[Location: Himouto! Umaru-chan – Japan – National Route 357 – Tokyo Bay Industrial Area.]
A few hours after midnight, the street was deserted and shrouded in darkness.
A young man, Arata Nobuyuki, dressed entirely in black—dark trousers and a hoodie—waited in silence amidst the shadows.
He stood still, hands thrust deep into his pockets, eyes fixed on nothingness.
The silence was heavy, illuminated only by the pale moon hanging overhead.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed again. It was the twenty-third time it had vibrated in the last few hours, set to silent.
Naturally, he didn't need to look at the screen to know who was calling.
Curiously, the prolonged, almost suffocating silence had heightened his senses. Even that faint vibration seemed to echo within his chest.
Yet he didn't answer. He didn't even flinch.
The incessant buzzing was merely a reminder of what he would have to sacrifice.
Despite everything, he kept waiting... though this time, a faint smile formed on his face.
Nearly a minute later, the rumble of an engine shattered the quiet of the early morning. A truck approached, its headlights sweeping slowly across the asphalt.
The young man looked up, watching intently.
Soon, the truck drew close enough.
There was no hint of hesitation.
Only a smile radiating obsessive desire.
Only a body hurling itself onto the road.
The driver barely had time to react.
Unluckily for him, that scene would remain vivid in his memory for years to come.
...
'Incredible. Simply... incredible... Argh. I really... I really can't move a single muscle.'
'Argh. It hurts. It hurts. Damn it, it hurts so much! Why won't I just die already...?'
Arata Nobuyuki cursed internally.
He had envisioned this scenario hundreds of times, drawing from countless similar scenes in manga and anime.
Yet in the end, it seemed he had drawn the short stick.
The pain he had estimated couldn't even compare to what he was currently feeling.
And he couldn't even begin to imagine what would become of him if the absolute worst-case scenario came to pass.
He could only blame his own naivety.
Of course, such thoughts did nothing to dull his consciousness, only prolonging his agony.
_____
[Location: The Walking Dead - United States - Georgia - King County - Military Settlement near Harrison Memorial Hospital.]
A few seconds later, before despair could swallow him entirely, an icy sensation raced down his spine.
And then... he opened his eyes.
His gaze swept across his entire field of vision for a few moments before he tried to pull himself up from the ground.
Though disoriented, he quickly confirmed that his body was in perfect condition—and that the place he was in, a desolate, grey, lifeless landscape, was entirely unfamiliar.
"...".
Following the brief silence that washed over him, a roar of excitement and joy tore from his throat.
"YESSSSSSSS~! DAMN IT! YESSSSSSSS~!"
He shouted. He laughed. He collapsed onto his back, staring up at the pale sky, grinning like a maniac.
And then, he took a deep breath.
He began to calm down.
In truth, after releasing everything he had kept bottled up deep within his soul, he realized he desperately needed to compose himself.
Ding!
[The system governing the laws of the world has detected your immense bravery and obsession.]
[The system governing the laws of the world has granted you a choice. In this world, will you be a survivor or a predator?]
Arata Nobuyuki blinked, taken aback. The initial surge of enthusiasm flooded through him once more, but this time he attempted to restrain himself.
Or, at least, he tried to.
He hunched over on the ground, his body trembling repeatedly with excitement.
"Heh... Hehehe~... Hehehehe~... Hehehehehehe~...".
The look on his face, combined with his eerie laughter, would have made even the most patient and kind individual deeply uncomfortable—and far worse for anyone unfortunate enough to witness it firsthand.
After a few seconds, he finally regained his composure.
He sat cross-legged with his chin resting in his hand. His gaze drifted toward the holographic window as intruding thoughts raced through his mind.
The thrill still coursed through every fiber of his being.
In fact, the answer should have been obvious. But... intrusive thoughts made him hesitate.
'Survive... what exactly does that mean? More importantly... am I in one of those isekais?'
Like any proper otaku, he immediately associated everything with an isekai.
However... his surroundings seemed to scream right in his face.
This is a post-apocalyptic world!
"...".
He shook his head in regret.
He had gotten unlucky.
On the other hand, while that initial ideal scenario had been swiftly ruled out, he was certain of one thing.
Right now, in this setting, he would obtain the power that would allow him to live a life of luxury in this new world... or, failing that, he would simply have to push himself a bit harder than expected.
He had already envisioned various scenarios where, even if what he received turned out to be complete trash, he would ultimately overcome adversity.
Of course, his confidence stemmed from thorough prior preparation.
All to offset his terrible luck should such a scenario come to pass.
Still, he only possessed the knowledge necessary to get by.
Given the choice, he would unequivocally take the easy path.
That is, gaining enough power to stand against gods!
"...".
Once more, he surveyed his surroundings.
He didn't intend to answer immediately, nor express his thoughts out loud.
If the "system governing the laws of the world" misinterpreted any of his actions, it could mean his end.
Of course, he didn't intend to stall too long either. He merely needed to calmly analyze the current situation.
Just enough to avoid making a foolish decision.
"...".
After a few moments of contemplation, he confirmed that his initial outburst hadn't triggered any dramatic incident.
He refocused his attention on the holographic window, attempting to project calm.
"Before I answer, I would like to know: what will I receive if I choose to survive? And what will I receive if I choose to prey?"
His tone was respectful, but his plain, direct words demanded answers.
Though, even if he received none, it hardly mattered.
[Surviving entails obtaining what is necessary to secure a future with offspring.]
[Preying entails obtaining whatever you need, with the possibility of harming others in the process.]
Two holographic windows materialized suddenly, overlaying the previous one.
Arata Nobuyuki's eyes gleamed.
'Hmm... Obtaining what is necessary to secure descendants. Obtaining whatever I need...' His uncanny smile resurfaced, though he quickly pressed his forehead against the ground, suppressing his excitement.
"...".
Again, after a few seconds, he managed to calm himself down.
He didn't need to overthink this. The answer was already forged in his heart.
Yes, surviving sounded almost too good to ignore entirely, but... he had already reached his conclusion.
Sex is overrated!
Back when he was still preparing for this day, and in order to avoid dying a virgin, he had managed to spend a night with an experienced professional.
Now, despite digging himself into even deeper debt as a result, he could confidently say it hadn't been that big of a deal.
He certainly wouldn't pay for it ever again. But if it were offered for free somehow, he wouldn't complain.
He was a man, after all; he had needs.
On the other hand, something didn't quite line up.
As he recalled, a predator was a hunter. That meant a predator hunts other species to ensure its own survival.
Still, it was a minor detail.
If he had to hunt others to gain power, so be it. After all, he needed to bring along his skeptical best friend.
And when he did, he would definitely mock him for being such a doubting idiot.
"I choose to be a predator," Arata said as he stood up.
He didn't know what would happen next, and his body tensed instinctively.
According to his own delusions, the scene where the protagonist receives a power-up was usually dramatic or painful.
He only hoped that, with a bit of luck, it wouldn't hurt.
[The system governing the laws of the world has processed your answer.]
[The system governing the laws of the world has detected your greatest object of envy.]
[The system governing the laws of the world has granted you the power and appearance of Satoru Gojo.]
[The system governing the laws of the world wishes you good luck.]
Arata Nobuyuki's pupils constricted, and his breath hitched.
Suddenly, upon finishing the final text window, he lost consciousness and collapsed face-first onto the concrete.
Had he not passed out, he likely would have praised every god in existence.
...
"H-Hey... Are you alright...?"
Rick Grimes, who only minutes ago had emerged from a ruined hospital—wearing nothing but a white gown—asked tentatively.
His condition was pitiful.
He forced himself forward with every step, his throat parched from severe dehydration.
Even if he wanted to speak louder, his physical state simply wouldn't allow it.
'Is he dead...? No. He doesn't look like the others... But... he's so young. Why does he have white hair...?' As he observed the youth closely, Rick couldn't help but marvel at his unusual appearance.
Aside from his striking white hair, the young man was remarkably tall, with smooth, flawless skin.
Carefully, Rick stepped close enough to confirm the boy was breathing and physically unharmed.
Yet the mystery of why he was lying there deepened in his mind, and his police instincts kept him on high guard.
Ding!
[The system governing the laws of the world is analyzing the situation.]
Suddenly, a holographic text window appeared.
Baffled, Rick Grimes stared at the text obstructing part of his field of vision.
Ding!
[The system governing the laws of the world has detected that the host's species is on the brink of extinction.]
[The system governing the laws of the world is balancing the scales.]
[The system governing the laws of the world has granted you everything necessary to survive.]
[The system governing the laws of the world wishes you good luck.]
"...".
Rick Grimes was left speechless, nearly stumbling over the bizarre turn of events.
He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking the fever or the trauma of his gunshot wound was playing tricks on him, but the glowing screen remained floating in the air.
"Th-This is..." Despite his initial confusion, an idea quickly crossed his mind. "A... hologram...?"
Seeing the floating panel before him, the title of a movie came to mind: Minority Report.
He had watched it a few years ago with his wife, recommended by his good friend, Shane Walsh.
He remembered paying little attention at first due to his skepticism. But soon, the plot had hooked him.
The premise—a futuristic, high-tech world—had been hard to ignore.
Now, the scene before him seemed ripped right out of that movie.
Ding!
[The Survivor System has been activated.]
[Host detected in an unfavorable condition.]
[The Survivor System has initiated emergency protocols.]
[Host will be transported to the safest possible location...]
[Error.]
[Medical sector not detected.]
[Rerouting...]
[Error.]
[Safe zone not detected.]
[Rerouting...]
[Error.]
[No combat team members detected.]
[Rerouting...]
[Error.]
[No reconnaissance team members detected.]
[Rerouting...]
[Completed.]
[The least hostile human in the area has been detected.]
[Please secure the assistance of "Arata Nobuyuki".]
One after another, holographic text windows surfaced rapidly.
"...".
Rick Grimes didn't even have time to process the messages when, all at once, the white-haired youth opened his eyes, stirring awake.
/////
Well... Working and studying at the same time is quite difficult...
In any case, Happy New Year!
I also want to thank everyone who voted for my ambitious fanfic.
Especially Destroyer3000, reader_needtoread, and DomikPonchika. Thank you so much for your support!