Apocalypse Transmigration - The Card Captor System

Night blanketed Rendell City.

The battle against the horde raged on in the distance. Occasional explosions echoed across the survivors’ camp, lighting up the dark sky in brief, bright flashes.

Near the edge of the camp, a group of seven survivors crept toward Leo’s truck. One of them darted his eyes around the shadows.

"Are you sure that guy isn’t here?"

"Yes." A man answered in a firm voice. "I personally saw him leave this morning." He pointed at another survivor. "And this guy saw him enter the city."

The second man nodded.

"After that, the horde attacked." He looked toward the distant city skyline. "Since he hasn’t returned yet, he must either be trapped inside..." A cruel smile stretched across his face. "Or, judging by the size of that horde, he’s probably already dead."

The group’s leader stayed silent. His eyes never left Leo’s truck. Still, he hesitated.

"I want to be completely sure."

"That guy is dangerous."

"You all saw what happened to the previous idiots who tried to attack him."

"Boss, this is a golden opportunity!" The man beside him pointed at the truck. "That guy has a ridiculous amount of supplies."

"Even if there’s nothing left inside..." His eyes shone with greed. "We can take the truck."

"Just the vehicle alone is worth a fortune."

"We could use it ourselves, or sell it to the military."

"We wouldn’t have to worry about food or supplies for a long time."

The leader kept quiet. Another man stepped forward.

"Boss..."

"In times like these, if we aren’t willing to take risks, we’ll always remain at the bottom."

"Today, we’re barely surviving."

"Tomorrow, we might end up dying a dog’s death."

Those words chipped away at the leader’s hesitation. His gaze hardened with determination.

"You’re right."

"If we want a place in this world, we have to take risks." He stared at Leo’s truck. "First, we’ll steal the truck."

"We’ll sell it, buy weapons and supplies, and gather followers."

"Then we’ll grow stronger and stronger." His breathing turned heavy.

"Who knows..."

"If we gain the recognition of the military or powerful groups like the Rizen Group..."

"Maybe we’ll even be able to obtain Superhuman Serums." His eyes grew feverish. "Then we can become superhumans ourselves."

The other survivors exchanged excited looks. Their ambitions swelled. Finally, the leader clenched his fist.

"Go."

"Break the door."

A man holding a sledgehammer stepped out from the group. He walked over to the truck and raised the weapon high. But just as he readied his swing—

"What are you doing?"

The man froze. Everyone spun around.

Danny stood a few meters away. He held a Glock with a tight grip, its muzzle leveled right at their chests. Behind him stood Linda, clutching a knife.

Danny spoke again.

"I warn you."

"Get away from the truck."

The leader narrowed his eyes.

"Danny."

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Turn around and leave."

"We’ll pretend we never saw each other."

Danny shook his head.

"In your dreams."

The man who had talked the leader into the theft took a step forward.

"Danny..."

"I know you’re loyal to that guy." He gestured toward the city. "But look at what’s happening."

"That man hasn’t returned despite all this."

"Who knows?"

"He might already be dead."

"Are you really willing to risk your life for someone who’s probably dead already?"

Danny kept a firm expression.

"I don’t know whether he’s alive or dead."

"But I do know one thing."

"Right now, this is my responsibility." He squeezed the grip of the Glock. "I’ll ask you one last time."

"Leave."

The leader smirked.

"Or what?"

"Are you going to shoot us?" His gaze dropped to Danny’s hands. They were shaking. The man’s smile grew. "Look at your arms."

"Do you even have the courage to kill someone?"

Danny’s chest heaved. He was nervous. Terrified, even. Yet, he refused to lower the gun.

"I said..."

"Leave."

The leader shook his head. He glanced at his men.

"Take him down."

Several men lunged at once. Danny raised the Glock. His finger pressed against the trigger.

But...

He couldn’t pull it. His hesitation lasted only a second. Yet, in a fight, a single second was enough.

A man swatted the Glock out of his hand, sending it flying into the dirt. Danny swung his fist in response. Linda charged into the fray as well, slashing wild arcs with her knife.

They were too outnumbered. Within moments, the group overwhelmed them both. Two men pinned Danny’s arms. Another two wrestled Linda into submission.

The leader closed the distance between them. Danny gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage.

"Boss." One of the men spoke from behind. "Should we finish them?"

The leader ignored the question. Instead, he crouched in front of Danny.

"Danny..."

"We didn’t want to do this."

"But you forced our hand." His gaze turned cold. "Now you need to understand the consequences of opposing me."

A moment later, the flap of Danny’s tent rustled open. A man stepped out. In one hand, he held Lily. In the other... a knife. The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, unaware of the nightmare unfolding around her.

Danny’s face morphed into sheer panic.

"Fucking bastards!" He thrashed against his captors. "Let her go!"

"If you want to kill someone, kill me!"

"Don’t touch my daughter!"

The men struggled to keep him pinned down.

The leader smiled.

"Oh, don’t worry."

"Your turn will come." He pointed at Lily. "But first..."

"I want you to watch."

Danny drained of all color.

The leader dragged out his next words.

"I want you to watch your daughter struggle for air..."

"As she slowly suffocates after we slit her throat." His eyes swept across the camp. "And I want everyone else to understand something." His voice dropped to a freezing pitch. "This is what happens when people oppose me."

He gave the man holding Lily a nod.

"Do it."

"NO!" Danny roared. He fought with every ounce of his strength, veins bulging across his forehead.

The man lifted the knife.

Danny’s eyes flooded with despair. At that moment, it hit him. The same powerlessness. The same helplessness. He couldn’t protect the people he loved. He couldn’t even pull a trigger when he had the chance.

I’m too weak...

I’m always too weak...

Deep inside him, something began to stir. A strange heat spread through his veins. His heart hammered against his ribs. A faint sensation grew stronger. Something felt like it was about to—

TRUNG!

A sharp sound cut through his thoughts. Everyone froze.

SHING!

The man holding the knife stared down blankly. Then, blood sprayed into the night air. His hand had been sliced right off.

"AAAAAAARGH!!" The man dropped Lily and shrieked in agony.

Everyone present stared in pure shock. Even Danny was left speechless. The strange heat in his body faded away.

Danny twisted his head around. Footsteps crunched over the dirt, stepping out of the darkness. A familiar voice echoed across the quiet camp.

"Oi, oi, oi..."

"What do we have here?"

Heads turned. Rex walked into the faint light, a guitar strapped across his back.

"Seven grown men..." His gaze drifted to Lily. "Bullying a little girl?" He scratched his cheek. "Normally, I wouldn’t care."

"I’m the kind of person who likes minding his own business."

"But you see..."

"I borrowed a piece of meat from this kid this morning."

Lily, still sitting on the dusty ground, jabbed a tiny finger at Rex.

"Thwief!"

Rex’s eyes widened.

"Hey!"

"Don’t slander a gentleman like me!"

"I clearly said I was borrowing it!"

Lily pouted.

"Mie!"

Rex looked back to the tense survivors.

"But you understand, right?"

"I need to pay her back."

All color drained from the leader’s face. He looked at Rex, then down at his bleeding comrade.

"RUN!"

The men scattered in panic.

Rex sighed.

"Oi..."

"I wouldn’t recommend doing that."

Nobody listened. All six remaining men bolted straight into the pitch-black night. Rex watched them run, then glanced down at his guitar.

"Haah..."

"I really hate doing extra work." His fingers found their place on the strings.

"Death’s Symphony."

TRUNGG!

TRUNGG!

TRUNGG!

Heavy guitar chords echoed across the camp. But the notes didn’t just fade into the wind. They warped the air itself, condensing into something physical.

One. Two. Three.

Dozens of invisible blades of sound ripped through the dark.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

The fleeing men froze in their tracks. For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then—

SPLAT!

Their heads slid off their shoulders. One by one, the headless corpses crumpled into the dirt. Blood pooled into the dry earth. Total silence reclaimed the camp.

Rex slung the guitar back over his shoulder. He took a few relaxed steps over to Lily. The little girl stared up at him with wide, unblinking eyes.

Rex smiled.

"Now then..."

"About the meat I borrowed."

Lily narrowed her eyes to tiny slits.

"Thwief!"

Rex’s smile stiffened.

"...Why are we still talking about that?"

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