The hum of Ren's terminal flickered with an unease he hadn't felt in days.
[System Notice: Sector E-7 marked as anomaly zone. Atmospheric pressure fluctuations detected. Biological signal corruption level: 3.7%.]
"Zone Zero…" Ren murmured. "It's starting."
He stood atop the half-finished overpass on the city's western edge, a sharp breeze flaring his coat. Around him, civilization still thrived in ignorance. Just a few miles out, monsters were beginning to breathe.
But the real monster wasn't out there.
It walked in the heart of the city, wearing a smile and a silk tie.
---
The university was hosting a "Crisis Awareness Conference." Irony bled from every speaker's tongue. Officials peddled hope and resilience. Professors outlined theoretical threats. Students half-listened.
And then he took the stage.
**Kazuki Arata.**
The auditorium lit up like a stage show. Girls gasped. Boys looked in awe or irritation. He was effortless — elegant black suit, windswept hair, voice like silk through smoke.
Ren's blood chilled.
Not rage.
Something worse. Recognition.
**Flashback – Timeline Alpha**
> His knees hit the cold stone floor. His wife stood above him, eyes empty.
> Kazuki stepped from the shadows and whispered, "You deserve better, Aika. He's lost. Let him go."
> She nodded slowly. "Execute him."
> Ren's last memory: her lips on Kazuki's hand.
Ren gripped the chair so hard it creaked.
---
Kazuki's voice filled the hall. "When society collapses, we don't just need strength. We need unity, compassion… and the willingness to guide those who've lost their way."
> \[System Emotion Surge Detected: Hostile Nostalgia. Control Stabilization at 84%. Warning: Impulse Instability.]
Ren stood and walked out.
Ayaka followed minutes later, eyes searching. "You okay?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he asked: "Do you know who Kazuki is?"
She blinked. "Everyone does. He's a philanthropist. Helped fund clean water in Zone E. He's… kind."
Ren turned. "He's poison in perfume."
Ayaka frowned. "Why do you hate him?"
"…Because people like him don't fight with guns. They destroy from within."
She looked at him sharply. "Is this about something from before?"
He looked away, jaw tight. A storm flickered in his eyes.
> \[System Trigger: Memory Suppression Barrier Intact. Emotional Response Mask: Enabled. Loyalty Impact: Neutral.]
Ayaka's eyes lingered on him.
> \[System Resonance Detected: Ayaka Fujihara – Awakening Seed Active. Suppressed Timeline Fragments stirring. Loyalty +5%.]
She said nothing more, but something in her expression changed — cautious concern replaced by determined curiosity.
---
Hours later, Ren stood in the shadow of the Zone E fence.
A shimmer of something unnatural twisted the air.
> \[Zone Entry Warning: Atmospheric Distortion. Infection Probability: 7%. System Authority Override Possible via: Zone Command Protocol (Locked).]
He placed his hand on the fence.
> \[New Mission: Secure Zone E Control Point Before Kazuki's Network Expands. Time Limit: 5 days.]
He turned as Mika approached, hesitant but resolute.
"Ren... back there, when he was speaking... it felt like something was... pushing into my chest."
Ren smiled grimly. "That's how it starts."
> \[Mika Loyalty +12%. Skill Unlocked: Barrier Pulse — Emits a 2m shockwave that pushes threats and suppresses influence-based debuffs.]
Ayaka arrived next, arms crossed. "I don't trust that bastard either. He looked at me like I was already his."
Ren stepped forward, pulling up a holo-grid map.
"Good. Because this is where we hold the line. First stronghold zone is going live. And Kazuki?"
He pointed to a red marker on the edge of the map.
"He's not getting one step closer."
> \[Stronghold Blueprint Phase 1: Activated. Fortress Core Needed. Materials: 17% gathered.]
> \[System Progression: 13%. Emotional Resistance Module: Online. Kazuki Arata Influence Immunity: Temporary Boost Applied to Allies in Proximity.]
> \[Chapter Complete. Next Directive: Unveil Core System Expansion via Territory Control. Hidden Boss Threads Detected. Kazuki Arata Status: Intruder Level Thr
eat.]
The game had changed.
This time, Ren wasn't just building for survival.
He was preparing for war.