A few days had passed since Ron's raid on the Castle of Wulkeria. Carter had been sent on a mission the very next day. Exhausted, he welcomed an invitation from Lia to a quiet dinner. Their bond had grown stronger over time. As they savored the moment, Carter's phone buzzed with a message from Bruce:
Bruce:"Hosting a small gathering. Bring Lia, Ron… and his wife."
The words made Carter pause. He remembered the first time he'd met Ron—on a mission, alongside Police's younger brother. At the time, he hadn't known who Ron really was. But now, with the pieces coming together, he suspected that Police's brother might have been the one to bring Ron to Hero Town… perhaps even the one who found him.
Who is Ron really? Carter wondered. He had seen enough to know that Ron wasn't from this time, a suspicion confirmed during the House of Mysteries Arc—when Ron casually mentioned waking from a slumber that had lasted hundreds of years.
Lia nudged him out of his thoughts with a gentle call. Just then, another message from Bruce arrived: he was moving back to his old family house and organizing a welcome party with several high-ranking guests attending.
Later that evening, as Carter walked home, he sent Ron a message. Moments later, a notification sounded just a few steps ahead. It was Ron, lost in thought.
"Ron?" Carter called.
"Ah—hi, Carter. What are you doing here?" Ron asked, startled.
"Heading home. What about you? Out this late? Your wife must be worried."
"Just a walk… I'll head back soon," Ron muttered. How do I even tell him I can't look Dream in the eyes?
"Take care," Carter said and walked away.
Ron sighed. "I should just go home and sleep."
At home, Dream was cooking, a smile softening her face as she held a spoon. Ron's heart raced.
"Want something to eat?" she asked warmly.
"No, I'm tired. Going to sleep—don't disturb me," he replied hastily, shutting the door.
Sleep did not come easily. His thoughts churned louder than any nightmare.
At sunrise, he went to train in the underground room. Dream stood outside, smiling softly.
"Good morning," she said.
Ron's chest tightened.
"You're avoiding me, aren't you?" she asked gently.
He didn't respond, simply walking past her into the training room.
Later, after rereading Carter's message, Ron teleported to his room, changed, and appeared outside Carter's house. He knocked twice—no answer. He dialed Carter.
Meanwhile, Carter, Lia, and Dream were waiting outside. Dream, as always, wore her modest, princess-like dress. Lia also wore a simple, elegant outfit.
Soon, all four of them reached the airport and headed to Bruce's estate. The party was set for the next night. They checked into a hotel with three rooms: one for Carter, one for Lia, and one shared by Ron and Dream.
Damn… stuck in a small room with her, Ron thought. But Carter and Lia reminded him, "You're married, after all."
Inside the room, Dream dropped her act and smirked teasingly. Flustered, Ron excused himself, teleporting into Dr. Thomas's dimension to rest. Dream clenched her fists in anger, muttering, "Dr. Thomas? Why? Is he more important than me?"
Only an hour remained before the party. When they returned and got ready, Bruce's renovated house was unrecognizable—warmth and life replaced the haunted ruins Ron had last seen. Guests chatted, music played softly, and the air was thick with anticipation.
Ron and Dream walked through the crowd together.
"Ever heard of DA?" Ron asked.
"Just stories… when I was little," Dream replied.
Excusing himself to use the washroom upstairs, Ron bumped into Akira Antonito. They walked together, and Ron entered a quiet upstairs room. He didn't need the bathroom—his attention was on the magnifying glass Dr. Thomas had given him. It glowed and beeped urgently.
He pulled it out. Dr. Thomas's voice came through:
"Your next mission. A sword called The Immortal Killer. Bring it to me."
Ron hung the magnifying glass behind the door, freshened up, and returned downstairs, forgetting it entirely.
Laughter and chatter filled the room. Drinks flowed freely. No one noticed the danger lurking above.
Akira excused himself to go upstairs. On his way, something caught his eye—the strange magnifying glass hanging behind the door. Intrigued, he peered into it.
Something… stared back.
A skeleton—Skelly from Dr. Thomas's world—grinned at him. Akira gasped, dropping the magnifying glass. It cracked slightly against the wall.
Curious, he picked it up again. A mistake.
Purple fog seeped through the crack, spreading quickly. It twisted and coalesced into ghastly, rotten shapes—zombies.
"EVERYONE EVACUATE! ZOMBIES!!" Akira screamed.
At first, guests laughed, thinking it a joke. But the fog poured through hallways, vents, and cracks. Where it touched, the dead rose.
One zombie stumbled out. Then ten. Then fifty.
The planet didn't stand a chance. In minutes, a full-scale apocalypse erupted. The bitten turned in seconds.
Bruce's mansion—fortified with both futuristic defenses and ancient protections—became humanity's only stronghold.