The ferry slowly made its way toward Okinawa. As soon as the vessel left the port of Tanegashima, Alex, holding Saya in his arms, instantly fell asleep. However, he didn’t even notice when Rebecca and Coco joined them. The other girls, seeing that Alex was sound asleep, surrounded by three beauties, decided not to disturb them and went about their own business.

But over time, the temptation to join them grew stronger. They enviously watched as Alex and the girls peacefully dozed off, unable to shake the thought that they also wanted to be in his embrace. Whispering among themselves, they discussed the situation until a sudden giggle from Rei drew everyone’s attention.

“What is it?” Kiriko whispered.

Rei, barely holding back her laughter, silently pointed at Saya. The girl, smiling in her sleep, clung tightly to Alex, looking utterly content.

Yuriko, seeing her daughter with such an expression, simply shook her head. The others continued discussing their plans for Okinawa and the journey to Alaska. No one except Brunhilde knew exactly what Alex had in mind, so all questions were directed at her.

Brunhilde sighed and began explaining Alex’s plans, at least as much as she knew. But her explanation was interrupted by a strange squelching sound.

Turning toward the source of the noise, the girls saw an unexpected yet painfully familiar sight—Rebecca, comfortably nestled on Alex, was sleepily chewing on his face.

Trying not to laugh out loud and wake the others, the girls exchanged knowing glances. This wasn’t the first time, yet they were always amazed at how Alex managed to sleep through it.

“Does he not feel that at all?” Valmet whispered.

“He’s used to it,” Brunhilde shrugged. “Doesn’t even react.”

Evening gradually fell, and Alex, Saya, Coco, and Rebecca were still peacefully sleeping. The control room was nearly empty—aside from them, only Namiyo remained, having taken over steering the ferry so that GIR, Stitch, and MIMI could play with the children.

Yuriko and Kiriko sat by the window, enjoying the sea breeze and having a leisurely conversation.

Soon, Rei and Rika returned to the control room, giggling like two schoolgirls.

“Keep it down, don’t wake Alex,” Namiyo tried to warn them, but it was too late.

From the area where Alex was lying came a muffled groan, like that of a waking zombie.

Rei and Rika froze immediately, realizing their mistake, and shot guilty looks at Namiyo, who could only sigh heavily.

But before she could say anything, Renka, Miu, and Kisara appeared behind the girls.

Meanwhile, Alex was beginning to wake up, instantly feeling the familiar pressure of teeth on his face. Without opening his eyes, he carefully pried Rebecca off and slowly sat up.

His gaze was still dazed and sleepy as he tried to process what was happening and where he was. Scanning the control room, he finally noticed Rei and Rika’s guilty expressions.

On the other hand, Renka, Miu, and Kisara involuntarily flinched under his groggy, slightly irritated gaze.

Yuriko, noticing this, got up from her seat and approached Alex.

“Darling, let me help you. Your look, as always, is scaring everyone,” she said with a gentle smile.

Alex instinctively nodded, still not fully awake.

Yuriko lightly massaged his face, hoping it would help him look less intimidating. As she did, Alex noticed the new girls in the control room and wondered what they wanted from him.

But what intrigued him even more—why hadn’t Hayato and Kensei broken through the window yet, screaming and making a dramatic entrance like FBI agents?

Yuriko, having finished the massage, assessed the results, made sure that Alex now looked less intimidating, and, satisfied, gave him a quick peck on the cheek before returning to her seat.

Alex took a deep breath, still feeling the heaviness of sleep, and muttered,

“What’s with all the noise this early in the morning…?”

Rei looked at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s evening, actually.”

Alex rolled his eyes tiredly.

“It’s morning when I wake up. It’s night when I fall asleep.”

He simply rolled his eyes again and glanced at Rei. Waving his hand, he made it clear that he was waiting for an answer—he couldn’t care less what time it was. Seeing that Alex wasn’t going to continue this discussion, Rei remembered why she had been laughing with Rika, and her eyes sparkled with amusement again. Unable to hold back, she burst into laughter once more.

Her laughter started to wake up Saya, Coco, and Rebecca, who looked at Rei as if they were ready to kill.

“So, what’s so funny? Did something happen while I was asleep?” Alex asked, trying not to yawn.

“Pfft… You won’t believe what we just saw!” Rei said between giggles, trying to catch her breath.

Alex looked at her attentively. Now he was genuinely curious about what he had missed. Even Coco, Saya, and Rebecca, who had just been glaring at Rei for waking them up, were now staring at her, waiting for the story. The others were also intrigued—Namiyo, Kiriko, and Yuriko were watching Rei, clearly wanting to know what had amused her so much.

“So, I saw Takashi…” Rei began, struggling to contain another fit of laughter. “And it looks like he actually managed to hit it off with that girl in pink!”

“And?” Alex asked impatiently.

“Oh god, it was a total disaster! It felt like he was trained by that guy, R… It was so bad, it could have been its own TV show!” she laughed.

“Yeah,” Rika chimed in, barely holding back her own laughter. “I haven’t seen such an embarrassing attempt in ages. And then, all those girls who call themselves the Valkyries started chasing him! At one point, I seriously thought they were going to throw him overboard!”

Alex raised an eyebrow. He wanted more details. And, judging by the looks around him, he wasn’t the only one. Even Namiyo was curious about what her son had said or done to make an entire group of girls hunt him down.

Hearing the name “R,” Alex immediately understood that asking that guy for advice was the same as shooting yourself in the foot and expecting to gain superpowers from it.

When Rei and Rika finished their story, Alex could only shake his head with a crooked smile. In the end, the guy had brought it upon himself. But considering the fact that the girls hadn’t drowned him, things probably didn’t turn out too badly. For a moment, Alex even wondered—could Takashi have activated his “harem protagonist ability,” and now the Valkyries would start orbiting around him? The corner of his mouth twitched at the thought.

The other girls couldn’t hold back either and burst into laughter, regretting that they hadn’t witnessed it firsthand.

Namiyo, though slightly concerned for her son, understood that these kinds of situations were something he’d have to deal with.

Alex then shifted his gaze to the three newly arrived girls.

“And what brings you three here?” he asked, looking at Miu, Renka, and Kisara.

“I wanted to ask about training and didn’t know you were sleeping,” Renka answered.

Alex nodded, not really sure what more there was to ask since he had already explained everything. His eyes then fell on Miu and Kisara.

“I came for the same reason as Renka,” Kisara said.

Alex turned his gaze to Miu and slightly raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t she supposed to be somewhere near Kenichi, fending off yet another group of girls?

“I just came along for the company,” Miu replied with a sweet smile.

Alex sighed.

“Alright. Give me a couple of minutes to wake up, and we’ll talk,” he said, yawning.

The three girls nodded, allowing Alex to fully wake up. However, they didn’t plan on leaving, which didn’t escape the notice of the girls close to him. As for Alex, at the moment, he wasn’t really thinking about whether Miu, Renka, and Kisara would stay in the control room or leave. The only thing on his mind right now was a cup of strong coffee and something sweet to snack on.

After pouring himself some coffee and grabbing a plate of cookies, Alex first offered the treats to the girls, suggesting they take some as well. Kisara, being a person without any inhibitions, grabbed a cookie first and immediately began eating it. Renka followed her example, taking a cookie and starting to chew without even saying thank you.

Only Miu, like an angel in the flesh, with a slight smile, quietly said “thank you” and carefully took the treat. Alex nodded in response and returned to his usual morning ritual—contemplating his coffee cup thoughtfully.

However, his attention was drawn to another question: what had Kiriko been talking about with Renka and Miu, since those two had decided to leave Kenichi to the mercy of the girls who were sticking to him? Alex glanced at Kiriko, hoping to get answers.

She noticed his gaze and, accurately guessing what he wanted to ask, gave a subtle gesture to indicate that everything was fine and the conversation had gone as expected. Alex didn’t press the issue, simply shaking his head, thinking that Kenichi was to blame for the situation he found himself in.

After finishing his coffee, he gestured for the girls to follow him, but unexpectedly, Saya tagged along. She was squinting at the three girls, and Alex, noticing this, was slightly surprised. It seemed that Saya was starting to feel jealous. Picking up on this, he extended his hand and gently patted her on the head.

The girl flinched at his touch, then lifted her gaze. Seeing his calm smile, she immediately realized that Alex had figured out the reason for her behavior, and she blushed slightly. Alex simply chuckled quietly at her reaction, not saying a word.

As soon as he stepped out of the control room, he immediately felt two hostile glares on him. Alex turned in their direction and saw Kensay and Hayato glaring at him, their faces marked by dark lines of irritation.

Brushing off the disapproving glares of the two overprotective relatives, Alex continued on his way, leading the girls behind him. As he walked across the deck, he accidentally spotted Takashi, who was surrounded by girls from the Valkyrie group.

Feeling a gaze on him, Takashi turned and locked eyes with Alex. Seeing the amused expression on his face, Takashi’s face visibly sank, already realizing that Alex would definitely make fun of him in the future.

Stopping from teasing his “unfortunate” son with a glance, Alex led the girls away from prying eyes and sat on the railing. Saya approached him and gently leaned against him. Even though she knew there was no reason for jealousy, she couldn’t help but feel it. Alex simply smiled and, taking out a cigarette, lit it.

“So, what did you want to talk about? Is it something about the training, or something related to it?” he asked, glancing at the three girls.

“I’ve just been having trouble during training, and I can’t figure out why,” Renka admitted.Kisara also nodded, confirming Renka’s words. Alex sighed and asked them to show him exactly what the problem was.

Renka was the first to demonstrate her skills, showing her movements and explaining how she understood them. Alex watched her closely, noting that the girl did indeed have a talent for mastering Chi-Yu. However, he also noticed that her movements seemed a bit stiff, as if she was tensing up more than necessary. After finishing his observation, Alex understood the issue and gestured for Renka to stop.

“In short, your problem with mastering Chi-Yu is that you’re trying too hard,” he said, addressing both girls. “Simply put, you want to learn as quickly as possible and ignore the most important aspect of training. Most likely, Kisara has the same issue.”

“And what is the main aspect?” Renka slightly tilted her head, listening carefully.

“You both need to learn to relax,” Alex explained. “It seems like you’re constantly thinking about training and not giving yourselves a break. Find something that helps you distract yourselves and recover your energy.”

“How do you relax?” Kisara asked, hoping for some good advice.

“Unlike you and other fighters, I don’t need to go through some stages of learning,” Alex shrugged. “As for rest… I either watch something to pass the time or work on my projects. Or I spend time with the girls: hugs, kisses, all that. But if you’re looking for something simpler, I’d recommend taking a hot shower after training and trying not to think about martial arts. Just lie down, look at the sky, watch the sunset. For example, when I can’t sleep, I watch the stars — it calms me down.”

“So, you’re suggesting taking a hot shower, lying down, and relaxing, or finding something to distract you?” Kisara asked, frowning.

“Exactly. Spend time with friends, chat with them, read manga or a book — anything that helps you relax. Don’t think about training 24/7. Your journey is just beginning, everything in its time. At one point, you’ll reach the end, but don’t try to run before you’ve even learned to walk,” Alex added, raising his finger as though giving wise advice.

Miu, Renka, and Kisara looked at him, and it even seemed like a golden halo appeared behind him. In reality, it was just the light of the setting sun illuminating Alex from behind. He smiled, noticing how the girls were contemplating his words, and was glad that they might slow down a little with the training.

Alex knew that Renka’s desire to become stronger was linked to her drive to surpass Miu and take Kenichi away from her. As for Kisara, it was simpler—her old excitement had reawakened, along with the desire to prove that girls could be just as strong as men.

Alex continued the casual conversation with the girls, passing the time. He answered their questions, but most of the conversation was filled by Saya, who was actively bragging about how great Alex was. He didn’t even know whether to laugh or cry at that moment—he couldn’t have imagined that Saya would be so jealous and try to assert her superiority over the others.

All this time, Alex felt the hostile gazes of two people upon him. Turning around, he locked eyes with Hayato and Kensei, who didn’t even try to hide their animosity. Both were clearly displeased by how close Alex was to their granddaughter and daughter.

Alex even thought that these two hadn’t blinked once the entire time.

Kensei knew that he couldn’t do anything, as it would only provoke more dissatisfaction from his daughter. Hayato, on the other hand, simply didn’t want Miu to get hurt. However, seeing her happy smile during the conversation with Alex, the old man slightly calmed down… but he still didn’t stop watching him closely.

Alex was chatting with the girls but noticed that Miu’s face had slightly furrowed. She was looking in a particular direction with obvious irritation.

Following her gaze, Alex simply sighed.

The masters of Ryozanpaku had begun training Kenichi, and a small crowd of girls had gathered around him, supporting him.

Renka also noticed that Miu’s mood had soured. Looking in the same direction, she saw the girls clustered around Kenichi, and her expression immediately changed. If Alex hadn’t stopped her, she would have most likely rushed over there to teach the boy a lesson… and at the same time, deal with his “fans.”

“Let me go, I’ll teach that thick-headed idiot a lesson!” Renka said indignantly, trying to break free from Alex’s grip.

“Leave him,” he replied calmly. “Haven’t you heard the saying? ‘While we have something, we don’t appreciate it, but when we lose it, we realize how important it was.’ Let everything run its course. Your actions will only make things worse.”

After hearing Alex’s advice, Renka calmed down a little, but the grinding of her teeth was still clearly audible. Alex shook his head, watching Kenichi’s actions. He just couldn’t understand how someone could be so awful as to push away someone they liked.

Miu was also watching Kenichi and sighed heavily. She used to admire his kindness and selfless nature, but now she realized that in the current world, such kindness could be a double-edged sword.

“Why do you think things will only get worse?” Kisara lazily asked, sitting on the railing.

Alex just grunted: “One doesn’t need to look far to understand how Kenichi will act. Take Miu, for example. If she approaches him, hints that he should get rid of those girls, and says they’re just using him, he’ll immediately start giving his good-natured lecture, saying things like ‘don’t fight’ and ‘they’re not at fault.’ In the end, I made sure that conversation didn’t happen. Because those words would definitely push her away.”

“He’s right. Even a fool would realize that this Kenichi is a spineless idiot. And I’m not the only one who thinks so,” Saya snorted, leaning on Alex’s shoulder.

“Is Kenichi really that bad with his character?” Miu quietly asked, her face reflecting confusion.

Alex sighed heavily and gently placed his hand on her head. Honestly, he didn’t want to get involved in this school drama, but seeing such a kind girl like Miu suffering didn’t sit well with him either. He began to slowly stroke her head, trying to calm her down.

At that moment, he felt a slightly hostile gaze. Looking up, Alex met Hayato’s eyes, who was watching him closely. However, the old man just sighed and nodded slightly, as if agreeing. Hayato had been listening to their conversation the whole time and understood perfectly why his granddaughter was upset. He could have intervened, but he knew it wouldn’t change anything. Miu had to go through this herself.

Alex didn’t know how else to comfort her, so he just continued stroking her head. Sometimes even the best advice doesn’t help in such situations. After a while, Miu felt a bit better and gave a faint smile. While her smile was a bit forced, she no longer wanted to dwell on unpleasant thoughts and decided to think it over later.

The days on the ferry passed by unnoticed, and now the ship was approaching Okinawa. The sunlight pleasantly warmed the skin, and a light breeze brought the scent of the sea. Alex was sitting on a lounge chair, and Shizuka was comfortably settled next to him, smiling contentedly. A little further away, Miu was sitting in a chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Alex was watching Alice, Honoki, and Malka train. Along with them were G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch—apparently, they had also decided to undergo training in the style of ninjas.

Not far from them, Renka and Kisara were diligently practicing their skills. The girls had followed Alex’s advice and found activities that helped them relax and take their minds off the everyday training.

Alex himself started to get bored just watching the others. He felt like doing something to occupy himself. He sat Shizuka down in front of him, and before she even had time to realize what was happening, he smirked and began to change her hairstyle.

“Hey, what are you doing?” she asked, slightly surprised, but seeing Alex’s sly smile, she just quietly laughed and allowed him to play with her hair.

When he was done, Alex proudly inspected his creation and declared, “Now you’re a palm tree.”

Shizuka froze for a second, then puffed her cheeks, shook her head, and… realized that Alex had indeed styled her hair to look like a palm tree.

The people around them saw her new look and couldn’t hold back their laughter.

“Pff… Shizuka, didn’t expect you to turn into a palm tree. Ha-ha, but it suits you,” Rika said, laughing.

“Rika, don’t laugh!” Shizuka protested, puffing her lips in annoyance. “Or I’ll ask Alex to give you the same hairstyle, and then we’ll both be palm trees!”

Laughter from friends, the warm sea breeze, and the gentle sun… Alex enjoyed this moment, realizing that such carefree days were a rare luxury for some people.

Rika imagined herself with the same hairstyle and quickly shook her head, clearly not wanting to become a palm tree. Alex smirked, watching her reaction, but Shizuka wasn’t in the mood for laughing. Standing up from her lounge chair, she rushed to chase after her friend.

“Rika, come back!” Shizuka shouted indignantly.

“Ahh! The palm tree is chasing me!” Rika teased, laughing as she weaved around the deck.

Alex watched their fun with a smile before turning his gaze to Miu, who was also quietly laughing, watching the girls run around the deck. He didn’t know what her relationship with Kenichi was like now, but one thing was clear—Miu was gradually distancing herself from him. And Kenichi, in his eternal slowness, didn’t even notice it. The same situation applied to Renka. In the past few days, Alex had seen that their relationship hadn’t just stalled; it had even taken a step backward.

“Well, Miu, want a new hairstyle too?” Alex asked with a smile.

“Just not a palm tree,” she laughed.

“Don’t worry, I have plenty of experience. Rebecca can vouch for me—I sometimes change her hairstyles.”

He nodded toward the girl, who was lazily lounging on a deck chair.

“Trust his hands, girl. You won’t regret it,” Rebecca drawled, lazily lifting her sunglasses.

Miu smiled and sat down in front of Alex, allowing him to work on her hair. He thought about what hairstyle to give her. Hayato, as always, was somewhere nearby, glaring at him with hostility, but Alex was already used to it. Whistling a tune, he began to braid Miu’s hair.

Renka, who had been training nearby, noticed this and slightly squinted. A hint of jealousy flashed in her gaze. She felt like she was losing to Miu again, even in something as trivial as this. Alex didn’t notice her look, but the other girls did. They exchanged glances and looked at him suspiciously. Feeling the weight of their persistent gazes, Alex turned his head and gave them a questioning look.

“Alex, I’ve been wanting to ask… Why do some people say you’re like a character from a manga? Like, the main protagonist and everything?” Kisara suddenly asked, sitting in a split.

Alex choked on air. He hadn’t expected this information to spread among the survivors. It wasn’t his fault that in this world, he really was a manga character—his name, surname, appearance, everything was identical. He’d been doing everything he could to avoid this topic, not even trying to read that very manga to avoid reminding himself about it. But, apparently, someone had brought it up again.

The girls burst out laughing at his reaction, while Kisara tilted her head slightly, puzzled by what had amused them so much.

“My brother is the super-cool Demon King!” Alice proudly declared with a wide smile.

“What do you mean by ‘Demon King’?” Renka asked, her gaze shifting to Alex.

Sighing, he took out his phone from his pocket and pulled up an image, so the girls could see for themselves.

Kisara and Renka leaned closer, and Miu also bent down to look at the screen. After a few seconds, all three girls widened their eyes.

“Now this is really weird…” Kisara muttered.

“Tell me about it,” Renka nodded. “Hair color, eye color, even the name is the same. It’s like you ran off the pages of a manga.”

“Now I get why everyone on the ferry says you’re the ‘manga guy,'” Miu giggled.

Alex just sighed as Honoka and Malka approached, curious as well. They had heard from Alice before that Alex resembled a manga character. The two young girls came closer to get a look but didn’t have enough space.

Noticing this, Alex moved his phone closer to Honoka and Malka so they could peek. The girls shifted their gaze from the screen to Alex, repeating this a few times until their eyes sparkled as if they had seen a living idol. Alice, on the other hand, proudly puffed her chest, clearly enjoying the moment.

Honoka noticed her smug expression and, without a second thought, pounced on her, starting to tickle her. While the girls played, Alex tried to put the phone back in his pocket, but before he could, someone skillfully grabbed it from his hands.

It turned out that a group of masters from Ryozanpaku had joined the group. They stared at the screen with interest before shifting their gaze to Alex. Nodding, they compared the manga character to the real person and… couldn’t find any differences.

“But that’s not all. Give me back the phone, and I’ll show you something else,” Alex said, extending his hand.

Sasaki returned the gadget, intrigued by what Alex was going to show next. Miu, Renka, and Kisara were also eagerly waiting for more. Deciding to have a little fun, Alex displayed an image of Rebecca from the anime on the screen.

As soon as the image appeared, everyone around froze. They stared at the screen in shock, then slowly shifted their gaze to Rebecca, who was lazily lounging on a deck chair nearby.

“You’ve got to be kidding me… This is too funny to be a coincidence,” Sasaki muttered, still not believing his eyes.

“Hair color, tattoos, even the personality! It’s like the same person!” Renka exclaimed, not taking her eyes off Rebecca.

“Indeed, an incredible coincidence…” added Akisame, in mild shock.

Rebecca, hearing the noise disturbing her rest, rolled onto her side to see what was happening. Upon opening her eyes, she immediately noticed everyone staring at her and discussing something.

Alex silently pointed at his phone, indicating the reason for their intense attention. Rebecca rolled her eyes—she was tired of these reactions. Every time it was the same: someone starts crying and rejoicing that she’s “alive.” If it weren’t for Alex, she would have already knocked out a couple of particularly emotional idiots.

Wanting to continue the fun, Alex displayed Brunhild from the manga on the screen.

At that moment, everyone lost the ability to speak. Three out of three.

If this weren’t the real world, everyone would think that Alex, Rebecca, and Brunhild had escaped from the pages of a manga.

At just that moment, Brunhild emerged from the control room, preparing to inform everyone that they were approaching Okinawa and it was time to get ready. But as soon as she appeared, dozens of gazes fixed on her.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Alex, surrounded by a crowd of people awaiting an explanation.

Without saying a word, Alex showed her the phone screen.

Brunhild sighed in irritation.

“I see you’re having fun. But I came to say we’re approaching Okinawa. We’ll be within the city in about ten minutes. So, let everyone know to prepare,” she said dryly, not even bothering to explain why she looked like her manga counterpart.

Hearing that they would be arriving soon, Alex quickly put the phone back in his pocket and walked over to the railing. Peering over the edge, he saw the approaching Okinawa shoreline.

A satisfied smile spread across his face—finally, they had reached the next checkpoint.

But what Alex was most looking forward to was the moment when he would see the huge aircraft carrier and install new, cool, and dangerous guns on it.

He was practically trembling with excitement, gripping the railing tightly.

“Why is he so happy?” Renka asked, glancing at Brunhild.

“He can’t wait to see the aircraft carrier,” she smirked. “He has so many plans that I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to make it fly.”

“Are you kidding? How can you make a huge ship like that fly?” Kisara asked, surprised.

Saya, adjusting her glasses, calmly replied:

“You see little robots on the ship every day, robots that are smarter than any human and incredibly dangerous. And you’re only surprised that Alex could make the aircraft carrier fly?”

After her words, Miu, Renka, and Kisara fell silent, not knowing how to respond.

They couldn’t refute it.

If it weren’t for the strange appearance of GIR and MIMI, they could have been mistaken for regular dogs. Their childlike behavior only added to the impression that they were two kids dressed in old-fashioned costumes.

Alex watched as Okinawa Island came closer and closer.

But his interest wasn’t just in Okinawa itself—it was in the situation in the city, particularly around the military base.

What had happened to the group of survivors that had settled there? What was the condition of the aircraft carrier?

If it was fine, great. If not… Alex would just lie and say everything was okay, then fix it with magic.

Unless the aircraft carrier was in a completely disastrous state.

To be continued…

+3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep