"Tap," Shawn stepped out and stood on the edge of the cliff, then looked down. The atmosphere of Atritopia City, which should have been bustling, was now eerily quiet with many burnt cars and smoke billowing among the tall buildings that looked like a concrete jungle. He also saw a lot of machine zombies shuffling aimlessly in the streets. Shawn looked up. He saw many cables moving around a metal sphere, like a spaceship, in the sky.
"Hmm... what exactly is that metal sphere? A machine? Or a ship?" Shawn wondered.
"I don't know either. But if you want to destroy it, I can do it, but first I'd need a ton of souls to pull that off," Greed answered.
"Yeah, after you swallow a lot of souls, we'll destroy that sphere. I'll settle the score with whatever is inside that sphere for killing my friends and Naomi. Even if I have to destroy the world to destroy that thing, I don't care," Shawn replied.
"Hmm... you don't seem to care about this world, do you?" Greed asked.
"Huh... why should I care about this world? I only care about myself and the people around me," Shawn answered, staring at the shiny black metal sphere in the sky.
"Haha... good. That's why I feel compatible with you. I like your style," Greed replied.
"Come on, Greed. Let's find some survivors. I need food. My stomach is growling," Shawn replied.
"Okay, let's go," Greed replied.
Without hesitation, Shawn jumped down, an action that previously would have required an elevator. "Boom," Shawn landed easily on the snow. Then he immediately walked toward the city, collecting the souls of the machine zombies he passed and giving them to Greed. Shawn looked over at the empty buildings, the smashed shops, the fallen traffic signs, and the overturned cars on the side of the road, engulfed in flames.
"Greed," Shawn called.
"Yeah?" Greed asked.
"Earlier you said you had six siblings, right? Are they all in this city?" Shawn asked.
"Hmm... I only sense them vaguely, but it looks like they're not just in this city; they're scattered all over the world," Greed answered.
"I see. Alright," Shawn replied.
"Maybe if I swallow more souls, I can pinpoint where they are. Why do you ask? Do you want to find them?" Greed asked.
"If possible, yeah... I don't want to be attacked. I want to be the one attacking. Besides, if they can be convinced to cooperate, wouldn't that be beneficial for us?" Shawn answered.
"Hmm... I doubt that, but whatever you wish. I just follow orders," Greed replied.
They continued their journey. Shawn kept looking at the empty and ruined shops. There was no food left in the grocery stores. He then entered a convenience store that only had empty shelves left. Then he thought,
"Greed, how long was I asleep under that excavator?" Shawn asked.
"Six months," Greed answered.
"Hmm... figures. That means over six months, there were survivors, and they looted all the food here," Shawn replied.
Suddenly, "Clang," a cable shot inside, appearing to search for human survivors. Without delay, "Grip," Shawn caught the end of the cable until it writhed like a snake caught by the head. Then he pulled the cable and "Snap," he broke it using his knee. "Flail, flail," the severed cable thrashed and then withdrew. Shawn looked at the cable head and examined it. After that, he threw it away and stepped on it until it was crushed.
"Hmm... they'll definitely come here," Greed said, looking outside.
"Let them," Shawn replied, standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the store.
"Click," suddenly something sounded behind Shawn. He instantly turned to see a teenage girl, perhaps only about 15 years old, pretty with shoulder-length black hair, pointing a rifle at Shawn. Shawn glanced at her wrist. He saw the girl was not wearing a bracelet, meaning she was a resident who was born in the city and was not an inmate. Shawn raised both hands.
"W-who are you... y-you're a criminal," the girl stammered.
"Relax, I don't intend to do anything. I'm just looking for food," Shawn replied with a cold, expressionless face.
"A-alright, there's no food here... p-please leave," the girl replied, who seemed to be shaking as could be seen from the barrel of her rifle.
"Fine, I'm going," Shawn replied calmly and turned his back.
Greed walked behind the girl and entered the door behind her. It seemed the girl didn't see Greed pass her. Not long after, Greed came out of the door and approached Shawn.
"Shawn, there are a few more people and a lot of food inside. Should we just kill them and take their souls?" Greed asked.
"Hmm... is that so? Okay, we'll try asking nicely first. If absolutely necessary, we'll kill them all," Shawn answered.
Shawn immediately turned around again and walked toward the girl, who was shocked and trembling with fear even more. Shawn took hold of the barrel of her rifle and pressed it against his own chest with an expressionless face.
"Do you have any food you can share with me?" Shawn asked casually.
"G-get back... or I'll shoot," the girl replied.
"Look, I could kill you in an instant, but I'm asking nicely. Do you have any food you can give me? After that, I'll leave," Shawn replied, staring at the girl with his cold face.
The girl looked incredibly shaky, and her face was full of fear. Her mouth opened and closed again, trembling, but before she could answer, "Smash," dozens of cables shot into the store, breaking the glass. Shawn instantly turned around.
"Greed, protect the girl," Shawn ordered.
"Okay, if you get overwhelmed, I'll help you," Greed replied, standing in front of the girl who had fallen to the floor in fear and couldn't see Greed in front of her.
When the cables advanced to attack Shawn, he immediately caught two cables and blocked the others. Then he spun, twisting the cables in his hands and driving the others back. His foot also moved, stepping on the cables that fell until they were crushed. After breaking several cables, the remaining cables immediately retreated out of the window glass. "Clank," Shawn let go of the two cable heads in his hands, and they fell to the ground.
After that, Shawn turned back to see the girl sitting there, stunned. Shawn noticed her pants and the floor around her were wet. Then he approached the girl and held out his hand.
"My name's Shawn. Yours?" he asked with an expressionless face.
"So... Sophie," the girl answered.
"Nice to meet you, Sophie. Do you have any food for me? After that, I'll go," Shawn replied calmly.
"A-alright, wait a second," Sophie replied.
Sophie immediately stood up, although her legs were still shaking. She slowly walked inside, dragging her rifle. Not long after, Sophie, helped by a man, came out carrying a lot of bread, canned food, and instant meals placed in a shopping bag, and handed it to Shawn. After seeing the contents, Shawn nodded and then turned.
"Alright, I'm leaving. Thank you," Shawn replied.
"W-wait... th-thank you," Sophie replied.
"Yeah, you're welcome," Shawn replied, his back to Sophie and the man standing next to her.
"W-would you consider staying here and guarding us?" the man next to Sophie asked.
"No, I'm not interested in being your guard. I'm leaving. Thanks again for the food," Shawn answered.
Without looking back, Shawn stepped out of the store, leaving Sophie and the man next to her watching his back. Once outside, he started eating the bread Sophie had given him.
"You're quite kind, letting them live," Greed remarked.
"I said I was looking for food, not souls. They gave me food, and I got food. The matter is settled," Shawn replied.
"Hahaha... you're right. That's why I like being with you... even if you're not greedy enough, in my opinion," Greed replied.
"I am who I am. I live according to my own desires," Shawn replied, eating his bread.
"I know, and I'll keep helping you. So, where to now?" Greed asked.
"The government building. I want out of this cold prison city," Shawn answered with bread in his mouth.
They walked again, moving away from the store, tracing the empty road toward the city center, where the government building—actually the city warden's office—was located.