After the destruction of the island — including the secret facility and the subsequent killing of Wesker — life aboard the aircraft carrier once again returned to its dull routine: heading toward the next destination, which happened to be Alaska. Realizing how long the journey would take, Alex once again regretted not turning the entire carrier into a flying island.

And as if fate wanted to mess with him further, the already long route got even longer due to a sudden deterioration in weather. A storm forced the ship to slow down and wait it out. During this time, Alex spent most of his days with his family, giving special attention to his new daughter — Anya.

He had grown so attached to the girl that he barely let her out of his sight. Even when locking himself away in his workshop, Alex would always bring Anya with him. To keep her entertained, he created a cozy play corner for her, where she could play with Alice while the storm raged outside.

The girls watched this growing bond with interest — some with fondness, others with a touch of envy. They, too, wanted to spoil Anya and shower her with affection. For many of them, it was their first taste of motherhood, and the sweet little girl stirred their most tender emotions.

Meanwhile, Zero Two and Lucy were placed under the care of Brunhilde, Namiyo, Kiriko, and Yuriko — in an attempt to teach them the basic rules of social behavior. However, as often happens, those plans quickly fell apart.

Zero Two and Lucy absolutely refused to learn anything and used every opportunity to ditch their lessons. Even when Brunhilde forcibly dragged them to class, both girls would immediately look for a way to escape — and almost always ended up hiding in Alex’s workshop to spend time with him.

Brunhilde increasingly complained that Zero Two and Lucy couldn’t be as reasonable and obedient as Anya. In response, she got nothing but lazy glances and complete indifference. Saya, declaring herself a genius, attempted to teach them at least arithmetic — so they wouldn’t be tricked in the future. But her efforts ended in failure, and to make matters worse, she became the target of Rebecca’s teasing. This led to a quarrel, and during the commotion, Zero Two and Lucy managed to sneak off to Alex once again.

The incident with Alice had taught Alex to keep a strict watch over GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. He had already gone through one disaster when Alice accidentally became a devotee of their strange “faith in the Imperium,” and it took a miracle to talk her out of joining the Sisters of Battle. Now, both Alex and the girls made sure Anya wouldn’t fall under the trio’s influence either.

While the storm kept them from going up on deck, Alcina was gradually integrating into the group, mostly bonding with Yuriko, Kiriko, and Namiyo. Meanwhile, Saeko spent a little time each day with her father, rebuilding their family bond. Alex accompanied her on visits to Michikatsu Busujima, hoping for a simple, pleasant interaction… but he was quickly proven wrong.

Michikatsu turned out to be the embodiment of an overprotective father. The moment Saeko stepped out to brew some tea, Alex became the target of a barrage of threats.

“If you ever make my daughter cry — I’ll grind you into mincemeat. Even if I die, I’m taking you with me!” he said, disturbingly calm.

Alex barely managed to hold back from reminding him who had won their last fight. But apparently, Michikatsu had completely ignored that fact. As soon as Saeko returned with a tray in hand, her father’s face instantly transformed into a warm, friendly smile. At that moment, Alex seriously began to question the man’s mental stability — maybe he had made a mistake when he separated Michikatsu’s human and demonic sides.

Leaving his cabin, Alex could literally feel the burning, hostile stare on his back. Of course, he could have dealt with Michikatsu easily, but he understood — this wasn’t about strength. This wasn’t a fight, it was a family drama.

Returning to the captain’s bridge, Alex told the girls about the visit. Instead of support, he was met with collective laughter. They were already used to the fact that nearly every relative Alex encountered reacted the same way — with threats and crazy eyes.

When the storm finally calmed and the sky cleared, everyone who could rushed to the main deck. After spending several days locked in their cabins due to the storm, everyone was eager for fresh air and at least some movement. Alex was no exception. In fact, he even managed to arrange an improvised date with Nobuna.

The date was spontaneous and, in some sense, surprising even for Nobuna herself. As soon as the weather settled and Anya and Alice left the bridge to meet their friends, Alex decided to go check on his daughter. But the moment he stepped onto the deck, Nobuna instantly “caught” him and dragged him away, not accepting any protests. When he briefly looked back, the last thing he saw were the faces of Katsuie and Nagahide — their relieved smiles clearly showed that the past few days spent cooped up with Nobuna had been a real ordeal.

Despite the strangeness of the situation, the date turned out to be surprisingly warm. Of course, a romantic outing on an aircraft carrier drifting in the middle of the ocean was far from ideal. But Alex made it work the best he could and spent the whole day with Nobuna.

From time to time, other girls would come up — some just curious about what he was doing, others quietly approaching to kiss him on the cheek or lips before walking away with a smile. Each was busy with her own thing — some with work, others with hobbies. Even the lazy Rebecca was tinkering with her weapons. No one objected to Alex spending time with one of them — they all accepted it with ease and understanding.

As the evening sky turned shades of orange and pink, the date came to an end. Alex walked Nobuna to her cabin, and before parting, she kissed him on the cheek and softly said that she had enjoyed everything — even the unusual setting.

Returning to the captain’s bridge, Alex was immediately bombarded with curious questions — the girls wanted to know how his time with Nobuna had gone. He told them without hiding any details, and so another day on the aircraft carrier came to an end.

The next day, it was the turn of another group of girls — those interested in martial arts. They had decided to “monopolize” Alex for the entire day. He barely finished breakfast before he was literally pulled from the bridge and dragged to the training room. It had been specially designated for those who practiced combat disciplines so they wouldn’t disturb the others. And judging by the enthusiasm with which they hauled him in, Alex suspected he wasn’t being brought in to train, but rather to be sacrificed.

Once inside, the girls immediately began warming up, while Alex lazily settled in a corner, watching their movements with interest. The curves of Chun-Li, Cammy, Miu, and Renka didn’t escape his gaze — and noticing his look, they even slowed down their stretches to let him “admire” them more fully.

“We’re done warming up. Get up — I want to see what you’re capable of now,” Chun-Li said, tugging him by the leg toward the improvised ring.

“Do I have to? I’m feeling kind of lazy… I’d rather just lie here and watch,” Alex replied with a lazy smile, not resisting but also not moving.

“Nope!” Renka jumped in, pulling his other leg. “I want to see how much I’ve progressed in training!”

Alex could feel them trying to pull him up, but a primal laziness suddenly awakened within him. He had no intention of moving a single step. However, under the pressure of the persistent girls who refused to give up, he eventually had to get to his feet and stretch his stiff joints.

“You’re all against me now, huh?” he chuckled as he saw the girls already standing in the ring.

“Of course. Maybe this time we’ll actually manage to take you down,” Miu said, the fire of battle burning in her eyes.

“Alright, same rules as always. If you manage to move me from my spot, you win—and I’ll grant any one of your wishes. Sound fair?” he offered, looking at them.

“Perfect! If I win, you’re making me a new weapon,” Renge said with a smug grin.

Alex nodded. He would’ve done anything for them anyway, but he knew the girls wanted to earn their victories fair and square. Taking his stance, he prepared to defend.

The girls launched their attack. Renge was the first to leap forward, unable to hold back. Alex shifted into his “Royal Guard” stance, easily blocking her strike. Her claws met his chest with no effect whatsoever. That was the signal—the rest of the girls joined the fray.

Alex had no intention of retaliating with stored damage; he simply stood firm, observing their efforts. He saw their passion, their drive—but he also knew that raw willpower alone wasn’t enough to overcome someone who had survived a galactic explosion and remained standing in the epicenter.

After several minutes, the girls were gasping for breath, having thrown everything they had into each strike.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen a stance like that,” Cammy panted, stepping back.

“It’s called the Royal Guard stance. It’s built purely for defense and can reflect stored damage back to the attacker,” Alex explained.

“So… you could’ve reflected all that damage back at us?” Miu asked, wide-eyed.

“Something like that. And I can also store it and release it all at once,” he said casually, rubbing his neck.

The girls slumped to the floor, exhausted and breathless from the training. Their sighs of defeat and fatigue echoed through the room. Like a caring husband, Alex didn’t leave them hanging—he helped them relax, giving each of them a massage as they rested. Moving from one girl to another, he combined his massage with subtle magical reinforcement of their bodies, knowing just how crucial recovery was after intense exertion.

The girls were used to this kind of care by now and knew Alex didn’t just give massages—he was quietly enhancing their bodies with magic, laying the groundwork for even better future training. That was the real reason they dragged him here—because with him, their progress was doubled.

“Can we learn that stance too?” Cammy asked, squinting in bliss as Alex massaged her back.

“Unfortunately, no. That fighting style is only suited for demons… if we put it simply,” he replied softly, just loud enough for them to hear.

Intrigued, the girls leaned in closer. Alex smirked and began explaining. The style was used by a demon hunter who, ironically, was half-demon himself. The story quickly drew the girls in. Alex told them about Dante—a hunter always drowning in debt, so broke he couldn’t even pay his electric bills. Every job he took ended in more destruction, and the bills he racked up for his friends were long past the point of ridiculous.

Expecting an epic tale of heroism, the girls instead got the story of a carefree wrecking ball who caused more chaos than he prevented. Alex couldn’t help but laugh at their reactions—first confusion, then laughter. But he still made sure they understood just how powerful Dante really was, so they’d see that behind the carefree exterior lay something far greater.

Soon, Alex also told them about Dante’s brother, Vergil. The story of the two brothers, full of contradictions, captivated the girls so much that they completely forgot why they had come to the training room in the first place. Chun-Li settled down on Alex’s lap, listening intently as he spoke of fate and choices, of pride and pain.

“Wait…” Cammy suddenly spoke up, catching a detail. “Are you saying your outfit and katana are Vergil’s weapons?”

“No, they’re mine. I didn’t steal anything,” Alex snorted, rolling his eyes. “They were given to me by my father… at the start of my journey.”

“Sorry, we just… thought you might have stolen them again. Well… you did ‘borrow’ Hades’ spear and Poseidon’s trident from their rightful owners,” Miu said, a little embarrassed.

“First of all, I didn’t steal anything. Those are military trophies,” Alex corrected her, lightly tugging on her cheek. “And secondly, I actually resurrected those two. So I have every right to ask for payment for my services.”

“Call it whatever you want, but the fact remains — the weapons are now yours,” Chun-Li said, laughing uncontrollably.

The girls laughed, remembering Alex’s passion for cold weapons. They knew how vast his collection was, though they had no idea just how extensive it actually was. After they finished laughing, they almost in unison demanded that Alex continue the story about Dante and Vergil, eager to know how it all ended. The training and testing of abilities took a backseat — Alex was sharing stories from other worlds.

“What are you all doing here?” a woman’s voice came from the entrance of the training room.

Alex and the girls turned their heads and saw Juri, Jin Kazama, and other rescued fighters. Upon seeing Alex, they thanked him again for saving them. But he waved them off, not wanting to accept their gratitude — if not for his own desire to deal with Wesker, he might never have ended up on this island in the first place.

For a moment, they exchanged silent glances. Alex and the girls moved aside, making space in the room.

“We’re resting after training. Did you come to train too?” Renka asked with a light smile.

“Pretty much. What else is there to do on this aircraft carrier during the voyage?” Laura shrugged, sitting down into a split. “Either lie in the cabin or train.”

“True… So, guys, who wants to fight?” Ryu said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

“I do! I want to fight first!” Sean Matsuda immediately volunteered.

Ryu grinned and accepted Sean’s challenge, giving him a chance to show what he could do. Alex and the girls decided to just watch the fight from the sidelines. He remembered that Sean was Laura’s brother and Ken’s student. Alex already knew how it would end, but it was still interesting to see how long the guy would last against Ryu — Ken’s longtime rival and friend. Sean wanted to test his strength, and that earned Alex’s respect.

The fight ended pretty quickly — within a couple of minutes, Sean was already lying on the ring, breathing heavily, with a purple bruise on his cheek. Laura, who had been watching the fight, just shook her head and pulled her hopeless brother off the ring.

“Who’s next? Maybe you want to try, Alex?” Ryu asked with a grin, looking at him.

“Didn’t you have enough of the ‘fist of love’ last time? Want some more?” Alex raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

Those who didn’t know the story behind the “fist of love” were initially confused. But once they heard the tale, they couldn’t hold back their laughter, especially toward Ryu and Ken — the victims of that very fist. Alex, noticing that Ryu wasn’t ready to give up, decided to “punish” him again so that he would remember the outcome of their last fight.

Chun-Li, who had been comfortably settled on his lap, lifted her head and lightly nudged Alex. He sighed, climbed into the ring, and stood opposite Ryu, flashing him a playful grin. Ryu tensed, sensing something was wrong… and before he could even take a step, his head slammed into the ring floor with a deafening crash.

Alex happily shook his fist, as if to demonstrate his victory.

“I told you, if you can’t handle the fist of love, you’ve still got a lot of training to do,” he said with a smirk.

“Dammit, Alex… My head almost exploded again,” Ryu groaned, holding his head.

“Don’t worry. I know how to hold back. If I had hit you with full force, you’d be a squashed watermelon by now,” Alex replied lazily.

Ryu rolled his eyes and got up, ignoring Alex’s sarcastic words — because he knew Alex was right. If he hadn’t held back, there would only be dust left of him. The image of the destroyed island and the red dragon was still fresh in his mind.

Before Alex could even get off the ring, Ken jumped in, eager for his “share” of the fist of love. Unlike Ryu, Ken didn’t wait — he immediately charged at Alex. But Alex easily dodged his kick and, as expected, “rewarded” him: another fist of love drove Ken’s head into the ring with a loud thud.

“You tried, and that’s what matters. But if you like getting hit, that’s not really my problem,” Alex grinned, tossing Ken out of the ring.

Ken, rubbing the bump on his head, muttered to himself. Meanwhile, Alex scanned the room, wondering if anyone else would dare challenge him… and then, Asuka Kazama jumped onto the ring.

“Do you want to fight?” Alex asked in surprise.

“Yeah. I want to see what the one who saved us is really capable of,” she said with a sly smile.

Alex shrugged and took a stance in the Eight Trigrams position. Asuka clenched her fists and immediately went on the attack. Alex confidently blocked her strikes, maintaining his balance. He knew she wouldn’t be able to win, but he respected her determination. Asuka wasn’t giving up, and that earned his respect. Alex either dodged or blocked her blows, sometimes touching her pressure points with his fingers to show her — he wasn’t just defending, but could counterattack at any moment.

“Where’s the fairness? He knocked us out with one hit, but he’s fighting Asuka fairly!” Ken grumbled, rubbing his bump.

“Stop whining like a child. You’re an adult,” Chun-Li snorted, giving him a light smack on the back of the head.

Ken muttered but said nothing — he remembered too well how his last attempt to challenge Chun-Li had ended. She had beaten him so easily that he hadn’t even had time to react properly. Meanwhile, Alex continued to watch Asuka, who was tensely trying to find a gap in his defense.

He intentionally left an opening — he wanted to see if she would take the bait. Those watching the fight immediately noticed the trick: Alex hadn’t accidentally opened his defense.

“Asuka, be careful! It’s a trap!” Jin shouted, warning his cousin.

Asuka heard him, but it was too late. Thinking she had broken through his defense, she attacked — and fell right into the trap. Alex caught her fist and, despite her attempt to twist away, gently and easily threw her over his shoulder. With a dull thud, she hit the floor on her back, staring at the ceiling, clearly not understanding what had just happened.

“You held your ground well,” Alex said, walking over and offering her his hand.

“What was that?” Asuka asked, accepting his help.

“Chi-Yu,” he replied with a smile.

“I’ve never heard of that,” she admitted, smiling slightly in response.

“It’s a martial art practiced by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Right now, besides me, only Renka knows it,” he nodded toward the girl standing by the ring.

Asuka nodded, looking over at Renka with interest — perhaps she’d ask her for a joint training session soon. She jumped off the ring, and Alex began to hope there would be no more challenges… How wrong he was.

“Now it’s my turn, handsome. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?” Juri said with a smirk, easily jumping onto the ring.

“Maybe we should postpone it?” Alex replied with a crooked smile.

“Nope,” she responded playfully, swinging her leg toward his head.

Alex sighed and smoothly tilted his head, dodging the strike. Juri only smiled wider and, spinning around, launched another attack with a twist. Dodging her strikes, Alex noted to himself: despite her playful exterior, Juri was a master of Taekwondo — dangerous and skillful. He understood why the debate between her and Chun-Li about who was stronger hadn’t been settled yet: Juri’s strikes were not only precise but also powerful.

She jumped into the air and began spinning, attacking with a series of kicks. Alex calmly dodged, watching every move she made. At some point, he noticed she had started channeling Ki into her strikes.

Smirking slightly, Alex stepped closer, entering her attack range. Skillfully dodging her lunge, he swept Juri’s leg, and she lost her balance, falling but gracefully supporting herself on her hands and bouncing back.

“Using Ki — that’s cheating. I’m not even using anything,” Alex said with a playful grin.

“I’m such a fragile girl, and you’re so strong. It’s all fair,” Juri replied, stretching provocatively like a cat.

Alex silently watched as she arched her body with cat-like grace, her eyes never leaving his, fully aware of what she was doing and the effect it had. He knew this was a provocation — her smirk was far too satisfied.

Chun-Li, noticing everything, rolled her eyes.

“Stop staring! Just slap that restless cat already!” she said, grabbing his attention.

“Don’t be jealous, Chun-Li. Maybe he just likes flexible girls,” Juri teased, demonstratively raising her leg high, almost as if showing off her flexibility.

Alex stood with an unreadable expression, contemplating that now — this was his perfect chance to slip away. He knew all too well how trying to intervene in a fight between two women usually ended. Sparks literally flew between Chun-Li and Juri whenever their gazes met. Amidst the commotion, Alex tried to quietly step off the ring and rest… but didn’t manage to.

Right in front of his face, a heel flashed suddenly. He instinctively stepped back, and the kick passed by him.

“Where do you think you’re going, handsome? We’re not done yet,” Juri said, licking her lips with a predatory grin.

Alex sighed heavily. Well, if that’s how it is… let her attack.

Juri swiftly closed the distance and, spinning around, tried to kick him in the stomach. Alex stepped back and to the side, dodging, then turned and swung his leg — his foot stopped just a centimeter from Juri’s face. She instantly jumped back.

“Well, that’s it. Victory’s mine,” Alex said lazily.

“What do you mean?” Juri squinted, raising an eyebrow.

“In the literal sense. If I hadn’t stopped, you’d already be on the floor,” he said, jumping off the ring.

Juri stayed in place, a little confused. But she didn’t have much time to think — Chun-Li jumped onto the ring and attacked without warning. Juri instantly perked up: against Chun-Li, she didn’t have to hold back.

Alex tried to remind them not to go too far… but his words were lost in the noise of their battle. He sighed deeply and sat down next to Cammy, Miu, and Renka, who were watching the fight with interest.

Later, Jinie and Seol approached. As soon as Jinie’s gaze fell on Renka, a new challenge hung in the air. Jinie had lost last time, and since then, she hadn’t missed an opportunity to get her revenge. Renka didn’t refuse the duel this time either — and the fight began.

Seol moved closer, sat down beside Alex and Miu, and smiled warmly at them.

“When did they get so friendly?” Alex asked, glancing at Miu in surprise.

“I think it was back when Jinie first fought Renka. Though, Jinie lost pretty badly back then,” Miu replied with a smile.

“Badly?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Sadly, yes. She couldn’t do anything against her. Ever since then, every time they meet, Jinie wants to fight her again,” Seol confirmed, still smiling.

Alex nodded, not particularly surprised. He knew Renka had the advantage: her fighting style was rare and almost unknown to others.

Meanwhile, the other fighters, tired of just watching, started their own training and challenges. The training room became noisy and lively. Miu was chatting with Seol about everyday topics, and Alex, not wanting to interrupt, moved closer to Cammy. She had comfortably settled between his legs, leaning her back against him, while observing the fight between Chun-Li and Juri.

Alex hoped the scuffle wouldn’t escalate into something more… especially not a royal battle. He wrapped his arm around Cammy’s waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of peace.

But it didn’t last long.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Nobuna’s voice rang out as she entered the room.

Alex opened his eyes and smiled at the familiar voice. Miu waved at Nobuna, Seol nodded politely, and Cammy greeted her with a friendly smile. Alex had already told the girls about his recent date with Nobuna — and how it ended.

Nobuna walked up to them with wide steps and sat down beside them.

“Why were you looking for me, princess?” Alex asked with a smile.

“Isn’t it just fine for me to look for you?” Nobuna squinted, feigning seriousness.

Alex smiled softly and took her hand, ensuring she wouldn’t overthink his words. Nobuna just huffed and tightened her grip on his hand, showing a hint of irritation. Alex was about to ask why she came, but quickly realized — Nobuna was probably bored of board games and decided to find him instead.

Although Alex suspected that, more likely than not, Nobuna had ruined the game for the kids again, and as a result, they had teamed up and kicked her out in shame. However, he didn’t expose her and decided to change the topic, just chatting aimlessly instead.

Tired of watching the fights, he stretched and said, “Anyone want to take a walk?”

“Nope, I’ll pass. I’ll wait until Chun-Li finishes her sparring, and then I’ll start my training again,” Cammy replied with a smile.

“I’ll keep Seol company so she won’t get bored,” Miu said softly.

“I’m out. It’s too noisy in here,” Nobuna declared, standing up.

Alex nodded, glad that he’d have company. Since Nobuna had come to find him, there was no reason to refuse. Before leaving, he kissed Cammy and Miu without distracting Renka and Chun-Li from their fight, and then left the training room with Nobuna.

As soon as they were in the hallway, Nobuna, with a satisfied smile, took his hand again. Alex decided not to waste time and led her off in search of adventure. Their path soon brought them straight to Takashi and Kota.

“Yo, Kota, Takashi,” Alex said, noticing the guys.

“Yo, Alex,” Kota replied, waving his hand in greeting.

Alex grinned, gave Kota a high-five, and slapped Takashi on the back of the head.

“Hey! What was that for?” Takashi grumbled, rubbing his neck.

“For skipping out on training,” Alex rolled his eyes.

Kota laughed, and immediately attempted to kick Takashi. Dodging it, he smirked, while Takashi just sighed, realizing he couldn’t reach him.

Alex decided to chat a bit and find out how things were going with the others. He was particularly curious about where Jonah had disappeared to. It turned out that he was looking after his younger brother, who had caught a cold. Being the older sibling, Jonah took on the responsibility, even though Malka insisted she could handle it on her own. Alex nodded approvingly and turned back to Takashi.

“You’re still slacking off… just wandering around with no purpose,” Alex commented.

“And what about you?” Takashi grumbled.

“I just came from the training room. And don’t worry, Takashi… When I’m done with my work, you’ll have your own little adventure waiting. In another world,” Alex whispered into his ear.

Takashi immediately turned pale. The thought of some “adventure” didn’t sit well with him, and he started thinking of ways to refuse. Little did he know, refusing wasn’t an option — not even Gloria and Namiyo would be able to help him.

Seeing the expression on Takashi’s face, Alex grinned with satisfaction and, with Nobuna, walked away.

“What did you say to him that almost made him go gray?” Nobuna asked, tugging on his arm.

“Nothing special. Just reminded him of a little… family talk. He didn’t quite enjoy the last one,” Alex said innocently with a smile.

“Family talk?” Nobuna asked, intrigued.

Alex didn’t bother hiding the details and explained what had happened. After hearing the story, Nobuna couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Alex smiled as well.

Now, he decided to visit the other girls who were busy with various tasks around the aircraft carrier. Nobuna, of course, eagerly agreed to keep him company.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep