Chapter 45: Tokyo in Ruins
Tokyo.
The once-bustling metropolis was now a landscape of rubble and ruin. Three days had passed since the global "Purification" event began. Three days was all it took to turn a world-class city into a projection of hell.
The streets, once choked with traffic, were now blocked by the twisted, burnt-out husks of cars. The vibrant neon lights had been replaced by the flickering, malevolent glow of burning buildings. The air was thick with smoke and ash that clawed at the throat. The Kudo mansion, with all its memories, had been reduced to dust.
A small, ragged group of survivors picked their way through the apocalyptic scenery.
Kogoro Mouri was at the front, his usual suit torn and filthy. The lazy, bumbling look in his eyes was gone, replaced by a weary, heavy vigilance. He unconsciously pressed a hand to his chest, where his amber Soul Gem, now dim and more than half-filled with a dark corruption, lay hidden. The constant battles, the frequent use of his "Eye of Truth" to scout for danger, were draining his magic at an unprecedented rate, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.
Ran was right behind him, supporting a nearly-collapsed Dr. Agasa. Her own face was a mask of grim determination, but a deep, unshakable weariness was evident in her eyes. Sonoko, pale and trembling, clung to her arm. Conan darted between the rubble, his small body a flurry of motion as he scanned their surroundings. Masumi Sera flanked the group, her posture tense and alert. Haibara walked with her head down, her expression hidden, but her clenched fists and the slight tremor in her shoulders spoke of a silent, ongoing agony. The sacrifice of Mitsuhiko was a poisoned shard of glass in her soul.
Akemi Miyano did her best to comfort the terrified Ayumi and Genta, though her own face was etched with fear. A few of the independent magical girls and a handful of civilians they had picked up along the way followed, their faces blank with shock and despair.
Occasionally, they would see the shimmering, distorted edge of a Witch's Labyrinth in the distance, or the grotesque shadow of a familiar flitting through the ruins. Each encounter was a fresh wave of oppressive dread.
Suddenly, they heard a frantic shout. "SONOKO! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
It was Makoto Kyogoku's voice.
Sonoko's head snapped up. "Makoto?!"
Kogoro immediately signaled for everyone to take cover. Conan scouted ahead. A moment later, a powerful figure burst out of the wreckage of a collapsed department store. It was Makoto, his clothes torn, his body bruised, but his aura as formidable as ever.
"Makoto! I'm here!" Sonoko cried out, scrambling to her feet and waving.
His eyes, which had been scanning the ruins with a desperate intensity, locked onto her. The fear in them was instantly replaced by a wave of overwhelming relief. He closed the distance between them in a few long strides and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank god... you're okay... I've been looking for you everywhere..."
Safe in his arms, the terror and grief of the past few days finally broke through Sonoko's carefully constructed brave face, and she began to sob uncontrollably. "Makoto! It was so scary! So, so scary! I thought I'd never see you again..."
Makoto held her tight, his gaze sweeping over the rest of the group. "I've been fighting my way through the city," he said to Kogoro. "I've run into... those things... several times. What in the world is happening?"
Just then, a crackling, static-filled voice came from a modified radio in Dr. Agasa's bag.
"...ksssh...calling all surviving units... Tokyo... over forty percent of the city is now... ksssh... 'contaminated territory'... and expanding... repeat, and expanding..."
"...Self-Defense Force... lines have collapsed... unable to effectively contain... 'targets'..."
"...Military... special units... heavy casualties... severely undermanned... requesting backup... any... any surviving combatants with counter-measure capabilities... proceed immediately to... Designated Shelter Three... coordinates..."
The signal died, leaving only static.
The news was a lead weight in their stomachs. The Witch Labyrinths were spreading like a plague. The conventional military was useless, and even their own magical girl units had been decimated.
"Designated Shelter Three," Kogoro said, his voice grim. "That's where we're headed. Let's move."
An hour later, they arrived. It was a temporary shelter, deep within a subterranean transit hub. A few shell-shocked soldiers guarded the entrance. Inside, the vast space was crammed with people, the air thick with the smell of sweat, disinfectant, and fear.
"Shu-nii!" Sera's eyes lit up as she spotted her brother, Shuichi Akai, leaning against a wall with their mother, Mary, and other brother, Shukichi Haneda.
Conan also saw a few familiar faces huddled together—Tooru Amuro, Inspector Megure, Takagi, and Sato. In this new world, old rivalries and jurisdictions seemed to have been washed away by the tide of blood and chaos.
The sight of all these powerful figures gathered in one place only served to deepen Ran's anxiety. If even they were forced to hide down here, how bad was it, really, on the surface?
Conan scanned the crowded, oppressive space. His eyes were drawn to a quiet family dispute in the corner—an old woman arguing with a middle-aged couple over a sleeping space, their petty grievances a surreal counterpoint to the end of the world unfolding around them.