Chapter 1: Strange New World
Author: Geraint
"What is this place?!"
We stood on the edge of a strange, unfamiliar world. Houses were built into the hills and mountains, and curious vehicles moved effortlessly across fields, planting crops—what looked like wheat—with a speed that defied belief. Other machines sped down paved roads, carrying fruits and vegetables in large loads.
"Are we still in Demon Territory?" Lilith asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "All I see are humans... riding inside those odd beasts."
While Lilith stared in confusion, I cautiously followed the path toward a nearby village. The signs displayed unfamiliar symbols—nothing like the demonic runes I'd studied back at the castle.
"Seir-sama, wait for me!" Lilith called, catching up.
We munched on strange green insects we had found by the roadside. Their taste was disgusting, but we had little choice—we had to survive. As we crept forward, we ducked behind a large tree when we saw a group of children walking by. Once they passed, we peeked out and kept moving.
Lilith clutched her stomach.
"Ugh... Seir-sama..." she groaned. Her hunger was evident.
I couldn't let her go hungry. Determined to find something better than bugs, I ventured into the bushes, searching for wild fruits or anything edible.
"Seir-sama, wait!" she called, but I was already gone.
I stumbled upon a small river and tried catching fish with my bare hands. After a few attempts, I managed to gather several small fish. Skewering them with sticks, I started a fire and grilled them.
The flavor was bland—no herbs, no spices—but it filled our stomachs. Lilith, exhausted from the night before, fell asleep beside me. I stared into the flames, lost in thought, when I sensed movement in the bushes nearby.
Someone was crying.
I stood, leapt silently into the trees, and followed the sound until I found her: a young human girl, alone and sobbing. She had light blue shoulder-length hair and matching eyes. Her blue off-shoulder shirt and frilly white skirt were torn and covered in dirt.
"???!" she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Hey! Stop crying!" I called, dropping from the trees in front of her.
She flinched and looked up, startled.
"Of course... You can't understand me," I muttered, realizing the language gap. I resorted to sign language.
"You're lost, right?" I gestured. "I'll take you somewhere safe."
Her knee was bleeding. I tore a strip from my already tattered shirt and tied it around the wound.
"Can you walk?"
She hesitated. With a sigh, I crouched down.
"Climb on. I'll carry you."
Still unsure, she looked at me.
"Ah, you're such a handful," I grumbled, lifting her into my arms. Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.
"Hold on tight."
With her in my arms, I leapt through the trees until I saw people in the distance—adults calling out names, looking panicked. This must be her family.
"Go," I said, setting her down.
She paused, then pointed at herself.
"Shiina Ayaka!"
I blinked. "Shiina?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Seir," I said, pointing at myself.
"Zeir?"
"Seir."
"Seir..." she repeated, smiling brightly.
"Seir-kun, ??? ???? ????" she said, blushing. I couldn't understand her words, but her gentle tone made me nod.
She beamed, took both of my hands, then quickly let go as if realizing what she'd done. She gave me a little wave and ran off.
"?????, Seir-kun! ?????"
I scratched my head. "What was that?"
I returned to our camp before Lilith awoke.
Night fell again. I grilled more fish when I sensed movement nearby—this time, not a child.
"Lilith," I whispered, "we have company. Let's welcome them."
"As you wish, Seir-sama."
We vanished into the shadows of the trees. Flashlights pierced the forest. A scouting party—five people—moved cautiously toward our camp. I watched them from above: one middle-aged man, two younger men, and two women.
One of the young men grabbed a half-cooked fish from the fire, took a bite, and spat it out. "Disgusting," he muttered. That annoyed me—it was our food.
Lilith and I descended from the trees. In a flash, we knocked out three of them—me taking the two men, Lilith disabling the girl with swift, magic-enhanced strikes.
"Ugh!" ×3
Only two remained: a young man in a white coat and a woman in a white robe with loose red trousers. They looked shocked, clearly not expecting resistance.
The man stepped forward, protectively shielding the woman.
Lilith tensed, ready to strike, but I raised my hand.
"Seir-sama?" she asked.
"I'll try to talk first."
"Seir?" the young woman said.
I pointed my sword at the man's neck. "State your purpose! Why are you following us?"
They blinked in confusion—no comprehension.
The man slowly knelt down, raising his hands in surrender. He began arguing with the woman in hushed tones, who then knelt beside him.
"They're surrendering..." I muttered, though my senses warned of more approaching.
"Lilith. The ones in hiding—incapacitate them, but no killing. I don't want unnecessary bloodshed."
"As you command."
She vanished, and moments later, sounds of scuffles and explosions echoed through the woods.
Bang! Bang!
When she returned, the two before me were visibly shaken—especially at the strange metal artifact in her hand.
"Seir-sama, I brought you something interesting," she said, handing it to me.
I examined the object. It was cool and metallic, shaped like a small crossbow, but without any string. A trigger-like mechanism hinted at its use.
"They all had one. Some kind of ranged weapon they pointed at me," she added.
"Hmm..." I pointed it toward the kneeling pair. They flinched, shutting their eyes.
With a sigh, I appeared behind them in a blink and knocked them out.
"Let's move."
I tossed the weapon into the river, watching it vanish beneath the current.
Lilith nodded. "Understood, Seir-sama."
We disappeared into the forest once more.
----------
After the ordeal we endured last night, we chose to leave the village and return to the main road, once again settling for crunchy insects as our makeshift meal. Lilith, walking beside me, looked utterly drained—her breath shallow and heavy. Without a second thought, I knelt down and let her climb onto my back.
"Sorry, Lilith. If I'd recovered my magic faster, we wouldn't have had to walk this far..."
"What are you saying, Seir-sama? You're just as exhausted as I am—and I'm the one burdening you. I should be the one apologizing!"
"It's fine. We only have each other now."
Just then, a strange white vehicle slowed down beside us. One of the windows slid open, revealing a young girl with shoulder-length dark brown hair tied in a ponytail, warm amber gold eyes, and fair skin. Her smile was bright and friendly as she spoke, but her words were foreign to me. We simply stared, unable to reply—trapped by the language barrier.
She looked disheartened by the silence, her eyes misting over. Turning to the older man beside her, who was gripping a circular device I later learned was called a steering wheel, she muttered something. He had short black hair, gentle brown eyes, and also tried speaking to us, but we still couldn't understand a word. Eventually, he gave a small sigh, smiled, and gestured toward the rear of their vehicle.
Following his gesture, I saw what looked like a small carriage hitched to the back, loaded with supplies. He motioned for us to climb in.
Seeing Lilith's weakened state, I had no choice but to accept their kindness. I gently helped her into the carriage and climbed in beside her as the vehicle began moving again. I watched in awe as the scenery blurred past—so much faster than any horse-drawn carriage I'd known.
When rain began to fall, the vehicle stopped briefly, and the two invited us inside. The young girl was especially lively—talkative and animated as she continued trying to communicate despite the barrier between us. Her efforts were endearing. Sitting beside me, she slowly introduced herself, word by word.
"What's... your... name? My name's... Nishimiya... Riko," she said, pointing to herself, then at me.
"Nishimiya?" I repeated, pointing to her, then myself. "Seir."
"Seir?" She tried saying it, and I nodded. Her face lit up when she got it right.
"It's... Riko. Please... call... me... Riko."
"Riko," I said again, smiling this time.
She nodded happily. "Mhm. That's right."
Bit by bit, I began picking up words, thanks to her patient teaching. I didn't even realize we had arrived at the next town—the one I had asked them to drop us off at. The vehicle—what they called a "car"—came to a stop, and we stepped out into the town's main street.
"Thank you very much," I said, offering a respectful bow.
Riko waved with tearful eyes, her attachment surprising me. Though we had just met, she acted as if we were already close friends—and for that, I was grateful. It made parting less painful.
"Seir-kun!"
"Thank you for everything, Riko. I hope fate brings us together again. I'll gladly repay you someday," I told her. Her eyes widened in surprise, cheeks blushing at my fluent words. I wasn't sure why, but it made me strangely happy.
"Then next time we meet, if you ignore me like a stranger, I'll punch you in the gut! Got it? Don't you dare forget me!" she said, playfully punching the air.
"That sounds painful... but I don't forget kindness," I replied with a small chuckle.
"See you again, Seir-kun! Bye-bye!" she waved cheerfully.
"Yeah. Until we meet again." I waved back, and Lilith—smiling—mimicked me.
The car slowly drove away, eventually vanishing from view.
"Amazing, Seir-sama! You learned their language so fast! As expected of a genius prince—truly remarkable!" Lilith praised with admiration.
"Well, I've got some bad news," I said, frowning.
"Huh? What is it, Seir-sama?"
"We're in a country called Japan. It's not part of the human realm in our world."
"...What does that mean?" she asked, confused.
I had studied the maps of our continents thoroughly. But not once had I come across the name "Japan"—nor the neighboring lands Riko had mentioned. Their technology and language were completely foreign. There was only one explanation.
"I think... we've been transported to another world."
"Eh...?" Lilith froze.
"Lilith?" I called, only for her to drop to her knees and bow deeply.
"This is my fault! Because of me, we ended up like this! I'm sorry, Seir-sama! Please execute me! A failure like me doesn't deserve to remain by your side!"
"Then what will happen to me?" I asked gently. "Would killing you fix anything?"
She slowly raised her head. "Seir-sama..."
"You must make up for it. You're the only one I can trust. Serve me until the very end."
"Seir-sama!" Lilith cried, hugging my waist tightly.
"Our priority now is food and shelter."
"Yes, Seir-sama! I won't fail you agai—"
But before she could finish, she collapsed.
"Lilith!"
Her body was burning with fever. Her skin was flushed, her breathing shallow. I pressed my hand against her forehead—too hot. Without delay, I lifted her onto my back and made my way into the town.
Thanks to Riko's lessons, I managed to communicate with the townspeople. They directed me to a local clinic, where a kind assistant greeted us and led us to a ward. I laid Lilith gently onto the bed.
The assistant examined her, took her temperature, and checked her vitals. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious—just a common cold. She handed me some medicine and gave instructions.
I carefully woke Lilith and helped her take the medicine. An hour later, the color had returned to her cheeks, and her breathing was more relaxed. I thanked the assistant before she left us alone.
As I sat beside Lilith, watching her sleep peacefully, the door opened with a soft creak.
A young man stepped inside—a white coat draped over his shoulders, dark purple hair neatly framing his face, and vivid purple eyes that met mine with astonishment.
"Is this the new patien—"
He froze mid-sentence, his gaze locked onto me.
His eyes widened.
He recognized me.
"Wait—"
The young man froze as I summoned my sword, its tip hovering just inches from his neck. His eyes snapped shut, and the notepad he held slipped from his hands as he slowly raised them in surrender.
"Why are you following us?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
"You... you speak Japanese?" he asked, startled.
"Just answer me—or I take your head."
"I could ask you the same! What are you two doing in my clinic? You're the ones from last night, right? And that girl lying on the bed—"
"She's sick. I brought her here for treatment."
"I'm the doctor here. I was just checking on my patients," he said cautiously.
"Then why did you chase us last night?"
"I wasn't chasing you! I was called to check on a friend's daughter. Her mother used to be a shrine priestess, dealing with spirits in the forest. I was dragged along. And then... we found you two."
"So you came to exorcise us?"
"No! It was a misunderstanding. We thought you were spirits—your aura was overwhelming. We tried talking, but you couldn't understand us."
His explanation came out in one breath, sweat dripping down his face.
I lowered my sword slightly. "So it really was a misunderstanding."
He collapsed into a sitting position, sighing in relief. "Those powers... are you even human?"
"We're half-human."
"...Half?"
"Half-demon," I replied with a smirk. His face turned pale.
"If you can speak Japanese, why didn't you say anything yesterday?"
"I just learned this morning—from a girl we met on the road."
"Seriously? You learned that fast?"
"My vocabulary is still limited, but yes."
He seemed impressed, but quickly moved on to check on Lilith. He placed a strange device to her forehead and listened to her heartbeat with a metallic tool that intrigued me.
"She's running a fever from exhaustion. She needs rest. Has she been eating properly?"
Guilt stabbed at me. We'd survived on insects and foraged fish. I gently held Lilith's hand as she slept. "I'm sorry, Lilith. I should've taken better care of you."
Ring! Ring!
The man pulled out a strange rectangular device and held it to his ear.
"Hello? Himiko? What's wrong? I just got back..."
His voice turned grave. I watched his expression darken as he spoke.
"That's beyond me. This isn't a medical issue—it's something supernatural. A curse. I know... the same one that's haunted your family for generations. Every night, something emerges from their back, feeding on their life until they die. We've tried everything... I'm sorry, Himiko. I really am."
He lowered the device and turned to me.
"Hey, kid—"
"Don't call me kid. Name's Seir."
"Right. Seir, do you know anything about curses?"
"If you mean the kind here, no. We're not from this world."
"...What?"
I nodded. "We're from another world."
He blinked. "We can talk about that later. But I need your help. My friend's daughter might not make it through the night. Please! I'll give you anything if you can help her."
"Anything?"
"Anything I can offer."
I glanced at Lilith. She was thin, feverish, and weak. My pride as a prince warred with the survivalist in me.
"Then give us food and shelter. For as long as we're here."
"Deal." He extended his hand and I shook it.
We rushed outside and boarded his car. He drove fast, silent and focused, eyes never leaving the road. We arrived at an old traditional home, surrounded by spiritual wards and charms. A strange, heavy aura lingered in the air.
"Evil spirit, leave my daughter!" a woman's voice cried out.
The doctor—Shun—grabbed my arm and led me inside. A dim room lit by flickering candles revealed a woman sobbing over a young girl lying on a futon.
"Mama... it hurts..."
The girl's back was exposed. From it sprouted a swollen lump—grotesque and grinning, shaped like a demon's face.
"Shiina Ayaka..." I murmured. I recognized her instantly—the girl I'd rescued from the forest.
"That's the curse I was talking about," Shun said. "Can you do anything?"
I nodded. "That's not just a curse. It's a parasite—from my world."
"A parasite?"
"Yes. It's been here for years—long enough to learn your language and customs. But it's a feeder. It drains life from its host until they die and then moves on."
"Can we remove it?"
"Yes—but only at night, when it surfaces."
The girl groaned in pain. Her mother wept.
"I made a friend yesterday..." Ayaka whispered. "He was amazing..."
I stepped forward. "Excuse me."
They all turned toward me in surprise.
"Sorry, but I'm busy tomorrow."
The woman gasped. "It's you!"
Shun pulled her back. "Let him work."
I knelt beside Ayaka and smiled gently. "Yoh, Shiina."
"...Seir-kun?"
"Yeah. I'm here to help. It'll hurt a little, but hang in there."
I placed my hand on her nape, channeling my magic. With my other hand, I slowly began to peel the grotesque lump from her back.
"Ugh... mmmgh! It hurts, Seir-kun!"
"I know. Just a little longer."
The lump squirmed, its voice hissing in my mind.
Stop! You'll kill her! Leave me be or I'll curse you next!
"Shut up, parasite. I know what you are."
How?! Who are you!?
I tore it off, and the wound began bleeding. With a surge of energy, I healed the injury. Ayaka's breathing steadied, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.
"Ayaka!" her mother cried, rushing to her side.
"She's safe now," I said.
I conjured a small flame and incinerated the parasite. Its dying screams faded as it turned to ash.
"You remember our deal," I reminded Shun.
"Of course. But I won't be the one providing shelter."
I blinked. "What?"
He pointed at the stunned woman beside him.
"She will."
(To be continued.)