Allen appeared in public for the first time since arriving in this world.
It was almost a tradition — one who walks their path always surrounded by others cannot remain anonymous for long. It had been that way in every world he had visited, and it would be the same in the worlds yet to come.
Allen Walker... could never stay hidden.
At first, there were only hundreds of viewers. Then, thousands of survivors were in a situation that allowed them the luxury of opening the mysterious app. All those people became Allen's first audience in this world.
In this doomed, dying world — a world that promised only a miserable future where people would rather blow their brains out than keep living — these people found something unique. Something that didn't belong at the end of the world. Someone who didn't follow common sense. That person was Allen.
....
After walking through the tunnels for a minute, Allen shook his head. "Just look at this place, anyone would rather be chased by a horde than come in here. I mean, it's terrifying. How the hell did those kids even come in here?"
Gwen – "You're right, it doesn't make sense..."
MJ – "Maybe they were just scared?"
Erza – "Umu, I don't think so. Judging by the boy's cautious reaction and the girl's tired look, they seemed more wary than frightened."
Rick – "Burp, dah, they could be smart zombies, or maybe humans that aren't attacked by zombies so they're hiding there, or maybe androids. I don't know — anything could show up in that world."
Athena – "Now that Lucifer's the director, nothing should surprise us anymore."
Allen couldn't see the chat from the other worlds, but he thought something similar to Rick — the fact that those kids had entered this place was very suspicious.
*Growls*
Allen stopped walking and smiled faintly as he heard creatures ahead.
The flickering lights revealed several blood-covered zombies in the distance. Some were on the ground feeding, others stood still, waiting… waiting for whatever they could eat.
[Biters – Common zombies originating from the Harran Virus. Their movements are neither too slow nor too fast. Their mutation rate is high, so it's common to find mutant zombies among them.]
"Oh... Biters, so that's what the zombies from this virus are called. Too much trouble to say. I'll just call them Harran zombies."
Depending on the world, zombies had many names — the Enraged, the Walkers, the Biters, the Strays. Allen simply preferred calling them zombies, sometimes adding an adjective to tell them apart.
Allen reached behind his back and pulled out a metal pipe — or so it seemed.
The system made sure not to show Allen when he took things out of his inventory. Doing a live stream while hiding certain secrets was tricky, but even knowing that, Allen chose this approach.
"I suppose killing zombies is new for many of you, so I'll start with some small tips."
After finishing his words, Allen stomped the ground and shot forward. The first zombie didn't even have time to react before its head exploded against the wall and ceiling.
"Tip number one — when killing a zombie, initiative is key," Allen said with a slight smile.
The chat held its breath...
The other zombies growled and charged at Allen. He smirked, tightened his grip on the pipe, and spun with a 360-degree swing that tore off the heads of five zombies around him.
"Tip number two — zombies have only one weak spot, so aim for the head whenever possible."
– "What?!"
– "No way!"
– "He's a monster!"
– "This isn't a video game! People aren't that strong!"
No one could believe what they were seeing. He was decapitating zombies — which meant he was effectively decapitating humans. How could something like that even be possible?
A zombie sprinted toward Allen at incredible speed — a mutant one. Allen extended his hand and grabbed its face.
"Tip number three — never make direct contact with them. Since there are different types of zombies, we don't know if some can infect just by touch."
Allen smashed the zombie's head against the wall. He dropped the corpse and looked ahead. A dozen more zombies were staring right at him.
"Fourth tip — choose your battles. There's no point in fighting too many zombies when you can just escape."
Contrary to his advice, Allen brutally attacked all the zombies.
His pipe smashed through zombie after zombie with unstoppable force. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in dark blood.
Once he was done, Allen straightened his back and exhaled. "Well, as you can see, this is extremely dangerous. So I recommend not doing this unless you're looking for a one-way trip to hell — or worse. You know what I mean."
Allen kept walking as the chat fell silent. No one knew what to say anymore.
....
(Kyoto, Japan)
Kyoto was famous for its castles and ancient architecture — a place filled with tradition and beauty. But even this place hadn't been spared.
The old streets were now infested with zombies, many still dressed in yukatas and kimonos. Yet, even in this state, some places hadn't fallen to the undead.
One of those was a great castle, its enormous walls and giant gates still standing, protected by JSDF soldiers alongside the secret service.
In one of the carefully maintained gardens, an old man with long gray hair, dressed in a yukata, sat watching koi fish swim in a pond.
This man was Mikado Ryujin — a mysterious figure whose power and influence could not be measured.
"Mikado-sama."
A man approached from behind, one capable of intimidating even Soichiro Takagi.
"What is it?"
"It's the Emperor, sir. He's already taken refuge with the imperial family in a bunker."
Japan's political system was divided into two — the traditional monarchical system, which included the Emperor and royal family, and the democratic one, where any citizen could become Prime Minister with the support of the people.
"Did he say anything?" Mikado asked, not particularly interested.
The assistant adjusted his glasses. "The Emperor questioned Mikado-sama's absence during this national crisis..."
Mikado wasn't the only one who had "disappeared" on the first day of the apocalypse. Many important government officials, several magnates, and members of old families like the Mikado clan had vanished. Curiously, however, the Prime Minister and Emperor hadn't.
"Anything else?"
Mikado paid little attention to the Emperor's concerns. Under normal circumstances, it might have been troublesome — but considering the world was on the brink of collapse, it hardly mattered.
"We also have a report that 'they' are already here."
This time, Mikado's face changed. He hadn't expected them to move so quickly. "Very well."
"I should also report that the Minister survived. He's taken refuge in Parliament and is waiting for rescue. What should we do?"
"Send someone..."
Mikado's answer was completely indifferent — as if the Minister's existence was as irrelevant as a fallen leaf.
"Understood..."
Noticing that his subordinate still hadn't left, Mikado turned to look at him. Even under the stern gaze of one of Japan's most powerful men, the assistant didn't flinch.
"Mikado-sama, I don't know if this deserves your attention, but there was a massive hack on phones and computers less than half an hour ago. Normally, it wouldn't matter, but several important people's phones — including yours..."
"What did you say?" Mikado narrowed his eyes — eyes that had seen the downfall of countless men over seventy years of career, and he knew what kind of power it would take to do something like that.
The assistant approached and handed Mikado a phone with Allen's app forcibly installed. That should have been impossible — it was an encrypted phone, one Mikado used to communicate with the Prime Minister, the Emperor, and only a few others.
Now, it had the icon of Timcanpy on it.
Mikado smiled with mystery — and a touch of coldness. "It seems there are things I haven't been told..."
....
(JSDF helicopter, Tokyo)
Ada Wong looked out the window at the chaos engulfing Tokyo. It didn't matter which city of Japan you were in — the scene was always the same.
"Virus T, Virus C, Green Flu, Harran Virus, Solanum Virus... so far, these are the confirmed ones that have been released..."
The helicopter crew trembled at Ada's words. They were shocking — because they confirmed that this entire catastrophe had been caused by someone. But what kind of person could cause the apocalypse… and for what purpose?
"You don't need to be nervous," Ada said calmly. "I said it out loud so you could hear it."
"No way!" shouted Rika, standing up and grabbing Ada by the collar. "Did someone cause this?!!"
"Minami!"
"Stop, she's a VIP!"
The other escorts tried to hold Rika back, but she was consumed by rage and wouldn't listen to reason.
She had been called to base to act as Ada's escort — which was strange. In a situation where the JGSDF was on the brink of annihilation, diverting resources just to protect a single person made no sense. Still, they had obeyed the general's orders. They had to.
Ada Wong was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but equally dangerous. That was Rika Minami's first impression upon meeting her. From the very beginning, Ada had seemed too calm — even while inside a base that could fall at any moment.
Outside, you could see hordes of undead — thousands of zombies charging toward the JGSDF base. But even then, Ada Wong didn't react.
"Tell me! Is that shit true?!"
Rika didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to believe in that possibility. It was easier to stay ignorant. But Ada hadn't allowed her to, and now Rika knew — over a hundred million people in Japan had been killed because someone wanted it that way. Her comrades had been eaten alive because of someone's decision.
Even while Rika held her by the clothes, Ada didn't seem worried. Her beautiful eyes blinked with interest as she examined the woman in the black tactical suit — one that failed to hide her natural beauty.
"You're just as I expected..." Ada said with a soft, amused chuckle.
"What? Who the hell are you?"
Rika felt strange — did this woman know her? And more importantly, what could she possibly want from her?
"Rika Minami. Ninety-eight percent success rate, over a dozen tournaments, more than two hundred confirmed kills… Without a doubt, one of the best snipers in the world. And that's precisely why I chose you as my escort."
Rika stepped back, feeling that this woman was dangerous.
"Don't be afraid," Ada laughed softly at Rika's reaction. "I may not look like it, but I'm one of the good guys. You know… money doesn't mean much if the world ends."
Rika exchanged glances with her team. After the captain's death, she was in charge, and everyone was waiting for her decision.
"I'm not leader material," she sighed. "I prefer to follow orders. Makes my life easier."
"..." Ada didn't interrupt, only kept smiling faintly.
"I know people like us are destined to end up with a bullet in the head — but!"
Rika was a simple woman. Do her job, go home, have a beer. But remembering how her comrades had died such miserable deaths… that was unacceptable.
"Ada Wong, if you give me the chance to blow the head off the bastard who started this, I'll be your guard dog!"
Ada smiled widely. "Then I'll count on you..."
*Ding*
Ada's eyes opened slightly. A phone that shouldn't have been ringing — did. She only had contacts abroad, and all communication within Japan had been cut off.
The woman let her hair fall over her face before opening a new app on her phone. This time, her smile was sincere — something that surprised Rika.
"It's nothing," Ada said, glancing away for a second before turning back to Rika. "Rika, do you have a boyfriend?"
"What kind of question is that?" Rika snapped.
"The captain? A boyfriend?" one of the men laughed. "No one's brave enough to try!"
"Shut up, Keigo!" Rika barked.
"Haha, the captain's got that 'I hate men' aura. Maybe she's into beautiful women~"
Rika drew her pistol. "I see… you've chosen death."
"Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean it!"
The mood in the helicopter lightened a bit, but Ada's eyes carried a faint trace of pity. None of these people seemed to realize this was a one-way trip. Even Ada herself couldn't be completely sure she'd survive.
'Maybe I should recruit someone else...' she thought, looking out at the horde chasing the helicopter. 'Solanum spreads fast, with a one-hundred-percent infection rate, but oddly enough, it's selective — it avoids infecting people with serious diseases. Maybe some kind of instinct drives it to seek healthy hosts...'
Ada silently thanked the release of other viruses — ironically, being infected with different strains had helped contain Solanum's spread in Japan.
'Still, we can't underestimate the other viruses. We need to move while the mutations are under control,' Ada clenched her fists. 'I won't let them do whatever they want.'
....
(Inside the subway, Tokyo.)
Allen moved through the different corridors, unable to find the children. It was strange — there were no signs they'd been killed either, since none of the zombies resembled them. The freshest blood he found was at least three hours old, so he ruled out the possibility of their deaths.
– "I feel scared, and I'm not even there."
– "You're not the only one! And what kind of video quality is this?! It feels like I'm seeing it with my own eyes!"
The system's quality was unbelievable — no matter what device people were watching from.
Allen glanced at the comments but didn't reply. As he descended into the subway, only two things could truly threaten his life now — a Tier 4 zombie, or several Tier 3s.
That's what he thought — until he turned a corner and froze at the sight before him.
There were human bodies. But this time, it was different. They still had all their limbs, but no skin. They were all pinned to the walls as if they were some kind of macabre trophy room.
The scene was so horrifying that many viewers instantly closed the stream.
Allen crouched beside one of the corpses. Terror and agony were frozen in its eyes. Whatever this had made sure the victims stayed alive until the last possible second. And that detail made Allen frown deeply...
"Let them out..."
A distorted, crackling voice appeared.
"...!"
Behind Allen, a familiar-looking figure rose. The humanoid creature gave him a strange feeling of danger.
It was a Volatile — but different. Taller, thinner, with longer limbs — a monster. Allen silently drew his combat knife just as the zombie lunged with inhuman speed, forcing Allen to barely block its claws in time.
[Tier 4 Zombie! Hybrid Volatile — this Volatile was infected by a second virus. Extremely dangerous.]
"Hybrids?!" Allen snarled. He felt a wave of hatred toward Lucifer. It wasn't enough to unleash every zombie virus in existence — the bastard had combined them too.
The Volatile looked confused that its strike had been blocked. Despite having some intelligence, its mind was as primitive as a beast's.
"Let them out..." it growled, its voice guttural, as it swung its other claw to pierce Allen's body.
"Shut up!" Allen blocked the second strike with a metal bar. His eyes turned red as his already superhuman strength spiked — he shoved the zombie back and kicked it away, then charged forward to finish it off.
This Tier 4 zombie relied on speed, so unlike a Tank, Allen could kill it if he landed a clean hit while it was still. His instincts screamed that at him — and Allen listened.
"You know what the problem is with intelligence? It makes you overthink!"
"Let them out..."
Allen froze mid-attack. And to the chat's horror, two more pairs of glowing eyes appeared behind him.
Three Tier 4 zombies!
"Definitely… don't go into the subway," Allen muttered, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek.
===