Chapter 82:
– Haru –
A bit later…
I leaned back against the bar counter, watching Ainz with amusement as he stood in front of several of his "NPCs." They stood at attention, their expressions serious and determined, clearly ready for whatever important mission their master was about to assign them!
"Today," Ainz announced dramatically, his deep voice echoing through the Fox Hole, "we embark on a crucial mission to preserve items of extreme cultural significance!"
Shalltear and Albedo both gazed at him reverently.
"You have my word, Lord Ainz!" Albedo declared passionately, clenching her fist. "I will not fail you!"
Shalltear bounced eagerly on her heels, eyes shining brightly. "Yes! Leave it to us, my beloved husband!"
Beside them, Sebas adjusted his gloves with quiet dignity, while Aura and Mare exchanged a curious glance but remained respectfully silent.
"Excellent." Ainz nodded proudly, his bony wings folded neatly behind him. He turned to Sebas, handing him a carefully marked map. "Sebas, your target is a legendary item known as a 'limited edition boxed set' of something called 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.' It is of great cultural value. You must ensure its safe retrieval."
Sebas took the map solemnly, bowing deeply. "I understand, my lord. It shall be done."
Ainz then turned to the dark elf twins. He handed Aura and Mare their own maps of Akihabara from Alice's world, each clearly labeled with precise locations. "Aura, Mare, your targets are equally significant."
Mare carefully unfolded his map, squinting slightly at the details. "Um, let's see… I'm supposed to find something called a 'Kingdom Hearts Collector's Edition,' and a… PlayStation 5?" He looked up, frowning slightly in confusion. "What's a 'PlayStation'?"
Aura looked equally puzzled as she read through her own instructions. "And I'm supposed to find something called a 'Nintendo Switch' and several things called 'Legend of Zelda' figures. I don't know what those are either, but I promise we'll succeed, Lord Ainz!"
"Very good, Aura, Mare," Ainz said, nodding in approval. He raised his hand grandly, clearly enjoying himself. "Remember, these items are vital to preserving an important culture! Failure is not an option!"
Albedo clutched her own map tightly, eyes burning with intense devotion. "We understand completely, Lord Ainz! Your orders are absolute!"
Shalltear smiled wickedly, licking her lips in excitement. "Indeed, I can't wait to see what treasures we find for you!"
Off to the side, Alice stared at the scene unfolding in front of us, her expression was completely deadpan. She slowly turned her head toward me, raising one eyebrow. Her eyes practically screamed, "Are you serious right now?"
I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head slightly as I grinned at her. "What can I say? Looks like Ainz might be an even bigger otaku than I suspected. Who knew…?"
…
The air in this version of Tokyo was foul and still, carrying the stench of rotting flesh. Buildings rose around us, dark and lifeless, many of them scorched or broken by past battles from the governments trying to stop the hordes of undead.
Alice walked just ahead of me, her twin pistols drawn. She glanced back as a fresh group of zombies lurched out from behind a crumpled car. Without missing a beat, she raised her weapons and started firing.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Each shot tore through a zombie's skull with precise efficiency, sending it flopping lifelessly to the pavement.
"Gotta love never having to reload these," she muttered, admiring one of the pistols in her gloved hand. "Shepard said they'd only need reloading every few months with intense use. Mass Effect tech is incredible."
I watched a few more undead stagger our way, their skin gray and mottled. I raised my hand, but Alice had already opened fire again. I couldn't help but grin at her accuracy. She finished them off in seconds, leaving the street silent.
"Nice shooting," I told her, stepping beside her.
She gave me a small nod. "It's just muscle memory at this point."
We pushed onward through the deserted street, rubble and abandoned vehicles blocking our path. Empty windows on tall buildings stared back at us, some of them broken and smeared with old blood. There were no signs of normal life—no birds, no plants, no stray animals. Everything was either dead or mutated.
"This place is fucked," I commented quietly, trying not to sound cruel. I wanted her to know I wasn't judging her world, just stating the bleak truth.
Alice let out a harsh snort. "Believe me, I know." She surveyed the nearby windows, then kept walking. "I don't even see it as my world anymore. Maybe it's because I'm a clone. Most of my old memories were fake. Everyone I knew before I found you and your restaurant is dead. There's nothing left for me here."
I turned my head, surprised by the bitterness in her tone. I had known she'd grown distant from this place, but I hadn't realized she was this done with it. "Is that really what you want?" I asked her softly. "To leave it behind for good?"
She paused in the middle of the street, eyeing a couple of zombies that were shuffling toward us from a store entrance. She raised her pistols calmly and dispatched them with two quick shots. The corpses crumpled to the ground, leaving dark streaks on the cracked sidewalk.
Once the threat was gone, she exhaled slowly and turned to me. "Yes, Haru," she said. "I've been thinking it over for a while. Even if I destroy Umbrella's main base today, that won't end them completely. But it will give me some closure. Once this is over, I'm done coming back to this world. The T-virus took everything. I've had enough..."
Without thinking, I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against my chest. My ten fox tails curled protectively around her, encircling her waist and legs. She let out a small, startled squeak, then relaxed into me, leaning her head against my shoulder. I felt her breath quicken for a moment before she settled down.
"Thanks," she whispered. "It's weird to realize I'm about to cut ties with this place, but it needs to be done."
I held her tighter, letting her know she wasn't alone in this decision. "We'll do whatever it takes to see this through," I told her. "If blowing up Umbrella's base helps you move on, then that's what we'll do."
She nodded and stayed pressed against me for a few seconds more.
I let my hands drift lower as Alice leaned into me, sliding down her sides until they rested comfortably on her ass. Goddamn, she had an amazing figure. The tight denim shorts she wore hugged her curves perfectly, making it almost impossible not to give her a little squeeze.
She immediately stiffened, her cheeks flushing bright red as she shot a glare up at me. "Really, Haru? We're literally standing in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and that's what's on your mind?"
I grinned unapologetically, giving her cheeks another playful squeeze. "Just trying to cheer you up. Figured you could use the distraction!"
Alice rolled her eyes dramatically, though the faintest hint of a smile crept onto her lips. "And fondling my ass is a good distraction?"
I smirked at her. "Damn, right it is! Is it working?"
She was still pouting at me. "Maybe a little…"
Before I could tease her further, she pushed herself away from my embrace. But not without quickly rising up onto her toes and planting a fast, teasing kiss on my lips. The gesture left me blinking, my own face warming as I watched her turn and confidently strut her hips down the ruined street. She raised a finger and wiggled it for me to follow.
Shaking my head with a quiet laugh, I hurried after her, scanning the surroundings as we moved deeper into the heart of the city. The broken husks of buildings loomed around us, silent and dark. The eerie quiet hung thick in the air, broken only by the occasional distant groan of undead.
After several tense minutes, Alice suddenly slowed down, her eyes locking onto a half-collapsed building ahead. The faded sign was barely hanging above the broken entrance.
I squinted at it. "Wait, is that… a sushi shop?"
Alice nodded slowly, raising one pistol as she cautiously approached the building. "Yeah. Umbrella loved using mundane businesses as secret entrances to their underground facilities. I managed to steal some blueprints a couple weeks back, and this one was marked clearly as a primary entrance."
I snorted, a little amused despite our grim surroundings. "Secret entrances hidden behind sushi shops, huh? That's pretty cliché. Though I have to admit, as far as evil lairs go, it's kind of cool."
Alice gave me a sideways glance and smiled faintly. "Trust me, they aren't as fun as they sound. Usually just full of twisted experiments and assholes trying to kill me."
We stepped carefully through the broken doorframe, debris crunching beneath our feet.
Alice gestured to a fish tank still intact near the counter. Curious, I peered closer—and immediately grimaced. The tank was full of mutated fish, their scales twisted, eyes glowing yellow, and oversized jaws lined with jagged teeth. They hovered silently in the filthy water, glaring at us with obvious hunger.
"Looks like someone forgot to feed the fish," I muttered dryly.
Alice leaned closer to inspect the tank, tapping lightly on the thick glass. The fish swam forward immediately, thrashing and biting viciously toward her fingers. Luckily, the glass held firm.
"Huh. Smarter than average, I guess," I commented. "But still dumb enough to be trapped behind glass."
Alice chuckled softly. "Thankfully. I'd rather not deal with mutant zombie fish right now."
We left the fish behind and moved toward the kitchens. I followed closely. Alice stopped abruptly, inspecting a tall spice shelf against the wall. She pushed a few of the spice jars aside and revealed a hidden keypad. She quickly punched in a long code. The entire shelf shuddered softly, and then slid aside silently, revealing a hidden elevator behind it.
I stared for a moment, impressed despite myself. "Alright, I'll admit—it's a cool secret entrance."
Alice smirked as she stepped into the elevator, beckoning me to join her. "Yeah, well, enjoy the cliché villain lair while you can. It'll probably get pretty unpleasant once we're underground."
I shrugged, stepping into the cramped space beside her. "Hey, you brought me along to blow shit up. I'll make sure unpleasant doesn't last too long."
She gave me a genuine, thankful smile and pushed the elevator's single button marked 'B-13'.
– Rimuru –
Rimuru carefully moved through the halls of the abandoned Tokyo museum, pausing every now and then to admire and grab something interesting. He'd never imagined himself becoming some sort of inter-dimensional art thief, but here he was, looting priceless Japanese artifacts from a zombie-infested hellscape.
Not exactly how he'd pictured spending the day, but hey, life as a slime was always full of weird surprises.
He eyed a beautifully polished samurai armor suit inside a display case. Rimuru couldn't help but whistle softly in appreciation. "Now that's pretty nice. Yasaka might really like this one."
He reached out and easily absorbed the entire suit into his slime body, tucking it away safely within his dimensional storage. Each piece he took made him feel a little guilty—it still felt wrong to just help himself to Japan's historical treasures—but Alice had been clear. This world was effectively finished.
Besides, all this was going to a good cause. Pleasing Yasaka!
Rimuru chuckled softly, his mind once again drifting to Yasaka. Just picturing her beautiful smile, her graceful presence, those soft golden tails, and—of course—those spectacular curves. Yasaka was definitely a MILF of the highest caliber. Even as a slime, he found himself fantasizing about diving face-first into her magnificent breasts. If Rimuru still had a human body, he'd definitely be blushing.
He shook himself slightly, snapping back to reality. "Okay, Rimuru. Focus. First, steal—no, preserve the artifacts. Then, worry about actually courting Yasaka properly."
He wandered into the next exhibit room, where an elegant katana was displayed behind sturdy glass. Rimuru nodded appreciatively as he absorbed the entire weapon into himself, adding it neatly to his growing collection. "Yep, this is definitely gonna make an impressive gift."
Just as Rimuru was about to continue on to the next room, he suddenly paused. His senses detected unexpected movement nearby. Not zombies.
"Great Sage, what's going on? I thought Alice said pretty much all humans here were dead," Rimuru whispered quietly.
[Analysis complete. Approaching entities identified as human clones. Current numbers: twelve. All are heavily armed.]
Clones? Rimuru frowned slightly. That was an unexpected development. "Who the hell are these guys?"
The sound of heavy boots crunching on broken glass echoed down the corridor. Rimuru calmly turned toward the source just as a fully-equipped military squad rounded the corner, assault rifles raised, flashlights attached to their weapons illuminating his small humanoid form.
"Freeze!" the lead soldier shouted immediately. He had a red and white emblem stitched onto his tactical gear, a symbol Alice had warned them all about. "Umbrella Corporation," Rimuru muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Hands in the air!" the soldier barked again, stepping forward with caution. "Surrender quietly, and come with us. Refuse, and we'll open fire!"
Rimuru stood perfectly still for a moment, staring deadpan at the soldiers. Did these guys really think they could threaten him with guns? He almost felt sorry for them.
Almost.
"Yeah, no," Rimuru sighed calmly, his voice bored. "That's definitely not happening, guys."
The squad leader visibly bristled at Rimuru's casual defiance. "This is your final warning! Comply, or we will use deadly force!"
Rimuru simply raised one eyebrow, his expression utterly unimpressed. "Go ahead. Shoot if you want. See what happens."
The clones exchanged confused glances, clearly unnerved by Rimuru's calm reaction. The squad leader grimaced and then made a swift, decisive gesture with his hand. "Fire!"
Bullets roared from their weapons, a deafening barrage echoing off the marble museum walls. Rimuru watched patiently as bullets passed harmlessly into—and then through—his slime body, splattering the walls and displays behind him. The clones kept firing desperately, but Rimuru just waited with an increasingly bored expression.
Eventually, the soldiers stopped firing, staring at him in stunned disbelief. Rimuru folded his arms, shaking his head slowly.
"Finished yet? That was just embarrassing."
"What the hell are you?!" one of the soldiers cried out, panic obvious in his voice.
Rimuru grinned widely, tilting his head playfully. "Just your friendly neighborhood slime."
– Wesker –
Albert Wesker sat quietly in the control center hidden deep below the ruins of Tokyo, his sharp eyes tracking multiple screens displaying security footage from around the dead city. Despite the apocalyptic devastation above, Umbrella's surveillance systems remained fully operational, tirelessly monitoring the lifeless streets.
Wesker adjusted his sunglasses slightly, leaning forward as he observed the screens closely. Things had taken a rather intriguing turn today.
Several unexpected visitors had suddenly appeared throughout the city—strange, powerful-looking individuals with bizarre abilities. Most concerning among these intruders was the reappearance of that damned building, the mysterious 'Fox Hole,' that had vanished from Nevada all those weeks ago, along with the powerful "fox-mutant."
And now, both he and Project Alice were here, invading his territory.
The monitor displaying footage of Alice made Wesker's lips tighten in irritation. Project Alice, that stubborn, insufferable clone, continued to defy all odds, surviving everything Umbrella threw at her. How was one single woman so absurdly difficult to kill?
A sudden alert drew Wesker's attention to another monitor. He watched as a blue-haired figure casually absorbed formerly priceless Japanese artifacts directly into its gelatinous body.
Another camera showed a horned man with bony wings accompanied by an actual butler gentleman raiding some sort of collector's store in Akihabara, piling gaming systems and anime figures into neatly arranged stacks.
"…"
…WHY???
Wesker rubbed his temple slowly, feeling a migraine forming.
"Red Queen," he said, addressing the facility's artificial intelligence. "Give me a full analysis on these intruders."
The facility's control screens flickered, and the young, emotionless face of the Red Queen appeared beside him. "Analysis is limited. Entities display extraordinary biological and supernatural abilities far beyond Umbrella's standard measures. The fox-like entity, possesses destructive capabilities exceeding even the Tyrant-Class bioweapons. Others similarly surpass standard threat metrics judging by initial scans."
Wesker let out a low sigh. He disliked unpredictable variables—especially powerful ones. "And their current activities?"
"They have split into several groups," the Red Queen informed him calmly. "The majority appear to be looting "cultural" and historical assets. Project Alice and the fox-mutant have located Entrance Beta-Six and are currently descending via elevator."
Wesker leaned back thoughtfully. "They are coming directly to us," he mused aloud. "Bold. Or perhaps arrogant."
The Red Queen tilted her digital head slightly. "Shall I dispatch countermeasures?"
Wesker nodded curtly. "Send clone strike teams after those… artifact thieves. Test their capabilities. If the standard forces prove insufficient, deploy our remaining Tyrants to eliminate them."
"And Project Alice?" the Red Queen asked, a hint of something almost resembling curiosity in her synthetic voice.
A slow, cold smile spread across Wesker's lips. This had gone on long enough. Umbrella had thrown countless assets at Alice, but perhaps it was time for something a little more personal. "Project Alice," he said calmly, adjusting his gloves, "is mine." He stood up smoothly from his chair, straightening his long, dark trench coat and cracking his neck slightly. "Ensure her elevator bypasses security lockdowns and reroute it directly to the arena. I believe she deserves a proper welcome."
"Understood, Mr. Wesker," the Red Queen replied impassively.
Wesker walked purposefully from the control room, boots clicking sharply against the cold metal floors as he moved. He felt a quiet excitement stirring within him. Alice had been a thorn in his side for too long. He'd anticipated this day would come eventually—one final, decisive confrontation.
It was time to end Project Alice personally.
– Yasaka –
Yasaka sat quietly in her private chambers, gently running her fingers through her daughter Kunou's silky golden hair and softly petting her delicate fox ears. Her little princess was curled up on her lap, sniffling quietly into Yasaka's kimono. Yasaka hated seeing Kunou upset—it broke her heart every single time.
Kunou had burst into her chambers crying several hours ago, sobbing something about "not wanting a new daddy," before promptly burying her face into Yasaka's lap.
Tanya and Viktoria had been sitting with Yasaka at the time, sipping tea and casually discussing their latest training exercises. Both women had immediately frozen, their eyes widening at Kunou's outburst.
Tanya had shot Viktoria a panicked look. "Oh hell no, I am not dealing with this conversation," she'd whispered sharply.
"Right behind you," Viktoria had muttered, already springing up from her seat.
Within seconds, the two women had practically sprinted out the door, leaving Yasaka alone to figure out what on earth had happened on her own.
To think she'd be betrayed like this by the two girls she'd taken in…
Yasaka sighed softly, brushing a strand of Kunou's hair away from her damp cheeks. "Sweetheart, please calm down and tell me exactly what happened. Did someone say something to upset you?"
Kunou lifted her face slowly, her amber eyes red-rimmed and filled with distress. "I-It was Rimuru-san! He was at big brother's restaurant, and I heard him say… he said he wanted to court you, Mama!" She hiccuped softly, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. "But I don't want a new daddy!"
Yasaka sighed again, her expression softening sympathetically as she cupped her daughter's chin gently. "Oh, Kunou. My little princess, come now. Rimuru-san was probably just joking around. You know how grown-ups tease each other. I'm sure it wasn't meant seriously." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "And even if he was serious, that doesn't automatically mean he's your new daddy, does it?"
Kunou blinked at her, confusion flickering in her teary eyes. "It... doesn't?"
Yasaka smiled gently, brushing away another stray tear from Kunou's cheek with her thumb. "Of course not, dear. Courting just means spending time together. Going on dates, having fun, getting to know each other better. It doesn't mean marriage or new family members immediately. It might never even get that far." Yasaka paused, considering her own words carefully.
Honestly, she had found Rimuru quite handsome, in that youthful, pretty-boy kind of way…
He was also pretty innocent and even a little shy, which Yasaka found adorable.
He definitely checked a lot of boxes for her, at least for someone she'd consider spending some enjoyable, casual time with. Truthfully, it had been over a decade since Yasaka had last "indulged herself" romantically, even just for fun.
Her role as the leader of Kyoto's supernatural community and raising her two children had understandably kept her busy. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed having someone charming around to flirt with until Rimuru had started shyly showing interest…
But seeing how upset it made Kunou, Yasaka decided to proceed carefully. If her daughter absolutely hated him then it's not like she couldn't just cut off the flirting–at least until someone else caught her eye.
"Kunou," she said softly, her voice gentle and patient, "do you really want Mama to be alone forever?"
Kunou sniffled again, her fox ears drooping guiltily. "No… Of course not, Mama." She tightened her grip on Yasaka's kimono, her little hands trembling slightly. "I just… I miss Daddy. My old daddy was the best. I don't want anyone else."
Yasaka's heart squeezed painfully at her daughter's innocent words. The sad reality was that Kunou barely remembered her birth father. He had been a kind, honorable man who adored his daughter—but Kunou had been far too young when he died to clearly recall anything about him.
Yasaka knew it wasn't really her husband Kunou missed—it was the idea of him. It was the comfort of a male presence in her life, something Kunou hadn't truly experienced since Haru had gotten busier and busier running his popular restaurant.
She'd also talk to Haru about it soon. Her son always had surprisingly wise insights about these sorts of situations, especially after dealing with so many strong personalities at the Fox Hole. But that was a problem for another day. Right now, all Yasaka could do was comfort her little girl.
XXX
The comments from last chapter were about 50/50–and very heated. So I intentionally left it vague!!!
Don't blame me. I'm just the one who writes this shit… Oh wait…