King of Thorn

The year is 2009 and Japan is on the brink of disaster. A mysterious virus, known as the Medusa virus, has begun to spread rapidly across the country, transforming its victims into monstrous creatures made entirely of stone. The government is at a loss for how to combat the virus, and as the death toll rises, they are forced to consider more drastic measures. In a last-ditch effort to save humanity, the government establishes a secret cryogenic facility, where they cryopreserve a select group of patients, including a young girl named Kasumi. The idea is to suspend the patients in stasis until a cure can be found, allowing them to wake up when the world is safe once again. However, the facility is attacked by one of the Medusa victims before Kasumi and the other patients can be safely stored, and the building is left in ruins. Years pass, and when Kasumi finally wakes up, she is met with a world that has been ravaged by the virus and its monstrous creations. Kasumi is taken in by a group of scientists who have managed to survive the disaster, including a man named Shido. Shido is a gruff but resourceful individual who becomes Kasumi's protector, helping her to navigate the treacherous landscape and evade the monstrous creatures that roam the streets. As Kasumi explores the ruined city, she discovers that the Medusa virus has had a profound impact on the environment. The city is a desolate wasteland, littered with the statues of people who were turned to stone by the virus. The air is thick with the acrid smell of smoke and ash, and the sky is a perpetual gray, as if the very fabric of the atmosphere has been torn apart. Kasumi soon realizes that the creatures she encounters are not just simple mindless beasts, but rather human beings who have been transformed by the virus into monstrous, stone-like creatures. These creatures are the product of the virus's ability to rewrite the genetic code of its victims, effectively turning their bodies into statues. As Kasumi and Shido navigate the ruins of the city, they come across other survivors, each with their own unique story and motivations. There is a young girl named Maya, who is a fellow patient of the cryogenic facility and has developed a unique set of skills to survive in the new world. There is also a group of scavengers, who roam the city in search of supplies and technology to aid in their survival. Throughout their journey, Kasumi and the others are pursued by a group of rogue survivors who intend to use Kasumi's DNA to create an army of Medusa- infected creatures. This group, led by a charismatic leader named Kanaqvist, believes that the best way to survive in a world overrun by the virus is to harness its power and use it to their advantage. As Kasumi and the others fight to stay one step ahead of Kanaqvist's gang, they also begin to unravel the mysteries of the Medusa virus and the true nature of the world they now inhabit. They discover that the virus is not a natural occurrence, but rather a genetically engineered organism designed to reformat human DNA. The creators of the virus, a biotech firm driven by profit and ambition, had intended to use it as a tool for population control, but the virus quickly spiralled out of control, spreading rapidly across the country. The government, realizing too late what was happening, was powerless to stop it. As the story reaches its climax, Kasumi and the others find themselves trapped in a desperate struggle to survive, caught between the monstrous creatures that roam the streets and the rogue survivors who seek to exploit them for their own gain. In the end, it is up to Kasumi to confront the darkness that has consumed the world, and to find a way to reclaim a future for humanity.