Multiverse: Saving Anime Heroines in the Apocalypse

"Sosuke, get some rest. It's almost two in the morning. I'll take over the watch tonight."

Haruno Yukinoshita volunteered. Sosuke Kitahara nodded. He had spent many nights sleeping outdoors and knew how grueling night watch duty could be. Since Haruno had already rested and offered to take over, he gladly accepted.

Haruno smiled, "It's cold at night, and there aren't any blankets on the helipad. Let's huddle together to stay warm."

In the corner, Utaha Kasumigaoka was already sitting against the wall. Yukino Yukinoshita sat beside her. Neither had rested well through the night, and now their eyelids drooped with drowsiness.

Haruno sat on the outermost edge, leaving a deliberate space between herself and Utaha.

As soon as Sosuke sat down, Haruno leaned against him. Their shoulders touched. Noticing Sosuke's surprised look, Haruno smiled faintly. "This way, the wind won't reach you."

"I can handle it. You don't need to do this. My body is strong enough to endure a little cold."

He wasn't lying. After reaching First Stage physical enhancement, his resistance to minor illnesses like the common cold had grown exponentially. Even before, with his constitution, a night of this kind of wind wouldn't have fazed him.

"Doesn't matter."

Haruno tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "You fought all the zombies along the way. At least let me do something for you, even if it's as simple as blocking the wind. I can handle that much. My jacket is lined with fleece. It's actually quite warm."

"Haruno-san is so considerate," Utaha muttered sourly.

"What can I say? I don't have Sosuke's strength," Haruno replied cheerfully, as if she didn't catch Utaha's tone. Her smile grew even brighter. "If I had even half of Sosuke's power, I would have protected you well, Utaha, and never let you get hurt."

"Thank you, Haruno-san," Utaha pouted, her cheeks flushing slightly, feeling that her thoughts had been seen through.

Yukino and Sosuke exchanged glances, quickly looking away in embarrassment. Sosuke chuckled to himself. He was well aware of Haruno's feelings but it wasn't the kind of romantic affection one might assume.

Regardless, her gesture warmed his heart. It might have seemed trivial, and maybe the wind wasn't even that effectively blocked, but Haruno still chose to do it, showing that she genuinely remembered and appreciated everything Sosuke had done. More importantly, she responded with real, tangible actions.

In the apocalypse, even the smallest things could mean everything.

Sosuke leaned against the wall. On the other side of the wall was a stairwell packed with zombies. The helipad reeked of death. The constant growls and scratching sounds made it impossible to fall asleep. Yet, to his surprise, he felt no disgust. If anything, he felt a faint thrill.

Humans are strange like that.

Sosuke laughed at himself, pressing his katana close to his chest before closing his eyes. As he drifted off, a line of poetry inexplicably surfaced in his mind:

"You stand on the bridge watching the scenery. Someone upstairs is watching you. The bright moon adorns your window, and you adorn someone else's dream."

Sayuri... you adorn my dreams. Who is adorning yours tonight?

At that moment, in a private residence somewhere in Tokyo, a lavishly decorated room sat in silence. Sayuri Sawamura stood barefoot by a large floor-to-ceiling window, her thin nightgown clinging to her form. She lightly bit her lip as she stared blankly at the distant city lights. Gunfire and explosions echoed intermittently from afar.

On the large bed behind her lay a petite girl with soft, golden hair cascading over her trembling lashes.

A crumpled note rested quietly on the bedside table. It read:

"Sorry, Madam. The helicopter crashed. No survivors."

...

Sunlight slowly spilled across the helipad, washing away the cold and darkness of the night.

Sosuke Kitahara carefully regulated his breathing. He confirmed that "Total Concentration Breathing: Constant" worked just as described he was still breathing in that specialized rhythm even while asleep. Even in slumber, his body continued to change.

His lungs expanded and contracted rhythmically, and with each motion, his strength subtly increased.

If someone could see inside his body, they would witness countless threads extending from his lungs throughout his body. These threads were the foundation of his progression the source of his evolving strength.

As he advanced, these threads would gradually fuse into a single, powerful stream, signifying his leap to a higher tier of awakening.

At least, that was what he'd been told. Whether it would really happen still remained to be seen.

"Sosuke, you're awake..."

Haruno straightened up, still holding her phone. Her face was etched with fatigue, the long night watch taking its toll.

In truth, Sosuke had woken up long ago but had remained silent, savoring a brief moment of reflection.

Their movement stirred Utaha and Yukino awake. They sat up, rubbing their eyes.

Though they had initially fallen asleep sitting against the wall, both now found themselves lying on the ground.

"Still no signal?" Sosuke asked.

Haruno sighed. "Not only is there no signal, but even the service provider has vanished. There's no network at all."

Sosuke frowned and took a sip of water. "This disaster hit hard. I'm sure the authorities are scrambling to contain it. For now, all rescue efforts must be in chaos. But as long as people are still alive, rescue will come eventually. The most effective method would be helicopters. And we're definitely not the only ones who thought of that. My only concern is whether your family's helicopter has been commandeered by the JSDF. Even if it's airborne, there's no guarantee it'll come here first."

"That's why my mother and I agreed if the helicopter doesn't arrive today, we won't wait any longer."

Haruno wasn't the type to cling to false hope. She had already planned for this possibility.

Sosuke slowly shook his head. "The bigger problem now is that the stairwell is completely blocked by zombies. The only way down is the elevator. Speaking of which, where's the elevator card? Is it with that girl Asami? I'll go ask her to hand it over later."

"I asked her earlier," Haruno said, glancing toward the other side. "She claimed she lost it in the chaos, maybe even left it inside the elevator."

Sosuke frowned. Truthfully, he didn't quite believe her, but now wasn't the time to force the issue. He couldn't exactly pin her down and search her.

Regardless, Sosuke never liked putting all his hopes on a single path. Even in dangerous situations, there were always more solutions than problems.

He stood and patted the dust off his pants. "In any case, let's prepare for the worst. We have enough rations, but water is too heavy to carry much of. We can't hold out for long."

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