2:45 PM Lodz outskirts, Poland

Three black cars screeched to a halt at the forest entrance, sending up clouds of dust. The doors swung open, and three men clad in black suits stepped out, their sunglasses glinting in the fading light.

One of them, his face pale and pinched, paused mid-step, his eyes fixed on the forest. "Uh! Look at that!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling as he pointed towards the forest.

The other two men turned to follow his gaze, their faces slack with shock. Before them lay a scene of utter devastation. The forest, once a lush and vibrant tapestry of green, had been transformed into a barren wasteland. Trees lay splintered and broken, their trunks shattered like matchsticks, their branches torn and tangled.

The earth was scorched and blackened, as if a fire had raged through the forest, leaving behind a trail of charred and smoldering remains. The air was heavy with the acrid scent of smoke and ash, and the silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the distant call of a bird.

In the distance, a massive crater yawned open, its edges ragged and torn. The men's eyes widened as they took in the sheer scale of the destruction. It was as if a bomb had gone off, leveling everything in its path.



"A-Are you sure this is the place?" one of the men stammered, his eyes darting nervously between his companions.

The third man, his jaw clenched, took a step forward, his eyes scanning the devastation. "Wha-what happened here?" he muttered, his voice barely audible.

"This is far greater than what we imagined," one of them replied, his voice laced with awe.

"Do you think there are any survivors?" he added, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape.

The man on the far left shook his head. "Uhn! Who would survive this type of destruction?" His tone was grim, resigned.

"Let's head back to headquarters," he continued. "There's no point in searching. There are no survivors." His words hung in the air like a death sentence.

The three men stood there for a moment, still trying to process the scale of the devastation. Then, as if in unison, they turned and staggered back to their cars, their footsteps echoing through the stillness.

As they drove away, their cars disappeared into a cloud of dust, leaving behind a haunting silence and the eerie landscape of destruction.

5 PM, WAS Chapter, Poland, Central Europe

Zoldrak's face turned beet red with rage, his eyes blazing like embers. "What!" he screamed, his voice echoing off the walls.

One of the men in black, still shaken by what they had witnessed, replied, "Nothing was left of the forest, sir. Everything was burnt to ashes."

A man seated in a black chair to the left spoke up, his voice laced with concern. "I knew something like this was bound to happen. If word gets out that we sent a false signal, we are all done for."

Zoldrak's anger boiled over, and he slammed his fist against the wall. "Shit!" he retorted.

He turned to the men in black, his eyes narrowing. "Did you see him?" he asked, his chest heaving with anticipation.

The three men exchanged nervous glances before one of them replied, "There were no survivors, sir."

Zoldrak's face twisted in frustration. "No, I mean Ackerman! Was he there?" he shouted.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The man hesitated before answering, "N-No, sir. He wasn't."

The man in the black chair, Glock, let out a low, menacing laugh. "Hahaha. We should be safe for now."

Zoldrak raised his hand, and the three men in black took the cue to leave. As they filed out of the room, Zoldrak turned to Glock, his tone serious and low.

"Glock, you sensed it, didn't you?" he asked.

Glock's expression turned grave, and he nodded. "The strange aura this morning...it wasn't any ordinary demon."

Zoldrak's eyes narrowed. "That aura was totally different. It felt like that of a Zero. Meaning there is a survivor, and a Zero at that. It might have been the one who killed the others and wreaked havoc on the forest."

Glock's face twisted into a grotesque grin. "Arrrgh. I love it and I hate it at the same time. This is going to be exhilarating.", he said as he walked out of the room.

Bucharest, Romania

The moon cast its silvery glow over the quiet streets of Bucharest's suburban neighborhood, Floreasca. The houses were modest, with tidy gardens and streets lined with tall trees that swayed gently in the night breeze. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers.

On a small, unassuming street, a lone house stood out, its pale yellow walls glowing softly in the night. The house was a cozy, two-story building with a sloping roof and a small porch that creaked in the wind. Inside the house, a figure lay motionless on the couch, a faint bruise on his forehead. Code, a young man with a mysterious past, slowly began to stir, his eyes fluttering open as he struggled to regain consciousness...

"Uh!" Code exclaimed, as he sat up, rubbing his temples. He was disoriented and surprised by his surroundings.

The room was unfamiliar, with cream-colored walls and a large window that let in a flood of moonlight. "Where is this place?" he thought to himself, trying to piece together how he got there.

While still staring around in confusion, someone walked in from a room behind Code. The person, a boy with bright red hair that stuck out in every direction, looked about the same age as Code. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose and a look of perpetual curiosity on his face. He let out a startled yelp and fell to the floor, his eyes wide with shock.

Code was taken aback, unsure of what was happening. "Uh, I'm sorry, I don't know where I am," he said, trying to reassure the boy, holding out a hand in a calming gesture.

The boy struggled to speak, his face still pale. "Uh...uh," he stuttered, his eyes fixed on Code with a mixture of fear and fascination.

Just then, another person walked into the room. It was Van. "Uh, good griefs, Nara, why are you shouting?" Van asked, his tone laced with tiredness, as he yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

Nara struggled to speak, his face still pale. "Uh...uh," he stuttered, his eyes darting between Code and Van.

Van looked at Nara inquisitively. "Uhn?" he replied, still oblivious to Code's presence, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for something.

Slowly, Nara raised his hand and pointed at Code, who was watching Van with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Code's eyes were a deep blue, and his hair was a messy tangle of black locks that fell across his forehead.

Van turned his head, and his eyes widened in shock as he took in Code's presence. "Nani!!" he exclaimed, backing away in surprise, his eyes fixed on Code with a mixture of fear and amazement.

Code chuckled, scratching his head. "Uh...hahaha. I don't understand what's happening," he said, looking around the room as if searching for clues.

Van's reaction was a display of shock. "Honestly, I thought you were dead!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.

Code's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh?" he reacted, blinking rapidly, his mind racing with questions.

Van placed a hand on his chest, trying to calm himself, as Nara stared in awe. "Ahem!" Van cleared his throat. "Hmph...I knew you were alive," he said, trying to sound brave, but his voice betrayed his true emotions.

"Um...so, where am I?" Code asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Bucharest!" Van replied quickly, his voice firm and commanding.

"Bu-Bucharest?" Code screamed, his voice cracking with emotion. He looked like he had been punched in the gut.

"Yep...What's wrong?" Van asked quickly, his masked face expressionless.

Code sniffed, as if trying to hold back tears. "Nothing, nothing. Hahaha," he replied, his sorrow evident in his shaking voice. He tried to laugh it off, but it came out forced and unconvincing.

"What did I do wrong? This people are crazy!" Code thought to himself, as his eyes dropped to the floor, and he took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

Nara, who had finally recovered from his surprise, walked up to Code with a wide, cheerful smile on his face. His bright red hair stuck out in every direction, giving him a perpetually energetic look. "Woah, hahaha, I'm sorry about earlier," he said, chuckling and holding out his hand in greeting.

Code grinned back at him, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Yep...it's ok," he replied, shaking Nara's hand firmly.

Nara's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "By the way, I'm Nara, Uchiage Nara," he said, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

Code smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Nara. "Code Weber," he replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Nara laughed, his face lighting up with amusement. "Nah, you don't have to be so formal, hahaha," he said, clapping Code on the back.

Just then, a girl walked into the room from the opposite side. She looked about the same age as Code and Nara, with a slender yet athletic build. Her brown hair fell in loose waves down her back, and her light blue eyes sparkled with excitement. She had a small, button nose and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks.

She rushed over to Code, a huge smile on her face. "Ah! He's alive!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with delight.

Nara turned to her, grinning. "Van said he was dead!" he said, chuckling.

The girl turned to Van, her eyes narrowing. "You did?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.

Van held up his hands, trying to defend himself. "I did?" he replied, his voice laced with feigned innocence.

The girl gave him a skeptical look. "Uhn?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Van chuckled nervously. "Hahaha! I must have forgotten to check if he was breathing," he said, scratching the back of his head.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Arrrgh, sorry about that. Van's crazy," she said, laughing.

Code giggled slightly, feeling a sense of ease with the group. "Yeah, haha," he replied, smiling.

The girl's face lit up with excitement. "We're going to celebrate this!" she screamed, pumping her fist in the air.

Van opened his mouth to protest, but the girl gave him a look that made him swallow his words. "Uh? Do we really need..." he started, but trailed off.

The girl's gaze turned icy, and Van gulped. "Alright, alright," he said, trembling slightly.

The girl turned back to Code, a bright smile on her face. "Yeah! By the way, I'm Hinata Hoshino, but you can call me Hina," she said, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

Code smiled back at her, feeling a sense of gratitude towards the group. "Nice to meet you," he replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Hina let out a loud whoop. "Alright, let's party!" she screamed, racing out of the room.

Nara cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes!" he exclaimed, racing after Hina.

Van just shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Arrrgh, good griefs," he said, chuckling and following after Nara and Hina.