Into Tokyo, On The Way To Kazuichi Stronghold

With multiple events simultaneously happening in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Kazuichi and his group decided to leave for now and regroup for what was about to come later on.

Right now, although they were relatively aware of what was going on, (specifically the bad blood between the three Yamanashi Strongholds) Kazuichi knew that they couldn't just go in without a plan.

Not only would that be incredibly risky, but it might also endanger the newly formed stronghold under his name.

He may not have ties with the Kazuichi Stronghold right now, but it was named after him. Of course, it would fall under preying eyes if he were to take action without thinking twice.

As for Hinokami, he knew that Kazuichi made the right decision. It was totally the opposite of how he acted and it struck a chord in his heart. Not only was Kazuichi pretty self-composed and didn't make any rash decisions, but he also was resolute about his decision.

That unwavering will was what made Hinokami realize how unfit he was to be a stronghold leader. Technically, Kazuichi wasn't a stronghold leader at the moment, but his essential qualities already screamed of one.

"What are you going to do now?" Kazuichi asked out of nowhere as he stole a glance towards Hinokami who sheepishly followed behind him.

Thanks to first aid and the speedy regeneration of Hybrids, Hinokami was able to heal with the help of Kazuichi and his group. If it weren't for them, he'd have died a slow and painful death as he got defenselessly slaughtered by zombies and Hybrids alike. Just thinking about it made him shiver.

"Me? What I'm going to do?" Hinokami asked, pressing his index finger at the center of his chest. He didn't understand the question— that's why he repeated it.

"Yes, you're not a stronghold leader anymore, right And you lost your only home. What's your plan after this?" Kazuichi asked.

In hindsight, Hinokami lost the only place he could return to. Even if they were to reclaim the North Yamanashi Stronghold, there was no way the people would welcome him back with open arms.

When it came down to it, it was his fault that the North Yamanashi Stronghold had fallen. The people couldn't even blame the intruders since they sought the opportune moment to destroy the stronghold. It all boiled down to how incapable Hinokami was as a stronghold leader.

"I guess… I'm going to ensure the safety of the survivors… and then I would look for a shelter that would welcome me. If you need anything in your stronghold, please allow me to assist you." Hinokami asked for a favor as he bowed his head down, lower than his hips.

"Are you listening to yourself right now?" Ayaka asked with an obviously pissed expression on her face.

"You do remember what you did back then, right?" Ayaka asked, recounting the crimes he committed way back when the auction was held.

A dejected expression appeared on Hinokami's face as he let out a long exhale. He clearly remembered what he had done back then. And honestly, Ayaka's reaction was normal.

It was Kazuichi who was the weird one since he offered to welcome Hinokami while the incident with the strongholds was taking place.

if it were any other person, Hinokami would have easily succeeded in getting rid of him or her. He would go through humiliating that person and then have his underlings gang up on him or her before eliminating that person from this life.

It was a method that worked all the time. And actually, Hinokami couldn't even remember how many Hybrids or innocent people he killed just because he was humiliated or offended by them.

And now, those evil deeds had gone full circle, returning back to him tenfold and there was no way out of it.

His reputation was bad enough as it is. And now that he didn't have his stronghold as his safe haven anymore, the only thing he could do is bow his head in hopes that he would be able to atone for all the sins he committed.

"Then… just assign me anything, Kazuichi. I'll gladly do anything and help your stronghold thrive. I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to l repeat them and have another curse placed on me." Hinokami said.

"Also… about what happened back then… I'm really sorry. I know that what I've done is unforgivable. You can choose to discard me and not forgive me for as long as you live… but at the very least, the residents of the North Yamanashi Stronghold were innocent. Let the heavens punish me, but not them who didn't do anything wrong."

Everyone in the group could fee the sincerity in his words. They were inclined to nod, but that didn't mean that they had forgiven him.

He had endangered the lives of innocent people when he attacked that shelter. Now that he experienced the same thing, there was a good chance that he had learned his lesson, but that didn't justify what he did back then.

"We'll see when we get there. For now, let's prioritize getting to the Stronghold without running into life-threatening dangers." Kazuichi said.

And with that, the group had entered Tokyo. From a distance, Kazuichi saw the familiar sight of the city's ruins. The outskirts didn't suffer as much, but a couple hundred meters in front of them was the polar opposite of the outskirts' status.

"We're heading in." Kazuichi announced.

Everyone gulped as they crossed the territory. The moment they did so, it felt like the air in their surroundings had changed.

Tokyo felt more ominous than the previous prefectures, and it sent chills up and down their spine.

From a distance a black figure darted from one building to the other. Kazuichi and the others didn't notice him since he was too far away.

"They're here" The man said as he picked up the pace. Now that he had seen Kazuichi and the grouo enter Tokyo it was time for him to inform everyone in their stronghold.