Smoke still filled the room as Akihiko moved with almost superhuman speed, his katana flashing with a deadly gleam in the flickering light. The first gangsters to enter fell in seconds, but the gunshots and screams coming from the hallway confirmed this would not be an easy battle.
Kaede took cover behind an overturned table, firing an automatic pistol at the advancing enemies. "We need to get out of here!" she shouted, a bullet grazing her shoulder. "We're completely surrounded!"
Elias Hartmann, panting and his eyes wide with fear, tried to retrieve the maps that had been blown away by the explosion. "They can't take this knowledge," he muttered frantically. "If they get it, all is lost."
Akihiko didn't respond. Every time he took down an enemy, he felt the power of the Void grow within him, like an unstoppable torrent. However, he also felt something watching him from within, a dark, calculating presence that evaluated his every action.
The Strategy of Escape
"Akihiko!" Kaede shouted, snapping him out of his trance. "The basement! Hartmann says there's a tunnel that will take us out of here."
Without wasting a moment, Akihiko walked over to Hartmann, grabbed his arm, and lifted him up. "Lead us."
The professor nodded nervously and led them toward a hidden door in the back wall of the room. While Kaede covered their retreat, Akihiko destroyed the main entrance controls to delay the enemies.
The tunnel was dark and smelly, the walls covered in moss and the floor slick with damp. The echo of his footsteps pounded like an eerie drumbeat, and the acrid smell of stagnant water filled his lungs. Despite the darkness, Akihiko felt the power of the fragment pulsing in his chest, as if guiding him toward something more.
Hartmann, breathing heavily, began to explain as they advanced. "The Tree of Eden... isn't just a source of power. It's a sentient being. It chooses those it deems worthy, but its definition of 'worthy' is cruel. It tests its chosen ones to their limits."
Kaede looked at him skeptically. "And how do you know all this?"
Hartmann was silent for a moment before answering. "Because I once tried to obtain the complete Fruit... and failed."
Hartmann's Past
Her words hung in the air like a sentence. Akihiko, intrigued but cautious, demanded more details. "What did the Tree do to you?"
Hartmann lowered his gaze, as if reliving a painful memory. "Twenty years ago, I led an expedition to find the Tree. We found it, or so we thought. But when I tried to take the Fruit, I was repulsed. The Tree's energy consumed my companions and left me scarred. Ever since, I have sought to understand its mysteries."
Akihiko looked at him closely. "And now you think I'll be different. Why?"
Hartmann looked him straight in the eyes. "Because you're not just strong. The Tree is watching you. I feel it. There's something in you that can tip the scales, for better or worse."
Ambush in the Tunnel
Before Akihiko could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the tunnel. Kaede stopped, raising her weapon. "We're not alone."
From the shadows emerged armed figures, members of a rival mafia. Their eyes glittered with unhinged ambition, and one of them raised his voice. "Hand over the fragment, and you may live."
Akihiko moved forward slowly, his katana in hand, and the Void energy began to envelop him. "If you want the fragment, you'll have to take it."
The ensuing battle was brutal. Akihiko moved like a shadow, eliminating his enemies with lethal precision. Kaede fired with cool efficiency, covering the flanks. Even Hartmann, despite his age, proved useful, using improvised explosive devices to stop the attackers.
The scene was chaotic: gunfire ricocheted off the tunnel walls, and the screams of wounded enemies mingled with the echo of Akihiko's footsteps. Every time he used the power of the Void, he felt the Apple fragment respond, intensifying his energy but also weakening his body. It was as if the Apple were testing him, demanding more from him with every step.
The Exit and the Decision
Finally, they managed to escape the tunnel and found refuge in an old, abandoned church on the outskirts of town. The structure, with its broken stained-glass windows and dust-covered pews, exuded a quiet melancholy. The half-burned candles still seemed to pray for the souls who had once inhabited that place.
While Kaede kept watch, Hartmann approached Akihiko, who was sitting, catching his breath.
"Akihiko," the professor began, "you must decide what you will do. This fragment is only a part of the Apple, but it is already changing you. If you continue like this, you might not be the same when you reach the Tree."
Akihiko looked up, his eyes shining with a mixture of determination and doubt. "No matter what it costs me. If this power can prevent the world from descending into chaos, I will take it. But I will not allow the Tree to decide my fate."
Hartmann smiled slightly, though his expression was bitter. "Let's hope you can keep that resolve, boy. For the trials of the Tree have only just begun."
Night fell upon them, bringing with it a brief respite. But in the distance, the city lights flickered like warnings. The mafias wouldn't rest, and the Apple remained a coveted target. Akihiko closed his eyes, allowing himself a few moments of calm before the storm resumed its fury.