The group barely had time to react before Alex effortlessly vaulted over the tall fence and landed inside the academy grounds. Kota and Takashi exchanged glances, each noticing the astonishment in the other’s eyes. They didn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Alex’s earlier claim that he was a ninja.

In Kota’s imagination, vivid scenes from anime popped up—ninjas dressed in black, darting across rooftops and tossing shurikens. Takashi, still a teenager at heart, pictured something similar: masked warriors wielding katanas and moving in complete silence. Yet, whatever their preconceived notions, Alex didn’t fit the image in the slightest. His blue coat, black t-shirt, and equally dark pants were a far cry from traditional ninja attire. And the massive double-bladed axe in his hands? That was the complete opposite of subtle.

Before anyone in the group could stop him to discuss a plan, Alex had already disappeared behind the fence.

“How long do you think it’ll take him to get back? Or, you know, to finish off all the bandits inside?” Kota asked with interest, glancing at Takashi.

Kota knew Alex had been a mercenary—Alex had mentioned it himself once. That alone reassured him that Alex could handle a group of armed amateurs without breaking a sweat.

Takashi tore his gaze away from the fence Alex had just vaulted and looked at Kota. He paused for a moment, considering. It was clear that Alex was far stronger than he appeared. The idea that a group of bandits could pose any threat to him seemed laughable.

“Honestly, no idea. But judging by how he handled the zombies, I don’t think it’ll take him long. Especially considering his background as a mercenary,” Takashi replied, analyzing the situation.

Kota and the other male officers nodded in agreement. They all knew about Alex’s past as a mercenary and had witnessed his incredible strength firsthand. The fact that he’d single-handedly dealt with a massive horde of zombies spoke volumes about his skill level.

“Don’t you two feel a little ashamed, talking about him like that? He’s your friend, after all. Especially you, Kota!” Merna suddenly interjected, grabbing Kota by the ear.

“Ow, ow, Merna! I didn’t mean anything bad! I was just curious! You know, it’s normal guy talk among friends!” Kota tried to defend himself, all the while struggling to free his ear from her grip.

The other men stepped back, doing their best to stifle their laughter. They’d seen this scenario play out before—female officers putting Kota in his place—and it always provided good entertainment. Some even silently wished him patience and good luck. Takashi, meanwhile, carefully stepped back, wary of getting dragged into the commotion.

“It doesn’t matter! You know as well as I do that even a stray bullet can be fatal!” added another female officer, grabbing Kota’s other ear.

Kota scrambled to explain himself, trying to calm their anger, though his efforts were clumsy at best. It took him a good couple of minutes to appease them, leaving his ears bright red in the process. The other men, meanwhile, couldn’t stop laughing, each silently noting that if they ever got girlfriends, they’d have to tread very carefully to avoid ending up like Kota.

So caught up were they in the scene that they momentarily forgot Alex had infiltrated the school to clear it of bandits and rescue the survivors. But soon, Kota’s communicator buzzed to life with Alex’s voice:

“It’s done. The area is clear. You can come in and start evacuating the survivors.”

“Well, looks like he handled it on his own. Time to move in,” Kota said, rubbing his still-burning ears.

The group nodded in agreement and began getting into their vehicles to drive onto the academy grounds. Once they arrived, they stepped out of the cars and entered through the main entrance. Alex explained to Kota which classroom the survivors were in, and the group followed him inside.

At the very first corner, they came across a headless corpse. One of the male officers, Matsuda, crouched down to examine the body.

“What is it, Matsuda?” Samura asked, stepping closer.

“Hmm… I don’t even know how to explain this. The head of this bandit looks like it was crushed by a press,” Matsuda said, inspecting the remains. “But there’s no press here. I’m almost certain our leader did this with his bare hands.”

Everyone instinctively looked at the corpse, silently processing Matsuda’s words. Samura also crouched down beside it, recalling his past when he worked under an old detective.

“Maybe he’s a martial arts master?” Samura suggested, furrowing his brow. “I remember a case I worked on with that detective involving someone like that. The file mentioned that martial arts masters are capable of incredible feats. They’re incredibly strong and agile, especially the older ones. They say the older a master gets, the more powerful they become.”

Merna crossed her arms, deep in thought.

“But Alex is young. You just said most martial arts masters are usually old men.”

“Well, maybe he’s a prodigy or something,” Samura shrugged. “I don’t know much about it. If it weren’t for that case, I’d never have known people like that even existed.”

The group could only nod in agreement. The world of martial arts was far removed from their own experiences, leaving them unable to grasp its intricacies.

Takashi sighed quietly. He wasn’t surprised that Alex had crushed a bandit’s head with his bare hands. He knew Alex wasn’t ordinary—especially given their past encounter when Takashi, still David at the time, found himself in a strange place after his death.

“Or maybe he’s an Adeptus Astartes! They’re strong and dangerous too!” Kota said enthusiastically. “Even his robo-dog is equipped with weapons from that universe!”

“This isn’t a video game, Kota. Calm down,” Merna said, smacking him on the head.

“I was just saying,” Kota muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Pulling their gazes away from the decapitated body, the group continued on. On the second floor, they encountered another gruesome sight: a bandit’s head had been literally embedded into the wall. Moving further, they noticed a small pool of blood seeping out from one of the classrooms.

Peeking inside, Samura saw the dismembered bodies of bandits piled in a corner as if they’d been herded there and then slaughtered. She shut the door and shook her head, indicating there was nothing more to see.

At last, they reached the classroom where Alex and the survivors were waiting. Opening the door, they found Alex lounging lazily in a chair, a cigarette in hand. His massive power axe was propped up against the wall beside him.

“Yo. Took you long enough,” Alex said with a lazy wave.

“We just wanted to see how you dealt with the bandits,” Matsuda replied, stepping into the classroom.

Alex only smiled and gestured toward the survivors. The officers approached the people, began talking to them, explaining who they were and what they did. While they were helping, Kota and Takashi approached Alex and stood next to him, watching the scene unfold.

“Samura said you’re a martial arts master. Is that true?” Kota asked with undisguised curiosity.

“You could say that. But what exactly do you mean by that?” Alex replied, turning his head toward Kota.

“Is there a difference?” Takashi asked, slightly confused.

“Of course. A martial arts master usually specializes in one style. But I can replicate any move as long as I’ve seen it once,” Alex explained, tossing his cigarette out the window.

“So, you just watch someone fight and can immediately repeat it?” Takashi asked, trying to process what he’d heard.

“Yeah, you probably have a legendary body, specifically designed for martial arts,” Kota suddenly declared, nodding as if he were a sage who had discovered the truth.

Alex’s eye twitched, and he felt the urge to kick Kota for that absurd comment. Even Takashi looked at him like he was a weirdo. Sensing their stares, Kota blushed and pretended he hadn’t said anything.

“Could you train me? Well, if it’s possible?” Takashi asked, deciding it was time to learn something new.

“Hmmm, for starters, you’ll need to get a little stronger. Right now, your body… how should I put it… it’s like a twig,” Alex replied, scanning Takashi from head to toe.

Takashi nervously twitched his eye. The comparison to a twig clearly struck a nerve. Kota, noticing this, couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing at? At least I don’t look like a balloon,” Takashi grumbled, kicking Kota in the leg.

“This isn’t fat! It’s special protection from the cold. You just don’t understand,” Kota dismissed, rubbing the bruised spot.

“Alright, enough from you two,” Alex interrupted them. “Once we’re in a calmer environment and have more space, I’ll start your training, Takashi. If you want, Kota, you can join in.”

“No thanks. I prefer weapons. Just give me something from your arsenal. Even better — something from the Warhammer universe,” Kota declared, rubbing his hands together as if waiting for a gift.

Alex looked at Kota and simply shook his head. He was thinking about whether he should give Kota a weapon from his arsenal, choosing one that wouldn’t tear the poor guy’s arms off with the first shot.

While Alex, Takashi, and Kota were chatting, the officers finished questioning the rescued people, learning about their situation.

Samura approached Alex and explained that they were residents from nearby houses who had come to the school seeking shelter. However, they had encountered yet another group of bandits. Alex just shook his head, realizing how much luck mattered in a world like this.

Escaping from zombies only to fall into the hands of bandits—truly a misfortune. Without commenting on what he’d heard, he led the survivors outside to take them to the shelter they had set up in a bank building.

The rescued people were no longer afraid of Alex and silently followed him. The officers, Takashi, and Kota walked behind, covering the group in case of danger. When they stepped outside, the people sighed with relief, glad they had managed to escape.

Alex glanced at the vehicle that Kota’s group had arrived in and realized that it definitely wouldn’t fit all the people. He asked everyone to stay in place and went off to find suitable transportation. As he surveyed the area around the academy, Alex discovered a small minibus used for transporting small cargo. Sitting behind the wheel, he headed back to the school to collect the people.

When Alex returned, he noticed that the rescued people and the officers were unloading supplies taken from the bandits, including weapons and ammunition. Seeing the minibus, the group quickly began loading the loot into it. Alex explained to the rescued people that everyone in their group worked for the common good, and the people willingly helped.

After loading everything necessary and seating the people in the vehicle, Alex drove off first, sticking his hand out the window to signal Kota’s group to follow. Upon reaching the bank shelter, Alex entered the secured area and parked. The rescued people watched with relief as they saw the safety of the bank. Hearing about a safe shelter was one thing, but seeing it with their own eyes was completely different.

Getting out of the vehicle, Alex noticed that Rebecca and the other girls had already arrived. There were many new parts around the bus they were preparing for modifications. Apparently, the girls had worked seriously during their search.

“Yo,” Alex waved as he approached them.

“Did you have fun?” Rebecca asked, grinning widely.

“Well, it was alright. I’d rather be working on the bus already,” Alex replied, placing his hand on Rebecca’s head.

“When will it be ready?” Shizuka asked, walking up closer, intrigued.

“I could do it in a day or two on my own, but I’ll be working with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. So we’ll get it done overnight,” Alex said confidently, giving a thumbs-up.

“So quickly? When I took my car to the garage, they told me to come back in at least a week,” Shizuka said, pouting.

“That’s because the guys there are lazy or one of them probably wanted to hit on you. They deliberately stretch the deadlines so they can try to invite you on a date. If you agree, they promise to fix the car faster and call you the prettiest customer. That’s how they lure in girls,” Alex explained with a shrug.

“And does it work?” Kiriko asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Personally, I’m not interested in that, but I’ve seen it happen when I bought spare parts,” Alex replied.

“Good thing Rika went with me and started threatening them,” Shizuka nodded, pleased with the memory.

Alex mentally gave Rika a thumbs-up. Shizuka definitely needed someone keeping an eye on her, especially with her tendency to get into funny or dangerous situations. He became curious about what else Rika had helped Shizuka with and decided to ask her about it, hoping she’d share her stories. The other girls were also curious, and while Shizuka enthusiastically told her story, they decided to grab a bite to eat before getting back to their tasks.

Meanwhile, at the airport, Rika suddenly started sneezing. She immediately realized that Shizuka was probably telling stories about her, and mentally shook her head, suspecting that her reputation was now at the center of attention.

During lunch, Shizuka enthusiastically shared stories about Rika. Alex and Rebecca laughed, enjoying the funny anecdotes, which only confirmed how unique and cool Rika was. Among other things, Shizuka told the story of an pervert who tried to hit on her at a bar. According to her, the poor guy was now suffering from PTSD after what Rika did to him. Alex mentally sympathized with the unlucky guy but couldn’t help but smile at the thought of how it all played out.

When lunch came to an end, Alex called over GIR, MIMI, and Stitch to get to work. Stepping outside, he pulled up a holographic projection of the plan, showing what he wanted to do with the bus.

“Got it?” he asked, looking at his trio of assistants.

“Yes, Dad,” GIR, MIMI, and Stitch responded in unison.

Alex nodded and began working. The girls, with nothing else to do, decided to watch the process. They brought out chairs and even a table with snacks to settle in comfortably. Alex noticed their makeshift “picnic” from the corner of his eye and felt a slight irritation twitch in his eye. However, he didn’t say anything and continued working.

The job was no easy feat: even with the help of the trio of troublemakers, there was still a lot to do by hand. If there hadn’t been an audience, Alex could have finished everything with magic in a matter of seconds. But in the presence of “spectators,” he had to stick to more traditional methods.

“Hey, handsome, do you need an extra pair of hands? We’re getting bored here,” Rebecca lazily said from her chair. “Though, you know, you look damn attractive while working.”

“I’ve got another task for you,” Alex replied, wiping his hands.

“What is it?” asked Saya, adjusting her glasses.

“GIR, send the addresses I asked you to find to Becca,” Alex ordered, speaking to his robo-dog.

GIR nodded, and within moments, Rebecca’s phone made a notification sound. She pulled it out and saw that she had received a list of addresses. The other girls immediately peered over her shoulder.

“What are these addresses?” Saeko asked, looking up at Alex.

“They’re like the CIA’s safehouses,” he replied. “Apparently, they were keeping an eye on Saya’s father. Not surprising—when a family has significant influence, they get watched. Considering her dad is a politician and her mom has serious connections, it makes sense.”

“I didn’t think anyone was watching my family. It’s… a strange feeling,” Saya admitted, unsure how to react.

“Who cares?” Rebecca shrugged. “The apartments are empty anyway. But there should be plenty of supplies there, including weapons.”

With those words, she stood up, put her phone in her pocket, and was ready to go.

Saya gave Rebecca’s carefree tone a look. She wanted to remind her that it wasn’t her family being watched, but this time, she chose to stay quiet. Rebecca, Saya, Rei, Saeko, Brunhilda, and Kiriko set off to the CIA’s safehouses to collect the supplies from there.

Alex didn’t even need to send GIR or MIMI with the girls to break into the doors—Rebecca handled it perfectly on her own. After getting into the Humvee, the girls drove off to the specified addresses.

Only Alice and Shizuka remained in the parking lot, observing Alex’s work. Alice, small but diligent, stood nearby, handing him tools. Meanwhile, Shizuka bombarded Alex with questions about what he was doing. Patiently answering her, Alex continued to focus on preparing everything necessary for the upcoming modifications.

The hours passed unnoticed. Various groups began returning from raids with supplies, and some even brought back new survivors. Seeing Alex working, they simply nodded in greeting and went inside. Takashi and Kota’s group also returned, bringing the parts Alex needed. Thanking them, he continued working at a steady pace.

Alice and Shizuka, deciding not to interrupt, went back inside to prepare dinner for the returning girls. After finishing the initial stages of the preparation, Alex sat down to rest in a chair, lit a cigarette, and began to think about which parts were still missing. He didn’t even notice when a coffee mug was placed next to him, and someone sat down in the chair beside him.

Turning his head, Alex saw Namiyo.

“Thank you, Miss Komuro,” he said with a smile, taking the mug into his hands.

“Just Namiyo,” the woman replied with a gentle smile. “Shizuka said you might need coffee, so I thought I’d bring it to you.”

Alex looked at her carefully. Her behavior gave away that she was worried about something. Sighing, he placed the mug on the table and, frowning slightly, decided to ask:

“What’s wrong, Namiyo? You look like you want to say something but are afraid to.”

Namiyo hesitated, her gaze nervously darting to the side. The past few days, she’d been increasingly worried about her son. She had heard that Takashi hadn’t been acting the best at first and was afraid he might be kicked out. Even though he had started changing, she couldn’t shake the worry for his future.

“I’m afraid you might kick Takashi out,” she finally confessed. “I heard about what he did, and I don’t want it to turn against him.”

Alex listened calmly, put out his cigarette, and spoke softly:

“Don’t worry. No one’s going to kick him out. He really is changing, and that’s a good thing. He just needs time to understand what’s happening in the world and learn to take responsibility. He’s been going out with Kota’s group to see things for himself. Before, he was just scared to accept reality—the fear of losing you held him back. Takashi cares about you more than you think, Namiyo. Support him so he feels confident. I’ll make sure he becomes stronger and can protect himself and his family.”

Alex’s words reassured Namiyo. She smiled gratefully, feeling that her son was in good hands.

Namiyo listened to Alex’s words and simply nodded, reflecting on his response. Her concern about Takashi being kicked out had eased slightly, but she still worried about his safety. Any mother in her place would have felt the same. On one hand, she was happy that her son was becoming more responsible, but on the other, she was troubled that this change only came after the world had descended into chaos.

“I just don’t know what to do,” she said quietly, raising her gaze to Alex. “I have no one left but Takashi. When those people you saved arrived, they said the bandits made women… provide… services for protection. Or they were thrown out. I thought…” She hesitated, looking away, “I thought I might do the same, to protect Takashi. Tell me, am I a bad woman for considering this?”

Alex looked at her carefully, trying to understand her feelings.

“It depends on your perspective,” he finally answered. “Parents often do a lot for their children. That doesn’t make you bad. On the contrary, your actions show how much you care for your son. But I don’t need that. I save people because I can, because I want to. No one asked me to do it. If you want to thank me, just cook something nice,” he added with a broad smile, trying to comfort her.

Namiyo relaxed a little, feeling the sincerity in his words.

“You’re a good person, Alex. You know, my husband was serious, always working, and rarely at home. Mostly, Takashi and I spent time together.”

Alex smirked.

“Don’t call me a good person. Good people don’t live long,” he joked, trying to make her laugh.

“Ha-ha, you’re right,” she smiled softly. “But maybe I can still do something for you? I really want to thank you. Not just for saving Takashi, but for helping us be together again.”

Alex thought for a moment, then answered seriously:

“Many men would agree to any request from a beautiful woman like you. But I’ve always valued the genuine feelings that lovers have for each other. It’s important to me to know that my partner loves only me. I don’t want anything temporary. If it’s mine, it’s only mine.”

His voice became firmer, and his eyes darkened for a moment, revealing a hidden obsession. Namiyo noticed it, but instead of fear, she felt a strange attraction. There was something hypnotic in his gaze that made her heart beat faster. She even caught herself feeling jealous of those who harbored mutual feelings for Alex.

In an instant, his eyes returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. Alex smiled, trying to ease the tension, and changed the subject to lighter topics. They continued talking, and Namiyo shared stories about her life.

Alex realized that she was a typical housewife—the kind every man dreams of, someone who brings care and comfort when he returns home. He couldn’t understand how her husband could ignore such a woman, dedicating all his time to work.

“Thank you, Alex,” Namiyo said, standing up from the chair. A light smile appeared on her face. “After talking to you, I feel better.”

“If you want to talk, I’m always here,” he said with a kind smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied, laughing sweetly, then made her way back into the building.

Alex watched Namiyo’s retreating figure and couldn’t help but grin. The thought of how Takashi would react if their relationship with Namiyo turned into something romantic amused him. He imagined Takashi indignantly exclaiming, realizing that Alex had become his “father” for the second time. Stifling a laugh, Alex returned to working on the bus.

MIMI and Stitch were working on one part of the task, while Alex and GIR were welding metal brackets to reinforce the vehicle. Alex considered installing a snowplow an essential step to ensure the bus could drive through crowds of zombies without getting stuck.

After some time, the girls returned, having searched all the nearby CIA safehouses.

“Look what we got, handsome! Christmas came early—now we’ve got more weapons,” Rebecca announced cheerfully as she jumped out of the Humvee.

“What did you find?” Alex asked, wiping his hands with a towel.

“Everything from grenades to assault rifles. In one apartment, we even found a machine gun! What do they need a machine gun for in a place where they’re supposed to be hiding?” Ray said with a smile.

Alex raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected them to find something like that. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over to the vehicle to check out the spoils. It turned out to be a heavy-duty machine gun, usually mounted on military Humvees. Surprised, Alex decided that such a weapon would definitely come in handy and carried it over to the bus.

“How’s it going? Made a lot of progress?” Saya asked, stopping next to Alex.

“We’ve just started,” he replied, lighting a cigarette. “It all comes down to the snowplow. I think tonight I’ll take GIR and MIMI, and we’ll head to the depot to find one.”

“You know there are zombies there, right?” Ray asked skeptically as she walked by.

“I know,” Alex nodded, smiling. “I’ll come up with something on the fly to distract them.”

Ray paused for a second, giving him a look as if trying to gauge how serious he was. But she didn’t comment, just slightly shook her head. Unlike her, Saya was intrigued by Alex’s plan. She was curious about what exactly he was going to do and thought it might be a good idea to learn from him how to make such improvised devices.

Alex, for his part, considered an alternative plan: instead of distracting the zombies, he decided to eliminate them all to prevent them from spreading out of the depot. He didn’t want this horde to cause trouble elsewhere.

Once all the supplies from the apartments had been moved, Alex and his team gathered on the roof to have dinner and enjoy the sunset. Namiyo joined them, wanting to get to know the others better. She and Kiriko sat next to each other, reminiscing about the past, while Alex enjoyed his meal.

Looking at the sunset, Alex thought about how the next day he’d have to head to the Takagi estate to talk to Saya’s parents.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep