It all happened so fast, no one expected what had just occurred.
Gwen – "Was it really inevitable?"
Diana – "The only way to survive in a world like that is to make the hierarchy clear, and neither of them could afford to submit to the other."
Orihime – "But it's such a sad result for Saya-chan :( "
Angelica (Gil) – "Naïve. This King knows better than anyone how important a ruler is to survival in a hostile world. Someone must lead and make the right, hard, and cruel decisions."
The Emperor – "Divisions always bring conflict. Sooner or later, both would have ended up against each other."
Jugram – "His Majesty will not bow his head to anyone, nor should he..."
Bambietta – "You're too soft, Jugram! That bastard dared to threaten His Majesty! Just let me into that world and I'll rip his teeth out!"
Anissa – "I like your style! Count me in—no, let me be the one to do it!"
Lucy – "These women scare me... I'd better not make them mad if I ever meet them."
Asia – "Violence isn't good :'("
Raven – "Idiots. Regardless of whether Soichiro Takagi's a bastard, he's still that pink-haired girl's father. Of course, Allen wouldn't kill him... probably..."
Whis – "I'm not sure. Allen-kun, even though he's someone who left behind the path of violence, hasn't lost the ability to take lives. In that world, he won't have another choice, given his limitations."
Superman – "..."
Many in the chat shared the same thoughts. From the moment Allen and Soichiro met, it was clear they couldn't coexist. Even without Saya, this would've happened eventually—all it needed was a trigger.
Meanwhile, there was a group of new viewers who didn't know anything about Allen.
– "This feels like Game of Thrones!"
– "Aw~ Allen-sama is so handsome~"
– "Oh, I prefer Soichiro. I like rough men."
– "Idiot, just one look at him and you can tell he's the kind of man who'd barely even say good morning. I prefer Allen—he's a true gentleman, defending his girl even with guns pointed at him~"
– "This is fake, obviously staged. There's no way a guy like that exists. I mean, did you see him lift that hammer? He's basically a superhero!"
– "Are you stupid, man? I'm locked inside my apartment in the middle of a damn zombie apocalypse! You think logic still exists in this world?!"
– "Don't remind me. I'm trying to distract myself from the fact that the world ended... I don't even know if I'll ever see my parents again..."
– "Sorry... I only have food for a week. After that, I'll have to go out... or maybe I'll just end it... myself."
– "Stop! It's too early to lose hope. Remember, all news and communication outside Japan was cut off somehow. Zombies couldn't have done that, so there must still be civilization out there!"
– "Maybe Japan was isolated because it's the source of the infection, and the rest of the world is fine."
– "That doesn't help us at all!"
A girl with short black hair, wearing sportswear, closed her laptop after reading the comments.
"Large groups are dangerous... but... with someone like him around, it might be less dangerous than going alone."
....
Allen returned to the room from before after giving a simple order to everyone.
"Rest, eat, sleep. I've got something to do, and then we'll leave in the afternoon."
He wasn't surprised that everyone followed him. In fact, rather than staying in this place with strangers, it was better to keep moving with trusted companions—especially since Soichiro had been willing to abandon his own daughter. There was no way he'd help them find their families.
Of course, there was still one problem...
"Saya"
[Host, do you think Saya will choose to go with you?]
Allen looked out the window—it was noon.
"I'd rather she didn't..."
He opened the system interface and selected the rewards. Soon, three crates appeared before him. Each one was a reward for his hard work. Allen had to deal with the group's main issue: their weakness.
It was true that there were some strong people—Saeko, Rei, and Hisashi were martial artists; Teshima, Tsunoda, Morita, and Takashi were physically fit; and Hirano, with a gun, was second only to Allen and Saeko in lethality. The problem was the rest. Expecting them to constantly fight and kill zombies was too much to ask of young people who had been normal students just days ago.
Since expecting someone like Saya to become another Saeko in a day or two was impossible, the best option was to give them some kind of "tool" to defend themselves. Of course, this would only help against common zombies and maybe Tier 2 ones, but Allen knew there was a limit.
"..."
Allen remembered the Tank—a monstrous, armored creature with enough strength to rival a supervillain in his own world. A mindless beast capable of withstanding explosions and heavy gunfire.
One mistake against a Tier 4 zombie meant instant death.
"Against something like that, what could they even do?"
[Don't worry, I don't think you'll run into Tier 3 or 4 zombies on the streets...]
"For now, right?"
[...]
Allen smirked and shrugged. "No matter... I'll finish checking the rewards, then we'll head to the shop..."
Out of the five supply crates he'd received for clearing the red zone, he'd already opened two. One of them was:
[Supply crate "Weapons" Tier 3 – Cost 45–04–2 Hearts]
As expected, Tier 3 supply crates required Tier 3 hearts to open.
Inside, Allen had found Ebony & Ivory, .45-caliber handguns marked as "Special". There was also a STARK combat knife (Tier 2), much sharper and more durable than his previous one—though the Tank would still shatter it easily—and finally, the C4 they'd used on the bridge.
Obviously, Ebony & Ivory were the main prize of that crate.
The second one was rather peculiar.
> [Supply crate "Gadgets" Tier 2 – Cost 16–01 Hearts]
That crate contained Saya's drone, Kyoko's remote-controlled car, and five walkie-talkies. The drone looked modern and had many features, but nothing that couldn't be replicated with current technology. The walkie-talkies, however, were remarkable—they could work for ten years without recharging.
That was all he'd opened so far, not because he wanted to save them, but because there were too many people around to do it discreetly.
"Let's see what we have here..."
Allen knelt before one of the supply crates.
> [Supply crate "Weapons" Tier 1 – Cost 14 Hearts]
When he opened it, Allen found a baseball bat—but unlike Takashi's, it was made of metal. He swung it through the air a few times.
"Not bad. A classic zombie apocalypse weapon."
Leaving the bat aside, he picked up the next item—a machete.
"Ah, another classic. Splitting zombie heads with a machete must be one of the most satisfying things in the world~" Allen examined the metal's edge, curious to see how it could be improved. "I expected less from a Tier 1 crate, but I'm actually satisfied."
The second-to-last crate was extremely valuable for survival in this world.
> [Supply crate "Meds" Tier 3 – Cost 24–12–2 Hearts]
It was expensive—even more than a Tier 3 weapons crate that contained Ebony & Ivory. Still, Allen didn't mind; depending on the contents, it could be even more valuable than his new guns.
When he opened it, Allen was surprised.
The first object was a bottle of pills.
[Shield V: "Special medication" — during the ten minutes after consumption, it is capable of protecting the body from any form of infection, parasite, toxin, or poison.]
Allen held the bottle. "Only ten minutes, huh..."
It wasn't a cure, but depending on where he was going next, it might actually be even more important. Without hesitation, he stored the bottle in his inventory—it was far too valuable.
The second thing inside was a small first-aid kit.
[First-Aid Kit: Heals any wound and restores vitality to its maximum level.]
Allen smiled. "Like in every video game, the first-aid kit is just a steroid bandage."
He stored the kit in his inventory as well, then picked up the last object: an injector filled with some sort of green liquid.
[Retroviral – Capable of stopping any virus and reversing mutations.]
"...!" Allen's eyes widened. This was exactly what he had been looking for.
He didn't hesitate and prepared to inject himself, but just before doing so, his hands stopped.
[Something wrong?]
People in the chat were also confused. Why wasn't Allen injecting it already?
Allen thought for a moment before speaking. "Before the Tank, I thought my strength would be enough to survive in this world. But now, after seeing how hard Lucifer tried to kill me... I don't know if my current power is enough anymore."
[You're not thinking of doing that! Don't! You could stop being human if the virus gets out of control!]
"Well, I'll always have this with me, so there's no problem, right?" Allen chuckled. "Besides, as long as I can control it, everything will be fine?"
[You...]
Allen didn't want to depend on something like the Harran Virus either, but what would happen with the next Tier 4 zombie? What if it were intelligent, fast, or had an ability he couldn't handle? Would he be forced to watch his entire group die?
"You know why I'm doing this, right?" Allen murmured quietly, with a hint of apology to those worrying about him at that moment.
[Damn it.]
Hearing the system—normally so composed—actually sound angry made Allen strangely happy, because it meant it cared.
Leaving that aside, Allen looked at the last box. This time it was different—golden in color. There was no need to say it; it was obviously valuable. The main course, the best loot of all.
> [Supply Crate "General" Tier 4, Cost: 100–50–10–1 Hearts]
Unfortunately, Allen couldn't open it. He had only received five Tier 3 Hearts as a reward and had used three to open the previous supply crates, making it impossible to open this one.
Allen narrowed his eyes coldly. "After all the trouble it took to kill that thing, this better contain a damn nuclear bomb, or I'll be seriously pissed."
....
Allen went to visit Saeko and Rei to tell them where he was going. Of course, both wanted to go with him, but Allen wouldn't allow it.
"No, I'm going with you," Saeko said, crossing her arms stubbornly. She was already wearing her new black skirt, gloves, and kneepads.
"She's right, we're coming with you!" Rei added, holding her spear in hand and her crossbow slung across her back.
Allen looked at the two girls. He'd already realized it, but they were unexpectedly stubborn. Still, this time, he wouldn't give in.
"I'm not saying this as Allen, but as your leader. We're heading out near dusk into a world full of danger. We might have to fight all night. You need to sleep and rest." Although Allen's voice remained calm, his eyes showed seriousness.
"..." Rei took a step back, lowering her head.
"..." Saeko sighed with a defeated expression.
Both girls understood that no matter what they said, Allen wasn't taking them this time.
"You know I don't have enough energy bars..."
Allen was essential for the group's survival, so the energy bars, hydration bottles, and sustenance rations were meant to keep him from needing to eat, sleep, or rest if necessary.
They both understood that, but it didn't stop them from feeling down.
Allen softened his expression. "You two are really lovely girls."
"Huh?!" Rei flinched, blushing immediately. "Ugh, I forgot you have absolutely no shame when it comes to flirting with girls."
"I'm just being honest," Allen shrugged.
Rei pouted, then sighed. "Fine. But if you abandon us, I'll find you and punch you!"
Allen laughed. "I'd never leave you. I'd get bored without girls to bother."
Rei snorted with mock disgust. "For the first time, I think you were better before."
"That's cruel," Allen said with a laugh despite her words.
Saeko, who had remained silent, stepped closer and fixed the collar of his shirt. "Promise... that you'll come back safe."
Allen was about to joke that he was probably the safest person in this apocalypse, but when he saw Saeko's eyes, he didn't do it. Instead, he took her hand.
"I promise. I'll be back soon and safe."
....
Allen left the mansion on his Hayabusa, creating a wave of unease among the people who saw him go. But no one stopped him—no one dared stand in his way.
"..." Soichiro watched from the window of his office in silence.
Soon, one of his subordinates arrived. "Sir."
"Go ahead," Soichiro replied without turning around.
"Allen Walker has temporarily left. He'll return in the afternoon to take his group with him—that's what his teammates said."
"I see..."
The man looked at Soichiro's back. He had never seen his leader hesitate in any decision before, but he couldn't help wondering if there might be another way to end this.
Allen sped down the road until he reached a blockade, where two of Soichiro's men moved the truck that had been blocking the street.
They didn't ask any questions, as if they already knew what was happening. Allen didn't bother greeting them either; he simply pressed the accelerator and drove off.
[The shop can appear anywhere, so as long as you keep moving forward, you'll eventually find it.]
"Got it."
....
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Headquarters, located in Ichigaya, Shinjuku District, Tokyo.
"Don't hold back on ammo—just kill them all!"
Gunfire roared nonstop as an endless horde of Rage zombies charged forward like a swarm of locusts toward the JGSDF's main command center, where the Chief of Staff, General Yasunori Morishita, was operating.
"Damn it! We can't lose this place!" Yasunori shouted as he watched the monitoring screens.
It was a massive horde—ten thousand zombies, all fast as athletes and utterly fearless. They came from every direction, forcing the JGSDF to give everything they had to avoid ending up like the countless citizens who had fallen, each one turning into a monster within seconds, ready to attack.
"What the hell is this nightmare..." the general muttered.
"This particular one is called Solanum."
The general turned to see a beautiful woman with short black hair, wearing a red dress and sunglasses.
He frowned. "Who let you in?"
The woman smiled as she looked at the screens.
"Solanum is an incurable virus. A biological agent that infects human cells, mutating them into a 'new organ' that reanimates the body after death."
The woman took out a letter and handed it to the general, who read it silently.
"The infection has a 100% mortality rate and spreads through bites, bodily fluids, or even prolonged contact with the infected. Unlike the Green Flu and the T-Virus, it has zero tendency to cause mutations. Instead, each infected becomes part of a hive mind, causing hordes to move like ants."
"Who are you?" the general asked cautiously.
The woman smiled with a mysterious yet alluring expression. "Pardon my lack of manners. I'm Ada Wong, a biological threat control agent~"
The general remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"What do you need from me?"
"A helicopter."
The general immediately ordered one of his officers to prepare a chopper.
"May I ask what brings Miss Ada here? You don't seem like you came to help us."
"I have a mission," Ada said, her smile fading as she looked back at the screen. "I just hope I get there first..."