The convoy made it to the Tokonosu bridge without any major issues; the few roaming groups of zombies they came across were no problem for the reinforced steel of John's post-apocalypse car's bumper.

  Like the other bridge, this one had a barrier installed, but instead of a gate, it was all concrete, with chain link fencing behind it. It did not appear to be staffed; the police must have pulled back to somewhere else in the city. On their side of the barrier, dozens of different vehicles blocked the bridge off, the occupants long abandoning their cars to flee to safety elsewhere.

  John had Saya shut the car off, cursing a bit at their predicament. They would need to move a lot of vehicles to even make a path, then dismantle enough of the barrier to be able to squeeze the convoy through. All the while, needing to be quiet enough not to draw the zombie's attention.

  "Miss Takagi, you said there was another way across?" He asked her, trying to ignore Saeko shifting slightly on his p. Thankfully, she did wiggle less this time, but it was still a distraction.

  "Yes, but it depends on the tides and how low the water levels are. We would have to ford across water several feet deep." She replied, frowning slightly at Saeko. "We don't have enough room for everyone in the Humvee, and I don't know if the batteries and wiring in your truck are protected enough to be submerged. It goes without saying that this car would be half underwater if we tried it."

  "Yeah. Okay then, we'll do this the hard way." He said, then opened the door, letting Saeko off his p before following.

  They could start walking, but that was a recipe for disaster if they came across one of the rger groups of zombies. Not to mention the bed of the truck and the back of the Humvee were full of supplies that would be nearly impossible to hump without some rucksacks. For better or for worse, they were tied to their vehicles now.

  John walked up the the other vehicles and got everyone to dismount and gather around him. Once again, Tsunoda and Saeko stayed by his side, the two of them seemingly having come to an unspoken agreement to be his bodyguards. The dog that was in Alice's care darted towards him, yipping once. He scratched it behind the ears, giving it a little attention so it would remain quiet.

  "Okay, so this is what we are going to do. We are going to back some of these cars up out of the way, then move towards that barricade. If the keys were not left in one of them, let me know. I will use my magic to break the car up so we can move it. I need three people who are comfortable driving backwards." He asked. Kenzo, Kei, and Isamu all volunteered, the three men looking at John in awe.

  What is that about?

  "Kohta, start training a few more people on how to handle the firearms. Kawamoto, Taniuchi, you two are on watch. That means you will sit on top of the Humvee and be on the lookout for zombies and other survivors. Let me know on the radio if you see them. As long as you are comfortable with it, use the crossbow if it is just one or two of them. The snap of its cable is much quieter than the crack of a rifle.

  For everyone else, stay quiet and get something to eat. This is going to take a while. Tsunoda, Saeko, you're with me. We are going to clear the bridge of any remaining zombies. Are there any questions?" He finished, then looked over the group.

  No one said anything at first, then Alice jumped up, pumping her little fist in the air. "No worries, Mr. Wizard! I will make the bestest snacks for you!"

  John smiled and ruffled the child's hair. "Okay then, I am excited to try your snacks. Just make sure you use your indoor voice, okay?"

  "O-Kay!" She said with a giant grin on her face.

  John just chuckled. "Okay, let's get to work!"

  It took a significant amount of time, but luck seemed to be on their side. By the time the sun was beginning to set, they had managed to clear a path to the barricade. The few dozen zombies that were on the bridge were fairly spaced out, letting the three swordsmen deal with them with retive ease.

  Only a couple of cars needed to be dismantled by the dig spell, which was really the most time-consuming part of the whole operation. He considered using his sword, but he didn't want any of the sparks it created to ignite any remaining fuel. That, and it was noisy as hell when it ripped through metal. Dig was silent, and while the cubes were heavy, there were no overly sharp edges to cut yourself on.

  John had started 'Digging' the barricades when the rest of the convoy pulled up, the noise of their motors echoing across the bridge and back into the city. Kenzo and Isamu had acquired two more vehicles for them, a fairly rge panel van half full of plumbing supplies and a passenger van with eleven seats.

  John was tempted to grab one of the other, quieter vehicles to repce the noisy muscle car, but he caught Saya smiling as she drove his car up to the barricade.

  She seems to have taken my advice and is trying to have a little fun right now. God, I am tired... when was the st time I took one of those pills?

  "John, can't you just bust through these with your sword? By the time any zombies responded, we would be long gone." Tsunoda said beside him. The poor guy was soaked in sweat, doing most of the heavy lifting of the blocks that day.

  John just looked at him bnkly for a moment, his tired brain trying to process what the former jock said.

  "Right, right." He replied, then drew his sword.

  "Are you okay?" Tsunoda asked him, a worried frown on his face.

  "Just tired. We need to find somewhere to rest soon." John said, then swung his sword. It made a loud cng on the concrete, but otherwise didn't do anything but leave a scratch on the surface. "What the-?"

  GRAAAAAHHHH!!!!

  The sounds of zombies could be heard in the distance behind them, a lot of zombies.

  "Ah, John. Why didn't that work?"

  "I... I have no idea." He replied. He swung again, making another loud cng but otherwise doing no significant damage to the concrete.

  "John! We have incoming behind us!" Kohta yelled from atop the Humvee.

  "Start shooting when you are sure of your shots!" John shouted back, then turned back to the barrier. "C'mon, please work!"

  He swung again and again, the weapon doing nothing. Rifle fire began behind them then, the rate of fire slow at first, then increased as the zombies grew closer. With the daylight waning, it would be dark soon, and they would lose much of the advantage they had with the range of their weapons. John took a knee then, panting with effort.

  Why? Why isn't this working? Is it because I am tired?

  "John-Sama, what are you feeling right now?" Saeko said, kneeling beside him.

  "What?"

  "What are you feeling right now? What emotions are going through your mind?" She said, pcing her hand on his arm.

  "If I am feeling anything, it is that I am helpless and frustrated. Why does that matter right now!" He said, snapping a bit at her.

  Wait, she doesn't deserve that; she is just trying to help.

  "Sorry. I am just a bit irritated."

  "No, John-Sama. Stop being sorry. Use that frustration and that anger to try again." She replied, her gaze intense. "I have been watching you every time you used that weapon before. You tried to hide it, but you were angry every time you swung that sword. Use that anger and try again."

  "Ah... sure." He said, standing up. He held the weapon above the barricade and tried to channel his anger. The problem was that he couldn't find it right now.

  Frustration he had aplenty, but he couldn't seem to get angry.

  GRRAAAHHH!*BANG**BANG*

  The zombies were closer now, close enough that they were using the shotguns.

  "Tsunoda, head to the rear and provide support," John said.

  "Yes, Sir." He said and darted off, pulling his shotgun off his back.

  Anger. I need to be angry? Fuck, I just want to go back to DEN and...

  The thought of Alec's shit eating grin sparked something in John, getting through the fog his mind created.

  "ARGH!" He said, smming the sword down on the barrier, causing the whole thing to explode into dust. He stepped forward and hit the next one, and the next one, making his way all the way to the fence. A few quick strokes dropped the final barrier, opening a path of escape for them.

  He stood for a moment, breathing heavily, then sheathed the sword. "Saeko, get us to the manor, or to somewhere safe. I trust you-" He said, then colpsed on the ground, his exhaustion overtaking him.

  John found himself floating in an ocean of... something. It was blue like the sky, but felt intangible to John, like it was passing through his body instead of breaking against his skin. He moved his hands through it, but couldn't even guess at what it could be. He could still breathe, so that was a bonus.

  He noticed then his body seemed ethereal, and he could see through his limbs like his body was translucent. It was very disconcerting.

  "Where am I?" He said, his voice sounding hollow as well. "Or am I in a dream?"

  WHO. ARE. YOU?

  Another voice echoed through the ocean of blue, shaking him to his very core.

  "My name is John. John Wayne. Who are you!" He shouted back, trying to look around to see where the voice came from.

  YOU. HAVE. MANA. WHY. DO. YOU. HAVE. MANA?

  "Because I am part of a gameshow for deities, and they thought it was a fun option to give me? Honestly, I have no bloody idea. Who are you?" He shouted back.

  The ocean seemed to move around him. He felt something like pressure increasing on his body, on his mind, causing him extreme amounts of pain.

  "Grrr... my... head."

  A giant form drew beside him, or was it infinitesimally small? It seemed to be both at the same time, something that his mind couldn't process.

  YOU. YOU. WERE. THE. ONE. THAT. AWOKE. ME. IT. HAS. BEEN. A. LONG. TIME. A. VERY. LONG. TIME.

  John tried to focus on the mass in front of him. It was something that had no form or many... like one of those paintings a shrink might ask you about what the first thing you see is.

  "What, what are you?" He asked. He could have sworn he saw Batman for a moment, before it became an old dy, then a honey badger.

  The form paused its shifting. On its head, an eye opened, its gre bathing John in energy he had never felt before. He had no time to process it as his whole body felt like it was on fire, and he began to scream.