57~ Survival has No Merci

Amid the rubble, the collapsed buildings, and the bodies scattered everywhere, silence hung over the city.

Amid all that destruction, someone walked steadily forward, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

Meanwhile, words echoed inside his head.

"The only way to survive in this cruel world... is to become incredibly strong..."

"Strong enough that your very existence becomes a threat to everyone..."

He continued walking before speaking again in a cold voice.

"There is no mercy left in this world. Let a single enemy survive, and one day they'll return for revenge. No opponent can be allowed to live... They must all die."

Silence lingered for a moment before he spoke again.

"Either you change... or everything will happen all over again."

It was Wail.

His expression was so cold and ruthless that it was almost frightening. He wore a brown cloak that concealed his entire body except for his face. A prominent scar covered one of his eyes, the left one he had lost in his last battle.

Suddenly, he heard something approaching at high speed.

Wail immediately turned around.

A man was running toward him, but his eyes bore a strange red pattern.

The moment the man drew close, Wail's eye glowed blue.

Thunder roared through the area.

Wail continued walking without looking back, leaving the man lying unconscious on the ground.

---

After walking for some time, Wail stopped in front of a shop.

The place was dark, and not a sound came from inside.

Then he heard something.

He quietly opened the door and stepped inside.

Bloodstains and corpses littered the entire place.

Wail walked between the shelves, silently examining his surroundings, until he noticed a shadow at the far end.

He approached slowly as electricity began to coil around his hand.

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When he reached the spot...

He stopped.

There was no one there.

It was nothing more than a mannequin used to display clothes.

Wail stared at it for a moment before speaking.

"What the hell? This feels like something out of a horror movie..."

He turned around and left the shop.

A few moments later, a girl emerged from behind one of the shelves.

She had been watching Wail ever since he entered. Once she was certain he had left, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew... What was that?"

She stood up and resumed searching through the food shelves, muttering to herself.

"I couldn't tell whether he was a normal person or not... But at least he's gone."

"What are you doing?"

The girl froze.

She spun around.

"W-Who are you?!"

Wail was standing behind her.

In a cold voice, he asked, "You were here the whole time. Why did you hide?"

The girl hesitated before answering.

"I thought you were like them... But I was wrong."

Before Wail could say anything else, he heard footsteps approaching from outside.

He immediately looked toward the door.

"Shhh... Don't make a sound."

He moved closer to the girl, and the two remained silent.

Someone stopped outside the shop.

Wail's fingers stiffened, ready to launch an attack at any moment, but he remained still.

After a few moments, the footsteps began to recede.

Wail waited a little longer before speaking.

"Good... They're gone."

He looked at the girl.

"Are you alone?"

The girl lowered her head sadly.

"Yes... I lost my family through all of this. I'm all that's left..."

Silence lingered for a moment.

Wail spoke in a slightly gentler tone.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss... But that doesn't mean you should wander around alone. This place is dangerous."

The girl picked up a bag filled with cans of food.

"I come out every now and then to look for supplies... I have no other choice."

Wail studied her for a moment, then sighed.

"Come with me. I'll get you out of the city. There's a safe place."

The girl raised her head in astonishment.

"Really?!"

"But you have to stay close to me. Don't you dare wander off."

The girl quickly nodded.

Meanwhile, Wail thought to himself:

"Damn it... I wish I'd never come here."

---

Somewhere Else...

Screams filled the area as people fell one after another.

Red-eyed individuals were attacking a lone figure, but he effortlessly fought them off, knocking them unconscious.

Finally, a brilliant yellow light illuminated the area, and everyone collapsed to the ground.

Elyes appeared, throwing the last of his opponents away before shaking the blood from his hands.

"Damn it... Keeping them alive is harder than I expected."

He raised his head and looked at the sky, where clouds partially obscured the heavens.

"It's going to rain... Looks like I'd better head back."

He then glanced at the bodies scattered around him.

Silence fell for a few moments.

"Three years of searching, and I still haven't found a single thing..."

He clenched his fist and spoke with growing frustration.

"Where are you hiding, you cowards...?"

Then he vanished in a flash of light.

---

Back to Wail...

He walked along the main road, with the girl following behind him.

He inspected every car they passed, then continued walking without stopping.

"Damn it... Why are all the cars here in such terrible condition?"

He glanced at the girl.

"Should I just reveal my power and fly her out of here? It's not like she'll ever see me again after this."

The girl looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

Wail answered, "Stay close to me."

She hurried toward him until she was walking beside him.

After a while, she broke the silence.

"By the way... What's your name?"

Wail didn't answer at first.

A few moments later, he sighed.

"Wail."

The girl smiled faintly.

"And you're not going to ask for my name?"

He remained silent.

Her expression fell, and she answered with disappointment.

"Dua."

Wail glanced at her.

"That's a nice name."

They continued walking.

After a while, Wail finally found a car that seemed to be in working condition.

He raised his hand.

"Finally."

They got inside, and he drove off.

Wail tried turning on the radio, but it wouldn't work.

Dua, meanwhile, sat silently, staring out the window.

After some time, she turned toward him and asked,

"Is it far?"

"About three hours," Wail answered without looking at her.

Dua continued studying his expression, which hadn't changed since the moment she had met him.

Then she asked,

"Wail... Have you always been like this?"

He answered immediately, his voice cold.

"I don't want to talk about it... Please."

Dua looked at him in surprise.

"Wait, but I haven't even finished what I was saying..."

Wail interrupted her.

"I know what you're going to say."

He turned his attention back to the road.

"I just... know."

Wail tightened his grip on the steering wheel, as though her words had stirred something inside him that he didn't want to confront.

They approached the city's exit.

The road was completely deserted.

Suddenly...

Wail's eyes widened.

He raised his gaze toward the horizon.

Someone was standing amid the destruction.

His entire body glowed red.

Then a wide, sinister smile spread across his face, and a strange red pattern appeared in his eyes...