After a few moments of steadying himself, Gabriel finally stood upright again, putting on his calm expression—though his mind still felt like a short-circuited cable.
Having decided on his next move, Gabriel began moving along the quiet streets, searching for a nearby house that seemed safe.
In a world already collapsed by the zombie outbreak, taking supplies without permission was no longer considered rude—it was survival.
Within five seconds, Gabriel spotted a small house with its door half-open. He entered cautiously, making sure there were no threats.
Once he confirmed it was safe, he headed straight for the bathroom to wash the blood and grime off his body.
Afterward, he searched the closet for clean clothes.
Now, Gabriel wore a neat black shirt, a plain black-and-white hoodie, and black pants.
His signature black scarf—though still stained with blood—he did not discard.
"…This is still my symbol," Gabriel murmured softly.
He carefully folded it and tucked it into the backpack he had also found in the house.
After that, Gabriel returned to the streets, ready to carry out his plan.
As he walked, he noticed something odd—the streets seemed unusually empty.
But it wasn't the kind of emptiness that felt safe. Rather, it was empty… because all the zombies that had once roamed the area were now scattered and powerless.
Gabriel paused for a moment, his eyes blinking slowly behind his bangs. "Ah… so I've made it this far, huh?" he murmured.
Apparently, while drunk and using Gigan frontally, he had unintentionally cleared a surprisingly large area around Rika's house.
After walking for about thirty minutes out of that "drunken clearing" zone, he finally came across a dense cluster of zombies again.
Gabriel gave a faint smile. This time, it wasn't for blind slaughter—but to directly test the effects of his new Passive Skills—Puppeteer and Slayer.
***
Several hours had passed unnoticed since all the experiments and plans Rian had carried out.
The sky was completely dark now, and the time should have been around midnight.
Gabriel walked along the cracked sidewalk, accompanied by the soft sound of small footsteps at his side.
Next to him was Alice Maresato, a little girl with pink hair and round purple eyes, staring at the night with curiosity.
Behind them, a small white dog padded along, its tail wagging gently, still nameless.
Gabriel had taken Alice with him after finding her alone—her father had been killed by thugs before the zombies even appeared.
Unable to leave her by herself, Gabriel had invited the girl to come along.
After all, in the original timeline, Alice was supposed to join Takashi's team… only now the path had changed.
Alice looked up at Gabriel, her voice soft.
"Gabriel nii-chan… your friends are strong, aren't they?"
Gabriel gave a faint smile. His long bangs covered part of his face, making him look like a mysterious hero from a dark fairy tale.
"Of course," Gabriel replied, pressing a hand to his chest. "They are allies of the Pale Mist that watches the stars… their power should never be underestimated."
Alice immediately giggled. "Ehehe~ What's 'Pale Mist'?"
"Something older than the history of the world, the bearer of forbidden knowledge," Gabriel said in a deep tone. "That's… all I can tell you."
"Hee…?" Alice tried hard to understand, though her expression clearly showed total confusion.
Gabriel smiled wider—his expression full of fake gravitas. "Kohta—he is the unrivaled sharpshooter. A sacred marksman who can bring down demons with just a single shout."
Alice blinked. "Sounds strong."
"Yes." Gabriel nodded dramatically, pointing forward in an exaggerated manner. "His power is like bullets guided by fate. In battle… he can knock out ten zombies in a single breath."
Alice giggled. "Zombies can pass out?"
"…the technical details aren't that important," Gabriel replied quickly, blushing slightly.
He then continued with more confidence.
"And Saeko… Saeko Busujima… she is the Warrior of the Twilight Path, a woman who dances with shadows and her blade."
Gabriel swung his hand as if holding a katana. "In a single breath, three creatures of darkness can be split like flower petals."
Alice's eyes sparkled, and she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Gabriel nii-chan talks so funny… but I like it! It feels like a hero's story."
Gabriel turned his head slightly, trying to maintain his dignity.
But in truth, he was secretly thrilled that someone appreciated his chuuni-style speech.
"Hmph. This isn't a story… this is reality." Gabriel glanced sideways and gently patted Alice's head. "When you meet them, you'll understand."
Alice nodded firmly. "Un! I can't wait to meet Gabriel nii-chan's friends!"
Behind them, the little white dog let out a soft bark—kyun!—as if agreeing.
Gabriel only gave a small smile, his gentler side showing briefly, though he still tried to look mysterious.
After a moment, Gabriel came to a stop. Alice, walking beside him, also stopped, looking at him with confusion. The little white dog sat down, tilting its head.
"What's wrong, Gabriel nii-chan?" Alice asked, clutching her dress.
Gabriel replied without turning, his voice low and mysterious. "We're about to meet… Ash's allies."
Alice blinked. "Eh? Meet Gabriel nii-chan's friends?"
Gabriel didn't answer.
Instead, he lifted his head slightly, and the geomagnetic circles of Gigan spun slowly behind his bangs. His supernatural gaze pierced through the dark night.
In the distance, the sound of a heavy engine grew louder, and white headlights illuminated the broken road ahead.
A military Humvee—dark green, with patches of dried blood clinging to its body—rolled slowly forward. On its roof, a small yellow light blinked, signaling that the vehicle was on patrol.
The Humvee slowed, then came to a complete stop right in front of Gabriel and Alice.
CLICK!
As soon as the Humvee stopped, the driver's door swung open. Shizuka hastily unbuckled her seatbelt and nearly tumbled out.
"Waa—ah! Ouch…!"
Gabriel reacted immediately. The Shovel he had been holding clanged onto the asphalt, but he managed to catch Shizuka by the shoulder just in time, preventing her from falling.
"Wa…!!" Shizuka gasped.
"Careful," Gabriel said reflexively.
Shizuka gripped his arm, steadying herself.
"Ouch… um, sorry… ah!"
Without warning, Shizuka hugged Gabriel tightly, her cheek pressing against his chest.
"Gabriel-kun…!" her husky, soft voice mixed with guilt. "You disappeared all day… I—I thought you were mad at me… because… I… umm… lost control…"
"I'm really sorry… it's just that Gabriel-kun is so… adorable…"
Gabriel tensed instantly at the hug. His face flamed like an oven, his chest rising and falling from the shock.
The memory of that kiss—warm, soft, and tinged with alcohol—hit his mind like a flashbang.
He quickly turned to the side, hiding his crimson face. One hand covered half of it, trying to conceal the nearly exploding expression of a teenage boy.
"I—I…" Gabriel's voice cracked slightly. "…I'm not mad…"
Shizuka looked up at him, her lips forming a relieved, warm, and innocent smile.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes sparkling. "Thank goodness… I was afraid you hated me…"
Gabriel bit his lip softly, trying to maintain the Ash persona, but his face burned like a boiled shrimp.
"N—no… I won't… hate you…"
On the other side, the Humvee's passenger door swung open. Takashi stepped out first, still gripping his Ithaca M37 shotgun.
The moment he saw Gabriel, his eyes widened.
"Gabriel!" he called out in relief.
Kohta followed from behind the driver's seat, hugging his modified AR-10 like a child clutching a favorite doll.
"G-Gabriel-kun! We thought you were dead or lost somewhere…" Kohta let out a long sigh. "Thank goodness…"
From the other side, Rei climbed down, brushing her hair that had been tousled by the wind. She stared silently, her face slightly scowling.
Soon after, Saya stepped out, crossing her arms. Her eyebrows shot up, her voice sharp, though not entirely angry.
"Hmph. At least tell us something before disappearing like that. Foolish."
Saeko was the last to exit from the front passenger seat. Her gaze was calm but thorough, scanning Gabriel from head to toe as if making sure he was intact.
"…Thank goodness you're okay, Gabriel-san," she said softly, her words carrying weight and meaning.
Alice clutched the hem of Gabriel's jacket. "Gabriel nii-chan… they're funny."
The small dog let out a tiny bark. Kyun!
Takashi finally realized something—his eyes widened. "Eh—wait a second. Who is that… little girl?"
Rei bent down to Alice's level. "Huh? Who are you, cute little sis?"
Alice waved politely. "My name is Alice. Gabriel nii-chan saved me."
I narrowed my eyes. "Nii-chan? Gabriel, since when do you have a little sister?"
Gabriel let out a long sigh, finally freeing himself from Shizuka's embrace. His long bangs fell back into place, covering both eyes like dark curtains.
In a low, dramatic voice, he said, "…She is a child torn away from the light, lost within the abyss of despair. Thus, Ash granted her sanctuary."
Silence.
The entire group froze.
Alice held her cheeks and giggled softly. "Hehehe~ Nii-chan is so funny."
Kohta leaned toward Takashi, whispering as if witnessing a rare natural phenomenon. "Hey… is this what happens when chuunibyou reaches its final evolution…?"
"Bro… this is Chuuni level S-S-S-Plus… consistently…!!!"
Takashi let out a sigh… then nodded slowly. "Yeah… but strangely… it's still kinda cool."
Saeko gave a faint smile, accompanied by an elegant nod. "That is indeed Gabriel-san."
Gabriel—still striking his dramatic pose—suddenly tilted his head slightly, glancing at Takashi.
Without a word, he grabbed Takashi's hand, and the two of them walked away from the group—leaving behind confused, curious, and slightly worried looks from everyone else.
___
Additional note:
Since I feel it's not that important, I'll skip over those parts. Ehehehe~
Honestly, it's just a matter of space 😃
Don't forget give me Power stone and Collect. 😌