The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 187 - 187: How to Kidnap an Adopted Son

After Odin's death, the entire Colosseum plunged into a deep, almost suffocating silence. Neither mortals nor gods could utter a word. What Odin had become left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who witnessed his confrontation with Alex.

The sight of a once-wise ruler, so consumed by madness that he was willing to sacrifice all mortals—and possibly even the gods—to summon an ancient deity, shook everyone to their core.

The mystery of which god Odin intended to summon remained unsolved. However, Odin's final words were known only to Alex and Brunhilde. Gradually, the spectators averted their eyes from the spot where Odin had perished and turned their attention to Alex.

At that moment, Brunhilde was tenderly kissing him, completely ignoring the crowd. None of those present, mortal or divine, doubted for a second: Alex had saved them from certain doom.

The gods, however, felt conflicted. On one hand, Alex had been created for their destruction, and his hatred for them was evident. On the other hand, he had locked himself in the arena with Odin, risking his life to face the mad god. Although calling it a "battle" seemed inaccurate—Alex had toyed with Odin, killing him repeatedly, as if to demonstrate his superiority.

Alex paid no attention to the onlookers. His mind was elsewhere, focused on finishing what needed to be done. For now, however, he allowed himself to enjoy the softness of Brunhilde's lips, refusing to let suspicion distract him.

He knew that a conversation with Heimdall awaited him—Heimdall, who had fled the moment the battle began. The god undoubtedly knew more than he let on, particularly about the essence and identities Alex used in his clones.

For Brunhilde, this moment marked the culmination of long-awaited vengeance. She had finally found someone who understood her better than anyone, who helped her achieve justice. Despite the whirlwind of emotions and the rapid development of their relationship, she had no intention of stepping back. Alex, for his part, remained cautious—even within their spiritual bond, he kept some of his memories hidden, anticipating possible risks.

But the idyll was interrupted by an irritated Rebecca.

"Hey, are you two going to keep kissing forever? What is this, a soap opera?" she shouted, throwing the first object she could find at Alex.

The projectile hit him square in the head. Alex turned to the troublemaker with undisguised annoyance. Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of spectators, he suddenly realized how much this moment resembled scenes from books where the hero defeats the villain and earns a kiss as his reward. Clearing his throat lightly, he tried to maintain his composure.

Brunhilde, in contrast, relished the moment, caring little for the stares of the crowd. For her, the most important thing was that both Odin and Loki had received their just punishment and that Ragnarok had ended in victory. Yet, deep down, she worried that the gods might attempt to challenge the outcome, using Odin's interference as leverage. But looking at Alex, she felt reassured—this man would leave the gods no chance.

Under countless gazes, Alex suddenly turned his attention to where Rebecca and her trio of mischief-makers stood. Noticing him call his robo-dog, Brunhilde was slightly surprised.

"G.I.R, come here!" Alex called loudly.

Hearing the summons, G.I.R leapt down from the railing and began trotting toward Alex on his short mechanical legs. All eyes turned to the little robo-dog, who moved toward his master with remarkable determination. Now, those gathered in the hall could finally get a clear view of what was hidden beneath the armor. What they saw was an oddly shaped dog with green fur and a comically goofy expression on its face.

GIR approached Alex and stopped next to him. Without wasting time, Alex took a microphone from his inventory and connected it to a special port on the robo-dog's neck. After finishing the setup, he squeezed the microphone in his hand and glanced at the spectators in the stands.

"Test, test. Can you hear me?" Alex said, tapping the microphone to check its functionality.

The crowd in the stands, consisting of both gods and mortals, looked at Alex with doubt, not understanding what he was up to. Even Rebecca and Brunhilde, used to his unexpected antics, couldn't hide their surprise.

"Perfect," Alex continued, clearly satisfied with the check. "Ladies and gentlemen, gods and mortals, I would like to announce that Ragnarok has come to an end. Humanity has won this battle. If anyone has objections, feel free to come down here. I will gladly help you come to the right decision."

His words echoed through the Colosseum, causing a wave of murmurs. No one dared to argue, especially after the obvious hint that Alex was prepared to resolve any disagreements in his own way. None of those present—neither gods nor mortals—dared to step onto the arena and face him head-on. Odin's death, with his terrifying power, still left an indelible impression. Even those who believed that all the gods combined couldn't defeat Odin now doubted their certainty.

The chief gods of the pantheons remained silent, meeting Alex's gaze with pride, but none attempted to dispute his words. Seeing that there were no objections, Alex decided to continue.

"Well, since no one wants to speak up, I have a request for you," he began in an intentionally calm tone. "I ask all the representatives of the pantheons to gather in one place for the discussion of Ragnarok's conclusion."

The chief gods, seated in their VIP spots, exchanged wary glances. Only Zeus, having foreseen Alex's intentions, broke the silence. His loud sigh drew everyone's attention.

"Voldigoad," Zeus addressed him calmly, rising from his seat. "And what do you suggest if a pantheon has no representative, or if they are unavailable?"

Alex nodded, understanding the fairness of the question. In the battle of Ragnarok, great gods like Poseidon, Hades, and Shiva had fallen, not to mention Odin, who had tried to destroy everyone.

"If your pantheon's chief god is dead and there is no official representative, simply choose the nearest worthy successor," Alex responded confidently. "You have one hour while I finish my business. Then we will gather to discuss over tea."

Having finished speaking, Alex scanned the gathered crowd, as if expecting questions or objections, but none came.

Once he was done, Alex disconnected the microphone from the robo-dog and stored it in his inventory. GIR immediately clung to Alex's leg, clearly deciding that a walk on his short paws wasn't for him. Alex turned to Brunhilde and, unexpectedly for her, lifted her into his arms like a princess. Brunhilde was taken aback by the gesture but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hold on tight, both of you," Alex said, warning them to stay secure.

Brunhilde pressed herself closer to him, afraid of losing her balance. GIR, in turn, tightened his grip on Alex's pant leg, recalling past failed "flights" from Night City.

Jumping onto the railing, Alex found himself in front of Rebecca, who greeted him with her wide, slightly mischievous smile. Without hesitation, Rebecca gracefully jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist. MIMI immediately joined, hanging from Alex's other leg. As if that wasn't enough, Stitch skillfully climbed onto Rebecca's back like a backpack.

Now, Alex looked like a mother koala, weighed down by her "children." The spectators watching the scene couldn't hide their astonishment and laughter. Just moments ago, Alex had demonstrated terrifying power, killing Odin several times, and now he looked completely comical.

But Alex paid no attention to it. With another leap, he landed on the balcony railing where they had been standing earlier.

"A-chan," Buddha said with a smile, eyeing Alex, "you look damn funny. Just like the mother of a big family."

"Well, that's the fate of someone with a big family," Alex smirked, gently lowering Brunhilde to the ground.

Rebecca hopped off Alex's back, but Stitch showed no signs of getting down—instead, he settled comfortably on Rebecca's shoulders, as content as a cat. GIR and MIMI also refused to let go of Alex, firmly clinging to his legs.

"A-chan," Buddha continued, slightly frowning, "what were those plans you mentioned? What other business do you have left?"

"First, I need to visit someone. Then I'll drop by a few places, and lastly, I'll meet with the gods to discuss the new system. You should attend too," Alex said, lighting another cigarette.

Buddha just shrugged, deciding not to press for details. Alex, in turn, directed his eclectic group to the rest room to begin working on his plans.

When they arrived, the Valkyries were already waiting. Without wasting time, Brunhilde led her sisters aside to speak with them privately. She wanted to find out why they had kept silent about their spiritual connection with Alex for so long.

Alex glanced at the Valkyries, his eyes meeting Göndul's stern gaze. Her expression suggested that she blamed him. As if to confirm this, her eyes said: You owe me.

Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, Alex tried to smooth things over. Approaching Brunhilde, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen, Bri, I asked them to stay silent. Maybe you won't pressure them too much?" he said in a conciliatory tone.

Brunhilde looked at him with cold resolve.

"Don't worry, Alex. I'm not done yet. After them, it's your turn," she replied curtly, staring him down.

Alex sighed, glancing at the Valkyries, clearly showing that he had done everything he could. In response, they all rolled their eyes in unison, deciding that if Brunhilde started asking questions, they could easily blame him. Alex mentally smirked, fully aware of their maneuver, and wondered how best to calm Brunhilde down. The only thing that came to mind was to free Siegfried as quickly as possible. Although he had initially planned to visit Heimdall, that visit would have to be postponed.

Alex knew that Siegfried was somewhere in Tartarus, but he couldn't remember the exact location. He summoned Yamato and immediately unsheathed the sword to open a portal. His actions immediately caught the attention of the others.

"Where are you going?" Rebecca asked, noticing the gleam of the blade.

"Just kidnapping someone... and maybe stealing something too," Alex replied honestly, without a hint of embarrassment.

At the mention of kidnapping and stealing, Rebecca's eyes instantly lit up with excitement. Alex noticed her reaction but had no intention of taking this "gremlin" with him. He knew perfectly well that if Rebecca came along, Tartarus would surely be blown to bits, and all the prisoners would escape.

"Can I come with you?" Rebecca asked, grabbing his hand and looking at him with puppy eyes.

"No, I'll be in and out quickly. I don't want that place turned into rubble," Alex replied, trying to ignore her pleading look.

"Please! I'll behave, I promise!" Rebecca insisted, not letting go of his hand.

"Maybe next time. For now, be a good girl. I'll be back soon," Alex said, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the nose.

Without waiting for her response, he swung Yamato, and a portal opened in front of him. These actions caught the attention of Brunhilde, who had been sternly reprimanding her sisters for lying. She wanted to ask Alex where he was going but didn't have time— the portal had already closed behind him.

Brunhilde frowned, puzzled, not understanding what Alex was planning. She could no longer read his thoughts through their spiritual connection, nor could the other Valkyries. Turning to Rebecca, she saw that the girl was standing with a pout, looking like a child who had been scolded.

After passing through the portal, Alex found himself at the massive gates leading into Tartarus. He looked up, studying their majestic and ominous appearance. The huge doors were adorned with the jaws of a monster, and they were bound with heavy chains, as if reinforcing security measures.

"Not a bad idea, but they could have made something more pleasing to the eye instead of monster fashion shows," Alex muttered, lighting a cigarette.

Glancing at the gates one more time, he walked closer, contemplating the best way to get inside. The simplest option would be to kick them down, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Such an action could lead to all the prisoners escaping.

"Alright, let's do it the old-fashioned way," Alex muttered, stroking his chin.

Using one of his abilities, reminiscent of Alucard's power, Alex passed through the massive doors as if they didn't exist. On the other side, he was greeted by gloomy corridors filled with rows of cells stretching into the endless distance.

"A prison is a prison, no matter the dimension. Only the quality of the prisoners differs," Alex commented, exhaling smoke through his nose as he continued on his way.

Looking around, Alex decided to move forward to find the cell where Siegfried was held. His arrival caught the attention of all the prisoners, who watched him with interest. To them, Alex was a new visitor, someone they hadn't seen before. He walked confidently through the corridors of Tartarus, ignoring the prisoners' stares.

However, soon Alex realized that Tartarus was a massive dungeon, and finding someone specific was like

Her shock was replaced by confusion, but Siegfried's words quickly brought her back to reality.

"How did you get here?" she asked, unable to hide her bewilderment.

Although she had seen Siegfried appear from the portal, comprehending what was happening took some effort. The only thing that came to mind was that Alex had somehow entered Tartarus and pulled him out.

"A strange guy appeared, said he was my father, and then kicked me into the portal," Siegfried shrugged, trying to explain the situation in a way that didn't sound completely insane.

He expected shock or disbelief, but the reaction from those around him was oddly calm, which made him slightly uncomfortable. As he mulled this over, Alex stepped out of the portal. His expression was clearly satisfied.

"Well, I've kidnapped your son from Tartarus. So, am I forgiven? Are you no longer angry with me?" Alex asked with a smirk, meeting Brunhilde's gaze.

Brunhilde noticed Alex, his face beaming with a pleased smile, as if he had just successfully completed something important. She walked toward him and stopped directly in front of him, looking him in the eyes. Alex raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what she would say or do.

Brunhilde leaned in a little closer, her movements slow and almost cautious. Then, she lightly brushed her lips against his. The kiss was brief but sincere.

The scene caught Siegfried's attention. He stared in surprise at his usually strict, always composed older sister. Such behavior from her was so unexpected that he could barely express his feelings in words.

"I'll think about it," Brunhilde said softly, a gentle smile lighting up her face.

Alex rolled his eyes and sighed, realizing she had forgiven him for the deception.

"Alright, you two go ahead and chat and all that. Meanwhile, I'm going to take care of a few other things before we go talk to the gods," he said, turning toward the door.

"Where are you going again?" Rebecca asked, frowning.

"I'm going to catch one idiot for a little chat," Alex replied, opening the door. "He knows too much and ran off first. Need to have a word with him."

Without waiting for further questions, Alex stepped into the hallway and focused, trying to locate Heimdall. There was something strange about this god. Even if Heimdall had the ability to see the nine worlds, as the legends said, that didn't explain how he could know so much about characters from other universes.

Once Heimdall's location became clear, Alex opened a portal and, stepping through it, found himself right where he needed to be. He emerged cautiously, so as not to attract unnecessary attention, and made his way toward Heimdall with the demeanor of someone determined to get answers.

To be continued...