Chapter 0 — Broadcast in the Ruins

The world was already broken.
Skyscrapers crumbled into jagged skeletons of concrete. Rusted cars lay half-buried in dust and ash. Humanity survived only in fragments, hunted day and night by monsters known as Soul Beasts—creatures born of mankind’s sins, devourers of the human soul.

Most survivors avoided the ruins of central Tokyo. But tonight, a camera flickered on.

“Good evening, everyone! Guess where I am right now?” A cheerful female voice rang out where no laughter should exist. A brown-haired woman with bright green eyes grinned at the lens. “That’s right—Tokyo itself! Isn’t this exciting?”

Her cameraman, a blond teenager with blue eyes, groaned behind the lens. “Koyomi-san, this area is restricted. If the Resistance finds out we’re here—”

“Relax, Brad.” Koyomi winked at the camera, her voice overly theatrical. “The world deserves to know the truth. And rumors say there’s something incredible hiding here. A samurai spirit hunting Soul Beasts! If we’re lucky, we’ll catch it on film tonight.”

“Samurai spirit… or we get eaten alive,” Brad muttered, adjusting the focus nervously.

The ruins were silent for a moment. Then came the sound.

Grrrrrrhhhhh…

From the shadows of collapsed buildings, glowing eyes appeared one by one. Twisted black figures crept forward, claws scraping against metal and bone.

Brad’s hands shook on the camera. “Koyomi-san… they’ve surrounded us.”

Koyomi’s forced smile faltered, but she still turned the mic to her lips. “V-viewers, you’re seeing this live! A direct encounter with Soul Beasts! Truly… a once-in-a-lifetime…!”

SCCRREEEEECHHH!

The creatures lunged. Brad nearly dropped the camera, stumbling back as claws slashed the ground where he stood.

A sudden roar split the night.
From the smoke of shattered concrete, another figure entered the fray—broad-shouldered, armed, and accompanied by an Android with glowing eyes. He fought like a man possessed, driving the beasts back with brutal swings.

“Stay behind me!” the man shouted. His name echoed in Koyomi’s memory—Kagami Nendou, a Survivor of the Tokyo Resistance.

“Look, everyone!” Koyomi cried, camera fixed on him. “A real Survivor, saving us live on broadcast! This is—”

“SHUT UP AND MOVE!” Kagami barked, cutting down a Beast that lunged for her throat.

Gunfire rattled. Bang! Bang! Bang! Black ash filled the air. But more and more Soul Beasts emerged from the ruins, drawn by the noise. Kagami’s movements slowed. His Android sparked, its systems damaged.

“Damn it… too many… I can’t…” Kagami’s voice cracked, his blade trembling.

Brad whispered, pale and shaking. “We’re going to die here.”

And then—
Silence.

From atop a ruined skyscraper, a new shadow watched. A hooded figure, face hidden behind a crimson mask and a gleaming futuristic helmet, loaded his weapons with mechanical precision.

The Survivors below did not yet realize it. But the night was about to change.