Two days flew by unnoticed. As Alex had said, he was completely absorbed in the work that needed to be finished before he could move forward with his plan. First, he went to retrieve his “gifts” that were still lying near the ruins of the Red Markers, destroyed by demons.

The reason was simple: he didn’t want such dangerous weapons just lying around unattended, waiting for some idiot to accidentally trigger a bomb and blow up the entire district—along with himself.

Even though Alex had implemented safety mechanisms and locking systems, he was sure that if the weapons ended up in the hands of a fool, anything could explode. But there was something even more important: he had no intention of leaving such technology to humans. His bombs were decades ahead of this world, and the thought that someone could use them to start another war—killing each other after the apocalypse—only irritated him. So he decided to act.

The second part of the plan was to create a system for dispersing a virus against demons.Alex had plenty of ideas—and that’s exactly what kept him from settling on a final version.He understood perfectly well that replicating what he did in Rome—creating clouds, causing rain, and spreading the virus directly onto the demons’ heads—was something regular people simply couldn’t do. So, the system had to be so simple that even a complete idiot could launch it, aim it at a city, and not destroy everything in the process.

He wrestled not only with the effectiveness of the system, but also with how to prevent people from turning this technology against themselves. In theory, after Davoth’s death, all demons were supposed to either perish or return to their homeworld—Hell. But Alex wasn’t going to rely on theories.

He knew that demons were still roaming different countries, and new ones were breaking through portals opened by cultists. And while necromorphs could be dealt with by destroying a Red Marker—though that wasn’t easy without serious firepower—things were far worse with demons. They kept coming. And every portal was the result of human stupidity and lust for power.

It took Alex half a day to build the required device. In the end, he assembled a compact system capable of launching a capsule filled with the virus into the sky. Upon detonation, it would disperse its contents into a thick mist that settled right on the heads of demons. The mechanism was simple, but reliability and safety—that’s what took up most of his time. Alex knew: sooner or later, humanity would turn even this invention against itself.

He knew people far too well. Once the common threat disappeared, once the demons were gone, everything would return to the way it had always been. People would start fighting again—for resources, for land, for power. For ego. For ambition.

Even now, all it took was for him to open the radio transmission logs gathered by GIR and MIMI via satellite to see the same thing: yet another “great” leader handing out promises of unity, when in truth, he just wanted to regain his former power. History repeated itself. The words sounded noble, but behind them was the same old desire—to sit on the throne once more, even if it was in a world that had survived the Apocalypse.

When Alex told the girls about it, the house filled with laughter. Especially from the likes of Brunhilde, Coco, Yuriko, Ada, Valmet, and Chiquita—each of them had encountered such hypocrisy in their lives. They knew perfectly well that behind all the beautiful speeches and slogans, it was always the same thing: power, control, and the thirst for dominance. The only difference now was that, after the catastrophe, the former rulers had fewer restrictions—and freer hands.

Alex didn’t even consider getting involved in all that. He had already made his decision: to finish his part of the job—destroy Davoth and the Minister of Monoliths—and return the fate of the world to the hands of humanity. What they chose to do afterward wasn’t his concern. He wasn’t obligated to save anyone. He didn’t have to become some messiah leading humanity into a bright future. And he definitely wasn’t planning to stay in this world longer than necessary.

When he voiced this out loud, all the girls supported him unanimously. Alex had already done more than he was supposed to. Even helping the settlement’s residents hadn’t been part of his original plan. But he helped—because he could. Because he wanted to. But to carry this world on his shoulders? No. He was just doing his job. The rest was up to people themselves.

Once Alex got the confirmation from the girls that he didn’t have to bother with the whole “world restoration” nonsense, he simply nodded and returned to his workshop to finish his work as quickly as possible. Aside from the viral bomb, he also created several upgrades for the combat suits—for those who would be taking part in future battles. Truthfully, he didn’t have to do that either—it wasn’t his responsibility. But Alex wanted to spoil the others a little, let them feel like real killing machines.

And so passed two short days, unnoticed. Too fast, as if they never happened at all. Now the sun was rising outside, its first rays slowly pushing back the night’s darkness. At that moment, Alex and the girls were still asleep, unaware that the day they had been preparing for had already arrived.

Today they would head to America—to finally piece together the full picture of what was happening there. Alex had received a call from Hannibal just the day before with clarification: they would be met at the Lewis–McChord military base by an old friend of Hannibal and Price. That was reassuring—they’d be welcomed without too many questions. But Alex was more concerned about something else: the state of the plane that was supposed to take them to the base. He didn’t want to waste time on repairs again—the phases of his plan were already starting to drag. And although Murdock swore the plane was fine and would get them there in one piece, Alex, like the others, didn’t fully take the madman at his word. Anyone who knew Murdock understood: trusting him without checking was like playing Russian roulette.

Alex was still asleep. But even in his sleep, he began to feel something strange—though oddly familiar. No, this time his face wasn’t under attack from the teeth of one of the girls who happened to be dreaming something weird and decided to bite him in her sleep. The sensation was different now. He felt something pressing against his chin.

Half-asleep, he slowly opened one eye and discovered a female foot stubbornly pressing into his face. He tilted his head slightly to see whose foot it was, and his gaze landed on a pair of black panties. A girl had somehow ended up between his legs and made his face her footrest.

It was… Juri. How she managed to sneak into the room was anyone’s guess. Ever since she stayed over for that family movie night and ended up sleeping in Alcina’s old room, she hadn’t wanted to leave. That room had been officially assigned to her, but apparently last night she’d decided to return to Alex and the others.

Alex tried to gently move her foot away from his face, but the moment he shifted, Juri twitched and—smacked him right in the nose with her heel. His eye started twitching in irritation. But before he could react, Juri landed a second hit, again right on the bridge of his nose, then turned on her side with a sweet, silly smile and hugged his leg.

Alex’s patience finally snapped. He shoved her foot off his face and gave Juri a firm smack on the butt. The slap echoed so loudly, it seemed like it could’ve been heard outside the house.

“Hey! Have you lost your damn mind?!” Juri shrieked, jumping off the bed.

“That’s for kicking me in the face—twice. And how the hell did you even end up in our room?” Alex asked irritably. He was in no mood for jokes. Mornings, in his opinion, were meant to start with coffee, not a heel to the nose.

Juri squinted, looking sleepily around, and finally realized she wasn’t in her own room. The other girls were also beginning to wake up, and judging by their expressions, they weren’t thrilled about this kind of wake-up call either.

But Juri just shrugged after a moment, as if this was perfectly normal. So what if she ended up in bed with Alex and the others—hardly a tragedy.

“What’s with all the noise?” Ada groaned, eyes still closed.

“Someone has a habit of sleepwalking and decided to crash in our bed,” Alcina grumbled as she got up from the couch and headed off to change.

The girls, still shaking off sleep, looked over at Juri sitting on the couch and rubbing her butt, where a very distinct handprint was now visible. They groaned in unison—there was no chance of going back to sleep now. Chun-Li shot Juri an irritated glance but wasn’t in the mood to start a fight. She didn’t want to be the cause of unnecessary tension over something so trivial.

One by one, the women began to slide off their beds and couches, getting ready to wash up and change clothes.

“I thought you’d at least argue with me, Chun-Li,” Juri teased, crossing her legs and throwing a daring look at her rival.

“No energy. I’d rather drink my coffee than argue over you jumping on my husband in the middle of the night,” Chun-Li yawned, taking off Alex’s T-shirt she’d used as pajamas. “Besides, the handprint on your ass is a fair punishment.”

“Not everyone’s a morning person like you. Some of us need caffeine just to function,” Yuriko mumbled lazily, pulling off her nightgown.

The rest of the girls mumbled their agreement and began changing clothes, trying not to trip over themselves in their lingering drowsiness. Namiyo and Kiriko, already dressed, headed off to wake Alice, Anya, and Nobukatsu so they could wash up and join them for breakfast.

Alex sat on the edge of the couch, rubbing his face and trying to fully wake up. He glanced up and saw the girls getting dressed. He watched them for a few seconds, but in his mind, he was already calculating how long the flight to Joint Base Lewis–McChord would take and what potential problems they might run into there.

“What’s the matter, handsome? Enjoying the show so early in the morning?” Juri whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her chest against his back.

“I’m thinking, not gawking,” Alex replied, glancing at her. “And you should get dressed. We’re heading out right after breakfast.”

“What’s wrong with my outfit? Or would you prefer I wasn’t wearing anything at all?” she purred, blowing gently in his ear.

Alex slowly turned his head. Juri was wearing nothing but black panties and a short tank top. He couldn’t exactly say it wasn’t appealing, but this wasn’t the time or mood. If the others got roped into this little “morning game,” their departure for America would be delayed at least a day.

“Quit throwing yourself at him. What, are you in heat or something?” Renka muttered, shooting a grumpy glare at Juri.

“Don’t be jealous, sweetheart. He just likes what he sees. All he has to do is ask, and I’ll show him even more,” Juri smirked, lifting her shirt just enough to almost flash her chest.

“If you want to flaunt your boobs, get in line,” Becca said lazily. “The only thing that might surprise Alex now is the fact he hasn’t seen you completely naked yet.”

Juri just smirked, turned to Alex, planted a firm kiss on his cheek, and gracefully jumped off the couch, striding toward the exit. Her hips swayed seductively with every step. Alex couldn’t help but watch her go — if it weren’t for the morning “kicks” to the face, he might’ve called that a pleasant bonus.

When the girls finished changing, Alex went downstairs with them to the first floor, heading to the dining room for breakfast and a much-needed coffee boost.

First thing in the kitchen, he approached Anya and kissed her on the crown of her head — the girl had nearly fallen asleep, her face buried in a bowl of cereal. Alex sat down at the table and took a sip of his coffee. Breakfast was consumed in complete silence — everyone was trying to fully wake up and recover after being rudely awakened.

Alex stared into the dark depths of his cup while the inner voice of laziness began to stir in his mind. It whispered that everything could be postponed another day, that he could just stay home and rest, and fly to America tomorrow instead.

But Alex quickly suppressed that feeling. Today was definitely not the day to postpone his plans.

After finishing breakfast, the girls started gathering their gear — a new journey awaited, and this time more of them were going with Alex. The reason was the uncertain situation in the city they were heading to. Nobody knew what to expect.

Alex glanced over at GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who were still finishing their breakfasts, and whistled to hurry them up. They instantly cleared their plates and dashed off like a whirlwind to get their gear.

Alex himself didn’t need to pack anything — he always carried everything necessary on him, following the principle: better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

When the girls finally packed up, they came down to the living room, where Alex and those staying behind were already waiting.

“Girls, got everything? Nothing left behind?” Yuriko asked, carefully inspecting the team.

“Seems like we’ve got it all, mom. If worse comes to worst, Alex’s pockets are bottomless — he has everything you might need in there,” Saya replied, adjusting her backpack.

“Saya’s right. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a nuclear warhead in his coat. Or a tiny sun,” Rei chuckled.

“Who said I don’t have that?” Alex smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“That was a joke, dummy,” Rei snorted, grabbing his head and turning it back.

“Alright, if everyone’s ready — let’s move out. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we deal with the situation,” Alex said, getting up from the couch.

“Can I not go? I’m just really, really lazy…” Ada stretched, covering her mouth as she yawned. “I just want to sleep.”

“No. March out of the house, you’ve gotten way too lazy. I’m honestly surprised you haven’t gained a couple of extra pounds yet,” Coco said, pushing Ada toward the door.

“Heh-heh-heh… My husband helps with that. Thanks to our nightly ‘workouts,’ obesity isn’t a threat,” Ada smirked, winking at Alex.

“Not just you,” Rei added lazily, nodding.

The other girls nodded in agreement, while Alex stayed sitting with a blank expression, wondering how the conversation about the trip had somehow slipped back into talking about intimate topics. Well, he was used to it by now — female logic could steer a conversation anywhere.

Before leaving, Alex went up to Anya, hugged her tightly, and whispered that he would miss her. He didn’t bother lecturing the kids about listening to their elders—there were already plenty of strict girls in the house who would take care of that. After kissing the remaining girls goodbye, he joined the others and headed to the meeting point.

The group going to America was fairly large—Alex had anticipated that reinforcements might be needed but didn’t want to bring everyone at once. If necessary, he could always open a portal and bring the others later.

“Just in time. This time you’re not even late,” Lehm said with a slight smile as they arrived.

“Oh, get lost, old man. The morning’s been rough enough without you. And we still have a five-hour flight ahead,” Alex yawned.

“Can’t you just open that portal of yours again and get us there right away?” R asked, crossing his arms.

“For the especially ‘gifted’—to open a portal somewhere, I first need to have been there. Or do you think I’ve already crawled over every inch of the planet?” Alex replied irritably.

“I was just asking why you’re so worked up…” R raised his hands in a peace gesture.

“The handsome guy’s just unhappy he didn’t get what he wanted this morning,” Juri giggled, hugging Alex from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder.

The guys, overhearing that, shot Alex looks full of envy and hidden resentment. Noticing this, Alex instinctively reached for the inner pocket of his coat, intending to pull out his stick and teach these “psychologists” a lesson. But Valmet gently stopped his hand, shaking her head: it’s not worth it—they won’t learn anyway.

The guys flinched slightly at the movement. When Alex simply withdrew his hand, they sighed in relief—no one wanted to find out what he was about to pull out.

Scanning the group, Alex frowned slightly. There were more people than he had expected, and he wondered if they would all fit in the transport.

After a moment’s thought, he summoned Yamato and with two quick motions opened a portal directly to the military base in Anchorage. One by one, everyone began passing through it, trying not to hold up the process.

“Itami, Melnik, settlement defense is on you. Make sure everything stays calm. If worst comes to worst, call me—I’ll be back,” Alex said, addressing the two men.

“Yes, sir!” they replied, saluting.

Alex nodded and stepped into the portal. Emerging on the other side—right on the military base grounds—he scanned the perimeter looking for Hannibal. After a short search, he spotted him—standing near Peck and Bosco, listening to their report. Alex approached with a slight smile and greeted the old acquaintance.

“Kid, your tricks still amaze me. Honestly, damn convenient,” Hannibal smirked, nodding at Alex.

“Ha-ha, thanks. So, show me your ‘magic’ plane you said would get us straight to Lewis-McChord,” Alex replied, raising an eyebrow.

Hannibal smirked and waved his hand, motioning for them to follow him. The whole group trailed behind him toward the nearest hangar. When they stepped inside, they were met with a timeworn C-130 Hercules: its exterior was rusted in places, and the plane looked, to put it mildly, exhausted. Alex squinted skeptically and glanced at Hannibal with a “are you serious?” expression. Hannibal caught the look and simply chuckled.

“Don’t worry, kid, this old guy will definitely get you there. Well, maybe,” he added with a grin.

“What the hell do you mean by ‘maybe’?!” Becca protested. “Are you not sure yourself if this heap of metal will even fly?”

“Calm down, my love, I’ll figure it out,” Alex said, gently running his hand through her hair.

“Well, if you say so, good luck. We’ll probably step aside,” Peck laughed, moving away with the others.

Alex sighed deeply, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. His gaze fell back on the “iron bird,” and he shook his head.

“Alright, get settled for now. I’ll check if this thing can even take off or if it’s time to scrap it,” he muttered, exhaling smoke.

The group began to settle in the hangar, giving Alex and his team room to conduct the inspection. He signaled for GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf to come over. Boarding the plane, he assigned tasks: GIR and MIMI started inspecting the cabin and the overall condition of the fuselage, while Alex, along with Stitch and Wolf, headed for the cockpit.

Taking the pilot’s seat, Alex began the diagnostics. Stitch, sitting nearby, started playing “war games.”

“Pew pew! Bang bang! Mayday, mayday! We’re falling! Aaah, boom!” he sang, acting out an aerial battle scene.

“You can play later. Let’s finish the check first,” Alex replied wearily.

“All right…” Stitch grumbled and began pressing buttons on the panel as if he were seriously helping.

Alex shook his head with a smile and turned to Wolf.

“Connect to the system. We need to find out if there are any hidden electronic problems.”

While they worked, the others waited in the hangar for the results. Half an hour later, Alex stepped out of the plane, lit another cigarette, and exhaled with relief. The plane could fly. Surprisingly, this rusty vessel was still operational.

“So, how’s our bird? Are we taking off, or are you going to mess around here for half a day?” Soap called out as Alex stood by the stairs.

“We’re taking off. We’ll make it to the destination. But it’s still a rusty piece of junk. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s still flying,” Alex replied, rubbing his neck.

“Alex, are we really not going to crash? Honestly, I don’t want to experience free fall in a flying coffin,” Shizuka said nervously.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. The check showed it’ll hold up. Now grab your gear and take your seats,” Alex said, waving his hand and giving the command to load up.

Everyone began gathering their equipment and headed toward the plane. Alex returned to the cockpit to wait until everyone was ready for takeoff. He sat in the doorway of the pilot’s cabin, watching the others stow their gear under the seats. Unfortunately, the military cargo plane lacked the comforts of passenger liners, so they would have to endure the stiff, uncomfortable seats.

And then Alex remembered one important detail. The toilet. Or rather, its semblance. On this plane, it was just a hole in the floor hidden inside a metal compartment.

“Alex, we’re ready to depart,” Jill said, coming closer.

“I forgot to warn you about one… rather important thing,” he replied, standing up.

“And what is it that you forgot to tell us at a time like this? Maybe you thought it’d be more fun to mention it during the flight?” Becca snapped irritably, rolling her eyes.

“There’s no proper toilet here,” Alex said seriously, looking at the women on the team. “So I strongly recommend you use the restroom now. We have over four hours in the air ahead of us, and trust me, it’s better not to tempt fate.”

“Are you joking?!” Shizuka asked, stunned. “How is it even possible — a plane without a toilet?!”

“Couldn’t you… I don’t know… come up with something?” Renka asked hopefully, looking at him with puppy eyes.

“Ladies, I can only say one thing — no. So march to the bathroom before it’s too late,” Alex said, pointing toward the plane’s exit.

The girls exchanged glances and, without a word, quickly left the plane.

“Why didn’t you tell them there actually is a toilet?” Soap asked with a laugh as he came closer.

“You mean that hole in the floor that can hardly be called a toilet? God forbid. You know how… particular girls can be,” Alex smirked, shaking his head.

“Ha! Well, we’ll manage somehow anyway. Worst case — in a cartridge box,” R laughed.

The guys all laughed together, sharing memories of some of their less comfortable flights during service. Alex knew the girls would take a while, so he returned to the pilot’s cabin.

When he went inside, he found a funny sight: GIR and Stitch were dressed in pilot uniforms, complete with caps, and nearby stood MIMI dressed as a flight attendant. Alex just sighed heavily and shook his head.

“Get back in your seats, jokers,” he muttered, seating GIR in the co-pilot’s chair next to Stitch.

He settled into the pilot’s seat himself and began preparations for takeoff.

“Ha ha! I thought you might need a co-pilot, and you’ve got two of them,” came Chiquita’s voice as she peeked into the cockpit.

“Do you have flying experience?” Alex asked her with interest, turning toward her.

“A little. I wasn’t in the army for nothing… Now, kids, make some room for Mom. Mom will help Dad get this junker into the sky,” she said with a smile, taking the co-pilot’s seat and kicking GIR and Stitch out.

As expected, protests followed. At least before, they had to share the seat, but now they were completely pushed out.

“Alright, no grumbling,” Alex said. “Take an example from MIMI.”

GIR and Stitch glanced at MIMI, then looked at each other and started pulling a bunch of costumes out of their bags, rummaging around for a flight attendant outfit. Alex watched them with a blank stare, mentally cursing himself for the idea of making so many cosplay costumes for them.

Without further distractions, Alex and Chiquita focused on preparing for takeoff.

“So, what’s the status? Are we taking off soon?” Miu asked, peeking into the cockpit.

“Almost. Just a few more moments, then we’ll start the engines,” Alex replied, checking the instruments.

Miu nodded and returned to the cabin to warn the others about the upcoming takeoff. Alex put on his headphones and turned on the radio.

“You are now flying with Zombieland Airlines, this is your captain Alexander speaking. Outside time is 8 a.m., the weather is great, clear skies, and no birds in sight. Please listen carefully to the safety instructions. In case of an emergency onboard, emergency exits are located on the right and left sides. If for some reason you cannot leave the cabin — it’s recommended to break through the fuselage with your head and enjoy the wonders of free fall… without a parachute,” Alex began the radio announcement in a serious tone.

Everyone in the cabin stared at GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, dressed as flight attendants. Without losing an ounce of seriousness, they started demonstrating the “correct actions” to take in emergency situations.

“Please pay attention to the demonstration of life jackets and oxygen masks… which, unfortunately, we do not have,” Alex continued cheerfully. “So if you want to get a breath of fresh air during the fall, just turn to the passenger on your right. They might help you. Or at least say goodbye.”

The passengers exchanged glances, many staring with disgust at those seated to their right.

“We’ll be cruising at an altitude of 11,000 meters, with an estimated flight time of about four and a half hours. Please turn off your mobile phones or switch them to airplane mode. Otherwise, our flight attendants will personally switch you to… free flight mode. Thank you for choosing our airline. Our motto: ‘We’ll get you there even if it’s hell!’ We wish you a pleasant flight,” Alex finished his “professional” announcement.

Chiquita, sitting nearby, couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

“Oh God, you’re hopeless!” she said through her laughter, wiping away tears. “Though, knowing you, I’m not even surprised…”

Laughter rippled through the cabin — the pre-flight tension vanished like a wave. Alex smirked and began taxiing toward the runway. Together with Chiquita, they smoothly gained speed, and by pulling the yoke toward himself, Alex lifted the plane into the air.

The sky welcomed them without resistance.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep