Seducing the Guideverse With My System — Raising an Anomaly [BL]

Downtown Aurelia City

"Go. Run that way!"

Through the smoke and dust billowing through the streets, Alisha guided some rescued civilians as far away as possible from an incoming horde of zombies.

She and other Hunters stood their ground, expressions fierce—amongst them were familiar faces from both Phoenix Flight and Glacier Talon.

"Oh, they’re back for more punchin’." Bruce cracked his knuckles, stepping to her right while her girlfriend and permanent Guide Trina stayed close to her left. "You ready, Alisha?"

The sound type S-Rank sucked her teeth. "Shit, what? To face off against a horde of zombies who hours ago were nothing but boring civilians going about their lives?"

"Okay, when you put it like that—"

"Let’s just get this over with as carefully as possible." She put on her headphones. "Remember what the Guild Master said. Our tactic should be focused more on immobilising rather than maiming. So let’s—"

SCREEEEKKKK.

Her words were cut short by a piercing screech that sounded oddly like hissing flames. The crimson skies burned with yellow fire, forcing everyone to look up.

"Whoa." Trina’s jaw slackened. "Speak of the devil."

Magnus flew inside the chest of his domineering phoenix construct, descending several meters behind the group of Hunters.

The SS-Rank’s crushing presence made the zombies hesitate.

Once he’d landed, the phoenix disintegrated into cinders, blowing into the wind.

"Change of plans, Hunters." He approached with calm steps, arms behind his back like the seasoned veteran he was. "We have new orders from the desk of the Federation’s president."

A Hunter from Glacier Talon blinked. "D-Don’t tell me they want us to retreat or something."

"Far from it, young man." Magnus’ tone and expression were grim, those sharp orbs flitting between the group and the incoming zombies. "We shall continue. Take back the city for the uninfected."

His pause made Alisha’s heart skip a few beats.

"Unfortunately," the Guild master sucked in a breath, "we have to... kill any zombies we come across. On sight."

Silence.

No one uttered a word.

Someone in the back sneezed, but even that was swallowed by the quiet that fell on the group after hearing that horrid directive.

Alisha lowered a hand from her headphones, mouth part and closing. She turned to the zombies... suddenly looking at them like numbers instead of people.

And God, did she hate that.

★★★★★

Hale-Ferguson Residence

"This can’t be happening." Ambrose didn’t know whether to close the windows or try teleporting to another country. "Is... Is that Wukong?"

What Loki had shown them from here was a truly horrifying scene.

Wukong, the monkey king and arguably the most brutal among the Pantheon... had fallen to his knees, clutching his arm. From this angle they could all tell why.

The son of a gun just got bitten by the zombies!

"Oh, my God!" Viktor pushed his hands so far back through his hair that his hairline briefly went back. "A-A zombie SSS-Rank? We’re cooked. We’re ducking cooked if that guy turns."

He glanced at Orion, fortunately managing to keep his language PG despite being seconds away from scaling the backyard fence and running for the hills.

"I’ll need to go help out Yemoja in case we need to restrain the idiot." Loki sighed, rubbing their forehead. "That’s if we can. The guy is ranked the highest in the world in terms of physical strength alone."

Their eyes drifted to Orion. "If he’s awake, why hasn’t this nightmare stopped?"

"Hey, hey, hey." Ambrose quickly stood in front of Orion, raising a finger to the lord of chaos’ face. "No raising your voice at my son."

[You got one emotional moment with a crazed split personality and suddenly you’re contesting for father of the year.] Aura chimed back in his head now.

Ambrose gently lowered his raised finger, turning back toward Orion. "I think I know why."

Everyone looked at him.

"If Orion imagined the nightmare into reality," he looked down at the little boy, "then maybe he has to imagine reality back."

Loki didn’t even hesitate. "I’m leaving that to you." They cracked their knuckles before glancing at Gabriel and Valentine. "You two. With me."

Gabriel frowned. "You’re certain?"

"I’d rather Wukong didn’t become Patient Zero for superpowered zombies."

Valentine sighed. "Fair enough."

The three disappeared through a portal conjured by Gabriel almost immediately.

Silence settled over the room.

Ambrose crouched until he was eye level with Orion. "Buddy. I need you to remember today."

"...Today?"

"The part before you fell asleep."

The little boy frowned so hard his brows almost touched. "I..." His lips trembled. "I can’t."

"It’s okay." Ambrose smiled reassuringly. "You don’t have to remember everything." He tapped lightly against Orion’s forehead. "Just one thing. A feeling. A smell. Anything that happened before you slept off."

Orion squeezed his eyes shut, but still nothing happened.

Ambrose tried again. "What did you eat after school?"

"Pasta..."

"What did it taste like?"

"I forgot."

"Okay." He nodded patiently. "What about home? What do you remember from it?"

"The sofa?"

"And your room?"

"The TV?"

Again... Nothing.

The little boy looked increasingly frustrated. "I don’t know."

"It’s okay." Ambrose rested a hand on his shoulder. "Think smaller. The smell of your school bag. The sound of the gate opening. Anything at all."

Orion suddenly paused. "The car."

Devon blinked. "My car?"

Orion nodded slowly. "It smelled funny."

Devon looked personally attacked. "Excuse me? I literally changed the air freshener yesterday."

"I know." Orion looked him dead in the eyes. "I liked the old one better. The flower one."

Devon dramatically clutched his chest. "After everything I’ve done for you."

Even Viktor snorted. "I told you the new one smells like a tire shop."

"Oh, shut up."

Despite himself... Orion giggled. But then his smile folded barely seconds later.

"Wait."

Everyone went quiet.

"I..." His breathing slowed. "I remember." He shut his eyes tighter. "I came home. Daddy wasn’t back yet."

"...Papa’s car. Lunch..."

The air around them rippled.

Outside, the crimson sky flickered like someone changing channels.

The distant moans stopped abruptly.

Every single person rushed toward the bedroom window.

Blue.

The sky was blue again!

The burning clouds were gone, the zombies... gone as well!

The streets below looked almost eerily normal, as though the apocalypse had never happened.

Orion’s eyes fluttered open. "It worked?"

Ambrose didn’t answer. He simply pulled his son into another crushing hug.

A second later Viktor joined from behind.

"Oi. No fair."

Devon wrapped both of them. "I’m getting in too."

The four of them laughed weakly through the relief.

Inside Ambrose’s head, Aura let out a long sigh.

[Let’s just hope the world forgot everything that happened.]

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