Alex and the girls stood by the van, watching the bright flames bursting from the windows of the hospital’s fourth floor. The fire seemed to consume the remnants of the darkness that had lurked within. Alex lit a cigarette, his tired gaze fixed on the result of his work. Troubling thoughts swirled in his mind. The writings on the walls and the recognizable obelisk symbols from Dead Space painted a bleak picture.

“Damn,” he muttered, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. “This is exactly what we didn’t need.”

The situation was becoming increasingly complicated. Alex’s thoughts lingered on how the corporation behind the virus might have learned to control mutations. Only one entity capable of such a feat came to mind, making his head ache. He sighed involuntarily from the exhaustion.

“Hey, handsome, I hate to interrupt your philosophical musings, but it looks like your little show’s drawn in some fans,” Rebecca said with a smirk, nodding toward the distance.

Alex and Saeko turned in unison. A large horde of zombies was slowly approaching. Alex smirked and, with a corner of his mouth lifted, considered whether he should use them to relieve some stress.

Rebecca immediately raised her shotgun, ready to fire. GIR aimed his flamethrower at the undead, while Saeko unsheathed her katana. Alex placed a hand on Rebecca’s shotgun barrel, stopping her.

“Hey!” she pouted, looking up at him. “Why can’t I shoot?”

“Saeko, didn’t you mention you’ve been into kendo since childhood?” Alex asked, turning to her.

“Yes,” she replied with curiosity. “You want to see what I can do?”

“Or maybe you’d like to see a sword style from the Sengoku period?” he asked, a spark of excitement in his eyes.

Saeko raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded. She was intrigued by what he might show her. Alex grinned and, taking her katana, headed toward the zombies.

Rebecca, pouting, leaned against the van and rested the shotgun on her shoulder, while Saeko closely observed Alex’s every move. She noticed red lightning crackling around him, dancing across his body, and held her breath.

Alex stopped in front of the zombies, taking a runner’s stance. One hand rested on the katana’s hilt, the other on the scabbard. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a cloud of vapor.

“Thunder Breathing: First Form. Thunderclap and Flash — Sixteen-Fold.”

As he spoke, Alex vanished from his spot. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and the lightning left a dazzling trail behind him. Saeko, trying not to blink, followed his every move, while Rebecca yawned nonchalantly, thinking he was dragging it out.

Moments later, Alex appeared behind the zombies. Silence hung in the air until the walkers’ heads began falling one by one. Just as he finished his first strike, Alex raised the blade for another attack.

“Sun Breathing: Dragon Sun Halo Dance”

Alex swung the katana, its blade instantly engulfed in flames, forming a fiery dragon that followed its path. The flames seemed alive, consuming everything in their way. Saeko watched with wide eyes, afraid to miss even a second of the display.

Each step Alex took resembled a graceful dance, his strikes precise and lethal. The fiery dragon, like an extension of his soul, tore through the horde, reducing them to ashes.

Saeko had never seen anything like it. Alex’s swordsmanship was unique, almost mystical, and it awakened in her a thirst for knowledge—a desire to improve. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she memorized every detail.

When Alex finished, he slowly sheathed the katana. Behind him lay heaps of dismembered corpses, some still smoldering, releasing the acrid scent of burning flesh into the air.

Alex approached the girls with a satisfied smile, and GIR raised a mechanical finger in approval.

“As usual, you love putting on a show,” Rebecca remarked, crossing her arms.

“But you still love me,” Alex said, forming a heart shape with his fingers and winking at her.

“Not just love—I adore you,” she retorted sarcastically, though her tone carried a warm undertone.

Alex chuckled quietly, then turned his attention to Saeko, who was still staring in awe at the aftermath of the carnage. Her gaze spoke volumes. Alex knew that fiery look of inspiration and curiosity all too well. He had seen it before, in the eyes of samurai who witnessed his skill during his time in Valhalla.

Walking over to Saeko, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a slight shake, snapping her out of her stupor.

“So, what do you think? Want to learn?” he asked with a wide grin.

Saeko, still somewhat in shock, finally shifted her gaze to Alex. Her blue eyes met his mischievous, vibrant irises.

“You… you’d really teach me? Isn’t that an ancient sword style?” she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of excitement and amazement.

“Why not? The key is breathing correctly; the rest will come naturally,” Alex replied in his usual casual tone.

Saeko blushed slightly at his nonchalant answer, but her enthusiasm didn’t waver. At that moment, Rebecca snorted, rolled her eyes, and gave Alex a kick to the shin.

“Hey! What was that for?” Alex looked at her, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Did you forget what Brynhildr said? If swordsmen hear you talk so casually about this, they’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth!” Rebecca reminded him with a smirk.

“Not my fault they spend years mastering their craft while I just need a glance to figure it out,” Alex shrugged, rolling his eyes.

Rebecca snorted again but didn’t push the argument further. Saeko, meanwhile, couldn’t hide her delight. The chance to learn such a unique style felt like a gift from the heavens.

Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled how Alex had once explained his technique to samurai. She vividly remembered their sour expressions as they walked away, shoulders slumped, realizing their years of training hadn’t made them his equal.

Noticing their exchange, Saeko caught on to an interesting detail. Alex possessed an incredible ability she simply couldn’t ignore.

“Are you saying you learned those moves just by watching them?” she asked, her voice filled with both surprise and disbelief.

“Pretty much. It’s hard to explain, but I can replicate any style I’ve seen even once,” Alex answered with a shrug.

Saeko paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful, before a realization lit up her face.

“Now I get why Brynhildr forbade you from sharing that with other swordsmen. I’ve spent my whole life training in my family’s dojo, and now I want to hit you too,” she said with a playful smile.

Alex smirked, feigning dramatic despair. He clutched his chest as if struck by an arrow and cried out:

“I thought we were starting to build something special, and now you already want to hit me! Oh, you’ve wounded my poor heart! What am I to do? Rebecca, comfort me—save my battered soul!”

With that, Alex staggered toward Rebecca, dramatically rubbing his forehead as if barely holding on. Rebecca, struggling to keep a straight face, decided to play along. She wrapped an arm around Alex’s head and, stroking his hair, cooed:

“There, there, my poor boy. Come here, your wife will comfort you. That bad girl broke your heart, but don’t worry, I’ll heal you with my love.”

For a moment, Saeko froze, unsure how to respond to the theatrical display. Then she noticed the corners of Alex’s mouth twitching as he tried to suppress a laugh, while Rebecca barely concealed her amusement. Realizing it was all a joke, Saeko couldn’t hold back her laughter and covered her mouth with her hand, her melodious giggles filling the air.

And then Alex and Rebecca couldn’t hold it any longer. Their laughter echoed through the deserted hospital parking lot, where the ambulances were parked, adding an unusual accent to the grim atmosphere of the zombie apocalypse.

“Alright,” Alex said, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I think we have time to swing by the police station. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some weapons there.”

“I’m not opposed,” Rebecca nodded. “Until we can arm everyone, it’s the best option.” She glanced at Saeko. “What do you think?”

“Didn’t you say there might be a group of people holed up there, using the chaos to stockpile weapons?” Saeko asked, clearly not opposed but still cautious.

“There are three of us, not counting G.I.R.,” Rebecca answered calmly, stretching her arms behind her head. “If anyone’s there, they’re amateurs who picked up weapons for the first time when all this started. We can handle it.”

Saeko looked at the confident faces of her companions and nodded, deciding to trust their optimism.

Alex nodded silently, agreeing with Rebecca’s words. Going to the police station with a large group would indeed be dangerous—one stray bullet, and someone could get hurt. But with just the four of them, the task became much simpler. Saeko, understanding Rebecca’s logic, decided not to add anything.

They settled into the van. Alex started the engine and drove toward the nearest police station. During the drive, he asked G.I.R. to pull up the surveillance camera footage from around the station. Handing the phone to Rebecca, he suggested she analyze the situation. Interested in what was going on, Saeko leaned forward from the back seat and, resting on Rebecca’s chair, began reviewing the footage with her.

Alex didn’t even need to look at the screen to know what they saw. The expressions on Rebecca and Saeko’s faces spoke volumes—anger and disgust were clear, leaving no room for doubt.

When they arrived at the station, Alex parked the van in a quiet alley where there were no zombies. Cracking the window to smoke a cigarette, he turned to Rebecca.

“So, what’s the situation? Are there a lot of them?” he asked, blowing the smoke out the side.

“How many exactly, I can’t say,” Rebecca replied, irritation in her voice. “But one thing’s clear—those bastards are dragging people in there. I checked footage from other cameras—they’re using them as human shields while they scavenge supplies.”

“Apocalypse, what can you do,” Alex said, blowing another puff of smoke. “People are dying anyway, and these monsters are just making it worse. I wouldn’t be surprised if nationalist groups start popping up soon, closing borders and killing any outsiders. If there are survivors in there, we need to rescue them, and deal with the scum.” He looked at Rebecca, his expression deadly serious. “It’s clear as day.”

Alex stepped out of the van and cautiously peeked around the corner. He scanned the street, filled with wandering corpses colliding with one another. His gaze fell on the police station. The main entrance was reinforced, clearly to keep the zombies from getting inside. Sniper rifles were visible in some of the windows—these people had clearly broken into the armory.

Returning to the van, Alex thought about how best to infiltrate the station.

“What’s going on?” Saeko asked, stretching as if she was about to peek outside, but Alex gently stopped her.

“There are snipers in the windows. They’ve got serious weapons, so they’ve broken into the armory,” he explained, exhaling smoke upward.

“If I’d known we were coming here, I would’ve brought my rifle,” Rebecca said, slinging her shotgun over her shoulder. “What’s the plan? Storm the place like usual?”

Alex thought for a moment. He and Rebecca could easily dodge the shots, but he wasn’t so sure about Saeko. Fighting zombies was one thing, but facing snipers was entirely different. His gaze unintentionally shifted to G.I.R., who was standing off to the side, lazily chewing on popcorn.

“G.I.R., want to punish the heretics?” Alex asked, smiling.

“Purge heretics,” G.I.R. replied, raising his chainsaw sword.

“Perfect. You’ll get to have some fun,” Alex said, patting him on the head.

Rebecca smirked, seeing how Alex and G.I.R. were gearing up. Saeko, though not entirely understanding Alex’s plan, noticed his confidence and readied herself for the upcoming operation.

G.I.R.’s eyes lit up with a bright red glow, almost as if signaling his excitement for the upcoming “fun.” Alex crouched in front of the robo-dog to explain the mission details. Every little thing was discussed—what to do, and what to avoid. G.I.R. nodded like a veteran used to such work.

Saeko looked at Alex, puzzled, not understanding why he decided to send the robo-dog alone into a place where the enemies might have firearms. After finishing the instructions, Alex waved his hand, giving G.I.R. the signal to proceed. The robo-dog raised his chainsaw sword above his head and sprinted toward the police station with short but swift steps.

“Why did you send him alone? Isn’t that dangerous?” Saeko asked with a hint of worry.

“It’s not about danger,” Rebecca replied with a smirk, leaning on the van. “Remember when Alex said G.I.R. became his assistant? Well, when we were clearing out places swarming with scum, we always sent him in first. He takes care of part of the work. The only problem is, he gets too into it, and it turns into a bloody massacre.”

Rebecca smiled, looking at Saeko, whose face showed a mix of surprise and disbelief.

“You’ll see for yourself soon. Think you were harsh with that pervert? Wait until you see how those who stand in G.I.R.’s way end up.” She tapped her finger thoughtfully on her chin. “Alex, how long do you think it’ll take him?”

“About five minutes, no more,” Alex replied lazily, pulling a candy from his pocket and offering it to the girls.

Rebecca grabbed the treat without ceremony, while Saeko happily accepted the candy from Alex’s hand, listening attentively to the sounds around them. A few minutes later, the silence was shattered by gunshots and desperate screams:

“Damn, what is that?! Shoot him!”

“Purge heretic!”

“Shoot that bastard, don’t let him get closer!”

“Burn heretic!”

“He cut off my leg! Help!”

The screams grew louder, filling the street with a terrifying symphony of fear. Saeko’s eyes widened in shock at what was happening. Nearby zombies, drawn by the noise, began to gather around the station.

“Let’s start with the outer cleanup while G.I.R. is busy inside,” Alex said calmly, drawing his weapon and signaling the girls to follow him.

To the sound of gunfire and the cries of the dying, Alex, Rebecca, and Saeko methodically dealt with the zombies that had flooded the area in front of the police station. Saeko still couldn’t quite understand what was going on inside, but the screams were filled with such despair that it felt like something beyond just a typical fight.

When there were no more zombies left outside, the group approached the reinforced entrance. Alex paused, listening to the dying sounds from within. The last scream shattered the air and immediately fell silent. Without hesitation, Rebecca kicked through the metal plate that served as a barricade.

“I still don’t understand how you guys can be so strong,” Saeko blurted out.

“The answer is simpler than you think, my dear Saeko,” Alex smirked. “Have you heard the theory that a person can’t use their full physical potential because the body can’t handle that kind of strain? Well, my body can. And Rebecca’s situation is even simpler—her muscles are much denser than regular people’s. Despite being small and cute, she has more than enough strength.”

Saeko gave Alex a skeptical look, realizing that he was clearly dodging a straightforward answer.

Saeko nodded, contemplating Alex’s words. Perhaps there was some truth to it. She glanced at Rebecca again, trying to understand how such immense strength could be contained in such a petite body. Alex’s explanation about their abilities had clarified things for her, but she couldn’t help but wonder about Alex himself. His ability to mimic everything he saw clearly had something to do with his body.

Hearing Alex call her “small and cute,” Rebecca playfully turned around and blew him an air kiss. Alex only smirked in response, then effortlessly ripped the iron grate blocking their path.

Upon entering the main hall of the police station, Saeko froze. She immediately understood what Alex had meant by G.I.R.’s “cruelty.” Everywhere, there were dismembered body parts, blood covering even the ceiling, and a metallic scent hung thick in the air.

“G.I.R., where are you?” Alex called, summoning his robo-dog.

There was a thud from the second floor. A moment later, G.I.R. burst into the hall, holding his chainsaw sword. His green suit was splattered with blood, and his gaze conveyed confidence in his work. Saeko finally understood what Alex meant when he referred to G.I.R.’s “enthusiasm” during cleanups.

“Did you punish all the heretics?” Alex asked with a slight grin.

“Mission complete. One’s still alive. He’s probably the leader of these scum,” G.I.R. reported, giving a salute.

Alex nodded and gestured for G.I.R. to lead them to the survivor. The girls followed him, and Saeko couldn’t take her eyes off the bloody aftermath, a testament to the robo-dog’s deadly skill. Even for her, what she saw seemed beyond the ordinary.

Rebecca, on the other hand, walked with apparent indifference. For her, it was a familiar sight, something she’d seen many times during cleanup missions. Deep inside the police station, Alex and his companions found a man lying on the floor, foam at his mouth and wet pants.

“Looks like he pissed himself,” Rebecca commented, pointing at him.

“Of course. Anyone in his place would have done the same if they saw a green dog bursting in, causing bloody chaos. It’s surprising he didn’t die of a heart attack,” Alex replied, not in a rush to approach the man.

“Is it always like this for you?” Saeko asked, noticing how calmly Alex and Rebecca were taking everything.

“You don’t seem too impressed by what you’ve seen,” Rebecca smirked, giving Saeko a scrutinizing look. “Someone else would have already puked on themselves, but you’re standing there as if nothing’s happened. Admit it, you like this kind of atmosphere.”

Saeko didn’t deny it. She didn’t feel fear or sympathy for these people, knowing they got what they deserved. Alex approached the survivor, carefully lifted him by the scruff of his neck, sat him in a chair, and tightly bound him.

“Let’s take a look around. Maybe we’ll find something useful,” Alex said, checking the knots on the rope.

The girls agreed, and the first place they decided to check was the prisoner cells. Alex and his companions assumed that since these scum had used people as human shields, there might still be survivors left in the cells.

Breaking down the massive doors, the group found themselves in a room with cells. Looking inside, Alex noticed people huddled in the corner of the cage, afraid to even move. By their clothes, he immediately recognized them as students from the school. Surprisingly, some of them were still alive.

When the people in the cage noticed Alex and his companions, they were initially scared, but when they saw no hostility, they began to examine them closely.

“Saeko Busujima, is that you?” suddenly asked one of the women, recognizing the familiar face.

“Teacher Matsuda? How did you end up here?” Saeko responded in surprise.

Matsuda sighed, her voice trembling.

“When all of this started, we hid in the school. Along with the surviving teachers and students, we waited for things to calm down. But when the situation seemed a bit safer, we tried to leave. Unfortunately, we were caught. These people were in police uniforms, so at first, we believed they were rescuers. But they turned out to be bandits. They brought other people here, took one of us from time to time, and they never came back…” Tears welled up in her eyes.

Alex didn’t need to hear more; he already understood what had happened. Approaching the cell door, he effortlessly tore the lock off, allowing everyone to exit.

“Follow me, I’ll get you to the street,” he said calmly.

But no one moved. The fear of the new stranger and the horrors they had endured prevented them from trusting immediately.

“It’s okay. He’s our leader,” Saeko intervened, trying to calm the people. “We’ve settled in a bank, it’s a safe place.”

She explained in detail who was in their group and how they helped other survivors. Upon learning that some of the saved were familiar teachers and students, the people in the cage relaxed a little. After Saeko’s words, they decided to trust Alex.

“Just be careful. What’s behind the door is not for the faint of heart,” Alex warned, leading them to the exit.

The survivors didn’t fully understand his words, but they obediently followed. When they left the building, the meaning of what was said became clear: the corridors were soaked in blood, and the bodies of bandits were scattered everywhere. One of the women couldn’t hold it in and vomited against the wall.

After leading everyone outside, Alex surveyed the survivors. The number of people was too large to fit them all in the van.

“Kota, are you there?” Alex activated the communicator.

“I’m here. What happened?” Kota immediately responded.

“Are you at the base or still on the raid?” Alex asked.

“Just got back. Need help?” Kota guessed.

“Yes. We took the police station and saved a group of survivors, but there are too many for one van. Bring a few guys and come here,” Alex explained.

“Got it. We’ll be there soon,” Kota replied, ending the call.

After Alex’s call, Kota immediately ran to the group of officers and explained the situation. Gathering volunteers, he received a message with the exact address of the police station they needed to go to.

Finishing the transmission of the coordinates, Alex looked at the saved people, who were still trying to recover. They looked pale and exhausted. Alex didn’t need to guess what they had been through: if you were a girl, you became a toy for such scum, and if you were a guy, they hunted you until you died from exhaustion.

“Don’t go anywhere and stay alert. We’ve cleared the area of zombies, but that doesn’t mean more won’t show up. Keep your eyes open,” Alex warned, looking at the survivors.

“And where are you going?” Saeko asked, noticing Alex heading back into the station building.

“I’m going to collect weapons and ammo until Kota gets here,” he replied, waving his hand, and disappeared behind the doors with G.I.R.

Inside, Alex and G.I.R. began collecting weapons and ammo from the bandits’ bodies. Finding a carrying bag, they started filling it with all the essentials. Alex also didn’t forget to cast a sleeping spell on the bandit leader to make sure he wouldn’t wake up too soon.

During their search, they stumbled upon a room where all the weapons were stored. Apparently, these idiots thought it was more convenient to keep everything in one place rather than distribute it to warehouses. There was enough weaponry, but not enough ammunition. Alex used magic to create some ammo, being careful not to overdo it to avoid raising suspicion.

After packing the bags, they exited the building. Outside, Kota and his team were already waiting, helping the survivors board the bus. Kota was talking to teacher Matsuada. From their conversation, Alex realized that, at some point in the past, the teacher had stood up for Kota, protecting him from bullies.

“I see you hit the jackpot,” Kota remarked, looking at the bags of weapons, barely holding back his saliva.

“Wipe the drool and grab the bags,” Alex replied, placing the load on the ground.

“I can’t help it when I see this much weaponry,” Kota mumbled, embarrassed.

“Behave yourself, or your officer ladies will start getting jealous. And a jealous girl? That’s scary; she might twist your balls,” Alex smirked.

“You… how did you know? Is it that obvious?” Kota instantly started sweating.

“Only a blind man wouldn’t notice how you two are whispering. Remember my advice, young Padawan,” Alex joked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Ah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the guidance, master,” Kota said, beginning to nod his head quickly like a chicken.

Once all the survivors and weapons were loaded onto the bus, Kota waved, signaling that they would head out. Alex nodded, saying he would catch up with them.

Left behind were Alex, Rebecca, Saeko, and G.I.R. Alex pondered whether it would be better to interrogate the leader of the scum or just burn the station down. Lighting a cigarette, he weighed the options.

“Who cares? The zombies will get to him anyway,” Alex shrugged it off.

“Heh, you sweet villain,” Rebecca grabbed his arm, shaking it. “Instead of a quick death, you leave him to the zombies to tear him apart.”

“For such a scumbag, that’s the most fitting punishment,” Saeko supported him.

Alex just shrugged and headed toward the van. Along the way, he thought about how he’d need to find cold weapons for the survivors. Firearms were effective, of course, but they attracted zombies. Plus, the newbies didn’t know how to use them, and training would take time.

Climbing into the van, Alex started the engine and headed back to the bank. He still had to deal with the problem of Takashi.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep