It wasn't a good situation. Yuta knew that. He couldn't consider it a simple game, much less take it lightly as some people might.
In a situation like that, his first priority was his own safety. He followed the girl named Usagi, sharing with her the same goal anyone in their position would have: to ensure their well-being and look for answers. After walking long distances, he noticed that his footwear wasn't ideal for the terrain—just like Usagi's—so he planned to change it as soon as they had the chance.
Up to that point, Yuta had learned a great deal about the situation he was in. There was so much scattered information, hidden beneath the surface, that it was impossible to grasp at a glance. Applying what he knew, he began to evaluate what was safe, likely, and possible in order to interpret the unknown.
Knowledge, he thought, was an endless chain. When coming into contact with uncertainty, one entered the game of deduction. Before arriving in this world wrapped in silence, Yuta had learned to draw conclusions even without solid evidence. That ability, more than a tool, had become his instinct.
He now knew there were no humans… or at least, not nearly as many as before he lost consciousness. Curiously, many things remained exactly as they had been before he awoke from the coma.
If there were people, there had to be answers. If someone had taken a weapon, it meant that this place demanded protection—or at least, the instinct to seek it. However, everything indicated that whoever had entered that gun store had done so a long time ago.
Thinking about it, Yuta understood that the priority was to obtain the three basic resources needed to survive for a few days without hunger. If his premises were correct, his conclusions would be irrefutable: they needed food, supplies, and shelter.
But his mind would not rest. Doubt always haunted him. What if this place was an exact replica of Tokyo before the fireworks? What if all of this was nothing more than an illusion within his mind? Was he dead?
Everything he knew since his awakening—or rather, since Usagi woke him—was part of the same puzzle. Before that, they had both been in the same place, at the same moment. They had awoken at the same time.
Then, why no one else?
The only hypothesis he could come up with was that physical contact with Usagi had caused some kind of connection between them.
However, that was a weak premise. Another possibility was that the place was an experiment controlled by the elites. But why them? What made them worthy of such judgment?
He didn't have enough data. His reasoning, though solid, lacked certainty. That's why he decided not to blindly trust his own logic until he found more information to feed his "database" about that world.
He now had weapons to defend himself and enough clothing to endure if the situation dragged on. In the gun store, he had taken a first aid kit, but what they still lacked was a shelter—a safe, elevated spot from where he could observe without being seen.
After leaving the shop, Yuta and Usagi headed to a survival store. There they could find camping tents, ropes, climbing gloves, and even compasses.
Having those items, even without using them, was vital. In that world, anything could happen. Usagi understood that perfectly. Along the way, she mentioned that she had survival knowledge and knew how to hunt animals.
"We'll take everything we can, even preserved food," Usagi said as she carried a few backpacks.
Meanwhile, a thought gnawed at Yuta.
Did animals even exist in this place? Since they had woken up, they hadn't seen a single bird or rat—nothing that indicated the existence of life beyond themselves.
They were in Tokyo, yes, but… had the same thing happened in the rest of the world?
As Yuta pondered these questions, he spotted the store. It was small, but everything seemed untouched, suggesting that no one had been there—just like the gun shop. Still, he didn't want to take any risks. He gripped the shotgun firmly and approached the entrance cautiously.
"Take only what we need, but keep the weight in mind," Yuta warned in a low voice. "We shouldn't exhaust ourselves in case something unexpected happens."
Usagi nodded silently. Yuta lowered the shotgun and began to scan the shelves. He found some gloves and took them; the grip would be firmer, even if they didn't feel entirely comfortable.
"We'll use these backpacks," Usagi said, approaching with two large, durable bags, and explained, "They're bigger than the ones we have."
Yuta began packing the clothes he had picked up earlier in a sports store. Then he added ropes, knives, and ammunition. Usagi, on the other hand, gathered water bottles, purifiers, headlamps, matches, and multi-purpose tools.
In a short time, they had both prepared two large backpacks with tents and all the essentials to survive.
They didn't want to have to go out searching again.
Yuta slung the rifle over his back and held the shotgun in his hands. Usagi, after being convinced to carry a weapon herself, also held a shotgun.
Just as she was tightening the straps of her backpack, Yuta caught something in the corner of his eye.
A shadow.
Yuta turned sharply, raising the shotgun and aiming at the entrance.
"Don't move a single inch!" Yuta shouted in a cold voice.
Usagi turned around, startled.
At the threshold of the store, a man in a black suit stood still, silently watching them.