After Alex blew up the house where the ungrateful survivors—whom Kiriko had kindly taken in—had taken refuge, his anger subsided somewhat.

He and the two Valkyries sat on the rooftop, watching the bright flames illuminating the distant night sky. Alex knew the sound of the explosion would attract all the zombies in the area. Furthermore, the likelihood of the fire spreading to nearby buildings increased if the zombies caught fire and wandered around.

Looking down, Alex saw the undead beginning to collide with the barricades that the rescued survivors had built. The electric fence he had installed efficiently fried the zombies, reducing them to charred remains. The smell of burnt flesh wafted upward, heightening the grim atmosphere. Alex spent another hour watching as the undead gradually moved toward the site of the explosion. Those trapped at the barricades flailed helplessly until their bodies were torn apart by the iron spikes.

Finally, tired of the sight, Alex rose from the edge of the roof. He was ready to return to the monitoring room. Before he left, Göndul gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before vanishing into his spiritual space. Alex and Brunhilde descended, finding the others already busy with their tasks.

The underground shelter muffled the sound of the explosion, and it seemed no one even noticed what had happened. Without disturbing anyone, Alex sat at the table to continue monitoring the city through the cameras. However, nothing particularly interesting caught his eye, except that most of the zombies had migrated to the area of the explosion.

Kiriko, sitting next to her daughter, noticed Alex, who was fully engrossed in his work, ignoring everything around him. He was wearing headphones, listening to music, and reviewing camera footage, piquing her curiosity.

She got up and approached Alex, stopping behind him. Kiriko observed him, amazed at how focused he was.

“Is he always like this?” she asked, turning to the other girls.

“Only when it comes to work,” Rebecca replied lazily. “Otherwise, he’s either slacking off or making something.”

Kiriko nodded and returned to her daughter, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Alex pulled out a notebook and began jotting down plans.

The first item was to find weapons to arm the survivors. Next was modifying a vehicle to leave the city. Ultimately, Alex planned to reach Okinawa, where he hoped to find a ship. He also noted the need to recruit more people to expand the group’s capabilities.

By the time Alex finished planning, it was deep into the night, and the other girls had long gone to sleep.

Stretching, Alex glanced back and noticed everyone was already resting. After rubbing his face, he decided to join them. He lay down next to Rebecca, who immediately, without waking, climbed onto him and settled on his chest.

Alex smiled, looking at her innocent, peaceful face. Kissing her on the crown of her head, he closed his eyes and allowed himself some rest.

The next morning, Alex woke to the soft touch of something on his face. He didn’t need to guess what it was: Shizuka had turned in her sleep and was using his head as a pillow for her embrace. Not feeling Rebecca on his chest, Alex realized she was already up.

Carefully extracting himself from Shizuka’s grasp, he stood and looked around. The girls were scattered around the room, but all of them were staring at him. Their collective gazes created a slight tension, especially among those who weren’t yet accustomed to his morning demeanor.

Alex scanned the room with his eyes, and those unfamiliar with his morning grumpiness flinched at his stern expression.

Noticing this, Rebecca got up from her spot and approached Alex.

“There you go again, scaring everyone with that look. Let me help you,” she said, starting to massage his face.

Alex didn’t resist, allowing Rebecca to do as she pleased. Meanwhile, he was trying to fully wake up, and for that, he, as always, needed a cup of coffee. Once Rebecca finished the massage, she returned to breakfast with a smile.

Alex sat down in a chair, and Brunhilde immediately handed him a mug of hot drink. Taking a sip, he felt himself coming back to life.

“Why does he look like that first thing in the morning?” Saya asked cautiously, turning to Brunhilde.

“Don’t worry. He’s always like that when he wakes up. You get used to it quickly. Better remember what Rebecca did—just in case it comes in handy,” Brunhilde replied with a slight smile.

“W-Who would want to remember that? I’m not going to do something like that!” Saya blurted out, blushing in embarrassment.

“Well, who knows,” Brunhilde answered calmly.

Alex took a couple more sips of coffee, and his mind gradually cleared. He thought again about completely giving up sleep, but quickly discarded the idea. He enjoyed sleeping too much to deprive himself of that pleasure.

Looking around, he noticed that Rei and Kiriko were missing.

“Where are Rei and Kiriko?” he asked the girls.

“They went to talk to Takashi, to try to knock some sense into him,” Saya replied with a smirk.

“Do you think it will help?” Alex asked with a yawn. “I’ve been watching him sometimes. He does his tasks, but most of the time, he walks around with this expression like he’s constipated.”

The girls involuntarily recalled Takashi’s face. After Alex’s words, the comparison seemed so accurate that they couldn’t hold back their laughter.

“Who’s constipated? I can give him an enema to make him feel better,” Shizuka said sleepily as she sat up, looking confused.

This only intensified the laughter, and the atmosphere in the room lightened considerably.

After Shizuka’s comment, no one could hold back their laughter. The room filled with a new wave of amusement, and Shizuka, clearly flustered, blushed deeply. It was at this moment that Kiriko and Rei returned to the room. Seeing everyone laughing, they were surprised and tried to figure out what had caused such an outburst of emotion so early in the morning.

Saya immediately explained the situation, and Rei couldn’t resist, caught up in the mood. Kiriko merely smiled slightly and shook her head, trying to maintain an air of maturity.

Alex looked at them and decided to get straight to the point. He was curious if they had managed to get through to Takashi or if he was still stubborn as usual.

“So, how did the talk with Takashi go?” he asked Rei and Kiriko.

Rei frowned.

“Nothing changed. He’s still as stubborn as ever. Mom tried to explain that his mother is fine, but he just snapped back and said something like, ‘You should be glad that this person saved your mother, instead of sticking your nose in my business.'”

Alex turned his gaze to Kiriko.

“Even you couldn’t get through to this idiot?”

Kiriko sighed.

“I tried. I told him that his mother is now in the bunker under the school where she works. But he doesn’t want to listen. I think if he sees for himself that she’s alive, he’ll calm down.”

Alex nodded but wasn’t planning to excuse Takashi’s behavior any longer. He had clearly decided to ignore the real problems and close himself off. Alex hoped his mother could knock some sense into him.

After finishing breakfast, he led the group upstairs to check on the progress. At the gathering spot, he saw a group of builders discussing plans to reinforce the base. They were debating which areas needed strengthening first. Alex glanced over and noticed Kohta among the female officers. He silently praised the chubby guy for overcoming his shyness and starting to act like a normal person.

“Good morning, everyone,” Alex said loudly, drawing the attention of those present.

The group stopped their work and focused on him. As he approached the table, Alex exchanged a few words with various survivors before starting to discuss the current matters. He was interested in how the resource gathering and base reinforcement were going.

When everyone had gathered around the table, Alex noticed that the number of officers had increased.

“That’s good. More people who know how to handle weapons,” he thought, glancing over them briefly.

He hoped there were no corrupt elements among the newcomers. However, if Kiriko hadn’t said anything, it meant there was no cause for concern.

First, Alex asked about the progress on the base’s fortification. One of the builders responsible for the task immediately reported:

“We’re reinforcing the windows and doors with steel plates to protect the most vulnerable spots. But the number of zombies outside increased overnight, so we can’t continue working until we clear the area.”

Alex nodded and clarified:

“Actually, most of the dead have already gone in another direction. You can go ahead and work on the barricades.”

“How do you know that?” Kohta asked, squinting suspiciously.

Alex gave Kohta a confused look, as if asking, “Are you serious?” The girls around him looked at Kohta the same way, adding pressure. Kohta felt a chill run down his spine. Under such intense gazes, he started to get noticeably nervous and even sweated a little.

“Fatty, use your brain,” Saya said in an irritated tone, folding her arms across her chest. “Since we settled here, Alex has connected to all the available cameras in the city and even set up some additional ones. While you’re resting or doing your thing, he’s constantly monitoring the situation to keep us all safe. What’s more, he personally set up these cameras so we could have more information and be more cautious.”

“Oh, I forgot… Sorry,” Kohta mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

Alex simply shook his head.

“It’s fine. But tell me, how’s the resource gathering and the search for people going? I’ve noticed we’ve got some new members in the group.” He glanced at the new arrivals.

“We’re not taking any risks by going too far because we’re short on ammunition and transportation. It’s tough to move everyone with just the ‘Hummer.’ But we did find a bus station, and we thought those might be useful in the future,” Asami answered, not waiting for Kohta to gather his thoughts.

“Buses are a good idea,” Alex nodded. “As for ammo and weapons, I’ll figure out how to get some. Now that we have more officers, it means we can form extra search teams. Just a reminder, we don’t have much time.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The meeting continued in its usual rhythm. Alex gave instructions to several groups to clear the barricades of trapped zombies, while he began thinking about the next step—rescuing Takashi’s mother and the other children hiding in the school bunker. He understood that this operation would require extreme caution.

“Takashi, can you come over here for a minute?” Alex called, stepping away slightly.

Takashi frowned but followed him. The girls discreetly watched, trying to understand what Alex was planning to do. Once they were farther from the others, Alex lit a cigarette and, watching Takashi approach, began:

“Do you want to explain why the hell you’re acting like a spoiled child? You’ve already been told that your mother is fine, that she’s alive and in the school bunker. Instead of listening, you snap back. Even Rey’s mother tried to talk to you, but you brushed her off too. Do you even realize that many of these people will never see their loved ones again? And if they do, it’ll only be as walking corpses ready to tear them apart.”

“Mind your own business,” Takashi snapped rudely. “Just because you saved me and these people doesn’t give you the right to meddle in my affairs.”

Alex stared silently at him. His face remained expressionless, but a vein twitched in his right eye. He was doing his best to stay calm despite every defiant word from Takashi.

The girls standing nearby began losing patience as they watched Alex repeatedly make reasonable points while Takashi stubbornly brushed them off. The tension was rising.

“Damn it,” Rebecca muttered, noticing a strange wide smile appearing on Alex’s face. “Brunhilda, grab him! GIR, MIMI, Stitch, help!” she yelled, rushing toward Alex, trying to prevent what she thought was inevitable.

Brunhilda immediately understood what Alex was planning and quickly moved toward him. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch also reacted instantly, rushing to Alex’s side. The other girls froze, confused, not understanding why Rebecca had asked to hold Alex back.

Brunhilda and Rebecca managed to grab Alex by the arms, preventing him from pulling out his stick and beating Takashi. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch hung on to his arms and shoulders, helping to keep the situation under control.

“Let me go! I’m going to knock some sense into this idiot!” Alex growled, tensing his muscles to break free.

“Don’t even think about it,” Brunhilda snapped, barely holding him back. “We both know your ‘sense knocking’ methods don’t end too well for those on the receiving end.”

“Hey, idiot, get lost while we’re holding him!” Rebecca added, addressing Takashi. “He’ll cool off soon, so go on, shoosh!”

Takashi flinched under Alex’s grim look and decided not to tempt fate, quickly retreating.

Once he was out of sight, Brunhilda and Rebecca let go of Alex. As he freed himself, Alex took a deep breath, trying to regain his calm. He knew he had almost lost control again, and it irritated him.

“Did you really want to beat him?” Rey asked, looking at him in surprise.

“Maybe,” Alex answered evasively.

“Uh-huh, ‘maybe.’ I remember the last time your ‘sense knocking’ ended with the poor guy having to see a therapist to recover,” Rebecca added sarcastically.

“It doesn’t matter,” Alex waved it off. “We’ll save Miss Komuro, and let her deal with her son. Maybe after talking to his mother, he’ll stop acting like a depressed idiot.”

“Or maybe not,” Rey snorted. “Honestly, I kind of want to smack him myself.”

“Rey, you were friends! How can you say that?” Kiriko said, slightly reproaching her daughter.

“Mom, you hardly see him, but I do, every day. I’m sure you’d feel the same way,” Rey replied with a slight smile.

Kiriko just shook her head, chuckling.

After a brief discussion, Alex assigned Kiriko and Brunhilda to stay behind and watch over the camp while he and the team went to fetch Miss Komuro. Kiriko agreed without further questions.

Outside, Alex saw a new minibus that someone had thoughtfully brought. Leading the girls to the vehicle, he began organizing the boarding.

“I’ll drive,” Rebecca declared, climbing into the driver’s seat.

“I’m not going if she’s driving!” Rey protested, blocking Rebecca’s way. “We’ll definitely flip over!”

“Hey, don’t be such a buzzkill. It’ll be fun!” Rebecca laughed, trying to squeeze past her to the wheel.

“With your driving skills, you should only be trusted with a tank or an armored vehicle,” Alex said with a smile, putting his hand on her head. “I’m driving today.”

“Fine,” Rebecca grumbled, conceding, but a mischievous spark appeared in her eyes.

Rebecca sulked but eventually gave up her seat to Alex. However, she immediately settled herself on his lap as if in protest. Alex just shook his head with a slight smile, took his phone from his pocket, and placed it on the dashboard to plot the route to the school where Takashi’s mother worked. He hoped there would be a bus there to evacuate the children.

Once everyone was seated, Alex started the engine and set off. Rolling down the window to smoke, he glanced toward the spot where the fire had been the previous night.

“Was there a fire last night?” Saya asked, pointing to a faint column of smoke in the distance.

“Maybe. Something happened, and it caught fire,” Alex replied indifferently, taking a drag.

“It’s somewhere near my house,” Rey said, craning her neck forward to get a better look at the smoke.

“Probably the gunshots attracted the dead, a scuffle broke out, and something ignited. Who knows? It doesn’t matter to us,” Alex said calmly, his face expressionless.

“Heh, karma,” Saya smirked, a glint of schadenfreude in her eyes.

Rebecca was watching Alex closely. She immediately realized he was lying and pinched him on the leg to get his attention. Alex threw a quick glance at her. Her expressive eyes seemed to ask whether he had anything to do with it. In response, Alex just smiled. Rebecca instantly understood that Alex had likely “arranged a fun night” for the survivors that Kiriko had saved.

Alex looked in the rearview mirror and noticed Stitch comfortably curled up on Shizuka’s chest, enjoying himself as if it were the softest spot in the world. Shizuka, meanwhile, smiled contentedly as she petted him.

Arriving at the elementary school, Alex drove onto the premises. An eerie, frightening silence hung in the air. Everyone got out of the minibus, but they stayed close to each other.

“It’s too quiet. Like in a horror movie,” Shizuka muttered, her voice slightly fearful.

“Don’t remind me. The last thing I want to see is zombie kids,” Rey shuddered, as if the thought alone chilled her.

“You’ll protect me, right? I’m just a fragile girl,” Shizuka said playfully, pressing her ample “assets” against Alex’s back.

“Where did you learn that, busty?” Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow and nervously twitching her eye.

“Rika taught me. She said, if you want free drinks, do this,” Shizuka replied with a completely serious expression.

“And does it work?” Rey asked skeptically.

“I don’t know… I haven’t tried. I’m too shy,” Shizuka admitted, blushing and looking down.

Alex couldn’t help but smile, seeing the blush color her cheeks.

Once everyone was ready, the group headed toward the school to scout and clear the area before evacuating the children and teachers trapped in the bunker. First, they circled the building, checking the backyard to ensure there were no zombies that could attack unexpectedly.

In the backyard, a small group of zombies was indeed wandering around, which Rebecca quickly dealt with, not letting them get any closer. Once all the threats outside were cleared, the team headed inside the school.

Approaching the entrance, they heard a raspy cough coming from somewhere above.

“Who’s coughing so loudly?” Saya frowned, peering into the dimly lit hallways. “It sounds like someone who’s been smoking their whole life nonstop.”

The girls simultaneously turned to Alex, who had a cigarette between his teeth. Under their scrutinizing gazes, he blushed slightly but quickly regained his composure.

“First of all, my cigarettes aren’t harmful. They don’t even smell, if you haven’t noticed. They just have a slightly bitter taste, and that’s it,” Alex said, pretending to be upset, looking at them with feigned displeasure.

“You’re right, your cigarettes don’t smell. But Rika smokes too, and her cigarettes smell terrible,” Shizuka commented, as if sniffing the air for confirmation.

Alex was already thinking about something else. A thought flashed through his mind that only one type of zombie could cough like that. His suspicion was confirmed when a long tongue suddenly shot out towards Saya, trying to grab her.

In an instant, Alex pulled Saya into his embrace, and with his other hand, he caught the tongue before it could reach her.

“Ah, you bastard, come here!” Alex growled, yanking the tongue toward himself.

Saya froze in his arms, her cheeks flushing bright red. She hadn’t understood how she ended up in Alex’s embrace.

With a strong jerk, Alex pulled the zombie off the roof. With a loud crash, it hit the ground, spraying black blood. At the same time, G.I.R. rushed toward the fallen “smoker” and with a characteristic hum, drove his sawed-off sword into the zombie’s head, ending its “life.”

The girls exchanged glances before staring at the tongue still held in Alex’s hand, and then at the zombie it belonged to. Their expressions shifted from disgust to curiosity as the realization hit each of them.

“Ugh, so that was its tongue… gross,” Rey grimaced, looking at the zombie.

“How long it is! How does that even fit in its body and stretch out like that?” Shizuka said in amazement, examining it closely.

“Heh, it’s probably popular among zombie girls,” Rebecca smirked, winking.

A brief pause followed. The girls exchanged looks but then couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. Even Alex, imagining the absurdity of the scene, hummed before openly laughing.

“I doubt it’s popular. But it looks like we’ve encountered a new type of zombie,” Saeko remarked seriously, eyeing the body carefully.

The girls surrounded the zombie and began to examine it cautiously. Using the katana’s scabbard, Saeko flipped it onto its back to examine its face. Rebecca squatted beside it and gestured for MIMI to gather data.

Without hesitation, Rebecca pulled out a knife and, with no ceremony, cut open the zombie’s stomach to figure out how long its tongue really was. The girls watched her actions with interest.

Alex, still holding Saya in his arms, watched the process from the side. His calm face and confident movements gave those around him a sense of security.

Saya looked up at Alex, her embarrassment obvious.

“How much longer are you planning to hug me?” she asked, a slightly embarrassed tone in her voice.

“If you want, I can hold you longer,” Alex replied with a smirk.

“Idiot,” Saya muttered, slapping him on the chest, but she didn’t rush to pull away.

Alex laughed and released Saya. She slipped out of his embrace but didn’t move far, still staying close by. Her embarrassment gradually shifted to calmness.

Alex looked around and drew the attention of the whole group, who continued examining the dead zombie.

“Alright, enough experiments. Let me remind you why we’re here,” he said, confidently directing his gaze at the girls.

Rebecca clicked her tongue in annoyance but stood up nonetheless. Alex made a mental note to send the collected data on the new type of zombie to Rika so she’d be aware of the threat.

After a brief preparation, the group moved toward the school building. They carefully observed their surroundings, looking for signs of zombies and the way to the bunker entrance. Alex confidently led them until they reached the basement, where the desired entrance was located.

“It seems stuck,” Rey said, trying to turn the lever on the door.

“Let me give it a try,” Alex offered, squatting down.

He gripped the lever tightly and, applying a little more force than he had planned, tore it out by the root. The girls froze in surprise, then began to applaud.

“Alright, alright, enough. It was just a lever,” Alex smirked and peered inside the now-open passage.

The first thing he saw was a group of frightened teachers armed with makeshift spears. They were protecting the children hiding behind them, trembling with fear.

“Miss Komuro, are you here?” Alex asked, carefully observing the people in the room.

“Do we know each other?” one of the women asked, her voice tinged with slight fear.

“Not with me, but with her, yes,” Alex replied, stepping back and turning his gaze to Rey.

He gestured for her to come forward. Rey nodded, stepped forward, and peered inside.

“Miss Komuro, we’re here for you. I’m glad you’re alright,” Rey said with a smile.

“Rey? Is that you?” the woman exclaimed, her face lighting up with relief. “I’m so glad you’re okay! You called and said we’d be rescued… But in a situation like this, you know, it’s hard to believe.”

Seeing the familiar face, Miss Komuro visibly relaxed and hurried to explain the situation to the other teachers. Gradually, the tension in the bunker eased, and their faces reflected relief.

Alex and his group began descending.

“G.I.R., MIMI, Shizuka, check on the children and teachers,” Alex ordered, keeping a close eye on the situation.

Meanwhile, Rey was chatting animatedly with Miss Komuro, trying to cheer her up. Alex approached, and Miss Komuro noticed his presence. She recalled how Rey had told her over the phone that one person had rescued them and organized the group of survivors.

“Thank you for saving us. And my son,” Miss Komuro said, giving a slight bow of gratitude.

“Everything’s fine, Miss Komuro. But you’ll need to talk to your son and give him a good talking-to,” Alex replied in a calm but firm tone.

Miss Komuro looked confusedly at Rey, searching for answers. Rey calmly began explaining what had happened with Takashi. The woman sighed heavily, promising to talk to her son when the opportunity arose.

Meanwhile, Alex was watching the children. Their attention was completely captivated by G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch, who were entertaining the little ones, distracting them from the unsettling reality. While the trio kept them occupied, Shizuka was inspecting the children for any injuries or signs of infection. Alex quickly assessed the situation: the children looked exhausted and scared, some showed obvious signs of dehydration, and others were extremely fatigued.

Rebecca, not wasting any time, went upstairs to bring the bus.

“How are they doing?” Alex asked, sitting next to Shizuka, who was carefully examining one of the little ones.

“Most of the children only have scratches, but some are already showing signs of tetanus,” Shizuka frowned. “They’re hungry, dehydrated, and very weak. We need to get tetanus medication and fluids as soon as possible.”

“As soon as we get them to a safe place, I’ll gather a team, and we’ll head to the hospital for everything we need,” Alex replied softly, gently patting Shizuka on the head to calm her down a bit.

Once Shizuka finished her examination, Alex asked everyone to get ready to leave. He and the girls went outside first to check the situation. After ensuring everything was calm, Alex gave the signal, and the children began to carefully leave the bunker.

“Don’t be afraid. We’ll protect you,” G.I.R. confidently assured them, with MIMI and Stitch supporting him.

These words gave the children courage, and, sticking close to one another, they began to exit. Alex kept a close eye on every child until they were all on the bus, which Rebecca had already brought.

Once the children and teachers were settled, Alex sternly said:

“Close your eyes and don’t look out the windows until we reach a safe place.”

After that, he turned to Rebecca.

“I’ll drive the bus, and you can take the van with the others. After we drop off the kids, we’ll head straight to the hospital.”

“No problem. I’ve always wondered what a hospital looks like during a zombie apocalypse,” Rebecca smirked, giving a thumbs-up.

Alex chuckled, shook his head, and waited for the girls to settle into the van. Rebecca peeked out the window, waved, signaling they were ready.

Starting the engine, Alex drove behind them. G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch stayed with him to keep an eye on the children. During the ride, MIMI turned on a cartoon, completely distracting the little ones. Alex occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure everything was okay.

Upon reaching the base, Alex parked the bus and began leading the children out. Kiriko greeted them at the gate.

“Kiriko, I’m glad you’re alive too,” Miss Komuro said, recognizing her familiar face.

“Namiyo, I’m so relieved you’re okay,” Kiriko replied, hugging her friend.

Once everyone was inside, Alex asked for food to be brought for the children. He watched them, noticing how few were left for such a large school. Thoughts of the others’ possible fate weighed heavily on him, but he pushed them away, focusing on the present.

At that moment, Takashi appeared, drawn by the noise. When he saw his mother, he froze and then rushed to her. Namiyo, unable to hold back her emotions, hugged her son, who was barely holding back tears.

Alex watched them with a slight sense of hope. Perhaps this moment would help Takashi come to his senses and stop acting like a foolish teenager.

To be continued…

(Another day and another chapter. You can suggest characters that you want to see in this arc. The main thing is that they fit into this arc. I will be glad to hear your wishes. Enjoy reading!)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep