“It’s following us, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

[20 minutes quickly passed by and looking through the window, the tower of zombies was chasing after us. It was getting closer to us and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. At this rate, it might catch up to us. Maybe if we were still on the highway then we would have been able to get away but we were currently driving through the farmland since the highway was packed with abandoned cars.]

“MOMMY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!!!!!”

[We all cover our ears but it wasn’t as bad when we were within the mansion. This car was somewhat soundproof so the voice was muffled.]

‘Please wake up, Jude.’

‘That voice is starting to become annoying. Why can’t it just stay quiet!?’

[I was feeling the same irritation as Mei 3. Every five minutes or so, that voice would scream out for their Mommy. It was the voice of a little girl but it definitely wasn’t a normal little girl since it was coming from the tower of zombies.]

[Looking over at Professor Jane, I’m starting to think that she has something to do with that little girl. Every single time its voice screams out, Professor Jane’s entire body would shiver in fear. Her breathing becomes rough and she begins to profusely sweat. If I didn’t know better, I would think that she is the Mommy of whoever’s voice that was.]

“Shit, we really were quarantined!”

“It doesn’t matter, just drive along the wall! There has to be an exit somewhere”

[Gareth jerks the car to the right and begin driving along this wall. It was weird, there shouldn’t be a wall here. It should have just been open fields for a while but there’s a 20 feet tall wall right next to us.]

“Was there always a wall here, Gogo?”

“I don’t think so.”

“No, there shouldn’t be. I’ve lived here my whole life and there was never a wall here.”

[Lisa, Gogo, and Jill were talking and I totally agree with them.]

“Do you think this was set down by the government?”

“William, is this possible? Can the government really block off an entire city from the outside world?”

“I won’t say it’s impossible but blocking off an entire city shouldn’t be possible in two and a half weeks. There has to be an opening somewhere on the wall.”

“Wait, I think I saw something on the news about this! Sometime before the zombie apocalypse, there was already news about a wall being built around Ostempal. It was suspicious at the time but it was brushed off as a new government building.”

“If that’s the case then would the wall be completed already?”

“We’re trapped inside.”

[The mood in the car suddenly drops after Jill’s information. If the wall was really complete then we would be stuck inside with this monster chasing after us. There’s no escape for us. The walls were way too tall for us to climb and I’m sure we wouldn’t be able to blow up the wall.]

Is there really no hope for us.

‘Don’t get depressed yet, there’s still hope for us. If Fifi and Jude weren’t here then we would have definitely died but we have the power of magic on our side.’

‘Yeah, don’t be down in the dumps Mei 2. Just ask Fifi for help.’

[Yeah, we still have a chance to survive. We have magic!]

“Master, do you think we can get over that wall with magic.”

“Hmmm, probably. But I can’t do it by myself, I need Jude’s help.”

“Ok!”

[We can do this. We can save everyone.]

“Master is there any way we can wake up Jude faster.”

“We can have someone send their mana inside of Jude to wake him up. My magic earlier made it so Jude’s body would just go to sleep but if it feels foreign mana within him then it should wake him up.”

“What are you two talking about?”

[Lisa sees us whispering and decides to ask us what we were doing. This is good, Lisa can use magic so she can definitely help us. I begin to explain to Lisa about our plans. Gogo and Jill see us talking and also joins in. Professor Jane was hugging herself in the corner while Goldie was staring out of the window.]

“Okay, good! That sounds like a plan.”

“What are you guys discussing back there?”

[William turns his head from the front seat and looks at us curiously. We were all huddled around Jude so we probably look like a bunch of weirdos.]

“Just a plan that would save all of us.”

“What is it?”

“It’s simple, we’re just going to climb the wall!”

“What!?”

“Come on, Lisa. You can’t just be saying that without explaining.”

“Ahaha, sorry Mako. Well, basically we will be climbing this wall with magic.”

“Wait…”

[I try to stop Lisa from speaking but she assures me it would be fine. I’m still worried though, William and Gareth are part of the government so won’t they try something to us if they know we can use magic? I know they’ve been helping us but what if they decide to hand us over to the government. They’ll definitely try to experiment on us to get us to reveal the secrets behind magic.]

“It’s fine. It’s fine. I trust William and Gareth to keep this a secret. Besides, if they don’t keep it a secret then I’ll just become the president of the country and forcibly have them keep their mouths shut. I’ll be in a higher position than them so they can’t refuse me.”

“Hahaha, I don’t know what your plan is but I’ll keep whatever you tell me a secret.”

“Heh, when you say you’ll become our boss, I feel like you can actually do it. I’ll also keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to anger my future boss.”

“Ahaha, good. See, you can trust them right.”

Lisa’s amazing. She even got the quiet Gareth to chuckle a little bit.

‘Yeah, she’s quite the amazing girl to be able to lift everyone’s mood up.’

‘That’s our friend right there.’

[Lisa smiled back with absolute confidence but we can’t be telling them about magic until Fifi approves. She’s the one who has taught all of us about magic after all.]

“Master, are you fine with revealing magic to them?”

“As long as they don’t bother Jude and I then I don’t mind.”

“Alright, that’s an ok. You better be ready William and Gareth. You’re about to learn the secret of a lifetime.”

[Lisa begins to explain to William and Gareth about how most of us could use magic. Lisa, Jude, Fifi, Jill, and I could all use magic. Gogo wasn’t able to use magic but he was fine with it, he had his muscles to make up for what he didn’t have.]

[William and Gareth were absolutely shocked to learn that we could use magic. They were even more shocked when Fifi appeared in front of them. Gareth even almost crashed the car because of Fifi's sudden appearance.]

[They were government agents who dealt with supernatural stuff but they were basically grunts. The amount of supernatural stuff they’ve seen was very little. They knew about supernatural powers and monsters but learning that so many people could use magic and there was a magical being that’s been following them was a surprise. It was things all out of fantasy.]

“Ahahaha, why are you two so surprised!”

“It’s different, you know. Hearing stories about supernatural things and experiencing them are two totally different things.”

“Yeah, magic and magical beings are different from supernatural powers and beings we know of.”

[It took them a bit but they were finally able to calm down.]

“I’m still in awe of the situation but I get the gist of it. How are we going to escape?”

“Our first task is to wake up Jude and I’ll be the one to do that. After Jude wakes up then Fifi and him will create a ramp on the wall and we’ll ride it all the way to the top.”

“Is that possible?”

“Yep.”

“Alright, I’ll put my trust in you guys then.”

“Watch out!”

[The car suddenly swerves out of control as those in the back are thrown against the walls of the car. It felt like something large was thrown against the car.]

“Shit, Gareth hurry up!”

“I’m on it.”

[Sudden pounding started coming from the side of the door. Looking through the cracks, there was a zombie outside of the car now. Previously we were on an empty field so there weren’t any zombies around.]

Was it thrown at us?

‘Mei 2 hurry and tell Gareth to get out of here. That tower of zombies is throwing zombies at us.’

[When did it get so close? It was only 200 feet or so away from us. How did it cover that distance so fast? Earlier it was still quite far away from us.]

“Gareth, hurry! It’s throwing zombies at us!”

“Got it!”

[The engine revs up and we continue on our way through the dirt fields. Everyone else had gotten their bearings back together and put on their seatbelts this time. When we had first run away, we had totally forgotten about them.]

[More and more thuds could be heard from behind us as Gareth drives on. Looking through the window, zombies were constantly being thrown at us. Each one that was thrown quickly got up and began chasing after us. If we don’t quickly deal with them they will catch up to us sooner or later. Their speed was inhuman and if the car slow downs just a little bit they will catch up to us.]

“I’m getting the weapons, Gareth. Try and drive stable.”

“I’ll try.”

[William gets out of the passenger seat and heads towards us.]

“Gorou and Jill, can you get up for a bit.”

“Sure.”

“Ok.”

[The two of them get up and William lifts the seat up. Underneath them were all sorts of guns and tools.]

“Do any of you know how to use a gun?”

“I do.”

“I have some experience.”

[Only Gogo and I speak up. Researching how to use guns was something I’ve done in the past before because I never know when I might need to use one. So I have experience in using smaller guns like pistols but bigger guns like an automatic rifle I have very little experience with. I’m surprised that Gogo knows how to use a gun though, I’ve never heard any stories of him using guns.]

“Alright, good. Gorou, I recommend a bigger gun, and Mako, take one you’re used to. Once you choose one, I’ll teach you how to use them.”

[Gogo picks out a shotgun and I choose two pistols. Since our goal is to kill the zombies chasing after us, it’s safer to have an extra gun just in case.]

[After choosing our guns, William gives a brief overview of how to use the ones we’ve chosen and where the ammo was stored in the car. While we were being briefed, Lisa and Fifi had already begun the process of waking up Jude.]

“Mako will take the left window and Gorou take the right. Just pull on the small black lever then the window will open up. Our mission is to kill the zombies chasing after us. Don’t hesitate to kill them because if you don't, then we’ll be the ones to die.”

[A lot was riding on our shoulders. It’s up to us to save everyone in this car.]

“Got it.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Good then get into your position and fire when you’re ready. Be careful not to fall out.”

[William goes to the back door and straps down all our supplies. After strapping it down, he cranks a lever which opens up a small window on the back door. Gogo does the same and opens up the window on his side. I go towards my side and look for the lever which was by Jude’s feet.]

I swear I’ll save everyone. I won’t let anyone die this time.

[I get my top half out of the window and I’m met with a blast of wind. I didn’t notice it while we were inside but Gareth was driving pretty fast. I can’t blame him, we’re being chased by a tower of zombies after all.]

[From what I can see, there were ten zombies following the car but there could be more. I couldn’t see on Gogo’s side so there may be even more zombies. As time passes, more and more zombies will be thrown at us which means more will follow us. Our job is to get rid of them.]

[I hold my pistol with both hands and steady my aim. It was quite difficult with all the shaking from the car. While I adjust myself, gunfire starts to go off and I see a zombie drop to the ground. That was William who just shot.]

[The battle has really started. Whether we live or not depends on me. C-can I really be depended to do this? I wasn’t able to save Tod and I wasn’t able to help Jude in his time of need, do I really have the right to try and protect anyone? What if I mess up? Won’t that mean I’ll get everyone killed? It’ll all be my fault again.]

[My hands are starting to shake. The pressure was too much for me to handle. I can’t be trusted to save anyone, it’ll all just be hopeless again.]

“Mako, watch out. A few zombies are coming your way.”

I-I-I can’t. I can’t do this.

[My hands are shaking too much. I can’t aim like this, I’m going to get everyone killed.]

‘Get your head in the game, Mei 2!! Only you can do this! Mei 1 and I can’t do this, only you can. Didn’t you want to be a hero who saves their friends? This is your chance to become a hero! Don’t be scared! Push through!’

‘Don’t worry, Mei 2. Us sisters stick together, don’t we? We’ll be right here to support you so you don’t make any mistakes.’

I…

[They’re right. I can’t be like this anymore. If I don’t do anything then everyone will die. I’ll do it, I’ll save everyone!! I don’t want to live a life of regret!]

Thank you.

‘Good, then calm yourself. Three zombies are heading your way. Calm your breathing and steady your aim. The first one will be in range in five seconds.’

[I correct my aim. Looking down the sights, it should hit this straight through the brain.]

‘Aim lower. You need to take into account the speed of the vehicle.’

[I listen to Mei 1’s tips and lower my aim a little before shooting. It was dead on and the zombie’s body turns lifeless. I can do this!]

‘Next one coming in two seconds. Its gait is unnatural so adjust for it.’

‘Watch out, it’s going to jump.’

[The zombie I was aimed at suddenly lunges at us but with Mei 3’s warning I was able to kill it before it attacks.]

Thanks, Mei 1 and Mei 3.

‘Concentrate.’

‘You’re welcome.’

[With the three of us, we can handle anything that comes our way.]

|......|

“W-what happened? Where am I?”

Looking around, everything was pitch black. I was worried but I calmed down when I saw a familiar glass jug filled with blue liquid. I was within the room where my mana pool was stored.

But how did I get here? The last thing I remember was Mako asking Fifi for help for something and seeing a person turn into black sludge. Wait, I remember. Mako was injured by those people who were passed out in the hallway. She had a cut on her leg and the next thing I remember was Chad preaching again. After that, everything turned black, I can’t remember what happened after that.

“I guess I passed out again? I-I might have something wrong with my brain. Passing out this many times within a few weeks is definitely not normal. I should probably visit a doctor and have them examine me.”

It’s probably been four to five weeks since my last check-up so is this a side effect? I thought that fighting monsters and gaining experience made my body stronger but maybe I’ve been pushing myself too hard. I guess I should just have Fifi check on me. Her healing magic is quite effective after all.

I’m worried about Mako’s injury but I’m sure Fifi was able to heal her. I’m such an idiot, how could I even let Mako get hurt at all! I knew that people were dissatisfied with me and yet I didn’t block the door with magic because I was having too much fun teaching Lisa magic. It was the first time I ever taught someone so I overused my mana to show Lisa how magic was done. I should have been more careful of Chad and his faction.

I’m a hundred percent sure that Chad had sent those guys to attack me and Mako was caught in the crossfire. She must have been in so much when her leg was cut. It seemed pretty deep and a lot of blood was flowing out. I would have killed those guys along with Chad but I had to go and pass out again.

I’m causing trouble again, aren’t I? Mako was injured because of me and I’m sure Fifi and Lisa are worried about me passing out again. I thought I was going to live a proud and selfish life but nothing has changed. I’m always passing out and leaving all my troubles with my friends. Instead of being the one to protect, I’m the one being protected.

“I’m weak, I’m so weak!”

I hate myself for being so weak but I’ll become stronger. The first thing I have to do is get out of here and help them stop Chad. I’m sure he’s trying to corner Lisa again by blaming me for beating up his minions.

This is the first time I’ve ever been conscious while I’ve passed out but I think I know how to wake myself up. All I have to do is imagine myself awake and my body will awaken. I try again and again but it doesn’t work. It was the same method I used to exit this place but it didn’t work this time. Since I passed out does that mean I can't wake up without my body naturally recovering?

“I guess I’ll just wait for Fifi to wake me up then. She probably knows a method to wake me up.”

I couldn’t do anything at the moment so walk around the dark room. This was my first time exploring this area I was curious what's here but there's nothing but darkness. No matter how far I walk away, I could always see the glowing blue mana pool off in the distance. I look around for any exits but I don’t find anything so I walk back to the glass jug.

I wonder why it’s shaped like a glass jug. Tigurka’s mana pool was shaped like a sphere but mine is shaped like a glass jug. I don’t remember having any significant feelings for glass jugs so I don’t know why it’s this shape. I wonder if I can change its shape.

Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well try it. Magic is all based on imagination so if I imagine my mana pool to be stored inside a cube, would it?

I change the shape of the glass jug in my mind and sure enough the shape changes. My mana pool container changed into the shape of a glass cube. Like the glass jug, the glass cube was also filled up to its maximum capacity.

The shape changed but the size didn’t. What would happen if I tried to store it within a larger container? I imagine a larger cube but the shape doesn’t get any bigger. I guess the shape can be changed but the size can’t. If I can’t change the size then can I add smaller containers within the containers? Would I be able to create layers like Tigurka?

I imagine another cube within the cube and it works. Both cubes contained some of my mana but it was still different from Tigurka’s mana pool. He had an extremely hard first layer while all of his mana was stored within the second layer. Both of my layers had mana store in them.

I guess I can’t create a harder layer like Tigurka did but what if I tried something else. What if I create many containers so if one is destroyed then the rest will be fine. So if someone destroys the first layer then I’ll still have mana stored within the other layers.

I try to create another cube within the two cubes but I couldn’t. I guess there are still limits to what I can do at my level. Maybe the amount of layers correlates to the number of times my container has broken. The first time my container broke it was a glass cup and then it turned into a glass jug. The glass jug was currently full so if I train a little bit more than maybe the container will evolve again which will allow me to create three cubes.

“I guess I have to wait until my container breaks a second time to test out my hypothesis.”

While I continue to think and play around with the container of my mana pool, I suddenly feel a strange feeling shoot throughout my body. It feels like a bunch of parasites just invaded my body and started squirming around. It was a really disturbing feeling.