July part one

After a long sleep, I wake up. I find myself in a bed. As I rise and look around, I notice a woman, older than me, with a well-toned body, lying beside me. She sleeps peacefully beneath the sheets, most likely naked. The room is filled with luxurious, gleaming furniture.

I know this looks bad. I should be taking care of my nephews. But they’re safe—I made sure of that. Sometimes, a man needs to unwind, and with the world coming to an end, this might be my last chance. Even so, I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t get emotionally involved. This is just physical.

I walk toward a window and peer outside. The sight is almost surreal, given the state of the world. Crowds of people gambling, partying, beautiful women offering their bodies, and underground fights—all bathed in a crimson neon glow. For some, it’s paradise. For others, it’s hell.

How the hell did I end up here?

Back to that June morning in the desert.

The kids had just woken up in their tent, while Santos and I hadn’t slept a wink—we couldn’t afford to trust each other. Suddenly, the roar of an engine speeding toward us filled the air. I stood up to see where it was coming from.

Santos got up with me and, with confidence, said:

"He's here."

With those words, I remembered our deal. I would tell him my story, and in return, his friend would pick us up in his van. As the sound grew closer, I saw a colorful van that stood out against the barren desert. It was violet, with cherry blossom designs along its sides. Above them, a logo read "Paradise Castle."

As the van pulled up in front of us, it came to a halt. Santos opened the door.

"Come on in, it's nice and cool inside," he said charitably, flashing his bright, gleaming teeth.

I stepped in first, making sure it wasn’t a trap. Behind the wheel sat the driver—a Japanese man with long, dark hair. He wore a violet kimono and carried a sword at his hip. He didn’t say a word. He just stared at me coldly.

"Hey, Kazu-chan, these are some friends I made in the desert. They’ll be coming with us to Paradise," Santos said as he settled into the passenger seat.

The so-called Kazu didn’t respond. He just kept staring at me.

"Relax, they’re trustworthy. Just a normal family."

At that, Kazu turned his gaze back to the steering wheel.

"What’s with this guy? Did he time-travel from feudal Japan?" I joked.

"Haha, no, don’t worry. He works with me. He only speaks when the boss orders him to," Santos explained.

I glanced at my nephews and motioned for them to get in and cool off. I doubted these two lunatics could do us any real harm. They climbed in and immediately sprawled across the back seats, looking as relaxed as house cats on their owner’s bed.

As soon as the door closed, Kazu’s hand suddenly began to glow. He touched the steering wheel, and the van surged forward like a high-performance race car.

Who would’ve thought? I’m on a road trip with two ultra-mutant weirdos.

"What’s this ‘Paradise’ place?" I asked, recalling what Santos had said to his partner.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. It’s where we work. You’re gonna love it. That’s where we’re headed, and don’t worry—it’s on the way to your nephews’ mother’s coordinates. Once we get there, you can continue your journey."

"Wait, did I show you the coordinates last night?" I asked, suddenly uneasy.

"Yeah, you mentioned them briefly."

"And you remember them?"

"Don’t underestimate my memory," he said smugly, tapping his temple.

One thing that kept nagging at me was that both of them were ultras, yet neither seemed to have undergone a mutation.

"So, what’s the deal? You’re both ultras, but I haven’t seen a single sign of a mutation."

"Oh, well, Kazu just took the pill recently, so he hasn’t mutated yet. His power enhances anything he touches—like this minivan. That’s why it’s so fast and in perfect condition."

So that’s why his hand was glowing earlier.

"And you? You seem perfectly fine, but I haven’t seen even a hint of your power," I said, still wary.

"Well, sometimes it’s best to keep a card up your sleeve. And as for the mutation… who knows? Haha."

"They say some mutations aren’t physical but mental," Andrew chimed in from the back. He’d been listening.

"That’s why your laugh is so freaky, old man!" Rick added between chuckles.

"You might be onto something, kids," Santos replied, grinning but not laughing this time.

"And what kind of place is this ‘Paradise Castle’?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity.

"Oh, well, if you want to know, you’ll have to step inside. But once you do, getting out won’t be easy."

The journey continue into early July.

Kazu never spoke. He only opened his mouth to eat. The kids read old samurai magazines they found in the van. And Santos… he was an enigma. Even more so than Prescott when I first met him. His eyes were hollow, and his smile couldn’t have been more fake. He was hiding something, but I preferred not to know what.

When we arrived at Paradise Castle, it was literally a castle—huge, like a small city. More of a fortress than anything else. From the outside, I could see ultra-mutants chained to watchtowers, monitoring every movement.

"Beautiful, isn’t it? Kazu-chan built it recently, using his power on a regular building. Don’t worry about the ultras—we feed them twice a day."

I remembered Prescott’s warehouse. I considered stepping in like I did back then, but I didn’t want to cause another incident. And these ultras looked much stronger.

As the gates opened, a bald man emerged to greet us. His eyes were completely red, and his teeth looked like fangs. If I had to compare him to something, it’d be a vampire—except this one could walk in daylight. He wore a tuxedo and black gloves. As he approached, his blood-red eyes scrutinized us.

"Welcome, young prince, and Mr. Santos. And these guests?" he asked, his gaze piercing through me like he was savoring something.

"Just some companions I found in the desert. Potential clients, Paul," Santos clarified.

"Perhaps more than that. The Empress will surely want to meet them," Paul mused, his eyes lingering on me, sending a chill down my spine. "And your mission? The Sandman?"

"Eradicated," Santos said without hesitation.

I met his gaze. He killed an ultra-mutant who could turn an entire park into a desert—alone? No scars, no bloodstains. I hoped I’d never have to see his power firsthand.

"Very well, then. Let’s go inside," Paul invited us in.

"Uh, I don’t know if we should," I said, grabbing my nephews, ready to leave.

"Come on, don’t be scared. What I said about never leaving? Just a local joke. You’ll love it. Plus, there are supplies—ammo, food," Santos coaxed.

"Please, Uncle! I’m sick of eating that artificial stuff Valerie stole from PowerMax," Rick pleaded.

I looked at Andrew. He nodded in approval.

"Fine, but we grab what we need and leave," I said firmly.

"Very well. The Empress will be eager to meet you," Paul said as we stepped inside.

Once inside, I understood why this place was considered paradise by some. I quickly covered my nephews’ innocent eyes—there were things they shouldn’t see at their age.

"Hey, what are you doing? I want to see!" Rick shouted in frustration.

I ignored him and helped them walk. I had never seen so many people gathered in one place since society collapsed. It was like a small city. Countless stalls lined the streets, offering gambling games, women, drugs, slaves, and many other things I didn’t even want to look at. Most of the clientele were crazed ultramutants, only seeking to satisfy their depraved desires.

"Never stray from me while we're in here, understood?" I told my nephews, gripping them tighter.

I turned to look at Santos.

"I forgot to mention—this isn’t exactly a place meant for kids."

"No kidding, Sherlock."

"Relax, nothing will happen to you. I owe you for helping me in the desert. You have my word."

I didn't trust him, but he was all we had in this wild place.

Looking ahead, I saw Kazu enhance his sandals to move faster and reach a sort of sub-building inside the castle. Once there, we all entered together. Elegant music played in the background, and the place was filled with guards. Everything was draped in red fabric, and at the far end of the room, there was a lavish couch. Seated on it was an older woman, probably in her fifties, smoking a Japanese pipe. Her hair was neatly tied up, and she wore diamond earrings. For her age, she looked remarkably good—especially her body. If she were twenty years younger, she’d be my type.

"And what do we have here?" she said in a sultry voice. "My brave soldiers have returned... and brought some unwanted guests."

Kazu positioned himself beside the couch, resting his hand on his sword’s sheath. Now that I saw them up close, they looked quite similar. Santos casually took a seat on a nearby armchair.

"You may leave us, Paul," she instructed.

"Yes, Empress," Paul responded before exiting through another door.

"So, you’re the supposed boss of this place?" I asked, confused about why we were even there.

"You could say that. And who is this disrespectful man, Santos?"

"He's someone who helped me complete my mission. And yes, don’t worry, I've already taken care of the issue. What matters now is that they treated me well, and my friend here—Jason—was a soldier for PowerMax. He might have information or something in exchange for our help with his journey."

"Oh, how interesting. You did well bringing him, Santos. You’ve earned yourself a well-deserved rest."

Tch, I shouldn't have told him my story. It was supposed to be a secret, and here he was, spilling it to the leader of a criminal empire.

"So, Jason, what can you tell us?"

"Sorry, but I think there's been a misunderstanding. I was just a field soldier. I never even entered the labs. I only did what I was ordered to," I clarified honestly.

"I see. Then... Kazuyoshi." She turned to Kazu beside her.

"Understood, Mother," he said in a low voice as he unsheathed his sword and took a battle stance, charging at me.

Using his power, his sword glowed—making it sharper and more powerful.

"Get back!" I shouted, pushing my nephews out of harm’s way.

I barely dodged the blade. With his thrust, he sliced the couch clean in half. Not only that, but the wind force from the strike destroyed everything in its path. He turned to me, eyes burning with rage. He tried slashing at me multiple times, but I dodged each strike by a hair’s breadth, all while keeping my eyes closed and smoking.

After a while, he swung at me horizontally. I ducked and, from the ground, kicked him off balance. As he lay on the floor, I aimed my gun at him.

"If you can’t even land a single hit, your sword skills are worthless. It’s obvious you fight to show off, to play samurai, and that you’ve only learned the basics. You have no real experience. Go play with dolls instead before you get yourself killed, you idiot," I said seriously, hoping to knock some sense into him.

"Haha! Tell him, Jason!" Santos laughed, sipping his drink comfortably, as if he were watching a soap opera.

"Ahh!" Enraged, Kazu shouted and kicked me from the ground, forcing me to step back.

He stood up and resumed his battle stance—only this time, he used his power to extend his sword and make it spin at high speed like a drill.

"Stop. I've seen enough," the Empress ordered, freezing her son in place. "He’ll be useful, won’t he, Santos?"

"I told you, and he’s just a regular human like you. We could make a fortune with him."

"But, Mother," Kazu interjected. "His methods are cowardly. He’s no true warrior."

Hmph. Still bitter about what I said earlier, huh, mama’s boy?

"Nobody asked you, Kazuyoshi. Why don’t you go train?"

Kazu shot me one last glare, as if to say this wasn’t over, before storming out of the room. My nephews and I mocked him with annoying gestures as he left.

"So, what was that? Some kind of test?" I asked, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Yes. Since you can't give us information, we’ll have to make use of your other skills," she said, licking her lips.

"And what exactly do you mean?"

"You, my friend, are going to fight in the Red Cage," Santos clarified from his seat.

The name said it all. I just hoped to get something out of this—or I’d burn this place to the ground.