Alter Earth, Jakarta, Indonesia
In the physical location where the ID branch headquarters had once stood—and where it had vanished from just hours ago—space suddenly rippled.
The massive building simply appeared, materializing back into existence as if it had never left. The ground trembled from the sudden addition of hundreds of thousands of tons of structure and the momentum of its interdimensional travel.
On the rooftop, every member of both ID and EN stood or sat or collapsed, depending on their remaining energy levels. For a moment, there was silence as everyone processed what had just happened.
Then someone—it might have been Kobo—said quietly, "Are we... are we home?"
Moona, still weak but managing to stand with Risu's support, looked out at the familiar cityscape of Jakarta. The sun was setting, painting the sky in beautiful oranges and pinks. Normal cars drove on normal streets. Normal people went about their normal lives, completely unaware that an idol agency building had just returned from another dimension after fighting off a zombie apocalypse.
"We're home," Moona confirmed, and her voice cracked with emotion.
The EN members erupted in cheers and celebration, high-fiving and hugging each other. They'd done it—they'd successfully rescued their friends and brought everyone home safely.
The ID members had more subdued but no less heartfelt reactions. Some were crying—happy tears this time. Others were laughing in relief. Reine had actually fallen to her knees and kissed the rooftop floor, so grateful was she to be back on their own Earth.
"I missed normal dirt and ground!" Kobo declared, lying flat on her back and making floor angels. "I never thought I'd be so happy to be home!"
Iofi was taking pictures of the sunset with her phone, documenting their return. "We made it back! We're actually back!" She was grinning so widely it looked like her face might split.
Kaela, ever practical, was already checking her terminal to confirm that all building systems had survived the dimensional transfer intact. "Structural integrity at ninety-six percent. All major systems operational. We lost some external sensors and a few defensive platforms, but overall, the building survived remarkably well."
Calli walked over to Kaela, wiping zombie gore off her scythe. "So, I have to ask—why did you use a van to come rescue us? I noticed you have quite the impressive defensive systems here. Couldn't you have sent some of your mechas or warships?"
Several EN members looked embarrassed at the question.
Ame spoke up first. "Our vehicles and mechas are mostly destroyed from several Tuesday shenanigans. The Justice van was literally the only fully functional vehicle we had left."
"Tuesday shenanigans?" Kaela raised an eyebrow.
"It's a long story," Kiara said quickly. "Involving water buffalo, Devil Trigger accidents, and what we're pretty sure was a temporal paradox."
"Mostly the Devil Trigger thing," Gura admitted sheepishly. "We destroyed most of our mechas when the building exploded during the Buffalo Stampede. The shockwave took out the mecha storage bay."
Bijou nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we've been meaning to send you the repair orders, but then this whole zombie thing happened."
Kaela sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Of course. I should have known." She consulted her terminal, pulling up her project schedule. "Alright, I'll prioritize repairs for your vehicles and mechas. Should have everything fixed by next month."
"Next month?" Ame's eyes widened. "Kaela, you don't have to—"
"No need for the insurance claims," Kaela interrupted. "We'll do it for free. It's the least we could do now." She gestured around at the assembled EN members. "You came to another dimension to rescue us. Fixing your vehicles is a small price to pay."
Moona groaned from where she was sitting. "Wellp, at least we're alive. That's worth more than any amount of lost revenue from client orders."
"Speaking of which," Zeta said, checking her inventory terminal, "we used up about forty percent of our client orders during that fight. We're going to have a LOT of explaining to do."
"And a lot of rebuilding of inventory," Reine added, though she didn't sound too upset about it. Being alive tended to put things in perspective.
But then Kobo turned toward the edge of the rooftop and froze. "AH! ZOMBIES!"
Everyone's heads whipped around to look where she was pointing. And indeed, there were zombies—shambling figures moving through the streets around the ID building.
"No way!?" Risu's voice pitched upward in panic. "I thought we killed them all!?"
"Apparently there were some that hid in the buildings and were teleported with us," Ina said, consulting her tome. She'd been doing a dimensional stability check and hadn't noticed the stowaways until now. "The portal transported everything within its radius, which included some zombies that were inside the collapsed structures near our building."
"How many?" Calli demanded, already gripping her scythe again.
Raora, with her sharp eyes, scanned the area below. She had the best visual acuity of anyone present, a skill honed from years of reading fine print on contracts. "From this point of view? Apparently around 175,000 zombies."
"THAT MANY!?" several voices chorused in horror.
"They were hiding in the rubble and ruined buildings!" Raora continued. "Must have been dormant or trapped, and when we teleported back, they came with us!"
"This is so annoying!" Bae threw her hands up in frustration. "We just got home! Can't we catch a break?"
But then a sound cut through the air—the distinctive whirr of cannons powering up, followed by the thunderous BOOM of cannonballs being fired.
Everyone looked up to see a massive red ship sailing through the air. It was a fantastic vessel that looked like it had been pulled straight out of the golden age of piracy and given the ability to fly. A large black flag fluttered from its mast, displaying a skull with a heart-shaped eye patch—the unmistakable symbol of Houshou Marine.
Speakers crackled to life, and Marine's voice boomed across the area, full of confidence and theatrical flair:
"Ahoy! Girls, daijoubu desu yo! Senchou is on the move! Stay right there, I'm coming to rescue all my cute crewmates! Marine-senchou, shuppatsu!"
On the deck of the flying ship stood Houshou Marine herself, the pirate captain striking a dramatic pose with one foot on the railing. Beside her stood Usada Pekora, the war criminal rabbit, who was grinning with barely contained excitement.
"Peko-la-peko-la-peko-la! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Pekora's distinctive laugh echoed across the battlefield. "I heard your pathetic little screams for help, peko! We're here to join the fun now, so step aside! You cute little kouhais shouldn't be hogging all the action for yourselves, peko. It's time for a professional to show you how it's done! ORRRRRA!"
Beside them, Kiryu Coco spread her dragon wings with a confident smirk. Amane Kanata was cracking her knuckles, her gorilla-strength arms flexing in anticipation. And Sakura Miko summoned a massive sledgehammer—a sakura-themed weapon that was easily three times her size—with practiced ease.
"Oh, and we decided to bring some more!" Pekora added, her grin becoming almost manic.
Marine snapped her fingers, and the underside of the ship opened like a bay door. From the opening, more figures appeared, ready to drop into combat.
Murasaki Shion floated near the edge, her magical aura crackling with power. Shiranui Flare was already nocking multiple arrows, her elf heritage allowing her to fire with supernatural accuracy. Shirogane Noel raised her massive mace, the weapon humming with holy energy.
They all jumped off, free-falling toward the ground and the zombie horde below.
Shion, true to form, decided to make an entrance. She accelerated downward with a magical high-jump kick, her body surrounded by purple energy. "I'M THE STRONGEST WIZAAAAARD!!" she screamed as she descended.
She hit the ground in the middle of the zombie concentration.
The resulting explosion was like a small nuclear blast. Purple energy exploded outward in a massive sphere, vaporizing every zombie within a hundred-meter radius. The shockwave knocked down zombies even further out, creating a perfect circle of devastation.
When the light faded, Shion stood in the center of a crater, her outfit somehow still pristine despite the violence of her landing. "Hehe, still got it!"
Flare fired arrows mid-fall, each projectile glowing with magical fire. The arrows split apart in mid-air, multiplying into dozens of smaller projectiles that rained down on the zombies below. Each arrow that hit burst into flames, immolating its target and spreading fire to nearby zombies.
Noel created her own crater upon landing—easily three hundred meters in radius and sixty meters deep. The holy warrior looked completely fine despite falling from such a height, protected by her incredible durability. She immediately began swinging her mace in wide arcs, each strike creating shockwaves that pulverized zombies within its area of effect.
Kiryu Coco flew down with her dragon wings spread wide, unleashing a massive gout of dragon fire breath that engulfed an entire street section. The flames were so hot they actually melted the asphalt, and the zombies caught in the inferno were reduced to ash in seconds.
Pekora and Miko free-fell together, both laughing like maniacs. Pekora pulled out a large enchanted carrot—yes, a carrot—that somehow functioned as a sword. Miko readied her enormous sakura-themed sledgehammer. As they fell, they began an impromptu dance, spinning around each other in the air.
They hit the ground running. Pekora dashed toward a zombie behind Miko and thrust her carrot sword forward, impaling it. Simultaneously, Miko swung her hammer at a zombie behind Pekora, crushing it flat.
They continued this pattern, fighting back-to-back, each protecting the other while laughing and shouting. It was chaotic, theatrical, and devastatingly effective.
Kanata flew down more sedately, but once she touched down, she immediately started fist-fighting zombies. Her gorilla-grip strength allowed her to literally tear zombies apart with her bare hands, ripping off limbs and crushing skulls with casual ease. She didn't need weapons—her body WAS a weapon.
In the distance, the distinctive sound of a tank's treads could be heard. Shishiro Botan drove into view, seated atop a military tank—not inside it, but standing on top of the turret, firing her sniper rifle with perfect accuracy. Each shot was a headshot, each headshot dropped a zombie.
But the tank itself wasn't being driven by Botan. Her Bo-dans—her SSRB (Super Special Really Big) explosive respawning round lions—were controlling the vehicle, their small paws somehow managing the complex controls. The tank's main gun fired, launching SSRBs that exploded on contact with zombie clusters.
More SSRBs—these ones on foot—charged at the zombies from all angles, their round lion bodies rolling and bouncing across the battlefield. When they touched a zombie, they self-detonated, taking out their target and anything nearby.
From the deck of her flying ship, Marine gave a thumbs up to the people on the ID building's rooftop. "Leave it to us! You girls can rest!"
The flying ship's cannons continued to fire, Marine laughing from the quarter deck as she steered her vessel in complex patterns, providing fire support from the air.
Back on the rooftop of the ID building, many members stood in stunned silence, trying to process what they were witnessing.
Gura blinked and then pointed. "She brought the thirty-billion-dollar ship?! I thought Pekora blew that up!"
Ame replied without looking up, "Technically, we're the ones who destroyed it. But yeah, that looks exactly like it."
In the distance, they heard the PA system blare a Marine's voice: "This is just one of the many ships I have on deck! Gotta have at least a spare!"
"that doesn't sound better at all!" IRyS said.
Nerissa looked confused. "Where did all the budget come from?!"
Calli replied without looking, "I'm too afraid to ask."
Gura pointed out again, "And did Shion-senpai just cause a nuclear explosion?"
"Also yes," Ame confirmed.
"And is Botan really controlling a tank with her lions?"
"That appears to be what's happening, yes."
Ame pulled out her phone, which was displaying a smug grin despite being an inanimate object—or at least it would be smug if phones could have expressions. "I called JP branch about ten minutes before we arrived, just in case we needed backup. Told them the situation and asked them to stand by."
Kaela looked at Ame with genuine appreciation. She gave a thumbs up, accompanied by a small smirk. "Good call."
"I try to plan ahead," Ame said modestly, though she was clearly pleased with herself.
Many of the ID members, finally able to truly relax now that reinforcements had arrived, slumped to the ground or leaned against walls. The adrenaline that had kept them going during the siege was finally wearing off, leaving them exhausted.
Moona just laid flat on her back, staring up at the sky. "We're home. We're really home. And someone else is dealing with the zombie problem. I could cry."
"Please don't," Risu said, though she was smiling. "We've had enough crying today."
Zeta had removed her secret agent persona entirely, just flopping onto her back and making relieved noises. "No more zombies. No more constant fighting. No more wondering if we're going to die in another dimension. Just... home."
Iofi was taking more pictures, but now she was documenting the JP branch's arrival. "This is going into the archive as one of the craziest days in ID branch history."
Meanwhile, the EN members were watching the JP branch work with a mixture of awe and amusement. This was peak Hololive—overwhelming force applied with theatrical flair.
Kiara landed back on the rooftop after another quick perimeter check. "Additional JP members are arriving! I see Laplus and others from the Secret Society setting up a perimeter!"
Indeed, in the streets around the ID building, more JP members were arriving. Laplus Darknesss was directing operations, her small form somehow commanding respect as she organized the containment effort.
A large flying vehicle that looked suspiciously like a modified police vehicle descended. The door opened, and Oozora Subaru stepped out, dressed in what could only be described as a police chief uniform. Her Subatomos—duck-shaped familiars wearing tiny SWAT uniforms—poured out behind her, immediately forming a perimeter around the area.
"Don't worry!" Subaru called up to the building. "The Oozora Police will make sure no zombies escape this area! We've got this under control!"
Roboco arrived next, hovering on her built-in thrusters. The high-spec robot idol began scanning the zombies, collecting data. "Fascinating! These are a variant strain I've never seen before! The mutation patterns are highly unusual!"
"Roboco, now is not the time for research!" Subaru called out.
"But science waits for no one!" Roboco protested, even as she fired her arm-mounted beam weapons at approaching zombies.
Yozora Mel descended from above, using her vampire powers to command darkness itself. Shadows coiled around zombies, crushing them or dragging them into dark portals that led to... somewhere. Probably somewhere unpleasant.
Natsuiro Matsuri arrived on a motorcycle—because of course she did—skidding to a dramatic stop before leaping off and immediately engaging zombies in close combat. Her idol uniform somehow didn't restrict her movements at all as she performed acrobatic kicks and punches.
Aki Rosenthal flew in on spectral apple-themed wings, showering the area with magical blossoms that exploded on contact with zombie flesh. Each petal was apparently weaponized, turning the beautiful display into a deadly assault.
More and more JP members continued to arrive, each one adding their unique abilities to the containment effort. It was rapidly becoming less of a battle and more of a coordinated extermination operation.
On the ID building's rooftop, Calli watched the organized chaos below with satisfaction. "JP branch doesn't mess around."
"None of our branches do," Kiara agreed. "But JP has the numbers advantage. They can deploy entire teams for situations like this."
Ina had collapsed into a sitting position, her tentacles fully retracted as she tried to recover her energy. "That portal took everything I had. I'm not moving for at least an hour."
"You earned the rest," Fauna said, sitting down beside her. "You saved all of us."
Kronii was checking her phone, reading messages from management. "Oh, this is interesting. Apparently our interdimensional escapade set off about fifty different alarms at headquarters. Management is having a collective panic attack."
"Are we in trouble?" Mumei asked innocently.
"Probably," Kronii said with a shrug. "But we saved ID branch, so I think we get a pass."
Bijou was cleaning zombie gore off the Yamato, carefully wiping down every inch of the legendary blade. "At least this time we used our Devil Trigger powers for something productive instead of accidentally destroying our own building."
"Small victories," Gura agreed, also cleaning her trident.
Amelia was already composing a report on her phone, documenting everything that had happened for the official record. "Let's see... 'At approximately 1500 hours, ID branch contacted EN with an emergency request. They had accidentally opened a portal to a zombie-infested dimension and transported their entire headquarters building there to prevent contamination of our Earth. EN responded with all available personnel...'" She paused. "Should I mention the Justice van?"
"Definitely mention the Justice van," Cecilia said proudly. The automaton horse had returned to van form through some kind of transformation magic, and was now parked safely on one of the lower platforms. "It performed admirably."
Elizabeth was leaning on her greatsword Thorn, the blue flames finally extinguished. "That was the most excitement I've had in months. We should do this more often!"
"Let's NOT have zombie apocalypses more often," Reine said weakly from where she was lying on the rooftop floor. "I would like to go at least a year without fearing for my life in another dimension."
"No promises," Bae said cheerfully. "Chaos finds a way."
Gigi was examining her rocket gauntlets, checking for damage. "These things held up better than I expected. Kaela really knows her stuff when it comes to weapon crafting."
Raora was making notes in her ever-present notepad. "Adding to the request list: better emergency vehicles, interdimensional communication devices for all members, and zombie antidote stockpiles for each branch."
"Good thinking," Kaela said, having overheard. "I'll add those to the production queue. Though I should note that the zombie antidotes were specifically designed for the strain we encountered. Different dimensions might have different variants requiring different treatments."
"Then we need a general-purpose antidote that can handle multiple strains," Raora said, writing that down too.
Shiori was documenting everything in her book—not spell writing this time, but actual archival work. "This is going to make an incredible story. 'The Day ID Branch Went to the Zombie Dimension.' It has a nice ring to it."
"Make sure you emphasize how cool I was," Ollie said, finally making it back to the rooftop after fighting her way through the last of the zombies on the lower levels. She was covered head to toe in gore and grinning widely. "I was SO cool! Did you see me with the Path of Sincerity? I was like a samurai movie character!"
"You were very cool," Anya assured her, having reverted to human form. "Though you also got blown up by explosive zombies at least fifteen times."
"Details!" Ollie waved dismissively.
Kobo was passing around water bottles she'd created with her powers, making sure everyone stayed hydrated. "Here, drink! You've all been fighting for hours!"
Moona accepted a bottle gratefully and downed half of it in one go. "Thank you, Kobo. You've been amazing today."
"Just doing my job!" Kobo said brightly, though she was clearly exhausted too.
Zeta had pulled up a live feed of the battle below on her tablet, watching the JP members systematically eliminate the remaining zombies. "They're incredibly efficient. At this rate, they'll have the entire horde cleared within the hour."
"Then maybe we can actually relax," Risu said, her tail drooping with exhaustion. "I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life. Or my afterlife. Whatever we're calling this."
Iofi was doing calculations on her alien technology device. "Based on the zombie count and the JP branch's elimination rate, I estimate forty-seven minutes until complete eradication of all hostile entities in the area."
"Forty-seven minutes," Reine repeated. "I can last forty-seven more minutes. Then I'm going to sleep for three days straight."
Down on the streets, the JP branch was indeed making short work of the remaining zombies. Marine's ship provided air support, its cannons firing with precision to clear out clustered groups. Pekora and Miko had turned zombie elimination into some kind of competitive game, keeping score of their kills with escalating enthusiasm.
Coco's dragon fire continued to incinerate entire street sections. Kanata's pure physical power allowed her to tear through zombies like paper. Noel's holy mace crushed dozens with each swing. Flare's arrows rained down with magical precision. Shion teleported around the battlefield, each appearance marked by devastating magical explosions.
Botan maintained her position atop the tank, providing sniper support while her Bo-dans controlled the vehicle and created explosive chaos. The combination of precision shooting and explosive mayhem was devastatingly effective.
The Oozora Police perimeter held firm, Subaru's Subatomos forming a barrier that prevented any zombies from escaping the containment zone. Any undead that tried to break through found themselves immediately eliminated by concentrated fire from multiple directions.
Laplus coordinated everything from a central position, her Secret Society members executing her orders with military precision. La+ Darknesss might have been small and sometimes silly, but in combat operations, she was a tactical genius.
Additional JP members continued to arrive, each one adding to the overwhelming force being applied to the zombie problem. It was a textbook example of how Hololive handled crisis situations—with overwhelming force, theatrical flair, and the kind of coordination that came from years of working together.
On the ID building's rooftop, Kaela was already planning the after-action report and reconstruction efforts. "We'll need to assess all our equipment for dimensional travel damage. The fusion reactor might need recalibration. The weapons systems definitely need reloading and maintenance. And we have to explain to approximately three hundred clients why their orders are delayed."
"I'll help with the client communications," Reine volunteered, despite looking like she might pass out at any moment. "It's my responsibility as someone who handles our public relations."
"We'll all help," Moona said firmly. "This was a team disaster, so we'll handle it as a team."
Anya nodded in agreement. "Besides, I think most clients will be understanding once we explain that we were literally fighting zombies in another dimension."
"You'd be surprised," Zeta muttered. "Some clients get really upset about delays regardless of the reason."
"Then they can file a complaint with the zombie horde," Ollie said cheerfully. "Oh wait, we killed all the zombies. Guess they're out of luck!"
That got a laugh from the group, the tension finally breaking now that they were truly safe.
Ina, still recovering on the ground, spoke up. "Has anyone considered that we now have combat experience against zombies? That's valuable intel that could help if this ever happens again."
"Please don't jinx us," Risu begged. "The universe has a way of making things happen when you say stuff like that."
"She's right though," Amelia said, still typing her report. "We should document everything we learned. Zombie variants, effective countermeasures, dimensional portal safety protocols... this could be valuable information."
"I'll compile a comprehensive report," Kaela offered. "Including equipment performance metrics, ammunition consumption rates, and tactical analysis."
"Of course you will," Moona said fondly. "You probably already started tracking all that data during the fight."
"Naturally," Kaela confirmed without a hint of shame.
Down below, the battle was winding down. The JP branch had successfully eliminated roughly ninety percent of the zombie horde, and the remaining undead were being systematically hunted down by various teams.
Marine's ship made another pass, its cannons firing one last volley that cleared out a stubborn cluster near an abandoned warehouse. The pirate captain posed dramatically at the ship's wheel, clearly enjoying herself immensely.
"I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY!" she shouted, her voice carrying across the battlefield.
"Please don't!" Subaru called back. "We're trying to wrap this up so people can go home!"
"Aww, but I was having fun!"
Pekora appeared on a rooftop, having apparently climbed there to get a better vantage point. "Final score: Pekora three thousand two hundred and seventeen, Miko three thousand and five! HA! I WIN, PEKO!"
From another rooftop, Miko shouted back, "That's because you were counting the ones I softened up for you! THAT'S CHEATING!"
"Everything's fair in war, peko!"
"REMATCH! I DEMAND A REMATCH!"
"The zombies are almost all dead!" Subaru yelled at both of them. "There won't BE a rematch because we're finishing this NOW!"
Coco landed on a pile of zombie corpses, her dragon wings folding elegantly. "I have to say, that was a pretty good workout. Haven't had a proper fight in a while."
Kanata floated down beside her, barely winded despite having torn apart hundreds of zombies with her bare hands. "It was nice to cut loose a bit. We should do training exercises like this more often."
"That was NOT a training exercise!" Subaru protested, but no one was really listening to her anymore.
Botan finally dismounted from her tank, giving it an appreciative pat. "Good work, everyone," she said to her Bo-dans, who chirped happily in response. "Let's head back."
The various JP members began to regroup, forming up in their respective teams as they prepared to withdraw. The zombie threat had been effectively neutralized—Roboco's scans confirmed only a handful of stragglers remaining, and those were being handled by the cleanup crews.
On the ID building's rooftop, everyone watched as the JP branch began their organized withdrawal. It had been a masterclass in rapid response and overwhelming force.
"They saved us," Risu said softly, her voice filled with gratitude. "EN came to rescue us from the zombie dimension, and then JP came to help clean up the mess we brought back. We're really lucky to have this family."
"Yeah," Moona agreed, her eyes getting a bit misty. "We really are."
Kaela, not normally one for emotional displays, allowed herself a small smile. "I should send thank you gifts to both branches. Custom equipment, perhaps. Free maintenance services for a year."
"That would be nice," Ame said. "Though honestly, just knowing everyone's safe is reward enough."
"Speak for yourself," Gura said. "I could use some new equipment. My trident needs an upgrade."
"Your trident is a divine artifact older than recorded history," Ina pointed out. "I don't think it can BE upgraded."
"Not with that attitude!"
The banter continued, the mood lightening as the crisis fully passed. The sun was setting now, painting the Jakarta skyline in beautiful colors. The ID building stood tall and proud, back where it belonged, surrounded by friends and allies.
Ollie stretched, her joints popping back into place in ways that would be disturbing if everyone wasn't used to it by now. "So, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"
"You don't need to eat," Anya pointed out. "You're undead."
"I WANT to eat," Ollie corrected. "That's different. Fighting zombies works up an appetite!"
"I could go for some food too," Bae said. "All that chaos-spreading was exhausting."
"We should have a feast," Kiara suggested. "A celebration dinner for everyone who participated in the rescue."
"That's a lot of people," Fauna calculated. "All of EN, all of ID, and at least a dozen JP members."
"Then we'll need a lot of food," Calli said decisively. "I'm buying. Consider it a thank you for letting us rescue you."
"You don't have to do that," Moona protested.
"I want to," Calli insisted. "You're our family. Family takes care of each other."
That sentiment seemed to resonate with everyone present. Despite the different branches, despite the different countries and cultures and personalities, they were all part of the same larger family. And families looked out for each other.
"Alright then," Kaela said, pulling out her phone to start looking up catering options. "We'll need someone who can deliver enough food for about fifty people on short notice..."
"I know a place," Risu said, perking up. "There's a restaurant in Jakarta that does huge group orders. They've catered for us before."
"Perfect," Kaela said. "Send me the contact information."
As the sun continued to set, the members of Hololive—EN, ID, and JP—began to truly relax. The crisis was over. Everyone was safe. And tomorrow, they'd deal with the paperwork, the client explanations, and the equipment repairs.
But tonight? Tonight they would celebrate being alive, being home, and being together.
Down on the streets, the last zombie fell to Matsuri's final kick. She stood over it triumphantly, fist raised in victory.
"AREA SECURED!" Subaru's voice rang out. "All hostile entities eliminated! Good work everyone!"
A cheer went up from the JP branch members. They'd successfully contained and eliminated a zombie outbreak in under an hour—pretty good work by any standard.
Marine's flying ship descended slowly, the pirate captain still at the wheel. As it touched down, she called out, "Alright, crew! Job's done! Who wants to grab dinner?"
"ME!" several voices responded immediately.
"Then let's find somewhere that serves good food and even better sake!"
The JP members began filtering away, some heading back to their own headquarters to file reports, others sticking around to make sure the area was truly secure. Subaru's Oozora Police maintained a perimeter just in case, but it was clear the danger had passed.
Back on the ID building rooftop, someone had found speakers and started playing music. Nothing too loud—everyone was too tired for a full party—but something soft and pleasant that added to the relaxed atmosphere.
Gura and Bijou sat together near the edge of the roof, dangling their legs over the side as they looked out at the city. The Yamato rested between them, finally cleaned and sheathed.
"You know," Gura said thoughtfully, "we still haven't actually told Kaela about the water buffalo incident in full detail."
"We should probably save that story for after she's had some sleep," Bijou suggested. "No need to stress her out more right now."
"Good call."
Nearby, Fauna and Kronii were discussing the timeline of events, trying to piece together exactly when everything had happened. Bae occasionally interjected with corrections, her chaos-nature giving her a unique perspective on the flow of events.
Mumei had found a spot to curl up and was already half-asleep, exhausted from the fighting and the powerful technique she'd used with Anya. The ancient keris sat nearby in human form, keeping watch over her partner.
Sana had shrunk back down to normal size, looking relieved to not be towering over everyone anymore. "Being that big is fun, but it's also exhausting. Everything is so small when you're two hundred feet tall."
"How many zombies do you think you stepped on?" IRyS asked curiously.
"I stopped counting after the first hundred."
The Advent members had claimed a section of the roof for themselves, sprawled out in various states of exhaustion. Shiori was still writing in her book, determined to document everything while it was fresh in her memory. Nerissa was preening her feathers, removing bits of zombie gore. Fuwawa and Mococo were, once again, curled up together and already snoring softly.
Justice had gathered near their van, which Cecilia was lovingly checking over for damage. The vehicle had performed admirably, but she wanted to make sure everything was still in working order.
"We should get it detailed," Elizabeth suggested. "There's zombie bits all over the undercarriage."
"And the wheels," Gigi added. "Pretty sure we ran over, like, a thousand zombies."
"At least," Raora confirmed, checking her notes. "Conservative estimate would be fifteen hundred direct impacts."
"Then yes, definitely getting it detailed," Cecilia agreed.
The ID members had mostly gathered in a loose circle, sitting or lying down as they processed everything that had happened. It felt surreal—just hours ago, they'd been fighting for their lives in another dimension, and now they were back home, safe and sound, surrounded by friends.
"I'm never taking a normal day for granted again," Kobo declared. "Normal days are amazing. Normal days are the best."
"Agreed," Zeta said. "Give me boring, routine, normal days over interdimensional zombie fights any time."
"Though we did learn a lot," Iofi mused. "About our defensive capabilities, about dimensional travel, about zombie combat tactics..."
"And about the importance of bird-proofing portal equipment," Moona added dryly.
Everyone laughed at that. The pigeon that had started this whole mess had achieved legendary status in the span of a single day.
Kaela's phone rang, and she answered it. "Yes? ...Mmhmm. ...Yes, that's correct. ...I understand. ...We'll have a full report ready by tomorrow. ...Thank you."
She hung up and addressed the group. "That was management. They're relieved everyone's safe, but they want detailed reports from all branch leaders by tomorrow afternoon."
A collective groan went up from the crowd.
"Can we at least sleep first?" Risu asked plaintively.
"Yes, reports can wait until after rest," Kaela assured her. "I told them we needed recovery time."
"Did they accept that?" Calli asked.
"I didn't give them a choice. I told them if they wanted accurate reports, they needed to let us rest first. Exhausted people write terrible reports."
"Spoken like a true professional," Ame said approvingly.
The food arrived about thirty minutes later—massive catering trays brought up to the roof by delivery people who were very confused about why an idol agency building was surrounded by what looked like a warzone, but who were professional enough not to ask too many questions.
Everyone descended on the food with enthusiasm. Fighting zombies built up quite an appetite.
Marine and several JP members joined them, having decided that eating with the EN and ID branches was more fun than heading back to their own headquarters. The roof became a impromptu banquet hall, with idols from three different branches sharing food and stories.
"So then," Pekora was saying, gesturing wildly with a piece of chicken, "I told the zombie, 'You think you're scary, peko? I'm a war criminal!' and then I stabbed it with my carrot!"
"That's not how it happened," Miko protested. "You screamed and threw your carrot at it, then I had to save you!"
"LIES AND SLANDER, PEKO!"
Nearby, Shion was explaining her magical explosion technique to Shiori, who was taking notes for her spell book. "The key is to channel all your mana into a single point, then release it all at once. The concentration is what creates the explosive effect."
"Fascinating," Shiori murmured, writing rapidly. "And you can control the blast radius?"
"Mostly," Shion said. "Sometimes I get excited and it's bigger than intended."
"That explains the crater," Anya commented from nearby.
Botan had brought some of her Bo-dans to the party, and they were entertaining everyone with their antics. The round explosive lions rolled around, squeaking happily and occasionally detonating small fireworks (not the actual explosive ones, thankfully).
Kanata was arm-wrestling with Bijou, both of them grinning competitively. They were fairly evenly matched—Kanata's gorilla-strength against Bijou's gem-powered enhancement. The table they were using was starting to crack from the pressure.
"Okay, maybe do that somewhere that isn't on top of a building," Kaela suggested diplomatically.
"Good call," both arm-wrestlers said simultaneously, immediately stopping.
Coco was regaling a group with stories from her time as a dragon, including several that were probably exaggerated but entertaining nonetheless. "...and then I told him, 'You can't tax dragon treasure!' and he said, 'But it's the law!' and I said, 'I AM A DRAGON, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR LAWS!' Good times."
"Did you actually say that?" Fauna asked.
"Something like that. The details get fuzzy after a few centuries."
Ina had finally recovered enough energy to sit up properly, and she was discussing eldritch magic theory with Laplus, who had surprisingly deep knowledge of forbidden arts. Their conversation was full of terms that made everyone nearby vaguely uncomfortable.
"...and that's when you invoke the name of the Old One," Ina was explaining.
"But doesn't that risk causing madness in anyone who hears it?" Laplus asked.
"Only if you pronounce it wrong."
As the last few zombies fell, a familiar voice called out from above: "WAIT FOR ME!"
Everyone looked up to see Minato Aqua descending on some kind of gamer-themed hoverboard, her twin tails streaming behind her. She landed with surprising grace, pulling out dual beam sabers.
"I heard there were zombies!" she announced excitedly, looking around. "Where are they?"
"You're late," Subaru said flatly. "We just finished."
"EHHH?! But I rushed over as fast as I could!" Aqua protested, her beam sabers drooping in disappointment.
"There might be a few stragglers left," Botan offered kindly. "Check near that warehouse."
"YES!" Aqua took off running, clearly determined not to miss out entirely.
The party continued well into the night. Stories were shared, and bonds were strengthened over a feast that defied history.
"I still can't believe you actually brought this," Kaela said, staring at the massive ribcage being picked clean by Ollie.
"I knew that it would be useful!" Mumei chirped, wiping grease from her face. She gestured to the massive, frost-covered containers she had pulled from her inventory. "I promised I'd share the haul! We have plenty of Megalodon and Leviathan steaks left in the freezer back home, but I figured a rescue mission deserved the good stuff!"
Raora Panthera, who had taken charge of the grill, flipped a slab of Kraken meat with professional flair. "Mumei is right! The texture of this extinct seafood is magnificent for grilling. Though I think the Leviathan pairs better with the spicy sauce."
"It tastes like victory," Gura declared, taking a massive bite of a Megalodon steak that was bigger than her head.
Even Fauna, who usually objected to Mumei's chaotic hunting, was quietly going back for seconds. By the time people started heading home, the sun had long since set, and the stars were visible in the night sky.
The JP members departed first, having their own headquarters to return to. Marine's flying ship took off with several passengers, the captain promising to do this again sometime (preferably with fewer zombies, though she did ask for a "to-go bag" of Kraken tentacles).
The EN members began filtering out as well, heading back to their own building across the city. They took the Justice van, which was now extremely crowded with everyone piled in. Cecilia somehow managed to drive safely despite having approximately fifteen people in a vehicle designed for eight.
"Thanks for everything," Kaela said to Calli before they left. "We wouldn't have made it without you."
"That's what family does," Calli repeated her earlier sentiment. "We look out for each other. Next time you need help, don't hesitate to call."
"Hopefully there won't be a next time," Moona said.
"In this agency?" Ame laughed. "There's always a next time."
As the EN members drove away, the ID branch finally had their building to themselves again. The rooftop was a mess of giant prehistoric bones, empty food containers, and scattered equipment, but no one had the energy to clean it up tonight.
"Tomorrow," Kaela decided, eyeing a Leviathan vertebrae that was being used as a makeshift table. "We'll handle everything tomorrow."
"Sounds good," Risu agreed, rubbing her stomach. "I'm going to bed. That ancient fish made me sleepy. Wake me up in approximately twelve hours."
"Make it sixteen," Moona said, following her.
One by one, the ID members headed inside, making their way to their respective quarters. It had been the longest day of their lives—or at least it felt like it—and they needed rest.
Kaela was the last one on the roof, doing a final check of the defensive systems and making sure everything was properly shut down. The destroyer ships had landed in their underground hangar. The mechas were powered off and secured. The drones were docked and recharging.
Everything was as it should be.
She looked out at the Jakarta skyline one more time, appreciating the normalcy of it. Normal traffic. Normal buildings. Normal people living normal lives. No zombies. No dimensional portals. Just... normal.
"Normal is good," she said to herself.
Then she headed inside, sealed the roof access, and went to get some well-deserved sleep.
The ID branch building stood tall and proud in the Jakarta night, back where it belonged, its inhabitants safe and sound.
It had been quite a day.
The next morning, management would have many, many questions. Client service would have many, many angry calls to field. The maintenance department would have many, many repairs to schedule.
But that was tomorrow's problem.
Tonight, everyone slept soundly, grateful to be alive, grateful to be home, and grateful to have family that would travel to other dimensions to rescue them.
Because that's what Hololive was, at its core—not just an idol agency, but a family. And families looked out for each other, no matter what.