The Daily Life of the Demon King

Alex, G.I.R., and MIMI were still inside the maintenance building, where they had been repairing damaged train cars. However, the situation quickly spiraled out of control when Alex, deciding to thin out the zombie ranks a bit, threw a grenade. By sheer misfortune, the grenade rolled straight under a freight car loaded with fuel.

The resulting explosion triggered a chain reaction that led to widespread destruction. Alex's eye twitched involuntarily—he hadn't anticipated that one careless move would unleash such chaos.

Four massive explosions rocked the depot. One of the train cars, as if determined to leave Earth's atmosphere, launched high into the air before crashing down onto a horde of zombies. After the series of blasts, only half of the maintenance building remained standing, and most of the depot had been transformed into a fiery inferno.

Charred zombie bodies littered the area, though some still squirmed, trying to crawl toward Alex. The horde, which had been attacking just minutes ago, was now scattered across the depot by the shockwaves.

Alex looked over the blazing madness and thought to himself that Brunhilde had likely noticed the explosions by now. He was in for a "pleasant" conversation with her later.

"It's your own fault," a sarcastic voice rang out in his head—Reginleif's.

Alex's eye twitched again. He muttered a quiet curse, seeing no point in arguing with the Valkyrie. Who could have guessed there were so many explosives stored at the depot?

As he watched the burning zombies slowly rise and shuffle toward him, Alex lit a cigarette. It was time to finish this mess and get back to why he had come here in the first place.

Amidst the sounds of crackling flames and groaning undead, something suddenly changed. The zombies froze in place, and, a moment later, their heads simultaneously exploded.

"What just happened? Why did their heads all blow up at once?" Alvitr asked, materializing behind Alex in her spiritual form.

"I amplified the sound of my heartbeat using mana. That sound is what killed them," Alex calmly explained, observing the aftermath of his action.

He hadn't expected such an effect. Instead of the zombies simply collapsing, their heads had exploded like some sort of macabre fireworks display. Alex studied the scene thoughtfully, wondering why it had happened this way.

"Are you saying the sound of your heartbeat killed all the zombies?" Geirölul asked with interest, appearing beside him.

"Something like that. But I'm curious why their heads exploded instead of their bodies collapsing," Alex replied, a pensive look on his face.

"Does it matter? Just finish off the remaining ones and get back to your big sister. Let her scold you," Hlökk said with a disgusted look at the zombies. "Even looking at this filth is unpleasant, let alone being near it."

"You just want to laugh while Brunhilde chews me out," Alex remarked dryly, glancing at the Valkyries.

"Yes!" they answered in unison, laughing gleefully.

"No love from you lot," Alex muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, darling," a soft voice cooed. Göndul appeared behind him, wrapping her arms gently around his neck. "When Brunhilde's done scolding you, I'll comfort you."

Alex's eye twitched once more.

"Too much love…" he exhaled quietly, staring at the blazing depot.

Shoving the unnecessary thoughts aside, Alex decided to focus on the task at hand. Gesturing to G.I.R. and MIMI, he let the two robo-dogs settle back onto his shoulders. Their new mission was to find a snowplow attachment for the bus.

With a wave of his hand, Alex extinguished the roaring flames in the depot to prevent the fire from spreading to the city. The explosions had already done more than enough, sending the iron wreckage of train cars flying like massive projectiles.

After extinguishing the fire and eliminating the zombies, Alex inspected the maintenance facility where trains were repaired. As he expected, the necessary equipment wasn't there. The only likely location for the snowplow remained the storage warehouse.

"MIMI, where's the warehouse?" Alex asked, patting the Pink robo-dog on the head.

"That way, Dad," MIMI confidently pointed a paw in the direction.

Alex smirked, gave her another pat, and ruffled the "ears" of the green-colored G.I.R. so he wouldn't get jealous. Whistling a cheerful tune, Alex headed toward the warehouse, with both robo-dogs joining in, producing rhythmic sounds as if singing along. Beneath the moonlight, the trio made their way through the chaos of destroyed train cars toward their goal.

Once they reached the warehouse, they split up to search faster. Alex rummaged through metal crates and shelves until he heard a noise resembling metal scraping against the floor. Turning toward the sound, he saw G.I.R. dragging a bulky snowplow behind him.

"Good job, G.I.R.! Excellent work! Call MIMI, and let's get out of here," Alex praised, patting the dog on the head.

G.I.R. gave a short nod and dashed off into the darkness, his metal paws echoing through the empty space. Wasting no time, Alex easily hoisted the snowplow with one hand and made his way toward the exit.

Outside, Alex paused, studying the snowplow with a pensive expression. The image of the zombies' exploding heads flashed in his mind. He tried to deduce what caused such an effect and theorized that parasites living in the infected's heads might have been responsible. Their deaths, he suspected, triggered the reaction. Of course, it was only a hypothesis, as this world was a mix of different zombie types, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the explosions.

Soon enough, G.I.R. and MIMI emerged from the building, dragging another snowplow behind them. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded approvingly, patting his robotic helpers.

"An extra one won't hurt," he muttered.

However, just as they were about to leave, something caught his ear. Strange, faint noises came from the roof—like someone sliding across metal. Alex immediately tensed, focusing on the sound. It definitely wasn't a hunter; they moved far more quietly. Scanning the dark rooftops, Alex finally noticed a vague silhouette.

"Am I the only one seeing this?" he asked grimly, keeping his eyes locked on the shadow.

"Dad, there's a zombie up there," MIMI whispered, tugging at his pants and pointing her paw toward the roof.

Once MIMI confirmed that there was indeed a zombie on the warehouse roof, Alex wasted no time figuring out what type of infected he was dealing with. Instantly vanishing from his spot, he appeared behind the strange zombie and sent it flying with a powerful kick to the back. The zombie's body crashed into the ground near G.I.R. and MIMI, who quickly restrained it without hesitation.

Standing on the roof, Alex observed his robo-dogs' coordinated actions, nodded in satisfaction, and then leapt down, landing beside them. Turning the zombie over with his foot, he squinted, recognizing its type. This was a Volatile—a zombie known as one of the most dangerous due to its agility, strength, and maneuverability. Essentially an "advanced version" of a hunter, or as some called them, a hunter on steroids. Their only known weakness was ultraviolet light, which they couldn't withstand.

The zombie growled and writhed, desperately trying to break free. Its lower jaw suddenly began to split apart, resembling a bloodthirsty vampire straight out of Blade.

"G.I.R., turn on the UV for our guest," Alex ordered, pulling out a cigarette. "Let's see if it still has that weakness or if this is a new, upgraded model.»я

GIR nodded, and a powerful pink-blue stream of light emitted from his eyes, aimed directly at the zombie. The Volatile began to twitch, his skin smoked, and some areas began to glow, as if highlighting weak spots. Alex squinted, observing the process.

"Interesting," he muttered thoughtfully, releasing a puff of smoke. "I wonder if it'll burn up completely or survive despite the sunlight?"

Meanwhile, the zombie was letting out ear-piercing shrieks that made Alex's ears ring. He scanned the surroundings and noticed a chunk of concrete nearby.

"Shut up already, for God's sake!" he muttered irritably, lifting the piece.

Stuffing the zombie's mouth with the makeshift "gag," Alex overdid it slightly, driving the concrete so deep that it exited through the other side of its head. The zombie fell silent, collapsing onto the ground.

"Dad, you overdid it," GIR commented, turning off the ultraviolet light.

"Yeah, I know," Alex waved him off, kicking the body. "But seriously, why scream like that? It's already dead—why keep making noise like we're still killing it?"

"Because Dad is scary, and everyone's afraid of him," MIMI said seriously, nodding wisely.

Alex's eye twitched. He looked at MIMI in surprise, then at GIR, who was nodding in agreement.

"You two!" he sighed heavily, hearing the Valkyries' laughter in his head.

Alex waved his hand to finish with the zombie and instructed his helpers to find chains to secure the snowplows. GIR and MIMI quickly disappeared into the darkness of the warehouse, and a few minutes later, the sound of clanking metal signaled their return. They had brought two sturdy chains and began securing the snowplows to them.

When the work was done, both robo-dogs jumped onto the attached snowplows.

"Let's go!" GIR and MIMI declared in unison, raising their paws in the air.

Alex noticed the two robo-dogs wanted to ride the snowplows and didn't object. Slinging the chains over his shoulder, he began pulling the bulky machines toward the exit. However, the screeching sound of metal on concrete was so unpleasant that Alex decided to speed up and ran ahead. As he approached the depot gates, he saw a crowd of zombies desperately trying to break through the iron gates.

Slowing down right before the gates, Alex didn't account for the inertia: the two snowplows with GIR and MIMI aboard, making the characteristic metal screech, slid past him, crashing into the gates and smashing through them. Racing through the zombie crowd, the snowplows left a bloody trail behind them. Instead of getting angry, GIR and MIMI joyfully yelled, relishing the unexpected triumph.

"One more time!" the robo-dogs shouted with childlike enthusiasm.

Alex simply laughed, watching their excitement. He himself liked the idea of such a "ride," but decided to indulge himself another time. For now, let the two "childish souls" have their fun. Not wanting to drag the snowplows to the motorcycle by hand, Alex asked GIR to bring the transport. A few moments later, the motorcycle appeared, and Alex began securing the chains.

"Are you going to get off?" he asked, looking at the dogs, who were still sitting on their "vehicles."

"More riding!" GIR and MIMI answered enthusiastically.

"Well, hold on tight then," Alex said, starting the engine.

Making sure both robo-dogs were holding on tightly, Alex suddenly revved the engine. The chains tightened, and the snowplows jerked forward, sparking as they scraped against the concrete. GIR and MIMI's laughter echoed above the city, but in the darkness, their childlike giggles felt more eerie than joyful.

On the roof of the bank, the girls heard strange sounds. Exchanging glances, they stood up to see what was happening. Gradually, the noise grew louder, and it became clear that the sound of children's laughter was mixed with the screeching of metal.

"What's that noise?" Saeko asked, stepping closer to the edge of the roof.

"I'm sure it's Alex. Instead of bringing the snowplows in properly, he decided to tie them to the motorcycle. And of course, GIR and MIMI couldn't miss the chance to ride," Brunhilda replied, gazing into the distance.

"To be honest, nothing surprises me anymore," Rei added, shaking her head.

The noise continued to get louder, and in the dark of the night, bright sparks from the metal scraping against concrete flickered. The girls noticed that there were two snowplows, not one as they had initially thought. Soon, the silhouette of Alex on the motorcycle became visible—he was driving forward, and behind him, two snowplows were being dragged along by chains. On them, like surfers, stood GIR and MIMI, clearly enjoying their improvised ride.

Sitch, watching this scene, began to feel jealous. He tugged on Rebecca's sleeve, pointing at GIR and MIMI, and loudly declared that he wanted to ride like that too. The girls exchanged looks, unsure of how to respond to his request, but Rebecca, instead of refusing, simply smirked.

"Alright, Sitch, I promise we'll get you a ride like that later," she said, trying to calm him down.

"I think we should go down and see exactly what happened at the depot," Brunhilda said in a calm, but slightly stern tone.

The girls barely held in their laughter. They knew Brunhilda was about to give Alex a proper lecture. It was clear to everyone that her seriousness and sternness would inevitably lead to some serious talking.

Meanwhile, Alex was already approaching the bank, slowing down to make a careful turn. Looking back, he checked on GIR and MIMI. Both robots were still happily balancing on their snowplows, now covered in zombie blood. Alex smirked at the sight. Turning into the bank's parking lot, he entered the premises, pulling the snowplows behind him.

He barely managed to get off the motorcycle when he noticed Brunhilda standing nearby with a friendly, but clearly promising smile.

"My love," she began softly, "don't you want to explain something to me? What's with the explosions and fire when I asked you to keep things quiet? You said it was just a quick trip there and back."

Alex froze for a moment, feeling caught red-handed. His gaze shifted to the girls standing behind Brunhilda. They were struggling to hold back their laughter, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

"Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?" Alex said, trying to remain calm.

"An accident, you say? Then explain how this 'accident' led to four explosions and a fire at the depot," Brunhilda replied, still wearing that pleasant smile, making her words sound even more terrifying.

Alex realized that simple words wouldn't cut it here, so he decided to explain everything in detail.

"Well, here's how it went..." he began, gesturing widely with his hands. "GIR, MIMI, and I snuck into the depot, but there were way too many zombies. I thought, 'Why not lure them into a narrow passage and take them out there?' Everything was going according to plan, but I didn't take into account that the music I played to distract them would attract more zombies than we needed. The passage got blocked with their corpses, so I thought I'd 'clear the way' with a grenade. But... the grenade, damn it, rolled right toward a fuel tank. And then—boom! Chain reaction, explosions, fire... Honestly, it was pure coincidence, I had nothing to do with it!"

Alex nodded confidently, trying to look convincing. The girls standing behind Brunhilda were now openly laughing at his attempt to wriggle out of the situation.

Brunhilda only partially believed Alex's words and decided to check his memories through their spiritual connection. After confirming that he was indeed innocent and the whole thing was a pure accident, she sighed heavily and reminded him to be more careful next time, so he wouldn't accidentally burn down the whole city.

Rebecca, quickly realizing why Brunhilda had softened, still couldn't hide her curiosity. She wanted to know exactly how everything had looked at the scene. The girls stepped closer to listen. Alex briefly explained what happened at the depot, how everything turned out, and even mentioned meeting two new types of zombies.

"You're telling me there are now zombies that are afraid of light? Are they vampires?" Shizuka asked, looking frightened.

"Well, calling them vampires is a bit much. They're closer to ghouls," Alex clarified to avoid confusing terms.

"And what's the difference? Aren't they the same thing?" Rei asked, confused.

"No, not exactly," Saya interjected, deciding to explain. "Vampires look almost human, they're hard to distinguish from regular people. But ghouls are a lower type. They're more like corpse eaters that scavenge after their masters."

"So, now we have zombie vampires?" Shizuka asked, tilting her head slightly, which was both cute and funny.

Alex couldn't help but laugh, patting Shizuka on the head, which made her blush even more.

"They're still zombies, don't worry. They don't drink just blood, so no one's going to sneak up on you at night to drink yours," he said with a smile.

Shizuka, still uncertain, nodded and decided not to overthink it. Meanwhile, nearby, GIR and MIMI were proudly boasting about their extreme ride in front of Alice and Stitch. An envious Stitch ran around, trying to bite them on the heads, which quickly turned into a chaotic royal battle.

After chatting with the girls, Alex announced:

"I'll be staying here until morning anyway, so you don't have to freeze. Go get some sleep."

"And Saya," he added, calling her over. "We're going to your place tomorrow. Just a reminder."

"Got it. No matter what happens, I'll still pick up my mom from that place," Saya replied with a sweet smile, glancing at him.

When everyone had dispersed, only Alex, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch remained. Stitch had firmly refused to leave, saying he wanted to help. Alex didn't mind; after all, the magic was doing most of the work, and his actions were mainly to prevent anyone from asking too many questions about the origins of the things around them.

Sitting down in a chair, Alex thought for a moment. The troublemaking trio — GIR, MIMI, and Stitch — immediately gathered around him, settling wherever they could. After a little thought, Alex decided to turn on a movie to pass the time until everyone eventually fell asleep.

After the movie, he checked to make sure everyone inside the bank was indeed asleep, including the girls. Satisfied, Alex snapped his fingers, and with a burst of magic, the bus was transformed into a menacing apocalypse machine. The trio of onlookers clapped their paws in delight, amazed by the wonders of magic.

Chuckling, Alex continued watching lighthearted films with them to pass the time until morning. Before he knew it, the night was over, and the first rays of sunlight hit his back. Turning around, he noticed that the sun had risen quite high. Listening closely, he realized that people inside the bank were starting to wake up and have breakfast.

A couple of minutes later, Saeko stepped outside with a cup of coffee in her hands.

Stepping out of the building, Saeko immediately spotted Alex. He was sitting on a chair, with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch comfortably settled on his shoulders and knees. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to the bus, which Alex had been working on all night. The vehicle had been transformed beyond recognition, and Saeko was amazed at how such a grand project could be completed in such a short time.

"I see you didn't waste any time," Saeko said as she sat down next to Alex.

"Of course not," Alex smirked. "Now we just need to make another one like this, and we'll be able to leave this city and head to Okinawa. By the way, Saeko, do you happen to know where I can get some cold weapons? Equipping everyone with just firearms isn't the best idea. Ammo isn't infinite."

"You could check out my family's dojo or the museum. When I was younger, I used to visit there a lot and even picked out a katana I've been dreaming of for a long time," Saeko replied with a slight smile.

"Heh, you've been into katanas since you were a kid? Looks like we have more in common than I thought. I've also loved cold weapons since I was little. I remember envying the heroes in films and anime who had cool swords and all sorts of weapons," Alex said nostalgically.

"In that case, we must 'borrow' that weapon. It won't be of any use to them anymore," Saeko said enthusiastically, a childlike joy in her voice.

"You're reading my mind. How about after the trip to the Takagi estate, we stop by the museum or your dojo?" Alex suggested with a broad smile.

"I'd be happy to join you on that adventure," Saeko replied with a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

While Alex drank his coffee, they continued their conversation. Saeko was curious about what kind of weapons Alex preferred and what he most often used in combat. She had already seen how skillfully he wielded a katana, but she was still interested in his personal preferences.

Alex briefly pondered her question but admitted that he had a preference for swords, and possibly combat gauntlets with shin guards. Saeko deduced that this had to do with his martial arts skills but decided not to pursue the topic further. Instead, they just continued chatting merrily until their coffee was finished.

Together, they headed inside the building to conduct the morning briefing before departure.

Upon entering, Alex noticed that everyone had gathered, except for the two of them.

"Well, good morning, everyone! Another day in Zombieland!" Alex said with a mischievous grin.

At his typical greeting, many smiled, while some just shook their heads, having gotten used to his manner. Alex hummed and then switched to a more serious tone.

"Alright, let's get to the important stuff. We've noticed two new types of zombies. The first is something like a hunched dwarf, very fast. The second is a big guy similar to a hunter, but with one twist: he can't stand sunlight and only stays in dark places."

"Where did you manage to see them?" asked a curious Takashi, raising his hand.

"It's simple, man. Last night, I made things a little easier for us. I set a trap at the depot to lure the zombies out and clean up the area. But something went wrong, and... everything exploded," Alex explained, shrugging.

"How did everything explode?" Samura asked in confusion.

"I don't have an answer for that, so just take it as a fact," Alex smirked. "But now that area of the city is more or less cleared, and we can safely conduct raids there."

Alex pointed at the map, showing the cleared area.

He began pointing to locations on the map where supplies needed to be gathered. The groups immediately began choosing areas to save time and ensure efficiency.

"Why set a trap at the depot to lure all the zombies there?" asked the female officer, voicing a question that many were thinking.

Alex took a deep breath and, looking at everyone, spoke in a stern, confident voice:

"Listen up. As you already know, a horde of zombies is heading our way, and it will arrive tonight — much faster than we expected. Today is our last chance to save those we can and gather everything possible. Once the horde arrives, it will be almost impossible to move around, let alone rescue people or gather resources. In a day or two, we'll be leaving this city and heading for the port. So remember: save who you can, and help anyone who needs it. After today, that chance will be gone. Any questions?"

A brief silence followed, broken by one of the men:

"Are you sure the horde won't break through to us? We're like cans of sardines in here."

"We have thick enough walls to isolate the noise inside the building. Tonight, we stay as quiet as possible. No noise. Let them think no one is here," Alex raised his thumb, adding with a light smirk, "It'll be fine, guys."

Alex's response eased the tense atmosphere, and no more questions were asked. People went off to tend to their tasks. The group in charge of the barricades began moving cars around to create a path for the zombies to approach the building while still leaving the option to block access if necessary. Those in charge of gathering supplies and rescuing people started preparing for the raids.

Alex and the girls decided to head to the Takagi family estate to talk to Saya's parents. After gathering everything they needed, they headed outside. Along with Alex, Rebecca, Brunhilda, Saeko, Saya, Rei, and Shizuka, as well as his trio of loyal assistants, set out.

As they exited the building, Alex noticed Kota and Takashi inspecting the bus. Other men stood nearby, staring at the vehicle in surprise.

"Damn, he turned this bus into a real apocalypse machine in just one night!" Kota exclaimed, running around the bus, peering under the wheels and up at the roof.

"Don't envy other people's talents," Takashi snorted, though he couldn't hide his admiration. "Better think about where we're going for supplies."

Seeing everyone gathered around his creation, Alex smirked and proudly lifted his head.

"Can we take this bus? Please!" Kota almost begged, folding his hands.

"Get lost, fatty," Saya sharply replied, kicking him. "We need it. We're going to my place. Maybe some of the people my dad saved will want to come with us."

After the kick, Kota, offended, dropped to all fours and dramatically started sobbing.

"This isn't fair! I want to ride in the apocalypse machine too!"

The other men, embarrassed by the scene, turned away to avoid watching the "show." The female officers who were in relationships with Kota grabbed his legs and started dragging him toward another vehicle. Takashi, not hiding his amusement, followed as the officers pulled Kota along. Alex, watching all this, just shook his head with a smirk.

Climbing into the bus, Alex took the driver's seat, the girls settled into their places, and the team was ready to head out. Starting the engine, Alex drove the bus onto the road and headed toward the Takagi estate.

"I think Soitaro will be stubborn and refuse to leave the house," Alex muttered as he drove. "But I hope the old man still has some sense left."

He suspected that the head of the Takagi family, despite his pride, would find a way to make his wife leave. He might even resort to some unpleasant measure, like divorce, just to ensure the safety of his family. Alex understood that it would be difficult for everyone, but he believed that hatred was better than tragic memories.

To be continued...