Shizo tensed instantly.
— W-what the…?!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air.
He dropped to the floor before he even realized it, his body reacting on pure instinct. His chest slammed against the cold wooden boards as his heart began to pound wildly, each beat louder than the last.
— That was… close…
Too close.
For a moment he didn't move. Just listened.
Silence… no—something was wrong. The air itself felt tense, like it was waiting for something to happen.
Slowly, he crawled toward the window, every movement careful, controlled. He held his breath and raised his head just enough to see outside.
And then—
He froze.
A man stood in the street.
Engulfed in flames.
Not screaming.
Not moving.
Not even flinching.
The fire wasn't burning him.
It was… obeying him.
Shizo's eyes widened.
— He's… controlling it?..
The flames twisted like living limbs, coiling around the man's body, responding to the slightest motion. They pulsed, breathed, shifted—like they were alive.
— Is this… like me?..
A chill ran through Shizo.
He pulled back from the window sharply.
— No… wait… calm down…
His hands trembled slightly as he clenched them into fists.
— My power… my uncle's… and now this guy…
The pieces began to connect, whether he wanted them to or not.
— Do we… come from the same source?..
Silence answered him.
Then—
A short, shaky laugh escaped his lips.
— Hah… so I'm not alone…
For a brief second, his shoulders loosened.
Relief.
Dangerous, fragile relief.
He looked outside again—
— …Where is he?..
Gone.
No flames. No figure.
Just empty streets.
Too empty.
A sharp unease tightened in his chest.
And then—
— SHIZO!!!
The voice exploded through the air, filled with pure, unfiltered rage.
— I'LL FIND YOU… AND I'LL KILL YOU WITHOUT HESITATION!!!
Shizo's body went rigid.
Cold crept down his spine.
— …He knows my name…
That wasn't coincidence.
That wasn't luck.
That was a hunt.
He slowly stepped away from the window, his mind racing.
— This is bad… really bad…
He sank to the floor, gripping his hair.
— I can't deal with people right now… not like this…
Not when something inside him was still boiling, still unstable, ready to snap at any moment.
His eyes shifted toward the other room.
The bodies.
The smell.
The silence.
His expression twisted.
— …I can't stay here.
The walls felt tighter.
The air heavier.
Every second here pressed down on him harder.
— No. Enough.
He stood up abruptly.
— I'm leaving.
No hesitation this time.
He moved to the window again.
Houses.
Empty streets.
And in the distance—
— A mountain…
Calm. Distant. Untouched.
Far from all of this.
— If I take supplies… I can survive there…
At least for a while.
He narrowed his eyes.
— It's safer than here.
After a brief pause, he nodded.
Decision made.
He turned and headed to Seirito's room, opening the closet and quickly scanning through the clothes.
— This'll work…
He changed into something plain, something that wouldn't draw attention, then pulled a hat low over his face.
— Don't stand out… don't get noticed…
He stepped outside.
Stopped.
Listened.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No voices.
— Good…
He moved quickly toward a nearby store, keeping his head down, scanning every corner.
When he reached it—
He froze.
— …You've got to be kidding me…
The store was burning.
Flames devoured the entrance, thick smoke pouring into the sky.
— Damn it…
He clenched his jaw.
Time was running out.
— Fine… I'll find another one.
He turned and ran.
The wind hit his face hard, his breathing growing uneven.
— Faster… I don't have time…
Finally—
— There!
Another store.
The door slightly open.
Too open.
He slowed down.
Listened.
Nothing.
He slipped inside.
— …No one?
Silence.
Unnatural silence.
— Good…
Still, he didn't relax.
He moved quickly through the aisles, grabbing what he needed.
Canned food.
Water.
Anything that would last.
His hands moved fast, but his eyes kept scanning, checking shadows, corners, reflections.
— This should be enough…
He stepped outside again.
And then—
— Oh…
A bicycle lay abandoned near the road.
He stared at it for a second.
— Lucky…
He got on.
— This'll save time.
He lowered his hat further.
— No one sees my face…
He pushed off.
The city began to fall behind him.
— From now on… I'm on my own…
The wind grew stronger.
The silence deeper.
— Let's see… if I can survive…
He rode without looking back—
…but something inside him tightened.
Wrong.
He slammed the brakes and turned.
And his heart dropped.
Behind him—
Black shapes tore through the ground.
Hands—
No.
Tentacles.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
They burst from the earth, writhing violently, smashing through buildings, tearing walls apart like paper.
The ground shook beneath them.
— …Are they… looking for me?..
His voice barely came out.
They weren't just destroying.
They were searching.
Systematically.
Relentlessly.
For him.
Cold fear gripped his chest.
— Damn it…
He gripped the handlebars tighter and pushed forward.
The forest swallowed him quickly.
The path turned rough—rocks, roots, uneven ground.
The bike shook violently beneath him.
— Not now… don't fall… don't fall now…
One mistake—
and it was over.
Suddenly—
He slammed the brakes.
A cabin.
Standing alone near the edge of a cliff.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
He breathed heavily.
— …Perfect…
If no one's here…
He got off the bike and pushed it forward.
Ten meters.
Nine.
Eight—
He stopped.
— …Who's there?
Something moved between the trees.
His body tensed instantly.
One step forward.
Then another.
And then—
— …A kid?
A boy.
Around ten.
A bicycle лежал рядом, брошенный на землю.
Shizo frowned.
Not just lost.
Something was wrong.
The boy's breathing was uneven.
His eyes—
terrified.
And then—
— HELP ME!!!
His voice broke into a scream.
Raw.
Desperate.
Like something was right behind him.