Upon waking up in the morning, Alex once again felt the soft, pleasant pressure on his face. He didn’t have to guess for long about the source of this sensation—or rather, who it was coming from. Last night, Shizuka had been restless, plagued by nightmares. To ease her worries, Alex had used a calming spell, and soon her face was lit with a peaceful smile.

Carefully freeing himself from her embrace, Alex glanced around the room. All the girls were present—none had left the shelter. Saeko, noticing Alex was awake, approached him with a cup of hot coffee. This time, his usual morning, slightly grumpy expression didn’t faze her.

“Good morning,” she said simply, handing him the cup.

Alex took the coffee and sipped it, feeling the warm liquid gradually awaken his mind. Plans for the day began forming in his head: finding parts to modify the bus and ensuring a safe evacuation of the survivors to the port.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard the sound of a phone ringing. The sharp noise drew the attention of all the girls, even Shizuka, who had been peacefully sleeping, stirred awake with a disgruntled groan. Alex took out his phone, glanced at the screen, and let out a heavy sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Shizuka asked sleepily, reaching for his cheeks and lazily squishing them.

Alex looked at Shizuka, who, with a half-asleep expression, continued kneading his cheeks. The other girls also waited, curious and concerned, for him to explain the reason for his frustration.

“As I suspected, we’re out of luck,” Alex finally said, gently moving Shizuka’s hands away from his face.

“What do you mean? What happened?” Kiriko asked immediately, her voice growing serious.

“Remember how I said a horde from Tokyo could move in our direction at any moment?” Alex clarified.

The girls nodded silently, recalling his warning. The realization hit them quickly: if Alex was bringing this up, it meant his fears had been confirmed. In that instant, any lingering drowsiness vanished, replaced by a sense of unease.

“You’re saying a zombie horde is headed our way?” Saeko asked in a serious tone.

“Unfortunately, yes. But we do have something that will make things easier,” Alex replied. “I tasked GIR with tracking the zombies’ movements via satellite. Based on the data, we have at least two days, maybe three, before they reach us.”

“Is that good news?” Kiriko asked cautiously.

“Partially,” Alex said grimly. “We’ve reinforced the bank’s foundation, so random zombies aren’t likely to break in. But the bad news is that the horde will likely move further into the city, heading for the residential areas.”

A tense silence fell over the room. The girls exchanged glances, fully grasping the scale of the threat. Time was running out, and every minute was now precious.

Hearing Alex’s estimated timeline, the girls nodded in silent acknowledgment, aware that three days was an incredibly short period. However, their thoughts quickly shifted to something more pressing. Alex’s comment about the horde heading deeper into the city took on a frightening significance. All eyes turned to Saya, whose face had paled at the realization.

Saya clenched her fists, anxiety for her parents overwhelming her. She knew that the horde, driven by an insatiable hunger, would inevitably head where the most life could be found. Her attempts to remain calm were futile; her fear only grew.

“My parents… We have to do something! I can’t leave them to their fate!” Saya cried out, her voice trembling, her eyes glistening with tears.

Remaining calm, Alex rose from his seat, carefully set the cup on the table, and approached her. Without hesitation, Saya clung to him, seeking stability, as though afraid to drown in the sea of her emotions. The thought of her parents becoming victims of the horde was unbearable.

Even Rebecca, who usually enjoyed teasing Saya and calling her a “pink-haired know-it-all,” now looked at her with sympathy. Brunhilde’s gaze, however, was focused on Alex; she knew he had already devised a plan and was simply waiting for the right moment to reveal it.

“Saya, try to calm down a little and let me speak,” Alex said gently, softly stroking her head in an attempt to help her regain composure.

Saya took a deep breath, trying to gain some control over her emotions. Alex’s warm hand, gently resting on her head, brought her a sliver of comfort, much needed in this moment. The other girls watched silently, their expressions a mix of concern and sympathy.

“You have a plan, don’t you?” Brunhilde finally asked, shifting her gaze to Alex.

“Yes, I do,” he nodded. “But first, we need to prepare for what’s coming. We don’t have the resources or manpower to take down such a massive horde. The first step of the plan is to gather the parts needed to modify our transport. We need to reinforce the bus so it can withstand an attack and safely evacuate the survivors from the Takagi estate. The second step is convincing Saya’s parents to leave their home. But, honestly, that’s going to be the hardest part.”

“Why?” Saya lifted her head, her voice tense.

“Because I’ve already reviewed the dossier on your father, Soichiro. That old man is incredibly stubborn. He’ll never leave the house he considers the family’s legacy.”

Saya lowered her head sadly.

“You’re right; he’ll never leave. For him, that house is a sacred symbol. He’s always told me how deep our family’s roots run, how the mansion has been home to countless generations. He won’t abandon it, even if the whole world falls apart.”

Alex let out a heavy sigh. He couldn’t understand why people clung to things that had lost their meaning in an apocalypse. To him, a home was where the family was, not a building, no matter how much it symbolized family history.

“And what are you planning to do? Are you going to resort to your tricks again?” Rebecca asked, tilting her head slightly and watching him intently.

“I have a few ideas,” Alex replied calmly, a glint of confidence in his eyes. “But to pull them off, we’ll need everyone to do their part.”

Rebecca, like Alex, couldn’t understand why people were so attached to homes passed down through generations. She had spent a long time without a place to call home. It was only after meeting Alex and living with him that she truly understood the meaning of family and the warmth of a home. Before that, she had lived with Pilar and considered that place her home, but Alex had shown her that a home wasn’t just walls—it was the people who cared for you.

“Saya, listen. I’ll try to talk to your father and convince him to come with us. If he refuses, there’s nothing more I can do,” Alex said calmly, making it clear he wasn’t about to force the stubborn old man to change his mind.

“I understand… I already know how hard it’ll be to convince him, even without you saying it. But what I’m most worried about is my mom. I’m afraid she’ll stay with him and end up dying too,” Saya said sadly, lifting her eyes to Alex as if seeking support from him.

“Your mom will be easier to convince. You can talk to her, explain the situation. And if she refuses… we have one last option,” Alex said, stroking Saya’s head to calm her down.

“And what’s that option?” Rei asked curiously, furrowing her brows.

“He’ll just kidnap her,” Rebecca and Brunhilde answered in unison.

Everyone present stared in shock at the girls. Even Saya, startled, let go of Alex to look at them. Seeing that Rebecca and Brunhilde’s faces remained completely serious, the girls realized: this was no joke. They turned their gaze to Alex, who tried to maintain an innocent expression, but his efforts looked unconvincing.

Watching him, it became clear that this plan was not new to Alex. His calm face and the slight sigh only confirmed that he had resorted to similar methods before. However, no one dared to ask him how many times he had already kidnapped women for their own safety.

Alex tried to keep the most neutral expression on his face, so as not to give himself away. He didn’t know how to explain that he had already done this a couple of times back in Orario, and that, in the end, those women had joined his family. He didn’t know why, but he had a strange tendency to kidnap women. All he could think about was that it was probably because of his Demon King nature.

“I’ll try to talk to her. If it doesn’t work, we’ll do it your way. Although I’m against kidnapping my mother, I’m not going to leave her to the mercy of zombies,” Saya quietly said, having calmed down a bit.

Alex nodded with a small smile and affectionately tousled her hair. After breakfast, he and the girls went to the main hall, where the survivors had gathered for the morning meeting.

Standing before the group, Alex began to speak:

“We need to talk. A horde of zombies is heading our way.”

These words triggered a wave of panic, but Alex quickly quelled it, reminding everyone that the fortifications of the base had been made for a reason and would provide them with good protection. His confidence had a calming effect, and the people began to settle down.

Next, he started giving out assignments:

“Check all the barricades and make sure they’re strong. Those going for supplies—don’t waste energy or ammunition on zombies found in buildings or basements. Just burn them along with the building. Time is of the essence.”

Alex paused to grab everyone’s attention:

“Remember, new types of zombies are appearing every day. If you encounter anything unusual, be extremely careful. And if you come across hostile people, try to avoid conflict. If it’s unavoidable, defend yourselves.”

After finishing the briefing, he added:

“Remember, we’re here for survival. Don’t put yourself or others in danger. Good luck.”

With these words, Alex dismissed the groups to carry out their tasks. People scattered, preparing for the challenge ahead, while Alex mentally put together the next steps of his plan.

Everyone who had listened to Alex nodded, acknowledging his wisdom. From the very beginning of their survival group’s formation in this shattered world, all of Alex’s decisions had been well-thought-out and justified. People who had been rescued from the clutches of bandits at the police station openly spoke about the horrors they had endured.

This only further convinced everyone that danger came not only from the zombies, but also from those who had lost their humanity and turned this collapsed world into a stage for their cruelties.

Alex noticed that Takashi had joined Kota’s group and nodded approvingly. This decision would give the young man valuable experience in fighting zombies.

Namiyo, Takashi’s mother, looked worried as she watched her son prepare for the raid. But Takashi tried to reassure her, explaining that he wanted to help the group, not sit idly by and get in the way of the builders. Only after speaking with Kiriko, who assured Namiyo that her son would be protected by experienced police officers, did the woman calm down a little.

However, the pain of losing her husband, who had been killed by zombies, still lingered in her heart. She remembered that horrible day and the sounds that still haunted her in nightmares. Nevertheless, Namiyo tried not to show her fears—she had to be strong for her son. Kiriko, noticing her state, began to think about how she could help her friend cope with her emotions.

Meanwhile, Alex and his team headed outside. As he inspected the parked bus, Alex mentally calculated what would be needed for its modification. He wanted to turn the vehicle into a reliable means of evacuation, capable of withstanding attacks from large zombie hordes. While making a list of necessary parts in his notebook, Kiriko approached the girls and started a conversation with them.

Finishing his notes, Alex added that more vehicles would be needed, as their group had grown significantly recently. He was glad that none of the survivors were acting out, and everyone was working for the common cause.

“Rebecca, take the girls, drive to these locations, and gather the parts on the list,” Alex said, handing her the sheet of paper.

“Hmm, are you planning on building a tank? From the list, that’s pretty likely,” Rebecca smirked, waving the paper in front of him.

Interested by her words, the girls stepped closer and also took a look at the list. After a collective study, they began to suspect that Alex was indeed planning to turn the bus into something like a tank. However, Alex didn’t comment on their guesses, choosing to ignore their curious looks.

Approaching Brunhilde, Alex didn’t have a chance to speak before she broke the silence:

“Yes, I know. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on everything. If any groups return early, I’ll ask them to go after the items on your list. I don’t need to hear your thoughts to know what you’re planning,” she said with a smile, taking Alex’s cheeks in her hands.

“I’m glad to hear that. But it’s better to ask them to bring another bus. The girl from Kota’s group mentioned that during one of their outings, they saw a bus depot,” Alex added, gently squeezing her hand.

“Alright. I’ll tell them when they return,” Brunhilde responded, softly kissing him on the lips.

As he stepped away from Brunhilde, Alex glanced at the girls, who were still studying his list. He was thinking about who to take with him, but before he could say anything, the girls split into groups on their own. Saeko, Kiriko, MIMI, and Stitch went with Rebecca. Saya, Rei, and G.I.R. decided to go with Alex.

Rebecca led her group to the vehicle, and soon they were on their way to find the spare parts from the list. Waving goodbye, they disappeared from view. Alex, weighing his options, decided not to take an additional vehicle. Instead, he walked over to his motorcycle, which had been sitting idle for several days.

“Alright, ladies, hop on. We have a lot of places to visit before the sun sets,” Alex said, gesturing for the girls to come closer.

Saya and Rei approached the motorcycle but hesitated, unsure how to position themselves with three people. Noticing their uncertainty, Alex gently took Saya by the waist and placed her in front of him. When his hands touched her waist, she blushed slightly but didn’t object. Settling in front of Alex, she leaned back against his chest, trying to get comfortable.

Rei, watching this, felt a slight pang of jealousy but decided to take the only remaining spot—behind. She climbed on behind Alex, pressing her chest against his back to keep steady. G.I.R., not wasting any time, jumped into Saya’s arms, ready for departure.

“Hold on tight. Once we’re on the road, I’ll speed up,” Alex warned as he pulled out onto the road.

Following his instructions, Saya and Rei clung to him tighter, feeling a little nervous about the ride ahead. They already knew how Alex drove. Once the motorcycle hit the road, Alex secured his phone to the dashboard and plotted a route to the nearest auto repair shop. It wasn’t far, so it became their first destination.

As soon as the route was set, Alex accelerated. In the same instant, the girls understood why he had asked them to hold on tighter. The motorcycle reached such speed that they could barely suppress their surprise. They were particularly pleased that Alex didn’t try to avoid the zombies running onto the road.

Upon reaching the auto repair shop, Alex slowed down and headed to the backyard.

“Well, we’re here. How was the ride?” Alex asked with a smirk.

“It was too fast. Next time, be more careful with the turns—I almost flew off!” Rei said indignantly, slapping him on the back.

“Heh, I’ll think about it,” Alex replied, still laughing, and waited for Rei to dismount first.

Rei smiled in response to his laughter but, before standing up, playfully slapped him on the back again to express her displeasure. Once she got off, Alex carefully lifted Saya and set her down on the ground.

Saya had remained silent the entire way, her thoughts preoccupied with the approaching threat—the zombie horde that could soon reach the city. Lowering G.I.R. from her arms, she tried to gather her thoughts, push away the anxiety, and focus on the task at hand.

“How are you?” Alex asked gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine. Right now, the most important thing is to gather everything we need, and then we can head to my place,” Saya said, taking a deep breath to clear her mind.

Alex nodded and led the girls to the back entrance of the auto repair shop. After unlocking the door, he went in first to survey the space, followed by G.I.R., Saya, and Rei, all ready for any surprises. After looking around, Alex warned the girls to stay alert.

First, he started closing the shutters to prevent zombies from wandering inside while they searched for the necessary tools and spare parts. However, most of the needed parts were missing, except for a van they decided to use to transport the items they found. After loading the tools into the van’s bed, Alex put G.I.R. behind the wheel.

“How is he even going to drive if he can’t reach the pedals?” Rei asked, astonished, hardly believing her eyes.

“He doesn’t need to,” Alex smirked.

Rei just shook her head and headed for the motorcycle. Alex took his seat, placing Saya in front of him and holding her by the waist. He waved at G.I.R. to follow them and hit the road, heading to the next repair shop.

Alex glanced back every now and then to make sure G.I.R. hadn’t fallen behind. Once they reached their destination, he stopped in the backyard, checking the surroundings for zombies as usual. G.I.R. parked nearby, jumped out of the van, and immediately ran to open the van doors to start unloading the parts. When everything seemed calm, they headed for the building to enter through the back entrance.

As Alex opened the door, he noticed it wasn’t locked. As soon as he entered, a flying object nearly hit Saya in the head. Alex reacted lightning-fast, catching it mid-air and looking at his find with surprise.

“A nail?” he muttered, raising his gaze. In front of them stood a zombie with a nail gun in its hands, shaking it from side to side.

“Did that zombie just shoot a nail gun?” Saya said, clutching her chest in shock.

“Surprising, huh? Even zombies shoot more accurately than some in our group,” Alex smirked.

Rei snorted in laughter, but when she noticed Saya’s gaze, she turned away, trying to hold it in. Without wasting time, Alex threw the caught nail back at the zombie, hitting it square in the head. The body collapsed with a loud thud, which attracted the attention of the other zombies.

“Stay sharp!” Alex called, nodding at the girls.

They quickly got to work clearing the area. There were surprisingly many zombies, as if they had been drawn to this place.

“There are definitely more than there should be,” Saya remarked, wiping sweat from her brow.

“It feels like every zombie in the area decided to gather right here,” Rei added tiredly, sitting down on a chair.

“Why are you complaining? G.I.R. has killed more than you, and he’s not whining,” Alex chuckled, pointing at the robo-dog.

At that moment, G.I.R. was sitting in a chair, chewing popcorn. The girls looked at him, then at Alex, with expressions that clearly said: Are you serious?

“He’s a robot, he doesn’t get tired! Your comparisons are irrelevant!” Saya exclaimed, pointing at him.

Alex just shrugged, enjoying the moment.

Alex simply smiled and continued searching for spare parts. In his mind, he noted that if he couldn’t find everything he needed, he would just create the missing parts with magic while the others were asleep. Rei and Saya took a breath and joined the search. Meanwhile, G.I.R., the tireless helper, ran between the workshop and the van, carefully placing everything he found.

After gathering a few more needed parts, Alex and the girls exited the auto shop. Before continuing their journey, Alex leaned against the bike and lit a cigarette, thinking about where to go next. Hopes for other auto shops were practically gone—he understood that what they were looking for was unlikely to be found in such places.

Rei and Saya sat on the motorcycle, waiting for Alex to finish smoking. Meanwhile, Saya sank into her thoughts, reflecting on the recent zombie horde. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t just a coincidence. As she began analyzing the events, the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place.

“I think I understand,” Saya said thoughtfully.

Alex looked up from his phone and gazed at her with interest. Even Rei, who had been silent until then, paid attention to her friend.

“What did you figure out?” Alex asked, tucking his phone into his pocket.

“Why the horde came now and headed towards us. Not yesterday, not in a few days, but right after the substation was blown up,” Saya answered, looking Alex in the eyes.

“And why is that?” Rei chimed in, clearly intrigued.

“The substation could have boosted the defenses, like how we used the electric fence to protect ourselves from the zombies. Considering that those people can move among the zombies unnoticed, they are probably able to direct the hordes to specific locations. I think that after you destroyed their squad, they assumed someone in the area knew too much. To eliminate the threat, they sent the zombies to the city. If no one survives, no one can tell what happened. Of course, this is just my theory. Maybe it’s something simpler,” Saya explained her reasoning.

Alex pondered for a moment and then nodded.

“You might be partially right. But if they wanted to eliminate everyone, they would have just dropped a bomb or set off an EMP so that no one would have a chance to pass on any information. I think this is an experiment. They’re testing how many zombies they can control at once.”

Saya nodded, considering his words. Alex’s theory sounded more convincing than her own assumptions.

After discussing a few more details, the group decided to head to the last location—the depot. If they didn’t find everything they needed there, Alex would use magic to create the parts, covering up the illusion of hard work and pretending he went out alone at night to collect the rest, lucky enough to stumble upon a couple of useful things to avoid raising suspicion.

“Where to next?” Rei asked, peeking over his shoulder.

“To the depot. If we don’t find anything there, we’ll figure it out as we go,” Alex replied, starting the motorcycle engine.

Rei nodded and settled back onto the motorcycle. After several trips, she and Saya had stopped being scared of the sharp turns and started enjoying the speed. Upon reaching the depot, Alex stopped nearby to survey the area. However, the closed perimeter made it impossible to see what was inside. Looking around, he waved at G.I.R. to continue following them.

Driving up a small hill, Alex and the girls were able to get a clearer view of the depot. The area turned out to be vast, clearly too large for a small squad of four people.

“So, what are we going to do?” Saya asked, standing on the seat to get a better look at what was going on. “This place is too big for the four of us to search. And splitting up is definitely a bad idea in a situation like this.”

Alex, holding her legs so she wouldn’t fall, also assessed the situation. The only logical place to search for a snowplow was the depot or perhaps a heavy machinery shop, but that option seemed even less promising.

“How’s the situation?” Alex asked, looking up to hear the report.

“Don’t look, idiot!” Saya snapped, smacking him on the head and holding her skirt down with her other hand.

“Alright, alright. God, what could I have possibly missed?” Alex replied with a smirk, lowering his gaze.

Saya gave him a stern look, still slightly blushing, but continued, “The area is huge, and there are tons of zombies here. It feels like a train full of infected arrived here at the start of all this. Now they’ve scattered across the grounds.”

“Any mutated ones?” Alex asked, raising his head instinctively again.

“I told you: don’t look!” Saya smacked him on the head again. “And no, I didn’t notice any mutated ones. Maybe they’re hiding somewhere, but I don’t see them.”

Rei, leaning on Alex’s shoulders, suggested, “Maybe we shouldn’t go in there? We can come back when we’ve gathered more people. Or we could try distracting the zombies to clear the road.”

Alex paused for a moment and then made a decision.

“To start, let’s head back to the base. Later tonight, I’ll come back alone or just create everything we need with magic. After that, I’ll tell the usual story about how I found everything,” he thought, sticking to his original plan.

“Let’s head back first, and then we’ll see. Worst case, I’ll come up with something using whatever’s around,” Alex said after considering it.

Rei and Saya agreed to this plan. Saya, sitting back down, smacked Alex’s arm once more.

“This is for looking under my skirt twice!”

Alex held back a smile, though he did notice the classic Japanese striped panties, and a funny thought about some gaming achievement briefly crossed his mind.

Chuckling to himself, Alex started the engine. The motorcycle revved up, taking them back to the base. Alex was already ready to begin modifying the bus.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep