When Alex and Yuriko finally finished kissing, the girl hugged him tighter and rested her chin on his shoulder again. Alex wanted to fully enjoy this mont—if not for one small issue: the ghost girl, Zhang Ya, who had now taken up residence as his shadow.
From the mont Yuriko entered the workshop until their kiss, Alex could feel the negative emotions radiating from Zhang Ya, clearly directed at Yuriko. If he hadn't blocked that hostility, Yuriko would have definitely sensed sothing was wrong. He decided to talk to Zhang Ya later to prevent any problems in the future.
Why she had attached herself to him, Alex didn't know, but since it had happened, he intended to take care of her—strange as that might sound. Their relationship was hard to define with a single word, except perhaps "a guy and the ghost who follows him around."
Letting go of Yuriko, Alex took her hand, and together they headed to the captain's bridge to announce the change in course. But before doing so, he asked GIR, MIMI, and Stitch to chart a new route. The three small assistants, already dressed in captain's aide uniforms, saluted and enthusiastically got to work, preparing for departure.
Making sure everything was going smoothly, Alex picked up the radio and switched to the general communication channel.
"Yo-ho! Your captain speaking," he said with his usual ease. "Due to certain circumstances, our route has changed a little. To be precise, we're now heading for the Gulf of Siam, to a notorious city known as a den of cri and corruption, ho to all sorts of outcasts and criminals. That's right, we're going to Roanapur. Strangely enough, we have allies there. The trip to our next destination will take about forty hours, so feel free to relax, spend ti with friends, loved ones, or significant others. That's all. This has been your ultra-cool captain!"
Yuriko, standing behind him, couldn't hold back her laughter upon hearing Alex, as usual, deliver the news in his unique way. Stepping closer, she took his hand and barely managed to suppress another fit of laughter. Alex just smiled and gently squeezed her fingers.
Since the aircraft carrier was moving at high speed, Alex had plenty of ti to work on developing new weapons, particularly for the girls. The weapons needed to give them the ability to fight back against the undead if necessary.
anwhile, the girls, engaged in questioning the group that had gone down to the lab with Alex, heard the announcent and imdiately beca interested in the change of course. Koko was the first to figure out who Alex intended to pick up in Roanapur.
She knew many of the city's mafia bosses, and the only candidate that ca to mind was Balalaika, Yuriko's acquaintance. After sharing her guess with the others, she noticed that Brunhilde seed slightly on edge.
"I don't like that we're going to a place like that," Saya said quietly, addressing the girls.
" neither, but that's where your mom's friend is," Kiriko nodded. "Though I'm more worried about who else we might be picking up. If they're scum, they're unlikely to change their ways. And we have kids on board."
"So what do you suggest we do?" Valt asked, looking at Brunhilde. "You are our second-in-command, after all."
"We'll have to keep an eye on them," Brunhilde said thoughtfully. "If they cross the line and harm anyone, especially the children, things will end very badly for them. Alex definitely won't tolerate anything like that. So it's better to stop it before it happens."
"We could just intimidate them," Koko suggested with a slight smirk. "Kill one, and the rest will fall in line."
"That would only work as a temporary asure," Saya countered, shaking her head.
"Or we could just not take anyone," Ada shrugged. "We pick up Yuriko's friend and that's it."
The girls simultaneously turned around, seeing Ada, Chun-Li, and Cammy approaching them—those who had gone down to the lab with Alex.
"You weren't asked, Wong," Koko smirked. "You only joined the group yesterday, and you're already handing out advice. Better mind your own business… or find another man to take care of you. So shoo-shoo."
"And you weren't asked either, Hekmatyar," Ada countered without even looking at her. "Unlike you, who imdiately wants to kill soone to scare the others, I offered a softer approach."
Tension filled the air…
Koko gritted her teeth, glaring at Ada. The other girls just sighed heavily—Ada had only been with the group for a day, yet she and Koko had already clashed multiple tis.
Valt and Brunhilde exchanged glances, silently agreeing to separate them before yet another argunt escalated into a fight. Right now, the main priority was deciding what to do with the people they were about to pick up from Roanapur.
The debate continued, but reaching a consensus was difficult—each had her own views and suggestions. In the end, they agreed with Brunhilde: the newcors should be closely watched from the mont they arrived.
anwhile, on the bridge, Alex was enjoying the silence in Yuriko's company. They sat side by side, gazing out the window, simply savoring the mont. The course was set, and now they just had to find sothing to do for the next few hours.
Alex understood perfectly well who lived in Roanapur—not all of its survivors would obediently follow his orders. This was especially true for forr cri bosses who would hardly want to relinquish their power. And although he didn't know how many of them were still alive or whom Balalaika had taken in, he already had a plan to deal with any potential issues in advance.
So ti later, the girls returned and saw that Alex was still wearing the Chinese emperor's robes while Yuriko sat comfortably in his embrace. Brunhilde, having noticed his new outfit earlier upon their return, couldn't help but recall a certain troubleso emperor who needed constant supervision.
Especially after Alex had knocked him out with a rubber mallet. And, amusingly enough, after that, Qin Shi Huang started following him around—they fought several tis and eventually beca friends.
Hearing footsteps, Alex and Yuriko turned to the girls. Alex smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Without wasting ti, the girls imdiately got to the point, voicing their concerns about the people he wanted to take with them from the infamous city.
Alex listened attentively without interrupting. Their opinions mattered to him—they were his family, and he always considered their perspectives.
Once the girls finished speaking, Alex nodded, agreeing with so of their suggestions, especially the idea of closely observing the newcors at first.
"I don't think Balalaika will allow her people to behave inappropriately," Yuriko said. "She and her people are forr soldiers—they have honor and won't go against their principles."
"Maybe her people won't cause problems, but trust has to be earned," Valt pointed out, crossing her arms.
"I completely agree," Alex nodded. "Trust is a tricky thing. It's hard to earn and way too easy to lose. I have nothing against your friend," he said, addressing Yuriko, "I even studied her dossier. But as for the rest, I wouldn't be so sure. In the worst-case scenario, I'll have to be strict."
"How strict?" Saya frowned.
Alex looked at her calmly and said,
"As strict as every ruler in ancient tis."
The girls didn't imdiately grasp what Alex ant. Only the most perceptive among them figured out what he was implying and what steps he might take. Saya furrowed her brows but understood all too well—there might simply be no other choice in this situation. In this world, trusting a stranger could be a fatal mistake. Right now, they all felt safe under Alex's protection, but outside their group, the situation was far worse. Many people had found themselves in such horrific conditions that it was difficult even to imagine.
Brunhilde studied Alex carefully. She understood the conclusion he had reached and why. But the other girls still didn't fully realize what exactly he was talking about.
"Um, Alex… What exactly did rulers do in ancient tis?" Shizuka asked, frowning slightly.
"They killed those who opposed them," Saya answered in his place, her voice tense. "Every last one of them. Many rulers throughout history acted that way. To suppress potential rebellions, they wiped out conspirators and their families."
The girls imdiately turned their gazes to Alex, waiting for confirmation. He neither denied nor confird those words. It was indeed a last resort, but he wasn't planning to resort to it just because soone refused to follow his rules. His rules weren't anything extre—just conditions for collective survival, adjusted to each person's capabilities.
"You're not seriously planning to kill all those people just for disagreeing with you, are you?" Shizuka asked, hope in her voice.
"Shizuka, darling, co here," Alex said gently, reaching out his hand.
She approached, and he pulled her into his arms, settling her on his lap. He sighed. He had no intention of becoming a ruler or a dictator. Once things in this world were settled, he would simply take the girls and leave, giving humanity a chance to rebuild without his interference. He would provide them with everything necessary for survival and population growth, but he wouldn't ddle in their future developnt. His main goal now was to save as many people as possible and relocate them to a safe place before his real battle began—with those responsible for all this chaos.
"I'm not planning to act that way. That's an extre asure, and I hope I never have to use it. I'm not a ruler, not a commander, and I don't need to be," Alex said, gently stroking Shizuka's head. "I'm helping people simply because I can, nothing more. If soone doesn't want to follow the rules, we just won't take them with us."
"And what if they do want to co with us but refuse to follow the rules? Or, say, they deceive us—pretend to agree, then do things their own way?" Rika asked thoughtfully, tapping her chin.
"Why not leave their training to our little ones?" Beatrix suddenly suggested with a mischievous smile.
Alex and the other girls stared at her, processing what she had just said. Alex pondered for a mont and then realized that the idea wasn't without rit. He even pictured a few overconfident idiots, thinking themselves special, getting locked in a room with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.
Rebecca smirked—she liked the idea. She was even willing to help the little ones in the "re-education" of those who dared to deceive them. Brunhilde, though she furrowed her brows while considering the suggestion, ultimately concluded that the thod could work. However, she still had one serious concern.
"It sounds tempting, but sothing else worries ," Kiriko finally said.
"What exactly, Mom?" Rei asked, glancing at her.
"We all know that the three little ones worship so kind of Emperor. I'm concerned that after these 'educational procedures,' the number of such followers in our group might drastically increase…" she replied, shaking her head slightly.
"That's true," Namiyo nodded. "I don't an to say anything bad about GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, but their morning prayers… well… it's a bit strange. And if there are more of them… I'm afraid to even imagine what that would lead to."
Alex nodded, knowing exactly how things would turn out once GIR, MIMI, and Stitch finished their "preventive discussions" with the group of idiots. There was a definite advantage: after such treatnt, those people would beco far more loyal. However, Alex feared they might turn into sothing akin to the Black Templars—a fanatical order that would fight with extre zeal. That would be useful in battle, but there was always a big but.
Brunhilde also understood the potential consequences but believed that this was still preferable to regretting not preventing internal conflicts before soone got hurt. She exchanged glances with Alex, and without words, they reached a mutual decision.
Shifting his gaze to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, Alex noticed they were entirely focused on operating the aircraft carrier, paying no attention to the ongoing discussion. He sighed heavily, making his final decision: better let those three Emperor-obsessed lunatics handle the group of idiots rather than have them try to recruit ordinary people—or worse, children—into their faith. He didn't want a repeat of the Night City orphanage incident. Once was more than enough.
"So we only have two options? Either kill these people or let the three little ones recruit them?" Saeko asked with characteristic bluntness. "I have no problem getting rid of trash if they turn out to be what we think they are."
"I think it'd be easier just to kill them. That way, we eliminate potential problems in the future, but it's up to Alex to decide—he's the one in charge here," Valt remarked.
All eyes turned to Alex, awaiting his final verdict. He weighed the pros and cons one more ti before making his decision. If those idiots couldn't understand simple words, he would simply lock them in a room with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. In the worst case, they might still be useful later, but he chose not to voice that thought.
Finishing his deliberation, Alex calmly explained:
"Let GIR, MIMI, and Stitch handle their education. Only if they still go against us after that will we consider more radical asures."
The girls nodded, agreeing with this approach. However, Brunhilde didn't seem ready to end the conversation—there was still one more thing on her mind.
"Darling, we need to talk," she declared, grabbing Alex by the collar and dragging him toward the workshop.
Alex felt himself being dragged, but none of the girls even considered intervening. Moreover, they all tactfully pretended not to notice anything. The only ones who showed any concern were Shizuka and Namiyo, who looked at him with a slight sympathy. But, of course, they didn't offer any help.
Brunhilde dragged Alex into the workshop, turned on the lights, and, folding her arms over her chest, fixed her gaze on his shadow. Rebecca, following her, entered the room, eagerly anticipating an interesting show.
"Well then, my love, now tell about the ghost-girl who's settled in your shadow. I'm really curious about this story," Brunhilde said calmly, though with clear interest, shifting her gaze from the shadow to Alex.
Rebecca, who had entered just for fun, imdiately beca alert.
"Wait… a ghost in the shadow?!" Her eyes imdiately lit up.
During the ti she had traveled with Alex, she had seen a lot: gods, goddesses, different races, and even her little Stitch was a cosmic dog. Alex had faced mighty deities whose age was unimaginable, and his father turned out to be the Creator himself. But a ghost in the shadow—this was sothing new.
As soon as Brunhilde spoke those words, Alex's shadow began to move. From the amorphous mass, a female figure gradually took shape, with long, living hair that moved like tentacles.
Brunhilde and Rebecca closely examined the erging figure. Brunhilde was especially intrigued: while she and her sisters were connected to Alex through Völundr, this ghost-girl, Zhang Ya, had literally rged with his shadow.
Brunhilde felt this connection. She had already seen so of Alex's mories and had asked her sisters about what was going on in his spiritual space to better understand the situation. But hearing it all firsthand was sothing entirely different.
"Zhang Ya, can you co out? If it's not too much trouble," Alex called to his shadow, turning his head toward it.
Alex, Brunhilde, and Rebecca patiently waited to see if the ghost-girl would co out. Alex snapped his fingers, creating a barrier—just in case, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
He had long since decided to tell the other girls the truth about himself and his abilities, but only when they reached Alaska and found a safe place. Doing so under such unsuitable conditions was not the best idea.
Instead, he had been gradually preparing them, revealing more and more of his power so that the upcoming revelations wouldn't be too overwhelming. Although Alex was sure that the shock was inevitable, and the girls would have a million questions.
Alex's shadow writhed, twisting as if it were a living creature, and the tallic scent of blood spread throughout the workshop. The temperature suddenly dropped, causing their breath to turn into white mist. Brunhilde, slightly surprised, noted how powerful Zhang Ya's re appearance had been, which spoke volus about the strength of this ghost-girl.
Rebecca, on the other hand, snorted, her curiosity piqued. She was eager to test whether salt and a salt circle would affect Zhang Ya. Could she be dealt with using iron? If Alex knew what was going through her mind, he would surely give her a flick on the forehead.
From the shadow, a female silhouette slowly erged. Zhang Ya silently approached Alex, and as she fully appeared, she wrapped her cold hands around his neck. Her long black hair imdiately enveloped his body, like silky snakes. Alex felt their cool touch but couldn't deny that they were soft and pleasant to the touch.
Brunhilde and Rebecca could now fully see Zhang Ya. She was an astonishingly beautiful woman with pale skin and bottomless black eyes. Her long hair moved as if alive, and her clothing looked as though it had been stained with blood. When Alex slightly turned his head, their gazes t, and he realized that Zhang Ya indeed had a creepy yet srizing appearance.
He rembered that Red Ghosts like Zhang Ya were extrely rare creatures—her heart was filled with pure negative emotions, and her power far surpassed that of ordinary ghostly beings.
And the re fact that she hadn't attacked any of his companions, but instead occasionally tugged at his hair or sent him ssages, was surprising in itself.
"So, this is Zhang Ya?" Brunhilde crossed her arms over her chest, studying the ghostly girl intently. "I didn't think I'd et such a powerful ghost in the mortal world. Judging by your mories, Red Ghosts are a rarity even in her own world. But how did she end up here? And why in the corporation's labs? My dear, do you have any guesses?"
"Sorry, but not yet," Alex replied calmly. "Her world is special in itself—urban legends co to life there. I can't say for sure how she ended up here unless she tells us herself. But as you can see, she's not much of a talker."
He tried to shrug, but it was difficult considering he was literally tangled in Zhang Ya's hair.
Brunhilde nodded, accepting his answer. She understood that Alex couldn't know everything, but her interest in the ghost-girl only grew. While Zhang Ya continued to hold Alex, almost turning him into a cocoon of her hair, Brunhilde examined her from head to toe.
Rebecca, however, narrowed her eyes, thoughtfully reaching into her inventory and feeling for a packet of salt. However, as soon as Alex gave her a aningful look, she realized her plans had been exposed. The gremlin, with an innocent expression, simply pulled her hand back and pretended she hadn't been planning anything.
"Since you don't want to test it experintally, then tell : does she fear salt and iron? Or is all of that a lie, only working in the Supernatural universe?" Rebecca asked with enthusiasm, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"In legends, salt has always been associated with protection, purity, and magical power," Brunhilde replied thoughtfully, bringing a finger to her chin. "But Zhang Ya is from a completely different world. How it will affect her— that's the question. As for iron... maybe, if it's blessed by gods or so entities capable of resisting negative energy."
Rebecca nodded, clearly satisfied with the explanation, but her gaze continued to flicker between Alex and Zhang Ya, evidently brewing new ideas.
Alex's eye twitched slightly when he heard Brunhilde and Rebecca openly discussing ways to fight ghosts in the presence of Zhang Ya herself. The ghostly girl, perceiving their words as a threat, tightened her grip on her hair, wrapping it even more firmly around Alex. The temperature in the room dropped sharply, and the sll of blood beca even more pronounced, filling the entire workshop.
Alex reacted instantly. It was easy for him to break free from Zhang Ya's hair, and without wasting any ti, he grabbed her wrist. The coldness of her skin ran through his fingers, but he paid no mind to it. Zhang Ya slowly shifted her gaze to him, her empty, bottomless eyes staring into his. Alex gave a small shake of his head, signaling that the girls weren't intending to harm her—they were just talking.
To distract Brunhilde and Rebecca from the discussion, Alex cleared his throat. The girls turned their heads toward him, and he gave Zhang Ya a pointed look, hinting that she had taken their conversation too seriously.
"Don't worry so much, ghost girl," Rebecca waved her hand carelessly. "You've already settled in my Cupcake' shadow, so we definitely won't bother you. Besides, if I want to shoot a ghost, my Cupcake will just send to another universe where I can do that."
Alex sighed quietly.
"Rebecca's right," Brunhilde added to the conversation. "I'm a demigoddess, and I've seen many gods, spirits, and entities in my life. We would only beco your enemies if you had bad intentions toward our husband. But knowing your story and what you've been through, I don't think we'll have any problems. Everyone has their dark secrets. Just don't think of us as enemies."
Alex nodded affirmatively, agreeing with their words. He could see the hostility gradually fading from Zhang Ya's eyes. After a bit more chatting, Brunhilde and Rebecca left the workshop. Zhang Ya, however, did not return to Alex's shadow. She continued to hover behind him, her cold hands wrapping around his neck.
Alex decided that sothing needed to be done about the blood scent filling the air. He touched Zhang Ya's hand, neutralizing her influence on the environnt so that it wouldn't cause problems in the future or scare anyone. The ghostly girl said nothing, simply allowing him to do it in silence.
Leaning back in his chair, Alex thought for a mont: now that he had so free ti, he could finally finish the new sniper rifle for Rika. There wasn't much work left to do, and within a couple of hours, the weapon was ready. All that was left was to test it. Alex had taken all the recoil factors into account, ensuring Rika would be able to handle it. Satisfied with the result, he placed the rifle in its case and headed off in search of his favorite sniper.
As soon as he left the workshop, his gaze imdiately fell on Rika. Without wasting any ti, he silently threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and left the captain's bridge.
Rika was in complete shock, unable to even comprehend what had just happened or where she was being taken.
"Handso, did you co up with new ideas for roleplay?" she lazily drawled, finally snapping back to reality. "I'm not against it, but maybe we should wait until everyone falls asleep? It's kind of awkward to do this with everyone around..."
Alex just rolled his eyes, continuing to walk.
As he walked along the deck, people nodded at him, but no one dared ask questions. Soon, they reached the far end of the runway, where no one was around. Alex gently lowered Rika to the ground and placed the case next to her.
"So, are you finally going to explain why you kidnapped ?" Rika raised an eyebrow, curious.
"I finished your rifle," Alex answered, pointing at the case.
"Really?! Yay! Co here, I'm gonna kiss you!"
Rika happily grabbed Alex by the face and showered him with kisses. He knew that his face was now covered with traces of her lipstick, but he didn't protest. He even enjoyed the sensation.
When she finally let him go, like a child on Christmas, with shining eyes, she dropped to her knees in front of the case and carefully opened it. Inside was a futuristic sniper rifle, along with a spare barrel.
Rika knew that Alex had created sothing unique for her — a rifle capable of firing both regular bullets and projectiles ant for a railgun. Gently running her fingers over the smooth surface of the weapon, she greeted her new combat companion.
Alex calmly waited for her to finish her inspection before proceeding with the testing.
To be continued...
3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter
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