The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 126 - 126: Healing Kiwi or the Plan to Ruin an Evening

After finishing the conversation with the girls, Alex turned his focus to Kiwi, who was clearly lost in thought. He could guess what was on her mind. In just one day, she had learned so much that it had completely shifted her worldview. It was especially hard for her to accept that the person she once interrogated with a gun aimed at him turned out to be a demon — the Creator's son.

This revelation would already be enough to shock anyone, but it also came with the knowledge that an AI in this world considered itself a god, and not just any god, but the avatar of one of the oldest beings seeking to destroy the universe.

To top off the nightmare, she had actually seen one of these 'gods' with her own eyes — in the form of a cute girl who showed up asking for candy. Alex understood how difficult it was to process all this information, especially if such things once seemed like mere fantasy. That's why he decided to distract her and help resolve a problem that had troubled her for many years.

«Alright, Kiwi, enough pondering about the meaning of life. You came here so I could help heal you,» Alex said, breaking her thoughts.

Kiwi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Alex. His words reminded her why she was here, but the day's events had almost erased the true purpose of her visit from her memory. Gloria, aware of Kiwi's struggle, watched her sympathetically. Once, Kiwi had confided in her, revealing the secret behind her mask, hoping to find some help or advice. Gloria had no solution then, only support, so now she was glad for Kiwi, knowing she could finally free herself from this burden.

«After everything that happened today, that really slipped my mind,» Kiwi sighed, shaking her head.

Alex smiled knowingly. Sometimes life throws so many curveballs that it's easy to forget even the most important things, especially when reality hits with one surprise after another. In Kiwi's case, the shocks were so extraordinary that an ordinary person would take months to process them.

«No worries. So, do you want to do this here, or should we head to my workshop?» Alex asked, a small smile on his face.

Kiwi flushed slightly at the unintended ambiguity. Lucy rolled her eyes and shot Alex a stern look, signaling that he should choose his words more carefully. Rebecca lightly smacked his arm for the inappropriate innuendo, while Valerie, hiding her face in her hands, sneaked glances between Kiwi and Alex. Gloria just sighed, seeing him continue to smile as if he didn't understand his own words.

«What do you mean?» Kiwi asked, trying to mask her embarrassment.

Alex raised an eyebrow, confused by the stares. Replaying his words in his head, he suddenly realized the unintended implication, and an awkward smile appeared on his face. Understanding his slip, he quickly rephrased.

«My apologies. I just thought you might want to avoid extra eyes during the healing, so I suggested moving to a private room or workshop,» Alex clarified to clear up the misunderstanding.

But the girls were already looking at him as if he were the ultimate pervert. Lucy kept throwing stern glances, while Rebecca smacked him playfully, expressing her disapproval; she didn't need any new admirers drawn by his wording. Gloria simply shook her head, waiting for Kiwi to decide whether to share her problem with friends or opt for privacy. Alex waited patiently, not rushing her.

«So, how is this process going to work exactly? I just want to know what to expect before I make a decision,» Kiwi asked, looking at Alex.

Alex nodded and took out a notebook, flipping through the pages as he

«Well, Kiwi, it's time to give you the chance to really live.»

Kiwi nodded, though her gaze remained tense. Alex noticed this and gave her a reassuring smile. Raising his hands to her face, he gently touched her cheeks, and his palms began to emit a soft, warm light.

Closing her eyes in anticipation, Kiwi felt the light seep through her skin, beginning to heal the damaged areas — restoring her jaw, vocal cords, and even her lungs, which had been ravaged by disease. When the healing was complete, the mask and implant that had replaced her mouth fell away on their own, without causing any pain. Pleased with the result, Alex looked at Kiwi and, smiling, said:

«There we go; now you look beautiful again.»

Kiwi gently touched her face, feeling the softness of her skin beneath her fingers, and suddenly realized she no longer needed to hide behind a mask. Tears of joy filled her eyes. Alex quietly helped her wipe them away, continuing to look at her kindly.

«Thank you,» Kiwi said in her true voice.

Alex simply nodded, clearly not thinking much of it.

«No problem; it's nothing for me,» he replied, waving it off casually.

Kiwi continued to gaze at him, as if trying to think of something more she could say to express her gratitude. Alex noticed her thoughtful look and, guessing that she might need a mirror, took one out from his subspace and handed it to her.

«Look how beautiful you are now,» he said with a smile.

Seeing her reflection, Kiwi touched her face in amazement, fully realizing that the person in the mirror was indeed her. Glancing over at Alex, she saw his approving nod. Holding back her emotions, she looked at herself again, understanding just how much her life had changed thanks to this healing. Composing her thoughts, she set down the mirror and nodded, ready to follow Alex.

«All right, enough admiring yourself,» Alex said, rising from his chair. «Time to get back to the others; they're probably waiting by now.»

Kiwi nodded, still following him. Her thoughts lingered on Alex, and she decided to later ask the girls how she might thank him for such invaluable help. When they stepped out of the workshop, all eyes turned to Alex and Kiwi. He gently nudged her forward, introducing her:

«Meet our cool beauty, Kiwi.»

The girls immediately surrounded her, showering her with questions and words of welcome. While they were engrossed in conversation, Alex headed over to his robo-dog, who was sitting on the couch, munching on candy and ignoring the commotion around him.

«Well, GIR, do you have any info for me?» Alex asked, grabbing his attention.

GIR didn't respond directly. Instead, Alex's phone buzzed with a new message notification. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began reviewing the incoming information. GIR had found everything he needed: schedules for the executives and even lower-level managers. Even the security details for the leadership were included in these documents. Alex sat down on the couch and began going through the data GIR had gathered.

After reviewing the information, Alex sighed and started considering who he should target first. Some of the so-called executives were out of town, and only one board member was currently in Night City: Hanako Arasaka. What surprised Alex the most was that, at 78 years old, she looked no older than 30. But considering the world he was in, he didn't find it all that surprising; after all, her father and the company's founder, Saburo Arasaka, was over 150 and looked like a man in his seventies.

Alex thought it over and decided to start with this woman.

«Well then, GIR, suit up; we've got a job to do,» Alex said, stretching.

GIR nodded and pulled out a ninja suit from his compartment, beginning to change. While GIR got ready, Alex double-checked Hanako's schedule to make sure everything was in order. He noted that she was currently in a board meeting or something similar. Since her father was out of the company and in Japan, she had taken over as acting head. Judging by the purpose of the meeting, it was likely to discuss the recent intrusion at Arasaka — an intrusion orchestrated by Alex himself.

A smile appeared on Alex's face as he realized he had caused these people quite a bit of trouble. He knew there wasn't another person crazy enough to humiliate Arasaka like this, and this was likely not the first or last meeting they'd hold over it.

Alex decided to start with the big fish and deal with the small fry afterward. If Hanako wasn't involved, then it had to be someone from her family or their factions. He read through the Arasaka family dossiers and could only shake his head—this family and company resembled a palace where battles for the chairman's seat were constantly underway.

Except for Yorinobu Arasaka, who seemed bent on destroying Arasaka. Everything Alex discovered about Yorinobu pointed to him leaking critical corporate information to undermine Arasaka's influence. But then something changed, and he returned to compete for the chairman's seat. Yet, this power struggle was not bloody; it seemed more about who could prove themselves best before their father. And then there was Michiko Arasaka, the daughter of the now-deceased Kei Arasaka, who died under mysterious circumstances.

The dossier stated that his death was due to an enemy corporation targeting him. However, something about Kei's death and the surrounding situation seemed suspicious to Alex. There might be something strange about his death, but Alex hadn't yet found any concrete lead to uncover the real reason.

While Alex was lost in thought, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that GIR was already dressed and ready for action.

«Well then, let's go visit our new friend Hanako,» Alex said with a smile.

GIR leapt onto Alex's back like a backpack, while Alex decided to switch his usual attire for something with a dark anti-hero vibe. He donned a suit inspired by Hiruko Kagetane, complete with a top hat. His change of outfit caught the attention of the girls chatting with Kiwi; they eyed him with curiosity, surprised at his transformation.

«Where are you off to?» Lucy asked, studying his new look closely.

Alex grinned widely, clearly enjoying himself as he shared his plans.

«I'm off to see a new friend. Although she doesn't yet know that she'll be my friend,» he answered playfully.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, realizing that this «friend» was in for some trouble since Alex had decided to «pay a visit.» She remembered how he joked about inviting Arasaka board members for «tea,» figuring that this was exactly where he was headed. Rebecca circled him, admiring his new look, and gave him a thumbs-up, impressed by the outfit.

«So who's the unlucky one who gets to be your friend?» Lucy asked, moving closer and looking him directly in the eyes.

Alex pouted at Lucy's teasing about how unlucky his friends were. In response, he grabbed her nose, smirking, but still shared the name of his «target» for the night.

«It's Hanako Arasaka. Tonight, we're going to be the best of friends. She doesn't know it yet, but once it happens, she'll want to share her secrets with me,» Alex said cheerfully.

Lucy swatted his hand away and looked him straight in the eyes, realizing that it was pointless to talk him out of it. That playful, mischievous gaze reminded her of the encounter with Sawada when he became Alex's «victim» once again. So she merely sighed and decided not to interfere.

«Just be careful. Remember, after your little performance, the security at Arasaka has definitely tightened,» Lucy reminded him.

Alex nodded, acknowledging her point. He understood that, after his previous incursion, the corporation had likely stepped up its security measures.

«Well then, quickly kiss me for luck. Without that, I definitely can't go ruin one lady's evening,» he said, spreading his arms in an inviting gesture.

Lucy shook her head but still stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. Rebecca didn't fall behind; she jumped up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and enthusiastically joined in the farewell «ritual.» Next was Gloria, who stood on her toes just slightly and gave Alex another kiss. Alex turned to Kiwi to say goodbye, but upon seeing his gaze, she unexpectedly decided to join in as well and, not needing extra height, simply kissed him on the cheek.

«That's all for now,» Kiwi said with a light smile.

Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing, only nodding as he headed to the parking lot. Approaching his motorcycle, he started it up and set the route to the Arasaka Tower—his target was on the upper floors where the Arasaka family resided. Parking in a dark alley, Alex stored the motorcycle in his inventory, just in case some fool thought about stealing it and would immediately get roasted to a crisp.

Taking a leap, Alex landed on the roof of the nearest building and moved across the rooftops until he reached the building across from the Arasaka Tower. Deciding to wait for the meeting to end, he lit a cigarette, gazing at the enormous skyscraper towering over the city. At one point, he even considered jumping off its roof without a parachute.

After finishing his cigarette, he decided it was time to ruin a lady's evening and planned to appear in her apartment as a mysterious stranger.

To be continued...