While Alex, along with the girls and other team members, was busy solving problems elsewhere, life in the settlement carried on as usual.
After their departure, Brunhilde, Koko, and Yuriko returned to their duties managing the settlement to ensure everything continued running smoothly. The women understood: once the main threat was dealt with, Alex would leave this world to return home and finally take a well-deserved vacation.
That's why they were gradually handing over the reins of leadership to more responsible hands. Nevertheless, each of them continued monitoring the situation to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Meanwhile, work was in full swing at Alex's house as well. Namiyo and Kiriko, who had taken over care of the home, were busy with a deep clean. Considering how many people lived there, keeping things tidy had become a priority—especially the laundry, since most of the girls trained constantly and went through clothes fast. Fortunately, Alex had equipped the house so well that doing laundry took minimal time: just throw the clothes into the washing machine.
While another batch of clothes was washing, Namiyo and Kiriko were tidying up the second floor. Lucy and Zero Two, however, were busy with perhaps the most important mission—they were sleeping. Without Alex nearby, the girls quickly slipped into a lazy state and only pretended to be super responsible. The Red and the White, per Alex's request, were supposed to be reviewing the data log maintained by GIR and MIMI.
Little Princess Anya, Alex's daughter, wasn't up to anything in particular. Her only job in the house was to announce when the washing machine finished its cycle. And that was the extent of her duties.
Right now, Anya was sitting in the living room with her favorite pet—a small red dragon named Bond, who had cozily settled on her head. Even Alice and Nobukatsu had gone off to train, so Anya was frankly bored. Her only source of entertainment was children's cartoons, though luckily, there was a wide selection.
With a packet of sweets in hand, Anya kept one ear tuned to the sound of the washing machine, making sure it was still running. On the TV screen, a cartoon played about a princess with long magical golden hair that would glow when she sang. Anya missed her awesome daddy, who could beat up bad guys and destroy cities with ease. Of course, her mommies didn't approve of such tendencies—they were afraid their daughter would inherit a love of destruction. But to Anya, it all seemed incredibly cool!
"This will be our little secret," Alex had told her when he promised to take her on his next adventure.
Popping another candy into her mouth, she shared the next one with Bond. Then she pulled a pink bunny-shaped purse onto her lap—a gift from her beloved dad. From the purse, Anya took out a small pink notebook with bunny ears—her very own travel journal. Alex had given it to her along with the promise to take her to other worlds.
Opening the page labeled "Adventures with Daddy," Anya carefully wrote in a new entry: "The world of the princess with magic hair." A satisfied smile spread across her face, and a mischievous sparkle lit up her eyes. She imagined tagging along with her dad, watching him defeat villains with a stick. Giggling like a little gremlin, Anya carefully tucked the notebook back into her purse.
Reaching for more candy, Anya suddenly realized the packet was empty. Glancing around like a tiny thief, she checked to make sure none of the moms—especially the tall and strict Alcina—were nearby. Alcina, it should be noted, had a strict no-overeating-sweets rule.
Anya nimbly hopped off the couch and, keeping an eye on her surroundings, made her way to the kitchen. Making sure the coast was clear, she quietly crept toward the sacred snack drawer. Using a tried-and-true method, the girl dragged over a tall chair and quickly climbed up onto the kitchen counter. Opening the drawer, she paused to consider which sweets to take.
"Bond, what do you think? Which candies should we pick?" she asked the little dragon, perfectly mimicking her dad's facial expressions and tone of voice. "Daddy likes strawberry ones, but also pineapple… and banana… Hmm, such a hard choice."
Bond cracked one eye open, yawned lazily, showing off his sharp teeth, and immediately closed it again, curling up like a cat. Anya sighed—there was no point expecting help from her pet when it came to choosing candy.
Without wasting time, she grabbed a pack of banana-flavored gummy candies. Hearing footsteps behind her, the girl instantly hid the sweets in her pink bunny-shaped purse, jumped off the kitchen counter with practiced ease, and quickly pushed the stool back in place, erasing all traces of her "crime." With the final touch to her disguise, she once again looked like the perfect daddy's princess—right as Alcina entered the kitchen.
The woman stopped in the doorway, raising an eyebrow at Anya.
"What are you doing here, child?" she asked sternly.
"Mommy Alcina, I wanted some cocoa… but I can't reach it. Will you help me?" Anya replied, flashing her best puppy-dog eyes.
Alcina kept staring at her suspiciously. Like the other women in the house, she was certain that Anya had inherited far too much of Alex's influence. That innocent look always seemed like a mask for another mischief. And yet, no matter how hard she tried to stay stern, it was almost impossible to resist that sweet expression.
Thanks to Anya, Alcina had managed to overcome the deep sorrow of losing her three daughters—though it hadn't come easy. With the girl's arrival, warmth had returned to her heart. The other women in the house had become her new family, and Anya, the daughter she would protect with her life. But love didn't mean indulgence. Alcina had no intention of letting her turn into a spoiled brat. That's why the stern look in her eyes remained.
Still, a smile broke through.
"Of course, child. I'll get it."
Anya immediately began nodding happily, realizing her clever plan had worked. Alcina reached for the top shelf with ease, grabbed the bottle of cocoa, opened it, and handed it to the girl.
"Thank you, Mommy Alcina!" Anya beamed, hugging the woman's leg. Then, wasting no time, she dashed off—just in case she got caught after all.
Alcina watched her with a soft smile and shook her head. The girl was far too clumsy to be a good thief. When she grabbed the cocoa, Alcina had instantly noticed that one pack of banana-flavored gummies was clearly missing.
Meanwhile, Anya had settled back into the living room, where the cartoon about the princess was still playing on the screen. She climbed onto the couch, smugly deciding that her crime had gone unnoticed. But it was too soon to open the candy—Mommy Alcina was still in the kitchen. She had to wait for the right moment.
Alcina walked through the dining room and into the living room. Her eyes immediately fell on Anya, who was sneaking cautious glances toward the dining room. Spotting Alcina, the girl quickly turned away, acting like nothing had happened. The woman chuckled softly to herself. As she passed by, she gently patted the young thief on the head and made her way upstairs.
Anya stayed perfectly still, carefully tracking the sound of Alcina's heels climbing the stairs. Once she heard them on the second floor, she peeked out from behind the couch. At the top of the stairs, Alcina turned for a brief moment and gave her a knowing smile—the kind that clearly said, "I know everything."
Anya quickly ducked back down, pretending not to understand. A moment later, she heard Alcina's soft, warm laughter drift down from upstairs.
Hearing it, Anya realized that the crime hadn't gone unnoticed. But then she remembered the wise words of her other moms—Becky, Revy, Ada, and Rika. They always said: if there's no proof, you didn't do anything.
Grinning like a tiny gremlin, confident in her impunity, Anya turned back to her cartoon.
"Why did Rapunzel go with that silly guy? He's so dumb! I'll tell Daddy we need to go there too. He won't let a dumb guy trick a princess. And we can take the horse—he's cool!" Anya said with a spark in her eyes.
Anya nodded to herself as if she'd just made an important, almost life-changing decision. She kept watching the cartoon, and when the song about dreams began—the one with Rapunzel and the bandits—Anya started singing along cheerfully. With a joyful smile, she sang the familiar lines, completely immersed in the magical atmosphere.
Upstairs, where Namiyo, Kiriko, and Alcina were, they could hear her singing. The women exchanged glances, peeked over the railing, and saw Anya singing with a genuine smile on her face. Their eyes softened—warm, maternal smiles bloomed on their faces all at once. They watched her for a few moments, and when the song ended, they quietly returned to what they were doing.
Anya, smiling in satisfaction, wiped the sweat from her forehead—she'd sung with all her heart and was a little tired. Taking her cup of cocoa, she took a few sips to moisten her throat and return to watching… but just then, there was a knock at the door. She turned, set the cup down on the table, and frowned.
As if trying to guess who was behind the door, Anya attempted to hear the thoughts of the stranger—but heard nothing. That surprised her. Tilting her head thoughtfully, she subconsciously ran a finger along her chin. The only person whose thoughts she couldn't hear was her daddy. Only his mind was closed to her. She could hear the thoughts of all her moms with ease.
"Daddy wasn't supposed to be back this early…" she whispered. "And he wouldn't knock on the door…"
Intrigued, Anya jumped off the couch and walked to the door. When she opened it, she froze in astonishment. Standing on the threshold was a girl her height, with snow-white hair and golden eyes. She wore a black lolita-style dress, and slung over her shoulder was a pink bunny-shaped purse—exactly like Anya's.
Anya had no idea who she was. She couldn't hear her thoughts, and that scared her. But if Alex and Becca were here, they would've recognized the girl immediately. It was Yog herself.
"Who are you?" Anya squinted, eyeing the duplicate purse suspiciously.
"I was, I am, and I will be. I have seen, I see, and I will see everything: what was, what is, and what will be," Yog said in a flat, monotone voice.
A whole swarm of question marks seemed to appear over Anya's head. Her face showed utter confusion. But before she could say anything, the strange girl walked right past her as if she owned the place.
Yog headed into the living room, jumped onto the couch, and began eating the sweets Anya had painstakingly stolen in secret—ones none of her moms were supposed to know about. Though truth be told, Alcina had already noticed the "theft" long ago, and most likely Namiyo and Kiriko had too. But that wasn't Anya's concern right now.
She rushed to the couch, climbed onto it, and glared at the strange guest with puffed cheeks as she watched her finish off the banana jelly candies.
"Who are you? And why are you eating my sweets?!" Anya demanded.
"I'm me. And who are you?" Yog asked in return, lazily popping another candy into her mouth and turning her head toward Anya.
"I'm Daddy's daughter!" Anya declared proudly, lifting her chin.
"Descendant of Destruction…?" Yog murmured, exhaling thoughtfully. "Sister will be noisy again…"
Invisible question marks once again swirled above Anya's head. What sister? What Destruction? The more she tried to understand, the more confused she became. But suddenly, it was as if a light went on in her head. She remembered how her mommies and daddy had once said that her father was the embodiment of destruction. At the time, she hadn't understood what that meant. But now, connecting the dots, she looked at Yog with new eyes.
"You… you know my daddy?" Anya breathed, as if she had just realized something important.
"I knew him. I know him. And I will know him," Yog replied in the same mysterious, monotone voice.
"You talk so weird… Can you not talk like that? I don't understand anything…" Anya complained, pressing her fingers to her temples. Her head was starting to hurt from all the confusing words.
"Now it's clear. You're his daughter. You speak like him," Yog nodded and turned away again, as if the conversation was over.
Anya was speechless, but she understood one important thing — this strange girl knew her daddy. And that could only mean one thing: only he could deal with this guest. But her beloved daddy was far away right now — off on some mission with the other mommies.
Fortunately, Anya had a reliable plan: call Daddy and tell him everything. Digging into her little purse, she pulled out a phone. Finding the right number, she pressed the green button, and soon she heard the dial tone. A second later, her daddy's face appeared on the screen — he was in a strange place, with gunfire and shouting in the background.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? Already miss me?" Alex asked with a smile, as if not noticing the chaos behind him.
"Daddy, where are you? And why is it so loud there?.. Are you blowing things up?" Anya whispered, glancing at the strange girl, hoping she wouldn't hear.
"Haha, no, of course not. Your mommies and I, plus a few others, are storming a demon bunker. That's the noise... Girls, wave to Anya!" he said with a chuckle, turning the camera.
Anya saw the camera pan around the room, showing familiar faces — her mommies, intensely focused on battle. Some waved, others blew her kisses with warm smiles. Despite the chaos around them, they found a moment to send greetings to their daughter.
Anya grinned from ear to ear, but she still felt uneasy about the strange girl.
"So why are you calling, sweetie? Did something happen at home?" Alex asked, turning the camera back to himself.
"A girl came… She said she knows you," Anya said quietly, glancing at the guest.
"A girl?.. Who exactly?" Alex frowned.
"It's me," a voice beside Anya suddenly said.
On the screen, Alex saw Yog standing next to his daughter. He narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly — her appearance clearly surprised him. He knew Yog wouldn't harm his family, but her unexpected visit still raised questions.
"What brings you to my home, Yog? Is your sister Nyan-Nyan being loud again, so you decided to escape and rest in peace and quiet?" Alex asked with a slight smirk.
"My sister is always loud. But I came for payment," Yog replied in her usual monotone, shaking her head.
Anya looked at the strange girl — Yog, as her daddy had called her — in confusion. Everything was baffling: the talk of a sister, and especially this so-called "payment."
Alex frowned too.
"Payment?.. What do I owe you for?" he asked, feeling like he was missing something important.
"For help with the King in Yellow. You asked — I helped. My sister beat him, and I sealed his world. He can no longer escape it, even through avatars. That requires payment," Yog said in the same calm voice, leaving no room for argument.
Alex immediately understood what it was about — the name Hastur clearly indicated who Yog was referring to. He couldn't have imagined that Yog and Nyan-Nyan would solve the problem so quickly and effectively. Now the King in Yellow would no longer be able to invade other worlds, not even through avatars — this seriously made his life and upcoming missions much easier.
He truly appreciated the scale of their help, though at first he didn't understand why Yog demanded payment. After all, wasn't she the gatekeeper, watching over the Outer Gods? But after a moment's thought, he decided not to dwell on it — if the payment was just a couple of boxes of sweets, it was more than a fair deal.
"I'd love to, but as you can see, I'm not home right now and a bit busy with local problems. You'll have to wait or come back later," Alex said, shrugging.
"I know you have something at home you can pay with. I see it," Yog said emotionlessly, staring at the screen.
Alex immediately understood what Yog meant by "seeing." He quickly realized — she could see the very moment of payment. Sighing, he nodded, realizing where this was going. The only one who could help him now was his little princess Anya — right at home and right next to Yog.
While Alex was trying to find the words to explain to Anya what she needed to do, a lively Dedait suddenly lunged at him from behind, trying to disrupt the conversation. Alex stepped aside, grabbed the creature by the back of its head, and slammed it hard against the wall. While Dedait struggled to pull its skull out of the concrete, Alex had a few seconds left to explain everything.
"Anya, take Yog and go to my workshop. Go straight to my workbench. There will be a locked cabinet with a fire emblem. The key is in the bottom left drawer of the desk. Inside the cabinet, you'll find some boxes — let Yog take them," Alex said with a smile despite the noise behind him.
"I understand, Daddy. I'll do everything!" Anya nodded seriously.
"I believe in you, my little princess. Now I have to go. These local idiots have gotten way too rowdy and won't let me have a peaceful talk," he added, kicking Dedait, which was still unsuccessfully trying to free itself from the wall.
"Bye, Daddy," Anya said, waving goodbye.
Alex smiled and ended the call. Anya put the phone back into her purse and looked at Yog, who still kept her emotionless expression. The girl still didn't understand who she was or what the "King in Yellow" was about. But since Daddy trusted her with an important mission — she would complete it as the most responsible daughter.
"Let's go. Daddy said I can help you with your problem," Anya said proudly and looked confidently at Yog.
Yog looked at her and thought that Anya was remarkably like Alex — the same determination, the same seriousness. Nodding, she slowly jumped off the couch. Anya followed her and led her to her father's workshop.
Opening the door, Anya confidently stepped inside. She passed by Mommy Becky's workspace, glancing back at Yog from time to time — who somehow was already holding a new pack of sweets, mysteriously appearing out of nowhere. The girl walked further past Mommy Red's and Mommy White's workstations, not disturbing them. And then — Daddy's workspace.
Scanning the room, Anya quickly spotted the cabinet with the fire emblem — Yog was already standing near it, intently watching the door. Anya approached the desk, opened the correct drawer, and took out the key. Then she went to the cabinet, unlocked it, and opened the doors — inside were neatly stacked boxes.
"Daddy said you could take these. What's inside?" Anya asked, looking at Yog.
"They're my payment," she replied calmly, beginning to leisurely tuck the large boxes into her small bag.
Anya looked at Yog's bag with surprise, then at her own. Both were shaped like pink bunnies, but there were differences. Her bunny had green eyes, like Anya herself, while Yog's had strange yellow eyes, shimmering with unusual, hard-to-describe hues.
"Did Daddy make you the same one?" Anya asked, pointing at Yog's bag.
"No. I just liked it and made it myself. But thanks for mentioning it. Maybe next time I'll ask him for one as payment," Yog replied, as if thinking out loud.
Anya nodded and continued watching as Yog deftly slipped the last box inside her bag. Just a few seconds ago, the once full cabinet was now empty.
"Payment received. I may leave. See you later, descendant of Destruction. Or have we already met? Or will meet? Or have already seen each other," Yog said in her usual mysterious tone.
"Why do you speak so strangely?" Anya couldn't hold back.
"Ask Destruction. He already answered. Or should have. Or will answer any moment now," Yog said calmly and turned away.
Anya stood there, pondering the strange words but feeling proud that she had completed an important task. After all, Daddy always said — she could be relied upon.
Anya still didn't understand anything — only grew more confused. But Yog wasn't going to explain anything. Her body began to slowly turn transparent, and within seconds, she vanished as if she had never been there at all. Anya remained standing by Alex's desk, feeling complete chaos in her mind. Everything that had just happened confused her. The only one who could explain everything was Daddy. But that would only be possible once he came home.
After Alex tasked Anya with delivering Yog's payment in the form of boxes of sweets, he put his phone in his pocket and rubbed his face with his hand. Sighing, he decided not to dwell on the new oddities — there were plenty of those in his life already. He glanced at Dedait, who was still stuck headfirst in the wall, cursing loudly and spewing a colorful stream of insults while unsuccessfully trying to free himself.
Somewhere deep inside the bunker, screams mixed with swearing, crashing sounds, and sharp bursts of pain could still be heard — fights with the remnants of the KKK group who had turned into Dedaits were still ongoing. Alex approached a Dedait, grabbed him by the shoulder, and yanked him out of the wall. The creature only managed to open its mouth to once again reveal who Alex's mother was and what he would do with her, before receiving a crushing punch to the face.
The Dedait's head exploded like a ripe watermelon, splattering everything around. The body collapsed to the floor, and Alex, with an indifferent expression, stepped on its chest, crushing the insides. Lighting a cigarette, he then set the body on fire with a burning match — the flames eagerly took hold.
"Alex, I think we're done here. You weren't lying when you said those bastards love to talk. My ears are ringing from their chatter," Soap said, coming closer.
"Did you think Clarence was the only talking Dedait?" Alex snorted. "Or did someone put soap in your ears?"
"No way," Soap grimaced. "One head was enough for me to freak out. Especially considering how nicely she was cussing everyone out. Now I get why when we first met, the girls were kicking that loudmouth so fiercely. I'd have punched her a couple of times myself, just as a precaution," he chuckled.
Alex just smiled back, patted his comrade on the shoulder, and moved on — toward where the others were already gathering. Passing by the burnt Dedait bodies, whose remains had almost turned to coal, Alex and Soap entered a spacious room that looked most like a warehouse. It was packed with food, equipment, and other useful things.
"So, what are we going to do with all this stuff now?" Ada asked, noticing Alex approaching.
"I think we should contact Payne. Let him send his people to pick it all up. They need it more than we do right now," Price said calmly, lighting a cigar.
"The old man's right," Valmet nodded. "Our warehouse is already stuffed to the brim."
"Alex?" Chiquita turned her head toward him.
"We give it to Payne," he nodded in reply. "We don't mind."
No one objected. Except maybe a couple of guys quietly pocketed a few packs of cigarettes as payment for dealing with some particularly chatty demons. After finishing with the bunker, the team began to head upstairs.
Stepping outside, they found themselves in a clearing. In the middle, mounted on a stake, was the head of a Dedait named Clarence. A pinecone was stuffed into his mouth—to keep him from talking. Despite his disgusting nature, Clarence had helped the team by luring some of the Dedaits out of the bunker, which made the cleanup easier.
"What now? Burn your little buddy too? Or are you still keeping him for some plans?" Lehm asked, pointing at the talking head.
"We need to finish off the cult in the forest. Clarence will help us find them," Alex said seriously, flicking ash and tossing his cigarette butt away. "As much as I want to get drunk and sleep, this problem needs urgent attention. You've seen for yourselves what their activity can lead to."
"Yeah... I'm still shaking from when that damn severed hand grabbed me by the ankle. I nearly shat myself, honestly," Toji muttered grimly, smirking crookedly.
The team burst out laughing. Everyone remembered Toji's piercing scream echoing through the bunker—it was hard to mistake it for anyone else's.
Deciding to take a short break, Alex told everyone they could relax. He contacted Payne, explained everything briefly, received a restrained "Well done" in response, and ended the call with a shake of his head. Then he told the team that people would arrive in half an hour to pick up the supplies. He set up a folding bed and, with a tired sigh, flopped down on it, deciding to get some rest.
The others settled wherever they could—stretching out on the grass, sitting on crates, or leaning against trees. Clearing the bunker full of Dedaits and former racists turned Dedaits had been hard and exhausting work. Especially considering how much damage these creatures could take before finally dying, not to mention their mouths, which spewed an endless stream of curses.
To be continued...
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