"Chapter 192: Meeting the First Survivors"

(Well, this year has come to an end. I am glad that you were with me this year. And I also hope that we will not say goodbye. All I want is for you to be healthy and continue reading my story, so be happy, my dear readers. Mua:з)

Alex remained with his robotic dog, G.I.R., while Rebecca, Brunhilde, Stitch, and MIMI headed in the opposite direction. He watched them until they disappeared behind the school wall.

"The back entrance," Alex thought. "Rebecca decided to lead them there. It's a smart choice but also a foolish one."

He suspected most of the students had likely rushed to the back exit, trying to escape the school. He concluded that Rebecca had chosen this route more as an opportunity to take out as many zombies as possible and blow off some steam accumulated over the past week.

Alex glanced at his loyal companion.

"Think your mom will blow something up?" he asked G.I.R., suppressing a chuckle.

The robotic dog responded with an exaggerated shrug. Even he wasn't sure if Rebecca could restrain herself. Alex sighed heavily.

The sounds of chaos—screams and the crunch of torn flesh—echoed throughout the building. A full-fledged zombie apocalypse was unfolding. The infection spread rapidly, claiming more and more victims. Alex crouched next to the corpse of a teacher and began rummaging through the man's pockets. Finally, he found a wallet, extracted some coins, and smiled.

"Are you serious?" Göndul's voice rang out through their spiritual connection. "Looting corpses? That's immoral."

"It's not looting; it's collecting spare change," Alex replied, tossing the coins in his hand. "Gotta keep myself entertained somehow."

Göndul's sisters fell silent, deciding it was best not to try and understand Alex's actions. This task had seemingly fallen to Brunhilde, who was still struggling to make sense of his logic.

Alex stood, called G.I.R., and headed for the main entrance. The school's lobby greeted him with a horrifying sight: the torn-apart bodies of students lay scattered everywhere. Alex barely had time to think that the zombie apocalypse here seemed to be progressing more slowly when the corpses began to stir.

"Why do I even bother tempting fate?" he muttered, flicking a coin at the nearest zombie.

The metal pierced the creature's head, ricocheted, and killed several others before embedding itself in the wall. Alex smirked, lit a cigarette, and walked forward at a leisurely pace, occasionally sending coins into the skulls of the undead.

"G.I.R., your turn. I choose you," Alex said, pointing at the crowd of reanimated corpses.

The robotic dog silently activated its power hammer and charged into the fray. Each swing turned zombies into bloody pulp or sent them flying into walls with a sickening crunch. Alex grinned and followed at a calm pace, supporting G.I.R. with precise coin throws. Within minutes, the lobby was cleared.

Alex approached a map on the wall to locate the nurse's office. After pinpointing its location, he and G.I.R. moved on.

Climbing to the next floor, Alex barely noticed a pair of zombies tumbling down the stairs. The reanimated corpses writhed at his feet, trying to grab his boots. One swift kick from Alex shattered the first zombie's skull, while G.I.R. finished the second with a hammer strike.

Alex's once-clean boots were now splattered with blood. He shot G.I.R. a stern look, but the robotic dog feigned ignorance and indifferently continued up the stairs.

"Cheeky little punk," Alex muttered, smirking as he followed his companion.

G.I.R. pretended not to hear his master's remark and focused on the path ahead. Alex simply shook his head and resumed climbing.

His coins quickly ran out, and the thought of searching every dead student's pockets for more irritated him. Spending gold coins to kill a few zombies felt utterly impractical, despite his wealth. Eventually, he decided to pull an iron rod from his inventory—a simple but reliable tool for smashing skulls.

Following the map, Alex and G.I.R. moved upward. Along the way, they encountered only a few stray zombies—no more than two or three at a time. However, as they approached the infirmary, Alex caught the sound of something—loud pounding, as if a group of people were trying to break down a door. Rounding the corner, he spotted a horde of zombies battering a locked door with a sign above it that read: "Infirmary."

"Please go away! I can't treat you!" a woman's voice pleaded from behind the door.

"Nurse Marikawa, instead of talking, maybe you should focus on barricading!" another woman's voice snapped.

Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued to hear a second voice. Another woman? Without wasting time, he gave G.I.R. the command to attack. The robo-dog charged forward, with Alex following close behind.

When they reached the group of zombies, a wide grin spread across Alex's face. Finally, he could live out his dream—beating zombies with a stick. Powerful swings of his iron rod smashed through multiple heads at once, while G.I.R.'s powered hammer sent the undead flying out the windows. Alex paused for a moment, watching G.I.R. launch a zombie through the air as if it were his favorite pastime.

"Could you at least try to be a little more careful?" Alex muttered before getting back to work.

A particular zombie caught his attention, its iron rod lodged between its teeth. Grabbing the weapon, Alex yanked it free with such force that the top half of the zombie's jaw flew off, spraying blood everywhere. With the last of the undead dispatched, Alex surveyed the aftermath. The infirmary doors remained intact, but the windows were now gaping holes, and the floor was drenched in blood.

Peering through one of the broken windows, Alex spotted three people inside. The first was a blonde woman with an impressive figure, wearing a lab coat—Shizuka Marikawa. The second was an unexpected surprise: Kyoko Hayashi, a woman who, by all accounts, should have been one of the first casualties. On the floor lay a young man clutching a wound on his shoulder.

The two women and the injured boy stared at Alex, who gave a casual wave, a slight smile on his face.

"Yo, need some help?" he asked.

Kyoko frowned, trying to recall if she'd seen him before.

"I don't remember you being one of the students at our school."

"Fair enough. I'm not from your school," Alex replied calmly. "My group and I were just passing by and decided to drop in."

His nonchalant tone and the obvious signs of his recent skirmish—bloodstains and broken windows—seemed to underline his point.

Shizuka and Kyoko exchanged silent glances before deciding to let Alex in. Alex, along with G.I.R., stepped into the infirmary. The women's eyes immediately locked onto the robo-dog, covered in blood and holding a massive hammer in its tiny paws. It was both terrifying and bizarre. Ignoring their bewilderment, Alex approached the injured student, who was lying on the floor, barely stifling his groans of pain.

Crouching down, Alex met the boy's gaze.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Alex asked in a calm tone.

"Haha… Looks like I'm dying," the boy replied, trying to mask his pain behind a strained smile.

"You're right. You're dying. Soon, you'll become one of them. You've got two options: die now or wait until you turn. What's it going to be?" Alex's voice was steady, almost indifferent, as he watched the boy's reaction.

"I don't want to turn into one of them. Can you help me?" the boy pleaded, barely lifting his gaze.

Alex didn't answer, only giving a brief nod. Their strange conversation had caught the attention of Shizuka and Kyoko, who exchanged uneasy glances as they tried to figure out what was happening. Slowly, Alex reached for his gun, drawing it and aiming it at the boy's head.

"What's your name?" Alex asked before pulling the trigger.

"Sawada," the boy whispered weakly, fighting off unconsciousness.

"Good luck on the other side, Sawada," Alex said, firing the shot.

The loud gunshot echoed through the corridors. Alex knew it would attract the zombies, but he didn't want to crush the teenager's skull with an iron rod. Sawada's body slumped and lifelessly fell to the side.

Shizuka and Kyoko stared at Alex in shock, their faces reflecting terror and confusion.

"Why did you kill him?! Maybe he could have been helped!" Kyoko shouted, pointing at Alex with a trembling hand.

Alex turned to them, ready to explain that the teenager was beyond saving. But before he could speak, a new figure appeared in the doorway. A tall girl with purple hair and blue eyes, wearing a bloodstained school uniform, stood holding a bloodied wooden sword. It was Saeko Busujima, familiar to all anime fans.

"He was already beyond help. He could have turned at any moment," Saeko said calmly, taking in the scene.

Alex nodded in thanks for her explanation. Meanwhile, Saeko studied Alex, her gaze fixed on his eyes. He met her stare, sensing a dangerous, even bloodthirsty nature hidden within her. She only needed a small push to turn into a deadly machine.

"We'll save introductions for later," Alex said, looking away. "Grab whatever might be useful: medicine, bandages, food. We don't have much time. I don't know how many students are in your school, but it's clearly not a small number. So hurry up."

Alex's words were calm, but firm. The women quickly nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation, and began gathering their things.

Shizuka and Kyoko realized there was no time for hesitation and quickly set to work collecting what they needed. Saeko, however, continued to watch Alex closely. His calmness and strange behavior piqued her genuine interest. Alex noticed her gaze but only gave a small smirk, choosing not to comment.

G.I.R. took up a position at the entrance of the infirmary, ready for any threat. Meanwhile, Alex lit a cigarette to gather his thoughts. His mind was filled with questions he wanted answers to: could zombies be resurrected with the Ingall spell? Or maybe enhanced by using Igloom? These magical experiments required time, the right place, and of course, "materials"—a couple of zombies to start. Alex also wondered how zombies created with Igloom would behave: would they be accepted by regular zombies as part of their pack, or would they be attacked as outsiders?

While he pondered, Saeko subtly studied him from head to toe. What caught her attention most were his unusual rainbow-colored eyes—she had never seen anything like them. Finally, unable to resist, she approached him.

"You're not from our school, are you?" Saeko asked, looking him directly in the eyes.

Alex snapped out of his thoughts and met her gaze.

"Sort of. My group and I were passing by and decided to check out what was going on here. After all, the city is literally flooded with zombies," he replied, exhaling smoke through his nose.

Shizuka, having finished packing, interrupted the conversation:

"And what's that weird thing with the hammer? Why does it look so... unusual?"

"Don't call it a weird thing, it might get offended. It's my assistant. But more on that later. Have we got everything?" Alex asked, turning to Shizuka.

"Yes, here," she said, pointing to two bags packed with supplies.

Alex nodded, flicked the cigarette out the open window, and stepped into the corridor, surveying his surroundings. After confirming that there were no zombies nearby, he gestured for the women to follow. Once they were out, he quickly devised a plan.

"I'll go ahead with the purple-haired girl, the blonde and the teacher stay in the middle. G.I.R., you take the rear," Alex commanded, pointing at each person.

"I'm not blonde! My name is Shizuka!" she pouted, offended.

"Alright, Shizuka. You'll stay in the middle with the teacher. Now, let's move carefully. Stay away from the windows and classrooms," Alex said, rolling his eyes.

The group moved forward: Alex and Saeko at the front, Shizuka and Kyoko in the center, and G.I.R. bringing up the rear. However, Alex noticed the women were moving slowly and realized why: their skirts were making it hard to move freely. Saeko also noticed this but acted decisively. With a single swing of her wooden sword, she sliced through Shizuka's and Kyoko's skirts, making them more practical for movement.

"Hey! That's a limited-edition Prada skirt! How could you?!" Shizuka exclaimed loudly.

"I'll get you a new one. But don't fall behind," Alex replied, trying to suppress a smile.

"You promised," Shizuka grinned slyly.

Alex sighed and nodded. He tried to move slowly so the group could keep up with him. Every time a zombie appeared, it was either him or Saeko who dealt with it.

Saeko, noticing the katana at Alex's waist, was curious as to why he preferred using an iron rod to beat the zombies rather than using his weapon. She was even more intrigued by how coldly he killed, as if he couldn't care less.

"G.I.R., where's your mom?" Alex suddenly asked, stopping at a crossroads.

"That way," G.I.R. answered briefly, pointing with his little paw.

Alex nodded, but to the women, their brief exchange seemed mysterious. They were still trying to figure out what G.I.R. was and who his mother was. As the group continued, zombies became less frequent, although they still encountered lone ones in the corridors and classrooms.

"You're not from Japan, are you? Where are you from?" Saeko asked, walking alongside Alex.

"We came from Valhalla," Alex replied with a light smile.

Saeko was surprised. The strange answer puzzled her.

"Where's that? I don't know of any country by that name," Shizuka remarked thoughtfully, raising a finger to her chin.

"Valhalla is the hall of the gods from Norse mythology. He's just joking," Kyoko said, casting a skeptical look at Alex.

Shizuka pouted, staring at Alex like a disappointed child. Alex raised an eyebrow, wondering why Kyoko thought he was joking. After all, he had told the truth.

"That's not nice to lie," Shizuka said, still sulking.

"Um... as you say," Alex shrugged nonchalantly.

Saeko watched him closely, trying to understand what lay behind his words. She couldn't shake her curiosity about why he said he came from Valhalla. However, Alex didn't rush to explain. There was no time for that now. He was focused on finding Rebecca and Brunhilda.

Thoughts of Rebecca troubled Alex. Despite having Brunhilda—responsible and reliable Valkyrie—by her side, Rebecca had enough spunk and courage to stir up chaos. Especially her fascination with zombie horror movies didn't inspire optimism. Alex knew: if Rebecca wanted to blow something up, even Brunhilda would have a hard time stopping her.

As they moved forward, Alex occasionally glanced back to make sure Shizuka and Kyoko weren't falling behind. This did not escape Saeko's attention, and she noted his concern in her mind.

Suddenly, loud angry shouts rang out in the distance. Alex immediately recognized the voice.

"Let me go! I'm going to make a couple of holes in this pink-haired girl right now! I saved her life, and she still dares to complain! Let go, or I'll shoot her!" Rebecca yelled, clearly trying to break free.

Alex sighed. She had started another argument. Connecting the dots, he realized the cause was the pink-haired girl. And only one person could provoke Rebecca to such a rage so easily—Saya Takagi.

Brunhilda was apparently trying to hold Rebecca back from attacking, preventing her from carrying out her threats. Alex and Saeko exchanged a glance and, without wasting any time, rushed to help. Shizuka and Kyoko hurried to follow them.

Around the next corner, they were met with a chaotic scene: Brunhilda was struggling to restrain Rebecca, who was desperately trying to lunge at Saya. Dark lines of exhaustion and tension were etched on Brunhilda's face. MIMI and Stitch stood off to the side, clearly unsure of how to react.

Across the corridor stood a chubby boy, watching the scene with great interest, as if his favorite anime characters had come to life before his eyes.

On the other side stood Saya, looking terrified at Rebecca, who was doing her best to break free. Next to her was the chubby boy in glasses with long hair—Kohta Hirano. In front of Saya stood a young man in an unbuttoned jacket, a red t-shirt, and a baseball bat in his hands—the protagonist of this world, and, by coincidence, the world's biggest idiot adventurer, Takashi Komuro.

Nearby stood a girl with long, light brown hair, armed with something like a homemade spear. This was Rei Miyamoto. Further away, huddled together, stood two frightened girls who, according to the original timeline, were supposed to have died. Their names were Toshimi Niki and Misuzu Ichijo. All the key characters from this world were gathered, except for those who weren't fortunate enough to survive the original timeline.

"Yo, what's going on here?" Alex asked calmly as he approached the group of survivors.

Alex's sudden appearance, along with his companions, drew everyone's attention. Brunhilda exhaled with relief and finally let go of Rebecca. The students stared at Alex in surprise, not understanding who he was or where he had come from. Only Kohta slightly flinched when he noticed Alex's eyes. The rainbow glimmer in Alex's eyes momentarily stunned him.

Alex ignored their stares and turned to Rebecca, who immediately rushed to him, complaining about how she had been insulted after saving someone's life. She spoke so quickly and emotionally that even Alex had trouble understanding her. To calm her down, he gently patted her on the head.

"Brunhilda, explain what happened here," he said, noticing how tired she looked.

"To sum it up: we entered through the back entrance, saved two girls surrounded by zombies, then we heard noise and came here. Rebecca shot a zombie and pulled this pink-haired girl out, and then she was rude to her. Well, after that..." she pointed to Rebecca, "this happened."

Rebecca quickly nodded, confirming Brunhilda's words. Alex let out a heavy sigh. He knew that Rebecca, who had watched dozens of zombie movies, could predict the typical reaction of a person in such a situation, but her temper was inevitable.

He looked up at Saya, who was now being comforted by her friends.

"Hey, pinkie, you okay?" he called out to her.

"I'm not 'pinkie'! My name is Saya Takagi, for future reference!" she huffed, tossing her hair back with the mannerisms of a lady.

"Got it. The important thing is that you're safe. Now, my dear survivors, let's find a place to catch our breath and get to know each other," Alex calmly suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement, though the question remained: where could they go without fearing a zombie attack?

"How about the teacher's lounge?" Kyoko suggested.

Alex nodded and asked her to show the way. They headed in that direction: Alex walked ahead with Rebecca and Saeko, the others followed in the middle, and MIMI, Stitch, and G.I.R. brought up the rear.

Alex noticed the strange looks Kohta was giving Rebecca and Brunhilda. It wasn't just curiosity. It was more like the expression of someone who had just seen their favorite fictional characters come to life. Alex quickly deduced that in this world, Rebecca and Brunhilda's story probably existed as an anime or comic, and Kohta likely knew it.

Once they reached the teacher's lounge, Alex went in first to check the room. After confirming it was clear, he allowed everyone else in and barricaded the doors. Moving further away from the group of survivors, Alex sat down on a chair, took out a cigarette, and lit it, pondering what kind of zombies they were dealing with in this world.

Meanwhile, the group of survivors watched Alex and his companions with confusion and suspicion. Kohta, in particular, stood out. He couldn't take his eyes off Brunhilda and Rebecca, as if he were seeing his favorite characters come to life. He was still trying to process everything happening: robo-dogs, a creature resembling Stitch, and Alex with his mysterious aura.

Ignoring their persistent stares, Alex walked to the window. Opening it, he looked out at the grim scene beyond the school: torn bodies and wandering zombies filling the area. An eerie silence was only broken by the occasional moans of the undead. His focus was interrupted when Kyoko cautiously asked:

"Um... can you tell us who you are?"

Alex closed the window, blocking the grim landscape from view, and turned to face the survivors. A calm smile lit up his face, but his attention kept drifting back to Kohta, who looked tense and on edge.

"Well, to start with, my name is Alexander Voldigoad, and I..." he began, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Demon King!" Kohta blurted out, stepping back with a look of horror.

This reaction left everyone stunned. Brunhilda and Rebecca exchanged surprised glances, and the others also looked taken aback. Kohta, trembling and pale, clearly recognized Alex, and it scared him.

"Hoh, you're interesting. Care to share how you came to that conclusion?" Alex said with a calm smile.

Kohta quickly defended himself:

"Your last name! And them! They shouldn't be here! And then... then that... 626 and the robot G.I.R.!"

Alex narrowed his eyes, studying Kohta carefully. But instead of getting angry, he suddenly burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach. This unexpected laughter only deepened the confusion of the others.

"What's going on here?" Saya was the first to snap. "Fatty, why did you call him the Demon King? And why are you saying they shouldn't be here?"

Kohta looked helplessly at Saya, unsure of how to answer. Everything happening felt like an absurd nightmare to him. Meanwhile, Saeko watched Alex with mild interest, as if trying to figure out what kind of person he was. Takashi, on the other hand, furrowed his brow, struggling with the feeling that something was starting to resurface in his memory. Shizuka simply stood there with a vacant look, not even pretending to understand what was going on.

Alex, finishing his laughter, gently turned to Kohta:

"Hey, chubby, what's your name?"

"My—My name is Kohta Hirano," he stammered.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Alex reassured him, his voice taking on a friendly tone. "You seem to be a fan of anime and weapons? We'll have plenty to talk about."

Kohta seemed to relax a little, though his gaze on Alex and his companions remained wary. Meanwhile, the other survivors exchanged confused glances. Saya, losing her patience, finally asked sharply:

"Can someone explain what's going on here? Why are you all speaking like that?"

Alex turned to her, his gaze turning serious but his voice still soft:

"One thing at a time, pinkie. But first, let's make sure this place is safe. Then we'll talk."

Saya gritted her teeth in irritation at the nickname but restrained herself and nodded. Alex approached Kyoko and asked her to share everything she knew about the area.

Kohta avoided eye contact, clearly afraid to meet Saya's gaze, as she seemed ready for the next round of questions. Alex raised an eyebrow in mild surprise and turned back to her.

"So, what do you want to know, Saya Takagi? I'll try to answer your questions within reason," he said, his tone calm but with a hint of teasing.

"Why did he call you the Demon King? And what did he mean when he said you shouldn't be in this world? And finally, what are these strange creatures that behave like nothing has happened?" she began, narrowing her eyes demandingly.

Alex gave a slight smirk, noting how her manner reminded him of Hlökk—she too enjoyed asking uncomfortable questions. A shadow of nostalgia crossed his face before he realized that everyone present was now watching him, clearly expecting an answer.

Rebecca, arms crossed over her chest, displayed complete indifference, obviously not planning to get involved. Brunhilda, as usual, preferred silence, leaving the explanations to Alex.

"To begin with, let me introduce myself. My companions are Rebecca and Brunhilda. The ones you call 'strange creatures' are G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch. And yes, I strongly recommend you don't call them strange, or they might make things difficult for you. As for me, as Kohta said, I am indeed the Demon King. And about the other world... we really aren't from this world. Ta-da," with these words, Alex formed a rainbow, literally woven in his hands.

Saya froze, staring at the colorful arcs of light, her face twisting in confusion.

"Wh-what? A rainbow? But how?!" she muttered, pointing a trembling finger at his palms.

"This is anti-scientific! You can't create a rainbow without refraction of light, and certainly not with your hands!" Saya began rambling, trying to process what was happening.

Alex couldn't help but frown. She was more surprised by the rainbow than by the fact that they came from another world? Scanning the others, he noticed they were all focused on his hands, seemingly forgetting the more significant part of the conversation.

"Hah, pinkie, the rainbow in Alex hands surprised you more than everything else? What a child," Rebecca added with a smirk.

"A child?! Do you even know who I am?! I'm a genius, and..." Saya began, her indignation fueling another verbal battle.

Alex simply tiredly placed his hand on his forehead. He realized that if Saya and Rebecca stayed near each other, their arguments could go on forever.

Meanwhile, Shizuka watched the rainbow with delight, as if it were a magic trick, and demanded Alex repeat it. Kyoko looked bewildered, contemplating how absurd the situation was becoming. Saeko closely studied Alex, clearly intrigued.

Takashi looked pale, struggling to stay on his feet while Rei tried to help him deal with a headache. Kohta still couldn't believe that the characters he thought were fictional were standing before him. The two surviving girls kept their distance, trying to make sense of what was happening.

MIMI, however, didn't take her gaze off Takashi, as though she noticed something unusual. Alex, unaware of this, raised his hand to get their attention.

"Alright, girls, enough arguing. The main thing now is to get out of here. We'll introduce ourselves, discuss the plan, and move on. Okay?" he said, raising his arms to ease the tension.

Rebecca and Saya exchanged a glance and huffed, but this time, Alex managed to break up their clash without much trouble. He tiredly rubbed his forehead, noting that the girl with pigtails seemed to have the same personality as Rebecca.

When the situation finally calmed down a bit, everyone started introducing themselves one by one. Alex was pleased that no one had panicked so far, but he suspected that once they were safe, the realization would hit, bringing a new wave of questions.

His gaze fell again on MIMI, who was still observing Takashi. Alex squinted slightly. He'd need to find out later what she noticed.

To be continued...