Dragon Across the Multiverse (Si-WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 1: Raccoon City

[Raccoon City – September 27th, 1998 | 10:43 PM]

The swirling hum of the portal died out behind us, leaving only the sound of distant sirens, the low buzz of broken streetlights, and the eerie silence of a city already beginning to die.

The air was thick—tainted with the stench of smoke, rot, and something unmistakably wrong. A cool wind swept through the deserted streets, pushing stray papers across the cracked pavement. The buildings loomed around us, silent and dark, as though holding their breath.

I stepped forward, my steps eerily silent against the ground. Street signs were twisted, shopfronts either boarded up or shattered. In the distance, gunfire crackled briefly—then fell silent once more.

“Daaaamn,” Veldora whistled beside me, stuffing his hands into the pockets of a new black bomber jacket he'd somehow acquired as we traveled. “Creepy as hell. I love it already.”

I glanced around, senses extended. Ciel’s presence was quiet within me—observing, scanning, already compiling data.

“September 27th,” I muttered. “A few hours before Jill’s story begins. That gives us a head start.”

Veldora raised a brow, intrigued. “So… what’s the plan, Akari? We just start soul farming right away, or are we playing this sneaky?”

I gave him a sidelong grin. “Both. We clear out the infected, gather souls, and keep an eye on the main story to make sure nothing derails. We’re tourists… with godlike power and zero respect for canon.”

“Well…” I thought for a moment and smirked at him. “Only I will be keeping an eye on the story. You can go nuts as long as you don’t kill any of the five people I mentioned.”

“Yosh, leave it to me!” Veldora grinned and smacked his chest proudly. “I believe it was Leo, Jin, Caire, Adam and Erry, right?”

Giving him a deadpan look, I sighed, already expecting this from him. “Ciel, make sure to remind him if he ever runs into them.”

“Of course, Master,” Ciel replied in her usual composed tone. “Leave it to me.”

“Anyway,” I said, waving it off, “just keep your powers reined in and you’re good.”

“Nice. And if we run into any other survivors?”

“If they’re good people, leave them be. If not—kill them.” I shrugged. This city was full of monsters other than the undead.

Veldora chuckled. “Got it.”

Just then, a distant scream tore through the silence, followed by the sound of shattering glass and heavy footsteps. Something—or someone—was running.

I tilted my head. “Well, there goes subtle.”

Veldora cracked his knuckles, eyes gleaming. “First zombie?”

I smirked. “First hundred.”

We walked forward, the dying city sprawled before us like a crumbling playground. The undead would come, and when they did—

“Let’s deal with them quickly before we properly suit up,” I muttered with an excited grin.

“Now we’re talking! Grenade launcher, here I come!”

They would learn what a pair of idiots were capable of.

=====

[Raccoon City – Abandoned Parking Garage | 10:50 PM | September 27th, 1998]

The garage was dark and damp, reeking of oil and something coppery that hadn’t quite dried yet. The overhead lights flickered in protest as we stepped into the open space, the echoes of our footsteps bouncing off the concrete.

“Alright,” I said, lifting a hand. “Let’s get suited up.”

With a thought, I summoned the contents of my Armory perk into the room. The garage lit up for a moment in a bright light before a dozen outlines of weapon crates appeared in a circle around us, shimmering briefly before solidifying into the physical world with a sharp thunk.

One by one, the lids hissed open.

Inside? Heaven on Earth—for anyone who liked guns.

Military-grade assault rifles, high-powered shotguns, precision sniper systems, modified pistols with burst mods, and enough ammo to make Umbrella’s black market weep. Grenades, flashbangs, even a few experimental energy weapons twinkled temptingly at the bottom.

“Holy crap,” Veldora breathed out, eyes wide as he stared at the sudden appearance of what looked like every modern weapon ever featured in a Resident Evil game. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Every weapon from this world—firearms, melee, attachments, ammo. Even experimental Umbrella prototypes,” I said with a grin, running a hand along the cool metal of a Samurai Edge handgun replica. “All courtesy of my perk and Ciel.”

Veldora walked over to a massive rack of firearms, immediately picking up a Lightning Hawk magnum and posing like a cowboy. “Ohohoho! I call this one Judgment Dragon! Yes, it speaks to me!”

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a custom M4 carbine with a suppressor and holographic sight. “You’re not naming guns.”

“Too late! This one’s Final Roar! And this—” He held up a frickin’ grenade launcher with stars in his eyes. “This is Boomstick-chan. She’s shy, but once she warms up to you—BOOM!”

“God help this city,” I muttered with a snort, equipping myself with a tactical vest and strapping two sidearms to my thighs. “Make sure to grab extra ammo, and don’t forget a knife. Silent kills still matter.”

“I have claws,” Veldora said with a smug grin.

“And yet you’re dual-wielding shotguns.”

“Style matters too, Akari!”

I gave him a look, then chuckled. “Fair enough.”

By the time we were done, Veldora looked like he walked out of a military-grade cosplay convention. Multiple weapons strapped across his back, grenades at his belt, and aviator sunglasses that curiously enough were also provided by the perk.

“You gonna be okay on your own?” I asked, slinging my rifle over my shoulder and adjusting my coat.

Veldora gave me a wide grin, spinning a pistol on one finger. “Akari, my bro. It’s zombies. This is literally a dream come true for me from one of the sacred texts.”

Ciel’s voice chimed in smoothly from within. “Reminder: You are not to damage any major landmarks unless absolutely necessary. Also, please refrain from singing action movie theme songs mid-fight.”

“...No promises!” Veldora yelled, already turning to leap onto a rooftop causing a burst of wind.

I watched him disappear into the night, a trail of excited laughter echoing behind him.

“…And there he goes,” I murmured.

I took a breath, scanning the empty streets around me, then let out a grin. “Alright, let’s find a vantage point and start mapping the city. Priority one: Jill.”

“As you command, Master.”

It was time to put my Shinobi lessons to good use.

=====

[Raccoon City | 11:24 PM | September 27]

Veldora landed atop a crumbling convenience store roof with a satisfying crunch, crouched like an action movie star, coat billowing behind him. Neon signs flickered below as gunfire cracked in the distance. A chorus of moans echoed through the night.

“Yosh,” he whispered to himself, adjusting his sunglasses like some post-apocalyptic John Wick. “This city’s my playground now.”

He pulled out Boomstick-chan, his newly christened grenade launcher, and grinned.

Then, as if the world wanted to test him immediately, a group of zombies spilled out from a nearby alleyway—slow-moving, groaning, the perfect welcome committee.

“Alright, alright, startin’ light.” Veldora holstered the launcher with a dramatic spin and instead pulled two Matilda handguns, dual-wielding them like a cinematic maniac. “Let’s get stylish.”

He leapt down, landing in a roll that knocked over a trash bin before he started blasting—precise, deliberate shots to the head. Each pull of the trigger was followed by a smirk, like he was rating his own performance.

“Pop! Pop! Headshot! Oooooh, a perfect finish!”

Once the crowd was cleared, he raised his fists to the sky. “Kuwahahaha. I am Veldora Tempest! Anyone who is ready to die, step forth. I will gladly accept any challenge!”

30 Minutes Later – Umbrella Recon Team HQ (Temporary Site C-7)

Inside a hastily established Umbrella blacksite, several agents monitored the city via drones and street cameras. The feed from Alley 14B suddenly glitched—static, then a warped image of a blonde man in a bomber jacket posing over a pile of corpses.

“What the hell is that?” one of the agents muttered.

A female operative zoomed in. “Unknown hostile. Not B.O.W.—no signs of infection or mutation. But… the guy just wiped out hundreds of infected. With pistols. And he doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all.”

Then the feed cut entirely—seconds later, the drone flying over the city stopped transmitting.

Meanwhile…

“Whoops,” Veldora muttered innocently, lowering his finger and pausing for a moment as though waiting to be scolded. He let out a relieved sigh when nothing happened. "Looks like Ciel is busy with Akari. That Manas of his can be seriously terrifying sometimes."

A moment later, he felt a cold sweat as a voice echoed in his mind: "I saw that. We will be having words later, Veldora-san."

Crap—she did hear!

To distract himself, Veldoraa checked his stolen map, which he’d “borrowed” from a dead Umbrella grunt who had tried to tase him. That guy was now embedded in a billboard two blocks away.

“Let’s see… C-7 Recon Post. Umbrella toys. Sounds like a loot room to me!”

10 Minutes Later – Post C-7

The side wall of the makeshift HQ detonated inward, not from a grenade—but from Veldora literally shoulder-charging it after planting a breaching charge for dramatic effect.

“Veldoraaaa has arrived!” he roared, dual-wielding an AA-12 automatic shotgun and a pistol.

Panic erupted as agents scrambled for weapons.

Too late.

The dragon man-turned-action hero unleashed leaden chaos, bullets thundering through crates and walls, punching through armor like wet paper. He was fast—just fast enough to be too much for the average human. They couldn’t track him, couldn’t respond in time.

Smoke grenades were tossed.

“I can see through smoke,” he muttered, annoyed. “Nice try.”

One well-aimed grenade launcher shot—Boomstick-chan's grand debut—erased the central command console in a glorious explosion of screens, sparks, and screams.

He strolled out a moment later, chewing bubblegum he found on a table and carrying a crate of experimental Umbrella gear on his shoulder.

“Mission complete,” he said with a grin, sunglasses still somehow intact. “That’ll slow ‘em down.”

Back with Akari

“...Master.”

“Yeah?”

“Veldora-san has destroyed three drones, one communications tower, and a full mobile Umbrella HQ.”

A brief pause followed, punctuated by a sigh. “He left the civilians alone, right?”

“Confirmed. No civilian casualties. Several Umbrella agents, however… not so fortunate.”

“Let him have his fun. As long as the main timeline stays intact.”

“...Would you like to know what he named the AA-12?”

“No. But I feel like you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“He’s calling it ‘Justice Spitter.’”

This time, a groan was heard, followed by laughter. “Of course he is.”

=====

[Raccoon City – Rooftop Near the Clock Tower | September 28, 1:47 AM]

The night air was thick with smoke and the distant groans of the undead. Veldora stood atop a dilapidated rooftop, his blonde hair tousled by the wind, a gleam of excitement in his golden eyes.

"Ah, the ambiance is just like those post-apocalyptic stories," he mused, adjusting his sunglasses. "All that's missing is a dramatic showdown."

As if on cue, the rooftop access door creaked open. A man in tactical gear emerged, his gaze sharp and calculating.

Veldora turned, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh? A challenger approaches? How delightful!"

Nikolai's eyes narrowed. "You... You're the one causing all the disruptions."

Veldora puffed out his chest proudly. "Indeed! I am Veldora Tempest, the Storm Dragon! Though, in this world, I'm more of a 'Storm Gunslinger.'"

Nikolai raised his weapon. "Time to put an end to this."

Veldora sighed dramatically. "Always with the threats. Can't we settle this like gentlemen? Perhaps a duel at dawn?"

Without waiting for a response, Nikolai fired. Veldora effortlessly sidestepped, the bullet whizzing past.

"Rude," Veldora remarked, drawing his twin pistols. "Very well, let's dance!"

The ensuing firefight was a blur of bullets and banter. Veldora moved with a grace that belied his boisterous nature, his movements reminiscent of the martial arts he'd admired in manga.

As Nikolai took cover, reloading, Veldora seized the moment, closing the distance.

"Time to end this arc," he declared, delivering a swift kick that sent Nikolai sprawling.

Standing over the fallen mercenary, Veldora tilted his head. "Any last words?"

Nikolai spat blood, glaring defiantly. "You're a fool."

Veldora chuckled. "Perhaps. But I have a habit of not listening to the rants of weaklings."

With that, he fired one final shot, ensuring Nikolai's story concluded.

As the city continued to burn, Veldora looked out over the chaos, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Another chapter closed. Onward to the next adventure! Kuwahahaha."

=====

[Raccoon City | September 28 – Early Morning]

From the shadowed rooftop of a crumbling apartment complex, I crouched low, my enhanced eyesight locking onto a familiar figure below.

Jill Valentine.

She moved with practiced urgency, ducking through alleys and weaving past abandoned vehicles as the chaos of Raccoon City grew louder by the second. Fires crackled in the distance, and the moans of the undead crept ever closer. Still, she pressed on.

Ciel’s voice murmured in my mind, calm and composed as always.

“Target identified. No temporal divergence detected so far.”

“That’s good,” I whispered back, eyes tracking Jill’s path. “Though I doubt that’ll last with Veldora on a rampage these past few hours. How many souls have we harvested so far?”

“Approximately ten thousand. Based on the city’s infrastructure and density, I can confirm this is the remake version of Raccoon City, not the original. Current population was estimated around 7.2 million before the outbreak.”

“I figured as much,” I muttered. “Still, with the clones I deployed wiping out every undead they come across, I expect that number to skyrocket by this time tomorrow. I’ll focus on the story.”

“Speaking of that…”

BOOM.

I watched calmly as a missile tore through a brick wall near Jill, sending chunks of concrete and shrapnel flying into the street. She hit the ground hard, coughing as dust billowed around her.

From the wreckage stepped him—seven feet of bioweapon hatred and brute force. The Nemesis. His mutated flesh coiled around thick, black armor, rocket launcher already reloading as his one visible eye locked onto her.

“STARS…” the voice hissed—mechanical and monstrous.

Jill scrambled behind a half-destroyed police cruiser, hands trembling slightly as she reloaded her pistol.

=====

Jill Valentine’s POV

The moment the rocket hit, the street erupted in smoke and debris.

Jill Valentine hit the ground hard, her body jolting with the impact. Dust clogged her throat, her ears rang, and a deep ache bloomed in her shoulder as she scrambled for cover behind the wreck of a police cruiser. Every breath burned. Her pistol—half-loaded and shaking in her grip—was all she had left.

Then came the footsteps.

Heavy. Measured. Unstoppable.

From the haze emerged a towering figure—well over seven feet tall, wrapped in grotesque muscle and reinforced armor. A long, distorted trench coat fluttered behind him, and a massive rocket launcher reloaded in his massive hands with a chilling hiss.

He looked more like a monster pulled from a nightmare than anything biological.

“STARS…” the thing rasped—mechanical and guttural, as if the name itself fueled its rage.

Jill’s heart pounded. She had no idea what this thing was or why it knew her, but she could tell one thing with certainty:

It was here to kill her.

The launcher clicked.

She closed her eyes.

Then the ground exploded.

A thunderclap of force shattered the pavement in front of her as something—or someone—slammed down from above like a meteor, sending chunks of stone and shrapnel flying. Jill flinched, curling into herself as the gust of displaced air rushed past her like a hurricane.

But the blast never came.

Instead, a figure stood between her and the monster.

He looked human—at least at first glance. Tall, lean, and dressed in a long, black coat that flared behind him in the smoke. Pale blue-silver hair fell slightly over his golden eyes, which burned with an otherworldly glow. His posture was relaxed, hands casually in his pockets, as though he hadn’t just landed in the middle of a warzone.

The rocket that had been fired never exploded. It never reached him. It simply disappeared—as if it had never been fired in the first place.

The monster stopped short. Even it seemed confused.

The stranger tilted his head slightly, like a parent scolding a misbehaving child.

“That’s enough.”

His voice was soft, almost amused.

The creature roared and lunged.

He moved faster than Jill could track—one moment standing still, the next delivering a devastating spinning kick midair that collided with the monster’s head and sent it crashing through the side of a building across the street.

The impact leveled the first two floors in a storm of rubble and smoke.

Jill stared, slack-jawed.

The man landed smoothly, his boots tapping lightly against the cracked concrete. He turned to look at her, his expression unreadable—somewhere between curiosity and calm indifference.

“You alright?” he asked simply.

Jill swallowed hard, nodding as she slowly stood. “I… Yeah. Who—what the hell was that thing?”

“Something that won’t bother you again for a while,” he said, brushing dust off his shoulder. “As for me…” His gaze lingered on her for a moment, thoughtful. “Let’s just say I’m passing through.”

She narrowed her eyes, still catching her breath. “You military? Special ops?”

He chuckled softly. “Former military actually.”

Before she could press him further, he stepped backward—then vanished, his body dissolving into particles of light that faded into the shadows.

Jill stood frozen for a long moment, hand still gripping her pistol tightly.

She didn’t know what had just happened…

But whatever that thing was, and whoever that man had been—

He had just saved her life.

And then there was the fact that he was, without exaggeration, the most handsome man she had ever seen. Almost inhumanly so, even with that strange hair color.

=====

Back with Akari

I reappeared on the rooftop, my coat fluttering slightly in the evening breeze. Sitting down cross-legged, I watched Jill gather her wits before she pressed forward. Moments later, she linked up with Carlos, and the two began moving toward the subway.

“Is there something you wanted to ask, Ciel?” I muttered, sensing the slight ripple of hesitation in my Manas’s presence.

Ciel let out a soft, embarrassed eep in my head before composing herself. “…Why did Master not capture Nemesis or Jill-san?” she asked curiously.

“I want to see if I can get her to fall for me and join us of her own free will,” I said, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “There’s something about surviving deadly situations together that brings people closer, don’t you think?”

There was a pause before I added, “Besides, with Nikolai already out of the picture, most of the chaos this early on should be easier to manage. I’ll help her again when Nemesis shows up. Since I already saved her once, she should be more open to trusting me.”

“…Master is just bored and wants a cute girl to see him in action, doesn’t he?” Ciel replied in a perfectly flat tone.

“…No comment,” I said eventually, not the least bit bothered that she’d called me out.