The trio trudged through the desolate streets of Tokyo, the weight of their recent battle hanging heavy on their shoulders. Mika walked close to Souji, his hands fussing over every inch of Souji's body, making sure he had no serious injuries. His brow furrowed with concern as he wiped dirt and blood from Souji's face, brushing off his tattered clothes.

"Hold still," Mika muttered, his voice uncharacteristically gentle as he scrubbed at a smudge on Souji's cheek. "You got banged up pretty bad back there."

"I'm fine, Mika," Souji sighed, smiling through the exhaustion. He knew Mika meant well, but his friend's constant hovering felt like an overreaction. "You don't need to baby me. We won, didn't we?"

Mika paused, his gaze softening as he examined Souji's face. "You push yourself too hard. Just like your brother."

At the mention of his brother, Souji's expression shifted, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. He wanted to live up to Toru's legacy, to be the hero who protected those in need, but it wasn't always easy. Especially not now, when the world had gone mad with sorcery and death.

Behind them, Fushi walked in silence, his mind far removed from their banter. His thoughts circled back to the sorcerer, to the strange encounter that left him marked in ways his companions couldn't see. He could still feel the icy grip of the man's hand on his wrist, the weight of the mysterious disc in his pocket.

"You'll know when the time is right…"

The sorcerer's words echoed in his head, a constant reminder of the decision he would soon have to make. Betray Souji? Deliver him to that monstrous man? Fushi's stomach churned at the thought. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that clung to him, but he buried it deep, masking it with a forced indifference.

The group approached Akatsuki Port, the site of their earlier battle with the pirates. The place was a wreck—burned ships, splintered docks, and the stench of smoke still lingered in the air. Their victory felt hollow in the wake of all the destruction.

As they reached the ruined docks, Souji collapsed onto an overturned crate, wiping sweat from his brow. His numbing flames had drained him, leaving him physically and mentally spent. His fists were still tingling, the aftereffects of his sorcery making his hands feel like they belonged to someone else.

"I could use a nap," Souji muttered with a weary grin, but Mika was quick to cut him off.

"No rest until you're patched up properly," Mika said sternly, rummaging through his pack for medical supplies. His hands trembled slightly, the exhaustion catching up to him, but his eyes remained sharp, focused on Souji's well-being.

Fushi, standing off to the side, let out a small sigh of relief. He was glad to be back, but the gnawing feeling in his gut was not escaping. As they regrouped, his eyes wandered, taking in the wreckage around them. That's when he spotted a crumpled piece of paper lying on the ground near the charred remains of a pirate's jacket.

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"Hey," Fushi called out, drawing the attention of the others as he bent down to retrieve it. "Look at this."

Souji and Mika turned their heads as Fushi unfolded the paper, revealing what appeared to be a map. It was crudely drawn, but there was no mistaking the detailed instructions written on it.

"What is it?" Souji asked, moving closer to examine the document.

Fushi's voice was low as he read aloud, "It's instructions… for extracting skulls from the dead. It says to bring them to a location marked here by tomorrow."

Mika stiffened, a disgusted frown crossing his face. "Skulls? What kind of sick—"

"Wait," Souji interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he studied the map more closely. "This symbol… I've seen it before." He pointed to a strange insignia etched into the corner of the map. "This is the Tokyo Skytree symbol, it's an attraction around here, isn't it? Is this the location of their stronghold?"

Fushi's heart skipped a beat.

As the gravity of their discovery sank in, Fushi's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, the screen flashing with a low battery warning before it died in his hand.

"No!" Fushi shouted, he shook his phone violently, trying desperately to get it back before promptly giving up, and pocketing the dead device. "Stupid phone!" He said angrily.

Souji was undeterred. "Damn, we could've used that for finding where the Skytree is. I know that it's around here, but I've never been in Tokyo until now, I can't tell which direction we should go."

"I…"

Fushi hesitated, his mind racing. He could lead them there, yes. But what would happen once they arrived? The disc in his pocket felt like a burning weight, a reminder of the terrible decision he would have to make.

"Yeah, I know how to get there, I used to live in Tokyo for a bit," Fushi replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "I can lead the way."

Mika glanced at Souji, his eyes filled with admiration. "You're going to take this fight to their base? By the sounds of the letter, these guys were just goons fulfilling a mission, and the one I took down was extremely weak, it could've just been the effects of their cloning sorcery, but there's no way that thing could've been a sorcerer in my opinion, I'd put my bets on the real sorcerer being at the sky tree here…"

Mika glanced at Souji, his eyes filled with determination as he began to think about the plan,

"Souji… You're willing to put yourself in danger again… just to stop him?"

Souji smiled, the exhaustion slipping from his face for a moment. "Of course. If we don't stop him, who will?"

Mika's gaze softened. He saw so much of Toru in Souji—the same courage, the same determination to protect the weak. It was hard not to admire him, and even harder to protest.

As they gathered their supplies and prepared to leave the ruined port, Fushi hung back, lost in his thoughts. How can I betray Souji? The question gnawed at him, more painful than anything he had felt before. Souji was willing to risk his life to fight this sorcerer, and here Fushi was, contemplating handing him over to the enemy.

The group set off, with Fushi leading them through the shattered remains of the city. The streets were desolate, filled with abandoned cars and the remnants of a world long lost to chaos. As they navigated through Tokyo's ruined heart, Fushi's mind remained torn between his loyalty to his friends and the ominous task that awaited him.

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Hours later, they arrived at their destination.

The Tokyo Skytree loomed above them, a towering structure that had once symbolized the future of the city, now a decaying monument of death. The park surrounding it was eerily silent, the trees long dead, their twisted branches like skeletal arms reaching toward the sky. Strung along the gates to the station were bodies, their skulls missing—grim trophies left behind by the sorcerer's followers.

"This is it," Souji said, his voice quiet as they took in the horrific scene. "The sorcerer's stronghold."

The map had led them here, to this eerie place. The instructions had been clear—the skulls of the dead were being brought here to fuel something dark and dangerous. And now, at the top of the Tokyo Skytree, the sorcerer likely waited, wielding a power born from death.

Fushi stared up at the looming structure, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the disc in his pocket like a lead weight. When the time is right… The sorcerer's words echoed in his mind, and for the first time, Fushi wondered if he would ever have the strength to defy him.

With Souji and Mika at his side, Fushi stood on the precipice of a choice that would change everything.