Bab 11: TOKYO IN RUINS
"We are finally out of this wretched forest" after hours went by while skimming through the Okutama forest and avoiding Kaijus as much as they can, Ashiro and the group stepped out of the dense forest, the last of the trees giving way to an open view of Tokyo—or what was left of it. The city sprawled out before them, but instead of towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, there were only ruins and remnants of what had once been. Buildings lay in crumbled heaps, streets buckled and cracked, as though the city itself had been clawed and torn apart by something monstrous.
Twisted tendrils, dark and pulsating with an eerie, unnatural glow, snaked through every part of the cityscape. They wrapped around broken buildings, punctured the concrete, and wove around street lamps and abandoned cars, claiming every corner of the ruins. The tendrils pulsed rhythmically, giving the desolate city a disturbingly alive feel, as if it were breathing—or perhaps waiting.
"This place is…" Suguru murmured, his voice trailing off as he stared at the surreal scene before them. "This is Tokyo" Lady Naga promptly responded with alertness in her eyes as her response shocked everyone there including Ashiro
"It's like the city's been…infected," Hanabi muttered, her usual stern expression softened with a mix of disbelief and sorrow. She gripped her strange weapon tighter, as if by instinct.
Lady Naga stepped forward, her gaze calm but resolute. "This is what's left of Tokyo—a place once filled with life, now twisted into something else entirely." She let the words hang, letting the weight of their reality settle on them.
Ashiro took a step forward, his eyes scanning the haunting landscape. For the first time, he felt the true scale of the devastation the Kaiju invasion had brought. What he was looking at wasn't just a ruined city; it was a reminder of what humanity had lost. Ever since he got the ability to have memories, all he knew was that he has been in that cabin with Fernando right after childbirth. So seeing the devastation the Kaiju brought upon the world for the first time sent a chill down his spine.
"I want you guys to move very carefully and quietly till we get a vehicle that will take us back to Yokohama. Who knows what lies in this city" Lady Naga suddenly commanded in a stern yet low voice. Obviously getting the gravity of why Lady Naga gave them such instructions, Hanabi and the others gave a nod of affirmation. As for Ashiro, he has been in dangerous situation with Fernando quite a few times so he knows when to be vigilant and on guard even as young as he is.
Once she has been convinced that they have gotten her message, she quickly nod her head in satisfaction before she muttered. "Good, now let's go"
And so, Ashiro and the group moved cautiously, their steps slow and calculated as they wound through the desolate streets of Tokyo. Each sound, whether the distant creak of metal or the eerie hum of the tendrils pulsing through the ruins, had them on edge. Hanabi led the way, eyes darting left and right, her weapon held firmly, ready to strike. Kyoto and Suguru flanked her, while Lady Naga and Kaguya stayed close to Ashiro, keeping him within their protective circle.
"Stay sharp," Lady Naga whispered, her voice barely audible over the haunting silence. "We need to find a vehicle fast if we're going to make it to Yokohama by nightfall."
Ashiro nodded, trying to calm his breathing. Despite his nerves, he scanned the crumbling streets, hoping to spot something they could use. An abandoned truck, a rusting car—anything that could get them out of this place.
Just as they rounded a corner near an old convenience store, a faint shuffling sound reached their ears. Lady Naga stopped in her tracks, signaling the others with a sharp hand gesture. From the shadows of the surrounding debris, figures began to emerge, each one cloaked in ragged clothing, their faces hidden behind scavenged masks and goggles. Weapons, makeshift and scavenged, gleamed in their hands.
"Scavengers," Suguru hissed, instinctively raising his crossbow, his finger hovering over the trigger.
The group was completely surrounded now, their escape routes cut off by the ragtag band that seemed to have come from nowhere. The scavengers eyed them with a mixture of curiosity and hostility, assessing the newcomers.
One of the scavengers, a tall, muscular man with a jagged scar running across his cheek, stepped forward as he has an aura of someone who is in charge. He tilted his head, eyeing the group with a predatory grin. "Well, well, what do we have here? Strangers wandering into our territory?" His voice was gruff, each word dripping with malice.
Lady Naga held her ground, her gaze steely as she took a step forward. "We're just passing through," she said calmly. "We don't want any trouble."
The scarred man chuckled darkly. "Passing through? Nobody just 'passes through' anymore. Not without leaving something behind." He gestured to his crew, who tightened their grip on their weapons, inching closer as they eyed the weapons Hanabi and the others wielded in greed.
Kyoto clenched his fists, glancing nervously between the scavengers and his own group. Ashiro swallowed, feeling his pulse quicken as he realized they were vastly outnumbered.
Hanabi's fingers flexed around her weapon, her jaw set. She gave a subtle nod to the others, signaling them to be ready for a fight if it came to that.
"Look," Lady Naga continued, her voice as calm as ice. "Let us through, and we'll make it worth your while. No need for bloodshed."
The scavenger leader's grin only widened. "I like things the hard way," he sneered, raising his weapon as he planned on signaling the scavengers at any second. "Well you asked for this" Lady Naga sighed in helplessness before she said in a nonchalant tone.
"Wipe them out"
And in a flash, Hanabi, Suguru, Kyoto, and Kaguya stepped forward, unleashing the full might of their advanced weaponry. Hanabi's cannon flared with a blinding light as it vaporized the closest scavengers, leaving only smoldering shadows on the ground. Suguru's crossbow fired off bolts that ignited upon impact, searing through flesh and bone, reducing his targets to charred remnants.
Kyoto lunged into the fray, his blade crackling with energy as it sliced through scavenger after scavengers, leaving trails of ash where bodies had once been. Kaguya wielded her massive shield with brutal precision, crushing skulls and breaking bones, each strike resounding with sickening crunches that echoed through the streets.
"What... Is this?"
The scarred leader looked on in horror, his confidence shattered as his man fell around him in gory heaps. He turned to flee, but Hanabi locked her cannon on him, her gaze cold and merciless as she muttered, "where do you think you are going?". And in a millisecond, she fired, the blast obliterating him in a fiery burst, leaving nothing behind but scorched crater.
In seconds, the street fell silent, save for the sizzling remains left in the wake of the massacre. 'Woah...' Ashiro thought in awestruck for what he just witnessed, especially Hanabi who wielded the cannon so lightly but looks so heavy. Of cause, Lady Naga noticed the look on Ashiro's face which made her have a faint smirk on her face.
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