Sakura Nation.
Third floor, in an upscale apartment complex.
Click!
With a soft sound, the door lock was picked open.
"Th Thank you so much…"
Fuyuto Yukinoshita's cheeks were red as she spoke in a shy, gentle voice.
For a woman like her, someone who was terrible at socializing and lived alone, even asking for help took a ridiculous amount of courage.
"We're neighbors, Mrs. Yukinoshita. No need to be so polite."
Natsuki Yuu put away the lockpicking tools in his hand and gave Fuyuto Yukinoshita a warm smile.
He'd been in this world for a while now.
It was a multiverse anime world.
And his next door neighbor was none other than the famous Fuyuto Yukinoshita.
Only…
This widow, awkward around people, was the kind of woman you could live beside for years and still barely see.
Every time they crossed paths, she would keep her distance so thoroughly that he could not even manage a proper conversation.
If she hadn't forgotten her keys today, and if he didn't happen to know how to pick locks, he probably would not have had a chance to exchange even a few words with this beautiful neighbor.
But even so, that "connection" ended there.
The moment she finished thanking him, Fuyuto Yukinoshita slipped inside like a frightened rabbit, shutting the door and cutting him off completely.
"Closing the door helps, sure. If I wanted in, I could still get in."
Natsuki Yuu shrugged.
He picked locks for a living. What door could stop him?
This kind of apartment door would take two seconds, at most.
Still, he was not about to hold it against her.
There would be time.
Natsuki Yuu smiled, his expression bright and almost playful.
And besides…
In this apartment building, Fuyuto Yukinoshita was not the only anime character living here.
That was the best thing about a multiverse world.
"Coming to a world like this is all about capturing heroines, right? Too bad I've been here this long and still haven't gotten a 'System' to bless me."
"Is it because I'm not handsome enough?"
"That can't be it…"
He went back to his own unit and checked himself in the mirror.
No doubt about it. He was on that "movie star" level.
Then, at that exact moment
Ding!
[Detected the host's desire. Heroine Codex System activating.]
"Huh?"
Natsuki Yuu froze.
He had just talked about a system, and now it actually showed up?
A Heroine Codex?
What was that supposed to be?
[This system improves the host's strength by recording heroines. When the number of collected heroines reaches certain thresholds, the host will obtain special rewards.]
[However, this requires one condition: their dependence on the host must reach 100%.]
[As for how to record them, and how to increase dependence… you already know.]
"Ah?"
Know what?
This is not the kind of "car" you take to kindergarten, okay?
Natsuki Yuu rubbed his forehead, speechless.
So in the end, it was just a "conquer-the-heroines" system.
Only…
He had to conquer them first before he got anything.
Couldn't it give rewards first, and then he could conquer them with a head start?
Or at least give him a beginner gift pack.
That way his first move would be a lot easier.
Ding!
[Beginner Gift Pack has been issued.]
[Contents: 5 m² spatial inventory, enhanced physique, 100 free food supply packs.]
The more Natsuki Yuu looked at the gift pack, the more something felt off.
Spatial inventory.
Enhanced physique.
Food supplies.
Was this really meant to help him conquer heroines?
Or was it meant to throw him into some survival deathmatch?
"System, you gave me the wrong gift pack, didn't you?"
[No mistake has been made. Three minutes from now, this plane will suffer an epic-level disaster. Host, prepare to survive.]
"Unbelievable…"
Natsuki Yuu's face changed instantly.
He had not even started enjoying the life of being surrounded by heroines, and now the world was ending?
Three minutes later
Boom!
Thunder exploded across the sky.
A moment ago, the heavens had been a flawless, bright blue.
In the next instant, massive storm clouds rolled in, layer upon layer, swallowing the light.
The sky darkened like a curtain dropping.
Then crimson rain poured down, thick and violent, like someone had flung buckets of ink-red blood across the city.
The entire place was swallowed by an apocalyptic gloom.
Natsuki Yuu stood by the window, staring at the terrifying scene outside. He let out a long sigh.
"So it's real."
His gaze swept downward.
Scattered groups of people were sprinting toward the apartment building.
Some had already been drenched by the crimson rain.
The liquid clung to their bodies like sticky glue, turning them into walking blood-soaked figures. It looked horrifying.
Natsuki Yuu narrowed his eyes.
"They're still alive after getting hit by it. So it doesn't seem corrosive… but are they going to turn into zombies or something?"
The system had only said "apocalypse."
It did not say what kind.
So for now, he could not make a judgment.
But one thing was certain.
He was not stepping outside.
Not now.
Too dangerous.
At the same time, he opened his phone.
The apartment owner group chat had already exploded.
"Holy crap… is this the end of the world?"
"Mom! I got splashed by the blood rain! What is this? I can't wash it off!"
"This is disgusting. Someone tell me how to clean it!"
"Everyone calm down. The experts said it's a normal natural disaster and it'll end in an hour. They'll also invent a blood-rain diluting agent soon."
"Quiet, everyone. I'm the building management. Starting now, follow my instructions. Orders from above: stay in your homes and do not go outside."
…
Natsuki Yuu skimmed the messages and shook his head.
"These people still don't realize… this is only the beginning."
"I need to move fast and raise my strength."
His eyes darkened as he shifted his attention to the group member list.
There were many heroines living in this apartment building.
Over the past few days, he had investigated and confirmed it.
Next door: Fuyuto Yukinoshita.
Upstairs, Unit 3: Yukino Yukinoshita.
Sixth floor, Unit 4: Karen Inukai.
Unit 8: Megumi Katou.
And on the second floor: Mashiro Shiina.
Those five were the real priority targets.
"Before the apocalypse, I could take my time conquering them. But not anymore."
Natsuki Yuu had always known the apocalypse would change everything.
Order would collapse.
The ugliest parts of human nature would swell without limits.
These people might seem obedient now.
But give it a few days, once the food runs out, and they would start looting.
And not just for food.
For women, too.
"I can pick locks. Getting into a heroine's apartment isn't a problem. But who do I conquer first to get dependence? I need to set the order."
"Still… I don't know if forcing a conquest can raise dependence."
[Host, dependence must be obtained according to each heroine's traits.]
[Some heroines will grant dependence even while hating the host. Others will not. Different heroines require different conquest methods.]
"How do I check a heroine's traits?"
Natsuki Yuu had found the real issue.
[The host only needs to meet the heroine to view all her traits.]
[Of course, the host may also analyze them personally.]
Natsuki Yuu clicked his tongue, unimpressed.
If I could analyze everything myself, why would I need you?
Then…
He suddenly thought of something.
He actually could analyze, at least a little.
He could at least decide the priority order.
After all, these heroines were familiar to him.