Alex, Jonah, and Takashi continued listening to Kota's never-ending chatter. Even the valkyries in Alex's spiritual space couldn't take it anymore — the constant stream of questions from Kota, who never seed to stop talking for even a second, was driving everyone insane.
Alex turned to Kota in frustration. His eyes lit up with a soft glow, and within a mont, Kota's eyes rolled back, his head dropped backward, and he began snoring loudly.
Alex, Takashi, and Jonah all let out a sigh of relief. Finally, Kota had shut up. All three of them thought the sa thing at once: let him snore, just don't let him start ranting again. Alex was seriously considering either dropping him off on the roadside or feeding him to the first zombie horde if he didn't shut up.
"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Takashi snapped, shooting Alex an irritated look. "If you can shut him up, why torture us?"
"How was I supposed to know he'd ask that many questions? Usually, when soone finds out who I am, there's maybe a couple of curious comnts. Not a full-blown interrogation," Alex muttered, lightly smacking Takashi on the back of the head.
"He talks about nothing but weapons and ani even on normal days," Jonah added, glancing at Kota snoring in his seat. "But the mont he heard you were the Demon King… he completely lost it."
"I an, I get it, sort of. But he could've spaced it out. One or two questions per hour would've been fine. I was this close to tossing him into a black hole," Alex said, holding back his irritation.
The car fell silent, the only sound being Kota's loud snoring. Then, all three — Alex, Takashi, and Jonah — burst into laughter. When the laughter faded, Alex focused again on driving the Humvee — they still had a few stops to make to ensure there were no demonic nests left in the city.
Other teams were also sweeping through the city, making sure the civilians sheltering at the Anchorage military base were safe. Now that Alex was no longer hiding his powers from Jonah, he was calmly taking out large clusters of zombies — sticking his hand out the window, snapping his fingers, and everything nearby exploded into a bloody mist.
Takashi and Jonah were stunned. One snap — and an entire horde turned into a pile of gore. Alex actually found a kind of satisfaction in it. Snap — done. Eventually, he started experinting: trying to make the zombies crumble down to bare skeletons, their flesh and skin flying in all directions.
Takashi and Jonah got used to the sight pretty quickly.
Jonah beca curious about Orario and how life there worked. Alex began explaining calmly — he had only ntioned before that adventurers lived there and how to beco one, but now he dove into details. Jonah listened intently, quickly realizing that Orario had beco much safer since Alex arrived. He asked only important and relevant questions — unlike Kota — and it was clear he was seriously considering moving his family there soday.
Alex was starting to suspect that Jonah would likely accept his offer — to help destroy villains across different worlds. After all, he had worked as a rcenary in his own country before ending up in Japan.
Even Takashi got interested in the conversation. His questions were mostly about his mother — Gloria. He knew she was now living in Orario, in a house with goddesses, and was friends with them. He just wanted to know more about what she did. But more than anything, he dread of seeing her again. It had been a long ti since their last eting.
Alex explained to Takashi that, for Gloria, only a couple of days had passed since their last conversation. This was due to the ti difference between worlds.
Yonah was imdiately intrigued by that point. Alex explained that ti flowed differently in each world. In this one, for example, a little over a month had passed since the start of the zombie apocalypse, whereas in Orario, only a couple of days had gone by. He had several theories about it. He believed that in worlds teetering on the brink of collapse, ti moved slower than in thriving ones. He had begun to suspect this back in Night City, when he noticed how distorted ti felt compared to the Danmachi world.
For Alex, though, it was a plus: he could go on missions without disappearing from ho for years.
While Kota continued to snore, Alex, Takashi, and Yonah managed to clear two more suspicious locations. The new scanning modules hadn't picked up anything, so Alex simply vaporized all nearby zombies and mutants, while Takashi marked the area as safe and potentially useful for gathering supplies.
As they were leaving the third location, the atmosphere in the Humvee was calm. Kota was silent, aning no one was suffering from a headache. Alex drove peacefully, chatting with his friends. But then sothing broke the silence.
In the distance, a loud, sharp crash echoed—like soone smashing through walls and tearing everything in their path. Alex imdiately killed the engine and listened closely. As if on cue, a massive demon — a Baron of Hell — burst through the nearest building. Sitting on its head like a rider was Stitch, waving a cowboy hat.
"YEEHAAA!" Stitch scread at the top of his lungs, swinging his hat like he was in a rodeo.
Alex was speechless at the sight. It was absurd: Stitch held a cowboy hat in one hand, reins in the other, and a bridle was stuck in the Baron's mouth, keeping it open and stretching its face like Stitch was steering it like a horse.
Stitch, riding the Baron, crashed into a building on the other side of the street. From the hole in the wall, with a thunderous rumble, GIR and MIMI burst out, riding the Wolf. They swung lassos, trying to rope the demon, while Stitch clung to it like a seasoned rider.
The Baron of Hell rampaged down the street, smashing into buildings and trying to shake off his rider. Behind him, still on the Wolf, GIR and MIMI expertly handled their ropes. Seeing the right mont, GIR threw his lasso—it wrapped around the demon's leg. Pulling the rope, he slowed the Baron just enough for MIMI to toss her lasso onto the other leg.
When they both pulled, the demon crashed face-first into the concrete with a thunderous thud.
Alex watched with growing curiosity. He wondered what that crazy quartet would do next. He climbed out of the Humvee with Takashi and Yonah, leaving Kota still snoring inside.
GIR, MIMI, and Stitch quickly tied up the immobilized Baron. Then Stitch pulled a small tal brand from his pouch, and GIR produced a flathrower to heat it up. Once the tal was glowing red, Stitch burst out laughing and pressed the brand to the demon's body, marking it as his property.
Alex, Takashi, and Yonah were speechless again. Alex knew that trio could be playful… but this was sothing else.
"Where did those three run off to? We need to catch up with them," ca Saya's voice from inside the building the demon had destroyed.
"No kidding we need to catch them," Revy grumbled, running after her.
Soon, the other girls followed close behind.
Alex, Takashi, and Yonah watched as an entire group of girls ca running out of the ruined building. At first, their attention was drawn to the Wolf with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch riding it, and only then did they notice Alex and his companions.
Alex smiled, raised his hand, and waved at them. Rebecca imdiately rushed toward him and clung to him like a koala. Alex laughed and hugged her in return.
They were soon joined by Chiquita, Valt, Saya, Revy, Saeko, Chun-Li, Cammy, Rika, Nobuna, Sherry, Jill, Moira, Claire, and Juri.
"What are you three doing here, Alex?" Cammy asked as she ca closer.
"There's actually four of us. Kouta's snoring in the Humvee right now. As for the rest, pretty much the sa as you — except we didn't run into any demons. What about you?" Alex replied with a smile.
"We found a couple of nests. Rebecca blew them up along with the buildings. Then those three — GIR, MIMI, and Stitch — went chasing after a Baron of Hell, and we had to race after them through the entire district," Valt said with a tired voice.
"Did you find anything interesting?" Saya asked, adjusting her glasses and eyeing Alex intently.
"Yeah. So idiot jumped out at us — he could control ice. Didn't last long though," Alex said as he gently stroked Rebecca's hair while she clung to him.
"What do you an 'could'? Why can't he use his powers anymore?" Sherry asked, surprised.
"Because Alex turned him into ground beef. With a mace," Takashi replied flatly, shuddering at the mory of Urau's body being smashed into a pulp again and again, until Zhang Ya devoured it.
The girls all turned to look at Alex. He just shrugged — it wasn't his fault that cruelty woke up inside him when dealing with scum. He'd always believed that villains who committed horrible deeds didn't deserve rcy.
They all just sighed, watching the carefree grin on Alex's face. It was obvious: that ice guy wasn't from this world. And later, when there were no extra ears around, they were definitely going to question Alex more thoroughly.
While everyone chatted, a dull thud suddenly caught their attention — as if sothing heavy had once again slamd into flesh.
They all turned — and saw GIR, MIMI, and Stitch enthusiastically beating the tied-up Baron of Hell with sticks. Blood was splattering in every direction.
"Are they always this brutal? They seed pretty normal before," Claire asked, pointing at the trio.
"They usually just ss around. But sotis, well…" Alex spread his arms as if to say, "It is what it is."
"I actually feel kind of sorry for that demon," Sherry muttered, turning away from the grueso scene.
"Don't. It's his own fault. He should've run the mont he saw GIR, MIMI, and Stitch," Chiquita said, shaking her head.
Alex and the girls nodded silently, confirming her words.
If GIR, MIMI, and Stitch set their sights on you — you'd better start running. Fast. Because that trio doesn't stop until they've hunted you down like a wild animal. And by then, you'll regret not running faster.
Judging by the desperate howls of the Baron of Hell, he was already regretting not only his speed, but even coming to this world in the first place. If he had a choice, he'd probably prefer death at the hands of the Doom Slayer over this trio.
Alex let out a tired sigh. He was done watching this spectacle and gave a loud whistle to grab the trio's attention. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch turned their heads in perfect sync and saw Alex and the girls standing nearby.
Alex gave a brief nod — the signal to wrap it up.
In response, the trio gave a thumbs up… and with renewed enthusiasm, continued beating the Baron of Hell with their sticks, as if trying to end his suffering as quickly as possible.
"This is definitely… the end," muttered Alex, wearily running a hand down his face.
A minute later, it was all over. The Baron of Hell lay lifeless, and GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf returned to the others.
"Are you planning to go anywhere else, or are we heading back to base?" Alex asked the girls.
"We've already scouted enough areas. Let the others deal with the rest. I think it's ti to head back," Saya replied, adjusting her glasses and checking information displayed on her lenses.
Alex nodded. He decided to wait until the girls reached their humvee and pulled up to his position. Takashi and Yonah stayed with him. Alex leaned against the car hood and lit a cigarette.
Inserting a communicator into his ear, he contacted the other teams to get an update on the city's situation. So, like the girls' squad, had stumbled upon demon nests — though only a few. Others encountered only zombies.
Alex reported over the shared channel that he was returning to base and asked the other groups to start wrapping up reconnaissance and move in the sa direction.
As he listened to the reports, the humvee with the girls drove through a breach in the wall. Alex saw they were ready and gave Takashi and Yonah a nod to get in.
Starting the engine, he waved to Chiquita, who was behind the wheel of the other humvee — a signal to follow.
Alex pressed down on the gas and headed toward the base. He hoped they could wrap up all business in Anchorage by evening and return to the settlent. He even briefly wondered how everyone would react when he opened a portal straight ho. Most likely, the response would be the usual: "Of course he can do that too…" or soone would inevitably ask why he hadn't done it earlier.
He already had a prepared answer for that, so there was no need to worry.
At the base gates, Alex honked the horn. The soldiers on the wall noticed the approaching humvees and recognized him behind the wheel. He waved, and the heavy iron gates slowly began to open.
Both humvees drove in, and Alex parked in the sa spot as the day before. Before heading to headquarters, he decided to check in on Hannibal and share the current situation in the city.
"Hey, don't you want to wake up the fat guy?" Takashi called out. "He's been snoring ever since you put him to sleep."
"Oh, right. I completely forgot about him," Alex chuckled. "The last hour was so quiet, I didn't even rember Kota was still under a sleep spell."
He dispelled the magic, and Kota imdiately woke up, glancing around in confusion.
"Where am I?.. What's going on?.." he mumbled.
His reaction made Takashi and Yonah laugh. They explained what had happened. Upon learning he had been put to sleep by magic, Kota began grumbling curses under his breath as he climbed out of the humvee.
anwhile, Alex was already heading toward headquarters, still chuckling as he imagined Kota's grumbling when he realized he had "slept through" a couple of hours of his life.
He reached the designated building, pushed the door open, and walked in. Inside were Hannibal, Murdock, Peck, and Bosco.
"Well, if it isn't our wizard! Here to show us more magic tricks?" Murdock joked with a smile.
"What brings you here, kid? Weren't you supposed to be clearing the city to make our lives easier?" Hannibal asked.
"We just got back," Alex replied, settling into a chair. "Figured I'd drop by and share so intel."
"So, what did you find out?" Hannibal asked with interest.
"We found a few demon nests — burned them down. Cleared out so zombies. Marked spots where you can gather supplies — might co in handy for survival. I recomnd starting greenhouse construction to grow food. Or, if possible, relocate people to a safer place."
"That's not easy — so many people…" Hannibal sighed. "But thank you. You've really helped us out."
He nodded with sincere gratitude.
Alex waved his hand dismissively and pulled out his phone, asking Bosco for a city map to mark the locations where supplies could be gathered. Bosco imdiately unfolded the map and laid it on the table. Alex activated a holographic projection from his phone and began marking the points on the map—both his own and those reported by the other groups.
Hannibal, Bosco, Peck, and Murdock once again watched in amazent at the technology Alex possessed. But what impressed them most was how quickly his group had cleared the city, especially since the operation was still ongoing.
After a brief conversation with Hannibal's team, Alex decided to check on Mari, Rebecca Chambers, and Shizuku, who were in the infirmary. Leaving headquarters, he headed there to see how the girls were doing and what they had been occupied with all this ti.
Entering the building, he heard the voices of Shizuku, Rebecca, and Mari—it was clear from their conversation that they were honestly bored. Alex quietly approached the room from which the sounds ca and carefully peeked inside. The three girls were sitting at a table; on it stood a teapot with brewed tea and a plate of snacks.
Alex smiled as he watched the scene and couldn't suppress a light chuckle—they looked so carefree. The girls turned around and saw him standing in the doorway.
"Alex, you're back already! Co here, Mari just brewed so tea," Shizuku said with a smile, patting the chair next to her.
Alex ca over and sat down beside her. Shizuku, still smiling, leaned her shoulder against his and poured fragrant tea into an empty cup, placing it in front of him.
"I thought I'd treat you," Alex said, pulling pastries out of his inventory and laying them on a plate.
Shizuku imdiately grabbed one, her eyes literally shining with joy. She bit into it at once, and her face showed that she was savoring the taste. Mari and Rebecca Chambers glanced skeptically at the suddenly appeared food, but seeing Shizuku already finishing her third pastry, they hurriedly took one each before only crumbs remained. Mari and Rebecca Chambers even joked that all the sweets Shizuku ate must be going straight to her chest.
"I see you're bored here. No work at all?" Alex asked with interest, watching the girls devour the pastries.
"Thanks to Shizuku and her portable dical capsule, we finished treating the wounded much faster. Now we're just waiting for everyone to co back," Mari explained, carefully breaking off a piece of pastry with her fork.
"Mmm, that capsule is really useful. I'm still amazed you even made it," Rebecca added, putting another bite in her mouth.
"If you want, I can make capsules for you too. It's not difficult—I have the blueprints and materials, so assembling a couple is no trouble," Alex replied, holding his cup.
"That would be great. Can I add sothing to mine?" Rebecca Chambers asked with a smile.
"What exactly?" Alex raised an eyebrow, curious.
"I want to embed a module for analyzing tissues, blood, and other samples," Rebecca said thoughtfully, pressing her finger to her chin.
Alex nodded, rembering that Rebecca Chambers was a professional virologist and biochemist. Such a capsule would be simply indispensable for her. He almost slapped his forehead—just how much the device's functionality could be expanded, turning it into a full-fledged mobile laboratory capable of synthesizing dicines or serums right on the spot.
"Write everything down in detail. I don't want to miss anything," he asked, pulling out a notebook.
Rebecca Chambers began listing exactly what she needed, and Alex carefully wrote everything down. After a couple of minutes, Mari interrupted:
"Alex, are you sure all of that will fit into one capsule? Judging by the list, it's going to be less of a dical capsule and more like a full lab on wheels."
"That's not a problem. It'll take so work, but I'll manage. After all, I'm not called a tech genius for nothing," he replied with a smirk, giving a thumbs up. "And what about you, Mari? Need anything? Any additions?"
"No, the basic version is enough for . I'm not planning to carry an entire lab around," she said with a smile, shaking her head.
Alex shrugged and didn't insist further but didn't forget to remind the two girls that Shizuku had almost single-handedly eaten all the pastries. Mari and Rebecca simultaneously glanced at the plate and were surprised to see only one piece left. What had been a full plate earlier was now almost empty thanks to Shizuku, who was happily devouring another pastry with a satisfied smile.
Finishing it, she imdiately grabbed the last piece and happily popped it into her mouth, ignoring the astonished looks. Alex hadn't expected Shizuku to love sweets so much. He was almost certain she could rival Zero Two and even Buddha in how many sweets she could eat.
Putting his notebook back into his pocket, Alex turned to the girls:
"We're heading back to the settlent soon," he said. "So finish up, pack your things, and let's go to the barracks to et the others—we need to prepare for departure."
Mari and Rebecca Chambers sighed heavily—another half day stuck in transport... But Alex hadn't told anyone yet that this ti the trip ho would be much faster—he wanted to keep it a surprise.
After gathering their things in the infirmary, the girls followed Alex.
Back at the barracks, Alex and his companions imdiately joined the others, waiting for all the groups to return before starting the journey back. One by one, the teams began arriving, reporting on what they had faced in the city.
Wanting to make sure everything was truly clear, Alex sent a mana pulse toward the city. After a quick scan, he confird—there were no more demonic nests left. That ant only one thing—it was ti to return.
He inford the others and began packing up with the girls.
"I think that's it. We're heading ho. No trips to the US yet—we're not ready for that. We need better preparation before moving forward," he said, addressing everyone.
"Just don't make us shake around in the Humvee for half a day again," R grumbled in annoyance.
"No need to," Alex replied with a smirk. "Today, no shaking."
"Gonna start doing tricks again?" Lehm smirked, narrowing her eyes.
"Exactly," Alex nodded. "Now everyone into the Humvee—I want to get back to my daughter as soon as possible. She's probably missing ."
"What a caring daddy," Soap laughed, shaking his head.
Alex rolled his eyes but still urged everyone to hurry so they could hit the road faster. He didn't want to waste any more ti at the military base—there was a lot to prepare before the mission in the US. He still needed to contact Chris Redfield and offer help with the assault on Raccoon City.
Before leaving, Alex handed his phone to Hannibal so he could stay in touch and quickly report if any problems arose at the base. Hannibal smirked, shook Alex's hand, and promised not only to keep the contact but also to reach out to his friends in the US to pass information to Chris.
After saying goodbye, Alex drew Yamato and with two swift swings opened a portal. Waving his hand, he easily jumped onto the Humvee's roof. Everyone was surprised again, but even more pleased—they wouldn't have to endure half a day of shaking on the road. Alex jumped down from the roof and sat next to the girls inside the Humvee while Valt, behind the wheel, hit the gas and drove into the portal.
On the other side, they appeared just minutes away from the settlent. The other vehicles followed, and realizing how close they were to ho, were pleasantly surprised. The convoy quickly reached the parking lot where the rest of the transport was stationed.
Everyone was thrilled that the trip ho turned out to be so fast. People climbed out of the vehicles, stretched, and sighed with relief as they unloaded their gear.
"If you could do this from the start, why did we have to shake around in a Humvee for half a day getting to Anchorage?!" R asked indignantly, looking at Alex.
"Because to open the portal, I need to be at the place in person," Alex lied calmly, shrugging.
Taking Alex's words at face value, the others just sighed, deciding to consider the whole trip a little adventure. After saying goodbye to everyone, Alex and the girls headed back to their ho.
This trip brought Alex important news: part of the work to unite the survivors was being taken over by Chris Redfield. That ant he wouldn't have to rack his brain about how to convince people to act together against a common enemy. Better to leave that task to Claire's brother.
Whistling a cheerful tune and lightly dancing along, Alex walked beside the girls. They shot him suspicious looks, not understanding why he was so happy and upbeat. They imdiately ruled out joy from returning ho—they could co back anyti. So the reason for Alex's good mood had to be sothing else.
"What's got you so cheerful?" Nobuna asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Just glad I don't have to think anymore about how to get people to work together. Now Claire's brother handles that," Alex replied with a broad smile.
"So you're happy that soone else is doing your job? And you don't care what might co of it?" Chun-Li smirked.
"Hey, I believe in Chris. Besides, my job's sothing totally different," Alex shrugged, rolling his eyes.
"Uh-huh, your job is beating villains and playing the fake savior," Revy sneered.
"Exactly, my love. My job is to kick bad guys' asses, not give inspiring speeches and unite the world," Alex said, pulling Revy toward him.
Revy blushed slightly but made no move to escape his embrace. The girls laughed at the scene. They'd often heard Alex refuse leadership responsibilities, and every ti he said one thing but did another. He claid he wouldn't unite people—but still tried—until Chris showed up and took over.
Reaching ho, Alex and the girls stepped inside. No sooner had he crossed the threshold than a small pink-haired rocket flew at him and hung onto his neck.
"Daddy, you're back!" Anya exclaid, pressing her cheek against his chest.
"Hey, little traitor! We ca back too, you know. Or do only you and your daddy exist?" Chiquita pouted, tugging Anya's cheek.
"I have only one daddy, but many mommies. First daddy, then mommies," Anya said seriously, pouting.
"That's kid love for you. You raise her, nurture her—and she trades you for her dad," Kiriko snorted, watching the scene with amusent.
Alex laughed and lifted Anya onto his shoulders. She happily hugged his neck. But as he took another step, two more pink-haired rockets—Lucy and Zero Two—ca running and crashed into him. They also clung to him, clearly missing him, even though only one day had passed. Now Alex was literally sward: Anya sat on his shoulders, while Lucy and Zero Two hung on either side like two affectionate koalas.
Seeing this, the other girls laughed and went off to change clothes and unpack their gear — unlike Alex, they had to change the usual way. Alex, however, without letting go of any of the girls clinging to him, changed his clothes and asked Kiriko where the others were.
When he found out where everyone else was, he decided to wait for them all to arrive so he could explain in detail what he had managed to learn in Anchorage. After all, the night before he had only briefly outlined the general situation.
Sitting down on the couch, Alex smiled as he noticed that Lucy and Zero Two clearly had no intention of letting him go. To top it off, Red and White joined them, deciding they wanted their share of hugs as well. Now he was being embraced by four girls and his beloved daughter at once.
A satisfied, almost peaceful smile spread across Alex's face. He definitely wasn't planning to move anyti soon — right now, he was exactly where he belonged.
To be continued...
3 Chapters on my Patreon: p*treon/GreedHunter
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