Alex took one last look at the depot’s perimeter, weighing whether it was worth subjecting the girls to additional risk. Finding the necessary parts was important, but the potential cost made him hesitate. He adjusted Saya’s position as she sat in front of him, started the motorcycle’s engine, and motioned for GIR to follow. The robotic dog responded by flashing its lights, signaling its readiness.

A plan had already formed in Alex’s mind: he could use magic to create the missing parts, and if that failed, he’d return here at night with GIR and MIMI to clear out the zombies and collect what was needed in peace.

As they rode, Alex remembered something that might change their situation: the CIA’s safe houses, which often contained weapons and supplies for agents. The idea was tempting, but he doubted such facilities existed in a smaller city like this—most were likely in major metropolises like Tokyo. He decided to ask GIR to investigate. If such a safe house existed nearby, obtaining weapons would become significantly easier.

Saya, despite still being flustered after Alex had accidentally glimpsed under her skirt a few times, leaned against him during the ride. Being close to him gave her a sense of calm and safety—something incredibly rare in the current chaos.

She couldn’t explain why, but she trusted Alex to handle anything that came their way. Her intuition told her there was much more to him than the sarcastic mask he wore. Still, she was confident he’d open up to her eventually, so she chose to wait patiently.

Rei, seated behind them, leaned back slightly, letting the wind play with her hair. She watched Alex’s broad back and felt protected in his presence. Slowly, she realized her thoughts about him had begun to change.

Was it because he had saved her and the others from the school? Or because he had given them refuge in this chaos? Maybe it was after he helped rescue her mother. Rei shook her head, brushing the thoughts aside.

“Does it matter? What’s important is understanding what he thinks of me,” she decided.

Before letting her feelings take root, she planned to talk to Rebecca and Brunhilde, who knew Alex better than anyone.

Soon, they arrived back at the bank. Alex slowed the motorcycle in front of the barricades, scanning the area carefully. The defenses clearly needed work. If a zombie horde arrived from Tokyo, the sheer number of infected piling up at the barricades could create an unmanageable bottleneck.

He also considered how Live Corporation might be controlling the zombie hordes. There were several possibilities: drones emitting specific signals or an Alpha Zombie they’d created and enslaved. But without concrete information, speculating was pointless.

“Why did you stop? What’s on your mind?” Saya asked, leaning against him.

“I think the barricades need to be adjusted,” he replied. “If a horde comes, a massive cluster of zombies will get stuck here. We’re already clearing out stragglers every morning, but after a horde, it could be ten times worse.”

Saya nodded, seeing the logic in his reasoning. Alex was already strategizing how to reinforce the defenses and prepare for the impending chaos.

Rei leaned forward, resting her hands on Alex’s shoulders, to take a closer look at the barricades and understand his concern. A quick survey confirmed it—he was right.

After the barricades were installed, zombies occasionally got stuck in them, but if a horde were to come through, the situation could become critical. Saya carefully examined the barricades as well, estimating the number of zombies that might accumulate, and came to the same conclusion.

“Moving the barricades makes sense,” Saya agreed. “If too many zombies get stuck, it could create a sort of traffic jam. And that’s something we wouldn’t be able to handle. At that point, our plan to leave the city would end up in the trash.”

Pleased with her support, Alex patted Saya on the head. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rei puffing her cheeks slightly as she watched the scene. Smirking, he extended his hand toward her, and Rei, happy for the attention, eagerly leaned forward so she could also be patted on the head.

Once both girls seemed calmer, Alex started the motorcycle and rode onto the bank’s parking lot.

Inside, they noticed that the vehicles of the other groups hadn’t returned yet—or perhaps they had already set out on new missions. Parking his bike, Alex glanced over the handlebars as GIR leapt out of the van, scanning the area as though looking for his “mom.” The robotic dog’s gaze landed on Alex, as if awaiting orders.

“They’re probably still out searching for parts,” Alex said, looking at GIR. “Run and check with Mom Brunhilde. See if anyone’s come back.”

GIR nodded, his short legs tapping against the floor as he swiftly headed inside the bank. Meanwhile, Alex and the girls dismounted the motorcycle and began unloading parts from the van for the bus modifications. Alex quickly assessed the pile of components, estimating how much more they’d need to equip both buses. The result wasn’t encouraging—what they’d brought back was barely enough for one.

“There’s no doubt about it. This isn’t going to cut it,” Rei muttered, placing the parts near the bus.

“Hopefully, the other groups will find something useful,” Saya remarked, carefully setting a box down on the floor.

“If worst comes to worst, I’ll just take GIR and MIMI,” Alex said in a calm tone, lighting a cigarette. “We’ll clear out the depot and get everything we need. I’m sure there’s useful stuff there.”

Saya gave him a doubtful look.

“You do realize that with the number of zombies in the depot, you’ll be stuck there all night? And who knows if there are mutated ones or new types we haven’t even seen yet. Sure, you and those two robo-dogs are strong, but it’ll still take a lot of time.”

Alex exhaled smoke upward and smirked.

“Then I’ll whip up something quick. I’ll make a device to lure the zombies to another part of the depot while we search.”

“Just make sure it doesn’t attract more trouble than it solves,” Saya said, casting a skeptical glance at Alex.

He smiled confidently in response and continued unloading the van.

Saya and Rei exchanged a glance before shaking their heads in disbelief. They weren’t worried about Alex’s safety—what concerned them more was the thought that he might blow something up again. Brunhilde and Rebecca had already shared stories, like the time Alex burned down an entire hospital during a supply run with Rebecca and Saeko.

Catching their expressions, Alex immediately guessed what they were thinking. He wasn’t sure exactly what Rebecca and Brunhilde had told the others, but judging by the girls’ faces, his “destructive reputation” was clearly well-established.

As soon as the van was unloaded, GIR and Alice rushed out of the bank, the latter holding the robo-dog by the paw, followed by Brunhilde, who came out leisurely behind them.

“Yo, are we the first ones here?” Alex asked, noticing her.

“Yeah, the others haven’t returned yet,” Brunhilde replied, walking closer.

“Didn’t expect us to finish so quickly,” Rei remarked, leaning against the bus.

“What did you expect? We only visited two auto repair shops. If it weren’t for the zombies at the last one, we would’ve been back even sooner. And of course, we decided not to go into the depot because of how many zombies are there,” Saya explained, adjusting her braid.

Rei simply rolled her eyes at Saya’s comment, and Alex smirked, giving her a light pat on the head. Brunhilde, glancing at the parts they brought, immediately noted that they might not be enough for what Alex had in mind. She commented that it might be too little, considering what Alex was planning to do with the bus.

He just rolled his eyes, preferring not to go into details. After a brief pause, he decided to clear the area next to the bus to prepare a workspace.

While Alex and the girls discussed various topics, GIR and Alice stood to the side. The robo-dog was proudly showing off, telling Alice how skillfully he drove the vehicle. Alex involuntarily snickered as he watched. GIR, who usually only sought praise from his “moms,” had suddenly decided to show off his talents to someone new.

What worried Alex the most was that his mechanical pets— GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—might somehow “infect” Alice with their strange beliefs in the Emperor of Mankind.

“Alice, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Alex asked suddenly, in a genuinely interested tone.

The girl, distracted from her conversation with the robo-dog, paused to think. Even Rei, Saya, and Brunhilde looked at her with interest, waiting for her answer. Alex patiently waited, giving Alice time to think.

“I want to be like MIMI’s sister. I want to join the Adeptus Sororitas,” Alice declared with a wide smile.

Alex felt something snap inside him. His eye began to twitch noticeably, and his thoughts quickly became tangled. Rei and Saya exchanged confused glances, unsure of what the “Adeptus Sororitas” was and why Alex was reacting like that.

They were expecting an explanation from him, but his face only showed a mix of confusion and horror. Brunhilde remained icy calm, though she, too, seemed surprised. Even the Valkyries in Alex’s spiritual space momentarily lost their words.

“Maybe you’d prefer to be a Valkyrie, like your older sister Brunhilde? That’s pretty cool too,” Alex suggested cautiously, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Big sister Brunhilde is really cool, but I want to be like MIMI’s sister,” Alice firmly stated, nodding happily.

Alex let out a heavy sigh, realizing that many more surprises lay ahead of him.

His face became emotionless when Alice reaffirmed her intentions. He started thinking about how and when that trio of troublemakers managed to brainwash the young girl.

In his mind, images of the Imperium, gradually gaining power in this world, began to take shape. Thoughts about the possible consequences caused him a headache, but after a moment’s hesitation, he decided to leave things as they were and go with the flow, not overburdening himself with unnecessary thoughts.

Rei and Saya, not understanding who the “Adeptus Sororitas” were, turned to Brunhilde for an explanation, whose face remained impassive, only fueling their curiosity.

“Uh, Brunhilde, who are these… Adepta… whatever they’re called?” Rei asked cautiously, drawing the Valkyrie’s attention.

Brunhilde sighed deeply, shifted her gaze to the girls, and began explaining:

“Adeptus Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle, are an order consisting solely of women. The military divisions of the Sisterhood are the vengeful arm of the Ecclesiarchy, ruthlessly eradicating heresy and corruption among humanity.”

Her voice remained calm, but the slight twitching of her eyelid betrayed her irritation.

“So, kind of like an inquisitorial order, but all female?” Saya clarified, trying to grasp the essence.

“Basically, yes. But it’s too complex a topic to explain in a few minutes. You’d be better off asking Alex about it. But whatever you do, don’t ask GIR or MIMI for an explanation,” Brunhilde added with a weary look.

“Why? If Alice wants to be like MIMI and even calls her sister, then MIMI is probably the reason for her choice,” Rei wondered.

“Because they’ll follow you around and quote the Codex to the last comma. It’ll drag on indefinitely,” Alex interjected, approaching the girls.

Rei and Saya stared at Alex in confusion. However, he didn’t want to continue the conversation and preferred to leave things as they were. He thought that if followers of the Imperium appeared within the group over time, it would only make his task easier. Though the early years of the Imperium were a time of flourishing, in its current state, it resembled a mechanism mired in corruption and weakness.

Unable to get answers from Alex, Saya and Rei turned their hopes back to Brunhilde. But the Valkyrie, too, wasn’t eager to delve deeper into the subject. She remembered all too well what she had seen in Alex’s memories about the Imperium and its customs.

After finishing his cigarette, Alex approached GIR and patted the robo-dog on the head to get his attention. Together, they began clearing the area next to the bus, moving the parked cars. Rei and Saya joined them, cleaning up small debris and anything else in the way.

Once the area was cleared, Alex stopped, surveyed the site, and figured there would be enough room even for a second bus. With that, they temporarily stopped their work. But at that moment, his communicator beeped.

“ZombieLand Corp. Are you being bothered by zombies? Then we’ll kill it again,” Alex said as he answered the call.

Rei and Saya, helping to clear the area, overheard Alex answering the call. The girls exchanged glances and smiled, shaking their heads, used to his peculiar sense of humor. On the other side of the line, Kota hesitated slightly, not expecting such a formal greeting.

“Uh, well, it’s not that zombies are really bothering us… It’s just that there’s a problem here that needs help,” Kota’s embarrassed voice came through the communicator.

“What happened that made you decide to call?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow, his voice becoming more attentive.

“During a raid, we were passing by the academy we once escaped from. We saw a student calling for help. My group wanted to intervene, but as soon as we got closer, some people opened fire on us. The shooting attracted zombies, and now we’re trapped in a nearby building. We could handle the undead, but it’ll take time, and during that time, those people might do something to the students,” Kota explained, trying to stay calm.

“Got it. Where are you now?” Alex asked shortly, already planning his next move.

“We’re in the building across from the academy. We’re holding out, but we can’t last long,” Kota replied, sounding slightly relieved.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon. Hold tight. Talk soon,” Alex said, ending the call.

He turned to the girls, and they immediately stared at him, waiting for an explanation. Alex briefly explained what happened, and the girls quickly volunteered to help.

“I’ll handle it myself,” he cut them off. “Killing people is not the same as dealing with zombies.”

Saya and Rei frowned, feeling like their opinion was being ignored again, but they didn’t argue. Alex gently patted them on the head and turned away, considering whether to bring GIR with him. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided that the robo-dog would be more useful here, assisting the girls.

Approaching his motorcycle, Alex opened the built-in weapons compartment and pulled out a strange-looking stick. With a swift motion, he activated the mechanism, and the stick transformed into a massive double-headed power axe. Seeing the weapon, GIR jumped up and down, ran over to Alex, and tugged at his pant leg.

“Is that for me?” GIR asked in a slightly childlike voice.

“No, GIR, it’s mine. You’ll get your axe later,” Alex replied with a smile.

GIR huffed in mock offense and dramatically kicked Alex in the leg. Alex just laughed, closed the compartment, and, checking the map on his phone, headed for the exit.

Reaching the wall, Alex sprinted, pushed off it, and leaped onto the roof of the neighboring building. He ran across the rooftops, then stopped across from the academy to take a look. The windows were boarded up, so it was hard to tell what was going on inside. He then looked down and noticed the building that Kota had mentioned, surrounded by zombies.

Leaping off the building and onto the street, Alex let out a slight whistle to attract the attention of the zombies. Hearing the noise, the zombies turned toward him and immediately began to shuffle in his direction. Alex activated the power axe, thinking that these zombies would make for excellent targets to test the weapon.

When the fastest-moving zombie reached Alex. Alex swung the axe and split the zombie in two. Shaking the blood off the axe, Alex didn’t wait for the other zombies to approach. He decided to strike first.

Alex began walking slowly toward the zombies, chopping down each one that came too close. With every step, Alex moved forward, killing several zombies at a time. Behind him, only the bodies of the cleaved zombies remained. Planting the axe in the last zombie, Alex gave his hand a slight shake, and the zombie’s body fell to the ground.

Stepping on the zombie’s head, Alex looked around for more zombies, but he had already killed all the ones in the area. Alex glanced back and saw the slaughter he had left behind. Smiling, he lit a cigarette and walked toward the building where Kota and his group were holed up.

“Good day. Delivery from ‘Zombieland Corporation’ for Hirano. Please open the door; I need your signature,” Alex said with a smirk, knocking on the door.

On the other side, there was the sound of things being moved. Alex immediately understood that Kota’s group had managed to barricade themselves before his arrival. After a few seconds, the sounds stopped, and the door slowly creaked open.

The first to step out was Takashi, his face a mix of annoyance and exhaustion, as if he had just heard the least funny joke of his life.

“Your jokes suck,” he muttered, stopping in the doorway.

“You suck too, but I’m not complaining,” Alex replied with a smirk before giving him a light shove. “Now move, before I give you a kick for speed.”

Takashi grumbled, rubbing the back of his head, but obediently stepped out. The rest of the group began emerging from the building, cautiously looking around. Kota was the last to appear, immediately noticing the power axe in Alex’s hand.

“Seriously?!” he exclaimed, running up to Alex and grabbing his arm. “How many more weapons do you have like that? Come on, give me one, please!”

His enthusiasm was quickly shut down by a female officer, who decisively grabbed Kota by the ear.

“Stop begging for weapons from people and get over here,” she said sternly, pulling him to the side.

“Ow, ow, Merna, that hurts! I won’t do it again!” Kota groaned, trying to wriggle free. “But I just wanted a power weapon from the Warhammer universe!”

“No, you have enough already,” the second officer chimed in, grabbing him by the other ear.

Alex watched the comedy with interest. Ignoring the bickering, the guys stepped outside and looked around. Their attention was immediately drawn to the scene of the massacre Alex had left behind. The road was littered with piles of chopped-up zombies, and Alex stood nearby — completely clean, without a single bloodstain on his clothes.

Takashi looked at the scene and sighed, once again amazed by Alex’s power. He remembered their meeting in another reality, where souls go after death, and once again wondered what else Alex was capable of.

“I see you had some fun,” Takashi remarked, walking over to Alex, who was smiling as Kota received a scolding.

“They’re just zombies. What’s so fun about that?” Alex shrugged. “If I were killing them with a bit more finesse, then it could be entertaining. But since you needed help, I had to act quickly.”

Takashi involuntarily shuddered. In his mind, he pictured Alex enjoying the “elegant” act of killing zombies. However, he decided to push those thoughts aside, reminding himself that since his mother, Gloria, liked Alex, he couldn’t be all that bad. And right then, Takashi’s mind formed a new image of who Alex really was.

Takashi still didn’t know that Alex had hacked an entire Arasaka building just for fun, or that he had stolen all the information from Arasaka, including the kidnapping of Hanako Arasaka from her private apartment.

Meanwhile, Alex, tired of watching the bickering with Kota, turned to Officer Samura:

“Tell me more about what you encountered. Kota only explained briefly — you heard screams, came to help, got shot at, and then zombies showed up.”

Samura nodded and began to speak in more detail:

“That’s right. We were passing through this area looking for supplies when Takashi heard a noise coming from the Academy. We stopped to figure out what was happening and saw a student in the window calling for help. We decided to get closer, but as soon as we crossed the territory, they started shooting at us. While we were trying to figure out what was going on, zombies were drawn to the sound of the gunfire. We had to retreat and barricade ourselves in this building to wait for help.”

Alex thoughtfully rubbed his chin after listening to the story.

“I see. So it’s not just zombies, but also armed people. Interesting… Alright, we’ll figure it out.”

He scanned the gathered group with a look and headed toward the Academy, already planning his next steps.

Alex nodded, glanced at the Academy thoughtfully, and lightly tapped the ground with the toe of his boot. He focused, sending a pulse of mana toward the building to get a precise sense of what was happening inside. Takashi, noticing the movement, raised an eyebrow in question but decided to wait for Alex to explain everything.

After a few moments, the pulse returned, and Alex gathered all the necessary information. There were about thirty people in the building, but it was impossible to determine who was a hostage and who was a bandit.

“What are we going to do? What’s the plan?” Kota asked, scratching his red ears and stepping closer.

“I’ll infiltrate, scout the situation, and figure out how many of them are bandits. If it’s just a few, I’ll take care of them all. After that, we can evacuate the survivors,” Alex replied calmly, lighting a cigarette.

“Are you sure you can handle it? They have weapons, and you only have an axe,” Samura said skeptically, sizing him up from head to toe.

“It’s fine, I’m a ninja,” Alex said with a smile.

At these words, all the group members exchanged glances, their expressions a little confused. Alex’s assurances didn’t sound convincing. He noticed their bewilderment, rolled his eyes, and sighed.

“Alright, just watch and learn. As soon as I give the signal, you can move in. For now, I’ll do the reconnaissance. And stay alert, just in case,” he said, slinging the axe over his shoulder.

Without waiting for a response, Alex swiftly moved toward the Academy. Reaching the fence, he effortlessly jumped over it, glanced around, and listened carefully. Satisfied that he remained undetected, he began to quietly make his way toward the building, periodically sending mana pulses to refine his awareness of the people inside.

At the entrance, Alex paused and sent another pulse. He discovered that the nearest bandit was on the first floor, patrolling the area. Alex hid behind a corner and waited for the bandit to come closer. When the bandit entered his reach, Alex quickly emerged from cover, grabbed the enemy by the face, and knocked the weapon from his hands.

“Hey there, sweetheart. How about we talk? You tell me how many of you are here, and I’ll let you go. If you understand, nod. Just don’t scream, or I might change my mind and feed you to the zombies after I’m done with your friends,” Alex said with a friendly yet menacing smile, tightening his grip on the bandit’s face like a vice.

In pain and terror, the bandit felt his skull begin to crack. Panic surged. He quickly nodded, trying to signal that he was ready to talk. Seeing this, Alex loosened his grip to allow the poor man to speak.

“There’s… there’s thirteen of us. Just don’t kill me! I’ll tell you everything. I’ll tell you where the others and our supplies are!” the bandit stammered, his fear making his words tremble.

“No need,” Alex replied, shrugging. “I’ll find it on my own. And now, like I said, I’ll let you go. But where to — I never specified.”

With those words, he tightened his grip again. The bandit tried to break free, but resistance was futile. With a single motion, Alex squeezed, and the bandit’s head exploded like a ripe watermelon. The decapitated body slumped and fell to the ground. Alex cast an indifferent glance at the corpse.

“Now there are twelve of them,” he said calmly, then sent another mana pulse to continue the clearing process.

Receiving a response from the mana pulse, Alex moved toward his next target, who was positioned at a significant distance from the others. Climbing to the next floor, he cautiously approached his victim. Stealthily closing the gap, Alex grabbed the bandit by the head and forcefully slammed it into the wall.

The sound of cracking bones confirmed that the bandit was no longer a threat. Alex quickly hid the body in an empty room to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and moved on.

Moving silently, he approached the room where several bandits were located. Knowing that they might start shooting, which would inevitably attract attention, Alex cast a silence spell on the room. Once he confirmed the spell was working, he kicked the door open with force.

The bandits, noticing him, immediately reached for their weapons and opened fire. However, the sound of gunshots remained muffled within the room, and the bullets, upon hitting Alex’s body, simply ricocheted off without causing him any harm.

Seeing that their attacks were futile, the bandits panicked and tried to hide in the corner while continuing to shoot. Alex calmly approached them, swung his axe, and in the blink of an eye, the room was cleared of enemies. Finishing with this group, he continued the sweep of the building, employing the same method.

When only one bandit remained alive, presumably the leader, Alex focused on his location. Following the signal of the mana pulse, he discovered him in the neighboring classroom.

The bandit was saying something to the survivors, attempting to maintain control of the situation. Without hesitation, Alex punched through the wall with his hand, grabbed the leader by the head, and yanked him toward himself through the hole.

“Hello there,” he said with a grin before effortlessly crushing the leader’s head with a single motion.

Throwing the decapitated body aside, Alex calmly stepped through the hole in the wall and entered the classroom where the survivors were held. When they saw him, fear mixed with disbelief flashed in their eyes. Alex scanned the room and quickly contacted Kota, informing him that the evacuation could begin.

The survivors, overhearing his conversation, slowly began to realize that Alex had come to save them. Some of them relaxed slightly, but they still regarded him with caution.

“My people will be here soon, and we’ll get you out of here. When they arrive, they’ll explain everything,” Alex said, casting a brief glance at the frightened faces. Then, he casually sat down on a chair, clearly in no rush, and waited for Kota and Takashi with the group to arrive and complete the operation.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep