The words came out like a vow, carried by the morning wind that blew across the overpass. No one replied, but they didn't need to. Suzune adjusted her rifle, Ichika kicked at a loose piece of asphalt, and Hana held her stuffed rabbit close. They all understood what Riku meant.
Their home was gone. Whatever was beneath the earth wasn't finished.
Riku looked toward the ruins of Nagano City, a faint plume of smoke still rising where the FamilyMart used to stand. "We move north," he said. "Toward the mountains. There's a chance the tunnels connect there. If we're right, we might find what's causing it."
Ichika frowned. "You're saying that… thing's still alive down there?"
Riku nodded grimly. "Alive, growing, maybe spreading through the old tunnels. If it's moving under us, there's a map somewhere that shows its path."
Suzune adjusted her sling. "We'll check the Disaster Management Office. It should have seismic and geological data."
