After Alex knocked Chris out with a single precise punch to the jaw, a heavy silence settled over the training ground. Those who had bet on Chris’s victory winced, some visibly pained by the loss—especially since their champion had gone down with such an echoing crash. Meanwhile, those already familiar with Alex’s capabilities simply smiled quietly, collecting their well-earned winnings.

Alex looked down at Chris’s unconscious body and shook his head. He could see his soul—pure, bright, just like a true hero’s should be. And that gave him mixed feelings. He still hated heroes. In his life, there had only ever been one person he accepted as a true hero—Bell, a part of his family. All the others, with their “heroic glow,” mostly irritated him.

But right now, personal grudges weren’t the priority—he needed to talk to Chris and get information: what was happening with the resistance, what state Raccoon City was in, and how soon the final act of this story would begin. Alex felt the endgame approaching—it was time to make the final moves.

Walking up to the unconscious Chris, Alex grabbed him unceremoniously by the leg and began dragging him toward the barracks—for a warm, heartfelt conversation, so to speak. Leon and Piers followed, barely holding back their laughter. The sight of Chris being taken down was just too ridiculous to forget. Claire, Jill, and Recca, watching Alex drag their friend’s limp body across the ground, couldn’t hold back either—their laughter was loud and genuine.

“Alex, I hope you didn’t hit him too hard?” Claire asked through giggles. “I’m afraid he might get even dumber.”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. Just a light tap to the face,” Alex replied calmly, smirking. “He’ll wake up soon. In the meantime, let’s get him somewhere we can talk properly.”

“Drag his ass straight to the briefing room,” Payne said, walking up. “I’d like to hear what news that stubborn mule brought too.”

Alex shrugged and kept dragging Chris along at the same pace. He realized it wasn’t just him who was curious—everyone else wanted to know what the resistance was planning before the final battle.

Once they reached the meeting room, Alex placed Chris onto a chair, arranging him carefully so he wouldn’t fall off. He even folded the man’s arms over his chest, as if Chris had simply dozed off during a boring briefing. Leon and Piers came in behind and nearly burst into laughter—the scene was hilariously absurd.

The rest of Alex’s group, along with Major Payne, gathered shortly after. Seeing Chris like that, Payne snorted and took a seat against the wall, barely hiding a smirk. Meanwhile, Alex settled into a chair with Rebecca on his lap, lazily stroking her hair. But his thoughts were far away.

He had been avoiding Raccoon City for a reason—he didn’t want to risk it. If the Minister of Monoliths sensed his presence, things would get much more complicated. Besides, he was still hunting for the last priest. After interrogating and ripping the memories from Deag Nilox’s head, he had only managed to locate the second priest—Deag Ranak, now hiding in the former territory of Los Illuminados in Spain. But Deag Grav was still a ghost—no trace, no hint. Logically, if one was in Europe and another in America, then the third should be… somewhere else. But where?

Alex’s thoughts swirled while he absentmindedly stroked Becca’s hair. Noticing his distant look, she tugged his cheek to bring him back to reality.

“What are you thinking about, staring off into space like that?” she asked.

The other girls also looked at him with interest. Alex briefly explained that he was thinking about the location of the third priest and why he hadn’t been able to track him down. The girls just sighed and nodded—whenever Alex got lost in thought, it always meant big trouble on the horizon.

A couple of minutes passed, and Chris stirred. He jerked slightly, almost falling off the chair, but managed to stay seated. Looking around, he realized he was in a conference room… and everyone was staring at him. Among the faces, he recognized some familiar ones: Jill, Rekka, … and of course, his sister Claire, who was sitting next to the guy that had knocked him out with a punch to the jaw.

Chris rubbed his chin—the pain from the hit still throbbed unpleasantly. His eyes landed on Alex, who was lazily chatting with the girls at the moment. Alex noticed Chris had woken up and met his furious glare with an amused smirk.

“Well, you’re awake? Can we talk now? Or do you need another round to help you focus?” Alex narrowed his eyes.

Chris’s eyes narrowed in return, taking Alex’s words as a threat. But before he could say anything, Leon put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re not here for that, Chris,” he reminded calmly.

Chris let out a heavy breath and, after a short pause, nodded. Alex smirked. He was starting to like that Leon was the voice of reason in this trio. It explained a lot. He knew the kind of man Leon was—stubborn, brave, but also level-headed and capable of thinking clearly. A rarity in this crazy world.

Still rubbing his sore chin, Chris threw short but warm glances at Jill and Rekka, happy they were alive. Though the girls reacted in their own way—rolling their eyes in unison, as if to say “took you long enough.”

“Payne said you’ve got a virus that can kill demons. Is that true?” Chris went straight to the point.

“Yeah. Our settlement’s scientists managed to synthesize it. Though most of the credit goes to Rekka,” Alex nodded toward her with a light smile. “She did the bulk of the work.”

“How effective is it? Have you actually tested it or is it all theory?” Piers asked, arms crossed over his chest.

“We ran field tests in Rome,” Alex answered calmly. “The demon mortality rate was nearly total. Most of them died within minutes.”

Chris frowned, thinking over what he’d just heard, clearly wanting more details. Not wanting to dive into scientific explanations, Alex passed the presentation off to Rekka. She smacked him on the arm, muttered something under her breath, and pulled a portable mini-lab from her backpack—one of Alex’s inventions. She still had recordings, schematics, and even a 3D model of the virus’s spread.

While Rekka explained the infection mechanism, side effects, and data from the Rome experiment, Alex added that once the first demons started dying, the rest quickly began to flee. He advised Chris to prepare for the possibility that during settlement cleanups, the demons might begin a mass evacuation to avoid destruction.

Chris nodded in full agreement. He had noticed before that demons acted in a coordinated, calculated way. They had intelligence—and worse, strategy.

“Since the virus is clear,” Alex began, “let’s talk about the situation in Raccoon City. I need to know what to expect.”

“And why do you need that info? You planning to help with more than just the virus?” Chris asked suspiciously.

“Something like that,” Alex waved lazily. “I can’t just hand you a toy and watch you screw it up. So go ahead—spill everything you know.”

Chris frowned in displeasure but eventually reached into his coat pocket for a tablet and handed it to Alex. Alex took the device, but seeing everyone crowding around and the screen being too small, he connected the tablet to his phone and activated a projection. A simple hologram immediately filled part of the room, displaying a series of drone images.

“Most of the demons are concentrated right in Raccoon City. From the looks of it, they’re building a real fortress there,” Chris explained, pointing to one of the images.

Alex studied the projection closely, and his face slowly darkened. This wasn’t what he had expected at all. He knew Raccoon City was the domain of the Minister of Monoliths and had assumed that the final act of his grand “performance” would take place there. But now the demons of Davoth were also present—and they were building a bastion, as if preparing for defense.

Something was clearly off.

If the Minister was hiding beneath the city and the demons were constructing fortifications above ground… did that mean they were working together? Or were they preparing for a confrontation? Alex knew both entities could sense each other’s presence. But why would either of them allow the other to fortify territory they claimed as their own?

The worst part was the possibility that the Icon of Sin might be hiding somewhere within those ruins. That thought troubled Alex more than anything. He didn’t say it aloud, but the tension in his eyes and the tight line of his lips betrayed his inner anxiety. The girls, looking at the images, began whispering among themselves—they knew that every such detail always pointed to something much bigger.

“The situation in Raccoon City is clear,” said Alex, rubbing his face with a hand. “What about the Resistance? When are you planning the assault?”

“Initially, we were going to prepare thoroughly and hit the city in a couple of weeks,” Chris began. “I made contact with surviving military bases and survivor groups. My plan was to start with heavy bombardment, then move in with infantry. But now, with your virus… I think it would be better to first clear out the surrounding cities of demons, so we don’t get flanked. After that—we move on to Raccoon City.”

Alex nodded silently. The plan made sense. But he already knew—it wouldn’t go according to script.

He could only sigh at Chris’s words—the idea of clearing nearby towns before storming Raccoon City was sound. But deep down, he knew: no matter how the assault ended, there might not be any victors. The Resistance would face something far worse than just hordes of demons. And only Alex understood how serious it truly was.

While Chris shared the details of his plan, Alex listened carefully, adjusting his own strategy to match the Resistance’s advance. Then he pulled out a small box—inside were vials of the virus and devices for dispersing it. He briefly explained how to use the equipment and handed it all to Chris.

“This should make things easier for you,” Alex said calmly. “After all, we’re aiming for the same goal.”

Chris nodded gratefully. But Alex just waved him off—he didn’t consider it a favor. It was all part of his own plan.

Saying goodbye to Chris, Alex left Claire alone with her brother and headed back to the barracks with the girls and the rest of the team. Yet the uneasy feeling didn’t leave him—not for a second. The thought of Davoth and the Minister of Monoliths sharing one territory seemed too suspicious. Alex didn’t believe in coincidences of that scale.

The only hypothesis he could come up with was that the two had indeed joined forces. But why? What could make two such powerful and ambitious entities cooperate? Alex knew of only one possible reason… himself. He was sure: in this world, there was no one else capable of killing both Davoth and the Minister—except him. Most likely, they had decided to divide the universe between them before he could reach them.

After returning to the barracks, Alex asked the girls to start packing. Their work here was nearly complete—it was time to head home. Soon, they were back in the room where they had spent the night. The girls immediately settled in different spots, trying to digest everything that had happened and waiting to hear what Alex thought of the whole bizarre situation.

“Alex,” Ada was the first to speak, crossing one leg over the other. “Are you finally going to explain how two beings who are clearly fighting over this world decided to hang out in the same territory? That’s not normal.”

“No idea,” Alex admitted, rubbing his chin. “I can’t even logically imagine why they would join forces. But if they did, it actually makes things easier for me. One city—one big target. Everything in one place.”

“So you want to take out both of them at once?” Rika asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Exactly. But before that, I need to finish my preparations. And yeah,” Alex smirked, “it’s time to go after the second priest.”

“Mummy number two,” Cammy snorted. “You’re still calling them that?”

“Yep. Take him out of the equation, and the demons will start running around like headless chickens. Most likely, they’ll be ordered to retreat or regroup in Raccoon City. And that plays right into our hands,” Alex said, raising a finger as if to underline his point.

“So you want to force them all into one spot, and then end it for good there?” Cammy clarified, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“Something like that. Better to have both idiots in one place. I don’t want one of them escaping and showing up later with some dramatic line like ‘I’m back’ and a villainous smirk,” Alex said, shaking his head in annoyance.

“You sound like a classic movie villain,” Sherry noted with a soft laugh.

The girls giggled. Alex just shrugged and confirmed with a grin—yes, he preferred solving problems radically. No chances for sequels. No loose ends.

He glanced over at GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf—his support team. It looked like tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, he’d be heading out to hunt the second priest. Time was running out.

A few minutes later, Claire walked back into the room. And her expression… was terrifying. One look at her face made it clear—she was angry. Very angry. The girls exchanged glances, and Alex raised an eyebrow with interest. Claire silently approached, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was as if she was seeking comfort and support from him.

“What happened?” Jill asked first. “You look like you’re about to murder someone.”

“Would I be wrong?” Claire muttered, still holding onto him. “Chris is an idiot. He wants me to leave with him.”

“Because of your relationship with Alex?” Chiquita asked with a smirk.

“Even worse. He wants me to come back and be his secretary. Because apparently, our hero can’t handle paperwork and wants to dump it all on me.”

“Oh, Chris…” Jill groaned.

“Classic,” Rekka added. “Ten years ago he still couldn’t tell which side of a report was up.”

“Let him suffer then,” Alex said, gently stroking Claire’s hair. “None of my girls will do something they don’t want to. Especially not for an incompetent paper-pusher like him.”

To cheer Claire up, Alex began telling her a few funny stories. Becca joined in, recalling a couple of wild incidents involving her brother Pilar. The room once again filled with warmth and a sense of comfort.

But soon the door opened, and Lehm peeked inside.

“Alex, someone’s here to see you. Hope I’m not interrupting?”

Alex waved his hand, indicating that everything was fine. Carefully helping Claire off his lap, he stood up and followed Lehm to find out who wanted to talk to him.

Stepping outside the barracks, he immediately noticed Rick and his team. They looked focused — clearly, they hadn’t come just to say hello.

“Since you’re here, I take it you’ve made up your minds?” Alex asked calmly, surveying each of them.

“Looks like it,” Rick nodded with a slight smile. “After Daryl explained how you guys operate… I think it would be foolish to refuse such an offer.”

“Then welcome aboard. We’ll be heading back soon, so get ready. Oh, and a tip — don’t be surprised by what you see next,” Alex added with a light smirk.

Rick’s group exchanged confused glances. They didn’t quite understand what Alex meant. Only Daryl looked at him calmly — he already knew what Alex was capable of. Meanwhile, Lehm eagerly waited to see how the newcomers would react to the most interesting part.

Meanwhile, Alex returned to the girls and briefly told them it was time to pack up. The mission at the base was over. The girls gladly agreed — no matter what, home was always cozier. Even though the beds Alex pulled from inventory were just as comfortable, the familiar surroundings were closer to the heart.

While the girls packed their things, Alex decided to check on the guys to see if they were ready. As it turned out, they had already packed all their gear and were fully prepared. Alex just nodded approvingly and went back to the girls just as they were zipping up their backpacks.

They stepped outside, and Alex lit a cigarette, waiting for the others without hurry. Soon Rick’s group arrived with their bags. Alex immediately noticed that Nathan had come not alone, but accompanied by Lara. He raised an eyebrow in surprise — now it was clear where Nathan had been yesterday during the group barbecue and drinking session.

“So, how are you planning to get back?” Dale asked, crossing his arms. “You said you flew here by plane. Same way back?”

“Believe me, old man, you’ll be surprised by the method,” Becca giggled with a gremlin-like grin.

Everyone in Rick’s group exchanged puzzled looks.

At that moment, the guys came out of the barracks with their backpacks — fully ready to move out.

Alex stubbed out his cigarette and, without a word, summoned Yamato. The sword appearing from thin air made Rick and his people’s eyes go wide. But things got even more interesting: Alex swung the sword, and a portal immediately opened in the air.

A collective thud sounded — as if a dozen jaws had hit the floor at once. Alex laughed and stepped into the portal first, followed calmly and naturally by the girls. The guys pushed the newcomers in so as not to waste time on shock. Some were practically shoved inside.

The next moment — they were already standing on the other side. Against the snowy sky, the buildings of a settlement in Alaska rose.

“What the… How did we even get here?” Merle exhaled, stunned, turning his head around. “Alaska is hundreds of miles away… and we just went through some hole in the air!”

“I told you — don’t be surprised,” Alex replied with a grin. “Everyone here’s used to it by now.”

“Alex speaks the truth,” Lehm added, shrugging. “We were staring at it at first too, but now it’s just a regular Monday morning.”

Laughter rippled through the rows. The guys headed to their homes to unpack their things. The girls, after kissing Alex goodbye, also dispersed — Claire, Jill, Moira, and Sherry went to gather their belongings to officially move in with him.

Meanwhile, Alex called over Rick and his people to give them a tour and lead them to the council building, where they were supposed to be assigned housing.

As they walked through the settlement, Rick and his group looked around in surprise. Everything seemed calm, even peaceful. People were going about their business, children ran around as if this was not a post-apocalyptic world, but just an ordinary day in a quiet town.

“An amazing place,” Dale said quietly. “So all those radio messages were true…”

“More or less,” Alex nodded. “Now come in. This is our administrative building. We need to assign you housing.”

They went inside, and Alex, trusting his instinct, headed for the main hall. There, in the company of Svetlana and Balalaika, sat Brunhilda, Coco, and Yuriko. Seeing them, Alex waved, and behind him Rick’s group entered the room.

“Already back? How was the trip?” Yuriko asked with a smile, glancing at him.

“I’ll tell you at home,” Alex replied calmly. “But for now, we have some newcomers here. We should settle them in.”

He nodded toward Rick and his team. Brunhilda stood up and approached.

“So, these guys are with you? Good. We’ll find them a suitable place.”

The women exchanged glances with Rick’s group and silently nodded. While the newcomers were being assigned their homes, Alex stood nearby with Brunhilda, Coco, and Yuriko, watching their work. But it took only a minute for him to realize — even in the midst of the apocalypse, bureaucracy was alive and well. Alex sighed deeply: the system doesn’t die, it just moves.

When Rick’s group went to settle in, accompanied by one of the assistants, Alex decided to stay. However, the girls quickly lost patience — they wanted to know in advance what had happened at the military base and what they had been doing there with Alex.

Alex told them everything: about the Book of the Dead and the consequences of its activation. He explained what the artifact was, the power it contained, and how it had almost caused a catastrophe.

Yuriko, Coco, and Brunhilda only sighed heavily, lamenting human stupidity. Alex continued and spoke about the meeting with Chris Redfield, the state of the resistance, and the troubling situation in Raccoon City.

When he finished, concern was no longer limited to just the administrative girls — even Svetlana and Balalaika looked tense. Something in what was happening clearly wasn’t adding up. Alex agreed with their suspicions but decided not to go deeper into the topic for now.

After finishing the conversation, he headed home — he finally wanted to surrender to laziness and spend some time with his daughter Anya.

Just as he approached the house, Claire, Sherry, Jill, and Moira were already coming up the porch, carrying bags with their belongings. Alex smirked — they packed quickly. He opened the door, and they all entered the house together.

But no sooner had Alex stepped over the threshold than three pink-haired torpedoes flew at him. Anya, Lucy, and Zero Two clung to him with joyful squeals.

“So much love right after coming home,” Alex said with a smile, feeling literally covered by them.

“When you’re not here, the house gets boring,” Lucy cooed, pressing her cheek against his hand.

Alex stroked each of the three on the head in turn when a sarcastic voice sounded from behind:

“I see the girls have moved in with us again. Seems like you really can’t control what’s between your legs,” Alcina said with a hint of mockery.

Alex quickly covered Anya’s ears and shot Alcina a meaningful, reproachful look. She just waved him off with a smirk.

Sighing, Alex decided to show the girls their room. Although it wasn’t that simple — Anya, Lucy, and Zero Two were still hanging on him. Lifting them all in his arms, he led Claire, Jill, Sherry, and Moira upstairs.

Entering a spacious room, the girls involuntarily stopped in surprise — it was much larger than they had expected. But then, remembering who Alex was, they just nodded and mentally prepared themselves for whatever might await them in the future.

“Wow, what a convenient wardrobe you have! This must be one of the perks of magic,” Sherry said with surprise, peeking inside.

“Magic can do much more than just spacious wardrobes. But yeah, it seems the main thing for girls is that everything fits,” Alex shrugged.

“Exactly! There’s nothing worse than trying to stuff things into a tiny wardrobe,” Claire smirked.

“You’re not the first to complain about that,” Alex said with a light laugh.

“Well, with your abilities, I’m sure the wardrobe won’t ever get full,” Moira added, chuckling.

Alex laughed along with her and gave the girls some time to settle in. Carrying the trio with him, he went down to the first floor — to spend some time with the family and finally fully embrace a well-deserved lazy mode.

As he sat on the sofa, the girls in the living room enthusiastically told the others what had happened to them at the military base. Alex made himself comfortable, placed Anya on his lap, and Zero Two immediately nestled by his side, making it clear she wasn’t going anywhere today. He stroked Anya’s hair, smiling, and simply listened — enjoying the warmth and peace of home.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep