The evening discussion about history continued, despite so complaining about boredom and saying they wanted to leave to avoid yet another "history lesson." However, in reality, no one even considered leaving—everyone wanted to better understand what was happening in the world.
Gradually, a realization set in: the situation they found themselves in wasn't unique. Similar events had occurred throughout human history. There had always been those who could stop a catastrophe... But unfortunately, this ti, the scale of the disaster had reached a global level. Preventing what had already happened was nearly impossible, and this understanding weighed heavily on everyone who had co seeking explanations, only to be confronted with the harsh truth about the world.
At first, many thought everything was unfolding like a classic zombie apocalypse scenario. It seed as if soone had been conducting experints, one of them had spiraled out of control, and an epidemic had begun. However, the reality was far more terrifying: behind it all stood the Corporation.
No one could have predicted that an organization known for its charity work and supposed dedication to the betternt of humanity would be the cause of this nightmare. But those who knew more than the rest had always suspected that the Corporation harbored dark secrets.
When the children joined the discussion, everyone had to be more careful with their words to avoid frightening them even more—they had only just begun to recover from the horrors they had witnessed.
But the lesson had to be interrupted for another reason as well—the worsening weather. No one had noticed when the sky beca covered with dark clouds and the wind grew sharp and piercing. It soon beca clear: a storm was coming. The conversation could wait—getting off the deck before the waves started washing people overboard was more important.
For a mont, Alex considered dispersing the clouds but decided there was no need. The only effect the storm would have was slightly slowing down the aircraft carrier, nothing more. So instead, he simply picked up GIR, MIMI, and Stitch in his arms, while Brunhilda carried Alice.
"And most importantly," Alex said with a smirk as he bid farewell, "if you don't want to fall out of bed at night, I suggest tying yourself down. You never know, the storm might toss you off."
"Hahahaha! Great advice! When the storm is over, let's see who ends up on the floor in the morning!" R laughed with a wide grin.
Alex just shook his head. It was always the ones who said things like that who ended up in trouble. He could already foresee R showing up tomorrow morning with a bump on his forehead, having undoubtedly fallen out of bed in the middle of the night.
After reminding everyone about safety precautions one last ti, Alex and Brunhilda carried the four little ones back to the captain's bridge. As the group dispersed, light rain had already begun to fall, signaling that they should hurry. Grabbing the chairs they had brought out to sit on during the discussion, everyone headed below deck before the rain intensified.
By the ti Alex, Brunhilda, Yuriko, and the kids reached the captain's bridge, their clothes were already slightly damp from the drizzle.
"Is a storm coming?" Saya asked, glancing out the window.
"Most likely," Valt nodded. "I just hope it won't be too strong. Otherwise, we'll be significantly slowed down on our journey."
"The most important thing is that everyone is safe. Slowing down a little isn't a big deal," Alex said as he settled onto the couch.
Rebecca gave him a sly look.
"Since the weather's like this... I suggest watching a horror movie. A rainy night is the perfect ti for one!"
Alex smiled—he had no objections to watching a horror film, as it had always been one of his favorite genres. However, Alice was sitting beside him, and not only he but also the more responsible girls were worried that she might start having nightmares. However, Alice herself was adamantly against this opinion. According to her, after surviving the horrors of the zombie apocalypse, no movie could possibly scare her.
Alex smirked, ruffled her hair, and waved his hand—if she was that brave, let her watch. The other girls were skeptical about Rebecca's choice, but the more perceptive ones quickly realized that they could use the scary scenes as an excuse to snuggle up to Alex. Before he could even blink, all the spots around him were taken, and Alice had already settled comfortably on his lap.
Looking at the girls, he was once again convinced that they didn't see their situation as survival in a world overrun by the undead but rather as so kind of vacation on a luxurious ship. He left the movie selection entirely up to Rebecca, while the others busied themselves preparing snacks. In the end, the choice fell on a ghost movie—specifically, a story about a vengeful female spirit.
Alex and Brunhilda exchanged glances and shot Rebecca a dry look. She knew perfectly well who had taken up residence in Alex's shadow, yet she had still made this choice deliberately. However, judging by the complete lack of reaction from Zhang Ya, she didn't seem to care, which was already a good sign.
The others, however, weren't as lucky. The movie turned out to be genuinely terrifying, and, contrary to their expectations, during the scariest monts, the girls clung to each other instead of Alex. Fortunately for them, they had no idea a real ghost was present. Otherwise, a collective heart attack would have been inevitable.
The next morning, Alex opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He could feel the girls on either side of him holding him tightly, and his leg was tangled in Zhang Ya's long hair. He understood her actions perfectly—unlike the others, she couldn't openly express her affection and was forced to remain hidden in his shadow.
Many would have thought Zhang Ya was just a shy ghost girl, but Alex knew better. Her past had made her bloodthirsty, and he had personally witnessed her tearing zombies, mutants, and demons apart, reducing them to a ss of bones and flesh.
Not in a hurry to get up, he simply lay there, allowing the girls to hold onto him. Shifting his gaze to the side, he noticed Alice peacefully sleeping on a pillow, cuddled up with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. It seed that despite her claims that the movie hadn't scared her, she had still preferred to sleep with the trio of little troublemakers that night.
After lying there for a while, Alex carefully freed himself from Ada and Renka's grasp. As soon as he moved, Zhang Ya's hair slowly retreated, vanishing once again into his shadow.
Alex wasn't even sure if Zhang Ya slept at all or if she was just silently observing everything. Even the Valkyries in his spiritual space would eventually rest, but she... She always seed to be on guard.
He smirked, thinking about how the Valkyries in his mind had turned into recluses, never stepping outside.
Pulling on his clothes, he decided to enjoy the sunrise. Taking a lounge chair and a cup of coffee, he headed to the bow of the aircraft carrier to have so ti alone.
Careful not to wake anyone, Alex made his way down and walked to the front of the ship. Once there, he unfolded the lounge chair, set his coffee beside him, and closed his eyes, savoring the first rays of the sun.
However, as soon as he completely relaxed, Alex felt Zhang Ya's hair wrapping around his leg again, tightening slightly more than usual.
Alex sighed inwardly.
Chen Ge, the main character of her world, had been afraid of her for most of the ti. But why? Zhang Ya was actually quite sweet. Sure, she was a bit clingy... and bloodthirsty.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard behind him. In that instant, Zhang Ya's hair tightened around his leg before disappearing back into his shadow. Alex imdiately understood the cause of her jealousy. He didn't even need to turn around to guess who was approaching.
He decided to wait until the person was closer before speaking.
"Why did you wake up so early, Miu?" he asked, not turning his head.
"I'm used to getting up early," Miu answered, not surprised that Alex recognized her. "I always had to make breakfast for everyone. It's beco a habit."
Alex nodded and sat up, making space for Miu to sit next to him. He shifted a little, gesturing for her to get more comfortable. The girl smiled sweetly and, without hesitation, took the offered spot.
But what surprised Alex the most was the absence of the usual hostility from the overprotective grandfather. Normally, Hayato would almost bore a hole through him with his gaze whenever Miu ca too close. Curiosity took over, and Alex glanced back, knowing the masters had likely been awake for so ti and were probably ditating.
As soon as he turned his head, his gaze t Hayato's. The old man simply nodded and said nothing more. This was so puzzling to Alex that for a mont he seriously wondered if Hayato had been replaced. However, there was no other explanation, and all he could do was nod back in stunned silence.
"Why are you staring at my grandfather like that?" Miu asked with a slight embarrassnt.
"Just... Usually, he gets angry when you sit next to , and now I feel strange. I understand Kensai—Lady Ma never takes her eyes off him. But your grandfather... Honestly, it's a little scary," Alex replied with a crooked smile.
Miu laughed, her bright laughter quickly dissolving the tension. Alex smiled too, deciding to simply enjoy the mont. He thought about offering her sothing to drink, but aside from his cup of coffee, he had nothing. He couldn't predict that Miu would approach him.
However, despite her slight shyness, she suddenly took his cup and took a few sips. Alex was even more confused now, not understanding what he had missed during the storm. Had everything gone as it should? He knew for sure that he hadn't ended up in an alternate universe—no one would have been able to transport him there without his knowledge.
After handing the cup back, Miu continued the conversation. She asked questions about chakra training, and Alex, not surprised by her abilities, answered. He already knew she was a genius, so she had probably mastered the technique to strengthen her body and maybe even learned to walk on walls.
But suddenly, the girl fell silent, looked at him intently… and before Alex could say anything, she kissed him on the lips.
Alex was left completely confused.
"I'm not opposed, of course... but what's the occasion?" he asked, his tone full of surprise.
"Thank you for not letting my grandfather sacrifice himself yesterday. I didn't know how to thank you, but the other girls said this was the best way," Miu confessed, her cheeks coloring with a gentle blush.
Alex sighed and gave a small smile.
"It would have been awful of to just let him die. But about the kiss… Are you sure it was necessary? What about, you know... Kenichi?"
"We talked last night, like you advised," Miu said, starting to explain.
Alex thought for a mont. From her words, it seed she had indeed tried to give Kenichi another chance, but he sohow ssed it up again. Furthermore, she had chosen a bad ti to talk—Kenichi was surrounded by girls from Miku's group, which only complicated things.
Alex couldn't understand what was wrong with the guy. Essentially, Miu had been his first love. He had strived to beco stronger to protect her. And now, when the opportunity presented itself, he had just let it slip away?
Looking at Miu's expression, Alex realized she no longer wanted to give Kenichi any more chances.
"If you've decided to let go of those feelings, then so be it. He's the one at fault for missing out on such an opportunity," Alex said softly, placing his hand on her head.
"Hmph, he doesn't even realize what he lost. Now let him hang out with those girls. I won't stop him from spending ti with them anymore," Miu sniffed, raising her nose in defiance.
Alex simply smiled, stroking her head again. Perhaps the issue was that Kenichi and Miu had only t recently, and their feelings hadn't had the ti to develop the way they were supposed to in the original tiline.
Throwing one last glance back, Alex t Hayato's eyes.
The old man said sothing, but his voice was too quiet. However, Alex easily read his lips:
"Take care of Miu."
Alex understood—Hayato had no objections to his granddaughter starting a romantic relationship with him.
Alex continued spending ti with Miu, wanting to get to know her better. He had already spent quite a bit of ti with Renka and Shigure when he worked on the armants for the aircraft carriers at the Okinawa military base. Now he realized that Miu was not only a kind and bright girl but could also easily fit into his family. She would probably get along with the girls from Orario and beco part of their group.
A few minutes later, they were lying together on the chaise lounge, chatting carelessly, when a familiar voice sounded behind them:
"Oh, it seems like we're interrupting your romantic ti."
Alex lazily turned his head and saw Chun-Li, with Cammy standing next to her. Miu, hearing their words, imdiately blushed and jumped up quickly, while Chun-Li just smiled, clearly pleased with her reaction. Alex shook his head and gently patted Miu's hair, signaling that she didn't need to be so embarrassed. After all, if she didn't learn how to handle monts like this, his girls in Orario would simply tornt her, making her blush until she passed out.
"What brings you here so early?" Alex asked, glancing at Chun-Li and Cammy. "I thought you, like the other masters, would be ditating or training to stay in shape."
"That's exactly why we're here," Cammy answered with a light smile. "Don't you want to spar with us?"
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure? Not that I doubt your skills, but... you know how it is."
"That's the point," Chun-Li said with a provocative smile. "By fighting a strong opponent, you can improve your own skills. Now enough sitting around, let's fight!"
Alex sighed heavily. All he wanted right now was to relax and enjoy the silence. He was having that rare lazy mont when he didn't even feel like causing chaos. But realizing that the girls wouldn't let up, he lazily got up, not forgetting to grab his cup of coffee.
Seeing that Alex had finally agreed, Chun-Li and Cammy smiled, and he lazily followed them, hoping no one else would want to join and extend the sparring session. However, as soon as they approached the area where the other masters were, everyone's attention imdiately shifted to them.
"Did you actually convince him?!" Ken asked in surprise.
"Damn it, can I join too?" Ryu interjected, literally shoving Ken aside. "I want to test my strength against Alex!"
"Ask him yourself," Chun-Li smirked, nodding toward Alex, who looked like he just wanted to keep holding his coffee cup and pretend to be a useful mber of society.
"Do whatever you want..." Alex drawled, taking a sip. "I don't care anymore."
"Great! Then we're on!" Ryu declared happily, cracking his knuckles.
As soon as it beca known that Alex would be fighting against Chun-Li, Cammy, Ryu, and Ken all at once, the spectators' excitent skyrocketed. People began taking their spots to watch, discussing what the fight would be like. Even Alex's girls, who had been having breakfast on the captain's bridge after waking up, ca downstairs to see what was happening. Upon hearing that Alex would be facing all four of them, they also joined in the fun.
Alex looked at his girls and sighed in relief — fortunately, they hadn't decided to interfere and add more trouble for him.
Most likely, it was his lazy appearance that clearly conveyed: "I don't want to do this."
"Kick his ass! Let him know what it's like to date my daughter!" Kensei suddenly shouted, showing his support for Alex's opponents.
The atmosphere imdiately grew tense, but before anyone could add anything, a cold voice ca from behind Kensei:
"Dear... I think we need to talk again. Don't you think?"
Kensei slowly turned around and t the gaze of Ju Ma, whose face expressed only one thing — inevitable punishnt.
Kensei's back was covered in cold sweat. Like a robot, he slowly turned his head back and t the piercing gaze of his wife. Ju Ma looked at him as if she were ready to swallow him whole. Even Renka, who had been about to kick her father again, decided that since her mother had stepped in, there was no point in arguing with her.
Before Kensei could even speak a word, Ju Ma grabbed him by the collar and slightly lifted him. He imdiately began trembling with fear. He knew his wife still hadn't forgiven him for leaving the house. And that was not even considering the fact that she hadn't found his carefully hidden collection, which he'd been gathering since he left the family. If that album got into her hands, he would face an even worse fate.
anwhile, Alice, Honoka, and Malka were loudly cheering for Alex. Even GIR, MIMI, and Stitch sohow managed to find a flag and started waving it in support. Alex just frowned, trying to figure out where that flag ca from and why no one was asking questions about it. Most likely, everyone just decided to ignore this strange fact, along with the oddity that GIR, MIMI, and Stitch kept changing their clothes when no one was looking.
"Go, big brother!" Alice shouted, waving her arms.
Alex smiled as he looked at his young fans, then turned his gaze to his four opponents, who were getting ready for the fight. He didn't want to drag this sparring out and was already thinking about how to finish it quickly so he could get back to relaxing.
anwhile, Miu walked over to Alex's girls and joined their group. The most perceptive among them imdiately understood everything and nodded silently at her. Renka, however, smirked slightly — she had been first, and now Miu was second, which could only an one thing: this ti, she had won. Even if Miu had decided to develop romantic feelings for Alex, Renka was still the first one.
"Alright, let's wrap this up quickly," Alex said lazily, sipping his coffee. "If you manage to hit even once, consider it a victory."
"This won't be so easy, Alex. Be ready," Chun-Li said as she assud a fighting stance.
Alex glanced at her, or more precisely — at her hips. Well, at her qipao, under which, fortunately, she was wearing shorts. The girl imdiately noticed his gaze and simply smirked. After all, they had already seen each other naked, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Cammy, Ryu, and Ken also assud their fighting stances, preparing for an attack. The spectators held their breath in anticipation of the duel's start. Ryu and Ken moved to the sides, taking positions on either side of Alex, while Chun-Li and Cammy stayed in front of him.
"Hadouken!" Ryu and Ken shouted simultaneously.
Two Ki balls flew toward Alex from either side. He took a step back, and the Hadoukens collided in mid-air, signaling the beginning of the fight.
Chun-Li was the first to charge into the attack, quickly spinning around for a kick. Alex dodged by quickly crouching. But now he was certain that she was indeed wearing shorts under her qipao. He couldn't help but nod, acknowledging that it was a smart decision. Even despite their… complicated relationship, which could be described as "more than friends but less than lovers," he still didn't want Chun-Li to accidentally flash her underwear during the fight.
However, his thoughts distracted him, and Ryu and Ken imdiately seized the opportunity, both rushing at him with an attempt to trip him. Alex barely made a sound but jumped lightly, evading the attack. But then, he was imdiately t by Cammy, who swiftly aid a kick at him. He dodged mid-air, landing a little farther away, and lazily took another sip of his coffee.
"Maybe you'll start fighting back instead of just dodging?" Chun-Li asked irritably, launching a series of kicks.
"It's not interesting that way. Show sothing worth my ti, and then I'll consider it," Alex lazily responded, playfully dodging her attacks.
"Then here you go!" Cammy shouted, aiming for his back.
Alex spun around, and Cammy's kick collided with Chun-Li's leg. The two girls pushed each other away, preventing their opponent from advancing further. Seeing the opening for an attack, Ryu and Ken imdiately charged at Alex, alternating quick strikes and synchronizing their movents, trying to confuse him.
Watching their movents, Alex couldn't help but admit that these two had really worked well together: their synchronization was top-notch, and their attacks flowed one after another without a single pause. However, to him, it didn't pose a serious threat. He either dodged or lazily blocked their strikes with one hand, continuing to observe their technique.
"Hmm, not bad. You two definitely have the potential to get even stronger," Alex mumbled as he grabbed Ken's fist.
With one swift motion, he threw Ken aside, causing him to collide with Ryu. However, thanks to their vast combat experience, they managed to regroup and avoid falling, skillfully shifting to the side. At that mont, Chun-Li and Cammy re-entered the fight, deciding to repeat Ryu and Ken's strategy and attack in pairs.
Cammy tripped Alex, forcing him to jump, and Chun-Li imdiately delivered a powerful kick aid straight at him. She thought for sure that this ti Alex wouldn't be able to dodge. But as soon as her leg touched his body, it dissolved into a cloud of white smoke, and in its place was… a log, which splintered into pieces from the impact.
"Wow, you almost got ," Alex's voice ca from behind them.
As the smoke cleared, the newcors watched the spectacle with their mouths agape. Those who had seen this trick before just shrugged. However, hearing Alex's voice, everyone turned at once and saw him lazily sitting on his haunches, leisurely sipping his coffee.
"Hey, your ninja tricks are cheating! We almost had you!" Cammy protested, pointing at him.
"You should've clarified the rules first. 'Let's spar,' 'I want to fight a strong opponent'..." Alex drawled, dramatically waving his hand.
"Stop fooling around, Alex, attack already," Ryu said with a smirk.
"As you wish. But don't complain later when you get the 'fist of love,'" Alex grinned maliciously.
Ryu and Ken exchanged wary glances, not understanding what was going on. However, the people in the know sighed sympathetically.
In the next mont, Alex vanished, leaving behind only a residual image. Before Ryu could even process what had happened, Alex's fist slamd his face into the deck. Without stopping, Alex disappeared again and repeated the trick with Ken, sending him after Ryu.
As for the girls, Alex decided not to hit them but simply gave Chun-Li and Cammy a light slap on the backside.
"That's it. I win," he grinned.
"Dammit, Alex! I almost got a concussion! How can that even be called the 'fist of love' when it hurts this much?!" Ryu protested, rubbing the huge bump on his forehead.
"That's the 'fist of love' for you. So don't complain. Or would you prefer to spank you like a naughty child? Should I get a belt?" Alex raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.
Ryu and Ken both choked, imagining the scene. The audience burst out laughing.
Chun-Li and Cammy, rubbing the spots where Alex had slapped them, glared disapprovingly at him. It didn't take a genius to guess — the red marks from his hand were definitely there. Alex just smirked, satisfied with his little revenge for being disturbed during his lazy break.
"Well, that was... strange and quick," Balalaika muttered, standing next to Yuriko.
"He doesn't do everything quickly," Rebecca added with a sly smile.
The girls imdiately shot Rebecca disapproving looks for her words, while the others looked at Alex with curiosity, who pretended he hadn't heard anything. He had long since gotten used to Rebecca's antics and preferred to ignore them.
Deciding to approach the girls, Alex smiled and stepped forward, but at that mont, the aircraft carrier suddenly jolted as though it had collided with sothing massive. The deck shook, and many nearly lost their balance. No one understood what caused the jolt, but soon the answer appeared from beneath the water — a massive tentacle erged to the surface.
Alex lunged forward, pushing Alice, Honoka, and Malka aside, but didn't react fast enough before the tentacle grabbed him and pulled him underwater.
"Shit, not again!" Alex cursed as he disappeared into the ocean depths.
As he descended, Alex furiously tore the tentacle apart, his patience running out. The whole thing brought back unpleasant mories — at the beginning of his journey, he had already encountered sothing similar when the avatar of Nyan-Nyan grabbed him and dragged him into a portal. And now, once again, so sea creature dared to do the sa.
With a powerful swing, Alex condensed his energy and instantly boiled the creature's blood rushing from the severed tentacle. He was about to finish it off when he noticed sothing strange.
"It's the damn Kraken... What the hell is it doing in this world?" Alex muttered, not even realizing he was speaking underwater.
"It's not from this world," a voice from Reginleif sounded in his mind. "Look closely, it doesn't have a trace of the Minister of Monoliths' or the Dark Lord's energy."
Alex raised an eyebrow but decided to study the Kraken more closely. He noticed that magical energy was circulating within the creature, which ant one thing – this monster definitely didn't belong to this world. How it ended up here was a mystery. However, fortunately, there were no signs of contamination within its body, aning...
"It's edible," Alex concluded, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
But sothing else caught his attention – there was life inside the Kraken. No, the Kraken couldn't possibly be pregnant, but this aura... It reminded him of Valkyries.
"Let's see who you've swallowed..." Alex muttered, pulling out Poseidon's Trident from his inventory.
The Kraken imdiately sensed the threat and tried to escape, but Alex just smirked. How could he let a potentially tasty prey get away?
Gripping the Trident in his hand, he delivered a swift strike that pierced the monster's head, killing it instantly. The lifeless Kraken's body began to rise to the surface, and Alex, not wasting any ti, slit open its belly. Peering inside, he was utterly stunned.
There, among the digested debris and remains of food, he saw her.
"What the hell..." he muttered, creating an air do around the girl.
Inside the Kraken was Rory. And Alex knew full well that she shouldn't be in this world... let alone inside a damn sea monster.
Alex was greatly surprised. Encountering Itami and his team was one thing, but stumbling upon Rory? That was a whole different story. How could the Gates have opened in this world without the Minister of Monoliths' permission, who seed to be playing his own intricate ga? Unless, of course, he had allowed it to happen simply to change the scenery.
However, Alex wasn't about to waste ti pondering that now. He scooped Rory up along with her axe and began to rise to the surface. It was far easier to ask her directly than to keep guessing while underwater.
Breaking through the surface, he forcefully shot out of the water and gracefully landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier.
"Call Alexander, the God of the Seas!" he declared, holding Poseidon's Trident in one hand and the unconscious girl in the other.
His sudden appearance caught everyone off guard. Just monts ago, a monster had dragged him into the depths of the sea, and everyone was wondering if he would make it. Now, he was returning like a triumphant hero, with a mythical weapon, a strange girl, and on top of that, declaring his divine status.
"Where did you get that trident?" Kota finally blurted out, voicing the first thought that ca to mind.
"Found it in the Kraken's body, along with her," Alex replied nonchalantly, nodding toward Rory.
"Where's the justice?!" Kota fud, pointing a finger at him. "He killed a legendary monster, got two weapons, and a girl to boot! Co on, Alex, you're the main character, right?"
"Who knows?" Alex smirked. "But I think we should check her condition first. She's alive, but I don't know how long she was inside that monster or how she even ended up there. anwhile, tie the Kraken to the aircraft carrier. We can't let such a catch go to waste."
"Are you sure it's safe to eat?" Rei asked skeptically, glancing at the creature's corpse.
"Just give a piece to G.I.R. or MIMI for analysis, and they'll let you know," Alex shrugged. "In the anti, I'll take the girl to the d bay."
He already knew the Kraken was edible, but he figured the others might as well confirm it for themselves. Glancing at Brunhilde, he gave her a sign that she should co with him. She nodded in response, indicating she'd catch up later when she was done with things here.
Without wasting ti, Alex carried Rory to the d bay, leaving behind the stunned stares of everyone else. He wanted to do this before anyone could snap out of their shock and bombard him with questions.
Arriving at the d bay, Alex carefully placed the girl on an examination table, then sat in a chair, leaning back, and studied her closely.
To be continued...
3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter
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