Sitting in the Afterlife bar, Alex was sharing stories about his journey and the rescue of two worlds with his friends. On either side of him sat Hephaestus and Gloria. Although they already knew about the events thanks to GIR, who had been regularly sending reports home at the request of the girls left in Orario, it was far more interesting to hear the tales from Alex himself.

Alex decided to start with a couple of amusing stories from his travels—specifically, one that happened in Valhalla. Maine, Dorio, Pilar, and Falco listened with interest as he described a world where the gods decided to destroy humanity, but instead of direct extermination, they organized a tournament, giving people a chance to fight for their existence.

“I might’ve bent the rules a little,” Alex admitted with a smirk, “but it was all for the survival of humanity.”

The others gave him dry, amused looks, clearly not surprised that he had managed to find a loophole even in Ragnarok.

Alex began listing historical figures he had fought alongside or against. Many of the names were unfamiliar to his friends, but a few were famous enough that even Maine, Dorio, Pilar, and Falco recognized them. They were especially curious about how strong humanity’s representatives were.

“Believe me,” said Alex, “even without my help, they had a shot at winning. If it weren’t for Odin being turned into a puppet by an evil god, things could’ve ended very differently. But knowing how things can go sideways, I didn’t want to take any chances.”

“Wait a second,” Dorio said, confused. “So… the gods killed your brother, you almost committed genocide in response, but in the end, you helped the humans and gods come to an agreement?”

“Pretty much. Let’s just say: gods are like children with unlimited power. Sure, they’re selfish and arrogant, but in this case, they were being manipulated. And since I managed to bring my brother back to life, I’d say everyone came out ahead,” Alex replied, lazily tracing the neck of his bottle with his finger.

“I’d argue that not all gods are like that,” Hephaestus snorted. “But yeah, even in our world, there are plenty of idiots. Like you always say—where there are good ones, there’s always someone to screw it all up.”

“Sounds like a toast,” said Pilar, raising his glass. “To those who didn’t turn into assholes.”

Everyone laughed and clinked their glasses. Even Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx raised their milkshakes, joining in the cheerful atmosphere.

Alex went on to say that he planned to do with Orario what he had done with Valhalla. In his words, the city had grown stale—every day the same: dungeon, return, a few titles at Denatus—and that was it. He wanted to shake up the system.

Hephaestus, being a goddess, fully supported such ideas. She understood that change could benefit the city and prevent the next bout of madness from a bored god deciding to wreck everything just for fun.

“You brought people from another world, and now you’re just sitting here drinking beer. You’ve gotten irresponsible, Alex,” said a female voice from behind.

A sly smirk spread across Falco’s face—he recognized that voice. Alex turned and saw Kiwi and Lucina entering the bar. The others turned as well. Only Takashi looked confused and embarrassed—after all, according to the anime, he was supposed to end up with Lucina. Yuki, noticing his look, promptly pinched his side, snapping him back to reality.

Alex looked first at Kiwi’s cold expression, then at Lucina’s amused smile. Without a second thought, he teleported right to them and hugged both tightly. The girls gasped in surprise as he lifted them off the ground, but quickly returned the hug.

“How did you know I’d be here?” Alex asked, gently setting them down.

“Wasn’t hard,” Kiwi replied. “The moment Hermes burst into Loki’s mansion yelling about your return and your three daughters—one of whom looks like Becca—it all added up.”

“And knowing Becca and Hestia would start arguing again, especially now that you have a daughter, it was obvious you’d avoid the mansion. The bar is the best hiding spot. Or, worst case, the Hostess of Fertility,” added Lucina.

“Ah, my brilliant plan has been exposed. I couldn’t escape the sharp intuition of women,” Alex said dramatically, clutching his heart.

“Don’t overact. No one falls for your ‘performances’ anymore,” Lucina replied with a smirk, slapping his arm.

Alex stopped pretending his heart hurt, straightened up, and immediately pulled Lucina and Kiwi into another hug. He was curious about what they were doing at Loki’s mansion, and the girls explained that, as usual, they had come to talk with Riveria about magic. Alex nodded and invited them to join the group until the chaos at home settled down.

Neither of them objected. Since Alex had left, the house had been surprisingly quiet—apart from the occasional spat between Hestia and Loki. But now, with Alex and Becca back, the place was loud again—not just noisy, but full-blown storm-level chaos. Lucina and Kiwi clearly weren’t in a hurry to return home and get caught in the center of that cacophony.

Alex began introducing Lucina and Kiwi to Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx. If Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar didn’t already know who Nyaruko’s mother was, they might’ve assumed it was Lucina. Their eye and hair colors were nearly identical, with only a few minor differences. Alex noticed it too as he watched Lucina warmly interact with the girls. The fleeting thought crossed his mind—what if Nyaruko had been his daughter with Freya?

Kiwi, unlike the others, wasn’t fooled by the innocent faces of the trio. Thanks to her past, she still had the habit of observing and analyzing the behavior of those around her. Even now, living in peace, she never let her guard down. She quickly realized that the smiles and shining eyes were just masks. These girls were little troublemakers, and definitely not as simple as they appeared.

Kiwi gave Alex a long, meaningful look. He responded with a tired nod, confirming her suspicion.

Seeing her fears were valid, Kiwi only sighed. Her face clearly said, “Home’s going to be even louder now.” Then her gaze landed on Takashi. The moment he noticed Kiwi’s piercing look, he quickly looked away. His mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of the anime—and what his fate might’ve been in an alternate timeline if he hadn’t died in that gang shootout on the highway.

Lucina looked at him too, noticing the strange mix of emotions in his expression.

“Choom, why so quiet all of a sudden? Don’t tell me you’re shy around us?” asked Maine, slightly tipsy and looking at Takashi with curiosity.

“No… It’s just complicated,” Takashi replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“What’s so complicated?” Falco chimed in. “Come on, share. We only met today, sure, but we’re your mom’s friends. No need to be shy around us.”

“It’s that damn anime… Now I don’t know how to look at you all,” Takashi muttered, dropping his hand and glancing uncomfortably around the people sitting nearby.

Kiwi, Gloria, Lucina, and Hephaestus immediately understood what he meant. Alex had once told them about the world where they were nothing more than anime characters. Curiosity had, of course, gotten the better of them, and they had asked GIR to send over the full series—just to see the fate that could’ve awaited them. If not for a chain of coincidences and their meeting with Alex, many of them could have died on the streets of Night City. But now they had the chance to live, love, and be happy.

For Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar, though, Takashi’s words sounded like the ramblings of a sun-dazed teenager.

Yuki, sitting beside Takashi, gently ran her hand along his back. She remembered how, on Kota’s advice, they had sat down to watch that anime… and how Takashi’s face twisted in despair when he realized just how differently his life could have turned out.

“Alex, are you finally going to explain what the hell David is talking about? What anime? And what do we have to do with it?” asked Maine, turning to Alex—he was the only one who could make sense of it.

“Long story short,” Alex began, reaching for a cigarette—only to get a jab from Hephaestus, who snatched it out of his mouth and firmly pointed at the girls. “In the last world I visited before returning home, there was an anime. Its plot literally told David’s story—how he joined your crew and how it all ended.”

“Hmm… So I was a character in some kind of cartoon for kids?” Pilar said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. “And how did it all go?”

Alex glanced at Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar—the mention of an anime where they were characters had clearly grabbed their attention. Excitement and curiosity lit up their faces. In contrast, Gloria, Hephaestus, Lucina, and Kiwi were clearly avoiding the topic. Each of them had been left with a heavy emotional weight after watching it—the ending wasn’t happy at all. In fact, it was downright tragic.

Falco, while polishing his glass, noticed the change in Alex’s and the girls’ expressions. He began to suspect that there was a lot more behind this anime than they were letting on. Meanwhile, Main, Dorio, and Pilar were too deep in their own thoughts to notice the shift in mood.

“So I have fans in other worlds…?” Maine chuckled. “Sounds cool. Unexpected, but awesome!”

Alex just shook his head with a tired smile.

“Maine, I hate to break it to you, but it wasn’t some fun story about friendship and overcoming challenges. There was no happy ending.”

“What do you mean?” Dorio frowned. “From the looks on your faces… it ended badly, didn’t it?”

“‘Badly’ is putting it mildly,” Lucina said with a sigh. “That anime gave me nightmares. I kept thinking it was all a dream… that I never really got out of Night City. I was terrified I’d wake up in that crumbling loft, surrounded by filth and death. I was afraid of hearing another cyberpsycho rampage just outside my door.”

“But you know,” Maine said, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, “we should know what could’ve happened to us. Because we survived thanks to you, Alex. We need to remember that.”

Alex took a sip from his bottle and nodded.

“If David had survived that accident instead of Gloria, you never would’ve met me. And it would’ve all ended badly. Out of your whole crew, only two made it out alive.”

The men exchanged glances. Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar were hit with a heavy feeling. They looked at the women—Gloria, Kiwi, and Lucina simply nodded, and their expressions said more than any words could.

Anya, Jinx, and Nyaruko—the most caring daughters in the infinite multiverse—quickly noticed the grown-ups getting gloomy. Naturally, they sprang into action. Starting with the most important person—their beloved daddy—the girls began pulling faces and acting goofy, doing everything they could to make him laugh.

Alex and the women couldn’t help but smile at their daughters’ antics. The sadness faded, giving way to warmth. After all, it was just an anime. Reality was here, right next to them.

“So in that version… we accomplished nothing,” Maine said quietly. “Sad, yeah. But in the end, those weren’t really us. The real us are here. So yeah… you really did save us, Alex.”

“You know what I wanna know?” Pilar cut in. “How exactly did we all die? Don’t tell me none of you are curious. Come on, Alex, spill the details.”

Alex smirked.

“Alright, since you asked. I probably don’t need to explain that Gloria died in the car crash—you already know that. You were the first to die, Pilar. A cyberpsycho took you out after you decided to pick a fight… because he was loudly pissing into a barrel. He literally took your head off.”

“Hah!” Pilar burst out laughing, crossing his arms. “So that piss freak wasn’t just annoying—he was deadly. Now it makes sense why I felt like I narrowly dodged death that day.”

Everyone laughed, even Alex shook his head—Pilar hadn’t changed a bit, not even after hearing about his own “death.”

“So, what happened next?” Maine asked, his tone turning serious again.

“Next… was Dorio,” Alex said. “You had a cyberpsychosis episode. Dorio tried to stop you—and you… you beat her to death. When you came to your senses, you realized what you’d done. The police were already on your tail, and MAX-TAC took you out.”

“Well, damn…” was all Dorio managed to say.

“Then came Kiwi. She trusted Faraday, betrayed the team, and gave up Lucina’s location. She was shot in an alley. After that, Becca, Falco, and David went to save Lucina. Becca was killed by Adam Smasher—he crushed her skull. David died fighting him on the rooftop of Arasaka. The only ones who made it out were Lucina and Falco. Lucina left for the moon, and Falco went back to the nomads. No happy ending, no family, no friends… just funeral urns in the North Oak columbarium.”

Silence fell.

“Shit,” Dorio muttered quietly. “Someone really deserves to have their hands broken for writing a plot like that.”

“But the important thing is—you’re alive,” Alex said gently. “That was just one possible future. Now you’re in Orario. Gods, dungeons, adventures… if you ask me, that’s a major upgrade.”

“Damn right,” Maine agreed, standing up. “We’re not in Night City anymore—we’re here. Alive. Whole. And since you’re finally back, it’s time to head home. You promised us a party, remember?”

Alex smiled and shook his head. He was glad to see Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar take the grim truth about their alternate lives in stride. They didn’t dwell on it—they just kept moving forward. Lucina, Kiwi, and Gloria, seeing the calm expressions of their friends, also chose to let the past lie. Their lives had already changed—they had left behind that cursed city and were now living full, vibrant lives.

After seating his three daughters on a floating cushion, Alex and the others made their way home to begin preparations for the evening’s celebration. He was curious how much the neighborhood around his estate had changed since the construction of the new homes—homes for people he had brought from other worlds.

As the group stepped out of the bar, they strolled toward the estate, chatting and laughing. The neighborhood had changed drastically: new houses stood everywhere, dojos for martial arts masters, mansions for the Sun-Woo Clan… And right in the center was a large, empty lot.

“Alex, what’s with that empty space? Or did you skip buying it ’cause the seller was greedy?” Pilar asked with a grin, pointing at the vacant land.

“I’ll explain later. For now, just think about the party and the food,” Alex replied, shaking his head with a smile.

Lucina gently tugged on his sleeve and asked what he planned to build there. Alex whispered just a few words into her ear. When she heard them, Lucina nodded in understanding—it was clearly another one of her husband’s ambitious projects.

As they approached the mansion gates, Alex noticed a small group of people hesitating to enter. It was Kota with his girlfriends, along with Jonah, Malka, and their younger siblings.

Kota froze the moment he spotted the group. And when he saw Maine, Dorio, Falco, Pilar, Gloria, Lucina, and Kiwi, he immediately went full fan mode. His body started trembling like he’d been strapped into an electric chair.

“Alex, why is that chubby guy shaking like someone plugged him into a socket?” Dorio asked, pointing at Kota.

“That’s Kota. He’s your fan. Please don’t hit him if he starts getting on your nerves. Just ask his girlfriends—they’ll drag him away quickly,” Takashi said, answering in Alex’s place.

“Wait… that tubby dude has a harem?! Damn, I’m jealous,” Pilar said, shaking his head.

Alex could only nod. Honestly, sometimes he wanted to smack Kota with something heavy just to shut him up for a minute. But of course, Kota had used his Body Flicker technique to instantly appear right in front of Main and the others. Alex just shook his head in exhaustion—Kota could only activate that technique when his inner otaku soul was fully awakened.

Maine, Dorio, Falco, and Pilar stared at him in surprise.

“Can I get an autograph? I’m your biggest fan!” Kota asked, holding out a notebook with trembling hands.

“Hahaha! Sure thing! Always happy to meet a fan from another world!” Maine laughed, grabbing the notebook.

Alex and Takashi exchanged a look and sighed in sync. They already knew: there were more fans among the newcomers, and this definitely wouldn’t be the last autograph request.

With a gesture, Alex called over Lucina, Kiwi, Gloria, and Hephaestus, leaving Main and the others to deal with Kota and his endless questions. Shooting a glance at Kota’s girlfriends, he silently signaled them to intervene before Kota completely lost control. The girls sighed heavily—it looked like it was time to calm down their anime-obsessed boyfriend once again.

“Hey, Jonah, why are you guys standing at the gate?” Alex asked, approaching.

“We weren’t sure if you were home. Decided to wait. If not for the girls, that maniac would’ve already kicked the door in,” Jonah shrugged.

Alex wasn’t surprised. Jonah then looked from Takashi to Gloria, who was standing beside him. He’d noticed their interaction and gave Takashi a questioning nod that silently asked, “Everything okay?” Takashi just smiled and gave a confident nod in return.

Alex opened the gate, and everyone stepped onto the estate grounds. The closer they got to the house, the more Alex felt a headache creeping in. He knew what was waiting inside—an interrogation: who, from where, why, and how.

Grabbing the doorknob, he took a deep breath, hoping he could somehow talk his way through it. Behind him, Lucina, Hephaestus, Kiwi, and Gloria were barely holding back amused smirks—they knew exactly how this was going to end.

Only Takashi, Jonah, Yuki, and Malka didn’t understand why Alex was hesitating to open the door.

“What’s wrong, darling? Scared to go in? Want me to open it for you?” Lucina whispered, hugging Alex from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder.

“You just love messing with me, huh?” Alex muttered, gently pinching her nose.

“Of course! I love you so much. But sadly, love won’t save you from fate—you’re clearly doomed,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Alex rolled his eyes at Lucina’s words and sighed deeply. The girls realized he was finally going to open the door and quickly stepped aside—they knew what was coming. Gloria subtly warned Takashi and the others to take a step back, just in case. They exchanged confused glances, but obeyed, sensing… something explosive was about to happen.

Just then, Kota was being dragged away by his girlfriends—completely absorbed in his notebook, now filled with autographs from Main and the others. And the moment Alex touched the door handle and cracked it open—

A black-haired missile shot out and nearly knocked him off his feet.

He didn’t even have time to say a word before he was being shaken violently from side to side.

The newcomers stood frozen, unsure what was happening, until they recognized Hestia—the goddess herself—currently shaking Alex with fiery eyes full of rage and frustration.

“Alex! Explain to me how this gremlin gave birth to your child before I did?!” Hestia shouted, still shaking him furiously. “I was the first! How did that green-haired goblin beat me to it?!”

“Wait—Hestia! I’m gonna puke!” Alex choked out. “Just look at Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx… Even if they’re not your biological daughters, they’re still your girls too… you’re their mom…”

Hestia froze for a moment. Her gaze fell on the three girls sitting on the flying cushion. They, by the way, were watching one of their moms shaking their dad with obvious delight. And at that moment, Hestia finally understood Alex’s words— even if they weren’t her biological daughters, they were still her daughters.

A light bulb instantly went off in her head, and a cunning plan was born: to win Jinx’s love so that she would love her more than Becca did. Alex sighed—Hestia had finally calmed down. But just as he started to relax, the goddess jumped off him and rushed to the girls, determined to win their favor immediately.

Turning around, Alex caught the mocking glances of Gloria, Hephaestus, Lucina, and Kiwi. They were clearly enjoying his miserable situation. Alex pouted and, looking offended, headed inside. The girls laughed and followed him. Meanwhile, Hestia had already climbed onto the flying cushion and settled down next to the daughters, beginning to behave like a truly loving mom.

Entering the house, Alex immediately noticed Becca’s proud smirk—she was looking down on the other girls with superiority, and they were trying hard to keep from clashing with her right then and there. Those who had stayed in Orario immediately swarmed Alex as soon as he entered. Lily, Bella, Haruhime, and Valeri practically clung to him, not letting him move an inch.

“Alex, tell her to stop looking like she just won a prize!” Lily complained indignantly, pointing at Becca.

Meanwhile, the girls Alex had brought with him had already made friends with the others. Yuriko, Alcina, and Göndul quickly found common ground with Freya. Ada, Koko, Rika, Moira, and Revy happily joined Loki’s group, especially after a couple of drinks. The rest of the girls also felt comfortable and settled freely in the living room, chatting animatedly while waiting for Alex.

Looking around at all this, Alex realized one thing—the house urgently needed to be expanded. And by a lot.

But first, he tackled a more immediate problem—Lily, who was still complaining. While he was calming her down, Becca noticed Hestia cozily settled next to Jinx, Anya, and Nyaruko. She immediately understood what this “busty goddess” was up to. Her expression changed to one that said, “This means war.”

“I’m glad you’ve already made friends,” Alex said, addressing the girls he had brought with him. “But now it’s time to pick private rooms. I’ll get everything ready.”

Everyone nodded—of course, private rooms were a necessity, especially when even goddesses had their own. Alex gently lifted the girls who were hanging on him and went upstairs to work on magically expanding the space. Ten minutes later, he returned with a satisfied look on his face.

“Everything’s ready. Now all that’s left is to choose the rooms,” he announced.

As if on cue, the most hyperactive girls immediately rushed upstairs to claim the best rooms.

Meanwhile, Gloria was already talking with Namiyo. The two women were discussing Takashi—one was his mother in his past life, the other in this one. Takashi’s face burned with embarrassment, because only mothers could discuss such awkward details about their sons’ lives. Kota and Jonah openly laughed, watching his suffering.

Alex smiled, happy to finally be home. But as soon as he caught Brunhilda’s gaze, all his joy instantly vanished. Her icy, silent look spoke volumes.

“That’s it,” Alex muttered, following her submissively. Brunhilda was clearly about to discuss why he had dumped all the problems on her again, even though as the man of the house, he should be the one solving the family issues.

The others watched as poor Alex was led away—and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep