Half an hour later, Yuta and Usagi were slowly walking through the streets, and their eyes could see this dead world.
Yuta kept trying to find something logical in their situation, but no matter how much he observed, there was nothing that could give him any understanding of what was happening.
The streets were silent, cars stood on the roads without any drivers. From this, it was evident that everything—except the people—remained exactly the same.
Although cell phones and electricity had stopped working, it was still early, so Yuta wasn't anxious about finding resources to at least make it through the night. What was foremost on his mind was finding weapons for defense, which would solve two problems at once.
First of all, it would solve the problem of their protection. Although Japan had very strict gun laws, rifles and shotguns could still be purchased, and there was a nearby store called Shibuya Firearms, only five minutes from their previous location.
In addition, after that he would look for a flashlight and a backpack before continuing their search.
Secondly, by making the most logical decision that anyone in their situation could take, he would truly realize whether they were alone or if there were more people in this place.
What did that mean? That if people besides them were here, he was certain they would think similarly to them in at least one of their choices.
Although it was likely that very few would think about these things if they were in his situation, there was no doubt that among them there would be people intelligent enough to consider this.
"First, we need to solve the problem of our security. If the weapons from this store have been taken, or if there are signs of human intervention, we'll know whether we are the only ones or if there are more people in this city." Yuta turned his gaze and then entered Shibuya's gun shop.
"Sounds good." Usagi nodded her head and then stepped inside after Yuta.
Although she wasn't familiar with firearms due to their strict restrictions, she knew many things about survival, which made her understand the importance of safety.
Yuta went in first and looked around the store. In no time, he noticed broken glass in some display cases and immediately understood what had happened.
"Someone apparently had the same idea as me…" Yuta murmured before stepping closer to carefully examine what had been taken from the store. It wasn't much—at most, a shotgun with some cartridges and nothing more.
"How long ago was someone here?" Usagi felt slightly relieved to see traces indicating that someone else had been in this place. That much was obvious after seeing the mess in the store and how some things had been taken without regard for the damage.
But then she grew worried, realizing there were armed people outside.
Yuta, who had expected this, wasted no time and approached a broken display case, taking out a Remington 870 pump-action shotgun. Although this shotgun was usually employed for hunting, it was far better than the other options in this store. It wasn't just useful for self-defense but also for hunting.
Weighing a little over three kilograms, Yuta held it and examined it with familiarity. This wasn't his first time handling a firearm, since he had been in the army for a while after completing his military service.
"This shotgun is a twelve gauge. Its tubular magazine can hold no more than eight cartridges. This weapon has many variants and will serve us to protect ourselves from anything that tries to harm us." Without looking at Usagi's expression, Yuta handed her the shotgun while he took another of the same model.
"I don't know how to use guns…" Usagi made a strange face while holding the shotgun.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you how to use it. Although if we stay together, you won't need to. But it could help you later for self-defense, even if you don't shoot." Yuta said with an ironic smile.
In this situation, where no one knew what might happen in the future, it wouldn't hurt to learn every bit of knowledge from others in order to stay alive. Although Yuta usually focused more on the present than the future, he wanted to impart knowledge that Usagi might not have.
While looking for cartridges, Yuta also took the liberty of selecting two Merkel Helix hunting rifles, which were among the best field rifles available in this store.
"Look for four cases to carry these weapons for now while I search for the cartridges," Yuta said without looking at Usagi.
Knowing there were armed people in this lonely city, Yuta didn't waste time and quickly returned with four boxes of ammunition, two for the shotguns and two for the rifles. Although the rifle could only hold three bullets, it was better than nothing in their current situation.
Usagi, for her part, didn't waste time either and also found some flashlights, knives, and a few holsters to carry them. She knew there was no electricity, so having these tools would make it easier for them to make it through the night.
After storing the rifles in their backpacks, Yuta handed one to Usagi to carry and slung one across his back, along with the other backpacks they had previously taken.
"Are you confused?"
"Eh?"
"Usagi, I can't deny that our situation is very confusing, and I don't know much more than you do, but you must understand that in order to discover what's happening—and at the same time keep ourselves safe—it would be good for you to learn how to use these weapons, at least for personal defense."
Yuta didn't want to explain much about what he was thinking. It wasn't that he cared about Usagi's safety if this were another situation, but right now she was his companion—the only person he could consider even remotely trustworthy. If he encountered someone else now, they would be anything but reliable.
In this situation, where it was difficult to place trust in others, Yuta had no choice but to trust Usagi and hope for the best from her.
"Do you really think this is necessary?" Usagi asked, pointing to the shotguns and rifles in the backpacks.
"The truth is they're useful, but I'd honestly prefer not to have to use them."
"Were you a hunter or something similar?" Usagi asked calmly, wanting at least to know a little more about the person she would be sharing an indefinite amount of time with.
Although it was hard for her to get familiar with people, she had no choice but to take the initiative to learn more about her companion, who so far had acted very clearly about what they should and shouldn't do. He was very intelligent.
"Well, I finished my military service and then stayed in the army for a while to satisfy my father, who was a retired veteran at the time. Maybe it was just coincidence that he died and, on my way back home, I ended up in this very intriguing situation."
Yuta didn't want to be indifferent either, at least not when he could establish a connection where both sides could benefit. Who knows what might happen later, right? In a situation like this, it would be good to try working with a partner who wasn't dramatic at all. If it were another woman, she might already be crying over what tomorrow would bring.
This girl, who seemed to be a little younger than him, appeared to think the same way. He didn't have to repeat things twice to her, which made Yuta think it wouldn't be dramatic to move around with Usagi.
"Usagi, my behavior and way of thinking might be difficult to understand. I usually don't make connections with circles of friends who don't understand me. But in this situation, I must say it's better to have company than to be alone. Do you want to keep going with me, or take a different path?"
As Yuta said this, he extended his hand and showed a sincere expression. Clearly, this situation was new and had awakened an intense desire for knowledge within him. He hoped for at least a little of that from Usagi.
Usagi, who had mostly understood Yuta's way of thinking and intentions, didn't mind and nodded. "Let's join forces and find out what happened. I'm not good at connecting with people either."
Yuta, seeing Usagi's extended hand, nodded and took it in his own. "Then now we must search for food and, at the same time, find more clues along the way."
"I think the same."