Wearing the yellow jacket, Takashi couldn’t have imagined that his dreams would turn out to be memories of a past life. But now he no longer denied them and decided to accept them, especially after Alex’s explanation—the man, or rather demon, who was now his stepfather.

The hazy images from his dreams were becoming clearer, and new details surfaced in his mind. He finally realized that he’d been “isekai’d,” though, unfortunately, he hadn’t received any perks. The only advantage was having a very powerful stepdad.

As he descended the stairs from the rooftop of the bank where his conversation with Alex had just ended, Takashi mulled over his newfound revelations. He now knew that other worlds were real—even those that had once seemed fictional, whether from manga, video games, or movies. However, luck had once again played a cruel joke on him: instead of a fantastical world, he was thrown into the harsh reality of a zombie apocalypse.

“Heh, out of one hellhole and into another,” he muttered under his breath with a smirk. “But like he said, no choice in the matter.”

With every step downward, the absurdity of his situation became more apparent. For anyone else, it might have been overwhelming, but not for him. The sight of real zombies, memories of Night City, and conversations with Alex had all become part of his new reality.

More than anything, though, he wanted to see his mother, Gloria, again—hear her voice and see her smile. He knew Alex had promised to call him when he contacted home, and that thought warmed his heart. A faint smile crossed Takashi’s face as the melancholy that weighed on him began to fade.

Once he reached the bottom, he was met with the bustling atmosphere of a survivor camp. People were hard at work—some welding steel plates to windows, others mixing cement and pouring it between rebar to reinforce defenses. Women were cooking, cleaning up debris, and children were helping to bag waste.

However, as soon as Takashi appeared, many people turned to look at him, struggling to suppress their grins. Of course, they all remembered how the robo-dogs had dragged him to the roof, tied up like an offering. Back then, it had been a source of laughter for everyone.

Takashi felt his face tighten slightly at the memory of that humiliation. He sighed and shook his head, trying to ignore the chuckles. Walking further, he spotted a group of men working and thought about Alex’s assignment: to learn how to shoot. His destination was one of his old friends, a classmate named Kota.

When Takashi found Kota, he saw him surrounded by female officers, chatting with them. It was unexpected—Kota, who had once been shy and introverted, now seemed much more popular. Takashi couldn’t help but think how much his friend had changed.

Meanwhile, Kota himself appeared visibly uncomfortable under the intense stares of the women.

He recalled Alex’s advice: “A jealous girl is dangerous. And if there’s more than one, consider yourself in trouble.”

Those words now made perfect sense.

Instead of immediately greeting the girls when they arrived, Kota had stayed behind with the guys, discussing weapons. Now he was dealing with the consequences.

“Did you get all that?” one of the officers asked sternly.

“Yes, ma’am!” Kota straightened up like a soldier at attention.

He was certainly glad to have a girlfriend—a real one, not a virtual character—but with that came its own set of challenges. As someone who had never been in a relationship before, Kota was trying to figure out how to act and what to do. The female officers, noticing his slight panic, just smiled, enjoying their little prank to spook their boyfriend a bit.

When Kota saw their smiles, he sighed in relief, realizing he had avoided any serious consequences. The situation reminded him of his father, who was often scolded by his mother in much the same way. He suddenly understood that this trait—getting into trouble with women—was apparently inherited.

As the tension eased, Kota turned his head and noticed Takashi standing in the doorway. Takashi was looking at him with a peculiar expression, but what really caught Kota’s attention was the jacket Takashi was wearing. Kota’s eyes widened in amazement as he recognized the iconic piece, and they lit up as if he’d just discovered the Holy Grail.

The female officers also noticed Takashi and his jacket, curious about his presence there. Kota’s immediate switch to “otaku mode” made them sigh in resignation. Wasting no time, Kota strode over to Takashi and began inspecting the jacket with barely contained excitement.

“Takashi, where did you get this? Tell me right now, don’t keep me in suspense! I thought I’d never see something this rare again!” he blurted out, stopping in front of him.

Kota had immediately recognized the jacket, especially with the name “Martinez” embroidered on it. Once again, Takashi was reminded that his classmate was an incurable fan of all things iconic. At the same time, his mind began frantically constructing a plausible lie, as he couldn’t exactly explain that the jacket had belonged to his mother in a past life and was given to him by his demon stepfather.

“Alex gave it to me,” Takashi replied calmly, trying to sound confident.

“Damn it! If I’d known he had another piece of legendary gear, I would’ve begged him for it myself! The guy’s already a walking treasure trove of unique artifacts—from his weapons to his motorcycle… Ugh, so unfair!” Kota groaned, clutching his chest in mock despair.

Takashi stared at him blankly. Kota’s reaction brought back memories of his time in Night City, studying at the Arasaka Academy. His wealthy classmates had behaved the same way whenever they couldn’t get their hands on some trendy item. Back then, Takashi, being far removed from their world, couldn’t understand the obsession. And now, here he was, facing a similar kind of person—this time in the form of his classmate.

Takashi glanced briefly at the female officers, whose expressions clearly indicated they understood what was going on, which brought a slight smile to his face.

“I don’t think he’d give you this jacket,” Takashi added, deciding to crush Kota’s dreams a little further.

“Why not? And why would he give it to you? That’s so unfair!” Kota exclaimed, his voice filled with dramatic self-pity.

Takashi felt a strange sense of ease. Unexpectedly, his heart felt lighter from this small scene. He couldn’t explain why, but watching Kota like this seemed to make his recent troubles melt away.

Meanwhile, Kota continued to whine like a child who couldn’t get the toy he wanted. Even the female officers looked at him with an urge to console him.

“Maybe Alex gave him the jacket because he stopped acting like a complete idiot,” Rey suddenly commented as she passed by, overhearing the conversation.

Takashi’s eye twitched at Rey’s comment, and he didn’t know how to respond. She was right—lately, he hadn’t been acting in the best way. Even Kota, who had just been crying, suddenly froze and stared at Takashi.

“Well, that makes sense,” Kota said, nodding confidently.

Takashi’s eye twitched even harder. Kota’s words practically confirmed that he had been acting like a complete idiot. Rey, noticing his reaction, only smiled wider as Takashi’s face began to show signs of irritation, the “black lines” of annoyance becoming more visible.

“Got nothing better to do? Go back to whatever you were doing,” Takashi grumbled, pointing towards Rey.

“Nah, nothing to do. I just finished my training and now I’m looking for Alex. He’s not in the observation room, so I’m checking all possible places,” she replied carelessly, shrugging her shoulders.

“He’s on the roof with the girl with green braids and his three pets,” Takashi said curtly.

“Okay, thanks,” Rey tossed over her shoulder as she made her way toward the exit leading to the roof.

Takashi watched her go, feeling a vague sense of confusion. He used to like Rey, but now he wasn’t so sure. Especially considering even an idiot could notice her growing interest in Alex. He sighed heavily, deciding to push those thoughts aside and focus on the present.

When he turned back, he found Kota had finally calmed down, but was still staring at his jacket in awe, practically drooling.

“Hey, are you with us?” Takashi asked, snapping his fingers in front of Kota’s face to get his attention.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m here. So what do you need? You didn’t come just to flaunt that amazing jacket and torment my soul, did you?” Kota said, wiping the drool from the corners of his mouth.

“I came to ask you to teach me how to shoot. You know how things are right now. I think skills like using firearms wouldn’t hurt,” Takashi explained, trying to ignore the irritation caused by Kota’s words.

“You’ve come to the right place, young padawan. This master will teach you everything you need to survive in a world where zombies run rampant!” Kota declared, instantly switching to “teacher mode.”

For a moment, Takashi regretted asking Kota for help instead of the girl with the green braids, who might have taught him without all the fanfare and drama. But it was too late to back out now—Kota grabbed his hand and enthusiastically dragged him somewhere, with an energy that even anime fans could envy.

The female officers, who had also become curious, followed them to see how the lesson would go and how well Takashi would handle shooting for the first time. As Kota dragged him along, Takashi couldn’t help but wonder how it had come to this—his classmate was now going to teach him how to shoot.

While Takashi was sorting out his own issues, Rey, following his directions, made her way to the roof. Her gaze fell on Alex and Rebecca, who were basking in the setting sun. Nearby, the trio of “troublemakers”—GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—were happily playing video games.

Rey decided to play a prank and sneak up on Alex to scare him and Rebecca. But, as if Alex had eyes in the back of his head, he turned his head and smiled at her. Realizing she had been spotted, Rey smiled awkwardly and, deciding not to miss the chance to rest, joined them.

She was grateful that Alex and Saya had thought ahead when setting up the windmill, making sure there were comfortable chairs for observing the process. Settling into one of them, Rey leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the silence and warmth of the setting sun.

Her thoughts inevitably drifted back to her training with Brunhilde. Now she understood what she had meant when she called herself a “strict teacher.” Rey had never been so exhausted, even when she first joined the spear section at the Academy.

Rebecca and Alex also remained silent, enjoying the peaceful moment. When Rey opened her eyes, she looked at Alex’s profile. His serene smile struck her as unusual, especially compared to the tense expressions of the past few days.

Deciding not to burden herself with unnecessary thoughts, Rey returned to her rest.

After a while, Saeko came up to the roof. Sensing the peaceful atmosphere, she decided to join them. Taking a chair, she sat on the opposite side of Alex, sharing this rare moment of calm with the others.

Later, Shizuka joined them, looking exhausted after examining the children and administering IVs and injections. The group had grown with new survivors, rescued by Alex and his team from the police station. Despite the joy of reuniting with surviving colleagues, Shizuka was drained. Upon hearing Alex was on the roof, she decided to go up there.

“I see you’re done. Are you tired?” Alex asked without turning around.

“Very. Who would have thought examining so many patients would be so exhausting? I’m glad I didn’t go work at the hospital. It would have been even harder,” Shizuka replied, walking closer.

“But you managed. You were the one who wanted to be the group’s doctor. If it gets tough next time, ask GIR or MIMI for help. They’ll manage, even if you need to perform brain surgery,” Alex said with a light smile.

Shizuka was about to nod but paused, wondering why brain surgery might be necessary in such a situation. Her gaze fell on the two robo-dogs, GIR and MIMI, who were eagerly playing video games nearby. Noticing her look, they both raised their thumbs in unison, showing they were ready to tackle any task.

The girls, not understanding why Alex thought it necessary to train robo-dogs for such complex medical procedures, exchanged confused glances. Alex just quietly laughed at their expressions and said nothing further.

Gradually, the conversation became livelier, and everyone began discussing different topics. After some time, Saya came up to the roof, deciding to give her eyes a rest after observing zombie behavior. Seeing Alex and the others sitting and chatting, she grabbed a chair and joined the group.

Later, Kiriko, Brunhilde, and little Alice arrived, holding Brunhilde’s hand. Noticing the harmonious atmosphere, they also decided to stay. Alice immediately ran over to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch to see how they were playing.

Noticing that Alice didn’t have a console to play with the “troublemakers,” Alex smiled and got her attention:

“Alice, do you want to play too?”

Alice, hearing Alex’s words, turned toward him. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks—she clearly wanted to play but was too shy to ask for the console. Her gaze slid to Brunhilde, as if looking for support. Brunhilde, sensing Alice’s embarrassment, gently nodded, signaling that she needn’t be afraid. Gaining confidence, Alice looked at Alex and shyly nodded.

Alex smiled, reached into his inner pocket, and pulled out a gaming console, similar to the one GIR, MIMI, and Stitch had.

“Here you go,” he said, handing the device to Alice. “And don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need anything. Since you consider Brunhilde your older sister, that means I’m your older brother. And there’s no room for embarrassment in a family.”

Alice, smiling shyly, took the console.

“Thank you, older brother,” she said in a quiet voice, her face lighting up with joy.

“You’re welcome, little hobbit. Now go play,” Alex added warmly, patting the girl on the head.

Alice hugged the console to her chest, beaming with happiness, and hurried over to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. They eagerly began teaching her the basics of the game. Alex and the other girls watched the scene, smiling.

“Maybe, when we get to Okinawa,” Alex thought aloud, “I’ll borrow a military ship and set up a game room for the kids. Let them get a little distraction from all this chaos. Even in a zombie apocalypse, kids need a childhood.”

“You care about the kids?” Kiriko asked, looking at him with interest.

“I think it’s important,” Alex replied, shrugging slightly. “It’s better they play than be afraid of zombie attacks every minute.”

“You’re right,” Saya agreed, adjusting her glasses. “Kids really need something to distract them. Unlike adults, who adapt to situations more easily.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The conversation smoothly shifted to other topics, and the evening silence enveloped them until it was almost completely dark. When it became difficult to distinguish faces in the dark, Alex pulled out a simple lamp and placed it at his feet, illuminating the area without drawing too much attention.

However, their peace was shattered by the sound of an explosion in the distance. Everyone flinched and looked toward the flash.

“What’s going on this time?” Saya frowned, squinting at the horizon.

“It’s the substation,” Alex replied, standing up from his spot and walking to the edge of the roof. “Fortunately, we have the wind turbine and solar panels that stored enough energy. But this explosion is definitely not accidental.”

“What do you mean?” Kiriko asked, stepping closer.

“Zombies couldn’t have done this. The substation is surrounded by a fence, and no one’s been there for a long time.”

“Maybe someone accidentally triggered the explosion while trying to hide there?” Rey suggested, watching the fire in the distance.

“We’ll find out now,” Alex said firmly, addressing his robo-dog. “GIR, go ahead.”

“Are you planning to go there?” Kiriko asked, her voice full of concern.

“Yes. We need to figure out what happened. Rebecca, connect to the camera near the substation. Unfortunately, because of the explosion, we’ve lost most of the surveillance points in the city.”

Alex, frowning, rubbed his nose, contemplating the next operation.

GIR ran up to Alex, jumped onto his back, and clung to him tightly, like a backpack. Once he made sure GIR was securely in place, Alex adjusted the robot’s position, recalling the previous incident when the robot had fallen off. That had almost resulted in problems with Gloria. Taking a few steps back, Alex prepared to jump.

Kiriko, noticing his intent, tried to stop him but didn’t manage to in time. Alex gathered speed, pushed off from the edge of the roof, and effortlessly leaped to the neighboring building, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

“How?!” Kiriko asked in shock, staring at the direction Alex had disappeared.

“Mama, did you forget how he carried us in his arms when we saved you from those ungrateful people?” Rey asked, bewildered.

“This is completely different!” Kiriko retorted, pointing to the neighboring roof. “Carrying two girls in your arms and jumping over that distance are not the same thing!”

Rey, unsure how to respond, just shrugged and decided to approach Rebecca to see what she had observed. Kiriko, realizing she wouldn’t get an answer, followed her.

The girls gathered around Rebecca, who took her phone from her inner pocket and connected to the camera set up near the substation. The screen displayed a live feed: flames engulfing the substation, lighting up the surroundings.

Rebecca quickly scrolled through the footage, trying to find the moment before the explosion. Stopping at the right timestamp, she watched the clip several times but couldn’t notice anything suspicious.

“Here! Zoom in on this area!” Saya suddenly pointed at a specific spot on the footage.

Rebecca zoomed in on the indicated part of the screen. As they all watched intently, the girls saw a group of armed individuals, resembling special forces soldiers, confidently moving through the ranks of zombies. What was most shocking— the zombies didn’t react to these people at all, in fact, they seemed to part, trying to stay away from them.

“How is that possible? The zombies are just moving aside for them!” Rey exclaimed in astonishment.

In the footage, the strange soldiers were seen using a device to open the gates of the substation and entered inside.

“Alex was right,” Saya murmured thoughtfully, adjusting her glasses. “The zombie apocalypse is definitely someone’s doing. But why destroy the substation?”

“I don’t know all the details,” Rebecca replied, “but maybe it’s to deprive the people of what little comfort they have left. Power stations in other places might have already stopped working, or maybe they were also ‘helped’ to shut down. But one thing is clear: someone is intentionally causing this chaos.”

The girls exchanged glances, realizing that the apocalypse was much more than a natural disaster.

The girls could only let out a cold sigh, realizing that the zombie apocalypse was indeed the result of someone’s actions. Furthermore, these people seemed to be trying to completely wipe out those who survived the first wave. By cutting off water and electricity, they would condemn the survivors to utter despair.

Most likely, the situation with water would also become critical. They might not even intervene, as over time, the reservoirs would become contaminated with the bodies of zombies falling into them, spreading the infection.

Rebecca inserted the communicator into her ear:

“Handsome, are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m almost at the substation. Did you figure anything out?” Alex responded, continuing his approach to the target.

“You were right. Someone is definitely behind this. A group of soldiers infiltrated the substation and set off an explosion,” Rebecca reported, reviewing the footage again.

“Great. If I make it before they leave, we’ll have a guest for tea. So make sure to be as hospitable as possible,” Alex replied, with a light tone of amusement in his voice.

“As usual?” Rebecca asked for clarification.

“Yeah, as usual,” he confirmed.

“Got it. I’ll get everything ready,” she said and disconnected.

The girls exchanged glances, trying to understand what Alex meant by “inviting them for tea” and what Rebecca was going to prepare. The first thought—teacups and snacks to welcome the guest—was quickly discarded. Knowing Rebecca’s character, they realized that her preparation meant something entirely different.

In the past few days, they had gotten to know Rebecca and Brunhilde better. Brunhilde, strict and demanding, preferred everything to go according to her instructions. On the other hand, Rebecca, though chaotic, was straightforward. If she had to be described in one word, she would be a true “gremlin,” except for the rare moments when she acted responsibly.

Ignoring the girls’ looks, Rebecca waved at MIMI and Stitch, signaling them to come downstairs and gather everything necessary for “hospitality.”

Meanwhile, Alex sped up, realizing every moment counted—the potential informant could slip away. Even if this person turned out to be just “cannon fodder,” they could know something valuable.

Jumping from roof to roof, Alex finally reached the hill where he had previously set up a camera with a view of the substation. He noticed the open gates through which crowds of zombies were passing, and turned his gaze to the burning substation.

Lighting a cigarette, Alex used his mana pulse to check for living beings. The response confirmed that the group of soldiers was still on the premises.

He crouched down, deciding to observe for a while. He didn’t have to wait long— a group of soldiers dressed in black tactical gear without insignia emerged from the building and headed toward the exit.

What caught Alex’s attention was that the zombies were literally parting ways for these people, as if avoiding them.

“Huh… interesting,” Alex muttered, stroking his chin as he carefully observed what was happening.

The group of soldiers confidently moved through the crowds of zombies, ignoring them. Alex kept a sharp eye on every move, assessing the situation. It was still too early to act—he wanted to figure out how they would leave the area. Unless, of course, the corporation behind all of this had invented a teleportation device to evacuate its people.

Moving through the rows of mindless monsters, the soldiers headed in a specific direction. Alex silently leaped onto the nearest tree and began following them, staying in the shadows. Getting close enough, he strained his ears to catch their conversation.

“HQ, this is Delta-3. Mission accomplished. The substation is destroyed,” one of the soldiers reported, speaking into his communicator.

Alex instantly marked this person as the leader of the group. Leaping to the next branch, he continued to observe, trying not to miss a single word.

“No problems, nothing unexpected… Everything went smoothly and neatly… Yeah, I got it… Heading to the next location. Over and out,” the commander concluded the conversation.

The leader turned to his subordinates:

“Listen up, guys. We’ve got a new assignment. Orders from HQ. A new specimen has been spotted, and it needs to be captured. We follow the standard procedure: capture, pack, return. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded in unison.

The mention of a “new specimen” piqued Alex’s curiosity, but he quickly decided it didn’t matter. His target was the soldiers themselves and their connection to HQ. He continued to follow them until they reached a black armored jeep.

Settling on a nearby branch, Alex watched as the group prepared to leave. Once everyone was inside and the engine roared to life, he knew the moment had come.

With the grace of a predator, Alex dropped from the tree and landed directly on the hood of the jeep. The impact was so forceful that the front of the vehicle bent under his weight, and the jeep nearly flipped over. The stunned faces of the soldiers inside were enough to speak volumes.

Alex smirked and leaned his head toward the window.

“Good evening, ladies. How about a cup of tea?”

A wide, almost frightening grin spread across his face.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep