrs. Takagi: "...And what would that be if I may ask?"

Shin: "First is trust. Do I have it? If not then our cooperation won't go anywhere and I should just go. I'm a friend and comrade to Takashi and Saya, so they are willing to take a leap of faith for me despite my group coming out of nowhere like some suspicious character trying to con them. We, you and your husband, don't have such a splendid relationship. You might try to rip me off out of fear of me doing the same thing to you."

Mrs. Takagi: "That's just how life is for adults. And so, how can we gain your trust?"

Shin: "I just need to hear it from you for one. To raise a honest and bright child like Saya and from what I've heard around the city, the two of you are respectable human beings with a sense of responsibility and honor. You won't betray someone who comes to you out of goodwill, but you may do so if you don't fully trust them and more so expect them to do you harm. It more than well known of your dissatisfaction of allowing the 5 Military Heads and the Mayor to join your Tokonosu City survival camp and retain their power which is now used for evil. I'm here out of both goodwill and a bit of self-interest, but my interest is just wiping out the zombie legion and protecting the city. Just saying that you will work together with my group is good enough for one of my conditions."

As Shin said this he felt a power glare directed at him. Souichiro Takagi who was staring daggers into him and had remained quite thus far and left the negotiations to his wife finally seemed willing to talk.

Mr. Takagi: "...Very well. You're right about in that we meet goodwill with goodwill... and malice with even greater malice. Even if you have a hidden agenda, it doesn't seem to be our downfall, or a permanent place in my organization. What you're offering is too good to pass up. You're also a friend of my daughter who helped her survive the beginning of the apocalypse as well when I was not there for her. We'll work together to repel the zombie legion and if there's anything you need during your stay just ask and you'll have it. Now, what's this other condition for us to show our sincerity?"

Now came the difficult part. Shin didn't know exactly how Souichiro Takagi, his wife or the others will react to this request, but resolving himself for better or worse he took documents from his Na Ring that Sachi had gathered earlier today and passed them around the table for everyone to see. The plan Jin thought up was to show everyone proof of a conspiracy of the Mayor and three of the Five Heads of Military to take down the Takagi faction. Gaining their trust and getting rid of bad elements within Tokonosu City Survival Camp was Team Japan's ultimate goal right now. Jin said that if they knew about rebellion already then this wouldn't provoke a reaction, but if they didn't know of it, or suspected that they were planning to immediately take action against them after the zombie legion is repelled, then-)

Shin: (We can demand that the Takagi faction to take action to purge the distrustful elements of Tokonosu City. This reminds me of what happened in Yue Zhong's second major battle against the zombies when he entered an alliance with another organization, a city like Tokonosu City Survival Camp to fend off against 2 million Zombies lead by a Z2 Zombie. They worked together well enough the first day and almost wiped out half of the zombies, but the endless waves of undead monsters were draining all of their resources and manpower. The endless waves of fearless undead also began to break their spirits. Of course, they would have won in the end if they kept fighting, but for some of the military leaders that feared the this endless army and what would become of their own power afterwards once spent dealing with THEM, which drove them bat shit crazy. Two major military leaders abandoned the effort to fight the zombies which left a large hole in the human side's defense causing the entire military effort to collapse. Also another person of power went retarded and started a civil war in an effort to grab power despite knowing that over a million zombies were on their way and that they had to abandon their city and merge with Yue Zhong's organization. The man wouldn't accept losing his position, so he killed the mayor who sided with Yue Zhong, assassinated others, and dared to try to unite everyone to protect a city that was already lost.)

Shin couldn't help but think that the same thing could happen to Tokonosu City's efforts to repel the zombies. To repel the 3 million zombies the Supreme Commander Takagi, the Five Heads of Military, and the Mayor must pool in their resources and manpower to defend themselves. Anything less will make defending the city harder, if not impossible... but it was unlikely everyone could work together. If something unexpected happens or the situation become disadvantageous to the Mayor or the heads of the military he's conspiring with, they won't hesitate to run away or back stab the Supreme Commander during the battle rather than afterwards. This was unacceptable for Shin and Team Japan who were aiming to gain influence in this world through the main characters and Saya's parents.

Shin: "These documents here should make it clear what my final condition is. Mr and Mrs Takagi. Use the time we have left to purge those traitors from Tokonosu City Survival Camp! Kill the Mayor and the three heads of military working along side him! I won't trust my back or the back of my comrades with filth like them nearby. Kill them, their direct subordinates who support them and share their evil ways, and absorb the majority of their military might. Long as it's done correctly the city will still have more than enough power to fend the legion of THEM."

Takashi: "Wait, kill them all!? I want to do that as well, right now even, but there was a reason that none of us have done so. Tokonosu City grew too big too and fast. We needed the Five Heads of Military and the disgusting Mayor for the sake of running things. We can absorb their forces sure, but we won't have a capable staff to manage over a 100,000 population. There was also the issue of food and water before which they-"

Shin: "Then they don't matter anymore. You'll have to train new staff yourselves, but I can help you maintain order. I'm providing you with tools that are effective against zombies and mutant beast. I'm also providing food and water, but if that's not enough I'll sweeten the deal. I can provide seeds which can grow under the harsh conditions of the apocalypse. With these seeds you can farm and create jobs to stimulate the community. I can also hand over a cure for the zombie infection as well, so the fear towards zombies will lessen and more civilians will be willing to become soldiers and fight the zombies. If even that's not enough I'll use my own group to help you kill the Mayor and the three of the 5 Military Heads backing him."

Mrs. Takagi: "Oh my... Just who are-"

Mr. Takagi: "Enough!"

With a powerful and masculine voice Saya's father spoke up as his wife lost her cool at Shin's many revelations. He then eyed Shin for a few seconds that seemed like hours and finally spoke.

Mr. Takagi: "We agree with your proposal for a purge to gain your cooperation. No, we have to if we want your cooperation. If we begin crafting magic bullets in mass and word of a influx of food gets around the Mayor and the Five Heads of Military will surely make a move. With the effectiveness of magic bullets as you and my daughter have described, they might not even need me anymore, or just think that they don't blinded by their greed and power. The things that your offering will cause a rift in Tokonosu City and if not handled correctly it'll lead to a civil war even before the undead legion arrives. I was also aware of a plot against me, but your reports fill in the blanks of my own investigations. Hahah! Impressive when you haven't even been here more than a day, young man! They will be gotten rid of without fail! I've decided that long ago despite them being somewhat capable, but their unjust actions have pass my threshold to accept even when law and order are all but nonexistent, and... they've even targeted my own daughter and her friends who are a valuable ally to mankind's counter attack against the apocalypse brought about by the Saint. Those fiends will die a thousand deaths if for nothing else than targeting Saya!"

Saya: "Papa... Why only at times like this you show your fatherly side?"

Mrs. Takagi: "Now now. You're father's an awkward man. Do you know how long it took me to win him over this righteous and stubborn man?"

Shin: "You must have had it rough. A man should be the one to pursue a good woman like you, though I bet the other way would be nice."

Takashi: "I agree. Saya needs to be more honest with herself like her mother."

Saya: "Are you badmouthing me!? The romantic opinions of harem bastards like you two can't be taken at face value!"

Mr. Takashi: "*CLEARING THROAT*! Getting back on topic we'll purge the vermin from this city. Well take out all the other trash under them as well, but we don't have time to wait with the approaching legion of THEM who we predict to be arriving in eight more days. We have too much to do and so little time, so we'll get rid of them tomorrow night. I'll have to consult our police commissioner Mr. Miyamoto later about how to contain the chaos this operation will bring onto the city and it's people. Now, it's my turn to ask something of you Shin."

Shin: "Me?"

Mr. Takagi: "Yes. Like you say you want my trust, I want yours as well. That means revealing all of your cards. I need to know what kind of man that you are, so... I'll have you fight Takashi at a place of my choosing tomorrow early afternoon."

Takashi: "...Huh?"

Takashi was just as shocked as I, yet the overbearing aura of Saya's father said it all for us. There was no getting out of this. A battle between the main character of "H.O.T.D"'s Cross Series and the main character (Self-proclaimed) of God's Dimension, myself, was already set in stone before the meeting took place.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Authors Note:

Rate/Follow/Favorite/Comment.

Proofread by Deltoren.