Unclassified soldiers—trapped in a closed environment, waiting without knowing for what.They needed to be shown reality.Still, the weight of it pressed heavily.The silent presence of hundreds following without protest.“Access recognition.”Master key identified.“Open the shielding wall.”Shielding wall opening.Giiiiiiing—With a heavy rumble, the thick wall began to move.When even the main gate slid open left and right, a dark, murky cityscape spread before their eyes.“Urgh…”“Ugh!”“Cough—ptoo!”Soldiers spat repeatedly or gagged from the acrid smoke and foul stench.What little sunlight pierced through revealed an outside world even more devastated than before they entered the base.Silently watching that scene, he turned his head.There, Benjamin was gazing out with a complex expression.“This… is what you wanted to show us?”“NH-03. Everyone who received that procedure ends up like that. The Central Control Center must’ve explained it to you.”“…Yes, they did.”“Then, do you know how that condition ends?”He gestured subtly toward a group of people staring blankly into empty air — right before complete mutation.“They… die, don’t they? I heard rumors it was some kind of plague.”“If only it ended there, it’d be merciful. But no — they’ll soon turn into monsters.”“Monsters…?”A few blinked, as if hearing it for the first time.Explaining any further wasn’t necessary.Words couldn’t convey it anymore.He placed a blade — Zero — on his palm.Even the faintest twitch drew blood.“…?!”Perplexed stares gathered around him.Every pair of eyes asked the same silent question:What is he trying to do?But only a few more seconds were needed—just enough time for the scent of fresh blood to spread through the air.And then, as if in answer to every unspoken doubt,the heads of the near-mutinated ones began to move—slowly, creakingly, like rotted trees.“What the hell…?”A few sharp ones sensed something had changed.Drawn by the scent in the air, the creatures began shuffling closer.No aggression yet… but their reason’s already gone.As droplets from his palm hit the ground,more and more of the creatures within range stirred.“Why are they coming this way?”“Don’t panic just yet.”The moment one of them reached striking distance—Shk—!Zero’s arc traced a clean crescent, cleaving the creature’s torso.Chaaak!“W-What are you doing?!”“A civilian—!”Cries of shock erupted at once—but were instantly silenced by what followed.The bisected body still crawled forward,its half-gone face utterly devoid of emotion.“They’re not civilians.”When the headless upper body finally reached «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» his feet,he severed the neck cleanly.Even so, the severed face continued to twitch—a sight that left soldiers frozen in disbelief.The garrison erupted in mixed reactions—some aghast,some laughing nervously in denial,some grim-faced and silent.A few, still unwilling, dismissed it as a trick.Even after seeing this much, disbelief was natural.An impossible reality numbs human thought.But by now, belief or disbelief didn’t matter.Given time, they’d have to believe.Amid those thoughts, he carefully chose his next words.“As I said — this city is doomed.”Doom was inevitable.Even they could sense it.Even without mutation, the city was already a ruin.“Even if you survive, life will never return to what it was.”“……”He felt the soldiers’ eyes tremble faintly.He met their gazes head-on.Over five hundred of them.No dazed faces.Maybe they already guessed what he was about to say.“Benjamin Howard.”“Yes.”“What do you want to remain as?”“Remain as…?”“Would you be content to remain as just another expendable soldier?”“Sir, that’s too much.”“Is it?”“What are you trying to say?”He raised his voice—enough for all to hear.“When worse comes to worst, every survivor will face a choice — run, or fight. One or the other.”Maybe he didn’t even need to speak so loudly.Every eye was already fixed on his lips.“Benjamin—when that time comes, what will you choose?”“Well… I—”Benjamin hesitated, caught off guard by the bluntness of the question.“Fight.”He gave him the answer himself.“There’s no safe place to run.”A hush fell.He lifted his gaze.“I’ll fight too. I intend to survive by fighting.”“……”“And one day, I’ll rebuild this ruined city. For that, I’m looking for those willing to walk that road with me.”Maybe it sounded like a clumsy speech.Some might call it nonsense—a fool’s theatrics.“Trash. Idiot. Scum.”That’s probably what they were thinking.“I don’t want you remembered that way.”Their reactions didn’t scare him.“Anyone who still chooses to live as a soldier despite the disgrace—you don’t deserve to be treated as less.”True fear was not infamy—but dying helplessly while watching the world end.“If we stay as we are, we’ll go nowhere. Not forward, not back.”That’s why he needed them.“And I need you.”Their existence.“We can fill what each other lacks.”“What are you saying?”“The government’s collapsed. The army too. There’s no one left to command you.So I’m making a proposal — rebuild this city with me.”“You’re asking us to follow you?”“Yes.”“…And if we do, what changes?”Who could say?He couldn’t promise anything certain.They might live longer,grow stronger—but saying so outright would only erode trust.The city’s light was fading.At some point, he could no longer make out the soldiers’ expressions clearly.Even so, one thing was certain:his last question had ignited a quiet, unmistakable fire among them. “Nothing’s happened yet. You may think it’s a meaningless suggestion. You’ll need time to think.”There wasn’t even an atmosphere for hype.Thinking you could immediately bend them to your will was delusional.“I don’t expect an answer right away. Time is limited, but think it over carefully and decide.”“I didn’t know you could make that kind of atmosphere.”Back inside the base, Eli padded quietly at his side, chattering.“Eli.”“Yes?”“We should start preparing soon.”“……You mean to fight those mutants?”“Yes.”“Is there really no other way?”“Hiding won’t make it go away.”“Still……”“We’re not going to go out hunting them for sport. Of course it’s best to avoid unnecessary clashes, but when there’s no choice, we’ll fight.”“Ugh……”Eli let out a worried sigh. He handed her a bottle of water. After drinking, she seemed to remember something and asked,“Will they follow willingly?”“I don’t know.”“You could have made it easy. You’re not really unaware of what control the master key implies, are you?”“I’m not asking for that.”He had been worrying whether he’d been too soft, having been overly immersed in the moment. Should he have spoken more forcefully? It wasn’t impossible. Owning the master key ultimately meant holding the city’s controls. With the right framing it could be a powerful justification. But:‘Forcing them would only provoke rebellion.’He decided there was no need to rush. Sooner or later, when mutants appeared and the crisis arrived, they would fight together. That would naturally mix them with the soldiers. For now, simply extending the offer and leaving the door open was enough.While thinking that, he sensed someone’s presence.“It won’t be easy.”“Benjamin.”“Soldiers follow only orders issued through proper command channels.”Benjamin Howard stood there.“Therefore, following someone who is not a superior authorized through an appropriate command structure is out of the question.”His calm voice made his logic feel like an impregnable fortress. It drew a wry smile from him.“It’s surprising you could show that kind of loyalty given how you were treated.”“May I take that as a compliment?”“A compliment is ultimately a superior’s evaluation of a subordinate. Call it merely a personal impression.”Benjamin paused, looking slightly taken aback by the unexpected remark. Then, wearing an embarrassed expression, he continued.“The mood is chaotic.”“It appears so.”“There’s a split of opinions inside. Since we don’t have a commander to issue orders, that’s to be expected… but there are quite a few voices saying we should disband before it’s too late.”He watched Benjamin speak plainly. There was a quietness to him. Why would Benjamin preface things like this? Just as he was about to judge, he realized Benjamin’s eyes were calmly but unmistakably demanding an answer.“With no orders from the military chain, I intend to initiate ‘autonomous action’ under the national emergency response protocol.”“…….”“And personally, I think we’ll need ‘civilian collaborators’ to help suppress the situation.”So that was it. Benjamin was seeking counsel—advice about what to do going forward.“Will you be the commander to lead these people, Benjamin Howard?”“Yes. There’s probably no one else who can do it.”No further discussion was necessary. If he knew Benjamin’s intentions, observing for a moment wouldn’t be a bad idea.Then, some time must have passed. An urgent voice rang out inside.“Uh… uh—?”“What’s that—!?”He already had a rough idea what was happening, and swallowed dryly by instinct. He rose. His steps felt heavy.“Mr. Han!”Eli cried out in a sudden scream as well. The air changed in an instant. His hands felt slick. It must be sweat.Soldiers shoved through a narrow gap in the guard zone to check. They pushed between one another and reached the reinforced window that looked out. His heartbeat thudded wildly—thump-thump, faster and faster—thump-thump-thump-thump.“Make way—!”“Eh?”They followed the path cleared by those standing in the way, and as each step brought them closer to the gap where they could peer outside, resolve tightened.He leaned in. What he saw was… the beginning of annihilation.

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