HOTD: A New Dawn

Tysone sat quietly on his bed.

The clock ticked away, it being the only sound that could be heard in the darkness of his room. Just moments prior, he had been listening in to the news anchor yapping about the fire in the abandoned industrial district.

"Triage X." He breathed out. "So there's that as well."

Perhaps, he should stop applying some sort of law and logic to what kind of characters would appear in this new world. It wasn't as if there was a strict selection system. Instead, it was as if some entity was spinning a wheel of fortune, and whatever came out of it would be added.

Random. Unpredictable.

Wasn't Triage X set on a more modern timeline? Their technology would clash with the more primitive of HSOTD. And if not even that could stop the craziness of it all, could Tysone come to expect Naruto popping out of a dark alley screaming 'I'm gonna be the next Emperor of Japan! You better believe it! Dattebayo!' or even Mechas from Evangelion dropping from the sky?

Maybe a genius sociopath with eye powers trying to overthrow Britain?

Hell, maybe aliens with planet-busting powers could be crashing through Earth's stratosphere in capsules right at that moment. If that was the case, a zombie apocalypse would be the last of their concerns. Probably not even one. 

Tysone chuckled dryly.

In the end, the only thing that mattered to him was his own survival.

It was that one thing that was for certain. And for now, he was doing the best he could. No matter the cost, the means. He just needed to survive and find happiness in this life. However, that didn't erase the problem. What to do? How should he deal with this new information?

He couldn't possibly go against an entire organization filled with killing machines. It helped that they only targeted individuals they believed to be tumors for society. It didn't help that Tysone wasn't a saint, and he fully intended to err on the side of illegality to further his own goals if he thought it was necessary.

But then he didn't intend to go that far in the wrong direction either. No human experimentations, nor torture, or murder. Unless it was for self-defense.

And so, the logical solution was to avoid crossing paths with them.

To live his normal-ish life.

However, Tysone knew that it was inevitable for them to clash head-on at some point. If someone up there in the sky bothered to make a cauldron witch of anime worlds, it meant they sure wouldn't settle for anything short of an epic confrontation.

"Fuck me." Tysone sighed, picking up a paper and pen. He began making a list:

- Highschool of the Dead (main world - Tokonosu City confirms it.)

- Rascal Does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

- Triage X

Okay. No need to panic. He had perfectly involved Saya and Mai into his life, having them help him with his business, with his ideas, and one day with making a better world. It was fine. 

He could always slowly approach Triage X's characters—maybe the unaffiliated ones, and bring them under his wing. He'd use money and false promises if he had to. A wait and see approach would be for the better.

For now, though, he'd search every nook and cranny of his university and find all the special characters. 

"I have to build my own faction. It's the only way to keep myself protected and ready. To survive." He murmured. Hell, wouldn't it be ironic if he was a villain to some budding protagonist? A rival to their growth? A mere stepping stone for some awkward, stuttering teenager to trample on after having gained his powers for only a week. 

That was an amusing thought, actually.

Regardless…

Tysone nodded, determined to make the most out of the current situation. "I'll do it." He said. And that was that. No ifs, ands, or buts. "I've got to make my move."

For real though, fuck this world. 

…

Before Tysone started on his plan to gather allies, he amped up his training schedule. There was a renewed sense of urgency now. Triage X's characters weren't a joke. Tysone would be in serious danger if he became a target. Thus, Tysone's plan to get stronger. Much stronger. To train like his life depended on it. Because it very well might. He knew it'd take a while for him to get there.

And so, Tysone went back to basics. He went to the park every morning, ran a mile, did a hundred push-ups and sit-ups, then jogged a mile back home. He hit the gym for strength training. Then at the shooting range, where he paid Hiro extra for more advanced classes. It turns out that Hiro wasn't good with only a handgun. He could also use different types of rifles.

Then came theory lessons. Gun maintenance. Gun history. Gun models. Anything related to firearms, Tysone wanted to know.

After his sessions, Tysone did more training. He went to the dojo. He learned new skills. The ability to throw a punch properly. How to take down opponents twice his size, as well as how to move around and be light on his feet.

It was a long process.

He didn't want to go through all the red tape, but he felt that getting stronger was the only thing keeping him sane and focused. That he wasn't helpless and powerless. It was the only thing he could control. So he kept on going, day after day.

Because damn, anytime now, a new character that'd completely break the balance of the power system would pop out. How would he deal with that if he wasn't up to snuff? He wanted to put up a fight, at least. Resist and defy all the odds. 

His business was being well-managed, thankfully. Saya was doing a wonderful job, and he felt a pang of guilt at delegating almost everything to her.

He promised himself he'd buy a thoughtful gift for her. It wouldn't do to keep relying so much on that little missus.

Night turned to morning. Day after day, Tysone continued to work out, training harder and longer, pushing his body past its limits. The more time he spent in the gym, the more his muscles grew, the better his stamina and endurance got, the quicker he moved. The more agile and flexible he became.

Hiro even praised his marksmanship; hell, Tysone spent so much time in the shooting range, well beyond his lessons with Hiro. If he couldn't get a level of accuracy that warranted praise, then he might as well give up—

"You don't look too good…" Nami said, her head slightly tilted. 

—however, Tysone was human, and it was naturally taking a toll on him. He had to study as well on top of everything else. His body hurt. His head hurt. The results were there, but at what cost? 

Tysone waved her off. "Don't worry. It's fine."

"Is it, though?" Her head tilted even lower. Anime antics. Gotta love them.

"...."

He didn't say anything, instead, he continued observing. Every student that passed by him. That's something he's been doing lately as well. Observing his classmates. Students from different majors. Teachers and the rest of the staff that operated the school. He studied every single one of them—yet none of them rang a bell. 

Well, duh. 

Weren't most characters in anime teenagers? If Tysone wanted to find someone special, he'd have more luck snooping around high schools. What was the point of attending university if he couldn't get his hands on the real deal? It was all useless.

But just because he couldn't recognize anyone didn't mean that there wasn't anyone of note. "Nami." He started. She looked up at him. "I couldn't help but notice that you're quite popular on campus."

She smiled, a little shy, a little proud. "Heeh, I guess you're right."

"I am. I've heard someone say that you're the most beautiful girl, and I patted that young man's shoulder for being absolutely right." He said with a small laugh.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh."

"What?"

"Stop flattering me, Ty!" She punched his arm lightly, and it almost made him grimace.

His muscles ached.

Almost.

"I'm not flattering you. It's true. Though to be fair, you must've heard it all the time, so my words don't have as much impact." He hummed. "I'm curious though... is there anyone on the campus that you find special? For example, do you know Saya Takagi from Fujimi Academy? She's young but well-known as a genius. She supposedly scored really high on an IQ test and is on a special program. I wondered if there was someone just as capable here as well, or at least close."

"You mean, smart, pretty girls? Haha! You pervert! Well, let me think." She pondered on it, and then snapped her fingers. "There's me, of course!"

"Oh?" Tysone raised an eyebrow. "And what can you do?"

"..." She stared at him and then grinned widely. "I'm not sure yet! I'll figure it out!"

"I'm not surprised."

"Meanie." She laughed, a hand over her mouth. "Anyway. I don't know anyone right off the top of my head, but I'll ask around."

Tysone sighed. It was not as if he was expecting a windfall. Besides, he could ask Saya and Mai as well. "Thank you, really. You're so good to me, Nami. I'll pen a confession letter and put it in your shoe locker if no one hasn't already."

She smiled, her head tilted in a cute way. "Hmm, what if they have already~"

He locked in. "I'll fight them one by one." She was about to fake swoon at his words, until… "Just kidding. I'll confess to your mom. Why settle for the product when you can get the manufacturer?"

"..."

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.