The phone rang.
It wasn't unusual for the EN headquarters to receive calls—they got them all the time from management, other branches, sponsors, and occasionally confused pizza delivery drivers who couldn't figure out which entrance to use for the massive building. So when the communal phone in the lobby started ringing, no one thought much of it at first.
Calli was closest, so she reached over and picked it up. "Hololive EN headquarters, this is Mori speaking."
"CALLI!"
The sheer panic in Risu's voice made Calli immediately sit up straight, her expression shifting from casual to alert in an instant. "Risu? What's wrong?"
"Can you—" there was a sound of something exploding in the background, "—put this on speaker? Everyone needs to hear this!"
Calli didn't hesitate. She hit the speaker button and turned up the volume. "You're on speaker. What's going on?"
The lobby had gone silent. Every member of EN was now focused on the phone, concern written across their faces.
"HEEEEEEELP!"
Risu's voice, amplified through the speaker, echoed across the lobby. It wasn't just the words—it was the genuine fear and desperation in them. This wasn't a joke or a prank. Something was seriously wrong.
Fauna was on her feet immediately, her usual calm demeanor replaced with worry. "Risu! What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Risu, talk to us!" Kiara added, moving closer to the phone.
Shiori had gone pale, her hands gripping the edge of the table. "Is this about Ollie? Did something happen with her?"
Through the speaker, they could hear the distinct sounds of combat—gunfire, explosions, and what sounded like inhuman groaning and snarling. Then Risu's voice came through again, slightly breathless as if she was running or fighting.
"No! Not Ollie! Well, yes Ollie, but not ABOUT Ollie—she's here, she's fine! It's not about her!"
"Then what—" Kiara started.
They heard Ollie's voice in the background, loud and aggressive: "FUCKING ZOMBIES!"
The sound of a grenade launcher punctuated her words, followed by rapid AK-47 fire.
"THERE IS ONLY ONE ZOMBIE! AND IT'S ME! AAAAAAAAAAH!"
The lobby members exchanged confused glances.
"Okay," Gigi said slowly, standing up from the couch. "At that point, you have to explain to us what happened there."
There was a brief pause, then Risu's voice came back, more controlled now but still tense. "Right. Okay. So this is going to sound insane, but I need you all to just... listen. Let me start from the beginning."
"We're listening," Calli said, her expression serious. She made a gesture to the others, and everyone moved closer, forming a rough circle around the phone.
"Okay," Risu took a deep breath, and then began her explanation.