When the warning about the impending airstrike on Tokyo came from the women in Alex’s group, those who wanted to witness it firsthand gathered on the ferry’s upper deck. Time dragged on unbearably, as if it had frozen, trying to delay the inevitable. However, instead of the expected mushroom-shaped explosion, an enormous dome-shaped vortex appeared over the city.

No one present had ever seen anything like it before. But Alex had encountered something similar—it reminded him of how the Umbrella Corporation in Resident Evil purged lost branches.

The officers and soldiers who had left Tokyo with Alex’s group now blamed themselves for not convincing their colleagues to leave with them. However, they understood that no one could have predicted the city would be struck in such a manner.

Alex silently watched as the dome gradually shrank until it completely disappeared. There was no need to guess—Tokyo had been wiped off the face of the earth. Everyone who remained there was gone forever. Surviving such an event was simply impossible.

Shifting his gaze to Rika, whose face reflected a mix of shock and sorrow, Alex placed a hand on her head in an attempt to offer some comfort. He knew his words had given her motivation and a goal—to fight against the Evil Corporation—but now was not the time. Among them were still people who couldn’t fight or defend themselves.

Taking a deep breath, Alex tore his gaze away from where Tokyo once stood. Gesturing for the women to follow, he headed toward the ferry’s control room. No one spoke a word. They had just witnessed an entire city being erased, and perhaps, there had been survivors who never got the chance to escape.

Curiosity gnawed at Alex. He opened his laptop and connected to a satellite hovering over Japan. The women, noticing his actions, gathered around, eagerly peering at the screen.

The satellite slowly adjusted, locking onto the necessary coordinates. A few moments later, a horrifying image appeared before them—where Tokyo had once stood, now gaped an enormous, impossibly deep crater. Nothing remained.

“It’s like the whole city was thrown into a blender and dumped somewhere else,” Yuriko muttered with a frown.

“I’ve never seen anything like this… Where did they get such a weapon? Such technology?” Koko furrowed her brows, trying to recall if she had ever come across anything similar.

The other women also tried to find comparisons, but nothing came to mind. They still struggled to comprehend the scale of destruction. If Alex hadn’t decided to leave Tokyo so early, they would have suffered the same fate.

Rebecca, however, was deep in thought… She had seen something like this before. Then suddenly, a realization struck her. She remembered! When Alex, disguised as Hashirama, fought Hades, he had used a technique strikingly similar to this vortex.

Suddenly, Rebecca clapped her fist into her palm, drawing everyone’s attention. All eyes, including Alex’s, turned to her in surprise.

“I remember where I’ve seen something like this!” she declared confidently, nodding with satisfaction.

Alex raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. He was curious himself as to where she could have encountered such a thing. The other women also looked at Rebecca with interest, finding it hard to believe she was familiar with something so devastating.

Brunhilde figured it out first but chose to stay silent, waiting for Rebecca to voice her thoughts.

“And where exactly did you see it? You won’t find something like this on the internet, let alone on the streets,” Saya adjusted her glasses, watching Rebecca expectantly.

“It looks like Alex’s technique. Something like… Rasen…” Rebecca mused. “That vortex and Alex’s technique are similar, only his was on a much smaller scale.”

She nodded in satisfaction, proud that she had solved the mystery.

Hearing Rebecca’s words, Alex realized she was right. The Rasenshuriken and the massive vortex that had destroyed Tokyo were indeed similar. Now, one thought lodged itself in his mind—what if he unleashed the Rasenshuriken on such an enormous scale? Could it annihilate not just a city, but an entire planet? Or perhaps even a galaxy?

Unintentionally, Alex let out a laugh—a sinister, villainous cackle, like that of an antagonist who had just devised a genius but catastrophic plan. His laughter immediately drew the attention of the girls, who stared at him in confusion before shifting their gazes to Brunhilde and Rebecca, silently seeking an explanation.

“Is he okay? Why did he suddenly start laughing like a villain?” Ray whispered, pointing at Alex.

“He’ll get over it soon,” Brunhilde sighed. “Right now, he’s thinking about how to wipe out an entire city with that technique… Honestly, you little green gremlin, why did you have to put that idea in his head?” She shot an accusatory look at Rebecca.

Rebecca simply grinned, laced her fingers behind her head, and started whistling, feigning complete innocence. That nearly made Brunhilde’s eye twitch—sometimes she genuinely wondered if she had ended up with the strangest family in the world. Her husband, Alex, was a chaotic, destructive force of nature who occasionally got the urge to blow things up… on an absurdly grand scale.

With a sigh, Brunhilde admitted—yes, love was a strange thing. But no matter how much she loved him, she would still find a way to distract him from leveling another city out of sheer curiosity.

Meanwhile, the other girls were still trying to figure out what technique Rebecca had been talking about and why it had suddenly made Alex consider causing a local apocalypse.

“Can someone explain what this technique is? I’m completely lost,” Ray asked.

“Alright,” Brunhilde said, adjusting her hair before beginning her explanation. “The technique is called Rasenshuriken. It’s an advanced version of a simpler technique. But, according to Alex, it’s forbidden because it harms not only the opponent but also the user.”

“Forbidden?” Kiriko repeated in surprise.

“Yes. If you want a visual comparison, it looks similar to the dome that just erased Tokyo—just on a smaller scale.”

The girls exchanged glances, but Saya, always the inquisitive one, decided to dig deeper.

“Why is it forbidden? How exactly does it harm the user?”

That question triggered a wave of curiosity, and soon, Brunhilde was bombarded with questions. The others joined in too—they were eager to learn more about this terrifying technique.

Meanwhile, Alex had snapped out of his destructive musings. He knew he would have a chance to test such levels of destruction eventually, but there was no need to rush.

Closing his laptop, he glanced at the girls, who were listening intently to Brunhilde’s explanations. For a brief moment, the thought of making Saya a shinobi crossed his mind, but he dismissed it almost immediately.

No, Saya was a genius, but she wasn’t a fighter. She would be better suited as a strategist—a commander who directed an army rather than fighting on the front lines herself. Her intelligence made her a natural at coordinating warriors rather than wielding a weapon herself.

“Have you finally stopped acting like a third-rate villain from an old movie?” Kiriko quipped, noticing Alex had closed his laptop.

“Villain? What do you mean? I’m the kindest, sweetest person ever,” Alex declared, resting his cheeks on his hands and putting on an innocent expression.

“Do you even believe that yourself?” Valmet asked tiredly, rolling her eyes.

“Of course not. Good people don’t live long,” Alex grinned.

Valmet just shook her head. If Alex wasn’t a good person, then what did that make her?

The others just rolled their eyes. No matter how hard Alex tried to play the villain, none of them actually saw him as one. No one forced him to save people, organize a group of survivors in the zombie apocalypse, or try to get everyone safely to Okinawa and then to Alaska.

Shizuka walked up to him and, without a word, hugged his head, gently pressing it against her ample chest.

“Yeah, yeah, of course, you’re a villain,” she chuckled, stroking his head affectionately.

Alex’s eye twitched slightly at what Shizuka was doing. He couldn’t understand why she was doing this or why she was talking about villains. He had never called himself one—he had simply said he didn’t consider himself a good person. Sighing, he pushed the thought aside and pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He still had to continue training his students… or rather, his cute little trainees.

Freeing himself slightly from Shizuka’s soft embrace, he glanced at the screen and realized it was time to start training.

“Saeko, Rei, Valmet, don’t forget you have training soon. That goes for you too, Brunhilde—you took on the responsibility of training the others,” Alex reminded them.

“I already held a training session while you were out, so my students are resting,” Brunhilde replied with a smile.

“Alright then,” he nodded.

Despite that, Alex wasn’t in a hurry to leave Shizuka’s embrace just yet. He liked the soft, cozy feeling, and as he buried his face back into her pillowy hills, he sighed, instantly losing all motivation to move or do anything.

At the same time, he started thinking that it was time to create another robot—finish the set and officially turn the trio of troublemakers into the “Death Watch.” Since all of his assistants—GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—resembled dogs in some way, the new robot should fit the theme as well. That thought settled in his mind, and Alex added a sketch of the new team member to his to-do list. Once they reached Okinawa, he would start working on the project.

The girls stared in confusion at Alex, who had just been talking about training but now looked completely content in Shizuka’s arms. Brunhilde let out a deep sigh—it seemed Alex had entered his lazy mode again. If no one shook him out of it, he’d procrastinate training for as long as possible.

She got up, walked over to him, and grabbed him by the scruff, yanking his face out of Shizuka’s chest.

“Enough cuddling, it’s time for you to train people. You took on this responsibility, so keep your word,” she said firmly, trying to pull him away.

“I’m not slacking off; I’m making plans. Thinking about the last member of GIR’s group,” Alex replied, rolling his eyes.

Hearing that Alex was planning to add to their ranks, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch immediately perked up. In an instant, the trio of troublemakers surrounded him, bombarding him with questions. Even the girls became curious about who he wanted to add.

Brunhilde felt tempted to peek into his thoughts but decided she could wait. Knowing Alex, he would spill everything soon enough. For now, she just mentally prepared herself for their already chaotic life to become even crazier.

“Dad, who is it? Who? Who?” MIMI asked impatiently, tugging at his face.

“It’s Secret. But once they arrive, you’ll officially be called the Death Watch,” Alex said with a grin, patting MIMI on the head.

The trio’s eyes instantly lit up with excitement. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch leaped off Alex and started spinning in circles, performing some sort of victory dance.

Alex watched the scene, satisfied with their reaction, while the girls exchanged puzzled looks.

“Who even is this Death Watch?” Rei finally asked, looking at Rebecca, who always seemed to have answers to these kinds of questions.

But Rebecca just shrugged, showing that she had no idea either.

All eyes then turned to Brunhilde—if anyone knew, it would be her. However, Brunhilde also shook her head, making it clear that this was just as much a mystery to her.

Alex had no intention of explaining who the Death Watch was, as there was no point in doing so yet. Pulling himself away from the soft refuge of Shizuka, he stood up, stretched, and motioned for Valmet, Saeko, and Rei to follow him for training. The other girls didn’t want to sit idly in the control room and decided to watch as well. Even the Troublemaker Trio, grabbing Alice by the hand, dragged her along—they seemed just as eager to attend the training session.

When Alex and his group stepped onto the deck, the trainees were already waiting.

“I thought you weren’t gonna show up…” R drawled, lazily resting his hands behind his head. “Maybe we can take the day off?”

“Not today,” Alex smirked, sitting down on a chair. “As my teacher once said: ‘You’ll rest when you’re dead. For now—one more lap.'”

“You had a weird teacher…” Mao shook his head.

“Maybe. But enough talk! Let’s pick up where we left off. It’s time to awaken your youthful power!” Alex declared enthusiastically, raising a finger.

Everyone attending training let out a heavy sigh. They had grown used to his strange phrases, but they were still unexpected every time. Alex, however, noticed a couple of new faces among the trainees—Jonah and Beatrix.

“Oh, we have newcomers! Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said with interest, shifting his gaze to them.

“Lord Samurai, I came to train so I can become a real samurai!” Beatrix declared, eyes blazing with determination.

“Got it, got it. Then stand next to Saeko, she’ll help and guide you. Since you want to be a samurai, you’ll have a special program.” Alex nodded toward Saeko before turning to Jonah. “And what about you? Wouldn’t it be better to rest or help your family settle in on the ferry?”

“The guys said your training will make me stronger,” Jonah replied calmly, meeting Alex’s gaze directly.

“Uh-huh… You guys, aren’t you ashamed of tricking Jonah like this?” Alex narrowed his eyes at Koko’s team. “Dragging him into this mess with you? Like, ‘if I suffer, others should too’?”

“Suffer? What do you mean?” R grinned. “He needs to embrace the power of youth too!”

Alex sighed, shaking his head before looking back at Jonah, confirming if he was sure about this decision. Jonah nodded firmly, stating that he was doing this to protect his family.

“Alright, have it your way,” Alex waved dismissively. “GIR, bring some weights for our newcomers.”

GIR immediately rushed off to fulfill the request, while Alex ordered everyone to start warming up. Just like last time, spectators began gathering on the deck, eager to see how his trainees would awaken their so-called “youthful power.”

“Hey, Alex, can I ask you something?” R spoke up while stretching. “That day when we escaped the airport, you suddenly vanished and reappeared on top of that giant zombie’s head… How did you do that? What kind of technique was that?”

After these words, everyone immediately turned their attention to Alex with obvious interest. Even those who had been with him in the Tokyo shelter wanted to know how he moved so quickly across the battlefield, almost as if he were teleporting through the zombie horde.

“Actually, I planned to explain this when we reach Okinawa,” Alex answered casually, stretching. “After you’ve at least awakened a bit of your youthful energy… But oh well. I’ll show you a couple of techniques.”

“A couple?” Saya raised an eyebrow. “You mean there’s more than one?”

“Of course,” Alex scoffed. “There are dozens of movement techniques. I can’t even be bothered to list them all… But I’ll show you three that I use most often.”

With those words, he suddenly grabbed Saya by the nose, making her let out an annoyed squeak.

Saya swatted his hand away and crossed her arms over her chest, demanding that he demonstrate the three movement techniques as promised. Alex just smirked and took a few steps back, preparing for the demonstration. Honestly, he wasn’t in the mood to move much right now, but since they asked, why not? After all, this was something he planned to teach them in the future anyway.

“First, the basic technique. Shinobi use it, and it’s called Shunshin, or the Body Flicker Technique,” Alex said, and in the next instant, he was gone.

Everyone watching immediately started looking around frantically, trying to spot him.

“It’s mainly used to confuse an enemy or escape quickly. If you master it well, you won’t leave a single trace of movement behind,” Alex’s voice echoed.

When everyone looked up, they were shocked to see him standing upside down—right on the mast.

“Wait… Are you seriously standing on the mast upside down?!” R pointed at him in disbelief.

“Exactly,” Alex confirmed calmly. “But that’s not the point right now. While you finish warming up, I’ll show you two more techniques. Then, once we reach Okinawa, we’ll begin full-fledged training.”

With that, he effortlessly dropped down and landed back in his original spot.

For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted. If the Imperium plan didn’t work out, he could always usher in a new era—an era of shinobi villages. Though, of course, that would inevitably lead to new wars. People always find a reason to fight, and that was unavoidable.

“What technique are you showing next?” Koko asked eagerly, bouncing in place like a child waiting for a surprise.

“The next one is called ‘Hoho,’ or ‘Stride.’ Call it whatever you prefer. It’s a more advanced technique because it can be used in combat,” Alex explained, moving on to the next demonstration.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and reappeared right behind R, who had just finished warming up. The man felt a strange chill down his spine and quickly turned around, only to find Alex standing next to him, pointing a finger right at his face.

R quickly stepped back.

“As you can see, this technique is excellent for closing the distance with an opponent. But mastery level makes all the difference—you can achieve much more,” Alex explained, vanishing and reappearing in his original spot.

“How much more? What else can you do besides closing the distance?” Valmet asked, watching him intently.

A thought was already forming in her mind—mastering this technique could be extremely useful, especially since she preferred fighting with knives. Alex motioned for her to step closer, preparing to demonstrate what else ‘Stride’ was capable of.

He, of course, didn’t mention that this technique was primarily used by Shinigami from another universe.

Without any unnecessary questions, Valmet approached him, while everyone else watched curiously, eager to see what would happen next. Even the sudden appearance of GIR, who had brought weighted wristbands, went almost unnoticed.

The robo-dog swiftly attached them to Beatrix and Jonah’s wrists while they were too focused on Alex to react. They only realized what had happened a moment later when the weights were already secured. However, deciding not to get distracted, they turned their attention back to him.

And then—he vanished.

Images of Alex flickered around Valmet, surrounding her from all sides. His movements were chaotic and unpredictable, like mirages, making it impossible to tell where the real one was.

“If you master this technique to perfection, you can confuse your enemy just like this,” Alex’s voice echoed from all directions at once.

The onlookers desperately tried to pinpoint his real position, but it was futile. Their expressions spoke volumes—they couldn’t find him.

Alex smirked. Now it was time to move on to the third technique.

A moment later, he stopped, reappearing behind Valmet. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he wrapped an arm around her waist. She simply rolled her eyes, already used to Alex finding every opportunity to hug her.

The guys watching exchanged knowing looks, then, as if on cue, all gave Alex a thumbs-up. An idea instantly formed in their heads—if they could master this technique, they could sneak up on girls they liked and hug them unnoticed. Their eyes lit up with enthusiasm as they imagined all the ways they could use this skill.

“What’s the last technique?” Saya asked, crossing her arms. “You’ve shown us two so far: one for escaping and one for confusing the enemy. Logically, the third should be for high-speed movement. Am I right?”

Alex paused, looking at her in surprise. Even Brunhilde cast an intrigued glance at Saya, mentally noting her ability to analyze information. The thought of passing down some of her wisdom and teaching the girl tactical thinking briefly crossed her mind.

Alex grinned, nodding approvingly, and gave Saya a thumbs-up. She smirked in satisfaction, pleased that she had guessed correctly.

A silence settled over the deck. The others were beginning to realize that Alex wasn’t just demonstrating random movement techniques—he was showcasing specific ones: one for retreat, one for combat, and one for rapid travel. Now, it was time for the final skill.

Some of those who had previously refused Alex’s training started reconsidering their decision. However, remembering the exhausted state of those who had trained with him on the first day, they quickly dismissed the idea. No one wanted to end up like a “dead dog” after a brutal session.

“Saya is right,” Alex confirmed. “The last technique is meant for movement. It’s called Shunpo. I’ll show you two variations: ‘Cling to the Ground’ and ‘Cling to the Sky.'”

He paused, letting them process the information before continuing.

“The essence of this technique is to cover distance in as few steps as possible. Simply put, you need to get from point A to point B using minimal movement. The first stage is fairly simple, but the last two require considerable effort, especially the final one.”

Alex released Valmet from his embrace and stepped back to create enough space for the demonstration.

Taking a single step, he instantly appeared ahead, then took another and changed positions again. His movements were so fast that tracking him with the naked eye was difficult. However, he deliberately left marks on the deck so the others could follow his trajectory.

The most observant ones noticed first and pointed it out to the rest. Those who hadn’t yet grasped the technique’s principle started focusing on the marks, trying to understand how exactly Alex was moving.

Having finished the demonstration, Alex returned to Valmet, once again wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“You only showed the first stage. What about the second one, the one related to the sky?” Toji asked, adjusting his glasses.

To him, these techniques resembled moves from martial arts manga. He even found himself wondering if Alex could demonstrate Goku’s famous technique. Deciding to ask about it later when the moment was right, Toji fell silent and continued observing.

“Ah, right,” Alex recalled. “The second stage, as I mentioned, is called ‘Cling to the Sky.’ Its essence lies in overcoming obstacles. While the first stage is about straightforward movement, the second allows you to climb buildings and other heights effortlessly.”

With that, he prepared for the next demonstration.

Alex decided to use the ship’s mast as an example. Taking a step back, he vanished from his spot and, in the blink of an eye, appeared at the very top. Those who had already learned to follow his footprints on the ground now searched for traces on the mast. To their surprise, they found a trail of footprints leading upward. Now it became clear what Alex meant by calling the second stage ‘ Cling to the Sky.’

However, he kept one crucial detail to himself—the technique also allowed him to push off the air itself. But it was too early to reveal that. Mastering even one stage of Shunpo would already require significant time and effort.

Without lingering, Alex leaped off the mast and landed on the deck with the grace of a predator. Applause erupted around him, but instead of feeling pride, he merely frowned. This felt more like a street performance than a training session. However, his thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected scene—Alice had seemingly already befriended Malka, Jonah’s friend.

Alex curiously glanced at the girls, involuntarily wondering about the nature of Malka and Jonah’s relationship.

“Well then, the demonstration is over! Now it’s time to make your youthful strength burn like a blazing flame!” he declared with a grin, raising a finger to the sky.

A collective sigh followed—everyone understood that training was inevitable. R, more than anyone, was growing nervous. He kept sneaking glances at GIR, who seemed fully absorbed in playing with Mimi, Stitch, Alice, and Malka. Seeing that the robo-dog was paying him no attention, R relaxed a little.

Alex sat down on a chair next to the girls, who had chosen to watch rather than participate in the training. Those who had come just for entertainment wisely left, not wanting to get in the way. At that moment, Alice tugged at Alex’s sleeve, asking for a console for Malka.

He simply smirked, gently ruffling the girl’s hair. After all, besides Malka, there were other children from Jonah’s family who also wanted to have fun.

“Let’s hook up the console to the TV,” Alex suggested.

Alice nodded excitedly, and Alex immediately asked GIR to bring over a screen they hadn’t yet dismantled for parts. GIR nodded and went off with Stitch to retrieve it.

Making sure the kids were occupied, Alex turned his attention back to his trainees.

“Saeko, train Beatrix. She wants to become a samurai, and you’re the best one for the job,” he instructed.

Saeko nodded and led Beatrix away. Meanwhile, Alex once again set out to awaken the “power of youth” in the remaining students.

Just like last time, an hour later, everyone was sprawled out on the deck, looking like exhausted dogs. But Alex noticed something interesting—Takashi was pushing himself harder than usual. He was desperately trying to stand up, even though his body was no longer responding.

Alex followed his gaze and immediately understood the reason. Takashi was looking at Jonah. A competitive fire burned in his eyes—since he and Jonah were nearly the same age, it gave him the motivation not to fall behind.

Alex nodded, pleased to see that competition was an excellent motivator. After giving the students a short break, he resumed their training. The only one who refused to falter was Koko—she kept encouraging her team by calling them weaklings. Namiyo, on the other hand, simply watched her son with a warm smile, understanding his desire to become stronger.

When the training session finally ended, Alex approached Valmet, Rei, and Saeko, effortlessly scooped them up into his arms, and carried them back. At that moment, he noticed Beatrix lying nearby.

“Damn, what am I supposed to do with her now?”

Alex glanced around for help. His eyes landed on Brunhilde. Unfortunately, she misunderstood his intent.

Without a word, Brunhilde picked up Beatrix and silently followed after him.

When he laid the girls down on the mattresses, he turned around and found Brunhilde standing beside Beatrix.

Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Uh… why did you bring her?”

Shrugging, he decided not to overthink it. That would be a problem for his “future self.” Right now, all he wanted was to drink something warm and enjoy a movie with the girls.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep