Chapter 256: "Chapter 256: A Request for Help in Okinawa"
The ferry was slowly approaching the shores of Okinawa. More and more people gathered on the deck to see what had happened to the city. As they sailed along the coast, passengers carefully examined the ruined streets, expecting to witness the consequences of the zombie virus epidemic.
The closer the ship got to the city, the clearer the scale of destruction became. Even from a distance, they could see partially collapsed skyscrapers, while some buildings looked as if they had burned for hours before finally crumbling under their own weight. The eerie silence hanging over the ruins only heightened the passengers' sense of unease.
The expressions on the people's faces darkened by the minute. Alex studied the devastated city intently, his lips pressed into a thin line. None of the cities he had visited before had been in such a dire state. Wanting to check the situation at the military base, he took out his phone and connected to a satellite.
The orbital images were even more disheartening. Almost the entire area outside the military base looked as if a massive hurricane had torn through it, leaving only chaos and ruins behind. However, there was one small relief—the base itself hadn't suffered as much damage. But the question remained: what had happened to the survivors sheltering inside?
The girls stepped closer, peering at the phone screen. Their faces showed concern. Looking at the ruined city, it became obvious that resupplying might be a serious problem.
"If it weren't for the zombie apocalypse, I'd think a superhero and a supervillain had fought here," Alex muttered as he continued studying the satellite images.
But if supplies really turned out to be unavailable, he would just lie and pull them out of his inventory. In the worst case, he could resort to primitive magic and create whatever was needed.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud splash of water, as if something massive had crashed into the ocean near the shore. Alex lifted his head, and the girls, following his gaze, turned their attention to the source of the noise. On the shore stood two strange-looking zombies.
"What the hell?" Rei asked in surprise.
"What are they throwing at us?" Kiriko frowned, trying to get a better look.
"A flesh ball," Alex squinted.
And indeed, the two massive zombies raised another pair of grotesque, fleshy masses above their heads and hurled them toward the ferry. Fortunately, the vessel was still far enough away that the projectiles fell short of their target.
Alex narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at these mutants. He cupped his hands like binoculars and studied the creatures carefully. He had seen something like this before.
"Ogre," he finally recalled. "These things are from the Back 4 Blood universe."
But there was a difference. They didn't look exactly like they did in the game. These Ogres had a mix of their original features blended with elements of Necromorphs, as if two different species had tried to merge into one.
Alex strained his memory. He remembered that the zombies in Back 4 Blood were called Ridden, and the infection wasn't caused by a virus but by a parasite that devoured the host's brain and mutated their body. But as he studied these Ogres, he neither sensed nor saw any parasites inside them. Unlike Las Plagas hosts, whose parasites were visibly distinct, these mutants seemed… different.
"Alex, I don't want to distract you from your scientific analysis, but if these two giant bastards don't stop throwing their flesh balls at us, we might have trouble docking," R said, patting him on the shoulder.
Alex tore his gaze away from the creatures and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A disgusting idea was forming in his mind—releasing a virus like this into a cultivator world just to see what would happen. But he quickly dismissed the thought. That wouldn't be nice.
"Let me just kill them and be done with it. I'm sure we'll run into more of their kind later," Rebecca said, aiming her weapon.
"Wait, I need to check something first," Alex stopped her.
Alex decided to test how tough these zombies were and gather some information. The others watched his actions with interest, trying to guess what he was planning.
"Guys, give me two bullets. Doesn't matter if they're pistol or rifle rounds," Alex said, extending his hand.
Those with weapons exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why he needed bullets. However, curiosity won out. R was the fastest—he removed the magazine from his pistol, took out two bullets, and handed them to Alex.
Receiving the bullets, Alex immediately extracted the projectiles, tossing the empty casings overboard without a care. He tossed the bullets in his palm a few times, squinting as he observed the ogres on the shore. The longer he watched, the wider his grin became. He had completely forgotten that he didn't need to fire a gun if he could become the gun himself—more precisely, a railgun.
"And what exactly are you planning to do with them?" Saya asked, watching his actions.
"Do you remember when I told you about chakra?" Alex asked instead of answering.
"That thing you used to move super fast? And also breathe fire and disappear in a cloud of smoke?" Koko clarified, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"Something like that," Alex nodded. "But it's time for you to learn more. Chakra is a mix of mental and physical energy. It's divided into five main elements: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning."
"And what are you going to do with that?" Beatrix asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Alex glanced at those around him, seeing their growing interest. The martial artists in the group listened particularly closely. He didn't go into too much detail—there would be time for that later. For now… he decided to have a little fun.
"Darling, you asked what I'm going to do?" He turned to Beatrix with a wide grin. "I'm going to become a walking railgun."
Silence.
The people on the deck froze, processing his words. Brunhilde just sighed heavily, knowing her husband had once again found a way to amuse himself. However, the mention of a railgun made everyone else look at Alex like he was insane. How the hell was he planning to pull that off?
Before anyone could ask, electricity began crackling around Alex. Everyone instinctively took a step back as the air filled with the smell of ozone, and their hair stood on end from the static charge.
Rebecca instantly pulled out her phone and started recording, even asking GIR and MIMI to capture it in slow motion. Alex just smirked, stretched out his hand, and took aim at the two ogres on the shore. Holding one bullet between his thumb and index finger, he focused and muttered quietly:
"Lightning Release: Railgun."
There was a sharp crack.
The bullet shot off his fingers, leaving a bright plasma trail behind it, and pierced the first ogre's body. A shockwave passed through it, vaporizing flesh and leaving a massive hole.
Alex immediately fired the second round. This time, the bullet veered slightly mid-flight, striking the second ogre in the right side. Half of its body simply vanished in an instant.
The ogres didn't even make a sound—their bodies collapsed before they could comprehend what had happened.
"Well, that's one problem solved. Now we can dock in peace," Alex said with satisfaction, nodding his head and grinning. "Those idiots won't be throwing meatballs at us anymore."
With a wide grin, Alex turned around to look at the people behind him. Everyone was staring at the shore with their mouths agape, as though they had witnessed something that defied the laws of nature. If it weren't for the hushed whispers among the team, he would have thought they had completely lost it. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that perhaps he had overdone the demonstration just a little.
"So, how was it? Did you enjoy the show?" he asked with a smirk.
All eyes immediately turned to him, but their expressions ranged from awe to utter shock. Alice, Honoka, and Malka were staring at Alex with wide eyes, imagining how they might someday repeat this trick. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch all gave a thumbs up, indicating that their "dad" had exceeded all expectations.
Rebecca looked the most pleased. For a moment, she even considered trying to master something similar, but quickly reconsidered—guns were still closer to her heart.
Koko, Valmet, Kiriko, Yuriko, Namiyo, Saya, Saeko, Beatrix, and Rei stared at Alex in open disbelief. They had already seen him breathe fire, but what he had just done was far beyond common sense. Alex had literally launched a bullet at such incredible speed that it left a plasma trail behind it!
"So, why the silence? Isn't that cool? When else in your life will you see something so exciting?" Alex threw out with a grin, hoping to snap everyone out of their stupor.
But the silence on the deck was starting to bother him. He hadn't expected such a simple demonstration of chakra to have such an effect. However, recalling the world he was in, he quickly realized that even martial arts masters would likely be incapable of pulling something like that off, let alone anyone else.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a joyful shout:
"Big brother, you're so awesome! You're going to teach me how to do that too, right?!" Alice squealed, practically jumping onto Alex.
Honoka and Malka weren't going to be left behind and, like two little monkeys, clung to his arms.
"Big brother, I want to learn too! Will you teach me?" Honoka asked, clinging to his shoulder.
"Me too!" Malka added, hanging from his other arm.
"Of course, but in due time," Alex replied with a smile, not planning on refusing to teach them.
The girls practically glowed with happiness, and Alex glanced at Jhona, silently asking if there were any objections to teaching Malka. He merely nodded, signaling that it was fine.
With loud, joyous cries from the three young girls, the rest of the team finally began to snap out of their stupor. Rather than trying to process what they had seen, they decided to just accept it as fact. In many of their minds, one thought passed: if it's Alex, then it's all good.
"Alex, did you just launch a bullet head at a speed exceeding Mach 9? How?!" Saya finally spoke up, still in a daze.
Her question made the others perk up. They too were curious how something like that was even possible. Once again, all eyes focused on Alex, waiting for an explanation. Even the masters from Ryozenpaku moved closer, clearly intrigued.
Alex just sighed heavily, looked out over the railing to estimate how much farther they had to go until they reached the military base, and, confirming there was enough time, turned back to the team.
"Dear Saya, I've already told you that chakra is divided into five main elements. One of them is lightning. Knowing how a railgun works, it's pretty easy to replicate such an effect," he explained with a smile, avoiding unnecessary details.
Saya nodded, understanding what Alex meant. She remembered how he had held the bullet and realized that it had been done intentionally. However, for the others, his explanation sounded like scientific nonsense—only those who had even the slightest idea of what he was talking about were able to grasp the essence.
"You said you'd teach us this thing... what was it... Chakra. Can we do it too?" R asked with interest.
Alex stared at him like he was an idiot.
"Are you serious right now?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"What's the problem?" Tohji interrupted, not understanding why Alex was reacting like that.
Alex sighed heavily and started massaging his nose, astonished by the stupidity of the question. Taking a deep breath, he launched into a tirade, explaining why they wouldn't be able to replicate what they had just seen. His monologue was so detailed and strict that everyone felt like schoolchildren in front of a stern teacher. Once he finished, Alex took a breath and continued more calmly, explaining that they hadn't even awakened their chakra yet, yet they were already dreaming of doing something like that.
He outlined the basic principles of chakra, its nature, and how it worked. Gradually, the listeners began to realize that without proper preparation, replicating his trick was simply impossible.
"Now is everything clear?" he asked, looking at those he was teaching.
"You didn't need to give a whole lecture. You could've just said we can't do it," R muttered, rolling his eyes.
Alex's eyelid twitched, but in the next second, his face smoothed out, as if he hadn't heard R's words. Brunhilde and Rebecca exchanged glances and mentally wished the guy good luck. They knew—when Alex looked like that, nothing good came of it. The other girls also grew wary.
Saya quietly tugged on Rebecca's sleeve.
"What's going on? Why did he suddenly calm down?"
In response, Rebecca just smirked.
R noticed the sympathetic looks directed at him, and a bad feeling began to stir in his chest. The guys standing nearby also realized that Alex wasn't going to let it slide.
Without saying a word, Alex walked up to GIR, placed his hand on its head, and nodded toward R.
GIR immediately understood. Leaping off the railing, it slowly moved toward its target.
R turned pale.
"Hey, hey, wait, we can talk this out!" he exclaimed, but upon seeing the crackling electricity on GIR's paws, he decided to make a quick escape.
But how can you escape from a robo-dog? A few seconds later, the deck was filled with a dying scream, followed by the smell of burning hair.
Everyone stared at R, lying unconscious, with a light smoke rising from his body.
"Well, that's that. I don't mind silly questions, but now at least he'll think twice before asking them," Alex said carelessly, throwing his hands behind his head.
R's friends looked at their companion... and burst out laughing.
Alex smirked to himself and made his way to the control room, with the girls following him. They were also smiling, watching the poor guy's fate unfold.
Saya caught up with Alex, grabbed his hand, and while they walked, continued to ask him about chakra.
Once in the control room, Alex sat in the captain's chair and began not only explaining the nature of chakra but also demonstrating it so the girls could understand it better. He also warned them that controlling chakra was a labor-intensive process, and if one started learning at a later age, it would be more difficult, as chakra is typically taught from childhood.
However, he was sure that Saeko and Beatrix wouldn't need that— their breathing techniques had already given them a huge advantage. Only Valmet and Rei might benefit from chakra control training.
Rebecca and Brunhilde were already strong enough and knew how to defend themselves, especially since their engagement rings already contained several defensive runes.
Nonetheless, Alex thought it would be a good idea to create energy shields for the other girls while he worked on crafting defensive rings for them.
Slowly but surely, the ship was approaching the military base's territory. Alex sat lazily in the captain's chair, steering the ship while quietly humming a pirate song. He couldn't wait to arrive — new opportunities for his plans were ahead.
But despite that, a feeling of unease lingered in him. After Okinawa, he felt more and more that the chaos in the world was only intensifying. If he'd already encountered two zombies with necromorph traits, he didn't even want to imagine what would come next.
"It looks like there are still survivors at the military base," Rika said, peering into the distance through binoculars.
Intrigued, Alex stood up from the chair and approached her. The other girls also watched with curiosity— they'd already heard from Alex that there might be a group of survivors at the base, but the very fact that someone had managed to hold out in such a place for so long seemed like a true miracle.
Alex shifted his gaze to the area Rika had indicated and spotted a girl on the dock, desperately waving a flag with some numbers on it.
"Looks like a radio frequency," Valmet guessed aloud, voicing what was on everyone's mind.
"And it seems their doors are being hacked," Rika added, shifting the binoculars to the base's entrance.
Alex nodded and tuned the radio to the correct frequency. A second later, the speaker crackled, followed by an anxious female voice.
"Hello! Are there any survivors left? We thought we were the only ones! We haven't seen a living soul in a week! Even the radio is silent, no messages…," the woman said, her voice breaking into sobs.
"It's because most of the country is without power. Many cities have been destroyed. Tokyo..." Alex paused briefly. "It's been wiped off the face of the earth."
There was a silence on the other end, and only a few moments later, a subdued voice replied.
"How... How could this happen?!"
In the distance, the anxious voices of other survivors could be heard discussing what they had just heard. Alex and the girls understood their feelings well. They had just witnessed a massive metropolis disappear in an instant.
"I'm sorry to have to share such news," Alex said sincerely. "But right now, there's something more important. How many people do you have at the base?"
"Mostly women and children," the woman's voice trembled. "A few men went for supplies when things calmed down a bit. They went to another base, but... we haven't heard from them in a long time."
"I take it you're aware of the unwanted guests trying to break down your doors?" Alex asked, gripping the microphone tighter.
"Yes... If we even peek out for a second, they immediately attack. We're locked in here… And, sorry to ask, but… we're starving. The base is completely shut off, we can't reach the supply warehouse. We haven't eaten in almost a week…"
Her voice was filled with pain and desperation, despite her attempts to stay composed.
"I understand. Is the dock clear? We need to dock to help you," Alex asked, glancing at the girls.
The girls immediately understood what Alex was planning. Valmet quickly left the control room to warn the others about the upcoming docking and the need to prepare for supporting the survivors.
Noticing that Valmet had left to gather the crew, Alex waited for the response from the other side.
"Yes, the dock is clear. There are only a few ships, but the ferry will fit," the woman replied. Her voice carried a sense of relief, as if she had just begun to believe that help was really coming.
"Good. Then prepare your people and stay hidden. These new creatures are truly vile, so be careful," Alex said, ending the conversation.
He turned to his girls, and without a word, they understood it was time to prepare. Alex gestured for GIR, MIMI, and Stitch to come over, then grabbed Richard from the table. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch also armed themselves and got into position.
"Brunhild, as usual, you're in charge. While I keep the horde distracted with the little ones, you command the team," Alex said, looking at his Valkyrie.
"Don't worry, my love, I'll handle it. Now go," Brunhild smiled, gently placing her hand on his cheek.
"And you, girls... I don't think I need to remind you what to do, right?" Alex smirked, looking at the others.
"Just go already! Stop messing with our mood. Tear those monsters apart, and we'll cover you," Rebecca grinned widely.
"That's right, handsome. It's time for you to trust your girls, we're not delicate damsels," Rika winked at him.
"I am delicate!" interjected Shizuka, puffing out her cheeks. "I want Alex to protect me!"
Alex couldn't suppress his smile. He walked over to Shizuka, hugged her, and she happily pressed herself against him, sticking her tongue out at Rika. A vein on Rika's forehead twitched suspiciously, and she mentally promised herself to get revenge on the curvy girl at the first opportunity.
But there was no time for bickering. Alex, along with his trio of helpers, descended to the deck, where everyone was already in full battle readiness.
"Alright, guys, no long speeches. The rules are the same as always: listen to Brunhild — you'll stay alive. I'll distract the horde at the base gates for now," Alex said, scanning the assembled group.
"And how are you planning to get to the shore, kid?" asked Lehm, giving him a skeptical look.
Alex just smiled mysteriously and walked over to the ferry's railing.
At that moment, GIR was intently watching the horde of zombies trying to break through the gates. As usual, he was armed with his favorite chainsaw sword and bolter. MIMI was clutching a power mace in her hands and practically bouncing with excitement, eager to join the fight. Even Stitch couldn't sit still.
Alex smirked, seeing their reactions, then, without warning, grabbed GIR by the head and lifted him up.
"Hey, hey, Dad, what's going on?!" the robo-dog blinked, sensing something bad.
When it dawned on him what Alex was planning, he quickly shook his head, clearly trying to reject the idea.
"First one's up!" Alex declared and, with force, hurled GIR straight into the middle of the zombies.
"DAD, YOU'RE CRAZY!!!" came the desperate scream of the robo-dog as he disappeared into the air.
Alex squinted, watching GIR's flight to make sure he landed exactly where he intended. GIR, like a cannonball, crashed into the zombie crowd, crushing them with terrifying force. MIMI's and Stitch's eyes lit up with excitement — for them, it was pure entertainment. However, the rest of the team exchanged puzzled glances: not every day do you see someone tossing their battle dog into a horde of undead.
"Dad, now me! Throw me!" MIMI squealed, tugging at Alex's pant leg.
"Then get ready," he smirked, grabbing her by the waist.
MIMI, being a smart girl, immediately grouped herself together, preparing for flight. Alex grinned widely and threw her after GIR. During her flight, she burst into a bright, childish laugh, and as soon as she landed next to the robo-dog, she immediately began swinging her power mace, sending zombies back to their graves.
Now it was Stitch's turn. Unable to wait any longer, he climbed into Alex's arms, pleading with his eyes.
"Alright, here we go, Stitch! I choose you!" Alex said with a smirk, throwing him towards the horde.
Stitch flew through the air, letting out a maniacal laugh. Everyone on the deck instinctively turned to Rebecca – the owner of this crazy creature.
"What?" she asked in confusion, noticing their gazes.
"Well, he... really reminds us of you," Rika grinned, shaking her head.
"Ha-ha, very funny," Rebecca snorted, but the corners of her lips twitched.
"Well, now it's my turn," Alex stretched, loosening his shoulders.
"Want me to toss you?" Hayato offered with a grin.
"Oh no, don't even think about it!" Alex crossed his arms over his chest, firmly rejecting the idea.
Hayato just shrugged, clearly intrigued by how Alex planned to get to the shore.
Alex took several steps back, preparing for a run-up.
"Hold on tight!" Brunhild shouted.
At her command, everyone on the deck immediately grabbed the nearest supports. Alex surged forward, jumped onto the railing, and pushed off with all his strength, soaring into the air.
As soon as his feet left the deck, it became clear why Brunhild had warned the crew. The force of the jump literally shifted the ferry off course, and the railing he had pushed off from turned into twisted scrap metal.
"Dammit!" R swore, examining the bent structures. "I'm still amazed at how much strength he has!"
The others silently nodded, looking at the mangled metal in disbelief.
"Why are you standing there?!" Brunhild said sternly. "Prepare for the landing immediately! After Alex distracts the horde, we'll need to provide support. Check your weapons, ammo! Everyone needs to be ready!"
"Yes, ma'am!" the fighters replied in unison, barely hiding their fear of her commanding tone.
They immediately scattered like cockroaches, understanding that it was best not to test Brunhild's patience. The girls, watching this scene, quietly giggled.
"What are you laughing at?" Brunhild gave them a stern look. "You get ready too! We need to know the condition of the military base!"
The girls giggled again and went off to prepare. Meanwhile, Alex was flying straight into the horde of zombies. Choosing the largest monster in the crowd, he unhesitatingly used Richard as a blunt weapon.
Before the throw, Alex wisely placed the Flying Thunder God technique seal on the golden brick. Mid-air, he hurled it straight at the head of the giant zombie, which, as he recalled, was named Breaker.
The heavy golden brick crashed into the center of Breaker's face with a crunch. The impact made the giant monster stagger backward, taking a few unsteady steps before collapsing onto its back, raising a cloud of dust.
Alex instantly used the Flying Thunder God technique and appeared directly on the fallen zombie's chest. In that same moment, all the other undead, which had been hammering against the gates of the military base, abruptly turned in his direction.
Standing on the massive zombie's corpse, Alex scanned the horde of zombies from different worlds. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something odd in their appearance—faint, barely noticeable features of necromorphs. It wasn't too obvious at first, but the more he focused, the clearer the resemblance became.
With ease, Alex kicked the golden brick into the air, caught it with one hand, and a predatory smile spread across his face.
"Well, shall we play?" he said casually, juggling the brick.
From all sides came guttural roars, blending with the battle cries of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who were joyfully scattering zombies in every direction.
In the next moment, the horde charged at Alex from all sides.
A split second before the strike, Alex jumped sharply into the air. The force of his leap was so immense that Breaker's body sank into the concrete, turning into a bloody mess.
In midair, Alex noticed one of the Hunters charging at him with a wild roar. Dodging, Alex grabbed the monster by the leg and, using it as a weapon, threw it toward other Hunters who had jumped after it.
Still juggling the golden brick, he tossed it high into the air, then teleported to it, increasing the height.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!" Alex said, forming hand seals.
A gigantic fireball shot from his mouth, crashing down into the heart of the zombie horde. The explosive flames engulfed dozens of monsters, turning them into blazing torches.
At that moment, Alex felt a sharp gust of wind. Barely catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, he instantly pushed off the air, avoiding the meatball thrown by Ogre.
Landing on the wall of a building, he quickly looked around. The horde was relentless, pursuing him closely. Moreover, some mutated zombies began climbing the walls, trying to reach him.
The battle spread across the entire area outside the military base.
GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, separated, were engaged in their own fights with different parts of the horde.
But this was only the beginning.
To be continued...
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