bookpower Chapter 148 - 148: The Mighty Nine Are Always Together
Chapter 148 - 148: The Mighty Nine Are Always Together
With a bright flash of light, Alex materialized in his workshop. He stood motionless, as if waiting for someone. Minutes stretched on, and a sad smile appeared on his face—his expected guest never arrived.
Alex thought that after his meddling with the past, the God of Time would appear to punish him for such a bold move. Yet, it seemed the deity showed no interest. After Alex's return from the past—where he had gone solely to speak with David and preserve a fragment of his soul—the God of Time didn't even bother to show up.
«What a shame… I was hoping to get my hands on his scythe for my collection,» Alex muttered in disappointment, sighing.
Leaving the workshop, he walked past weapon displays and entered the living room. The moment he appeared, all eyes turned to him. At the table sat Maine, Dorio, Pilar, and Falco, their faces reflecting confusion, their gazes full of questions.
Under their scrutiny, Alex calmly walked to the couch and sat beside Gloria.
«Sorry for the delay. I had something to take care of,» he said with a faint smile.
«Choom, you've only been gone a couple of minutes. Quit acting like hours have passed,» Maine quipped with a smirk.
Alex frowned, glanced at his phone's screen, and realized his absence had indeed lasted only a few minutes, despite spending hours in the past talking to David.
«Time's a complicated thing. Don't worry about it,» he dismissed with a smile, but his words only raised more questions.
Lucy stared at Alex intently, sensing he was hiding something, though she couldn't put her finger on what.
«So, are you finally going to tell us who you really are?» Dorio asked, fixing him with a penetrating gaze.
Alex looked at her, then shifted his gaze to the others. He knew this conversation was inevitable.
«Yes, I will. But first, there's something I need to give to Gloria,» he replied, pulling a small memory crystal from his pocket.
Gloria eyed the strange object Alex held out to her with suspicion.
«What is it?» she asked, studying the crystal closely.
«It's something special, made just for you. It holds something important. I think you should view it alone,» Alex said gently, handing her the crystal.
Gloria hesitated, but Alex gave her an encouraging nod. His eyes were warm and caring, filling her with a slight sense of unease. Sighing, she rose and headed to their room to uncover what lay hidden in the crystal. Alex watched her until she disappeared behind the door.
When Gloria closed the door, Alex leaned back against the couch and exhaled deeply. He knew her reaction to what she would hear could vary.
«What's in that crystal?» Lucy asked softly, her hand brushing his arm.
The others watched him with equal curiosity.
«David's last words,» Alex replied calmly, closing his eyes.
The words left everyone stunned. Lucy squinted, trying to decipher Alex's meaning, but he offered no further explanation, silently waiting for Gloria to hear the message David had left for her.
Alex's statement shocked Lucy, Kiwi, and Rebecca—they remembered how Gloria had often mentioned her longing to say goodbye to David one last time. For the rest of the group, however, the announcement caused only confusion. They exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what he meant.
«David? That David?? Gloria's son?» Maine asked in disbelief.
«Yes, the very same,» Alex nodded. With a heavy sigh, he added, «The one who died.»
Those words hit like a thunderclap on a clear day. Maine and the others exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to comprehend how Alex had managed to record the final words of a dead man.
«If it's not a secret, how did you even do it?» Falco cautiously asked.
Alex smirked, noticing the tension in his voice, and spread his arms in a relaxed gesture.
«Come on, Falco. If you've got questions, just ask. I don't bite,» he replied warmly, trying to lighten the mood.
Alex's words eased Falco's nerves slightly, and he forced an awkward smile. It was still hard to reconcile that someone he'd worked with for so long could potentially destroy a galaxy to secure a win. The rest of the group seemed to gradually relax as well.
«So… how did you do it? I mean, record his words?» Pilar asked hesitantly, fumbling to phrase his question in a way that sounded even remotely reasonable.
«Which version do you want? The long one with detailed explanations, or the short one?» Alex asked, squinting slyly.
The question threw Pilar off. He opened his mouth but couldn't find an immediate answer. Rebecca, sitting beside him, burst out laughing at his confusion.
«Go with the short version!» she advised between giggles. «If Alex starts explaining, it'll take hours, and you still won't understand half of it.»
Alex shot her a mock-offended look, but Rebecca stuck her tongue out in response. Lucy and Kiwi nodded in agreement, backing her up. Alex rolled his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh, silently accepting their «betrayal.»
«Alright, short version it is,» Maine said, raising his hands in surrender after considering their advice.
«I went back in time,» Alex began calmly, as if discussing the weather. «Ended up in a buffer zone, where souls of the deceased linger. I met David there, talked to him a bit, and gave him a chance to say goodbye to Gloria.»
His words landed like a bombshell. Even Lucy, who had suspected Alex had pulled off something extraordinary, raised her eyebrows in astonishment. The others, however, looked as if their entire worldview had collapsed.
«Are you serious? You just… went back in time?» Falco asked incredulously, trying to maintain his composure.
«Yep, with the help of magic,» Alex replied matter-of-factly, raising his hands to conjure a vibrant rainbow between them.
The display was the final straw for the more tech-oriented members of the group, whose reality was grounded firmly in science and technology. Alex's casual words felt utterly surreal.
«That rainbow… again…» Lucy sighed, her tone exasperated as she watched the familiar «trick.» She had long since lost count of how many times Alex had used it to prove the existence of magic.
«Okay, I get it—magic and all that. But how did you manage to travel back in time? That's a bit more complicated than a rainbow party trick,» Maine noted, attempting to steer the conversation toward something logical.
At Maine's comment, Lucy couldn't contain her laughter, glancing at Alex, whose face now bore a comically sour expression, as if he'd bitten into a lemon. Alex glared at Lucy, his eye twitching, and grabbed her nose in mock retaliation to stop her laughter. But Lucy only laughed harder at his reaction.
«This is exactly why I asked which version you wanted! Now deal with the consequences of your choice,» Alex grumbled, rolling his eyes.
«Alright, I admit, that's on us. But now tell us—who are you really?» Maine asked, steering the conversation back to its core question.
Alex smirked at Maine, held the pause for dramatic effect, and then said calmly:
«In truth, I am the Demon King. To be precise, the first demon, created by God Himself. And yes, that God—with a capital 'G.'»
When Alex declared that he was a demon created by the Big Boss Himself, it sparked a storm of emotions among those who hadn't known his true identity until now. The revelation left everyone staring at him in astonishment, as if he had suddenly grown a foot taller. Alex felt their gazes, and his eye twitched slightly in response.
Lucy, Kiwi, and Rebecca couldn't hold back their smiles as they watched the rest of the group scrutinize Alex, as if
«What, seriously?!» Pilar stared at Alex in disbelief. «Chrome is literally part of us!»
«Don't worry,» Alex reassured him. «I'll heal you, just like I did with Kiwi. Besides, in that world, your implants won't be needed.»
Pilar stared at his golden hands for a long time, as if saying goodbye to them, but in the end, he nodded. The decision was made, and the team was once again united in their determination to start a new chapter in their lives.
The group turned their attention to Kiwi, waiting for an explanation. She began to talk about her healing, mentioning that the worst damage had been to her lungs and the lower part of her face, which was why she constantly wore a mask. The others became curious about how painful the healing process had been. Kiwi smiled and assured them that it was a pleasant experience, comparing it to the feeling of sinking into a hot bath after a long, exhausting day.
Maine, deep in thought, asked a question:
«What happens to the implants after the healing?»
«They just fall off, and healthy tissue grows in their place. No side effects,» Kiwi answered calmly.
Maine looked at Alex with a serious expression:
«Are you really going to heal us completely?»
Alex smirked and gave a thumbs up.
«Of course. And by the way, Dorio's problem will be solved too, so you can safely start thinking about having a baby.»
The group exchanged surprised glances, looking at Maine and Dorio. They both blushed slightly but smiled joyfully. Hearing Alex's confirmation, Dorio felt a weight lift from her chest—now she could fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. Maine, sighing with relief, gently took her hand, showing his happiness.
«Alright, guys, time waits for no one. Off to your homes! Pack your things and weapons, then come back here. Once everyone's ready, we leave!» Alex commanded, clapping his hands.
Maine and the others nodded in agreement and headed off to pack. Alex saw them to the door, reminding them there was no rush—they had a few hours before departure. Once everyone left, he returned to the living room and sat down next to the girls.
«Alex,» Lucy began, narrowing her eyes, «You didn't just visit David to record his last words, did you?»
Alex smirked, knowing that there was no hiding anything from Lucy.
«That's right, I had other plans,» he said, reaching into his inventory.
Pulling out a small box, Alex caught the attention of all the girls. Rebecca was the first to grab the box, spinning it in her hands as she asked:
«What is this?»
«Inside is a piece of David's soul,» Alex replied with a light smile. «This will help me find the world where he reincarnated.»
At these words, Rebecca nearly dropped the box, but she caught it just in time. Lucy and Kiwi stared at Alex in surprise, but Gloria, who was descending the stairs at that moment, froze when she heard his words. She quickly walked up to him and asked:
«Are you serious?»
«Absolutely. Since I can't bring him back to life to heal your wounded soul, I'll do everything I can to find him. If he's doing well, we'll leave him be. If not, we'll bring him back.»
Hearing these words, Gloria couldn't hold back her tears. She hugged Alex, realizing just how much he cared for her.
«Alex... I don't even know what to say...»
«No need for words,» Alex gently interrupted. «Just trust me.»
After a while, Gloria noticed that the apartment had become quiet and asked where the others were. The girls explained that the team had gone to gather their things for the move. Alex reminded them that they needed to hurry too.
Rebecca quickly dashed to her workshop for her weapons, but Alex stopped her:
«Don't worry, I'll take the whole workshop. Just gather your clothes and other personal stuff.»
«Ha, my things are not 'junk,' as you put it!» Rebecca snapped back, but still obeyed and began collecting her things.
GIR and MIMI, noticing they also had to prepare, quickly jumped off their cushions and ran to gather their «treasures» — milkshake machines. Alex only smiled as he watched the hustle and bustle, continuing his preparations for the upcoming journey.
To be continued...