The Daily Life of the Demon King

When everyone had taken their places in the vehicles, Alex carefully surveyed the convoy, ensuring nothing was forgotten and that everyone was safe. GIR and MIMI had deftly climbed onto the nearest Humvee, taking up positions by the mounted machine gun and forcing the stunned officer manning it to step aside. The officer could only stare at the robo-dogs in bewilderment, too intimidated to argue. Memories of these mechanical creations returning from battle covered in zombie blood were still fresh in his mind.

Once Alex confirmed that everything was in order, he waved his hand, signaling the convoy to move out. He started his motorcycle, making sure to drive cautiously—after all, aside from Rebecca, both Koko and Rika had somehow squeezed onto the bike with him. While Rebecca sat confidently and carefree, the same couldn't be said for Koko and Rika, whose attempts to fit on the seat sparked both confusion and laughter.

The convoy rolled out of the hangar, heading toward the airport's exit. However, just past the first turn, they were met by a large horde of zombies. Alex barely had time to process the situation before GIR, manning the heavy machine gun on the Humvee, immediately opened fire. The entire horde was reduced to a pile of riddled corpses in seconds. Without even turning around, Alex raised a thumbs-up, signaling his approval of GIR's quick reaction.

The convoy continued at a steady pace. As they neared the airport's exit, Alex slowed down and signaled for the others to follow suit. He came to a stop and pulled a small detonator from his pocket, casting a glance back at the airport building. Everyone knew why—he had left behind a bomb in the arsenal, which Alex had described as powerful enough to obliterate the entire structure and launch it into orbit.

He pressed the button, but nothing happened.

"Looks like it's broken. Don't worry, handsome, this happens to men sometimes," Rika teased, smirking at Alex.

Koko and Rebecca burst out laughing, watching him closely. Alex's expression remained composed, but the slight twitch of his eye betrayed him. He pressed the button again, but still, nothing happened. Whispers began to spread among the group, and the girls' giggles grew louder.

"Give it here. Watch and learn," Rebecca said, snatching the detonator from Alex's hands.

She tapped it a few times against the motorcycle's dashboard before pressing the button again. As if by magic, it worked. A massive explosion shook the ground, and the shockwave nearly knocked Koko and Rika off the bike. The military Humvees swayed but managed to stay upright thanks to their sturdy construction.

An enormous fireball rose above the airport, illuminating the area with brilliant flames. Koko stared at Alex in stunned disbelief—it was hard to fathom that such destructive power could fit in such a small device. Even Rika, usually self-assured, couldn't hide her amazement, while the rest of the group watched the explosion in awe. Wiley, who had a fascination with explosives, was absolutely ecstatic.

"I told you, if something doesn't work, just smack it a couple of times, and it'll be as good as new. No need to thank me, sweetie," Rebecca said with a grin, blowing Alex a kiss.

"And you carried that in your pocket? You're completely insane," Rika scoffed, giving him a sideways glance.

"How did you even manage to make such a powerful bomb in such a small format?" Koko asked, her eyes still fixed on the fiery mushroom cloud.

Alex merely smirked, starting the engine. "That's a secret. Let's keep moving."

Creating something like this was child's play for Alex, but explaining it to anyone would be far more complicated. With the group's attention shifting back from the spectacle, he waved his hand, signaling the convoy to continue. However, they hadn't made it far from the airport when another massive explosion erupted behind them. Turning his head slightly, Alex saw a fireball rise from the area where Koko's plane had once stood.

"You only planted one bomb, right?" Koko asked, her tone laced with suspicion as she stared at him.

Alex froze for a moment, choosing his words carefully. How could he tell her that it was her plane that had just gone up in flames? While money no longer had any value in a zombie apocalypse, Koko was bound to be upset—she'd paid a fortune for that plane. It was her pride and joy, a customized aircraft meant to transport weapons and supplies, and now it had embarked on its final "flight."

Rika, staring at the site of the new explosion, immediately pieced together what had happened. Her lips curled into a sly grin as she turned to a stunned Koko.

"Hekmatyar, that was your plane. Who would've thought it'd actually manage to 'take off,'" Rika said, barely holding back her laughter.

Koko gawked at Rika, then turned her wide-eyed gaze to the smoldering wreckage. Her eyes grew even wider as the realization hit her—it really was her plane.

Seeing Koko's shocked expression, Rika couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

"Stop laughing, Minami Rika!" Koko snapped, her voice trembling with anger. "Unlike you, I can afford another plane. You, with your pitiful salary, couldn't even afford a case of decent beer!"

Rebecca, seizing the opportunity to rub salt in the wound, chimed in:

"Silver-head, are you even aware that there's a zombie apocalypse outside? Your money's worth nothing now. Sure, you can buy another plane… but only in your dreams."

Koko whipped around to glare at Rebecca, but tears of frustration were already welling up in her eyes. Rika, meanwhile, laughed even harder, delighted by how thoroughly Koko had been roasted.

"Calm down, Hekmatyar," Rika managed to say between bouts of laughter. "It's just fate. Your plane went off to its well-deserved retirement."

Koko's irritation boiled over into rage, and she started bickering with Rika. But Rika, ever the instigator, just kept stoking the flames, repeating the same taunt over and over:

"Your plane blew up, and you'll never buy a new one."

Each time Koko tried to retort, Rika's grin only grew wider, and she delivered her jab again, driving Koko further into a fury.

Alex let out a weary sigh, doing his best to tune out the argument.

Why me? he thought, focusing on the road ahead.

The idea of stealing a new plane for Koko briefly crossed his mind, but he dismissed it just as quickly—it would be a pointless gesture.

"You'll get a new plane someday," he muttered, patting Koko's knee. But it didn't help. She kept complaining loudly, and Rika kept laughing even louder.

For the rest of the ride to their destination, the chaos didn't let up—Koko's grumbling and Rika's mocking laughter echoed across the area. Alex found himself seriously considering pulling over and leaving one of them behind, but he knew that would only make things worse.

Rebecca, watching the drama unfold, lounged back in her seat, looking utterly amused. Her sparkling eyes and sly smirk gave her the appearance of a mischievous gremlin reveling in the surrounding chaos. Alex caught her gaze but said nothing.

At least someone's enjoying this, he thought with an exasperated sigh.

When they finally arrived at the bank, Alex was sure his head was about to explode from the nonstop noise of Koko and Rika's antics. He'd thought he was used to the girls' constant bickering, but it turned out he was far from prepared. Most of the drive had been spent in vain attempts to calm Koko down, trying to stop her from shouting and complaining.

However, as soon as Koko began to calm down, Rika would immediately bring up the blown-up plane again, reigniting the argument with renewed vigor. Alex stole weary glances at Rika, trying to figure out why she kept provoking Koko. But each time he turned to her, Rika would either wink at him or blow him a playful kiss, as if her sole purpose was to revel in the chaos.

In truth, Alex had no idea that these kinds of arguments between Rika and Koko were common, though it was usually Koko who started them. This time, however, Rika finally had her chance to get back at her, teasing and irritating Koko throughout the entire trip.

When they finally pulled up to the bank's premises, a welcoming party was already waiting for them. Outside stood Shizuka, eagerly anticipating the return of Rika and Alex, along with Brunhilde, Saeko, Rei, Saya, Yuriko, Kiriko, and Namiyo. Even Alice and Stitch had come out to greet them.

Seeing familiar faces, Rika immediately jumped off Alex's motorcycle and ran toward Shizuka. The moment Shizuka saw her friend safe and sound, she rushed over to embrace her.

"Oh, Shizuka, your chest is trying to smother me again! I was just rescued, and now you're ready to finish me off with your enormous boobs," Rika gasped, poking her head out of the plush embrace.

"Hehe, sorry! I'm just so happy you're okay," Shizuka replied, smiling as she released her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group started unloading supplies and weapons from the vehicles. Alex asked someone to fetch more people to help carry everything inside, and Kiriko volunteered, heading into the bank to gather assistance.

Yuriko's eyes landed on Koko, who was still seated on Alex's motorcycle, and a flicker of surprise crossed her face. Koko, noticing Yuriko in her unusually casual attire, raised an eyebrow in return.

"Koko Hekmatyar. I wasn't expecting to see you here, of all places. Who would've thought our paths would cross under such circumstances," Yuriko said with a faint smile.

Saya, stunned, glanced back and forth between her mother and Koko, while Koko, smiling calmly, responded, "I could say the same about you, Yuriko Takagi. Who would've guessed that a woman always by her husband's side would end up so far from him?"

Yuriko's smile wavered slightly at the comment, but she said nothing. Saya, on the other hand, scowled at the mention of her father.

"Don't you have a plane to fly you out of here?" Yuriko asked, her polite smile returning.

At those words, Koko's expression soured as if she had bitten into a lemon. Yuriko immediately sensed something had happened to the plane and grew curious about the details.

Meanwhile, Alex leaned against his motorcycle, casually smoking and observing the interactions. Nearby, Brunhilde and Rebecca also remained silent, choosing not to intervene. Alice and Stitch, however, were engrossed in listening to G.I.R. and M.I.M.I. recount their battle with the zombies.

Suddenly, Shizuka walked up to Alex, grabbed his face, and kissed him on the lips. The action caused everyone to fall silent and turn to stare.

"Thank you for saving Rika. You're always such a hero, just like in fairy tales," she said warmly, pulling back.

Alex smirked and squinted at her.

"As the Dragon Warrior would say: 'I charge nothing for my awesomeness, and even less for my good looks.'"

Brunhilde shook her head, recognizing that this would only spur some of the other women to act faster, fearing their chances with Alex might slip away. Rebecca, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, doing her best to ignore the unfolding drama.

Alex's narcissistic words froze everyone in surprise for a moment, but within seconds, the atmosphere exploded with loud laughter. Shizuka just smiled, understanding that Alex was once again refusing to accept gratitude.

"Hey, handsome," Rika said, stepping closer. "Remember I promised to be yours if you saved me? Well, consider this a light appetizer before the main course."

Before Alex could process her words, Rika grabbed his face, leaned in, and boldly kissed him on the lips.

Alex didn't resist. Who could turn down such attention? The softness of Rika's lips pleasantly surprised him, and he allowed himself to relax, enjoying the moment. But, as it turned out, not everyone appreciated it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, kissing his lips, Rika Minami?! Let him go, now!" Koko shouted, rushing toward them to pull the girl away from Alex.

"And what's it to you, Hekmatyar?" Rika retorted, swatting Koko away. "Is it so wrong to thank my savior? I promised I'd be his girlfriend if he saved me, and I'm keeping my word. So, stay out of it. Shoo!"

"I said no!" Koko shot back, blocking Rika's path to Alex.

The situation quickly turned into a farce: the girls were practically playing tug-of-war, using Alex as the "prize." Alex let out a tired sigh, utterly confused by why Koko was so furious over a kiss. Her behavior even surprised her own team members, who exchanged bewildered looks.

Rebecca, standing off to the side, quietly chuckled, holding her phone. She clearly found the circus amusing and decided to record the entire scene to laugh about it later with others. Shizuka, stunned by the turn of events, glanced around for support from Brunhilde, but she only shook her head, clearly signaling that Alex should handle these situations on his own.

The other girls, watching the scene unfold, began to realize that it was time to make decisions. The number of potential candidates vying for Alex's attention was growing, and if they wanted to succeed, they had to act faster.

Yuriko, standing next to Saya, leaned in and spoke with a slight grin:

"Look, Saya, this is what a popular guy looks like. If you don't take the initiative, you might get left behind. You have to act fast, or your turn might never come. And if you hesitate, Mom will take matters into her own hands."

Saya, her face flushing with anger, turned to her mother.

"Mom! How can you say something like that?! You were just saying that after divorcing Dad, you're not ready for a relationship! Why did you change your mind so suddenly?!"

Yuriko, completely unbothered, continued with a smile:

"What did you expect? He's strong, smart, handsome, responsible… Well, a bit chaotic and a little childish, but that just adds to his charm. If you don't take the first step, I will."

"You... You... You!" Saya angrily waved her hand and turned away. "That's it, I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Yuriko just smirked, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Well, you don't have to talk to me. But you'd better talk to Alex while you still have the chance. What if you can't be alone with him later?" she teased, enjoying her daughter's reaction.

Saya stomped her foot hard to express her anger and, turning away indignantly, walked further away from Yuriko. Even there, she could still hear her mother's light, mocking laugh. Around the same time, a similar conversation was unfolding between Kiriko and Rei. Rei sat across from her mother, confused about how to react to the fact that both of them liked the same guy. However, Kiriko smiled warmly and said,

"Don't worry, I'll wait. You take the first step; you have a better chance."

These conversations were happening just as Alex, caught between Koko and Rika, felt like a rope in their improvised tug-of-war game. Looking at Rebecca, he noticed she wasn't helping but was standing off to the side, happily recording everything on her phone. Alex immediately realized: this video would definitely be shown to everyone when they returned to Orario.

His gaze drifted to Brunhilde, searching for support, but she merely shrugged, as if saying, "Figure it out yourself."

With a heavy sigh, Alex understood he'd have to sort out this chaos on his own.

"Girls, maybe it's time to stop pulling me?" he said with mild irritation. "Of course, my arms won't fall off, but this looks, to put it mildly, strange."

Koko immediately responded:

"Tell her to let go first!"

Rika quickly retorted:

"Tell that to Hekmatyar! I won't let go until she does!"

Realizing that pleading was pointless, Alex rolled his eyes and decided to take action. He easily lifted both girls and tossed them over his shoulders like sacks of potatoes. Rika and Koko didn't even have time to react before they found themselves in that position.

"Alright, enough for today. Tomorrow we have a long journey, so everyone needs to rest," Alex said in a tone that left no room for argument as he headed toward the bank building.

Meanwhile, the others began actively moving the supplies brought from the airport and discussing the upcoming plan. When they learned their route would take them through Okinawa to a military ship and from there to Alaska, many nodded approvingly, recognizing the thoroughness of the plan.

However, Valmet wasn't thinking about the plan at all. She frowned as she watched Alex casually carry Koko and Rika away, her gaze betraying her inner irritation.

When Alex reached the observation room, he carefully set both girls down on the floor. They looked around, noticing the mattresses spread out on the floor. Rika, not losing her boldness, flirtatiously asked:

"Handsome, are you sure you want to do this right here?"

Koko, quickly distancing herself from him, countered:

"Maybe we should get to know each other better first, and then... well, you get it."

"No one's forcing you, Hekmatyar," Rika smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can leave, I'll handle him myself. Though it's funny to hear that from the one who, five minutes ago, was dragging him by the hand and wouldn't let me kiss him."

"No one's holding you here! Leave if you don't like it!" Koko snapped back sharply.

Seeing the girls arguing again, Alex let out a loud sigh. He was barely holding back laughter at the absurdity of what was happening but understood that this could go on forever.

"Enough," he said calmly but firmly, drawing their attention. "I didn't bring you here for what you're thinking right now. Just to sleep. Yes, sleep, not sleep with you. I haven't had a proper night's rest for two days, and I need a break. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day, and I'm not spending it figuring out who's right."

Rika and Koko fell silent, exchanging glances, and Alex continued:

"So, throw out your dirty thoughts, spread those mattresses out, and just rest. No drama."

Alex carefully lowered Koko and Rika onto the floor. The girls froze for a moment, staring first at him and then at each other. Alex sighed heavily, mentally cursing the noise he would have to endure. The idea of going to sleep on the roof, where there would be no endless arguing, seemed very tempting.

As soon as he set them on the floor, Valmet barged into the room with a crash, ready to tear Alex into tiny pieces. Her furious gaze scanned the room before landing on Koko. Koko had already seated herself in a chair, watching everything with mild boredom.

"Koko, has he done anything to you?" Valmet rushed to the girl, squatting in front of her and grabbing her hands. "I told you, you can't trust him! As soon as he had the chance, he would have attacked you!"

Her voice trembled with concern, but the look she directed at Alex was filled with contempt.

Alex's eye twitched, but he immediately suppressed the urge to snap back. He couldn't be bothered to argue with this overly protective woman. Instead, he silently walked over to his bag, pulled out a clean t-shirt and pants, ignoring the stares directed at him, and made his way toward the shower.

Turning on the hot water, Alex sighed with relief as the warm streams washed the zombie blood off him. He tossed his clothes into his inventory, not wanting to waste time washing them. Running his hand through his wet hair, he stared at the water droplets sliding down the tiles and thought about his next steps.

He hoped that they would find a ship at the next port, one that the whole group could take to Okinawa. But there were still questions. What's happening in other countries? How bad is it there? Of course, G.I.R. had provided satellite images and intercepted radio transmissions, but it wasn't enough.

Above all, Alex was interested in the Live corporation. These people were clearly using fragments of the Marker for their own purposes, and to find out exactly what they were planning, he would need to capture one of their employees.

The thought of the strange soldiers he had encountered earlier kept bothering Alex. They controlled hordes of zombies, which led him to a certain theory. Perhaps these people retained their consciousness after infection, like some characters in games like Dying Light, and gained special abilities.

"Hmm," Alex muttered, washing the last remnants of blood off his skin. "That seems like the best explanation for now."

He turned off the water, put on clean clothes, and headed back to the room.

When he entered, everyone had gathered. Koko and Valmet remained where they were.

"Feel better after the hot shower?" Brunhilde asked, sitting in a chair and watching him closely.

"I'll feel better once I get some sleep," Alex replied lazily, collapsing onto the mattress. "I suggest you all rest too. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day."

"So, tomorrow we're leaving the city and heading to Okinawa?" Saya asked, setting aside her glasses and getting ready for bed. "You plan to capture a military ship, right?"

"Do you think the military will just hand over a ship?" Koko raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "If I were you, I wouldn't expect an easy ride."

"The military base in Okinawa is deserted," Alex said, rubbing his temple. "Not a single soldier. Anywhere. The same goes for other American bases in Japan. It's like they vanished."

"Maybe they were just recruited," Brunhilde suggested. "Or forced to switch sides. That's always been the case. Someone gives the orders, and others follow."

"I agree," Valmet chimed in. "When I served, commanders gave pointless orders too. And in these times, with the world falling apart, corruption has only grown. No one's hiding whose side they're on anymore."

"Don't overthink it," Alex said lazily, turning onto his back. "If they're enemies—kill them. If they're allies—let them join. Be careful, but don't complicate things. Right now, our enemies aren't just zombies and mutants; it's also other people."

With those words, everyone started preparing for bed. Rebecca immediately curled up on Alex's chest and closed her eyes.

Alex allowed himself to relax, pushing away unnecessary thoughts. What bothered him most was the lack of information: What was the situation in other countries? Which ones had already fallen, and which ones had managed to unite? Where was the headquarters of the Live corporation?

He hoped that Koko and Yuriko could get in touch with their contacts worldwide to learn more. With these thoughts, Alex drifted off to sleep.

Alex woke up to a strange sensation—someone was nibbling on his cheek. He immediately assumed it was Rebecca's doing. Without opening his eyes, he tried to detach the culprit from his face:

"Rebecca, stop it, I'm all covered in drool!"

"Handsome, it's not me," her voice came from a distance.

Opening his eyes, Alex saw that, like a hungry little animal, Koko was hanging off his cheek. Somehow, she had managed to sleep her way over to him and was now shamelessly gnawing on his face.

Meanwhile, Valmet, waking up, began scanning the room for Koko. Spotting her comfortably nestled on Alex, she froze as if she had seen something completely impossible. Her face twisted with a mix of horror and indignation.

"Koko, wake up. You're chewing on my face," Alex tried to rouse her, carefully attempting to detach her.

"Just a little more," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself even closer to him.

Alex sighed but got up, holding onto the girl now sitting on his lap. Valmet's gaze was so judgmental that it seemed it might burn a hole through his head.

Meanwhile, Rebecca lazily sat at the table, eating cereal and clearly enjoying the show. Alex tried again to wake Koko, but she only tightened her grip on him and even started rubbing her cheek against his chest, still wearing that silly smile.

"Koko, get up, stop hugging him!" Valmet exclaimed, trying to pull her away from Alex.

"No, just a couple more minutes... Leave me alone, Valmet, you're disturbing my sleep," Koko muttered, not opening her eyes.

Valmet looked as if something had snapped inside her. Alex even felt a slight pang of guilt, but it was quickly replaced with irritation when Valmet shot him a look full of accusations, as if he were to blame for everything.

"Heh, yesterday she said she wasn't ready to sleep with him, and now look at her—clinging like an octopus and not letting go," Rika remarked, watching the scene unfold.

"Jealous? You couldn't do it, so now shut up," Koko shot back, finally cracking one eye open and giving Rika a disdainful glance.

Alex sighed heavily. It was still morning, and already the arguments had started. It used to be Rebecca and Saya, but now it was Koko and Rika. He still didn't understand why they always found a reason to bicker.

With great difficulty, he managed to detach Koko, who clearly didn't want to let go, and stood up. Kissing Rebecca on the top of her head, Alex noticed Shizuka's gaze—she clearly wanted a morning kiss too. Not making her wait, he walked over and kissed her on the cheek, which made Shizuka beam and return the gesture.

"What about me? Am I not getting anything? Come on, handsome, don't be greedy! You liked kissing me yesterday. Come here," Rika intervened, pulling him toward her.

Alex shrugged and approached to wish her good morning. Leaning down, he was about to kiss her cheek when Rika took the initiative—grabbing his face, she pressed her lips to his, even managing to slip her tongue into the kiss. Afterward, she gave Koko a smug look, as if she had just won a competition.

Ignoring the girls' bickering, Alex headed for the door to make himself some coffee. But he didn't get far— the other girls had already returned with breakfast. After receiving his cup of coffee, Alex sat at the table with a satisfied look and began enjoying his hot drink while the others ate.

To be continued...

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