Yahiro's brother Jun, who has reached stage 4
Apocalypse Virus was a serious pandemic that wreaked havoc in Japan 10 yrs before the start of the main story line.
Origin
The virus originated from a meteorite that struck Oshima 17 years ago where it was first found by Mana Ouma. Mana touched this meteorite and became the first infected individual known as "Eve". Mana would later tell her father Kurosu about the location of this meteor. Kurosu and Keido found that the meteorite contained amino acids, and that it carried a virus. The virus was usually quiescent, unless activated by genomic resonance, after which the virus was able to replicate itself in the infected introns, causing the flesh to harden and creating crystal like structures on the body. Even in the quiescent state, it materializes the mind of those infected in the form of a "Void". The Void Genome is thought to inhibit this process. Everyone in Japan is thought to be infected by the virus, and there is a vaccine to prevent disease progression, for which regular inoculations are required by the GHQ. One consequence of the virus infection is that, at least in some patients who have progressed to the later stages of the disease, it allows the infected individuals to see others' Voids even when they have not been pulled out.
Stages
So far the stages have been revealed as:
- Stage 1-2: Virus materializes the mind in the form of a Void.
- Stage 3: Small crystal protusions emerge from the skin and grow along the skin.
- Stage 4 onwards: The person appears to have crystalline substances over some parts of their body. That continues to spread till their entire body is covered in crystals..
- Final Stage: Once the body is completely crystalized the body begins to break down.
Outcome
Lost Christmas was the violent riot that arose from the Apocalypse Virus on December 2029, which made matters even worse. An outbreak of the Virus appeared in Roppongi, Tokyo leading to a chaotic turmoil in the country. Slightly prior to Lost Christmas, terrorist attacks and assassinations from an unknown organization decimated the majority of the important Japanese politicians. Unable to contain it, the crippled Japanese government asked for international help. GHQ formed and successfully managed to bring things under control and helped develop a temporary vaccine (as a result of enormous taxation), but many Japanese people were not satisfied by its oppressive rule.
Offshoot cases
In some very rare cases, some individuals infected with the Virus, may display certain supernatural abilities. The most evident case is Mana, the patient zero, having been the first person to come in contact with the meteorite from which the Virus steemed from, though other cases have appeared through out the series:
- Mana: As the patient zero of the Virus, Mana became the perfect host for the Virus, never displaying any of it's symptoms herself (under her own control). She gained the ability to manipulate the Virus to a perfect extent, thus showing several abilites, such as causing people to become infected and die at an extremely faster rate than normal, being capable of fashioning the crystals produced by the Virus into several formations for offensive purposes, enhance her physical abilities (as shown through Inori) and used the Virus's power to create a massive vortex that nearly absorved the entire Roppongi city among other abilities. Mana's original purpose as Eve for the Virus, was to be used alongside Adam to bring a process of natural evolution and selection to create a new human race, using her and Shu as the templates.
- Jun: Yahiro's brother, who was in stage 4 of the cancer, demonstrated the ability to take control of an Endlave machine, through a ressonance effect, as mentioned by Segai. While under his control the Endlave sported several crystal formations similar to an infected patient, and Jun's consciousness was aparently transfered to it.
- Gai: As a result of being injected with an artificially enhanced version of the Virus, Gai gained the ability to perceive another person's Void and it's abilities, even if the Void was never materalized. After gaining the Void Genome, Gai displayed the ability to use his own Void's power without drawing it out, this likely being an enhancement of his original power.
Defects
The Norma Gene/Norma Jean is an illegal drug that was accidently developed during the testing to find a vaccine for the Virus. At Roppongi Fort, Yahiro traded this drug with local residents for information regarding the Funeral Parlor, in order to keep his brother Jun alive.
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