The Daily Life of the Demon King

(Another day and another chapter. Here comes 2025. I hope this year all your dreams will come true, my dear readers. Maybe someone wants to find love, and someone wants friends or even a better paid job. I hope that you will succeed. If others do not believe, then know that I will always believe in you. Fight!)

Alex decided to let the survivors take a break and catch their breath. Realizing that such moments of respite were a rare luxury in their current situation, the others gratefully embraced the idea. Someone suggested turning on the television to watch the news and get a sense of what was happening outside the academy, where zombies had overrun everything.

As the TV flickered to life, breaking news reports filled the screen. Reporters urged residents to stay indoors and avoid the infected, mistakenly described as people suffering from rabies. The footage showed chaos: panic in the streets, soldiers attempting to restore order, and riots erupting in cities.

Alex and his group paid little attention to the broadcast, except for Brunhilda. For her, such a situation was unfamiliar, and she struggled to hide her unease. Rebecca, on the other hand, appeared completely unfazed—she had seen similar scenarios play out in horror movies.

Alex approached the window, lit a cigarette, and leaned on the windowsill, staring outside thoughtfully. His attention lingered on how Kohta had called him the Demon King. Alex smirked; it felt strange considering he was nothing like Anos Voldigoad.

This moment didn't go unnoticed. A purple-haired girl with a cold gaze observed his every move intently. Meanwhile, Alex pulled out his phone to gather some information. He started by looking up Rebecca. Typing her name and the world associated with her into the search bar, he quickly came across details that upset him: in her original timeline, Rebecca was supposed to die.

"That explains why I felt such hatred when I met Adam Smasher," Alex thought, suppressing a rising wave of anger.

Next on his list was Brunhilda. Alex searched for manga about her world and found it quickly. It turned out the story of the Valkyries existed but remained unfinished. His mood lightened instantly.

"Remarkable. I never would have thought I'd become a character in some story," Reginleif remarked pensively.

"Tell me about it! But why did I have to be paired with that lunatic? Couldn't Brunhilda have chosen someone nicer? Like Alex, for example," Hlökk added with a displeased look.

Alex chuckled, listening to the Valkyries discuss their roles in the story. He was glad they weren't upset by the fact that, in the original tale, some of them had perished.

Having finished with the manga, Alex decided to check out the story of Anos. Typing in his name, he found nothing, which puzzled him.

"How is that possible? The original Voldigoad is Anos," he thought, trying to suppress his irritation.

Finally, Alex searched for his own name. His eyes widened when the search results revealed a manga. Opening the first chapter, he saw... himself.

"Heh, looks like our Demon King is also a character in someone's story," Geirölul commented with a light laugh.

The more Alex delved into the story, the more confused he became. It was a tale about him, not Anos Voldigoad. The only explanation that came to mind was that two beings with identical power couldn't coexist in the same reality.

This revelation stirred a storm of emotions in him, ranging from shock to suppressed frustration. Saeko, who had been observing him with interest, noticed how quickly his expression shifted. She decided to approach.

"So, you really are the Demon King?" Saeko asked, standing beside him.

As Saeko posed the question, her gaze instinctively flicked to Alex's forehead, as if expecting to see horns. However, there was nothing outwardly supernatural about him. The only feature that set him apart was the peculiar color of his eyes, though even that didn't seem like definitive proof of his otherworldly nature.

Alex, setting the manga aside, turned to Saeko. Deciding that revealing the truth about himself would only bring unnecessary headaches, he opted to play it off as a joke. Everything could be attributed to harmless cosplay, and the rainbow trick could be explained with pseudo-scientific nonsense—hard to believe but even harder to disprove.

"Nah, just a joke. We're cosplayers," Alex said with a carefree smile.

His words made everyone turn to him. Even Rebecca and Brunhilda shot him suspicious looks, clearly not entirely convinced. Alex calmly gestured to them, signaling that he had everything under control. Saeko tilted her head, clearly puzzled by his decision to simplify things so drastically. Kohta opened his mouth to say something, but a stern glance from Alex quickly shut him up. Saya, meanwhile, gave him an even more skeptical look, but Alex skillfully ignored all the gazes directed at him. In his head, he could hear the Valkyries' muffled laughter.

"Then who are you really?" Saeko asked with a faint smile.

"We're mercenaries. Cosplay is just a hobby. Came to Japan to relax and all that," Alex shrugged, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

The skeptical stares aimed at him were obvious. It was clear that the others found it hard to believe his story. But Alex, a master at delivering convincing nonsense, knew that the fewer questions there were, the fewer problems would follow. After all, if his true identity were exposed, it would only lead to a barrage of awkward inquiries and requests he had neither the desire nor the time to deal with.

"Then how do you explain it?" Saya demanded, stomping her foot and stepping up to him. "You just admitted to being the Demon King, and now you're claiming to be a cosplayer? And what about the rainbow trick?"

She jabbed a finger at his chest, demanding answers. Alex, maintaining his composure, turned his phone screen toward Saya, showing a manga page where the character was an exact replica of himself. Saya scrutinized the image, trying to find even a single difference between Alex and the manga character.

The others also gathered to take a look, only to find the same uncanny resemblance. The only real difference was in their clothing. To further convince them, Alex displayed illustrations of Rebecca and Brunhilda.

"Fine, let's say you're cosplayers," Saya said, finally softening a little. "But how do you explain the rainbow trick, the two robot dogs, and Stitch?"

"All tech," Alex replied calmly. "As for Stitch… we're mercenaries. Found him in a lab during one of our missions. He looked so much like the cartoon character that we couldn't just leave him there."

"Tech?" Kyoko interjected, clearly unconvinced. "Then how do you explain that your tech is decades ahead of anything that exists now?"

"Well… I'm just a genius," Alex grinned widely. "Built it all myself. Just because others can't doesn't mean I can't. I'm a fan of anime and weapons, so I couldn't resist creating all this stuff. Including my katana," he added, pointing to the weapon at his side.

His words elicited mixed reactions. Some regarded Alex with suspicion, others with admiration, but no one could come up with a solid argument to refute his claims.

Most of the group seemed to believe Alex's explanation, but one person remained a skeptic—Kohta. He continued to scrutinize Alex with obvious doubt. Alex, noticing this, merely smiled and gave Kohta a warning glance, silently advising him to keep quiet. Kohta quickly nodded in understanding, signaling that he got the message.

Meanwhile, Saeko became intrigued by Alex's katana and asked to see it. Without hesitation, Alex handed the weapon over to her. For him, this katana was one of his favorite tools, and he saw no reason to hide it.

While Saeko examined the blade, Alex briefly glanced at Rebecca and Brunhilda, who, judging by their expressions, were not thrilled with the situation. He gave a reassuring gesture, signaling that everything was under control. Although reluctant, the two girls decided to trust Alex and accepted the "cosplayers" explanation.

Saya, in turn, watched the trio with clear curiosity. It was as if she was trying to figure out who these strange people were and what kind of trio of odd beings stood before her, but the trio ignored her, clearly offended by her remark about "strange creatures."

"Alright, now that everyone's calmed down, we need a plan. First, how to get out of here, second, where to find shelter to ride out the first wave, and also stock up on supplies," Alex clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.

"What do you mean by 'first wave'?" Shizuka asked, slightly confused.

"The first wave is the chaos that always comes with the start of any apocalypse. People begin losing their minds, and disorder becomes the norm. They just need a reason to completely lose their sense of reason," Rebecca replied lazily, yawning.

Shizuka, partially understanding what had been said, nodded but decided not to press further. Alex, realizing that long explanations weren't needed at the moment, asked for a map of the area to locate stores and possible shelters. This would also give him the opportunity to conduct experiments on the zombies to determine if they could be restored to their human form or, as assumed, were soulless and driven purely by instincts.

"First, we need to figure out how to get out of here. There are too many of us, so driving separate cars is not an option. Also, there's a chance we'll run into more surviving students. We need to be prepared for our group to grow," Alex pointed out the obvious.

"What about the school bus used for field trips?" Rei suggested, raising her hand.

"Perfect. Find the keys. Once we have them, we'll head out. Time's running out, and we also need to grab supplies," Alex ordered.

Everyone began searching for the keys. Alex approached the window to assess the situation outside. It was relatively calm beyond the academy's grounds, with zombies scattered in various directions. This gave hope for a successful escape, but Alex knew they couldn't take any risks. He pondered the strange nature of these zombies—too many things seemed suspicious, especially the potential for mutations in the future, which could complicate survival.

When the keys were finally found, everyone checked their gear. Alex noticed Kohta holding a homemade nail gun and decided it was time to give him more reliable weaponry.

"Rebecca, give the chubby guy a pistol. He can handle it," Alex said, addressing the girl.

Rebecca puffed her cheeks in disapproval, clearly reluctant to part with one of her "babies." But Alex's stern look quickly persuaded her. With a sigh, she drew a pistol from behind her back and handed it to Kohta.

Kohta, upon receiving the weapon, practically glowed with happiness:

"Did Christmas come early? This is a pistol! It's beautiful!" he exclaimed, stroking the weapon as if it were a precious treasure.

Rebecca, unable to hold back, threatened him:

"Listen here, fatty. If anything happens to my pistol, I'll turn you inside out!"

With these words, she shoved a couple of magazines and a silencer into his hands, finishing with a stern look.

Kohta nervously nodded, noticing the seriousness of Rebecca's threat. Alex, seeing the tension, placed a hand on Rebecca's head and gently patted her to calm her down. He knew how attached she was to her weapon. After a final glance at the assembled group, Alex made sure everyone was ready.

His attention briefly lingered on Takashi, who seemed to no longer be suffering from a headache. However, Alex couldn't help but wonder why MIMI was watching him so intently. Deciding to leave that question for later, he focused on the task at hand.

"Quick briefing," Alex began, drawing attention. "Zombies are blind, but they react well to sounds. So, move quietly and watch where you step. Saeko and I will be in the front. Those without weapons stay in the center. Kohta, Rebecca, and Stitch, you cover the center. Rei, Takashi, and Brunhilda, you cover the rear. G.I.R. and MIMI bring up the rear. Got it?"

The group nodded in confirmation. Alex was the first to step into the hallway, carefully surveying his surroundings. At the end of the hallway, he noticed a few wandering zombies. Picking up a random object from the floor, he threw it, killing the zombies with precise throws. He then gestured for the others to follow.

The group moved cautiously, keeping a watchful eye. Alex, realizing that a simple metal pipe was no longer of interest to him, handed its bloodied handle to Takashi.

"It's better than your bat," Alex said with a shrug.

Takashi reluctantly left his bat by the classroom door and accepted the pipe. The group continued moving. Alex checked around every corner, assessing the situation. On their way to the stairs, he reminded everyone to be cautious near windows leading into classrooms, as zombies could be hiding there. Rebecca, glancing into classrooms, immediately eliminated zombies with precise shots.

Reaching the stairs, Alex heard noises from below. Signaling for the group to stop, he went to scout. On the lower floor, he saw a group of students surrounded by zombies. Without hesitation, Alex jumped over the railing and quickly cut down the nearest undead. He then rushed to the students, helping them escape from the encirclement. Hearing the commotion, his group quickly followed him down. Rebecca covered him, taking down zombies with her shots.

When the last of the zombies were defeated, the students breathed a sigh of relief. Among them were three boys and two girls.

"Are you alright?" Alex asked as he approached them.

"Thanks for saving us," one of the teenagers responded.

"Everything's fine. We're leaving here. You're welcome to come with us if you want," Alex offered, nodding toward his group.

The teenagers exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. Alex quickly assigned them to positions to ensure safer and more efficient movement. As they moved down, he explained the rules for behavior to avoid attracting the zombies' attention. Moving cautiously, the group reached the first floor. The exit was close.

However, Alex noticed a large group of zombies emerging from around the corner. The others tensed as they saw the number of enemies.

"Now, we move as quietly as possible," Alex said, looking at everyone. "If anyone accidentally draws their attention, run to the bus. I'll cover you."

His words focused everyone. The group began to move with extreme caution. Alex was ready for anything.

Everyone nodded in understanding. Alex stayed in the corridor, covering their retreat as the others headed for the exit. Rebecca was the first to step outside and noticed many zombies wandering the school grounds. Their disorganized movements created a sinister atmosphere.

One of the girls who had recently joined the group tripped, snagging her foot on a zombie's corpse. As she fell, she slammed into the shoe racks with a loud crash. The noise instantly drew the attention of nearby zombies. Panic swept through the group.

"For heaven's sake, I told you to watch your step!" Alex exclaimed in frustration. He waved his hand, signaling toward the bus. "Alright, everyone to the bus, we'll cover you!"

The group quickened their pace, hastily heading for the exit. Alex remained in the corridor, holding the line. Saeko stayed behind, contrary to expectations, not moving with the others.

"Why did you stay?" Alex asked, turning to her.

"It's more interesting with you," she replied with a slight smile. "And I want to see how you handle the katana."

Saeko pointed to the katana that Alex was holding. He shrugged and motioned for her to go ahead.

As the zombies closed in, Alex swiftly decapitated the nearest creatures with a single sharp motion. Saeko turned around just as he finished his strike and watched him with interest. After taking care of the closest zombies, Alex followed her.

Outside, the situation had intensified: a horde of zombies was slowly approaching the bus, where the students were hurriedly climbing in. Rebecca stood at the entrance, skillfully shooting down the nearest undead. Brunhilda helped the others get inside. G.I.R. and MIMI, almost playfully, tossed zombies in all directions, competing to see who could throw the farthest.

Alex and Saeko exchanged a look and moved forward. Along the way, they kept destroying zombies without stopping. Alex kept a close eye on Saeko, ensuring she wasn't surrounded. He admired how skillfully she handled her wooden sword. Mentally, he decided he'd find a reason to give her a katana—perhaps one he had made himself, or a weapon from Hephaestus.

When they reached the bus, Alex gestured for G.I.R. and MIMI to go inside first. Rebecca and Saeko followed them. Alex stayed behind to cover their retreat. Drawing his pistols, Ebony and Ivory, he opened fire, taking down zombies one by one. When the immediate threat was temporarily cleared, Alex peered inside the bus to make sure everyone was accounted for.

Shizuka sat in the driver's seat, clearly overwhelmed and nervous from the stress. Her hands trembled as she struggled to insert the key into the ignition.

"Shizuka, come on! No time to think, start the engine!" Alex urged, glancing quickly at the horde approaching from behind.

But in her panic, Shizuka applied too much force, and the key snapped with a loud crack. She froze, her face a mix of fear and guilt. Annoyed voices from the students in the bus only heightened her panic.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, barely holding back tears.

"It's okay," Alex said gently but firmly, turning his gaze to the robo-dog. "G.I.R., start the bus."

G.I.R. nodded briefly and ran to the bus's dashboard. With a swift move of his paw, he pulled several wires, connected them quickly, and in a moment, the engine roared to life. Alex nodded in satisfaction, but before the bus could move, another group of people ran out of the school building.

The cries of "Wait for us!" drew everyone's attention. Alex signaled for Shizuka to stop and stepped outside to cover the latecomers. Among those running, he spotted Shido—the smug teacher who used his father's influence to justify his dirty deeds. A smirk played on Alex's lips.

"Perfect candidate for an experiment," he thought to himself.

As Shido ran past, he met Alex's mocking gaze and felt a chill run down his spine. When everyone finally squeezed into the bus, Alex got in last and addressed Shizuka.

"Let's go, step on it."

Shizuka nervously nodded and pressed the pedal. The bus roared to life, smashing through the school gates and onto the road.

Alex scanned the survivors for any bites or signs of infection. Fortunately, after a quick check, everyone seemed fine. His gaze involuntarily lingered on Shido, who was sitting surrounded by students at the back of the bus. Alex thought about how despicable he was, yet how useful.

Pulling a candy from his pocket, Alex noticed Shizuka glance at him briefly while continuing to drive.

"Can I have one?" she asked timidly.

"Sure, here you go."

Alex unwrapped the candy and, not wanting Shizuka to be distracted from the road, placed it in her mouth. The gesture caused displeased looks from Brunhilda and Rebecca, but Alex merely shrugged. He was used to such situations.

Shizuka drove the bus as if she were in a survival race. Alex couldn't help but compare her reckless driving style to Rebecca's. Both inspired a mix of horror and admiration.

But the calm didn't last long.

"Hey, you, blonde! Can you drive more carefully?! Or did all your brains go to your chest?" a harsh voice came from the back of the bus.

Alex slowly turned toward the voice. It was a typical school bully, used to solving everything with his fists. Smiling, Alex patted Shizuka on the shoulder.

"Pull over to the side."

Shizuka slowed down, and the tension inside the bus immediately increased. All eyes were on the bully, who, now the center of attention, decided to play out his usual script.

"If you've got a problem, you can get off. No one's holding you here," Alex said, pointing to the doors.

"What did you say, bastard? Think you're tough?" the bully stood up and started walking toward Alex.

A strange expression appeared on Alex's face. He was bewildered by how someone could be so foolish as to ignore the obvious: a katana hung from his waist, and Rebecca, sitting a little further back, was holding an automatic rifle.

Without wasting any time, Alex pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at the bully's head. In the next moment, Rebecca popped up from behind the seat, keeping the whole group of bullies in her sights, while Kohta, with clear enjoyment, aimed his gun at his long-time tormentor.

The bully froze, breaking out in a cold sweat. His arrogance evaporated like smoke. Alex smirked as he observed the change in his expression.

"Well, what's the matter? Lost your nerve? Not so tough when you're staring down the barrel, huh?" Alex said mockingly, lowering the gun.

Alex continued to look at Shido with disdain while the tension in the bus escalated. His finger rested lightly on the trigger, and the bully under the gun's aim noticeably began to get more nervous. Alex weighed whether to rid himself of the problem immediately or let the situation unfold. But his irritation grew, especially after noticing how the guy had been blatantly ogling Rebecca and Brunhilde.

"Now, now, let's not fight. We're all in this together," Shido's voice rang out, attempting to take control of the situation. "We need to be united. So, to avoid further conflict, I suggest we elect a group leader."

Alex shifted his gaze to Shido, barely holding back a smirk. Even the way this slippery guy spoke annoyed him. Alex had known exactly how this would play out and decided to run a little experiment.

"And who exactly are you?" Alex asked, still keeping the gun trained on the bully's head.

"I'm a teacher, Koichi Shido. As an adult and one of the surviving educators, I believe my candidacy for leader makes the most sense. I'm older, more experienced..." Shido began with deliberate confidence and a smile that made you want to wash your face.

Alex gave a crooked grin and slowly reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He was curious about how "clean" this guy really was. Not everything about him had been mentioned in the manga or anime, and Alex wanted to dig deeper.

"Shido, you say? Let's see..." he murmured, scrolling through the screen. "Hmm… father's a politician, known for his shady dealings. And here you are—using your family's status to cover up your dirty business. Impressive, Koichi Shido."

Shido noticeably tensed. Sweat appeared on his forehead, and the fake confidence began to fade.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he tried to brush off, feigning innocence.

Alex smirked but his voice turned cold.

"You might not understand. But you have two choices: you can leave the bus voluntarily, or I can throw you out myself."

"We're all..." Shido began, but Alex cut him off.

"I don't care. The choice is yours. And don't even look at your students—if any of them try to step in for you, I'll toss them out too. Now hurry up."

Realizing there was no way out, Shido turned to his students. The male members of the group, naively believing in their "teacher," began to protest. However, the female half, including Rei, looked at him with disgust. Even Shizuka and Kyoko regarded Shido as trash.

"Alright, I see you're not leaving voluntarily," Alex gestured with his hand. "GIR, MIMI, throw this bastard out, and anyone who supports him."

GIR and MIMI jumped out of their seats and headed towards the school bully supporting Shido. Shizuka prudently opened the doors at Alex's request. The first one out was the bully, who didn't even have time to realize what had happened.

Next, Shido was thrown out, shouting curses and struggling to believe how easily he had been tossed out. After him, two more guys followed, desperately trying to justify their "leader." The girls from Shido's group tactfully averted their gazes, fearing they might be thrown out as well.

Alex narrowed his eyes, examining the remaining girls. He recognized one of them as Miku, but he couldn't remember the name of the other. As far as he knew, both of them would soon die trying to protect Shido. Alex walked over to the open door and stared at the stunned boys outside. They wanted to return to the bus, but Alex pointed his gun at them, preventing any movement.

"Thank you for using our transportation and voluntarily becoming part of my social experiment," Alex smiled, aiming his gun at Shido.

"Wh-what experiment?" one of the scared students stammered.

"Will a person survive with bullet wounds in the legs during a zombie apocalypse?" Alex grinned widely.

Before anyone could react, two shots rang out. The bullets hit Shido in the knees with precision. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain and unsuccessfully trying to stop the bleeding. Alex calmly holstered his gun and closed the bus doors. Then, patting Shizuka on the shoulder, he told her to drive on.

A tense silence filled the bus. Terrified students stared at Alex in horror. Saeko, on the other hand, was smiling, clearly pleased with the situation. Rei nodded at Alex in agreement, while Saya merely frowned, preferring not to comment. Kohta, relieved, put his weapon away and sighed quietly. Rebecca gave Alex a thumbs up.

"You should have shot him in the arm too, so he wouldn't try to twist anything again," she said.

"That would have been too merciful," Alex remarked, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Takashi, the protagonist of this world, couldn't hold back. His face was flushed with anger.

"Why did you have to shoot him? That's so cruel!" he asked, glaring at Alex.

"It was necessary," Rei intervened before Alex could respond. "If he hadn't done it, I would have. That bastard Shido has done so much damage in and out of school, he deserved it a long time ago. I've told you this before, but you never listen."

"He was already kicked out of the bus, that was unnecessary," Takashi tried to justify.

Alex rolled his eyes and tossed his phone at Takashi.

"Read it before you open your mouth. I've already shown mercy. In a different situation, he wouldn't have left here," Alex said calmly, pointing to the dossier on his phone.

Takashi took the phone and started reading. As he went through Shido's list of crimes, his face grew darker. The others sitting nearby started peeking over his shoulder. The more they read, the more they frowned. Rei, who already hated Shido, only became more resolute in her contempt.

The other students from different groups, though curious about what was going on, chose not to come closer, fearing Alex.

Meanwhile, Alex approached Shizuka, leaning against the back of her seat, and asked, "Where's the nearest store? We need to replenish supplies."

Alex was talking to Shizuka, but in the background, there were still tensions. Rei, arms crossed, looked at Takashi again.

"Well, are you convinced? I told you Shido was scum."

"I..." Takashi started, but unable to find the words, he fell silent.

He returned Alex's phone and drifted into his grim thoughts. Rei snorted and moved to sit somewhere farther away from him.

Alex scanned the remaining group. There were too many of them, and it was clearly causing complications. Ideally, he would have sent them all to Takagi's house to unload the extra responsibility. But for now, they needed to replenish supplies and find a place to rest.

"I hope Shizuka remembers the way to her friend Rika's house," Alex thought, watching the road ahead.

To be continued...