1 Apocalypse Anamnesis

"Who the hell do you think I am!??"

An office worker still in his uniform stood briskly in front of his house, taunting an otherworldly quadrupedal invader—reminiscing the appearance of a hell's one guardian hound.

This canine invader had ten eyes, five on each side. Yet, in its gaze, only emptiness beheld.

Monstrous as it was, its sheer size was also enough to make a dog yelp in cold fear.

But instead of decreasing in temperature, the office worker was searing in anger.

"H-how… How dare you murder my bunnies…" The man's flame emulsified with the air, aggravating the monster in front of him. "They are the only thing I cherish in this world!!"

The monstrous hellhound leaped forward.

However, it merely grazed its prey.

Clawing at the monster's mouth after a successful dodge, the man struck at one of the monster's many eyes. He then pulled the beast to the ground while being wary of its fangs, wrestling in the border of danger with steadfast footwork and positioning before he hurled another punch, striking like a match to ignite his muscles and adrenaline.

And again.

And again!

"This is for Lollie, you bastard!"

Having enough of the antics, the beast threw him into the house's window. The shattering cacophony of the glass was enough to wake up the neighbor's child.

If his neighbor were still kicking alive, that is.

Restlessly rustling, the beast steered and hurriedly peeked into the inside of the house, searching for his tossed prey. However, there wasn't anybody inside the house.

Immediately after, the house's front door was slammed open, revealing the same wrathful individual with his veins tightened and teeth gritted to steam his anger.

His hands were tightly gripping on a meat cleaver and a sharpening rod respectively.

"This is for Bebsie!!"

A fastball of meat cleaver was delivered onto one of the beast's eyes.

"And this is for my sweetie Carlo!!"

Just as the beast was startled, the man shortened his distance to send another package of pain, a free haute couture of a brutal and hateful blunt-thrust of a sharpening rod, onto the monster's upper jaw.

He grabbed the latching meat cleaver that was excitedly waiting to be wielded once more.

"Remember this, you son of a bitch!"

And begin hacking the ever living out of the earth's invaders. 

"The name's Nagan!!" The sploshing bodily liquid of the hound began to taint his suit and face. "Now you know the name you should chant when the reaper asked you!"

Nagan then anchored a stomp on the wounded beast's neck, before lunging both of his weapons at the top and lower jaw of the beast respectively.

"So pray that when we meet again, they have already glued you back in hell!!"

Before ripping the beast's mouth apart.

This man is Nagan Ingram, a normal office worker with a normal goal in life, and a normal desire to feed his pet bunnies everyday and have enough normal man's savings to buy the most beautiful headstones for both of his parent's graves.

But now, the world has been plunged into ruins. Sirens blared across the city, portals emerged into reality, spawning thousands if not millions of monsters onto the surface of Earth's paternity.

Screams and the fall of crumbling buildings make up the Grand Guignol in the background. Humanity's might to conquer the sea and the sky were once again tested by the impending apocalypse, as terror rounds and clips on the barely functioning internet were reeled and broadcasted at the speed of machine gun barrels.

Nagan just got back from his two days overtime due to the company mismanagement, overwhelmed by a strong urge to check on his rabbits in case that his neighbor didn't remember the message of feeding them when he was gone.

But just when he got back, he was welcomed by the sight of a monster with its mouth dripping in blood, sitting in front of the broken, expensive rabbit penthouse on his house's front yard.

"Aaaa..." Nagan's anger slightly subsided after he sent the murderer of his bunnies into the afterlife, but the tight knot that was choking his heart still firmly resided on his stinging chest. "It's only been three months, why do you guys leave me so soon…"

The apocalypse shouldn't have arrived this early. Nagan knew this.

He regressed from the future, afterall. Albeit wanting some moment of peace to mourn the sudden loss of his precious treasures, the lingering blood and heat was enough to lure more guests to his humble house for another round.

"Why you…" Nagan's veins were wired in lightning once again, setting his heartbeats back into full throttle. "Can't give me a break just once, huh? Now you decide to come here faster than the appointed schedule."

The pack of hounds lunged forward.

Nagan accepted the invitation, throwing the meat cleaver and sharpening rod onto two of the monsters, accurately at their eyes. To dodge the remaining beast, he lunged sideways into a roll, just to grab a dented bar of steel from his broken pet penthouse before attempting a first-degree murder on a bunch of otherworldly pups.

His heart engine roared for every moment he was put into the state of near death, enhancing his focus to unleash the pended anguish that he carried.

Each time he killed a monster, another one appeared to join the fight.

A near endless havoc, dancing between life and death.

Yet, the onslaught party kept going…

Until a mountain of corpses was built to commemorate the deceased.

"Tch, I regret not having a gun or two in this timeline." Nagan felt his body enveloped with a stinging jolt every time he moved them. "They are really trying to ruin everything by arriving here in december."

Just as Nagan wanted to step back from the chaos and observe the initial destruction of the current phase of apocalypse, a humanoid silhouette arose from the roof of his neighbor.

As if covered in ink, the entity's dark body was highlighted by the orange-doomsday hue of the sun, making its shredded muscle anatomy more prominent than ever.

On its bald head was only a single eyelet that covered the whole surface of the face, pulsating through numerous concentric white circles.

The gaze loomed like a chandelier.

"Humanoid… That is new-"

Before Nagan could fully react, the humanoid darkness had already covered half of his vision, with the prominent sight being the cocked arm that was hurled akin to the hammer of a revolver.

"Tch!"

The devastating punch merely grazed his shoulder, but the tremor from the impact alone made Nagan shudder in cold sweat.

Amidst the dodge, Nagan threw an uppercut onto the humanoid's chin.

The monster didn't budge an inch.

Before he knew it, the humanoid entity had already sent another punch, sending him flying through multiple roofs, leaving him with nearly inhumane wounds.

"... I just noticed, that thing should be charged for public indecency."

He could hear his barely functioning smartphone's ringtone raving within his pants' pocket. The broken upbeat music began to stimulate the beating of his caged heart.

Barely having any energy to get up, Nagan willed himself to stand straight after taking such a hit head on. He should be incapacitated right now as he was no longer the 'person' he was supposed to be, but something foreign began to circulate his lightning-wired veins.

Something very primal.

Something very ancient.

And it was something that he didn't have before he regressed.

Afterall, unlike the last time, he didn't have the tech nor the physical prowess that he once had before he regressed. In this timeline, Nagan was as weak as an average human.

He only had his experience, but that was also deemed null as he was fighting a completely different type of invader.

Could this be a different apocalypse altogether?

Nagan didn't care about that.

"... Move an inch, then I'll throw a hand at your groin."

He could see the humanoid invader rushing towards him, hurling another punch aimed at his head.

And thus, the attack could be swiftly dodged in exchange of excruciating pain on every inch of his overclocked muscle.

Swiftly, Nagan speared a knee on the monster's groin.

The groin attack was completely ineffective.

"... I guess having no balls is an advantage."

Both of them continued to exchange a dodge and counter, again and again. This time however, the overall situation and match-up didn't really side with Nagan.

"Just, what the hell are you made of!??" 

Not even the surrounding props like metal bars, wood, or even sharp things could hurt this monster.

And whenever Nagan aimed to damage the entity's concentric eye, it always attempted to block or dodge his attacks.

"Just! Let me! Gouge your eye out, dammit!"

Unable to keep up, one of the humanoid entity's attacks landed on him, anchoring his devastated body to the ground.

Nagan was knocked unconscious.

Was he dead?

His heart certainly stopped beating.

How about the fate of the Earth?

He didn't care about it in the slightest.

All that he care about now was the pain of losing his bunnies, and the fact that he hadn't bought his parents graveyard a better headstone

Regardless of his physical state, what he saw beyond the world of living was that of utter paradise.

Joyful clouds marched beyond the horizon, a meadow of colorful flowers was stretched until the edge of a faraway hill. Rainbows arched until it looped before hitting the grand canyon waterfall.

Nagan stood up, still weighted by disbelief. "Is this heaven?" 

As his eyes tried to familiarize with the new contrast, three rabbits hopped onto his direction.

Realizing who the three rabbits were, happiness began to smother his heart.

"Ollie? Bebsie? Carlo!???"

"Alas, it seems like you have died, our dear Nagan." 

"That one bloke really did a punch on you huh."

"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo~"

Ignoring the absurdity of the situation, Nagan propelled himself forward to reunite with his beloved pets in a big warm hug.

"You guys are here!!" Nagan cried with a wide smile on his face.

"But you aren't supposed to be here, Nagan."

"You haven't avenged us fully."

"Violence! Death! Diorama of cathartic agony!"

Then suddenly, reality began to contort itself.

"You don't belong here, there is a better place for you out there."

"Man up! And get up! Paint your face with holy blood!"

"This poison will destroy the landscape and mother nature in its entirety."

Nagan's beatless heart ached in distress, for the wail and the tears were not enough to make up the offering for the death.

"You know what you must accomplish, Nagan."

"They came for an early serving. Turn them all to dust, and the dust to dust!"

"For those who will not dance, make them drink their fill! For those who are unskilled, make them drink their fill!"

They twisted in an angry hue, loathsome, nihilistic truth. Scarcity of humanity's deeds to prove justice, for the lack of continuity to the truth lies within the old-age condolences.

What should ignite must be ignited.

"You must bring salvation to the world."

"The fourth world war will be fought with sticks and stones."

"May there be curses on you and your offspring! May you be cursed, you and your offspring!"

Until all that Nagan could see was a bright, putrid, bloodthirsty red.

Reddish hue of tormenting anger, ever consuming and unsatiated.

The primal wrath within had engulfed him whole.

""Rip and tear until it's done.""

Silence.

Its emptiness began to fill the world.

But as many know, disasters often come in great calvacades. 

Neither a serenade, nor a tirade, could disturb the melody of cascade.

Until the silence was disturbed by the roaring rhythm of Nagan's fervent heart.

"AAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHH!!!"

Nagan jumped out of his supposed grave, as if his putrid hatred willed his body to life for the sake of reaping every repentance from sinners and pariahs ahead.

Without being able to react, the inkish humanoid entity was grabbed on the neck by Nagan's clutch. There was only one image that its concentric giant eye beheld.

The clenched fist of the righteous hand.

The punch hit a brutal bullseye, launching the humanoid invader into the air. But just before the inertia could send the monster any further, Nagan grabbed it by the leg.

And slammed the sinner onto the ground.

All that the humanoid invader could see was nothing but red.

The wrathful red that would soon engulf him whole.

"AAAAAAAAARGHH!!!" The berserk Nagan pushed both of his thumbs onto the humanoid's concentric giant eye. "ALL OF YOU MUST FEEL THE SAME SORROW AS I HAVE!!"

Before ripping it bare for all gods and deities to see.

Soon, one by one, the same humanoid invader began to flock into Nagan's position. Some were even bigger than others.

What those invaders saw however, was not an officer worker, rabbit lover, nor was it any kind of human that they ever saw before…

All of them were witnessing the rise of an asura-like manifestation, a demonic entity that could kill them over and over again for a blood sport, blood curdling—blood rain won't sate the blood thirst. 

But they were unfamiliar with such a concept, so all they could do was to move forward, and ready their fist and fangs.

A joyous grimace appeared on Nagan's face.

"AHAHAHAHA! IT'S SO GREAT THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE ASSEMBLED!!" Purified in crimson shrouds, Nagan's stomp prompted the heavenly banquet to begin. "BRING IT ON!! LET'S PURGE THIS UNHOLY LAND THAT'S DEVOID OF BUNNIES~!!"

A mortal carnage sadistically ensued, not letting the blood clot up, filling many blood carts, as blood was drained from the heads, yet still keeping the bloodshot.

Paying the blood cost to sate the bloodlust, drop of drop of blood lost, until the corpses were bloodless.

"AAAAAND THE PAIN IS GREATER THAN THE LAMENTING!"

As if it all was a sacred performance of brutality to appease the ruler of hell.

However, amidst the performance, a foreign silhouette began to oversee the scene, licking her lips in carnal intrigue.

"I found him." A light snicker could be seen below the shadowed red-glinting gaze under the hood. "My fated one to be~"

The scene was nothing but cathartic. A singular human fighting a whole army of invaders, as if he was being possessed by the devil and heaven inbred.

But just as the sun won't be on the sky forevermore, so did the fight that was laid to an end.

Amongst the mountain of corpses, valiantly stood Nagan with blood and gashes pouring till the last red was shed. Then, the mysterious overseer leaped from where she once stood, into the hill of guts and fangs of otherworldly invaders.

Her hood was dragged backward by the wind, revealing a waist-length grayish yellow hair, and a pair of seemingly inorganic rabbit ears that pulsated through the yellow inner veins of a gray outline.

Just below those wondrous ears was a pair of glowing red eyes, fierce, resolute, and sadistic in its own nature.

With confidence, this mysterious figure halted her advance in front of the blood-soaked Nagan, and kneeled on one leg, before unexpectedly pulling out a giant colorful bouquet of flowers out of the baggy coat.

She proposed to the future king in red.

"I'm Owen Drumach Langitser, the 99th princess of the Langitser Kingdom, along with the entirety of the Usalian race.

"As such, I shall offer you the throne to bless our future kingdom, lineage, and grandiose prosperity with your ineffably violent bloodline~!" A confetti was released in the middle of the flower bouquet, pushing up a romantic sign that read 'You and I, forever and ever more~!' with a heart emoji at the end. "O demonic deity of insatiable crimson, are you willing to be my husband?" she said, sneaking to the lower side of the giant bouquet, with a promiscuous smirk.

Nagan was dumbfounded, he couldn't react to any of this at all. What with the bunny-like ears? What with this woman trying to propose to him? All of them were blurry amidst the massive adrenaline withdrawal that he was having, and possibly the loss of the majority of his blood.

Not to mention, having such an unbelievably beautiful woman do this to him was the last thing he ever expected from his normal, ordinary life. Heck, he didn't even get laid once before he regressed. His face is only average, afterall.

Then again, such ordinary life should be nonexistent within the chaos happening in this world.

"... Will there be bunnies?" Nagan muttered, not even knowing what he was even talking about.

"Oh~ there will be bunnies, alright~ lots of them~! If you understand what I mean~"

"Then…" Nagan's feet could no longer stand for him, slowly, crumbling down his fortified will to fall down to the ground of otherworldly corpses. "Thank you for having me…"

But just before he hit the ground, Owen caught him with great ease, enveloping him in her arms. After she heard the confirmation for her proposal, her face was filled with ambrosial joy.

A succulent whisper intruded the unconscious Nagan's ears.

"Thus henceforth, in our hearts' bloody honeymoon—lay you and I, a pair of nightly groom-to-be~"