Chapter 3: A Sudden Crisis

"It's finally done," Rozen exhaled a sigh of relief while yawning wearily. He had spent the entire night pouring his energy into coding ctOS on his phone.

"Time to create my identity and get some money," he mused, hacking into the Japanese government's internet and forging an identity for himself.

"Interesting defense system, typical of future technology," he noted with a smile of amusement, feeling a sense of pride that his ctOS had successfully hacked such an advanced system.

"Let's see… Name: Rozen Tendou, Age: Hmm... maybe 18?"

"For money, let's find some serious criminals." Using his phone, he hacked into the CCTV network, searching for hidden criminals among the crowds.

As expected, ctOS detected several criminals. Rozen quickly transferred funds from their bank accounts into his own and anonymously reported their crimes to the police.

Viewing the nine-digit figure in Yen in his account, Rozen grinned and decided to leave the decrepit building.

With his newfound wealth, he acquired a luxurious apartment in Tokyo and bought a high-spec computer for coding Alpha, a task his phone was incapable of handling.

Arriving at the apartment, he decided to rest after a grueling night of non-stop coding.

Waking up, Rozen checked the time on his phone and found he had slept for 12 hours.

"It's now 1PM? Well, time for lunch outside then, but first, I want to find out more about this world"

He hadn't thoroughly explored the internet earlier, focusing mainly on hacking. Now, he was curious about any oddities in this 'Detroit Become Human' world.

"Let's see... An android in Detroit is holding a child hostage after killing its owner? Hmm, so the plot is unfolding, huh?" Recalling this, Rozen frowned, feeling uneasy knowing that an android uprising might be imminent.

Despite the irony of his past, having almost become an android creator in his simulated life, he couldn't ignore the alarming reality of AI and robots rebelling against human control, a scenario vividly depicted in the 'Terminator' films.

And thus He decided to create a program to prevent such a rebellion, to avoid a 'Terminator' scenario in this world.

If humans already wage war among themselves, what chaos would ensue with a different species? This world would surely be in turmoil.

This rationale firmly cemented Rozen's decision. He was undoubtedly right, considering the history of human conflict, from ancient times to the present, a timeline filled with incessant warfare between nations.

"Cyberlife created combat androids? That's interesting; nothing like that was in the game. The most awaited game of all time, the first VRMMORPG, is launching on September 1st, announced by Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online, at Gamecon 2037… wait! What?! Sword Art Online exists in this world?" He stood up in shock, unable to believe this world combined a Japanese anime and a game.

Considering the advanced and futuristic setting, it seemed plausible for these two franchises to coexist, although it was still somewhat surreal. As far as Rozen remembered, there was no connection between them in his previous world.

"If Sword Art Online is here, then what other anime and franchises might be present?"

Filled with curiosity, he delved deeper into the internet, searching for information on other anime franchises from his memory. He discovered many other franchises existing in this world.

"Mai Sakurajima, Kasumigaoka Utaha, Yukino Yukinoshita, Kaguya Shinomiya, and even Raiden Mei are here too?" His mouth twitched, speechless at the multitude of anime and other franchises present.

But seriously, Raiden Mei? Could this mean that Honkai Impact was imminent in this world? This is fucking bad

His worries intensified, and a sense of panic and urgency surged within him to become stronger quickly.

"Can I simulate life again?" he wondered, opening the panel in his mind only to find a one-day cooldown for life simulation.

This wasn't as bad as he thought, but his concerns remained. He decided to buy a bankrupt technology company and rebuild the foundation of YoRHa in this world.

Rozen set aside his negative thoughts and went outside to find food, finally able to experience the privileges of having an official identity in this world.

After eating at a restaurant, he strolled around Tokyo, marveling at its advancement compared to the smart city he had created in his simulated life.

"This world is already awesome if there were no Honkai and other dangerous franchises, but without it, I might not have had the chance to meet those waifus in real life," he mused to himself, unaware of the anomaly unfolding in the distance.

It was a distortion of space, unnoticed by all people in Tokyo, but the distortion in the middle of the city worsened, transforming into a giant gate visible to all.

"Hey, what is that gate? It wasn't there just now," people murmured in confusion.

"Yeah, I didn't notice it before. Did we overlook it?"

"Is there some special event happening here?"

Huh? What are they talking about? A gate? Huh?! Wait!!! How did that gate suddenly appear in the middle of the city?! I'm sure it wasn't there a moment ago.

As he pondered, his instincts warned him that something bad was about to unfold. He quickly decided to leave the area, but it was too late. The catastrophe had already begun.

From behind the gate emerged a fantasy-themed warband, accompanied by other fantastical creatures like goblins, orcs, and the like.

"Hey, look at those troops! Their armor and weapons look so real. Is it a special event or a movie promotion?"

"Yeah, look at that goblin. It looks so realistic, as if it's a real goblin."

Pedestrians commented while recording videos, oblivious to the imminent danger.

WOOOOOOOOO!!!

A war trumpet sounded, and suddenly the crowd fell silent. At that moment, some pedestrians, especially former military personnel, sensed an ominous killing aura emanating from one of the 'troops.'

War cries responded to the trumpet, sending shivers down everyone's spine. It was then that the former military personnel realized that something terribly wrong was happening.

"Everybody, run!!!" One of the ex-military shouted, snapping people out of their stunned state, but it was too late. The fantasy warriors had already rushed toward them.

Soon, the air was filled with the blood-curdling screams of humans.

"Kyaaaa!!!"

"Ahhhh!!! Help me!!!"

"Help!!! Someone hel-" a voice cried out before being cut off as they were impaled by a warrior.

Witnessing the chaos and bloodshed in Tokyo, cold sweat dripped down Rozen's forehead. He hacked all nearby vehicles and rammed them into the warriors.

His efforts saved some people, but the attack was far from over, as more warriors flooded the area.

Fortunately, the presence of androids saved many lives as they protected humans. However, due to programming that prohibited them from attacking or killing humans,  they soon were turned into meatshields by some humans.

Then suddenly, a warrior riding a wyvern emerged from the gate, exacerbating the panic and chaos among the crowd.

Hiding behind a wall, Rozen steadied his breathing while peeking outside. He was stunned by the extraordinary turn of events on his second day in this world.

"For fuck's sake! Why is this bloody hell happening now?!" He muttered resentfully, quickly brainstorming a solution.

But he had no time to dwell on it, as he noticed a girl protecting a fallen child, with a bloodthirsty warrior charging towards them.

"Fuck it!!! YOLOOOOOO!!!" Rozen gritted his teeth and dashed with all his might, drawing the warrior's attention.

"Fucking bastard! I'm here, you piece of shit!!!" Feeling Rozen's taunts, the warrior grinned evilly and shifted his focus to him.

Seeing the warrior take the bait, a wicked smirk crossed Rozen's face. The warrior sensed something was off, but it was too late to react as a car, hacked by Rozen, rammed into him with full force.

Rozen hadn't used this tactic earlier to save the girl and child, as it could have endangered them with the possibility of getting hit by the same car.

"Are you guys okay?" Rozen approached and asked. The teenage girl nodded with a frightened expression, while the small child was unconscious in her arms.

"Follow me, I'll get both of you out of here."

With the help of the hacked CCTV, Rozen and the others navigated a safe and secure path away from the attacking warriors.

"T-that," the girl stammered.

"Umm? Is something the matter?"

"I-I…my name is Yuuki Asuna," she said, clutching her skirt nervously.

"Wait, what?! Your name is Yuuki Asuna?!" He stared wide-eyed at the girl who had just introduced herself as the main heroine from Sword Art Online.

"I-is something wrong with me?" Asuna asked, a hint of nervousness coloring her face.

"Cough, sorry for my reaction earlier. I just can't believe I met you so soon," Rozen replied, his response causing her confusion.

"Anyway, nice to meet you. I'm Rozen Tendou. I hope we can be friends after escaping this dangerous situation." She nodded in agreement.

"By the way, is the little girl in your arms related to you? A sibling or cousin perhaps?"

"Ah, her? She's not my sibling or from my family," Asuna clarified, shaking her head while still cradling the unconscious girl.

"It's pretty brave of you to save someone you don't know. It's rare to find such kindness these days."

"But aren't you the same, Tendou-kun? You risked yourself to divert those soldiers' attention to save us," Asuna smiled gratefully, making him somewhat embarrassed.

"It's nothing, really. Compared to me, who saved you because I could, you blindly helping and protecting the little girl is more just and saintly than me," he admitted, causing Asuna to blush.

"Nonono! You're exaggerating! I'm not as saintly as you think," Asuna waved her hands and shook her head in disagreement.

Rozen laughed at her reaction, and Asuna pouted, realizing he was teasing her.

"Wait!" Spotting a warrior on the camera near their location, Rozen instructed Asuna to hide and stay quiet.

He hacked a dropped device to distract the warrior. After succeeding, he gestured for Asuna to remain hidden and sneaked up to ambush the soldier.

It's my first time killing someone directly, but here goes... 1…2…3.

Gulping slightly, Rozen quickly locked the warrior's neck in a tight grip from behind, enduring the soldier's frantic struggle.

"Die, you fucking bastard!" Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip as much as he could, glaring angrily at the warrior.

Eventually, the warrior's struggles ceased, and his movements stopped completely.

"Haaa… haaa… haaa…" Rozen panted heavily, releasing the now lifeless body. His first direct kill was overwhelming and unexpectedly thrilling.

"Tendou-kun…" Asuna looked at him with a hint of fear, making Rozen realize his actions might have been unsettling for her.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't handle the stress, especially after seeing what they did to ordinary people here."

"I-It's okay, I'm the one who should apologize for looking at you like that," Asuna quickly shook her head and offered a smile tinged with apology.

Continuing their journey, they chatted along the way and eventually reached an area secured by military personnel.

"Stop right there! Or we will shoot!" A soldier warned from afar, while others aimed their weapons at them, leaving Rozen speechless at their approach.

Do they really think the otherworld army understands this world's language?

Thinking this, Rozen raised his hands and called out, "Hold on! I'm a civilian here! You can check me and the two girls I'm with!"

After a moment of silence, a voice responded, "They're safe. Secure them quickly!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers moved forward and safely escorted Rozen and the others to their camp. Inside, he saw many people trembling in fear, filled with sadness and hatred, which all of them were survivors of the bloody incident like him.

Shaking his head, he murmured in annoyance, "What a bad day." Watching cctv camera through his phone, there he saw soldiers advancing through the city, engaging the fantasy army with firearms.

The fantasy army, once the predators, now became the prey as the soldiers attacked them with guns that pierced their iron armor.

"Served them right," he grinned, reveling in the defeat of the fantasy army, when suddenly the camp door opened. A soldier walked in and approached Rozen.

"Rozen Tendou-san!" Rozen was startled, quickly switching off his phone and looking up to see the soldier standing before him with a serious expression.

Fuck!!! God, he scared the hell out of me! Wait, did he just see what I was watching?!

Anxiety flooded his thoughts, but the soldier continued, "The Captain has summoned you at the headquarters. I am here to inform and escort you there."

"O-Oh! I see, then please lead the way." Rozen followed the soldier, relieved that his fears hadn't materialized.

"We've arrived."

"Aren't you coming in?" The soldier shook his head, replying, "The Lieutenant wants to speak with you privately."

What could the army Lieutenant want from me? Could they have detected something odd about my fake identity? But I'm pretty sure they couldn't have noticed.

With apprehension, Rozen entered the tent.

"Excuse me."

"Are you perhaps Rozen Tendou-kun?" Inside, he found an older man with a stern face waiting for him.

"Well, that's me. Is there something I can help you with, sir?" Rozen asked, confused while hoping his worries were unfounded.

The man stood and unexpectedly bowed to Rozen, catching him off guard.

"Thank you for saving my little daughter. I can't express how grateful I am to you for saving my only child."

"No, no! It's not much. You shouldn't thank me. After all, it wasn't me who first saved your daughter; it was the girl who was with me earlier."

"Despite that, the girl Asuna before told me you were the real savior who saved her and my daughter. Without you, they might both be dead now."

"Ah, that's…" He couldn't deny what was said, but he still felt uncomfortable with the situation.

"But please, don't bow your head to me." Rozen said. Sensing his embarrassment, the lieutenant straightened up and smiled at him.

"If you ever need my help, feel free to contact me. Here's my number…" Rozen accepted it, thinking it might come in handy someday.

They chatted amiably about the incident, but their conversation was interrupted by commotion outside the tent.

"Is something happening out there?" the lieutenant inquired, his tone laced with curiosity. As he spoke, the tent flap swung open, revealing a bespectacled man flanked by his guards, all uniformly clad in blue military uniforms.