The dust in the office building settled around them like a shroud. Takashi and Sami had finished their meager meal, the plastic crinkle of snack bags sounding like thunder in the oppressive silence of the dead city. Kento, however, was still a whirlwind of motion. He was hunched over the remaining pile of food, tearing into packages with a desperate, animalistic hunger.
Takashi leaned back against a concrete pillar, watching his friend with a mixture of amusement and concern. "How much more are you going to eat, Kento?" he asked, his voice echoing in the hollow room. "The way you're going, it's like you've never seen food—or tasted it—before in your life. Slow down, or you'll make yourself sick."
Kento didn't even look up, his mouth full of dried crackers. "Jush shut up," he grumbled, spray of crumbs flying. "Let me eat properly. My body feels like it's been hit by a truck. This Phore stuff takes a lot of fuel."
"Yeah, yeah, eat up," Takashi said, his gaze drifting toward the window. "Who knows when we'll get to eat again. Or where the next meal will even come from."
Sami didn't join the banter. Her eyes were fixed on the sofa. She stood up, her movements graceful but heavy with fatigue, and walked over to where Nitsuki lay. The boy was perfectly still, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm that was far too shallow for her liking. She sat down on the edge of the velvet cushion, gently lifting his head and resting it in her lap.
"Oh, Nitsuki," she whispered, her fingers brushing a stray hair from his forehead. "Don't worry. We're always here for you. Takashi and I will do anything to wake you up. Just... please, don't die on us."
The room grew somber. Takashi watched silently, his heart heavy. He saw the way Sami's hands trembled as she petted Nitsuki's head, a silent vigil against the darkness outside. Even Kento paused for a split second, his jaw slowing its frantic pace. A flicker of frustration crossed Kento's face—perhaps a pang of jealousy or simply a dislike for the heavy emotional atmosphere—but he quickly buried it, returning to his snacks with renewed vigor.
"Logically speaking," Takashi said, breaking the silence, "there's nothing more we can do for him here. We're sitting in a graveyard. We need to leave Tokyo. We need to travel, see if the world is still alive in other places." He paused, his eyes hardening. "And if, by some miracle, we can find a doctor... that's our top priority."
Sami looked up, a glimmer of resolve in her tear-streaked eyes. "Hmm, you're right. We can't stay in the ruins. Let's see what the situation is like in other cities. Maybe someone out there knows how to fix this."
At that moment, a loud crinkle signified the end of Kento's feast. He rummaged through the empty bags, his fingers searching for a stray chip, a single crumb. Finding nothing, he tossed the bags aside with an irritated huff.
"Ah, damn it! I'm still hungry! I want to eat more!" he barked, standing up and stretching his arms until his joints popped.
"Calm down, Kento," Takashi said, standing up and brushing the dust from his trousers. "Come on. Let's travel. We'll hit Shibuya first and move outward. Who knows? We might even find some more delicious food there. Real food. Not just convenience store scraps."
Kento's eyes practically lit up. The frustration vanished, replaced by a singular, obsessive drive. "Really? Better food? Delicious stuff? Ah, let's go right now! What are we waiting for?"
Sami gave Nitsuki's head one final, gentle pat before looking at the boys. "Yeah, guys. Let's go. Shibuya is the first stop."
The preparation was efficient. Takashi stepped behind the sofa, preparing his muscles for the strain. Sami stood beside him, her entire body igniting in that brilliant silver aura. She placed her hands on Nitsuki, and the shimmering silver aura outline appeared around the boy, negating his weight once more.
Takashi hoisted Nitsuki onto his back, but this time, he didn't secure him behind. He shifted the boy to his front, holding him gently but firmly with both hands to ensure his head wouldn't lolling during the high-speed transit. He used a torn strip of his shirt to tie Nitsuki's torso to his own, creating a secure harness.
"Sami, Kento—get on," Takashi commanded.
Sami extended her Phore to herself and Kento. They felt the gravity release them, and they climbed onto Takashi's back, clinging to his shoulders like feathers.
"I'm ready," Takashi grunted, his feet digging into the cracked floorboards.
Kento was practically vibrating with excitement. "Yeah! Let's move!"
"Wait, Kento," Takashi said, his tone turning sharp. "Keep one thing in mind. For now, we avoid the Soul Reapers as much as possible. No unnecessary fights."
"Whyy?" Kento whined. "We can take them!"
"Because Nitsuki is right here," Takashi said, gesturing to the unconscious boy in his arms. "Fighting with a casualty is suicide. Until he wakes up, we stay invisible. Got it?"
Kento looked at Nitsuki, then at his own glowing hands. He let out a frustrated hiss. "Ahh, alright. I won't pick a fight. But if those bastards come to kill us... I'm fighting back."
"No one is going to stop you from defending us," Takashi said with a grim nod.
Sami crept to the door, peeking out into the street. The sun was high in the blue sky, illuminating the devastation. "It's safe for now. Let's go."
Takashi didn't hesitate. He burst through the doorway and onto the street. He charged his Phore, his legs becoming pillars of blue-tinted speed. Within seconds, the office building was a speck in the distance. He moved at a blurring pace, weaving through stalled traffic and around massive craters in the asphalt.
Sami and Kento held on tight. This time, they were prepared for the G-force of the acceleration. As they tore through the outskirts of Tokyo, Kento began to chant, his voice echoing off the shattered skyscrapers.
"FOOD... FOOD... FOOD... FOOOOOOD!"
Takashi couldn't help it; a small, mischievous smile played on his lips. Amidst the end of the world, Kento was still Kento.
They reached Shibuya in record time, but the sight that greeted them was soul-crushing. The famous crossing—once the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world—was a silent graveyard. The massive digital screens that usually blared advertisements were dark and cracked. Several buildings had collapsed entirely, their skeletons of rebar and concrete spilling into the streets like the entrails of a giant.
Takashi slowed his pace, his feet skidding on the glass-covered pavement.
"So, this is Shibuya," Sami whispered, her voice full of grief. "It's even worse than I imagined. The chaos... it's everywhere."
"The Reapers have wreaked havoc all across Japan," Takashi noted, his eyes scanning the rooftops.
Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek tore through the air. Sami pointed upward. "Guys, look! A 4th-grade."
High above the ruins, a single Soul Reaper circled, its jagged wings silhouetted against the blue. Kento's hands immediately began to crackle with blue electricity. He looked at the creature, his teeth gritted. But then, Takashi's warning echoed in his mind. Avoid it. Protect Nitsuki.
Kento forced his hands to go still. "Guys, let's get out of here quickly," he said, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. "If we stay, that thing will see us, and I won't be able to stop myself from killing it."
Takashi felt a flicker of pride. Kento was learning. "Good. Let's move."
He pushed forward, keeping his speed steady but quiet. As they navigated the labyrinth of overturned buses and debris, Sami's eyes caught something moving—something heavy and metallic.
"Hey! Takashi! Look over there!" she shouted, pointing toward a side street. "A military vehicle! It's armored!"
Takashi's head snapped toward the movement. A massive, olive-drab armored transport was rumbling over the rubble about a block away. "Maybe there are survivors... maybe they have a medic!"
"Let's go!" Sami urged.
Takashi didn't just run; he intercepted. He angled his path, his feet kicking up sparks as he sprinted alongside the moving vehicle. It was traveling at nearly sixty miles per hour, but Takashi matched its pace with ease, running right alongside the passenger door.
"Hey! Hello! Is anyone there?!" Takashi roared, his voice competing with the roar of the engine. "HEYYYY!"
Inside the cabin, the soldier in the passenger seat glanced out the side window and nearly jumped out of his skin. He saw a high school student, carrying another boy in his arms and two more people on his back, keeping pace with a military-grade engine on foot.
"Wait, WHAT?!" the soldier screamed. "STOP THE TRUCK! DRIVER, STOP!"
The brakes screeched, tires smoking as the heavy vehicle ground to a halt. Takashi stopped instantly, his breathing barely elevated. Sami and Kento slid off his back, their feet hitting the ground with a soft thud.
The doors of the transport flew open. Two men stepped out—a driver and a senior officer, both clutching rifles, though their aim was shaky from pure shock.
"Wait... wait a minute," the officer stammered, looking at their uniforms. "How are you kids still alive? And how were you running that fast?! That's impossible!"
"It's a long story," Sami said, stepping forward, her hands clasped in a plea. "We can explain later. Please—our friend has been unconscious for hours. He needs help. If there's a doctor, a medic, anyone still alive... please take us to them. I'm begging you."
The officer lowered his rifle, his eyes narrowing as he studied Takashi. "High speed. Multiple passengers. Incredible stamina," he thought. "It has to be."
"By any chance..." the officer asked tentatively, "do you kids have Phore?"
The three teenagers froze. The silence that followed was thick with suspicion.
"How does he know that word?" Takashi wondered, his muscles tensing. "Does the military know about the Soul Apocalypse?"
Kento didn't wait for a polite conversation. "How do you know that word?!" he barked, a blue spark jumping from his knuckle. "Are you part of this? Are you involved with those monsters?"
The officer held up his hands in a universal gesture of peace. "Relax, kid. I'm not your enemy. We've just been briefed."
He leaned against the side of the truck, his expression turning weary. "We picked up a survivor a few days ago. A man who came across the sea from China. He has Phore, just like you. According to him, he gained his power the first time he touched a massive stone that fell in his province. But he told us something else—something incredible."
The teenagers listened, rapt.
"He said that when he touched the stone a second time, a 'System Card' appeared in his mind. Like a digital display. it explained everything—the Soul Apocalypse, the grades of the Reapers, and the nature of Phore. He only had time to read a portion before he was attacked and forced to flee."
"He saw ten stones," the officer continued. "Ten of them fell across the globe in different locations. One of them landed right here in Japan. That's why he fought his way here—to find others who might have changed."
"Ten stones..." Sami whispered, her face pale. "So this isn't just us. It's the whole world."
"Holy shit," Kento muttered. "It's everywhere."
The officer looked at Nitsuki, then back at the kids. "Anyway, we're wasting time. Let's get your friend to a doctor. Get in the back. We're on a schedule."
The officer climbed back into the passenger seat. Takashi, Sami, and Kento moved to the rear of the vehicle. Sami climbed in first, finding two other men already seated in the dim, metallic interior. Kento followed, and finally, Takashi climbed in, carefully laying Nitsuki down on the bench.
Sami immediately pulled Nitsuki's head back into her lap, her hand resting protectively on his chest. "Finally," she breathed. "They're taking us to a doctor. Please, Nitsuki, just hold on."
The engine roared to life, and the heavy vehicle began to lurch forward.
"Where are we actually going?" Takashi asked, looking at the two men across from them. One was slumped over, fast asleep, but the other was wide awake, his eyes sharp and observant.
"We're heading to the underground shelter," the man replied. He had a calm, steady voice. "I'm Nayashiki. Just a survivor, like you."
"Kyoto?" Takashi asked.
"Specifically, an underground fortress beneath Kyoto," Nayashiki explained. "When the government realized the scale of the Soul Reaper emergence in Tokyo, they moved everything. The best doctors, the remaining food supplies, and all the engineers they could find were sent to the Kyoto shelter. They've been working around the clock to reinforce it, making it bigger and better equipped to handle the end of the world."
"A safe place," Sami whispered, a small ray of hope finally piercing through her fear. "Let's just get there safely."
A rhythmic, thunderous sound suddenly filled the cabin. Takashi and Sami turned to see Kento. He had slumped against the metallic wall of the truck, his mouth wide open, snoring so loudly the floorboards vibrated.
"Wow," Takashi said, a dry chuckle escaping his throat. "He fell asleep just like that. He really is... unique."
"Haha, yeah," Sami smiled softly. "A little weird, but that's just Kento. We shouldn't judge him. He's been through a lot today."
The truck rumbled on, leaving the ruins of Tokyo behind. But the peace didn't last. From somewhere deep in the distance, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the air—the unmistakable cry of a Soul Reaper.
Takashi stood up, sliding the rear gate open just an inch. His heart sank.
"We're got company," he whispered.
In the dusty wake of the truck, a 4th-grade Soul Reaper was screaming, its eyes locked onto the heat signature of the military vehicle.