After Alex asked all available people to transport the supplies from the shelter to the aircraft carrier, he decided to take off his combat suit, which was actually Göndul. He was curious whether she felt any discomfort due to the blood on her body. After all, when Völundr was used, the valkyrie’s body became a weapon, meaning the blood on the combat suit essentially touched her.

However, Göndul calmly explained that during Völundr, she did not perceive such things. Alex realized that when valkyries took the form of a weapon, their sense of touch likely changed. The topic intrigued him—he wouldn’t mind learning more about what valkyries experienced in such moments.

Using the excuse that he wanted to wash the blood off, Alex ended Völundr. For appearance’s sake, he stepped under the stream of water to make everything look natural, then exited the shower. Quickly finding clean clothes in his backpack, he began to change.

As he was pulling on his T-shirt, someone else entered the room. But he didn’t need to see the person—he could already tell exactly who it was.

“How can I help you, Chiquita?” Alex asked while pulling the T-shirt over his head.

Chiquita raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had only come to chat, but she hadn’t expected Alex to recognize her presence without even seeing her. He stood with his back to her, his head still stuck in the T-shirt, yet he identified her instantly.

Shrugging off her surprise, Chiquita sat on a bench, deciding to wait for Alex to finish dressing.

“I came to see if you were done,” she answered with a slight smile.

“And the real reason?” Alex turned his head toward her as he adjusted his shirt.

He knew well that behind that light smile was not an innocent woman. Chiquita was dangerous and ruthless. He vividly remembered a scene from the anime where she eliminated several people without hesitation, just to ensure a deal went smoothly. Her combat and military experience were immense, and her calm demeanor only emphasized how dangerous she truly was.

Alex recalled a saying: “Don’t fear the one who threatens you to your face. Fear the one who stabs you in the back with a smile.”

He also remembered that Chiquita was Lehm’s ex-wife, though the reasons for their divorce escaped him. Besides, he found it amusing how well Chiquita had aged. In that regard, she reminded him of Yuriko—both women looked stunning, unlike Lehm, who resembled a 50-year-old man.

Chiquita narrowed her eyes as she observed Alex, then lazily leaned her hands on the bench.

“Honestly,” she drawled, smirking, “Casper has been even more annoying since meeting Koko. I can’t stand his chatter anymore. Over the past few days, while we were hiding in the shelter, he got on my nerves so much that I seriously considered just tossing him outside into the hands of those zombies.”

“He’s already awake? Incredible endurance. I thought he’d be unconscious for at least a couple of hours after GIR gave him a ‘dose of positivity,'” Alex chuckled.

Chiquita couldn’t hold back her laughter. Alex smiled as he watched her reaction. Casper reminded him of those typical anime protagonists who get beaten up but recover almost instantly, as if nothing happened.

“I thought you’d want to talk to your ex-husband. Or at least exchange a few words with him instead of looking for me,” Alex said while drying his wet hair.

Chiquita raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You even know about that? Did Lehm tell you? Or someone else? Did Koko let it slip?” she asked, intrigued.

Alex smirked, set the towel aside, and answered in an even tone.

“None of the above. I figured it out myself. I read each of your dossiers.”

Chiquita raised an eyebrow in surprise. Alex noticed the change in her expression but remained silent. He didn’t see it as his fault—it’s just the way he was. He knew all too well where blind trust could lead, especially now, when the world was in the grip of a zombie apocalypse.

Alex never let his guard down and wasn’t entirely sure that Casper wouldn’t follow in his father Floyd’s footsteps and switch sides to the Evil Corporation. So when shaking his hand, Alex discreetly probed Casper’s thoughts to make sure he wasn’t plotting anything.

“You know, prying into a woman’s secrets is considered bad manners,” Chiquita said mockingly, looking at Alex.

“Maybe. But I don’t remember. It’s just my nature, so don’t take it to heart,” he shrugged.

“Paranoid,” came Valmet’s calm voice as she entered, having overheard part of the conversation.

Alex shot her an offended look. And who’s the paranoid one here? He knew exactly what kind of enemies they were dealing with and understood that they were far more dangerous than they seemed at first glance.

Chiquita looked at Valmet with interest, clearly wanting to know more. In response, Valmet casually explained that Alex had read her file as well, so there was nothing surprising about it. She completely ignored his indignant gaze and simply answered Chiquita’s questions as if Alex wasn’t even there.

Sighing heavily, he grabbed his spear and decided to let things take their course. As he liked to say, his future self could deal with it. Better to leave problems for later than to try to solve everything at once. Slinging the spear over his shoulder, Alex walked over to Valmet and took her hand. Seeing that he was ready, she prepared to leave as well.

Chiquita smirked, noticing how naturally Valmet held Alex’s hand. A playful glint flashed in her eyes—she clearly wanted to tease her friend, but Valmet didn’t seem inclined to react and simply ignored her.

When they left the shelter and joined the others, Alex glanced around, looking for Casper and Koko. However, just a second later, someone screamed, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the ground. Shifting his gaze, he saw Casper, who had once again been electrocuted and was now lying unconscious.

“That’s the third time,” Rei stated blankly, staring at Casper sprawled on the ground.

“Wait… Are you serious?” Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise. “While I was showering, he got shocked two more times?”

“When you left, he woke up and started bothering Koko again… well, actually, GIR,” Saeko explained with a sadistic smile. “So he got shocked again. But I have no idea why it happened this time.”

“Am I the only one who thinks the chances of Koko’s brother making it to Alaska in one piece are extremely low?” Saya mused.

“You’re not alone,” Yuriko responded calmly, glancing at Casper. “I’m almost certain that sooner or later, they’ll just throw him overboard.”

The other girls nodded in agreement, and some even started placing bets on how long it would take for Casper to get into trouble again.

Alex simply gave them an indifferent look but didn’t interfere—Casper had brought this upon himself. Shaking his head, he decided not to waste his time on it and just pretended not to notice what was happening.

As he chatted with the girls, Alex kept scanning his surroundings, looking for Madam Ma to see how her reunion with her family had gone. Finally, he spotted her—standing next to Kensei, who was as pale as a sheet.

Telling the girls he’d be back soon, Alex headed toward them. Even from a distance, he could hear the angry notes in Madam Ma’s voice as she scolded her husband.

A wide smile appeared on Alex’s face. If he revealed compromising information about Kensei now, the fate of the old pervert would become even more miserable. Kensei, listening to his wife’s angry tirades, caught a glimpse of Alex approaching and immediately paled even more. He understood perfectly that if Alex opened his mouth, he wouldn’t get away with just a reprimand. Frantically shooting a pleading glance at Alex, Kensei only saw him grin wider.

Madam Ma noticed the strange expression on her husband’s face, followed his gaze, and saw Alex. At that moment, he quickly hid his smile, pretending that nothing was happening.

“You must be Alex. Please accept my gratitude for helping my husband and daughter, especially for teaching Renka,” Madam Ma said as he got closer.

“It’s no problem, Madam Ma. Renka is a smart and capable student. But tell me, how are you feeling? Have our doctors examined you yet?” Alex asked with a slight smile.

“Yes, I’m fine. The doctors from your group have already checked on me, and now they’re examining my students,” she replied with a slight smile.

“That’s wonderful. Otherwise, Renka would have been really upset if something had happened to her mother,” Alex said, glancing at the girl herself.

“You’re a thoughtful and worthy young man,” Madam Ma nodded approvingly. “I’ve inquired about you, and I can say that I fully support your relationship with my daughter.”

Alex was a little taken aback by such a statement. Not that he didn’t like Renka, but he thought it was a bit early to talk about anything serious. Although… he himself hadn’t taken long to start relationships with other girls, so he probably didn’t have the right to make excuses.

Turning his gaze to Renka, he noticed her face had turned as red as if she were about to boil over.

“Madam Ma, I think it’s most important to ask your daughter’s opinion. As they say, imposed feelings lead nowhere good,” Alex calmly remarked.

“You’re right, but I’m an adult woman and I know very well what’s going on in my daughter’s mind. I wouldn’t say this if I weren’t sure that she likes you,” she smirked, pointing at the still-blushing Renka.

Alex looked at the girl again and thought. He wasn’t an idiot and had long noticed her interest, but at first, he thought she just wanted to make Kenichi jealous. However, over time, Renka had only grown more distant from him and, on the contrary, had become closer to Alex.

Sighing heavily, he shifted his gaze to Miu… and raised an eyebrow slightly. Her face clearly expressed jealousy.

“Well, this is an interesting twist,” Alex thought but decided to put that question aside for now. He first needed to sort out the situation with Renka.

At that moment, Kensei suddenly spoke up.

“I’m against it!” he declared loudly, expressing his protest.

Madam Ma shot him an angry look.

“I didn’t ask you. Where were you when our daughter was growing up? Alex is a worthy young man. He’s strong, responsible, and managed to organize a whole group for survival. Where else would you find a guy who’ll take a military ship to cross the ocean and save people? He’s leagues better than your spineless pupil!”

Kensei lowered his head.

“Kenichi isn’t that bad…” he mumbled, but his voice sounded uncertain.

Alex heard something snap. He wasn’t going to defend Kenichi, because what was said was true. Perhaps, if the events in this world had unfolded differently, Kenichi could have become a more normal and responsible guy, but unfortunately, that never happened.

“That’s right! Stop meddling in my relationships!” Renka pointed her finger at her father, her voice full of indignation. “You ran away from home to add more photos of women’s underwear to your collection, and now you dare to give me orders?!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the port immediately fell silent. Madam Ma’s face turned icy, and everyone standing next to Kensei instinctively took a step back, trying not to get caught in the wrath of the angry woman.

Kensei, with a pale face, stared at his daughter. A hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. Alex, watching this, couldn’t hold back a smirk and gave Renka a thumbs up, approving her choice of the perfect moment for striking her father.

“Repeat, what kind of collection did your father collect?” Madam Ma’s cold voice rang out.

“He likes to take pictures of girls under their skirts,” Shigure calmly stated, wiping her tears. “Because of him, I lost the chance to get married… Because, as they say, after your husband’s actions, I ‘lost my innocence’.”

Shigure’s words hung in the air, causing shock among those nearby.

“Don’t listen to this nonsense, dear!” Kensei pleaded, sweating nervously. “Do I look like such a disgusting person?!”

“He also said he wanted to marry a young girl,” Shizuka suddenly added, appearing nearby.

All eyes immediately turned toward her. Alex even opened his mouth in surprise — he hadn’t expected Shizuka to throw Kensei under the bus like that. He was one hundred percent sure that the old man hadn’t said anything like that.

Alex turned his gaze to Madam Ma and noticed how her face started to frost over. The atmosphere around them was growing more tense.

Meanwhile, Kensei was drenched in cold sweat, realizing that he had almost no chance of defending himself.

The girls in Alex’s group watched the scene with interest, but what shocked them the most was Shizuka. They looked at her as if she were the most evil creature in the universe. None of them had ever thought she was capable of such treachery.

“You want to replace me with a young one?” Madam Ma’s voice became even colder. “Am I already too old for you? So, that’s how it is, huh?! Answer me, Kensei! You have five seconds to explain yourself!”

“Dear, listen!” Kensei quickly began to speak, his voice trembling. “They’re lying! I… I never intended to leave you! I love you! Honestly!”

But Madam Ma wasn’t even going to listen to him. She knew perfectly well that her husband was lying.

Realizing that no one believed him, Kensei made the only possible decision — to run. But as soon as he took a step back, it signaled Madam Ma.

Her strike was so fast and powerful that the old man was sent flying to the side and then bounced several times on the ground like a rubber ball.

Madam Ma wasn’t planning to stop there. She walked heavily toward where her husband had fallen, grabbed him by the leg, and effortlessly dragged him toward the aircraft carrier.

Alex raised his hands in prayer, silently hoping that somehow Kensei would survive.

“Shizuka, I didn’t expect such treachery from you…” Valmet said, looking at the girl in shock.

“It’s his own fault!” Shizuka proudly raised her head and replied. “He’s always trying to spy on girls in the shower. And besides, Rika told me to be more aggressive!”

“She didn’t mean it that way…” Saya sighed tiredly.

“Oh… Oh dear… What a misfortune,” Shizuka innocently said, sticking her tongue out.

Alex covered his face with his hand. He could only silently watch the chaos unfold.

Alex stared at Shizuka, unsure whether to laugh or not in that moment. However, the way she had set up Kensei made him feel an involuntary sense of pride. Smiling, Alex leaned over and kissed Shizuka on the cheek. The girl immediately beamed with joy and, smiling contentedly, cuddled up to him.

Once everything at the port was settled, the team began returning to the aircraft carrier to leave the Shenzhen harbor. After ensuring no one had been left behind, Alex used sonar one last time, hoping to find any survivors amid the chaos. But his expectations were not met—the city was completely overrun by the dead. With a regretful sigh, he stood on the deck, watching the destroyed metropolis gradually recede.

Under the control of G.I.R., the aircraft carrier began to head out into open sea. Alex watched his little assistant with curiosity, noticing how enthusiastically he was piloting the ship. Perhaps it was because of the ship’s new name—the aircraft carrier had been renamed after the vessel from which the First Crusade of the Emperor had begun.

At the same time, in one of the partially destroyed buildings in Hong Kong, a group of surviving soldiers and scientists were hiding, waiting for a miracle. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps—someone was descending the stairs. Soon, a man entered the room, his face hidden behind a skull mask that completely obscured his features. He confidently walked toward the captain, who was sitting in a corner with a cigar between his teeth. Armed men stood around, listening intently to every sound.

“What’s the news, Ghost?” the captain asked, lazily glancing at his subordinate.

“Captain, that aircraft carrier we spotted earlier is passing by the city again,” the man, known as Ghost, replied.

“Could it be ours? I don’t think anyone else can operate an aircraft carrier at a time like this,” the man with the mohawk said thoughtfully.

“Not sure, Soap,” Ghost shook his head. “The ship’s name is a bit strange. It could be ours, but I’m not sure our people are aboard.”

“What are we going to do, Price?” Soap asked, turning his gaze to the captain. “We haven’t been able to reach HQ for days. We’re trapped here, afraid to even leave—these creatures can smell us from miles away.”

Price took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaled the smoke, and after a brief pause said:

“Ghost, try to make contact with the aircraft carrier and request evacuation. If we’re lucky, this could be our ticket out of this hell.”

Ghost nodded silently and headed to the roof to establish contact. When he left, silence descended on the room again, broken only by the heavy breathing of the people.

“Are you sure we have a chance to get out?” a girl asked, stepping closer to Price.

“Cammy, I can’t promise anything, but if there’s even the slightest chance we can leave this city, we have to take it. We’re completely cut off from HQ, and every day the situation is getting worse,” he replied, shaking his head.

The girl only nodded silently. Now, all that was left was to wait. Time dragged on painfully slowly, and no matter how hard the people tried to maintain their composure, each one secretly hoped to hear good news.

Several long minutes passed before footsteps were heard in the hallway again. Soon, Ghost entered the room.

“Did you manage to make contact with them?” Price immediately asked.

“Yes. They said they’ll be waiting for us at the port,” Ghost replied, nodding.

“Great! Then everyone gather your things,” the captain said, looking over his people. “We need to get to the port as quickly as possible.”

Their survival was at stake. If they didn’t make it in time, the city would become their mass grave.

After Price’s words, everyone began gathering their things, checking their gear, and packing their bags. Armed fighters went ahead, scouting and providing cover as the group carefully moved down toward the parking lot. There, their cars were waiting—their only chance to leave this cursed city.

They moved quickly, but silently, fully aware that any careless move could attract the attention of the dead. When they finally reached the parking lot, everyone looked around to ensure there were no threats nearby.

“Soap, you’re driving the first car. I’ll drive the second. Ghost, you cover us,” Price commanded.

Everyone nodded silently, taking their places. Engines started, and the convoy carefully drove out of the underground parking lot. However, as soon as they appeared on the surface, the city responded. In seconds, hundreds of decaying bodies turned toward them. A deafening roar echoed through the streets, and then the wave of the dead began to move forward.

“Damn it… Step on it!” yelled the girl sitting next to Soap.

“I know, I know!” he snapped, slamming the pedal to the floor.

The cars surged forward, leaving behind screeching tires and chunks of flesh scattering across the asphalt. However, the horde was already on their tail. Those who were armed began shooting at the zombies, taking out the ones that were getting too close.

Price himself drove the second car. The situation was quickly getting out of control, and he knew that if they didn’t take decisive action, they wouldn’t make it to the port.

“Ghost, fire a signal flare! Maybe the aircraft carrier will offer us support!” he ordered, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Ghost didn’t hesitate—he quickly pulled out a signal pistol, aimed it at the sky, and fired.

Alex, who had just finished talking to a soldier over the radio, was surprised to learn that there were still survivors in Hong Kong. From the voice, he could tell he was speaking with a military person, but something about that voice seemed familiar, though Alex couldn’t remember where he had heard it before.

After listening to the request for help, he didn’t refuse and informed them that the aircraft carrier would dock at the port, waiting for their arrival. He then contacted the rest of the crew and explained the situation. The girls agreed without hesitation to help the survivors, and after that, Alex contacted the entire crew:

“We’ll make a stop at the Hong Kong port. We’re picking up a group of survivors. They might need medical assistance, so be ready.”

Everyone nodded, understanding that these were people in desperate need of support.

Suddenly, a red light from a signal flare appeared on the horizon.

“Looks like they’re in trouble,” Lehm frowned.

Alex squinted, spreading his mana across the city, and saw three cars speeding at full throttle. Behind them was a massive horde of the dead. But what surprised him most wasn’t the horde. Among the passengers, Alex sensed the presence of martial arts masters. Interesting…

But there was no time for contemplation. Alex quickly scanned the deck for a solution. He didn’t want to reveal his true strength too early, so he had to act wisely. Then his gaze stopped on Hayato.

“Old man, throw me!” he shouted.

Hayato furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean?”

“In the literal sense!”

The elderly master immediately understood and nodded.

Alex picked up GIR and MIMI, placing them on his shoulders, and then ran toward the edge of the deck. Hayato extended his hands, creating support. The moment Alex’s foot touched his palms, the old man tensed his muscles and launched him upward with all his strength.

In the air, Alex used a dash to gain even more speed. In these moments, he felt like a video game character executing a double jump. However, the distance was still too great.

“Damn, I won’t make it…”

Alex tucked in and crashed into the façade of a skyscraper, rolling forward. Without losing a second, he dashed forward again, heading toward the presence of the survivors.

Meanwhile, the group under attack by the horde was doing everything they could to fend off the zombies.

“I hope someone helps us. These dead won’t let up… Hadouken!” Ryuu growled, launching an energy blast toward the pursuing horde.

“Instead of talking, keep fighting these bastards!” Chun-Li yelled, spinning and sending a zombie flying.

“Less talk, more action! We’re almost there!” said Cammy, shooting another zombie in the head.

At the same time…

Alex already heard the sounds of gunfire and fierce fighting. Not wasting any time, he sped up, swiftly moving across the rooftops. Finally, spotting his target, he unsheathed his katana and leaped down, directly into the middle of the horde.

“Sun Breathing: Blue Skies,” he muttered softly as he made his attack.

Alex’s body spun, and the sword traced an arc, creating a fiery ring that knocked the zombies back. Landing, he quickly glanced at the survivors, narrowing his eyes as he recognized familiar faces among them.

GIR and MIMI jumped off his shoulders and charged into the fray, while Alex simply nodded to the group, signaling that he was on their side.

“Damn, did you see that? This guy just sliced the entire street!” Soap’s voice came over the radio.

“Johnny, we all saw it. But honestly, I’m glad he’s not our enemy. I wouldn’t want to fight someone like that,” Ghost replied.

Alex, along with GIR and MIMI, continued attacking the zombies, breaking through their ranks to give the survivors a chance to rest. He combined various breathing styles to attack as effectively as possible.

Meanwhile, the rescued people watched the battle with undisguised amazement.

“This guy’s not bad… He blends different styles really well. I wonder who trained him?” Ken remarked, nodding in evaluation.

“Indeed, he’s already used more than five techniques and keeps going,” Chun-Li added.

“I don’t want to distract you, but… am I the only one who noticed the two strange creatures he brought with him?” Nathan Drake suddenly said, pointing at GIR and MIMI. “I mean, his combat techniques are impressive, but what are those pink and green dogs with weapons?!”

“Damn, now I see them too… Who or what are they?” Cammy frowned.

Unaware that he had become the subject of their discussion, Alex focused on the opponent that had caught his attention the most—Baron of Hell. Unlike the usual zombies, this creature clearly had intelligence. However, what worried Alex most was that the horde was practically ignoring him and focusing all its attention on the people in the car.

“Strange…”

Leaping up, Alex grabbed the Baron of Hell by the horns and twisted its body with force, ripping off the demon’s head. Throwing it aside, Alex saw Kaka-demons flying out from around the corner.

“Shit.”

Alex’s eyes twitched.

“Too many demons for this to be a coincidence… Could the Evil Corporation have created them artificially? No… it’s more likely that the Avatar Nyan-Nyan opened a portal for demons into this world.”

Cursing to himself, he drew his pistols and opened fire on the flying creatures. Once the horde was thinned out enough, Alex grabbed GIR and MIMI and returned to the cars.

“Why are you all standing still?! Head to the port, we’ll cover you!” he commanded, running toward the jeep.

Throwing his companions inside, Alex stayed on the road, continuing to shoot at the remaining demons. The others quickly regained their composure and started moving again.

Running alongside the jeep, Alex occasionally glanced at the passengers. He knew them all.

“Damn, another group of characters from another universe… And they’re all martial arts masters. If they’re here, their enemies must be here too… And if that’s the case… one of them is definitely going to be trouble. These bastards are definitely dancing to the Evil Corporation’s tune.”

A name flashed in his mind.

“Akuma and damn it, M.Bison.”

Alex sighed in frustration.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep