When Alex woke up the next day, the first thing he did was prepare breakfast for the girls. The previous evening had ended not only with a series marathon but also another “attack” on him, after which he had to put in a lot of effort to make sure everyone was satisfied and could sleep peacefully. Because of this, he was sure the girls wouldn’t wake up anytime soon—their nighttime “activities” had clearly exhausted them.

At times like these, Alex was especially grateful for his inhuman stamina, realizing that without it, they would have “drained” him long ago.

As he busied himself in the kitchen, a sleepy Alice stumbled into the room. Her hair looked like a real bird’s nest, and she seemed ready to collapse onto the table and fall asleep right then and there. Smiling, Alex handed her breakfast to help her wake up a little.

Watching Alice eat slowly with a sleepy expression, Alex couldn’t help but feel proud of this young girl. She was always incredibly hardworking and gave it her all during training. The same could be said for Honoka and Malka—they didn’t want to fall behind Alice, which had led to an unspoken rivalry among the three girls.

Finishing the cooking, Alex carefully set the plates on the table and covered the food so it wouldn’t get cold, then went to gather his things. He didn’t plan to stay in Okinawa longer than necessary and wanted to at least partially upgrade the aircraft carrier’s weaponry today so they could leave the island in a few days.

Approaching the pillow where GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were sleeping, Alex gave it a light kick to wake up his little helpers. The trio woke up, looking at him with displeasure, but Alex simply pressed a finger to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet so they wouldn’t wake the others. Then, with a nod, he gestured toward the exit, indicating it was time to get up.

Grumbling and moving lazily, the three slid off the pillow and started packing their small backpacks. Alex barely held back a laugh as he watched them put on construction uniforms and helmets, then pick up metal cups as if they were real workers heading out to a dreaded shift. They looked just like exhausted office employees forced to work overtime.

Unable to hold it in, Alex chuckled but still led the trio toward the exit. Sneaking past the sleeping girls, they slipped out of the bunker. First on Alex’s agenda was finding Lehm to discuss the city reconnaissance.

After a few minutes of searching, he found Lehm near the barracks, standing with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Seeing Alex and his “crew,” Lehm smirked.

“You look like a construction team coming back from a night shift,” he chuckled, giving them a once-over.

“Ha-ha, yeah, something like that,” Alex replied before getting to business. “Listen, can you take the guys and head into town for supplies?”

“No problem. We were already planning to. We couldn’t take much yesterday, so today we’ll bring a bigger transport,” Lehm said, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“Did you check the storage in the mall? Or did you just grab whatever was on the shelves?” Alex asked.

“Just the shelves. There was too much stuff, and we didn’t get around to the storage. We’re planning to check it today,” Lehm explained, exhaling smoke.

Alex nodded and, pulling up a hologram, sent over a new list of items he needed. Lehm glanced over it and raised an eyebrow, but Alex immediately clarified, “If you want to sleep properly, these things will definitely come in handy.”

He also asked a few teams to check out agricultural stores. Lehm nodded, understanding that after reaching Alaska, food supply issues could arise, especially if the local wildlife turned out to be infected with the virus and hunting wasn’t an option.

“Got it, I’ll pass it on to the guys,” Lehm said, tucking the hologram into his pocket. “I’ll go round up the others—we need to get ready for the run.”

“Then I’m counting on you. Stay in touch if anything happens,” Alex said, flicking his cigarette butt aside.

After saying goodbye to Lehm, Alex and his trio headed toward the docks. As they passed by the training grounds, he noticed the masters of Ryozanpaku and waved at them. The masters nodded in response before turning their attention back to watching Kenichi’s training.

Alex smirked, seeing a group of girls hovering around Kenichi again, which, judging by the look on her face, clearly irritated Miu. She was already on edge, and Alex didn’t understand why Saori, Kenichi’s mother, still hadn’t talked to her son about his “fan club.”

He also noticed that Renka had started keeping her distance from Kenichi, but that didn’t surprise him. Among those present, he didn’t see Kisara or Shigure, but Kaname and the Valkyries were there, training actively.

“Ah, Shigure and Kisara are probably still asleep,” Alex decided, not giving it much thought.

Waving once more toward the training grounds, he and his trio continued toward the docks.

When Alex arrived, he set his backpack with supplies and snacks on the table before opening his laptop. He was curious about what decision GIR, MIMI, and Stitch had made regarding the modernization of the carrier’s weaponry. As he scrolled through the proposed options, he tapped his finger on the table, considering where to start. He decided to postpone the installation of the large cannon for later—after all, he still had to figure out how to take the BFG from Rebecca without upsetting that gremlin.

Choosing to begin with replacing the machine guns, Alex took his small helpers and headed to the storage area to gather everything they needed. Upon arrival, he was glad he had pulled a bunch of different spare parts from his inventory in advance—this way, he could avoid unnecessary questions. Loading everything into the transport, Alex and his team drove back to the docks.

Upon returning, he noticed that Shigure had already made herself comfortable at his workstation, shamelessly snacking on the food he had brought. Greeting her, Alex sent GIR and MIMI to remove the old machine guns from the carrier while he and Stitch focused on unloading the transport.

“Need help?” Shigure asked, stepping closer.

“No, everything here is heavy,” Alex replied, not wanting to burden her.

Shigure just nodded and continued watching. Once all the parts were unloaded, Alex realized that assembling them here made no sense—it would be easier to move them directly to the deck. Finding a loader in the docks, he loaded all the spare parts and transported them up.

After finishing that, Alex approached Shigure and unexpectedly wrapped an arm around her waist.

The girl simply gazed at him with her usual blank expression.

“Hold on tight,” he warned.

Shigure nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. Once he was sure she had a firm grip, Alex picked up Stitch, placing him on his shoulders, then jumped, pushing off from the carrier’s side, and landed on the deck.

As soon as they reached the top, he loosened his hold, but Shigure made no move to let go.

“Are you planning to just hang onto me?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

In response, she simply shook her head.

Alex once again pondered her strange behavior but decided it was easier to think of Shigure as a willful cat who did only what she wanted. Realizing she had no intention of getting down, he just adjusted his grip, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

Sighing, Alex headed over to check how GIR and MIMI were doing. He hoped that this time his helpers wouldn’t just rip the machine guns out by brute force but would actually dismantle them properly. As he got closer, he was relieved to see that they had indeed taken apart the first turret rather than trying to tear it out completely.

Deciding to help, Alex joined the process alongside Stitch. However, even with four of them working together, dismantling a single machine gun took an entire hour. And there were four in total—one at each corner of the aircraft carrier.

Step by step, they made their way to the third machine gun, and at that moment, Alex realized that Shigure had fallen asleep, resting her head on his shoulder.

He thought about carefully removing her and laying her down in the shade so she could sleep properly, but when he tried, he found that she was clinging to him so tightly it seemed like she had no intention of ever letting go.

After finishing with the last machine gun, Alex heard someone calling him. He set his tools aside and walked to the edge of the deck, looking down. Saeko stood below, waving at him.

Without hesitation, Alex scooped up his little assistants and jumped down. Even after the jump, Shigure remained asleep, peacefully resting on his back.

As Alex landed, Saeko immediately noticed Shigure, still clinging to him, her chin comfortably nestled on his shoulder. Her gaze lingered on the girl before slowly shifting to Alex. A mischievous glint flashed in Saeko’s eyes, and a seductive smile curved her lips.

Catching her look, Alex awkwardly rubbed his nose. It wasn’t his fault that Shigure was such a willful creature—once she latched onto someone, only a higher power could pry her off… and even that was doubtful.

Stepping closer, Alex leaned in and placed a brief kiss on Saeko’s lips. But even after the kiss, her playful smile didn’t fade—on the contrary, it widened. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into another kiss, this one deeper and more passionate. When their lips finally parted, Saeko, still gazing at him, slowly ran her tongue over her lips as if savoring the taste.

Alex simply smirked and shook his head.

“So, why did you call me, my love?” he asked, gently squeezing her hand in his.

“It’s lunchtime. I brought you food,” Saeko replied with a smile, nodding toward the container behind her. “Though, if I had known you had company, I would have brought more.”

As soon as the word “food” was mentioned, Shigure’s stomach let out a loud growl. Her eyes snapped open, and without even bothering to slide off Alex’s back the normal way, she flipped over him and, in the blink of an eye, was at the container. Before Alex or Saeko could even react, she had already started eating.

Alex’s eye twitched. Arguing with this girl was pointless, so he just let out a heavy sigh.

Saeko, watching his reaction, laughed.

“Don’t be upset, Alex,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’ll bring you more.”

“Eh, let her eat,” he waved it off with a shake of his head. “I can wait. And while she’s busy, how about I show you how I set up the captain’s bridge?”

“Why not?” Saeko agreed with a smile.

Without warning, Alex scooped her up in a princess carry, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. With a powerful jump, he soared back onto the aircraft carrier’s deck.

Still holding Saeko in his arms, he headed toward the captain’s bridge, where he had spent a long time working the day before. Entering the room, he gently set her down, allowing her to take a look around.

Alex knew all too well that if he gathered all the girls together, a discussion about the ship’s comfort would stretch on for hours—so it was better to do it one at a time.

Saeko carefully examined the surroundings, occasionally touching different surfaces, clearly evaluating the quality of the work. Once she finished, she turned to Alex, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned in for a kiss.

Alex embraced her at the waist, savoring the tenderness of the moment.

“You still haven’t said what you’d like to add,” he asked when their lips parted.

“Hmm…” Saeko pondered, resting her nose against his chest. “Maybe a weapon rack? So it’s always visible and doesn’t end up lying around everywhere.”

Alex smirked.

“Great suggestion! Just like a coat rack for umbrellas in the hallway.”

Saeko rolled her eyes.

“You’re probably the only guy who compares weapons to umbrellas.”

Alex laughed, recalling a certain God of Hammers who once hung his legendary weapon on an ordinary coat hook, mistaking it for a weapon rack. The great debates about this incident still continue to this day.

“Alright, but where’s the best place to put the rack?” he asked while Saeko thought it over.

Still in his arms, Saeko tapped her chin with her finger, contemplating, then pointed to a spot in the room. Alex immediately marked it on the holographic display so he wouldn’t forget.

When they went back down, the expected sight greeted them: the container was empty, and Shigure, rubbing her stomach, was in a state of pure satisfaction.

Noticing them, she shifted her gaze to Saeko.

“Thanks for the food. It was delicious,” she said, still smiling.

“Anytime, Shigure. If you’re still hungry, I can bring you more. I was going to get another serving for Alex anyway,” Saeko responded with a soft smile.

“Mmm… No, I’m full,” Shigure replied, shaking her head with clear contentment.

Saeko smiled, took the empty food container, and kissed Alex on the cheek before heading toward the dock’s exit. Realizing he wouldn’t be getting lunch anytime soon, Alex lit a cigarette and shifted his gaze to his three little helpers, who seemed to be having a snack as well.

He still wondered why G.I.R. and MIMI even ate, since they were both robots, albeit disguised as dogs. When he first asked G.I.R. why he needed snacks, the robot calmly replied, “For recharging.” After that, Alex decided not to ask any more questions. He didn’t even want to know if they could taste food or not.

“Alright, enough snacking. We need to finish setting up the new machine guns,” he said, exhaling smoke through his nose.

G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch immediately stopped eating. Tachimaru, who had been sitting with them, nimbly jumped onto Stitch’s head and grabbed his ears.

At that moment, Shigure approached Alex, wordlessly climbed onto his back, and wrapped her legs around his waist. As if that wasn’t enough, G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch also hung on him.

Alex sighed heavily.

“…Now I’m an elevator.”

Shaking off his frustration, he made a powerful leap back onto the aircraft carrier’s deck and resumed work.

The machine guns he was installing weren’t going to work with regular gunpowder cartridges but instead with the principles of a railgun — this not only saved on ammunition but also significantly increased the destructive power of the weapons. Moreover, with such setups, there would be no need to waste time searching for ammunition for older models.

The work was in full swing when Alex once again heard his name being called. Setting down his tools, he looked down and saw Beatrix waving at him with a wide smile.

Shigure and the others stayed up top: the girl, full and content, was peacefully dozing in the sun and clearly wasn’t planning to move anytime soon.

“My husband, I brought you some food,” Beatrix said with a radiant smile.

“Thank you, my love. I was just getting a little hungry,” Alex replied, kissing her on the cheek.

Beatrix opened the containers, and Alex was confronted with such a large amount of food that he couldn’t help but wonder, “Are they trying to fatten me up? Or is this a test—can I handle this amount?”

However, the food turned out to be delicious, and the homey feeling that such small acts created gave him a pleasant sense of calm. Seeing him eat the prepared dishes with relish, Beatrix beamed with happiness.

“By the way, darling,” Alex remembered between bites. “You once said you had samurai armor? Since you love that theme so much, I thought you might like some new armor. Pick out the one you like most.”

At those words, Beatrix’s eyes lit up, and she immediately sat down at Alex’s laptop, bouncing in place like an eager child.

Alex smirked and opened the folder with armor designs, handing her control of the laptop. While she sorted through the sketches, he continued eating, occasionally answering her questions. He felt like a guy shopping with his girlfriend — except instead of dresses, they were picking out samurai armor.

By the time Alex finished eating, Beatrix still couldn’t make up her mind.

The argument “They all look so cool!” was making it difficult for her to choose.

In the end, Alex had to take matters into his own hands. He promised that he would make her an entire collection of armor in the future so she would have several options to choose from.

Only after these words did she finally pick a design, though she continued to sneak glances at others.

Not wanting her to change her mind, Alex swiftly closed the laptop and assured her that as soon as they set off, he would get started on making her armor.

“Thank you, my husband!” Beatrix exclaimed joyfully and showered him with kisses.

“Ha-ha-ha! Anything for my wife,” Alex laughed, feeling as if he was being smothered in kisses.

Alex simply smiled and let Beatrix do whatever she wanted. When she finally stopped kissing his face, she gathered the empty containers and, humming a tune, skipped out of the docks.

Stretching, Alex lit a cigarette and then easily jumped back onto the aircraft carrier’s deck. Upon returning, he noticed that G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch had already assembled the first machine gun, and MIMI was currently conducting its test.

Walking closer, Alex lazily asked,

“Well, how are the tests going?”

Hearing her “father’s” voice, MIMI immediately gave him a thumbs up, signaling that everything had gone perfectly. All that was left was to check the combat mode, and the work on the installation would be complete.

Alex nodded, then turned his gaze to Shigure, who was still basking in the sun. Deciding not to disturb her, he took his small helpers and headed to the next spot to install the new machine gun.

While Alex, G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch were busy assembling the second weapon, Shigure finally woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she lazily looked around, then noticed Alex working on the half-assembled machine gun. Getting to her feet, she silently approached him, and then once again literally collapsed onto his back, covering her eyes.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?” Alex asked, feeling her comfortably settle on his shoulders.

“Mmm… fine…” Shigure mumbled, burying her face in his neck.

Alex smirked but said nothing. He was already used to Shigure falling asleep in the most unusual positions and situations.

The work was progressing faster than expected, and before they could finish assembling the third machine gun, evening had already descended on the deck.

In fact, Shigure wasn’t really helping in the process — she was just observing, sitting nearby, with the curiosity of a cat, never taking her eyes off him. Even Tachimaru, unlike her, occasionally brought lost bolts or squeezed into hard-to-reach places to assist with the work.

As the sun finally sank below the horizon, Alex closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of its last rays.

Then, suddenly, a bright voice rang out:

“Big Brother!”

Alex opened his eyes and, hearing Alice’s voice, walked to the edge of the deck. Shigure followed him. Below, Alice, Honoka, and Malka were waiting, each holding containers with food.

Alex took out his phone and confirmed that it was already time for dinner.

Smiling, he scooped up Shigure by the waist and jumped down, landing softly in front of the girls, immediately receiving enthusiastic applause.

“Alice, Honoka, Malka, what brings you here?” Alex asked, although the answer was obvious.

“Sister Brunhilde asked us to bring you dinner,” Alice said cheerfully. “She also said that Sister Shigure would be with you, so here we are.”

“Thanks, girls,” Alex replied warmly.

He ruffled Alice’s hair and then gently patted Honoka and Malka on the heads.

Looking back at the aircraft carrier’s deck, he realized that G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch weren’t planning to come down, preferring to just snack on the spot — their inventories were already filled to the brim with various treats.

Taking some treats from his pocket for the three girls, Alex smiled and handed them the snacks.”Here, so you don’t get bored while Shigure and I have dinner.”

Receiving the snacks, the girls eagerly began devouring them, their cheeks puffed out, resembling three little hamsters.

Starting dinner, Alex curiously asked,”So, how are the training sessions going? How many leaves can you hold on your bodies now?”

Alice puffed out her chest proudly.”Four already!”

Alex nodded approvingly.”Good job, Alice. A little more, and you’ll be walking on walls. And you, Honoka, Malka?”

Honoka puffed her cheeks.”I can only hold three…”

Alex smirked and gently said,”Don’t rush, Honoka. The most important thing is to go step by step. Like I’ve said before, rushing is a waste of time.”

Honoka nodded, still pouting, upset that Alice had gotten ahead of her. Shigure also nodded in agreement, supporting Alex’s words that there was no need to hurry. Alex turned his gaze to Malka, wanting to see how far she had come with her chakra control.

“I can hold four leaves, but not for long. The fourth one keeps falling, and I can’t seem to stabilize it…” Malka admitted, a bit embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, Malka, you’ve already made huge progress. You all need to realize that you started chakra control just yesterday, and now you can already hold several leaves on your body. That’s an impressive result! You all have real talent,” Alex said, deciding to encourage the girls a little.

“Big brother, do you really think so?” Alice asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Have I ever lied to you?” Alex answered with a smile. “A little more, and I’ll start teaching you some really cool techniques.”

“Like the one where you breathe fire? Or when the lightning goes bam! whoosh!” Honoka exclaimed animatedly, waving her arms as if trying to imitate Alex in battle.

“That comes later,” he smirked. “You still have a lot to master: shuriken throwing, quick hand seal formations…”

All three girls sighed simultaneously, realizing that Alex wasn’t going to show them advanced techniques just yet. Seeing their disappointment, he added,”But if you get the chakra control down well, I’ll teach you three basic ninja techniques.”

As soon as the words left his lips, the girls’ faces lit up with joy. They high-fived each other, cheering as if they had already mastered the legendary moves. Alex smiled, seeing their enthusiasm, and continued with his dinner, answering their training questions from time to time.

“Big brother Alex, what hand seals will we have to learn?” Honoka suddenly asked, looking at him with interest.

Alex opened his laptop and showed the twelve basic hand seals they would need to master. He explained the meaning and name of each one to make it easier for the girls to remember. Afterward, Alex and Shigure watched as Alice, Honoka, and Malka diligently tried to form the seals, attempting to repeat the movements.

“I’ll print out images of these seals for you so you can practice anytime,” Alex promised.

After finishing their dinner, he handed the girls their empty containers.

“Bye, big brother!” they called cheerfully as they ran off.

Alex shook his head with a light smile and turned to Shigure.

“Well, ready to get back to work? Or rather, I get back to work, and you get back to observing,” he teased her.

“Mmm… Watching is interesting,” Shigure replied calmly. “And your training is really helpful for these kids. I could teach them how to throw shurikens and kunai.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“You want to take them on as students?”

“Mmm… Students…” Shigure mused, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Alex smirked.

“I believe in you. You’ll make a great teacher.”

“Mmm… I’m the best at it!” Shigure confidently declared, proudly puffing out her chest. “I’ll make them real kunoichi!”

Alex smiled, seeing Shigure’s growing enthusiasm for teaching. He knew he could fully trust her to train Alice, Honoka, and Malka in shuriken and kunai throwing. Shigure was a master at it, and he had no doubts that under her guidance, the girls would quickly pick up those skills.

For some reason, he felt that soon other kids would start gathering around them, especially when they saw how Alice, Honoka, and Malka acted like real ninjas. He already imagined a picture in his mind: a whole group of little ninja kids practicing combat techniques. Honestly, it was much better than if they had started worshiping the Emperor.

By the time Alex and his four little helpers finished assembling the fourth machine gun, the sun had already set behind the horizon, and the lights in the docks had come on. Alex realized it was time to pack up and head back to the girls. After reminding Shigure of this, he smirked as he watched her silently approach and climb onto his back once more.

After gathering everything unnecessary from the table and putting the laptop in his backpack, Alex, Shigure, and his little helpers headed toward the exit. By this point, he had gotten so used to her presence that he even found it somewhat pleasant. It felt as if a cat had been circling around him all day, occasionally demanding attention.

When they reached the fork in the path where they had parted ways yesterday, Shigure silently jumped off Alex’s back, waved at him with a light motion, and disappeared into the darkness. He watched her leave, then turned around and headed for the bunker.

As he descended, Alex immediately caught the delicious smell of popcorn wafting through the room. Entering the main hall, he saw the girls sitting in front of the screen, engrossed in some comedy film.

“Yo, what did I miss?” he asked, grabbing their attention.

Rika paused the movie and lazily stretched.

“Nothing special. That girl, Miu, had another fight with that guy, Kenichi,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Tell me more,” Alex said, interested, setting his backpack on the floor.

“What more do you need to know? You already know everything. That spineless worm acted like an idiot again and ended up pushing Miu away,” Saya said sharply, clearly holding disdain for Kenichi.

Alex tilted his head in confusion. Seeing his reaction, Kiriko decided to explain everything in more detail. It turned out that Miu had finally gathered the courage to talk to Kenichi, but he turned on his “nice guy” mode and tactically hurt her feelings during the conversation.

Alex sat down in a chair and shook his head tiredly. He really didn’t want to get involved in this drama, but he already knew that sooner or later, he’d become a part of it. Feeling a headache approaching, he rubbed his forehead.

“Alright… What else happened while I was busy with work?” he asked, deciding to put off the problems for later.

“Nothing much,” Rika shrugged. “We went out for supplies, the guys burned a couple of nests of new zombies, found some survivors…”

“So, just another day in the zombie apocalypse,” Alex summarized.

“Exactly. Now, come here, I need my man for a hug,” Rika said, patting the spot next to her.

Alex smirked and sat between her and Shizuka. She immediately wrapped her arm around his and settled her head on his shoulder. Without a word, Rika snuggled up to him, and Rebecca, without hesitation, plopped right onto his lap, resting her head on his chest.

Before Alex could react, he was tightly surrounded on all sides. Moving was difficult, but he didn’t mind. Anyone else in his place would have killed for such company.

While they sat, Alex told the girls about what he, G.I.R., M.I.M.I., and Stitch had been up to, as well as what they had accomplished that day. The girls were initially surprised by the amount of work done, but quickly concluded that it was Alex and his assistants, so nothing was too surprising.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep