After a fun time spent at the bay with Anya, Zero Two, and Lucy, they decided to head back home. As usual, the girls got a little carried away — their game of "who can throw the rock farther" quickly turned into a competition of hurling entire boulders into the water. If not for Alex, who used his powers just in time to stop the splashing waves, the whole group would've returned home completely soaked.
The height of madness came when Lucy, using her vectors, sliced off a massive piece of rock and hurled it into the bay with a thunderous crash. A powerful wave immediately swept over the shore, tossing a sizable amount of fish onto the land. After a moment of consideration, Alex decided to treat it as a fortunate bonus. Using magic to conjure a net, he quickly gathered the fish so none would go to waste.
There was so much of it that dinner promised to be quite the feast — grilled, boiled, pick your choice. Alex set some aside for home and decided to take the rest to the settlement so everyone could enjoy some fresh fish. Even though part of the community went fishing daily, he believed you could never have too much in storage — not with so many mouths to feed.
The fish for home was stored away immediately, while the rest was taken to the warehouse. There, the locals would figure out what to do with it — dry, smoke, or make soup. Upon returning home, Alex stepped into the kitchen, where Namiyo and Kiriko were already busy managing the day's chores.
"Alex, where did all this fish come from? Did you go fishing?" Namiyo asked in surprise, staring at the pile of fish he'd laid out.
"You left with Zero Two and Lucy, and those two definitely aren't the type to sit patiently with fishing rods," Kiriko added, raising an eyebrow.
"Ahem... let's just say they got a little too into things. Maybe... maybe not... accidentally knocked a whole cliff into the bay. The wave was big — and well, the fish just flew out of the water," Alex replied in an innocent tone.
Namiyo and Kiriko exchanged glances and then looked at Anya, who was sitting in his arms. She quickly looked away, pretending to know nothing. The two women sighed — it was obvious who was responsible for not stopping the two overenthusiasts before they started wrecking the landscape.
"Let's skip the part where those two caused chaos under your 'supervision.' What were you even doing at the bay? And how did it escalate to throwing rocks?" Namiyo asked sweetly, though her smile was anything but kind.
"Daddy was teaching me how to skip rocks!" Anya cut in cheerfully, slipping from his arms and jumping onto the table.
Both women froze, staring at the child. Beaming with excitement, Anya began to describe in great detail how her dad had taught her the technique — how to hold the stone, what angle to use. Alex stood to the side with a small smile, but inside he sighed. He still wasn't planning to admit that the first demonstration rock he threw, using a bit of dramatic flair, had accidentally hit one of the Red Markers stationed by the shore. He realized it when one of his surveillance networks suddenly went offline — that unfortunate stone was the culprit.
As Anya continued her enthusiastic storytelling, Namiyo and Kiriko watched her with soft expressions, momentarily forgetting the usual chaos that followed her "mommies."
"What's all this noise in the kitchen?.. Oh, seems like we're having fish for dinner. And child, why are you standing on the table shouting so loudly? Did you forget what you were taught?" came a familiar voice — Alcina, entering the kitchen.
Everyone turned their heads at once. Madam Dracula's eyes immediately fixed on Anya, who still stood on the table like a tiny commander. Watching the scene unfold, Alex couldn't help but note Alcina's strict, aristocratic approach to parenting. She took Anya's status as his daughter — the Princess of Demons — very seriously, and wanted her to grow up as a proper lady: with dignity, manners, and poise.
"Sorry, Mama Dracula!" Anya squeaked and jumped off the table so fast not everyone even saw her move.
Alex chuckled quietly. One way or another, the day had turned out to be eventful—fun, loud, and, as always, full of unexpected consequences.
Alcina's eye twitched, and a pulsing vein appeared on her forehead—right at the moment Anya cheerfully called her "Mama Dracula." Namiyo and Kiriko quickly turned away, doing their best not to burst into laughter, but their trembling shoulders gave them away. Alex was barely holding it in himself—a wide grin was already tugging at his lips, and if he gave in, he would surely incur the wrath of his wife, whose claws were sharp in more ways than one.
Anya, meanwhile, stood there with the most innocent look on her face—as if she had no idea she'd said anything inappropriate.
"Child… who taught you to call me that?" Alcina asked sweetly, though the nervous tic in her eye and the clenching of her fingers betrayed her irritation.
"Mommy Becca and Mommy Revy. That's what they call you," Anya blurted out and bolted from the kitchen at full speed.
"You…" was all Alcina managed to exhale as she watched her little "victim" vanish from the room like a flash of light.
Alex was barely keeping a straight face. He knew perfectly well that Anya had just masterfully pulled off a distraction tactic—the same one Becca and Revy had shown her. Only now the student had clearly surpassed her teachers, expertly redirecting Alcina's anger away from herself.
Alcina sighed in frustration and turned her gaze to Namiyo and Kiriko, who were still trying not to laugh out loud, then to Alex, whose satisfied smirk was now in full bloom.
"My dear husband… you seem to be having a lot of fun?" Alcina asked sweetly, tapping her claws against her palm, sending out tiny sparks.
"Oh come on, Alcina," Alex replied innocently. "You know, you're not the first woman in my life who prefers staying home. Take Hestia, for example—she only comes out if there's free food involved. And if no one drags her out, she won't even leave her bed. And Nyx? I'm pretty sure she's still locked in her room and hasn't poked her head out all day."
"I suppose I'll have to have a friendly chat with those two," Alcina grumbled, retracting her claws and crossing her arms. "I'm getting tired of these 'Madam Dracula' jokes."
Alex laughed. This time, openly and loudly. The jokes about Madam Dracula were as immortal as Alcina herself. She rolled her eyes and sighed, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. She knew the girls teased her with affection—otherwise, the jokes would've ended in blood long ago.
Meanwhile, as laughter filled the house, far away in Orario, two lazy goddesses sneezed unexpectedly. Hestia, sprawled out on the couch with a bag of chips, didn't even flinch from her show. Nyx, who had fully embraced her role as the goddess of recluses, lazily wiped her nose and kept watching another horror movie from Alex's vast collection. Neither paid attention to the sudden sneeze—they were too used to being talked about behind their backs.
By evening, the rest of the girls started returning home. Everyone already knew dinner would be fish, but the main question was—where had they gotten so much of it? That's when Anya, chin held high with pride, stepped forward and eagerly took on the mission of telling the whole story: how they'd gone to the bay, how her dad had taught her to skip stones, and how a "totally accidental" wave had thrown all the fish onto the shore.
The girls didn't hold back their praise as they listened. With every kind word, Anya beamed brighter—she was practically glowing like a Christmas tree. But things took a turn when Shigure, tilting her head thoughtfully, said:
"I could teach Anya to throw stones even better."
That one phrase was the spark that ignited the powder keg. All the girls with a background in martial arts immediately turned their challenging gazes on Shigure. In less than a minute, the situation escalated to the point where Chun-Li, Cammy, Renka, Miu, Juri, and Shigure herself were ready to rush back to the bay to "prove who truly deserves to teach their shared daughter how to throw stones."
Anya, sitting to the side, was clapping her hands and laughing—clearly, she was enjoying the madness. "What a loving family I have!" she thought, glowing with happiness.
Meanwhile, Alex was doing his best to stop the fired-up crowd from launching into an immediate charge. He could already picture the shoreline shaking under their strikes, boulders flying into the sea, and the entire village once again left without a single fish. He turned to the other girls, hoping for support... but they only smiled and watched with keen interest, clearly more entertained by the show than inclined to intervene.
And so, trying to save the evening from descending into another bout of chaos, Alex battled his own harem for the right to simply enjoy a peaceful family dinner.
He barely managed to stop the girls, but he knew full well the competitive fire hadn't gone anywhere. And that's what scared him the most. He knew exactly what could happen if word of this reached the rest of the settlement.
"What if they find out?" he thought grimly. "Then it'll be a full-blown boulder massacre..."
Alex wasn't worried for himself—he feared that if rumors spread about a new "rock-skipping tournament," every musclehead in town would come running to the bay, desperate to participate. And he knew exactly how that would end—with a full-scale event featuring the masters from Ryozanpaku. Especially Hayato, who was always happy to indulge his great-granddaughter, and Kensei, who would seize any chance to show off his skills to his granddaughter. And right behind them, the rest of the crew would follow.
And, of course, the very next day, exactly what Alex feared happened.
News of the girls' "competition" spread through the settlement faster than Ghost could vanish into the shadows. The result? A sudden spike of enthusiasm and a tidal wave of volunteers ready to "prove who the true stone-throwing master is."
As expected, Hayato and Kensei were the first to arrive. Madame Ma didn't even try to stop them—in fact, she smiled sweetly and admitted she also thought Anya was "a delightful girl who absolutely must be spoiled." Soon after, others followed: Ryu, Ken, Jin, and more representatives of the "muscle-brain brotherhood."
The excitement was so massive that the community made a unanimous decision: to declare a village-wide holiday and host a big beach festival. Some took part in the competition, others simply enjoyed the moment—it was a great excuse to gather with friends, family... or at the very least, a perfect reason to drink in good company.
The one who suffered the most was Alex. One way or another, he was the indirect cause of all this madness—which meant all the organizational work fell squarely on his shoulders. At first, he tried to protest, but under the pressure of Yuriko, Brunhilde, Koko, and Saya, he had no choice but to surrender. The women operated like a well-coordinated army. He never stood a chance.
With the expression of a man headed for the gallows, Alex made his way to the bay, where participants and spectators were already gathering. The group of eager contestants looked like a pack of hungry wolves thirsting for competition.
Realizing it was far too late to stop any of it, Alex decided to at least turn the chaos into a proper spectacle. He added rules, set up targets, placed obstacles to maneuver around, and devised a scoring system. Now it wasn't just "throw a rock and be happy," but a true test of skill and power control.
While he was setting everything up, the other villagers weren't sitting idle either. Someone dragged out a commentator's table, and of course, Red and White were immediately appointed to the role. The two of them dove into it with enthusiasm, analyzing every contestant's move and adding the flair of a real sports show. Massive speakers were brought to the beach so everyone could hear things like:
"Oh! And there's a triple skip with a rightward drift! True artistry!"
Anya was proudly seated on Sandalphon's throne—an honorary spectator and the prize all in one. Alex tried to object, but, as usual, no one listened to him. Everyone was already involved, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation.
"How did a simple beach walk with Alex turn into this?" Katsuié muttered in bewilderment, watching the crowd.
"No idea," Valmet replied calmly. "But the important thing is that people are having fun. They've worked hard for the settlement. They need a break, some kind of celebration. Let this competition be exactly that."
"You're not planning to join?" Ada asked lazily from a lounge chair, a cocktail in hand.
"Not a chance. I can feel the heat of those muscleheads' fighting spirit even from here," Valmet said, shaking her head.
"Well, at least Anya's having the time of her life," Beatrix added with a laugh, pointing to the little girl who was glowing with happiness like a Christmas tree and waving enthusiastically at everyone from the throne.
The women looked at Anya sitting on the massive stone throne. On either side of her stood GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—her personal guard. Even Wolf lay curled at her feet, completing the scene. A little demon princess with an intimidating entourage—that's exactly how she looked. The girls couldn't help but laugh: the image was so cute and so imposing at the same time that it was impossible not to melt.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the beach, the competitors were preparing for the start of the contest. Everyone was trying to focus, pump themselves up, and get ready for battle—because their main opponent was well known to all: the legendary martial arts master, old man Hayato. One look at his blazing gaze made it clear—he had no intention of going easy on anyone.
To make things even more intense, the elders of the Sun-Woo clan joined in—clearly not planning to spend their twilight years in peace. The younger generation was only more excited by this turn of events—for them, fighting legends was an honor.
"Don't even dream of winning, Hayato," Kensei said seriously, locking eyes with the old man. "If I don't win and spoil my granddaughter, my wife will skin me alive. Literally."
"Ha-ha-ha! Kensei, you've still got a long way to go!" Hayato laughed heartily. "You think I'd let you take this chance from me? Today, you'll see the strength of a true master!"
"Ho-ho-ho… Who would've thought, Hayato, that you'd get so fired up over your granddaughter," said Kwon Jae-kyu, standing on the shore with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea.
"Old man Kwon, don't tell me you're joining in too?" Hayato raised a brow in surprise.
"I thought I'd spend my final years in peace here," Jae-kyu replied. "But looking at all this commotion, I realized—now's not the time to grow old. Especially when my granddaughter is watching from the stands. I won't embarrass myself."
A surge of powerful energy burst from the elder's body, stirring up the wind. Hayato smirked and released an equally strong wave in response. The clash of power swept across the beach, forcing spectators to step back and shield their eyes from the swirling dust.
The other competitors, seeing this, didn't flinch—instead, they grew even more pumped up, releasing their own auras in preparation for battle. The competition hadn't even started, and the air already pulsed with the spirit of an epic showdown.
And all of it—because of one little girl sitting on a stone throne, swinging her legs and snacking happily while her guards kept vigilant watch over the chaos.
At that moment, Alex had just finished setting up the competition area. He'd taken everything into account—from the strength of the participants to their temperaments—to create fair and entertaining conditions. Walking across the water toward the shore, he looked peaceful… and slightly exhausted. All he wanted was a bit of peace. But when your life turns into chaos just because you taught your daughter how to skip stones—well, all you can do is go with the flow.
He walked up to his throne, picked Anya up, and sat down with her on his lap. Resting his elbow on the armrest, he leaned his cheek against his fist and watched the spectacle unfold with quiet resignation.
His gaze swept across the beach and settled on a group of girls. They were chatting cheerfully, sipping drinks, laughing, and commenting on the participants. Then he noticed something… both expected and utterly crazy.
Becca, Revy, and Moira had once again set up a full-fledged betting table. People crowded around, shouting the names of their favorites and placing bets. Alex just sighed and pretended not to notice. He continued stroking Anya's hair without taking his eyes off the crowd.
By the campfire, the festivities were in full swing: meat sizzled on the grills, alcohol flowed freely, laughter and merriment filled the air. Even Rick's group was here, which surprised Alex—they quickly blended into the general atmosphere. Considering how many strong and wild guys the settlement had, these kinds of guys adapted frighteningly fast.
But something else caught Alex's attention. Among the people, he spotted a woman—the same one he had seen last when he destroyed Wesker's island. Back then, she had shed a tear looking at the ruined island sinking beneath the waves. And here she was again—Alex Wesker. Jake was standing nearby, and now everything became clear.
"So that's why she seemed familiar…" Alex realized. She wasn't just an observer. She was part of the madness Albert had plunged into.
The woman seemed to sense his gaze. She turned and met his eyes. Alex just nodded—no words needed. It was too late to apologize. Explaining was pointless.
"Always getting yourself into trouble, huh?" came Shino's voice, leaning against the stone throne.
"Hey, I was just spending time with my daughter," Alex grumbled. "Who knew skipping stones would start a world tournament?"
"And why aren't you competing? Or is this another 'I can do it all anyway' episode?"
"Yeah," he shrugged lazily. "What's the point if I'm gonna win anyway? Let the people have their fun, I'll watch."
"Oh, our eternal champion," Shino grumbled, settling on the throne's armrest and covering her eyes.
Alex smiled faintly and let Shino stay close. Anya, being the kind and sweet daddy's girl she was, immediately offered the girl some sweets—a sharing gesture. Shino couldn't resist and gladly accepted the treats with a gentle smile.
Scanning the crowd, Alex noticed the Itami group. Itami himself, surrounded by his fighters, stood next to Aoi. Alex still couldn't tell if they'd rekindled their relationship or were just getting along well. It looked like a classic shōnen-style romantic story: a reunion after separation. But what truly made him sigh was how both of them looked at his stone throne with almost religious reverence. Alex immediately understood the otaku couple had unmistakably recognized Sandalphon's throne.
He shook his head and moved his gaze further to Mari, standing among his girls. She had already noticed him and waved. Alex smiled warmly and returned the gesture.
"Welcome to the first official competition of the Zombieland settlement!" came the voice of Red, speaking into the microphone with perfect even tone. "Today, our beach hosts outstanding warriors with no less outstanding skills. And all this was made possible thanks to our husband—Alex, who prepared the arena for the contest. Let's give him a round of applause."
The beach filled with approving cheers and loud applause. Alex raised his hand in a restrained greeting but felt awkward inside. He felt… almost like a king watching his people's game from a throne. Shino, sitting on the armrest and chewing sweets, barely held back laughter at the expression on Alex's face.
When the ovation died down, the android girls continued their improvised broadcast. Alex caught a glimpse of Brunhilda handing White a sheet with a printed text and listened with interest.
"Originally, it was supposed to be classic — who can make the stone skip the most times on the water," White began. "But… considering there are masters among the participants with decades of combat experience, we decided to complicate the rules a bit."
"Before you now is not just smooth water, but a full obstacle course," Red took over. "The participant must throw the stone so that it not only reaches the goal but does not touch any obstacles even once. Every obstacle touched costs ten points. Points are awarded for the number of skips, accuracy, speed, and… style."
"And now — the most interesting part," White paused dramatically. "The grand prize — the winner's any wish fulfilled… by our husband. Yes, you heard that right. Second and third place will receive personalized weapons crafted to their own design. And the consolation prize for the others — an upgrade or complete overhaul of their current gear."
Alex exhaled quietly upon hearing all this. Now he understood exactly what the girls had written on that sheet. Obviously, Brunhilda, with her ability to read his thoughts, had flawlessly grasped how to make the competition exciting for everyone.
Excitement among the participants soared. Now they weren't just playing — they were fighting for a dream, for cool weapons, and the chance to make a wish. Even losing here meant gaining something.
Meanwhile, Alex thought events like this could be held in Orario too. Instead of endless dungeon crawls, adventurers could relax, have fun, and entertain the crowd.
Catching that thought, Alex decisively lifted Anya from his lap and deftly handed her to Shino. She, not understanding what was happening, suddenly found a child in her arms… and herself on the throne.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Don't leave me alone with the kid!" Shino shouted indignantly, watching Alex calmly disappear into the crowd.
Alex paid no attention to Shino's shouts behind him. Quickly jumping over to Brunhilda, Koko, Yuriko, and Saya, he silently grabbed all four and pulled them aside, away from the others so no one could eavesdrop. A new plan was already forming in Alex's mind — a grand idea that could change Orario forever. His goal was to add something beyond the dull routine of endless dungeon runs: fun, competitive spirit, and excitement.
Especially considering he has wives capable of turning even the craziest ideas into reality.
"So why did you drag us out?" Koko broke the silence first, rolling her eyes. "Another crazy idea brewing in your brilliantly twisted mind?"
"You do know where I'm from, right?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just in case, so you get the context."
"You mean Orario?" Saya clarified. "The city with the deep dungeon, adventurers, arrogant gods, and a bunch of weirdness? The one you've almost leveled to the ground a couple of times?"
"Exactly. So..." Alex squinted slyly. "I've already implemented something like this in Brunhilda's world, remember? Where a bunch of muscular brutes love throwing punches around. And now, looking at this whole circus on the beach, I thought — why not create something similar in Orario?"
"Wait a minute," Yuriko interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "So you dragged us out just because we're your working team for executing crazy schemes?"
"Well… yeah. You got that right," Alex smiled innocently.
"Uh-huh. Go on," Saya smirked, pulling out a notebook and pen.
"As Saya said, the gods in Orario always meddle where they're not wanted, just to fight boredom. So what if we organize a series of competitions between families as official games? Tournaments, contests, festivals. And the key — to monopolize all of it."
"You want to take over the market and bend it to your will?" Koko sneered. "Lord, that sounds like a supervillain's plan! I'm in. Making money off gods? I'm already imagining the profits!"
Alex laughed along with her, almost theatrically, as if they truly were plotting world domination.
But he knew not all gods were fools who could be easily fooled. There were kind ones in Orario too — though their kindness often made adapting to the harsh reality harder. Such competitions could be a chance — a way to give their children more: better weapons, resources, recognition.
Stopping his laughter, Alex went on seriously:
"I can already imagine Hestia and Loki happily joining in. Hestia once she realizes it's profitable. Loki because she'll just have fun teasing everyone. Freya will see it as an opportunity to play her game, and Hephaestus will finally get rid of all that unsellable weapon stockpile. Everyone wins."
Meanwhile, Saya was actively taking notes, capturing every point of the plan. Her seriousness said a lot — if she's writing it down, the idea really had potential.
The more he explained, the more the girls realized Alex's scheme was more than realistic. The gods would hardly refuse such entertainment, especially if prestige, fame, and rewards were involved.
But there was one serious obstacle remaining: unfinished business in this world. Alex knew that all too well. He felt the moment approaching each day when Chris and the Resistance would launch a full-scale assault on Raccoon City. He had at most a couple of weeks left to wrap everything up.
And now he was determined to finish this mission, return to Orario, and blow it up with his new idea.
To be continued...
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