Chapter 10: Escaping The Kingdom
Author: Geraint
The next day, all of us were brought to the barracks. They said they would be training us to become heroes—something we couldn't refuse.
"Uuuu... What am I going to do..."
Shiina, sitting beside me, was squirming and clutching her stomach. Yuuka, Riko, and several of the other girls looked just as uncomfortable.
"What's wrong with you guys?"
"The restroom is disgusting! It stinks so bad, I couldn't even stay near it for more than a few seconds!" Riko complained, looking miserable. "Uuugh~ I want to go home..."
Homesickness was clearly setting in.
Kaho-san stayed silent, but her expression said everything—she was enduring the same discomfort.
Lilith, on the other hand, looked completely fine. In fact, she was smiling at me with a look of satisfaction.
...This girl. Don't tell me...
Everyone else was at their limit. Some looked like they were about to cry.
"All right, girls. Follow me."
"Huh?"
They looked confused at first, but when Yuuka and Shiina obediently followed after me, the others decided to come too.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Get back to the camp!"
Two knights blocked our path, hands on their swords. The girls grew nervous.
"Toilet."
"The restroom is over there. You're forbidden to go beyond this point!"
"Huh?! You're the ones who brought us here!" Riko snapped.
"Yeah! Take us back home already!"
The other girls began to protest too.
"Shut up and go back to the camp! If you don't, there'll be consequences!"
The two knights drew their swords and pointed them at us. Everyone froze in fear.
"Kyaah!"
"Hey! Stop that!"
Kaho-san stepped in front of the group to shield the others.
"Lilith."
"Yes, Seir-sama."
In a flash, Lilith appeared behind the knights and knocked them both out with a stun gun in each hand.
"Very convenient."
She seemed genuinely pleased with her new toys, which were still crackling with electricity.
"Make sure there's no trace of them."
"As you order."
Lilith dragged the unconscious knights away from the area.
"Let's go."
The girls hesitantly followed after me—though a few now seemed a little scared of me.
We arrived at what looked like a storage building.
"You girls wait here for a moment."
I stepped inside, looked around to make sure it was clear, and then summoned a large void in the air. One by one, I pulled out several portable toilets.
When I called them over, the girls were stunned to see public toilets just like the ones from their home world—like the kind found on city streets. Tears of joy streamed down their faces. They were so distracted with relief that not a single one asked where I had gotten them from.
"I'll be on lookout."
After a while, some of them came back hugging the toilets.
"I'll marry you instead. You're way more useful than my boyfriend."
"Oh, darling... you're all I need..."
They'd turned into total weirdos.
"Let's head back, everyone. They might notice we're missing."
"Y-Yes..."
When Lilith returned, everyone paled upon seeing her... holding a shovel.
"Good work, Lilith."
She bowed to me gracefully.
I turned to the girls and raised my index finger to my lips.
"Ssssh. You saw nothing, right?"
Seeing me smile, some of them nervously nodded.
"Just kidding. They're still alive."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"...If they survive."
Their faces went pale again.
"Pffffft! Hahaha!"
I burst out laughing and walked ahead.
After listening to a long-winded lecture from the knight instructor, we were finally brought to the cafeteria and served some food. On our trays were hard bread and what seemed to be baked sweet potato. Everyone was disappointed.
"Stop being picky! This is because demonic beings are ravaging our village farms. You should be thankful you're still getting food!"
I tried eating the bread—it was tough as rock. The sweet potato had clearly been stored too long; it had lost all its flavor.
Everyone looked gloomy when we left the cafeteria. Some hadn't touched their food at all, which seemed to irritate the knights.
"I already want to go home and eat your cooking, Onii-sama..."
"Me too, Seir-kun," Shiina added.
Yuuka and Shiina looked exhausted.
"Unless we defeat the Demon King, they won't send us back to our world," Kaho-san said, visibly frustrated.
"The food's so bad I miss my dad's ramen... It feels like we're being treated as prisoners, not heroes," Riko muttered, looking miserable.
Suddenly, a group of knights marched past us. Some were injured and bandaged. Their expressions were filled with fear and trauma. Behind them was a large steel cage being dragged along—inside was a ferocious demonic being in chains.
A high-ranking knight rushed toward them.
"Hey! What happened? Where's your commander?!"
The knight leading the group lowered his head and looked as if he was about to cry.
The officer clenched his fists and stomped his foot in frustration.
"Damn those demons!"
That night, I snuck out with Lilith to visit the captured demonic being. She was a young demon woman with dark skin, long wavy white hair, and amber eyes with black irises. A few black scales clung to her skin.
"Grrrr..."
She growled as we approached.
"Humans..."
Suddenly, she lunged at us through the bars, trying to reach us with her claws—only to pause when she realized we weren't afraid.
"You damned creatures! I won't forgive you!"
She staggered back, holding her waist.
"Uuugh..."
"Have you calmed down yet?" I asked in the demon tongue.
Her eyes widened.
"...Who are you?"
"You're in the presence of our Demon King—Seir-sama."
"Huh? The current Demon King is Prince Eligor. That bastard threw the Demon Realm into chaos."
"Seir-sama is the rightful Demon King."
"Uugh..."
She was clearly in pain.
"Lilith, heal her."
"Yes, Seir-sama."
Lilith cast a healing spell. Slowly, the woman's injuries began to fade.
"Hahaha! What luck, meeting fellow demons here!"
She suddenly spun her arm around and looked reinvigorated.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Lory. I used to be in the Demon Army—until I eloped with a beastman. We were living happily together until humans attacked our home. My husband escaped with our two kids while I stayed behind to buy them time. In the end, I got captured... But at least I tore their commander to shreds. That guy called us filthy creatures."
"So that's what happened..."
"Hey, as fellow demons, how about helping me out of here?"
"Not yet. I have a job for you."
We locked eyes for a moment. Then she grinned.
"Let me hear it."
----------------
I snuck away from the others without being noticed and waited at the meeting place until Lilith arrived with news. I had ordered her to gather intel about our location and what they planned to do with us. She handed me a map of the world and pointed to our position.
"We're currently in the Zelonia Kingdom—a small country nestled between the Holy Kingdom of Celestria and the Zendaria Empire in human territory."
"To think we were summoned to the farthest place from the Demon Realm..."
"At least it's on the mainland. Unlike those island nations, we don't need a ship to reach it."
"Have you contacted Naamah about the plan?"
"Not yet. She's still gathering the other Disaster Witches."
"Fine. We'll handle it ourselves for now. I'm glad we have Lory's help tonight."
"Shouldn't we just destroy this place ourselves, Seir-sama?"
"We can't reveal our identities yet. Especially not to Kaho-san or Riko."
I clenched my fist, but Lilith gently held my hand.
"I'll always be with you, Seir-sama. Tonight, we'll escape this place—with everyone."
I nodded and gave her a small smile.
"I still can't show them my true self. Not yet."
"Seir-sama... I'm prepared to stain my hands with blood for you."
"We don't know how smoothly things will go tonight. I might need to rip someone apart to protect them. Stay sharp, Lilith."
"Yes."
Evening arrived. The sky had darkened by the time we were called to dinner. On our plates was the same spoiled-looking hard bread. Everyone was losing their appetite from the constant mistreatment.
"I've had enough of this!"
One of the boys stood up, grabbed his bread, and hurled it at a soldier standing by the wall. Then he dropped his plate, shattering it. The sound drew everyone's attention.
"That's right!"
"I don't want to be treated like this!"
Other boys followed suit, slamming plates down in protest.
"Hey! Stop it, guys!"
Our female teacher turned pale and rushed to calm them down, but a soldier stepped forward in fury. He struck the student in the stomach with the butt of his spear.
"Ugh!"
Gasps echoed through the room.
"You little bastard!"
The soldier kicked the student in the face, knocking him to the ground as blood dripped from his nose. Then he stomped on him repeatedly.
"Stop it! Don't hurt him anymore! I apologize for his behavior!"
The teacher shielded the boy and took the blows herself.
"Shut up! Get out of the way, bitch! I'm gonna kill this punk!"
"I'm begging you, please!"
The other soldiers laughed as if it were entertainment.
I was just about to rise from my seat when a blonde girl burst into the room, panting heavily.
"What's going on here?!"
"Tch."
The soldier clicked his tongue at the sight of the princess.
"Are you all right?"
She knelt beside the teacher, whose lips were bleeding. Turning to her attendant, she ordered, "Bring them to the infirmary. Now."
Her vassals carried off the teacher and the unconscious student. The princess turned to the offending soldier and jabbed a finger at his chest.
"These people are supposed to be our heroes! Why are you hurting them?"
"What are you talking about, Princess? None of them fit the description from the divination. They're all rejects. There's no point in keeping them!"
Her expression fell. She looked down in frustration.
"That means... the true Hero was summoned elsewhere. Your job is done, Princess. The Prince has taken over this facility. He might find better use for them."
"Huh? No one told me this!"
Her voice cracked in disbelief. Everyone, including me, was stunned.
"What's the meaning of this?! You're supposed to send us home!" Kaho-san shouted.
"So, the Princess hasn't told you the truth yet," the soldier smirked.
"Hey! Stop—!" the princess pleaded.
"There's no way for you to go back. You'll all be staying here—for the rest of your lives."
The room fell into despair.
"No way..."
"Tell me this is just a dream...!"
"I want my mama..."
Some girls broke into tears. Others clung to each other in fear.
"Onii-sama..."
"Seir-kun..."
Yuuka and Shiina latched onto my arms, trembling.
"Calm down, you two. Don't forget who I am."
Riko stood in front of me, looking shaken. "Mom... Dad..." she murmured.
Lilith, meanwhile, was chewing her stale bread like it didn't matter, smiling back at me when she caught my gaze. She nodded—everything was going as planned.
I couldn't wait to see this pathetic kingdom burn.
Later, the knights rounded us up and herded us back to our chambers at spearpoint. Yuuka and Shiina stayed close, refusing to let go of me. Behind me, Riko clutched my shirt, terrified of the glares from the knights.
It was already dark outside. I sat in the same corner as before, staring through the window. Everyone was restless, unsure of what tomorrow would bring—but Yuuka and Shiina were asleep, leaning peacefully against my shoulders.
Kaho-san and Riko looked jealous.
"You're really reliable, Seir-kun, if they can sleep so soundly," Riko said with a soft smile.
Kaho-san looked exhausted. Her dark eye bags said it all. She hadn't gotten proper sleep since we arrived.
Without a word, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her gently toward me, laying her head on my lap.
"W-Waah!"
"You should rest. I'll keep watch."
Kaho-san blushed furiously.
"But—"
"Shut up and sleep. It'll be fine."
"Seir... How can things be fine in this situation? We're stuck here."
"Silly. Just leave it to me. For now, rest."
She looked into my eyes. My smile must have reassured her, because she slowly settled into a comfortable position and closed her eyes.
I noticed the princess pacing the room, clearly distressed by the heavy atmosphere. She glanced in our direction and walked over.
"Um..."
"Hm? Princess?"
"Oh, you weren't there when I introduced myself. I'm Irina, the second princess of Zelonia. Though I don't have much influence, since I'm just a concubine's daughter."
She looked younger than me—adorably cute, even rivaling Yuuka.
"What a waste," I muttered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Ah... nothing."
"You seem oddly calm, considering the situation."
"Panicking won't help. It solves nothing."
"Hehe... You're amazing. May I ask your name?"
"It's Yuki."
"Then, Yuki... I'm sorry for everything. We just needed the Hero to save our kingdom."
She bowed her head.
"What's the point now? The Hero wasn't among us."
"The other nations summoned people too. The Hero may be with them."
"Why did you need to summon a Hero in the first place?"
She hesitated before answering.
"To fight the Demon King's forces that are ravaging our lands..."
I searched her expression for signs of deceit—but found none. Either she was telling the truth... or she genuinely didn't know any better. Just as they say—ignorance is bliss.
Suddenly, soldiers burst into the chamber, waking everyone.
"Huh?"
"What's going on...?"
In the center stood a commanding young man. He looked around with a calculating gaze.
"Onii-sama?!"
So that's the prince—the crown prince of Zelonia.
The girls grew tense. Those beside me clutched my arms again.
The prince walked up to a girl with long orange hair, studied her, then pointed.
"Take that girl."
"Huh?"
She was confused—until soldiers seized her and began dragging her away.
"Let go of me!"
"Honoka!"
Her friends tried to help, but spears to their throats stopped them.
"Somebody, help me!"
The prince grabbed her blouse and ripped it open, exposing her chest.
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
Everyone froze.
"Yeah... what a nice rack you've got there." The prince licked his lips.
"Onii-sama! Stop this at once—!"
"Shut up!"
Without hesitation, he slapped the princess across the face.
"You shouldn't even be here. The king gave me full control. These girls are rejects—so I'll use them to entertain the troops."
Riko rushed to Irina's side, cradling her bleeding cheek. The princess trembled in fury.
The prince moved to select his next victim.
"You bastard!" one of the boys shouted—but was silenced by a blade to the throat.
"No one here has the right to defy me."
The prince grinned and grabbed another girl, tearing open her top.
"Kyah!" she cried.
I stood to intervene—but Kaho-san pulled me down.
"Seir! Don't!"
"Kaho-san, I have to—"
"I'm begging you. Please don't..."
"That one's good too. Take her."
Soldiers grabbed the girl. She smiled at me through falling tears as they stripped her blouse, revealing her bra.
And that was it.
The darkness in me—long dormant—swelled again.
I stood and lunged for the prince's throat.
But a knight intercepted me, severing my arm in one strike.
"Onii-sama!"
"Seir!"
The girls screamed as the knight stabbed me through the chest, the blade piercing clean through.
"That's what happens when you defy me," the prince sneered.
A familiar feeling surged through me. It brought me back... to what I used to be.
"...I'm home."
As the knight raised his blade for the final blow, I caught it between my fingers, shocking him.
"Humans... nothing has changed since I left."
The knight backed away, trembling.
"Be careful! He's a demon!"
"Too late."
My severed arm twitched—then shot into his chest like a spear.
He dropped to his knees, blood pouring from his armor.
The prince stumbled back in fear.
"Don't just stand there! Kill him!"
"You're already too late."
"Huh?!"
The soldiers and knights began shaking. Panic set in.
"My body...!"
"I can't move!"
"My hands—!"
They turned their weapons on themselves.
"Help me!"
"Gyaaaaah!"
One by one, they stabbed themselves, their screams echoing in the chamber.
Everyone watched in horror. The captured girls ran, covering their bodies.
The floor was soon littered with corpses—only the prince remained, drenched in blood.
I walked toward him. He crawled backward, slipping over the dead.
"No! Please! Spare me!"
He picked up a sword—but his hands wouldn't listen.
I redirected his blade toward himself.
"My body... What's happening?!"
I pointed downward. He looked.
Blood strings stretched from the corpses—connected to my severed arm.
"Don't tell me... You're...!"
"You really messed up... bringing me back here."
I tapped his shoulder.
"Now... enjoy your trip to hell."
I retrieved my arm, reattaching it seamlessly.
Behind me, the prince collapsed—a blade through his throat.
"Death Marionette."
I looked around. Everyone stared at me in terror—even Yuuka and Shiina.
"It's your choice now."
I faced them.
"If you want to leave this place alive—and return to Japan—follow me."
------------
We ran to the barracks, confused by the fact that no soldiers or knights were patrolling or guarding the area. The princess was with us—taken hostage for our escape. She had no choice but to agree.
"Seir-sama!"
Lilith, running alongside Lory, approached with the unconscious female teacher and the beaten-up male student on their backs.
"Onii-sama, how are we going to escape? Do you have a plan?" Yuuka asked, with Shiina looking worried beside her.
"Don't worry, Yuuka-sama. Everything is going exactly as Seir-sama planned," Lilith answered confidently on my behalf.
"Can we really trust him? He just killed them all without mercy. They said he's a demon!" one of the male students pointed at me, his voice trembling.
The others murmured in agreement.
"Yeah..."
"I can't believe there's a demon among us."
"Stay away from Yuuka-tan, you monster!"
I turned to face them, my cold expression immediately silencing their fear-driven complaints.
"Seir-kun..."
Kaho-san stepped toward me, her face serious.
"Kaho-san?"
"Are you really the 'Seir' I know?"
"...Yes. I never lied about my name. My name is Seir... and I am a demon."
Her eyes widened, stunned.
"Then how can we trust you? You're the enemy of humanity!"
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Kaho-senpai..." Riko whispered, her voice shaken. She, too, looked like she had lost her faith in me.
I didn't know how to respond—but before I could try, Yuuka stepped between us.
"Yuuka-san?"
Kaho-san looked confused as Yuuka frowned at her.
"Onii-sama didn't explain it properly. He's only half-demon. The other half is human," Yuuka said, pointing her finger right at Kaho-san's face.
"Yuuka-tan, stay away from him! He's still a demon!" one of the boys shouted.
"Yuuka-san... you knew?" Kaho-san asked, stunned.
"That's right! I grew up with him—he's my step-brother. Same with Ayaka."
Everyone stood in shock at her revelation.
"Seriously?" Riko turned to Shiina, who simply gave a slight smile.
"Yes," she confirmed.
Yuuka pinched both of my cheeks and tugged at them.
"You don't need to worry. He's harmless unless you piss him off—then he'll beat you up. He's a delinquent, after all."
"Yuuka..."
"What? Onii-sama?" she grinned sweetly.
"No matter what happens, I'll stay with you."
I sighed and gently moved her hands off my face. Then I walked toward an open area near the field. Making sure there was enough room, I summoned a large void from my dimensional storage and pulled out a bus—an old, public transport vehicle that had clearly seen better days. I'd salvaged and repaired it myself, originally planning to bring it back to my home world.
"Does this thing even work?" Riko asked, eyeing the rusted frame.
"Of course it does! Trust me." I gave her a proud thumbs up.
"As expected... you're still the Seir-kun I remember," she smiled, finally relaxing.
"It may look old, but the engine's good as new. I got it for my birthday. I asked Mom, and she actually bought it."
"Onii-sama always asks for the weirdest stuff from our parents," Yuuka said, climbing aboard with Shiina.
The others followed, laying the two unconscious patients at the back with Riko and the girls watching over them.
"Kaho-san!" I called out.
I pulled a katana from my storage and tossed it to her as she climbed inside.
"Huh?"
She caught it, then slowly drew the blade from its scabbard.
"This... this is a real katana!"
"That's my birthday gift to you. Happy 17th, Kaho-san."
She blinked, realizing it.
"...Thank you."
"If you ever need to kill to protect someone—don't hesitate. This world is crueler than you think. Please remember that."
Kaho-san remained silent as I climbed in last, joining Lilith and Lory.
I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Everyone, hold on tight!"
The headlights lit up the surroundings as the bus slowly accelerated toward the massive front gate.
"Lory!"
"Leave it to me, Boss!"
Lory jumped down and rushed forward, smashing through the wooden gate with a powerful punch.
"Alright!"
As we passed over the debris, she leapt back onto the roof of the bus.
The road ahead was clear, so I picked up speed.
"Woohoo! This is awesome, Boss!" Lory laughed from above, enjoying the ride.
Up ahead was another massive gate. The guards noticed and shouted in alarm.
"Lilith!"
"Yes, Seir-sama!"
Lilith drew two daggers from her storage and climbed to the roof. She sprang forward, slicing through the panicked soldiers in an instant.
"Argh!"
Lory followed close behind, smashing the gate into splinters with a single punch. Both of them rejoined the bus as we stormed through the second gate.
"One more to go."
The road turned rough, so I slowed down.
We crossed multiple bridges, each in worse shape than the last. Some nearly collapsed under the vehicle's weight. My passengers were quiet—some had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Finally, we reached the last gate, made of tied logs with sharpened tips. No one was guarding it. When we stepped out to check, we found two drunk guards asleep beside empty bottles of alcohol.
"...Let's go."
Lilith and Lory casually opened the gate, and we drove through without issue.
We had finally escaped the Zelonia Kingdom.
(To Be continued.)