Alex hovered high in the sky directly above St. Peter's Square. Beside him, sitting on a soft, floating cushion, were Anya and Recca. They couldn't see anything below—the thick dark clouds, conjured by Alex himself, obscured everything happening beneath them. It was through those clouds that he had dispersed the virus meant for the demons—right onto their heads.
Alex was genuinely relieved that Anya and Recca couldn't see what was going on under those clouds. The scene below was not for the faint of heart. As he had warned, watching the virus in action was like witnessing a plague unfold on fast-forward. It all began when Alex, standing atop the cloud he had created, tossed into it a vial filled with the deadly substance. That marked the beginning of the horror that swept through all of Rome.
The first infected demons became carriers of the infection. One by one, they spread it to others, and every demon that died in St. Peter's Square attracted more of the still-living ones from all over the city. They were drawn to the dying, as if guided by the call of blood. That unconscious pull was what caused the virus to spread with such terrifying speed.
Alex kept his eyes fixed on the scene. The clouds didn't obstruct his vision—he clearly saw the demons writhing in agony, vomiting blood and entrails, unable to resist the virus's destructive power. He glanced at Recca and couldn't help but think—under different circumstances, she could have been a truly dangerous villain.
The virus she had created worked fast, transferring from demon to demon almost instantly, and left no chance of survival. Alex smirked to himself—Recca truly had enormous potential. But he also knew she was kind and would never use her knowledge for evil. She wasn't that type of person.
He turned his gaze away from the bloody spectacle and looked at Recca. She was squinting and frowning, trying to see what was happening below through the dense clouds. It made Alex smile. Her cute, frustrated expression was so funny he could barely hold in his laughter. Even Anya puffed her cheeks in disappointment at not being able to see anything.
Alex didn't want them to see what was happening below. Not just because it was too brutal for a child. What was going on down there could break even an adult—even someone like Recca.
He looked down again. More and more demons were pouring into the square, drawn by instinct or panic—and in doing so, they only accelerated the spread of the virus. By now, tens of thousands had already been infected. Even high-level demons—Barons of Hell, Cyberdemons—hadn't escaped infection. True, the virus killed them slower than the smaller ones, but that only made their suffering far more agonizing.
Recca and Anya couldn't hear what Alex could. They were floating too high. But he heard everything. The screams of demons filled with pain, their dying roars, the choking on blood, the raspy moans. The ground below was already covered in mountains of corpses. And with each passing second, the number of living kept dwindling.
Suddenly, Alex noticed something strange. He looked away from the square and turned to the side. In the distance, demons had begun to retreat. As if someone had given the order—not to approach the infected and to abandon the city. He narrowed his eyes, watching the fleeing shadows, and clicked his tongue in irritation.
Recca immediately turned to him, noticing the shift in his expression.
"Something wrong? You look like you just ate three lemons at once," she said with a smirk.
"The demons are starting to retreat," Alex replied, lighting a cigarette. "Looks like someone gave the order to pull back."
"And how many managed to escape?" Recca asked curiously.
"About half," he said darkly. "One half died, the other fled. Seems like whoever sent them realized pretty quickly that something was going wrong and ordered a retreat."
Anya clapped her hands.
"Daddy, what if we take one infected demon and throw it at the ones who are running away? Then they'll get sick too!"
Alex smirked.
"Idea's great, little one. But I won't do it. Let them run. The less information the one behind this gets, the better for us."
Recca nodded thoughtfully.
"So you want him to think someone else is responsible? That second villain you mentioned?"
Alex looked at her, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Exactly."
He nodded, confirming his words. He wasn't in a rush to reveal that humans truly had the technology to wipe out entire hordes of demons. Let the demons keep thinking of humanity as weak ants that could be crushed at any moment. Let them believe their only real threat was the so-called "main enemy" who had to be eliminated before they could conquer this universe and every soul in it.
Alex understood perfectly that Davoth and the Minister of Monoliths were playing a delicate game of chess, where every piece mattered. Otherwise, the demons wouldn't be so focused on destroying the Red Markers — they wanted to seize territory, suppress the Marker cult, and weaken their opponent's position. That was exactly what Alex planned to exploit: to direct Davoth's army's suspicions toward the Minister of Monoliths and his fanatical cult.
Especially since the cult had enough scientists capable of pulling something like this off — developing a virus that could cause such a massacre.
The most important part — it all happened right after the destruction of the Red Marker. That alone should sow doubt. Alex didn't mind playing into that, complicating the plans of both Davoth and the Minister. Stirring the flames of war between them. Even more.
But one thought haunted him — what if it all backfired on humanity? If the demons decided the Red Markers were too dangerous, they might shift their attention to the remaining humans. And then…
Alex ran a hand across his forehead, feeling the tension building. He could only hope the demons would continue targeting the cultists and necromorphs, rather than turning toward human settlements.
"What's wrong?" Recca asked, noticing how he stared into the void with a grim face and clenched his fingers around it. "You look like a villain whose plan just blew up in his face."
"After our little virus experiment, two scenarios are possible. First — the demons start ferociously attacking the Marker cult's territories and the areas where the Red Markers still exist. Second — they focus on humans, deciding to finish off what's left of us. I'm hoping for the first outcome. As for the second… we're not ready for that," Alex replied and let his cigarette butt fall into the void below.
"And what are the chances of that second option?" Recca asked, frowning.
"Less than three percent. All the demons we wiped out were just dumb cannon fodder. They follow orders — like dogs on a leash, obeying their master's will. Now imagine someone started mass-killing that master's dogs. What would he do? Obviously — retaliate by punishing the owner of other dogs."
Alex spoke calmly, but there was a cold, calculated tone in his voice.
"Creepy analogy," Recca muttered, rubbing her forehead. "But I get where you're going with this. Has anyone ever told you that you act like a villain? Especially since you deliberately stirred up tension between two psychos."
"Sometimes. But not often," Alex replied with a casual shrug.
Recca only sighed. She couldn't stop being amazed at how he managed to turn any situation to his advantage — even one so bloody. And yet, she couldn't help but admire how he manipulated his enemies, playing them against each other to keep them away from humanity.
Alex thought it was time to descend and take a look around. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the clouds, from which cold rain had been pouring. The darkness faded, and St. Peter's Square was revealed before them — covered in demon corpses.
Mutilated bodies lay everywhere, and crimson streams of their blood flowed over the stones, like a scarlet river draining into the gutters.
Anya wanted to look down, but Recca reacted in time — she quickly grabbed the girl and covered her eyes. She had no desire for the child to witness that hell. Now she understood why Alex had called it a "nightmare below." Even for an adult, it was hard to look at such a mass of dead demons.
Anya struggled a bit, but catching onto Recca's thoughts, she calmed down. She understood that if she saw this, she might end up upsetting her dad if she later started having nightmares. Alex gave Recca a thankful nod when he noticed how gently she covered his daughter's eyes. He didn't want Anya to see the massacre either.
"I'll go down and clean it up," Alex said, looking at Recca. "We need to deal with the aftermath of our experiment."
Recca silently nodded to his words. But Alex was thinking not only about cleaning up the consequences of the experiment — he also planned to destroy what remained of the shattered Red Marker. Besides that, he intended to retrieve a special item — a gift that had been lying next to the Marker all this time, waiting for its moment. It was meant for the Minister of Monoliths as a "surprise." After all, if there's no reason to use it, why let such an artifact gather dust?
Allowing himself a moment to relax, Alex dropped like a shadow, falling swiftly toward the ground. Just before hitting it, he slowed down and landed gently on the blood-soaked St. Peter's Square. He looked around. The once majestic and beautiful place had been disfigured by the presence of necromorphs and demons. It was hard for Alex to believe that his first visit to this legendary square happened under such conditions. He let out a heavy sigh.
Deciding to scout the area, Alex headed straight to the remains of the Red Marker — he needed to retrieve his "gift." Approaching, he kicked a massive shard aside, and it tumbled away, revealing a small black cube — the very surprise prepared for the Minister.
"Shame you never got to be used… But no matter, I'll find a use for you eventually," Alex muttered, picking up the cube.
"I don't even want to imagine how you plan to use your 'invention.' Even if you call it a gift, that kind of present could wipe an entire city off the map," came the voice of Alvitr, who had appeared in her spirit form. As usual, she perched herself on his shoulder.
"Don't exaggerate, Alvitr. We need to destroy all the Red Markers completely so that idiot has no chance of getting back in the game," Alex said, putting the cube into his inventory.
"If you say so… But you know, based on your memories, this place used to be full of tourists. And now — only demon corpses and those disgusting necromorphs," she replied, resting her elbows on his head.
"An apocalypse always leaves emptiness behind…" Göndul responded sadly. "Darling, what do you think — how many mortals are still alive?"
"Hard to say…" Alex replied calmly at Göndul's appearance and continued surveying the area. "When it all began, Earth had around 8.21 billion people. Now? If five percent survived, that would be lucky… though most likely, it's less than two," he said with a heavy sigh.
"Even if it all started because of a being from the Chaos, manipulating humanity… people still share responsibility for what happened. Some played god and triggered the catastrophe, while others, chasing immortality, opened gates to a world ruled by something even more cruel," said Reginleif, who had just appeared.
Alvitr and Göndul nodded in agreement. Even Alex slightly shook his head. He knew — out of eight billion people, maybe there was one who could withstand the whispers of an Outer God. It's easy to say "no" in theory, but in practice… resisting temptation when you're promised power and dominion — that's nearly impossible. There will always be those who confidently claim they can handle it… But words are not actions.
Before destroying everything for good, Alex decided to take a walk around the square and check out the Vatican. He was interested in a single artifact that, according to legend, was kept there — the Spear of Longinus. He wanted to know whether it truly held any power… or if it was just another myth.
The Valkyries, having left his spiritual domain, regarded Alex's intentions with suspicion. Their first thought was that he was once again planning to steal something to add to his collection. However, Alex was only interested in one item. Depending on the universe, the Spear of Longinus could be a true relic of immense power.
He easily found St. Peter's Basilica, where the spear was stored. Approaching the display case, Alex gazed at the artifact that, according to legend, had pierced the body of Christ… and let out a disappointed sigh. The spear emitted no power. It was nothing more than an ancient piece of metal.
"Alex, you do realize that if this spear actually had power, they wouldn't have left it here like a museum exhibit, right?" Reginleif asked.
"It was worth checking. What if people really were that dumb, even under the Minister's control?" he shrugged.
Reginleif didn't argue and returned to his spiritual space.
Alex hadn't expected the other "sacred" artifacts to be of any use either. He glanced around the room. Beautiful, but useless. Storing a piece of iron with a legend, a scrap of "holy" cloth, or the Pope's crown was pointless if they had no power. Historical value—sure. Practical use—zero.
The only worlds where such relics truly held power were those where legends turned out to be true. Alex knew several such universes. One of them was the homeland of Brynhildr and the other Valkyries. Another was the "Fate" universe. And, of course, the world where his brother—Lucifer—lived.
Frustrated that he couldn't add anything to his collection, Alex left the Vatican and stepped out once again onto St. Peter's Square.
He looked around. No changes. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he cursed silently—he had hoped to lure someone out. But as it turned out, Davoth didn't care about the death of demons. The other high-ranking members of his army—priests, princes—weren't planning to meddle in a place where at least several tens of thousands of demons had died.
Even the Minister of Monoliths paid no attention to the destruction of yet another Red Marker.
Alex had hoped his actions would attract someone's attention, allowing him to play the role of a desperate hero trying to save everyone—unaware of the true enemy he faced. But oddly enough, the effect was the opposite. That annoyed him.
"Shame. I was hoping someone would show up. Wanted to have a word with that dark lord… but it seems he's decided to lay low," Alex muttered, glancing up at the floating platform where Anya and Recca were.
"Darling, not everything goes according to plan," came Göndul's voice in his mind.
The other Valkyries agreed with her—plans don't always go the way you want them to. Alex rolled his eyes in irritation. He had even prepared a few dramatic lines to provoke Davoth into retaliating. But after a moment of thought, he realized that the Dark Lord would likely only show interest if his plans were seriously disrupted. Which meant—it was time to move on.
His next target was the second priest, who was located somewhere in Spain. Alex knew the exact location, and more importantly, who ruled there before the demons arrived. That part of Spain had once been under the control of the Los Illuminados cult. Alex wondered if Osmund Saddler had joined the demons or had been eliminated. He was also curious whether the demons were using Las Plagas parasites to enhance their army.
He even wanted to see demons infected with Plagas. But deciding not to fixate on that just yet, he set the questions aside—he would get his answers soon enough. After capturing the second priest, Alex planned to execute the next phase of his plan. And he was certain of one thing: the priest would not enjoy his fate.
"Fire Style: Ash Cloud," Alex said, forming hand seals.
Forming the seals, he took a deep breath, then began to exhale a black cloud of ash. It spread like a wave, rising above the ruined buildings and expanding in all directions until it covered the entire territory of Rome.
Recca, sitting on the floating cushion high in the sky with Anya, watched as the dark cloud enveloped every corner of the city. She didn't understand what Alex was planning or what the strange smoke creeping through the streets was.
When Alex felt the ash had reached every corner of Rome, he stopped breathing and sharply clicked his teeth. Sparks flying from his teeth ignited the ash, triggering a chain reaction. The next second, an explosion rocked the city. It was so powerful that it nearly leveled Rome to the ground.
The fiery wave caused by the flammable ash blast destroyed the entire city. Even the Vatican did not escape its fate. The bodies of demons and necromorphs evaporated in the flames, and the buildings collapsed, leaving only smoke and ruins behind.
When the dust settled, Rome no longer existed. The Vatican, once a place where tourists from all over the world gathered for spirituality, disappeared along with it—no trace remained.
Alex looked around, admiring the aftermath. He knew no one would restore this place. With so many survivors struggling to stay alive in this world, people certainly had no time for religion now. He understood that in a world where civilization was facing catastrophe, no one would care about shrines or cultural heritage.
Satisfied that everything meant to be destroyed was destroyed, Alex ascended into the air, rising to the level where Anya and Recca hovered.
"You said you'd come down to clear things out, not destroy the whole city. Or does your idea of 'clearing out' mean 'wipe it all out'?" Recca asked as he approached.
"Is there a difference? Either way, I eliminated the consequences of the demonic interference," he shrugged.
"How do other girls even deal with this? We've been together less than half an hour, and I'm already struggling with your way of handling problems," Recca sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead.
"Mom Recca, you'll get used to it," Anya said in her childish voice. "Other moms said Dad always does this. Like Brunhilda's mommy used to say: 'You can't build something new without destroying the old.'"
"See? Even Anya understands that truth," Alex smirked and gave a thumbs-up toward his daughter.
"You two… just… ugh…" Recca replied with an irritated sigh, still trying to adjust to the changes in her life.
Alex and Anya laughed, then looked at Recca, who was rubbing her face in frustration, clearly not thrilled about what she now had to get used to. Whether she liked it or not, all of this had become part of her life.
Stopping his laughter, Alex summoned Yamato and, drawing his blade, made two smooth swings, opening a portal home. There was nothing left to do in Rome—the virus had been successfully tested, and unfortunately, the enemy had not been provoked into appearing. There was only one option left: to return.
Passing through the portal into Recca's private laboratory, Alex froze for a moment. Recca, who followed right after with Anya still sitting on her lap on the floating cushion, also stood still, stunned.
When the three of them returned to the lab, they were met by Claire and Jill—both of whom, seeing what was happening, also froze. They had come looking for Recca, worried about her disappearance: she hadn't left the lab all day, and when the girls realized she wasn't there, they started guessing where she might have gone.
And just at the moment they were about to leave, a portal opened behind them. First Alex stepped out, followed by Recca, floating on the cushion and holding Anya on her lap. Alex, Anya, and Recca silently looked at Claire and Jill, who couldn't believe their eyes as they stared back.
"Where have you been? And… what's with the flying cushion?" Jill finally burst out, trying to make sense of it all.
"In Rome," Alex replied casually. "And the cushion… well, a flying cushion is just a flying cushion."
Claire looked at him suspiciously, then shifted her gaze to Recca, clearly seeking an explanation. But Recca just shook her head, implying that this was just another one of Alex's quirks and his… nature. Claire let out a heavy sigh, fully understanding where this was going, especially after her recent talks with Alex's other girlfriends. Accepting his lifestyle was hard, but she had come to terms with it.
Jill, however, unaware of the silent exchange of looks, remained in the dark.
"Okay, let's just say the cushion is just a cushion. I'll pretend I didn't see your daughter and Recca flying on it… But why did you have to go all the way to Rome?" she asked, deciding not to overwhelm them with questions all at once.
"Mom Recca worked a lot and made a green thing that kills bad demons. And Dad said it had to be tested. Then he went like, 'Phew!' — and black clouds appeared! And then there was a big boom like, 'BANG!' — and the ground shook!" Anya started excitedly, retelling everything she remembered in her childish voice.
Alex looked at his daughter with interest as she took the initiative with her little hands. He was sure she wouldn't say anything extra—and even if she did, the adults would just take it as rich childhood imagination and love for her "cool daddy." Alex subtly gave Anya a thumbs-up, appreciating her storytelling.
Claire and Jill watched with amusement as the little girl waved her hands enthusiastically, recounting the Roman adventure. But then both realized one thing: Anya had called Recca "Mom." And that meant only one thing—Alex and Recca had started dating. Claire glanced at her friend in surprise, not expecting such boldness from her. Jill, on the other hand, sincerely rejoiced for Recca, who had finally decided to take a step forward.
"And what happened next, little one?" Jill asked gently.
"Then Mom Recca took out the green thing, and Dad was like, 'Bring it here, now we're gonna spray it with the rain!'" Anya continued enthusiastically, imitating her father's voice and even mimicking the gesture of pretending to smoke a cigarette.
Alex couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. He just couldn't stop—Anya, trying to sound cool, looked incredibly adorable. Even her cigarette gesture was more charmingly childlike than serious. Claire, Jill, and Recca also giggled, unable to resist the little girl's charm. Anya proudly lifted her head, convinced she had perfectly portrayed her "cool daddy."
"Oh, that was fun…" Jill smiled, wiping away tears. "So, how did the experiment go? Last time you just caught a couple of demons, but this time, apparently, it was different."
"In short — everything went perfectly. You could say we cleared all of Rome," Alex replied, sitting down on a chair.
"In the literal sense, don't forget to add that," Recca said dryly, jumping off the cushion while holding Anya. "Considering your 'clearing' means wiping the city off the face of the earth."
Claire and Jill exchanged looks, then glanced at Recca and finally at Alex, who just shrugged. They became curious about how exactly he managed to level an entire city. Without holding back, Alex started sharing the details of how it all went down and how it ended.
Listening to his story, Claire and Jill finally understood why Recca said that 'clearing' in his terms meant total destruction. Alex didn't deny it, although he didn't specify that he had done it deliberately—to erase all traces left by the demons and necromorphs.
"So what's next? The virus seems to be working. What are your plans now?" Jill asked as she sat down on a chair.
"I think it's time to head to America. I need to contact Chris and see how things are going with him. We'll base our next steps on that. If he's still in the early stages, we'll support the military bases. Because even for me, what's happening in Raccoon City right now remains a mystery," Alex said, stroking Anya's cheeks as she settled on his lap.
"Wait… Aren't you supposed to be aware of everything that's going on?" Claire asked, surprised.
Claire and Recca exchanged surprised looks. They were sure that with Alex's abilities, he knew everything happening in Raccoon City. However, he deliberately avoided using tracking magic. According to the Red and White, the mysterious Director—also known as the Minister of Monoliths—was currently in that city. And Alex wasn't sure that he wouldn't notice any magical interference. So, he limited himself to satellite surveillance only.
To back up his words, Alex took out his phone and, activating a projection, displayed images of the city floating in the air. The pictures were so distorted it looked like someone had deliberately tampered with them to hide what was really going on.
"Maybe there's a jammer there?" Jill suggested, peering closely at the images.
"Doesn't look like a normal block. It's… something else," Claire said thoughtfully.
"So, the only way to find out what's happening is to get close enough," Jill concluded, looking away from the hologram and back at Alex.
"That's right. But first, we need to check on Chris. If he's doing fine—that's good. If not—we'll help. The virus is ready; only the final steps remain before the end," Alex said, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"When are you planning to leave?" Claire asked, watching him closely.
"I need to finish a few things. A day, maybe two. After that, I'll open a portal to Anchorage, then take a plane to the base in the US, where Hannibal's friend is waiting for us. That's where we'll start moving," Alex said lazily, leaning back in his chair.
"Then be sure to let us know when you're ready. Meanwhile…" Claire smirked, "if you don't mind, Recca and I have some girl talk to catch up on. We need to discuss how she suddenly ended up with a husband and a daughter."
"No problem, ladies. I was just about to head home anyway. My motivation's drained—I'm basically in power-saving mode now. Recca, if you decide to move in with us, just say the word—I'll help you move your stuff; don't carry it yourself," Alex said, standing up with Anya in his arms.
"Bye, Mom Recca! Bye, Claire! Bye, Jill!" Anya cheerfully waved goodbye.
"Bye, sweetheart. Don't worry, you'll know when I move in with you," Recca replied with a smile, waving back.
Alex nodded and headed toward the exit with his daughter. Anya kept waving until the doors closed behind them. Jill and Claire smiled as they watched them leave.
No sooner had they disappeared through the door than Claire and Jill simultaneously turned to Recca, eagerly awaiting an explanation.
"Well?.." Claire drawled meaningfully.
Recca realized she'd been caught. She knew exactly what they wanted. But how could she explain that Alex had proposed like a salesman pitching a "Family Plus Adventure" package? She sighed deeply. All paths to a normal explanation were blocked. The culprit, as always, was Alex, who just couldn't do things the normal way.
To be continued...
+3 Chapters on my Patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter