The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 180 - 180: The Unlucky God of Deception

Alex heard the roar of the crowd—some mourned, while others celebrated after Heimdall announced Dracula's victory. A faint smile appeared on his face; he acknowledged that this Apollo was far more worthy than the one he had known in Orario. However, he didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts before strong arms suddenly enveloped him, and the soft lips of Brunhildr interrupted all further contemplation.

The Valkyrie couldn't contain her joy over the victory and practically attacked Alex. She embraced him so tightly it seemed she wasn't planning to let go, kissing him with such passion that the world around them ceased to exist. Alex responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. He clearly had no intention of rejecting such a gift from fate. For the first time, Brunhildr took the initiative—usually, it was Alex who kissed her.

In Brunhildr's mind, only two thoughts swirled: victory and the fact that only one battle remained until the end of Ragnarok. She understood that all of this was thanks to Alex. If not for him, fighters of Vlad's caliber would hardly have participated in the war. Thanks to Alex, she no longer lost her sisters and could, for a moment, feel relief.

Not far from them, Göll joyfully hugged G.I.R., celebrating the victory. She wanted to share the moment with her older sister and brother, but when she turned her head, she saw something that made her cheeks flush immediately. Alex and Brunhildr were still kissing, completely oblivious to what was happening around them.

"How improper..." Göll mumbled, turning away and covering her face with her hands.

On one hand, she wanted to look away, but on the other, curiosity got the better of her: she was interested in observing the "process." However, her sense of shame won out, and the young Valkyrie turned away with flushed cheeks, covering G.I.R.'s eyes.

"You don't need to see this," she muttered, though she knew full well that G.I.R. had already witnessed such scenes at their home countless times.

Meanwhile, Alex realized it was time to stop the kiss before it became something more. Unfortunately, there was neither time nor place for it to continue. Especially since voices from the other Valkyries began to echo in his mind, as if they were watching the scene like it was their favorite TV show.

Alex sighed heavily. He still couldn't fully understand how this spiritual connection between him and the Valkyries worked. Sometimes, they heard his thoughts, sometimes they saw the same things he did, and he had no time to figure it all out. The only thing he could do was turn the connection on and off, but not fully sever it.

"I think we'll stop here for now," Alex said softly, resting his forehead against Brunhildr's. "Not that I'm opposed, but we're short on time."

Brunhildr heard Alex's words and gave a slight nod, but her eyes still sparkled, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from his. The kiss had been so deep and consuming that she had completely forgotten where she was and what was ahead—the conclusion of Ragnarok. However, she knew there would be time for them later, and for now, there were more important matters at hand.

First, they had to find out who would be the next fighter from the gods, and then wait for the opponent from humanity, whom Alex had invited. Brunhildr was sure that Alex would send one of his fighters for the final battle. These thoughts circled in her mind, but her arms didn't want to let go of Alex. The embrace gave her an incredible sense of calm and tranquility.

Alex and Brunhildr continued to look at each other, as if there was nothing around them: no crowd, no triumphant shouts. Alex saw sadness in her gaze and an unwillingness to break the moment. He felt the same. Finally, he made up his mind: he quickly leaned in and kissed her again.

"We'll have time to cuddle later," Alex said with a light smile. "But for now, we need to prepare for the final battle."

Brunhildr sighed and reluctantly loosened her embrace. Then, taking Alex by the arm, she prepared to leave. Alex turned around and called out to Göll, whose ears were still burning from what she had seen, and G.I.R., whose head was still being held, preventing him from turning.

"Hey, don't lag behind," Alex called, throwing them a quick glance.

Together with Brunhildr and the others, Alex left the viewing balcony and headed to the rest area — his temporary base, which he had already set up and protected with magical suppressors so no one could eavesdrop on them.

As they walked down the corridor, Alex thought about what form his clone should take in the next battle to defeat the god. He hoped everything would proceed along the original timeline and nothing unforeseen would happen. However, he was worried about Odin's behavior, who still remained in the shadows.

In the last two battles, the one-eyed old man hadn't been seen in the stands. This could only mean one thing: he was scheming and already making preparations in case his plans failed.

Alex walked alongside the Valkyries, but the feeling of unease didn't leave him. All he had managed to understand during this time was that Odin was somehow connected to the power of the Outer Gods. Most likely, he was preparing a large-scale sacrifice to bring an Outer God into this universe or awaken one. Maybe even both. One didn't exclude the other, and that only meant one thing: the one-eyed old man was planning something truly massive.

"Most likely, that one-eyed bastard will start acting at the very end," Alex muttered, thinking aloud.

Brunhildr turned her head and looked at him closely. She immediately understood that he was talking about Odin, but wasn't quite sure what he meant by "start acting at the very end."

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Alex blinked and looked at her with mild surprise.

"Did I say that out loud?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Brunhildr rolled her eyes and nodded, confirming Alex's words. His lips twitched slightly—an old habit of talking to himself had resurfaced. However, Alex decided to explain what he meant to clarify his thoughts and plans for Brunhildr.

"The tenth battle will be won—one way or another," Alex began calmly, turning his gaze to Brunhildr. "But what worries me is that Odin is nowhere to be seen. The one-eyed man hasn't been in the stands for several battles now. That means he's planning something. And I'm sure he'll interfere at the very end to carry out his schemes."

Brunhildr paused in thought. Unfortunately, she hadn't paid attention to the balconies where the gods sat, so she hadn't noticed Odin's absence. But Alex, as always, had noticed everything and was already thinking ahead about how to protect the spectators and counter any potential threats.

Göll was quietly walking alongside them, carefully listening to their conversation. For the young Valkyrie, all this planning was too complicated—some of Alex's words made her head feel like it was literally boiling from the pressure.

"And who are you going to send into the tenth battle?" Brunhildr asked with an interested tone, turning her gaze to Alex.

Alex thought for a moment, stroking his chin with his free hand. If he remembered correctly, the next fighter from the gods was supposed to be either Susanoo-no-Mikoto or Anubis. If it was Susanoo, it would make sense to send out a fighter from the same region. But if Anubis appeared, things would get much more complicated.

Alex didn't know much about him: in Egyptian mythology, Anubis was associated with the world of the dead and was considered the judge of souls, but the details of his abilities escaped his memory. Alex pondered, sifting through possible options, while Brunhildr patiently waited for his answer.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from behind them:

"I'll be next."

Alex and Brunhildr turned in unison at the sound and saw a trio of samurai slowly approaching them. Alex recognized them immediately: it was Okita Soji, Sasaki Kojirō, and another samurai whose name Alex couldn't recall.

Alex's group stopped, waiting for the samurai to approach. Alex crossed his arms over his chest and, with a slight smirk, addressed Sasaki:

"Old man Sasaki, can't you sit still? Still wandering around the Coliseum looking for trouble?"

"Oh, kid," Sasaki said with a mock hurt expression, "that's insulting! I thought we had become friends after we both drew our swords against the gods. And note, I didn't even accuse you of stealing my fight and punching me in the stomach."

Alex merely rolled his eyes at Sasaki's behavior and focused on the young samurai. His attention was drawn to Okita Soji—the young man who seemed to live only for battle. Alex watched him and couldn't help but wonder how one should even approach a fighter whose obsession with combat often bordered on madness.

Okita was a young man who looked more like a teenager. His long, dark brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. A black-and-red checkered scarf wrapped around his neck, and his violet kimono, under a haori patterned with the Shinsengumi Dandara, along with gray hakama, gave him both a serious and daring appearance. But what drew Alex's attention the most were his eyes—narrow like a predatory cat's, with vertical pupils that gave the samurai an unnatural, intimidating look.

All Alex knew about Okita boiled down to one thing: the guy was obsessed with battles. Not just obsessed—he craved fights like a person in the desert craves water.

"And why should it be you?" Brunhildr asked calmly, casting a careful glance at Okita Soji.

Alex gave her a brief look but remained silent. He was curious himself—what could Okita say in his defense? Of course, this didn't mean Alex would allow him to fight. The tenth battle was too important, too risky, to trust some guy, no matter how talented.

"Because I'm the one who won't allow myself to lose," Okita replied with burning eyes, his sheer stubbornness flaring up.

Alex stared at him silently for a moment, trying to comprehend how absurd that statement sounded. "I can't allow myself to lose"—what did that even mean? Alex's face reflected his thoughts eloquently, and Brunhildr suppressed a smile, noticing the "Are you serious?" expression on his face. Alex couldn't help but recall heroes who relied on "the power of friendship" at the decisive moment of battle.

Yes, Okita was a strong swordsman—that much couldn't be denied. But that was all. Alex had already come up with a plan where his clone would fight instead of a living fighter—a clone capable of standing up to Odin if he decided to intervene.

Brunhildr was about to tactfully reject Okita, but Alex beat her to it.

"Sorry, Okita," Alex spoke calmly, his gaze firm and serious. "It's not about your strength or skill. It's just that my fighter will take the tenth battle."

Sasaki raised an eyebrow in surprise when he heard Alex's calm tone. He remembered how Alex fought for the right to face Poseidon—back then, his voice was full of stubbornness and anger. But now? Now, Alex's words were cold, calculated, and composed. But to Okita, those words came across more as an insult than an explanation.

"If I'm stronger than your fighter, does that mean I can step into the ring?" Okita asked, revealing a bloodthirsty smile that sent a chill down the spine.

Alex squinted at him slightly, his voice calm but laced with challenge:

"You won't even have time to draw your sword before you're eager to fight. But fine. If you can draw your blade right now, I might consider your candidacy."

Brunhildr looked at Alex in surprise after his words. She hadn't expected him to say something like that. In her eyes, Alex was a man who preferred to keep everything under control, eliminating any flaws in his plan even before it was set into motion. She also knew that he only selected fighters from his inner circle, considering everyone else too unreliable.

Alex's words sounded like a challenge to Okita. The samurai grabbed the hilt of his katana and tried to unsheathe it, but unexpectedly, the blade got stuck in its scabbard. Before Okita could understand what had happened, Alex was suddenly in front of him, placing his hand on the hilt, preventing the sword from moving.

Okita struggled with all his might to pull out the katana, but it was in vain—Alex wasn't even exerting himself, blocking every move. It all happened so quickly that Sasaki Kojirō and Isami Kondo couldn't even react.

"What the...?" Sasaki exhaled, stunned by what was happening.

Realizing that strength alone wouldn't work, Okita jumped back to try again. But Alex didn't give him any time to maneuver—he was next to him once more, placing his hand on the hilt again. Okita tried to find any possible way to draw the blade, but Alex was always one step ahead, blocking every attempt like a ghost.

"Stop," Alex said calmly, not taking his eyes off the furious samurai. "You still won't succeed unless I want you to. If you're so eager to fight, after Ragnarök, you'll have plenty of opportunities. I guarantee it."

"What do you mean by that?" Isami Kondo interjected, his voice betraying surprise and confusion. He looked at Alex and Okita as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Okita looked as though he was on the verge of snapping, about to turn into a predatory beast. Alex just sighed tiredly and, with a slight smirk, extended his hand and gently flicked Okita on the forehead. The flick was almost casual, but the effect was astounding—Okita instantly slumped and lost consciousness.

"W-what...?" Sasaki exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.

Alex skillfully caught Okita before he could fall to the ground and handed him over to Isami. Isami stood there in a daze, holding the unconscious samurai, unable to comprehend how everything had happened so quickly.

"He... with a flick?" Isami mumbled, still trying to process the situation.

Sasaki silently stared at Alex,

Rebecca rolled her eyes and returned to her work, muttering something under her breath. Alex scanned the room, looking for a place to sit, clearly unsure where to settle. Geirölul, noticing his confusion, patted the couch next to her, inviting him to sit.

Alex looked at her in surprise, not expecting such a gesture, and immediately glanced at Göndul, who responded with her signature kind smile. He quickly realized that she had most likely said something to Geirölul, calming her down. Or maybe the Valkyrie had figured something out by studying his memories.

Sitting down next to Geirölul, Alex leaned back against the couch and sighed in relief. Brunhilde sat on the other side, giving Geirölul a suspicious glance, as if ready to say something at any moment.

Buddha lazily rolled over in his seat and looked at Alex, clearly interested in his pleased expression.

"A-chan, what delayed you so much? Your face is practically glowing like a child's," Buddha asked with a smirk.

Alex absentmindedly touched his face and suddenly realized he was smiling. Rebecca, hearing the question, also turned her head, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Brunhilde, on the other hand, cast Buddha a blank look, clearly unimpressed by the topic being brought up.

"Well, first, we were stopped by samurai," Alex began, smirking. "One of them challenged me to a fight. I knocked him out with a flick of my finger."

Buddha grunted approvingly and gestured for Alex to continue.

"And then?" he asked, noticing that Alex's smile had grown wider, as if he was about to burst out laughing.

"Then..." Alex paused, savoring the moment, "when we moved on, Loki popped out from around the corner, pretending to be Odin. And, you know, I really didn't like the way he was looking at Brunhilde."

Buddha raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and Rebecca, hearing Loki's name, grimaced but kept working, now listening intently to the story. Brunhilde slightly furrowed her brow, glancing furtively from Alex to Buddha, preparing for the continuation.

All eyes turned to Alex when he mentioned Loki's appearance and his intense gaze at Brunhilde. The Valkyries exchanged knowing looks — they all knew that Loki had a strange, obsessive attachment to Brunhilde, bordering on obsession.

Brunhilde herself sat with an unreadable expression, clearly unsure how to react to Alex's statement about not liking the behavior of the god of lies.

"So what did you do?" Geirölul asked with a curious smile, eagerly anticipating the next part.

Alex theatrically shrugged, hiding his smirk:

"I didn't do anything. But my loyal G.I.R. gave Loki a whole dose of "positivity." And then… maybe accidentally, maybe not, he zapped him a couple of times in the groin. And, maybe, knocked one of his balls loose. Maybe," he added innocently, trying to hold back his laughter.

For a moment, silence hung in the room, after which all eyes slowly shifted to Brunhilde. Her face remained impassive, as if she hadn't even been part of the events being described. No emotions, no hint of embarrassment — just complete emptiness.

Rebecca was the first to crack: she looked at G.I.R., who, noticing her gaze, proudly gave her a thumbs up. That was the final straw — Rebecca burst out laughing so loudly that she even dropped her runic pen.

"Damn, at least someone put that slippery bastard in his place!" she said through her laughter, wiping tears from her eyes.

Buddha, noticing Brunhilde's stone-cold expression, smirked and immediately understood that Alex wasn't exaggerating. Realizing he had missed such a moment made him sigh with slight envy, but laughter still won out.

"Ah, too bad I didn't see that with my own eyes!" Buddha rumbled, bursting into infectious laughter.

Geirölul smiled at Alex, admiring how he had handled the situation. Loki had never been her favorite, and the fact that this "trickster" had gotten what he deserved gave her unrestrained pleasure. Göndul, sitting nearby, also smiled, but her gaze was more calculating. She understood that Alex could have been much harsher with Loki, but since the god of lies seemed to be part of his plan, Alex had refrained from more drastic measures.

The room filled with laughter and lightness. Alex, leaning back on the couch, allowed himself to relax, but his thoughts were elsewhere. While the others enjoyed the moment, he was already considering the next step — namely, choosing the fighter who would face Susanoo.

To be continued...