Li Ke rarely voiced it, but he harbored a deep loathing for zombies. No matter how much time passed, he would never look back on his time in 7 Days to Die with any fondness. In that world, even a fortified safehouse couldn't wash away the constant, suffocating shadow of death.
Under those circumstances, it would have been a miracle if he liked the place at all.
"What a pain..."
Rolling his wrist to loosen the joint, Li Ke drew Kashu from his waist. He didn't reach for the sword on his back just yet.
He had recently expanded his arsenal; while looting Crocodile's vault in Alabasta, he'd stumbled upon a greatsword. It wasn't the sharpest blade, but it was incredibly durable and, more importantly, heat-resistant. He brought it along specifically to test the "quality" of the monsters in this new world.
After all, there were countless zombie-infested worlds out there, each with its own brand of horror. He needed to determine if these creatures fell within his "manageable" range before committing to a real fight.
The razor-sharp Kashu whistled through the air, effortlessly severing the heads of the closing undead. Their bodies went limp instantly, collapsing into the dirt like puppets with their strings cut.
However, something felt off. Li Ke paused, squinting at the corpses.
"Is that... Japanese clothing?"
Looking closely at the tattered fabric, he realized the outfits were distinctly Taisho-era in style.
"Ancient Japan?"
As he continued to hack through the surrounding horde, Li Ke carefully monitored his own physical condition. If worlds like One Piece existed to make him stronger, it stood to reason there might be worlds that could suppress or weaken him. Though he hadn't encountered one yet, he couldn't afford to be careless.
He decided to test his limits. In an instant, he attempted to manifest his Haki.
Armament Haki... nothing.
Conqueror's Haki... no response.
But the moment he shifted to Observation Haki, something changed.
It wasn't the usual sensation of Observation Haki. Instead, a strange, heightened clarity bloomed in his mind. He became acutely aware of the rhythmic thrum of his own heart, the rush of air through his lungs, and the surging velocity of his blood. He could feel the precise alignment of his bones and the twitch of every muscle fiber.
The world expanded. He could see the internal structures of the zombies, the microscopic fuzz on the nearby leaves, and even the silent, steady march of ants on the forest floor.
He could perceive it all—every twitch, every pulse—as if he were "seeing" the inner clockwork of their bodies!
Was this...
"The Observation Haki of this world?"
Li Ke marveled once again at the sheer versatility of Haki. Even with his eyes closed, the clumsy lunges of the surrounding zombies were as clear as day, appearing in his mind like flickering silhouettes against a void.
Moreover, he could feel his own breathing becoming increasingly rhythmic and powerful. It wasn't just him; it felt like a natural buff granted by the laws of this world.
"A strange sensation," he mused. "Enhanced breathing, the ability to perceive bone and muscle... it's like the whole world has become transparent. These zombies... could I really be in Demon Slayer?"
As Li Ke began to piece the clues together, the undead remained uninterested in his theories. A fresh tide of zombies surged toward him, only to be systematically dismantled by his blade.
Though his stamina was near-limitless—he could hack through these things for days and nights without breaking a sweat—he had no intention of staying down in the muck with these foul-smelling creatures.
"Since they're this weak..."
A vortex of flames suddenly erupted around Li Ke. He held back his Dragon Fire, opting for a more conventional blaze. With a series of fluid, acrobatic bounds, the spiraling fire intensified, creating a thermal updraft that propelled him six meters into the air. He landed lightly on a nearby rooftop, the flames dissipating behind him.
From his new vantage point, Li Ke finally saw the true scale of the horror: the entire city had fallen.
It was a classic Taisho-era cityscape, now a graveyard of burning homes and blood-stained streets. Looking out over the rooftops, he saw no survivors, no resistance—only an endless, shuffling sea of the dead. For all intents and purposes, this world was finished.
Just as Li Ke prepared to move on, thinking there was no one left to save, his gaze snagged on a figure below.
A woman sat by the roadside, her knees hugged tightly to her chest. Countless zombies were closing in on her, yet she remained motionless, staring blankly ahead as if the world around her didn't exist.
Li Ke froze. He knew that woman. In fact, for various "explosive" reasons involving the mishap when he sent her back, he had been checking on her status every single day.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Flames roared from Li Ke's back like a pair of violent, incandescent wings. The sheer force of the combustion launched him toward her. Mid-air, he reached back and unsheathed his greatsword.
He didn't hesitate. Coating the massive blade in his signature Dragon Fire, he hurled it like a spear toward the horde surrounding her, his roar echoing over the burning city.
"Get the hell away from my woman!"
The massive greatsword, wreathed in roaring flames, slammed into the earth right beside her. The impact triggered a violent eruption of Dragon Fire. While the flames were carefully controlled to leave the woman unscathed, the resulting firestorm blasted the surrounding horde backward, incinerating the nearest zombies into fine ash in a split second.
Li Ke landed right next to her. Seeing her slumped there, her eyes dull and lifeless, he couldn't help but shout.
"Mai Shiranui! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Yes, the person sitting there was none other than Mai Shiranui — the woman he had previously violated.
Yet this famous female fighter was currently hugging her own legs tightly, sitting motionless in simple, casual home clothes. She showed absolutely no intention of acknowledging Li Ke's presence. Seeing the zombies steadily shuffling closer, Li Ke knew it was impossible to talk to her here. He took a deep breath, sheathed the large sword on his back, and forcibly scooped her up into his arms.
The moment he lifted her, the soft, heavy weight of her voluptuous body pressed against him. Mai's full, plump breasts squished warmly against his chest, while her thick, toned thighs rested over his arm. Even through her loose clothes, the incredible softness and firmness of her body made his breath catch.
He gathered flames beneath his feet and leaped powerfully, landing on the roof of a nearby building with Mai securely held in his embrace.
But even after being carried away like this, Mai Shiranui still showed no reaction. She remained completely limp in his arms, staring blankly at his face with empty eyes, as if nothing in the world mattered anymore.
"Seriously… enough already," Li Ke muttered, feeling extremely helpless.
What happened that day had been unavoidable. He had tried to be as gentle as possible under the circumstances, but things had simply escalated. There was nothing he could do about it now.
That said, claiming he hadn't enjoyed it at all would be a lie. In truth, it felt incredibly good.
Mai Shiranui was a woman who had undergone rigorous training. Her body possessed the perfect balance of toned muscle and soft, feminine flesh, with an ideal low body fat ratio. The sensation of her thick, juicy ass slamming back against him during that encounter had been mind-blowingly pleasurable. Even though she had only clenched her thighs and he had taken her from behind, the way her plump, elastic buttocks rippled and squeezed around his cock with every thrust had been pure ecstasy.
The memory was still vivid —that legendary, perfectly round ass raised high as he pounded into her from behind. The way her soft, heavy cheeks jiggled and clapped against his hips with every deep stroke. The incredible tightness and heat of her body. Even now, just thinking about it made his cock twitch and harden against her thigh.
And though he felt somewhat ashamed to admit it, the moment Andy appeared and witnessed that scene, a dark surge of satisfaction had flooded through him. A primal sense of victory — the feeling of having claimed another man's woman right in front of him.
He knew it was twisted. It was nothing more than ancient genetic instincts of competing for mates. Li Ke didn't particularly like this side of himself, yet the victorious thrill had been undeniably real.
Besides, he was the type of man who felt at ease the moment he had a pair of soft breasts in his hands.
Mai Shiranui's body was the classic example of voluptuous, fleshy perfection. She was incredibly comfortable to hold — full breasts, narrow waist, wide hips, and that legendary ass that seemed designed to drive men crazy. Just carrying her like this made his cock steadily harden against her body.
However, her current lifeless, 'nothing matters anymore' expression left Li Ke feeling deeply frustrated and helpless.
After reaching the city wall, he used his "Observation Haki" to check the surroundings before setting her down. Mai immediately curled back into a ball, silent and still.
Li Ke watched her, feeling at a loss. According to his system, she was still alive and well just yesterday, but now she seemed completely broken. While his status window could confirm if someone was alive, it couldn't explain their mental state or what had happened to them.
"Did something happen with Andy? Did he turn you down?"
He couldn't help but bring up a topic he knew would be devastating for her.
"Hey, at least say something. How did you even end up here?"
Squatting down, Li Ke gave Mai's shoulder a light shake, but she just stared at him with hollow eyes, still refusing to speak. Frustrated, he reached out and pinched her beautiful cheek. The skin was soft and smooth—a sensation he quite liked—but even then, her expression didn't flicker.
Li Ke had officially run out of patience. He grabbed her arms, pinned her down onto the roof, and stared directly into her emotionless face.
"If you don't start talking, I'm going to have my way with you right here."
Mai didn't even flinch. It seemed that for Miss Shiranui, Li Ke was the absolute last person she wanted to acknowledge.
"Unbelievable..."
Life was never easy. Li Ke sighed.
"Looks like I'll have to find a place for you to rest and recover for a while... The system said there are World Shards here. Does it expect me to wipe out every single zombie in this city?"
He looked down at the swarming masses, wondering if total genocide of the undead was the requirement.
"What a headache. I wonder if there are even any survivors left."
Releasing Mai, Li Ke watched the zombies below. Attracted by his presence, the creatures that had been aimlessly wandering were now converging into a frenzied, massive horde.
Searching the skyline, he quickly spotted a bell tower. He scooped Mai back into his arms and began leaping across the rooftops.
His fire control was still basic—certainly not enough to fly while carrying someone. Even on his own, the flames only acted as a booster. On leg strength alone, he could clear sixteen or seventeen meters; with a burst of fire, he could just barely break the twenty-meter mark.
He wasn't Luffy, after all. The Rubber-Rubber Fruit was practically designed for jumping. He hadn't factored in a running start, momentum, or a full power strike yet—with those, he could easily clear a fifty-meter cliff—but it was exhausting. Staying airborne for too long was risky; it left him exposed and vulnerable, so he hadn't spent much time specifically training his vertical leap.
Besides, jumping power was tied to overall physical stats; training it in isolation didn't make much sense. However, even if his raw stats seemed low on paper, the reality of combat was different. In an urban "iron jungle," Li Ke's movement was barely distinguishable from flight.
The city's buildings were his launching pads and springboards.
Reaching the bell tower in record time, he tucked Mai away in a corner to keep her safe and then slammed his fist into the massive bell.
The tolling of the bell was unmistakable in the silence, ringing so clearly that every soul in the city must have heard it.
This wasn't a sprawling modern metropolis; the city below was small enough that Li Ke could see its entire perimeter from his perch atop the bell tower. It was this compact layout that had allowed him to identify the country as Japan so easily.
The sound acted like a catalyst, turning the stagnant sea of zombies into a boiling cauldron. Much like in 7 Days to Die, even the zombies who weren't directly drawn by the bell followed the frantic movements of their peers. They converged in a mindless, violent tide, swarming the base of the tower.
Li Ke watched the writhing mass and began to circulate his energy—his Mana, or perhaps his Qi. He siphoned the heat from the surrounding air, manifesting a torrent of flames around him.
The fire erupted from his palms in a high-pressure jet. The searing heat instantly ignited the tattered clothes and decaying flesh of the monsters below. While the undead aren't naturally flammable, Li Ke's continuous output turned the crowd into a self-sustaining bonfire. The stench of charred meat soon choked the air.
Through his "Observation Haki," Li Ke noticed signs of life elsewhere. Seeing the streets cleared, a few survivors crept out of their homes, but they weren't looking to help each other; they were frantically raiding nearby shops, fighting and even killing one another over scraps of food.
The sight soured his mood instantly.
"Tch. A textbook apocalypse," he muttered. "Fine, let's get some answers."
He intensified his flames, shifting to the more taxing Dragon Fire to finish the job. Burning through this much "trash" wasn't difficult, but it was tedious labor. Once the majority of the horde was reduced to ash, he scooped up Mai and leaped down to a house where he'd sensed a presence, kicking the door open.
"Hey. Someone tell me what the hell is going on in this world."
Because of the linguistic ties between the characters, Li Ke found learning Japanese much faster than English. The man inside understood him perfectly through the veil of intimidation.
Under duress, the survivor spilled the story. It was simple, yet bizarre.
For ages, legends of "Demons" had haunted the land, but most people dismissed them as ghost stories to scare children—though they still respected the swordsmen who carried katanas and wisteria flowers.
But then, everything changed. A new breed of nightmare had appeared. There were strange, mindless entities clad in white who could summon monsters out of thin air. There were naked women with masses of writhing tentacles sprouting from their backs, and giant, predatory hounds.
Worse still, looking at the women or the hounds caused a physical sickness; those who stared too long went insane. These women could fire beams of light that annihilated their targets or release spores that caused flesh to erupt into clusters of strange slime, leaving the victims to die as their bodies literally fell apart.
The hounds possessed venomous saliva that could dissolve a human into a puddle of sludge upon the slightest contact!
Worse yet, these entities were impervious to physical weapons. Even the most legendary samurai stood no chance; against these horrors, they were as helpless as commoners. The military had been decimated in an instant. The only survivors were those who had huddled behind locked doors, refusing to look upon the monsters. Eventually, the creatures departed for unknown lands, leaving behind only the mindless sea of ordinary zombies.
"Sounds like something straight out of the Cthulhu Mythos," Li Ke mused, rubbing his chin as he processed the intel. "But in the end, they're just another brand of demons and monsters."
From what he could gather, the situation had a distinct Lovecraftian flair. Li Ke had never been a fan of the obsessive "Cthulhu fanboys" who hyped the "indescribable" nature of these beings to the heavens. In his eyes, the concept existed in almost every mythology—even the Bible described angels that were "too holy to behold." To him, it was simply a matter of high-dimensional beings that ordinary humans lacked the hardware to perceive or comprehend.
At its core, the Mythos was a satire on human arrogance—mocking those who used their narrow perspectives to define the universe while refusing to believe in anything beyond their own understanding. It was a lesson in fearing the unknown and approaching it with a researcher's mind rather than stubborn denial.
Still, while the modern interpretations of Cthulhu had devolved into power-scaling nonsense, the label was a perfect fit for describing these particular monstrosities.
"Um... Lord... are you from the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The refugee interrupted Li Ke's thoughts. His eyes drifted toward Mai Shiranui, who lay in Li Ke's arms. Seeing her lush, curvaceous figure, the man couldn't help but swallow hard.
"No," Li Ke answered dismissively.
Suddenly, the man's expression shifted to one of sheer terror. He pointed a trembling finger behind Li Ke.
"M-Monster!"
Li Ke began to turn his head, but in that split second, the man lunged, swinging a kitchen knife at Li Ke's back.
Slash.
Blood sprayed as a head went flying, an expression of shock frozen on its face. It wasn't Li Ke's head, of course. Li Ke didn't even look back as he walked out, still holding Mai. Behind him, the man's severed head thudded onto the floor, the disbelief in his eyes slowly fading into cold, dead terror.
How could Li Ke not have been on guard against someone who had looked directly into the abyss of a Cthulhu-esque spawn?
"So, this is indeed the world of Demon Slayer," Li Ke muttered to himself. "And this catastrophe... it must be the work of a 7 Days to Die world shard."
He couldn't be 100% sure yet, but one thing was clear.
"Looks like I'll be playing the Savior this time."