"THIRTY-THREE THOUSAND YEN FOR ONE NIGHT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! LIKE HELL I'D ACCEPT THAT!"

Mika's voice thundered through the narrow street, his frustration drew the attention of passersby. The heavyset man, who had just offered him a room at his shabby hotel, raised his hands in defense, clearly taken aback by Mika's outburst.

Souji, standing beside Mika, sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Mika... It's not used. Let's not make a scene... Please?"

The streets of Northern Japan were bustling with life. The once quiet district had been overtaken by a flood of displaced people fleeing from the Southern Regions, all desperately trying to carve out a new existence in their suddenly changing lives. Hotels were fully booked, prices had skyrocketed, and Mika's patience had already reached its breaking point. Yet Souji, ever the optimist wasn't ready to give up, instead looking around for more options.

"There are so many people coming up here from the south... There has to be something affordable. Let's just keep looking, I don't wanna blow all the money dad gave us on one night." Souji's determined voice softened Mika's mood, even if it was just a little. "I'm sure we can find something around here."

With an audible sigh, Mika grumbled under his breath but didn't argue, the young master's orders were absolute and his place first and foremost was Souji's bodyguard, but close second was his butler...

Yet after less than an hour of searching the two marched back in the scorching sun toward the chubby hotel owner who had given an outrageous offer earlier, the two's heads lowered in resignation, and Mika's earlier anger perished, as he reached for his debit card and muttered an apology.

The man, still wary but sensing a profit, smiled politely and had seemed to forget the incident in the blink of an eye as he held out a small hand-held device, where Mika would tape his card on the machine, the transaction beeping in success as he put the card back in his wallet. "Apologies young master, I'm afraid we're left with little money to go spending on pleasantries," Mika states, in a worried tone, trying to soothe Souji.

"It's fine, I don't want to stick around long enough for souvenirs. I just want to find Toru." He states, feeling a sense of heroism in his goal.

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Their room was small and cramped, with two beds pushed to opposite sides of the space, and a small couch that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years lying in front. But it was a bed, and that was all that mattered, at least to Mika, who fell asleep almost instantly, it would seem the heat had gotten to him.

Finding the bed rather uncomfortable, Mika moved to the couch, tossing his backpack aside to make room for a massive sigh of relief. Souji, on the other hand, immediately started jumping on the bed, the springs creaking under the sudden weight. It didn't take long before his head hit the low ceiling with a solid thunk.

"Ow! Dammit!" Souji groaned, clutching his head.

He looked around, expecting to see Mika rushing to his side, panicking and ready to call an ambulance, as he would usually in a situation like this, Souji had even prepared a defensive stance, his fingers in his ears to drown out the scolding for being reckless. But when he turned, Mika was already fast asleep, snoring lightly on the couch.

Souji, pouting, rubbed his head and muttered under his breath, "Some bodyguard you are..."

Annoyed and unable to sleep, Souji flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. The city's neon lights cast flickering shadows across the walls, creating a dull hum that filled the room, and considering the curtains were barely functioning, Souji found sleep continuing to elude him, his mind racing with unanswered questions as the light created an uncomfortable environment. What the hell had happened to Japan? Why had everything fallen apart so quickly? His brother, Toru, was likely out there somewhere, and Souji felt a gnawing sense of urgency to find him. He couldn't afford to wait any longer, and sleeping would be wasted time.

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Hours passed, and Souji grew restless. Quietly slipping out of the bed, he grabbed the key to the room and tiptoed out. The chilly night air hit his face as he soon stepped outside, the crisp wind biting against his skin. He wandered down the street, his mind clouded with thoughts, and his body snug as he held onto the lightweight haori he wore over his long sleeve shirt.

He found himself slumped on a bench, the cold metal biting into his skin. He had no leads, no real answers...

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Then, from the corner of his eye, Souji noticed a familiar figure-the same guard he'd seen earlier, executing that mutant. The man stood tall, with his uniform pristine, despite the dust and dirt of the streets, he was walking with a small escort of similarly dressed soldiers. Without thinking, Souji leaped to his feet and approached the man.

"Yo, what's up, Mr. Soldier?"

The guard stopped, a mix of confusion and amusement crossing his face as he sized Souji up.

"Mr Soldier?" The man's voice was a low, menacing growl as he opposed Souji's words. Who the fuck does this kid think he is? he thought, clearly insulted at the title he had been given.

Ignoring the hospitality, Souji pressed on. "Do you know what's happened with the rest of Japan? Can I go there?"

The soldier raised an eyebrow. He was not used to being questioned so directly. "Who are you?"

"Souji," he said, standing tall. "Hajime Souji."

The man's eyes flickered with recognition, and after a brief pause, he introduced himself. "Enzo Shiori, Cleansing Division Squad Lead."

Souji cocked his head. "Cleansing Division?"

"You've been living under a rock or something, kid?" Enzo asked, growing more annoyed by the second, clearly he had somewhere to be.

"Yeah," Souji said plainly. "Pretty much."

Enzo sighed, shaking his head. "Why do you want to go to Southern Japan so badly? Don't you know it's a death trap down there? What could still be down there for you?"

"My brother's there," Souji replied firmly, his voice steady. "In Fukuoka. I need to find him."

Enzo's face hardened as he leaned closer. "If your brother's in Fukuoka, he's already dead kid. Southern Japan is a total apocalypse." He states as a fellow soldier leans forward in reaction to the harsh words, perhaps considering consoling Souji at the devastating news.

The words hit Souji like a punch to the gut, but he refused to believe them. Toru couldn't be dead. He wouldn't have let that happen. He's too strong, too smart. Souji pushed away the doubt creeping into his mind, remaining positive as he imagined his brother's face, full of confidence. Toru wouldn't have fallen like others may have.

Enzo watched Souji's internal struggle and smirked. "By the way, kid… did you see those hands crawling earlier?"

Souji froze, his mind flashing back to the grotesque sight he'd witnessed earlier. He clenched his fists and forced a smile, realising the dangerous question that had been posed, it was obviously to bait an answer. "What hands?"

Enzo narrowed his eyes, watching Souji's retreating form as the boy hurried back to the hotel. "Yeah right, you saw something, kid…"

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Back at the hotel, Souji threw himself onto the bed, attempting to relax, yet his conversation with Enzo kept playing over in his mind. What was he supposed to do now? Just as he was beginning to drift off, a loud knock came at the door. He groggily pulled himself up and went to answer it, scooting by the snoring Mika where Souji opened the door to their hotel, only to find no one there.

Confused, he initially looked at either side of the hallway, unable to spot a culprit he looked down and noticed a small letter sitting on the floor. Picking it up, he returned to the bed, inspecting the mysterious envelope. He was about to tear it open when Mika suddenly yanked it out of his hands.

"`the hell?" Souji shouted, reaching for the letter, but Mika dangled it over his head, out of reach.

"Dirty tactics," Souji muttered,

"All is fair in war Souji, even using your smaller stature to my advantage."

He quickly snapped back, tearing the letter open Mika began to read the content aloud.

"Free passage to Southern Japan," Mika read, his face scrunched in disbelief. "Meet at Marou Street at 11 PM-midnight."

Souji's heart skipped a beat he had been stalked on his venture out, but... This was it. His chance to get to the South. But Mika wasn't convinced. "No way. This is way too suspicious. It's free of charge, Souji. Nothing's free in this world, it's a trap to prey on tourists or something."

"I don't care," Souji snapped, his voice firm. "We're going."

Mika glared back at him. "We're not equipped for this kind of outing. It's too reckless to be doing this stuff."

"It's an order from the Hajime family," Souji said, standing tall. He knew that would shut Mika up.

Mika's jaw clenched, but he had no choice. "Heh, you learn quick, alright then, fine." He tossed the letter onto the table, ignoring the small text at the bottom on the other side of the letter, "Dispose of evidence."Souji didn't notice it either, as he focused on the one thing that mattered- getting to Southern Japan and finding his brother, it was clear that this was a risk he needed to take.

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