One Week After Mio's Arrival
Apocalypse World – Minami Rika's Home
In the quiet stillness of early morning, Rin Yuki gently pushed open the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. Behind him, both Miyamoto Mariko and Rei remained asleep, their breathing soft and steady under the covers.
Only once he confirmed they were still resting did Yuki quietly shut the door behind him.
When he entered the living room, the rest of the girls were already up.
Near the window, Minami Rika was carefully polishing her sniper rifle with a clean cloth, every motion deliberate and practiced. For her, the weapon wasn't just gear—it was like a trusted partner… or, if one looked closely, something more intimate.
Yuki knew that firsthand.
Rika, alongside Saeko, was one of the group's main combatants. While Saeko excelled in close combat, Rika had the long-range angle covered. They were a deadly pair when clearing out zombies or gathering supplies.
The moment Yuki entered, a high-pitched squeal came from the side.
"Yuki-kun! You're finally up~!"
Before he could react, Shizuka launched herself at him like an overly affectionate retriever. He caught her with ease, steadying her against his chest as she giggled and hugged him tight.
"Honestly…" Rika sighed from across the room. "Shizuka, you could at least try to act your age."
"Okaaay~" Shizuka replied in a sing-song tone, clearly ignoring every word.
Rika groaned, rubbing her forehead.
"Totally hopeless…"
Even after becoming a full-grown woman in every sense—thanks to one very intense night with Yuki—her airheaded best friend hadn't changed one bit.
"I like her just the way she is," Yuki said with a grin, running his hand gently through Shizuka's long blonde hair.
"Ehehe~" Shizuka purred happily, rubbing her cheek into his palm like a spoiled kitten. She then turned to Rika with a teasing smirk. "See? Yuki-kun likes me this way!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Rika replied dryly. "That's how he lured you into his harem so easily."
She still remembered how stunned she'd been after reuniting with Shizuka—only to hear her sweet, ditzy friend had handed over her virginity to a man she had just met.
At the time, it sounded ridiculous.
That is… until Rika met Yuki herself.
The man was too perfect. Impossibly attractive. A natural charmer. If incubi were real, he'd be the apex.
She'd tried to resist. She lasted three days.
And on the fourth, she gave in. Not because she was weak—but because fighting him felt futile. Especially in a dying world where happiness was rare.
"Rika's one to talk! You fell for him too~!" Shizuka huffed, slipping out of Yuki's arms and charging Rika with a playful growl.
"Wait—Shizuka! No—!"
"Revenge tickles incoming!"
"HAHA—S-stop it!! Damn it, Shizu—HAHAHA!!"
Rika's sniper rifle clattered to the ground as the two rolled across the floor in a tangle of giggles and limbs.
From the nearby kitchen, Saeko and Takagi Yuriko exchanged amused glances while prepping breakfast.
Yuki took a seat on the couch, eyes drifting over to Takagi Saya, who was hunched over a map spread out across the table.
"What's got you so focused?" he asked.
Without looking up, she adjusted her glasses.
"Saeko wants to clear the zombie-infested area around a U.S. bank vault later. I'm calculating the best entry and exit routes."
Yuki raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, we're hitting vaults in the U.S. now?"
He understood that they'd already looted every vault in Japan—but crossing worlds for gold felt… bold.
Saya shrugged. "It's the apocalypse. Leaving valuable resources behind is a waste. Saeko's words, not mine."
Yuki opened his mouth to argue—then thought better of it.
…Yeah. Hard to argue with apocalypse logic.
Besides, gold still held value in most worlds.
And Saeko, ever the noble warrior, hated being completely dependent on the chat group's support. Instead, she gathered gold through raids and handed it off to other members as "repayment." Yuki's spatial powers made it possible, teleporting the heavy bullion easily across worlds.
Still, his biggest contribution wasn't gold.
It was the CR-UNIT combat suits—one for every woman in the house. Suits that boosted agility, strength, and defense. Even Shizuka had one.
She mostly wore it to chase stray cats.
Soon, the rich aroma of Yuriko's cooking filled the room, cutting short the girls' planning session.
By the time Rei and Mariko woke up and entered the dining area, breakfast was already over—only Shizuka and Rika remained, play-wrestling on the floor in a lazy tangle of limbs and giggles.
New York City – USA
What was once the symbol of global ambition now stood broken.
Wall Street was a wasteland. Buildings blackened. Skyscrapers hollowed out like skulls. Paper money fluttered through the air, worthless confetti in a dead economy.
Yuki sat lounging atop the stone lion outside the Federal Reserve, one leg casually draped over the edge, watching the action unfold.
Below him, Saeko moved like lightning.
She had evolved.
Her swordsmanship had reached a new peak: Extreme Shadow: Blade Art. Each swing of her katana cleaved space itself. Her slashes didn't just kill—they distorted reality. Trails of black light followed behind her like ribbons, each one slicing zombies with surgical grace.
Her strikes reminded Yuki of that white-haired swordsman from a certain dimensional anime—effortless, brutal, clean.
As her blade danced, dozens of undead fell in pieces.
Then—
Ding!
[System Alert: New Chat Group Members!]
"The Eternal Queen" has joined!
"Heretic Goddess" has joined!
The group chat exploded within seconds.
Yuki smirked, still watching Saeko carve through enemies.
Huaizhu: "Welcome, newcomers! Just so you know, this isn't a dream. If you're confused, check the pinned guide!"
Raiden: "Finally! Two new faces! Welcome to the chaos!"
Artemis: "Welcome~! Wait—another goddess? What's with the 'Heretic' part, though?"
Yuki: "Greetings, newcomers."
Seitenshi: "Oh my~ New members! And one's a Queen and one's a Goddess? That's a rare combo!"
Huaizhu: "Whoa, even the Emperor made an appearance! The newbies must be special."
Seitenshi: "Mhm~ I've been busy lately… but I couldn't resist popping in to greet them!."