From the Takagi mansion, the armored bus, the Humvee, and three motorcycles rolled out—one of them being Allen's Hayabusa ridden by Anemone.
Allen had managed to get Anemone a SWAT uniform from Soichiro's warehouse, and now she looked like a full-fledged elite officer.
The uniform suited her perfectly, and, with her aviator sunglasses and a cigarette between her lips, she resembled a female version of a '90s action hero.
Anemone's combat skills had already been proven, which made it strange to think of her as just a normal police officer—though that was technically her position.
When Allen asked Asami about it, she gave an awkward smile while explaining that Anemone had serious issues with authority. So, no matter how impressive her achievements were—like single-handedly stopping a human-trafficking ring or capturing an international hitman—she always ended up demoted because of her repeated infractions.
Allen could accept that.
Finally, Asami blushed and said she was surprised that Anemone was so obedient to Allen.
'So this strange trust was mutual,' thought Allen, surprised that he himself would not hesitate to lend his motorcycle to Anemone. He almost felt as if he were entrusting it to Rebecca or Harley.
"Look."
"They're leaving."
"It can't be..."
The people watching the convoy leave felt a mix of emotions. They had expected this moment, yes, but it still triggered different reactions.
While some still considered Allen someone dangerous due to his inexplicable strength, others wished they would stay. However, the decision had already been made—they had to move on.
From the passenger seat of the Humvee, Allen looked in the side mirror at the mansion he was leaving behind. He knew Soichiro Takagi was probably watching from somewhere, but he wouldn't dare come out to say goodbye.
"Brother, will we come back?" Alice asked from his lap. Allen gently patted the pink-haired girl's head. "Of course. After all, it's Saya's and Yuriko-san's home."
"Allen-kun..."
A mature woman's voice came from the backseat. He glanced at her through the mirror, which made her look away, embarrassed by what had happened that morning.
They hadn't had time to talk about it properly. But what could Yuriko say? Sorry for clinging to you all night.
Even a woman of her age could still feel embarrassed.
Allen cleared his throat. "Don't worry. I don't hold a grudge against Soichiro. On the contrary, we talked this morning and… well, we reached an agreement."
"What kind of agreement?" Saya asked curiously.
Seeing Saya's innocent eyes, Allen couldn't answer. As for Yuriko, she instantly tensed up.
"We have to do Soichiro a favor in exchange for letting you come with me."
"What?! Who cares if he opposes it?! I already decided to go with you!" Saya huffed.
Allen smiled. "Come on, you shouldn't talk like that about your father. How else am I supposed to get his blessing in the future?"
"Huh?!" Saya choked on her spit. Feeling the jealous and cold stares of the others, she shrank into her seat.
"Well, maybe Yuriko's blessing alone is enough, isn't it?" Allen narrowed his eyes as a half-smile formed.
Yuriko lowered her head, unable to look at him. At this point, she wanted to punch Allen. Fine, it had been her fault… but did he really need to embarrass her this much?
Allen laughed but stopped teasing her. He knew she had reached her limit.
"Suspicious…" Rei muttered.
"It's true," Saeko added, raising an eyebrow.
"Mou~" Shizuka puffed her cheeks.
"Tsk…" Kyoko clicked her tongue.
"…" Yuuki said nothing, but she glanced at Allen and then at Yuriko before opening her mouth.
The only one who didn't notice the strange atmosphere between Allen and Yuriko was Saya, who was too busy dealing with her own situation.
Wait! What does that mean?! Blessing?! Like asking for my hand in marriage?! Seriously?! What am I supposed to do?! Me, getting married?! Hmph! That guy isn't that lucky! Although… if he begged on his knees… it's not like I wouldn't think about it~
Time passed quickly, and twenty minutes later things had calmed down a bit.
Alice kept playing with Zeke, who was a very well-behaved little dog. Not only did he avoid barking unless necessary, but he would warn them when he needed to do his business so he wouldn't dirty the vehicle.
— "Boss, you need to see this."
Tsunoda's voice came through the walkie-talkie, tinged with disbelief and fear.
Allen frowned. "Shizuka…"
"Right." Shizuka sped up, and the bus behind them did the same.
She also warned Anemone and Takashi, who were patrolling on motorcycles several streets away, so they returned quickly.
….
….
The Humvee stopped in a blocked street, a bus parked sideways across the road. Tsunoda was already there, having gotten off his motorcycle and waiting for Allen.
Allen immediately covered Alice's eyes, then handed her to Yuriko, who looked worried.
"Don't worry," Allen said before stepping out of the Humvee with Saeko—whose face was cold—and Rei, who looked sickly pale.
Inside the Humvee and the bus, everyone was horrified.
Allen walked up to the stunned Tsunoda, patted his shoulder, and turned his attention to the bus.
"Disgusting…"
The blockage wasn't the problem. Hanging from the side of the bus were five charred bodies—their hands and feet tied. Judging from their anatomy, they were likely three men, one woman, and a child.
An abominable act no zombie could have done. A clear warning not to cross. Whoever did this wouldn't hesitate to attack anyone who tried to push through.
[Host, are you going in?]
Allen thought for a few seconds before deciding, "No"
They had no information on whoever did this. Entering blindly could lead them straight into a trap; in the worst case, someone could die. Besides, none of the group's relatives lived in that part of Suginami, so there was no reason to risk it.
"Although…"
Allen asked Saya to use a drone to check if she could find anything. The girl tried, her expression serious and a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek.
Humans could commit acts so vile and revolting that it made one doubt whether the world could ever return to normal—even if the zombies were wiped out.
Saya managed to see a building with people in the distance. They were armed and there were about a hundred of them, a large group.
Saya told Allen what she had seen, and he called a meeting on the remodeled second floor of the bus, which now had a small kitchen, a supply storage area, and several beds that would be rotated.
On the central table, Saya spread out a map showing the shortest route to Rei's house—the closest one.
"If we take a detour, it'll take several more hours instead of one," Saeko said calmly as she examined the route.
"What do we do?" Teshima asked Allen, arms crossed.
Allen thought for a moment before looking at Rei. "We'll take the detour. I'd rather lose a couple of hours than face a group of a hundred psychopaths who worship the god of flesh."
"…" Rei lowered her head, but soon raised it again and nodded.
Everyone sighed. They knew Allen wasn't afraid to face that and more. If he were alone, he might bulldoze through the blockade and destroy everything in his path. But with so many people depending on him, he refused to risk anyone's life.
That reality made some clench their fists and grit their teeth, wishing they were stronger.
"Stop!" Allen suddenly called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "Don't. Don't compare yourselves to something as abnormal as me. Maybe I'm a government experiment, an alien, a monster born from some virus—the point is, I'm not normal. You've already shown bravery, strength, and the will to face this world. Don't feel bad for not being able to charge into an enemy camp and tank hundreds of bullets with your bodies."
Allen smiled at the end.
"Leave that to me, you keep going at your own pace, don't worry, someday you won't need me, just be patient, heh."
As usual, Allen could leave everyone in shock with just a few words. Some even wondered whether this guy was really a student or a SEAL veteran with forty years of experience in the worst places on Earth.
With the matter settled, they took another route, needing to cross a bridge.
....
....
Gwen – Since this world is different, does that mean the geography is different too? This doesn't look anything like the Tokyo I know.
Rogue – Don't ask me. This doesn't look like the geography shown in the original HOTD either.
Emma W. – I suppose we can only observe.
....
The bridge was abandoned. It wasn't blocked, so they could cross it if they wanted, but there were many abandoned cars.
Allen signaled the modified bus, and that monster of a vehicle pushed the cars aside, opening a path.
It was a desolate sight. Half of those vehicles had broken windows and bloodstains inside, showing what had happened.
Asami, who was inside the bus, pressed her lips together, feeling sorry for so many people who had died.
"Asami-san, you don't have to blame yourself. No one expected the police to stop an apocalypse… or at least that's what I want to believe," Yui said, adjusting her glasses with a bitter smile.
Yui, like many others, was slowly accepting that this was the end of the world they knew. From that point on, they had to find a way to survive in this hostile world.
"Yes, thank you," Asami smiled weakly.
The group crossed the bridge without further trouble. This time, there was no crowd begging to pass, no police—just silence.
Once on the other side, they continued moving. This time Allen didn't allow the motorcycles to stray too far since it was unknown territory. Everything went smoothly until Zeke began barking.
Allen stopped the Humvee, causing the rest of the convoy to halt as well. On a wall, there was a fluffy white cat that looked a bit dirty.
Like many animals, it immediately ran toward Allen and began meowing. Allen picked it up and carried it to the bus, where he entrusted the girls with the important task of taking care of Mr. Furball.
"You couldn't pick another name?~" Asami said, pretending to be annoyed while holding Furball. However, this cat had lifted the girl's spirits.
"What do you mean? It's an elegant name," Allen replied, shrugging.
"Haha." Misuzu laughed while petting the cat's head. "I like it~"
"Allen-san, since we're already stopped, should we eat?" Yui suggested, wearing an apron.
Allen checked the time—exactly noon.
"Alright."
Allen gathered the group, leaving Hisashi, Morita, and Hirano on watch. After the others ate, they switched places so the three of them could eat too.
Once everyone was done, they continued their journey, which led them to a shopping mall.
....
*Moments before*
Inside the mall, there was a group of survivors, among them their provisional leader, a man named Tamura—a shaved-headed guy with a chain and rapper-style clothing. Despite his appearance, he seemed like a decent and fair person.
"Tamura, we need to think about what to do now..." an elderly man said with a worried look. His wife was sick and needed regular blood transfusions to survive. He couldn't stay in that mall for long.
"Amano-san..."
Tamura knew it was extremely dangerous to leave the mall, but he didn't want to abandon the elderly couple either.
"Don't say such nonsense! Who in their right mind would risk their life for a stranger?!" snapped a short-haired woman. Judging by her appearance, she still cared about makeup and lipstick even in the apocalypse.
"That's not the way to say it," Tamura growled.
"Hehe..." A gloomy young man sitting in a corner laughed mockingly. "What's the polite way to say the old woman is a burden no one wants to take care of?"
"You..." Tamura approached the young man, who immediately pulled out a knife.
"Come here, criminal! If I'm going to die, I'll take you with me!"
Tamura didn't back down and clenched his fists.
"Enough! Both of you!" said a burly man wearing a black beanie. "Tamura, I don't care how you want to die—that's your problem. But not everyone is as noble as you. So if you're going to get yourself killed, I'll stay in charge."
"Shimoda!"
Shimoda's gaze turned cold. Because of his size, everyone grew frightened—everyone except Tamura, who despite being less muscular, was athletic.
"Stop, both of you!" the old man interrupted. "They're right. I will go alone. She is my wife after all. Thank you for your good intentions, Tamura."
"Sir..."
Tamura gritted his teeth...
"Hey everyone!" A chubby guy with dyed hair rushed down the stairs. "The JSDF is coming!"
"What?!"
"Really?!"
"We're saved?!"
The group of survivors rushed to the rooftop expecting helicopters, but they saw nothing. Instead, they spotted a convoy led by an armored Humvee.
At first, they thought it was the JSDF, but upon taking a closer look and noticing several students in uniform, they realized it was a group of survivors. Even so, seeing such a large group gave them hope. But that surprise turned into fear, they were armed with firearms and melee weapons.
There were at least fifty zombies, but they were all killed, with katanas, bats, pipes, and metal bars without difficulty, which showed that everyone in that group was strong. What's more, they hadn't even used their firearms.
Once the parking lot was cleared, everyone lined up in front of the supermarket as if waiting for something.
Soon, the Humvee door opened, and a young man with white hair and a long coat stepped out.
He walked through his people and raised his gaze toward the survivors above. Everyone swallowed hard, expecting him to order them killed.
"Hey, up there. My group and I are lost. Would you mind giving us some directions?"
Allen's words shattered the tension so completely that Tamura almost tripped. But he quickly laughed and replied.
"Sorry, brother, I'm not great at remembering directions, but come on in—I'll buy you a beer!"
Allen smiled. "That's what I call hospitality."
Allen's group entered the mall.
....
*Flashback*
There were screams...
So many screams...
His name was Asahi Sakuraba, an ordinary office worker with two beautiful young children and a loving wife.
On a regular morning, just as he was saying goodbye to his wife—who had fixed his tie—he heard someone pounding on the door.
Given Japan's culture of respect, it was rare for people to be rude, even if they disliked you, so this was unusual.
Asahi, being a family man, couldn't just sit while his children were frightened. He stood up under his wife's worried eyes as she held the kids and walked to the door.
Outside, he saw his elderly neighbor, covered in blood. Panicked, he opened the door thinking she'd had an accident.
Huge mistake...
The old woman raised her head, revealing lifeless eyes—and worse, half her neck had been bitten off, creating a horrifying sight.
The woman, no longer human, lunged at him. Asahi tried to break free, but she was incredibly strong and bit into his neck.
His wife rushed to help but couldn't free him. It was impossible. Worse still, the old woman let go of him and lunged at his wife.
Seeing this, Asahi somehow found the strength to get up and, with an unnatural effort, pulled the old woman away from his wife.
"G-Go! I'm already dead! Take the kids and run!" the man shouted, choking on his own blood.
The most heartbreaking words anyone could hear threw his wife into shock. She shook her head, but when she saw his pleading eyes, she did it—she grabbed both children and fled.
The man resisted as long as he could until his strength faded and the old woman broke free. She immediately began devouring him. Even though he no longer reacted to the pain, his mind was fading. The only thing he wished for was his family's survival.
Bang
In the middle of his fading consciousness, Asahi heard a gunshot and the sound of a body hitting the ground.
"Sir! Dr. Maserato has escaped!"
"Damn it! The higher-ups are going to be angry!e!"
"Sir, this man is alive!"
"Impossible. How long has he been infected in that state?"
"A couple of hours, approximately..."
"Who is he?"
"Asahi Sakuraba. Just a salaryman… his only notable detail is that he was Dr. Maserato's neighbor."
"Is he immune?"
"No, but he seems to have some compatibility with the virus."
"Which one?"
"In this part of Tokyo, the T-virus was released."
"I see. Enroll him in the Nemesis Program, and contact Wesker. He might be interested..."
*End of flashback*
....
Albert Wesker stared at the screen in silence, tapping the table.
"Blue Queen, what is your analysis of Allen Walker?"
– The subject known as Allen Walker shows no mutation symptoms. It is speculated that he has achieved one hundred percent assimilation of the Harran virus. He is currently in an evolving stage. His potential is unknown, but he could be extremely useful for Projects Genesis, New Era, and After Life. –
"What do you think should be done?"
– Suggestion: He is not yet in an uncontrollable evolutionary stage. He should be captured as soon as possible. –
"I see... Contact Ashford and initiate Projects 23, 13, and 7. I want him alive. If that's not possible, his corpse will suffice."
– Understood, Mr. Wesker. Projects Nemesis, Lycan, and Mister X… online. Programming objective… Capture or Destroy Allen Walker. –
===